[WIP] The Inheritance

[Guest deleted2159825]

This living dungeon idea... jesus christ. I wish you all the best and it would be awesome, but it's scrambling my mind even thinking about what it would take.

 

It's not as painful as I'd thought it would be, as it involves triggering timers, then switching enable/disable parents (which regulate the spawns in that cell). These can be randomized to make things interesting, though I haven't tried that just yet.

 

It's rather tedious in large dungeons, but manageable in small cells.

[Mishaxhi]

Maybe when the inheritance is released and the framework is there to see, other people will start doing it with larger dungeons themselves.

 

Fully perpetual wasteland. Maybe I'm just a dreamer.

[Quetzlsacatanango]

Check out Prospector's Den, that's what they did there to enable the prospectors after you kill the raiders.

[Guest deleted2159825]

While there is one cell that I will try to put through a changing, randomized cycle, my main goal is to do what Q is describing - make the player's actions render one plausible change in the dungeon, also ensuring it has respawning inhabitants (friendly or not, depending on the player's actions).

 

Another possibility is making NPC's specific to a dungeon, and then giving them all a script which adds to a variable as they die. Wipe them out enough times, and someone/something else moves in. A simpler way (and what I'll likely do) is have a boss NPC with a similiar script. Kill the boss enough times, and a newer, more hard-line chief takes charge. Kill him/her and they abscond, leaving the place to Cazadors, Squatters or vermin (which could be randomized).

 

This was something I always wanted to write in for the Fiends in the context of New Vegas Bounties, as the player is essentially at war with their leadership. I always envisioned a succession of increasingly radicalized leaders (e.g. Lobo, who ambushes the player) who will take violent, unpredictable measures (taking hostages, attacking Westside,etc.) to protect their interests. Hell, that could be a plugin all to itself. The Fiends Strike Back, if you will, lol.

[Guest deleted2159825]

I'm looking to get some extra eyes on the latest beta this weekend. I should have it uploaded later tonight - PM me if you're interested in testing!

[GeeZee]

When can we expect this mod to be released?

[Guest deleted2159825]

When can we expect this mod to be released?

 

I am aiming to release the mod in early January, owing primarily to feature creep and ongoing voicework.

 

Here are some stats:

- The primary quest is finished, and offers 1 - 1.5 hours of gameplay.

- There are three extant sidequests in the mod, with two more underway. The vary considerably in size and scope, ranging from <15 minutes of gameplay to 1 hour.

- The mod includes five new weapons (all but one are re-textured) and a set of re-textured clothing. Everything maintains a gritty, lore-friendly aesthetic.

 

Other considerations:

- This plugin began as a series of disjointed scripting experiments for Firebase Zulu, so my presentation is a touch unconventional. Only one of the sidequests is available from the outset, with the remainder accessible after the primary quest, and only if the player makes certain choices (or acquires certain items). Even then, these sidequests only begin when each courier (there is a separate courier for each quest) delivers his/her message.

 

There are a number of reasons for this method (which I'm still uncertain about, as you can infer). At the conclusion of The Inheritance, the player has an opportunity to acquire a substantial monetary reward. In many rpg's (or even DLC such as Dead Money) this is punctuated by a sense of "

" and little to no afterthought. However, I feel that it's important to counterbalance this euphoric burst with a dose of cynicism (sorry, it's my nature), if only to keep the player guessing and deliver realistic consequences. How will wastelanders react when they learn of the player's new-found wealth? Will they attempt to harness it for philanthropic purposes? Will they manipulate or deceive the player in the hopes of acquiring the spoils for themselves? How will the player deal with sycophants, suppliants, and/or robbers? These were salient questions when I outlined the mod.

 

A pillar of recent game design is to frequently reward the player, with few strings attached. However, I believe that even rewards should have consequences. Take lottery winners, for example. I recently read that over 1/3 of them end up bankrupt, with many relationships and friendships destroyed in the aftermath. I'm aiming to take these real-life lessons and infuse them into the mod.

 

Sorry for the rant - I've just been conferring with several of the testers about this method of presentation, which will likely prove disconcerting to some players. However, I'm sticking with it, if only to hammer home the respect for unintended consequences, even in the face of apparent victory.

Edited December 14, 2012 by someguy2000

[GeeZee]

Sounds http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/smiles/excellent.gif, can't wait.

 

Don't know how well those consequences regarding the "inheritance" will work in the game, where afterwards the player will buy GRA equipment going in hundreds of thousands of worth with their spoils or Ultra-Luxe winnings anyway, but I'm sure you'll deliver an interesting, well-written mod, and I'm eagerly waiting.

[Guest deleted2159825]

@GeeZee,

 

LOL, thanks! There is still substantial work remaining, but I'm working closely with the testers to hammer out bugs and fine-tune the balancing. That's actually been one of the strong points in the mod so far, as it lacks the annoying ambushes of NVBII, but certainly offers a greater challenge than NVBI.

 

Yeah, it remains to be seen how those consequences play out, as I can certainly empathize with players who spend their caps on weaponry and armor. However, perception is reality, and once the player has a reputation for wealth it should spur interest from a variety of individuals, all with different goals.

 

Thanks again for the kind words - at the very least, it will have my "Big Three": Colorful dialogue, ultra-violence, and choices with consequences. It's also forced me to improve my scripting skills in preparation for Firebase Zulu. I'm much more confident about my design for the battle sequence than I was prior to The Inheritance. As long as players don't mind NPC's wearing masks and corpses disappearing from time to time (as in Hoover Dam), I think the engine can handle some incredible battles, provided the scripting is solid.

 

Suffice to say I'm very excited about my forthcoming projects, due in no small part to the feedback and enthusiasm of the community. Thanks for the support, everyone. I will continue to work with the testers and voice actors to get this turned out ASAP!

[JUSTIYT1]

I agree with you. Games nowadays give out too many rewards without any repercussion. I am really interested to see what consequences you can come up with for having such a large amount of money.