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I hope the tour guides and hat quest are back in R20

Discussion in 'Release 19 Feedback' started by Kara Brae, Jun 26, 2015.

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  1. Vyrin

    Vyrin Avatar

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    I know it's getting off topic but just purely for the fun of talking about quests here... I love dreaming up quests!

    This last part doesn't seem to follow well. If you don't complete the quest (i.e. you lied and got a bad servo), the performers remain safe. If you complete the quest (i.e. you told the truth), the Kobolds attack. However, there shouldn't be a difference here because the Kobold commander knows the truth in any event. I think it would be an interesting twist to reverse it. It seems like a lie should make the Kobolds more suspicious that something is afoot. If you lie, the Kobolds decide to attack, the survivors flee to find you, and give you the quest item for showing them the way to safety. The beauty of this is they are thanking you even though you are a jerk, so it creates moral tension. Do you come clean and tell them or just take the reward and remain a jerk haha. If you tell the truth, maybe the performers remain safe and don't appear at all, or you see them performing in town at some later date.
     
  2. Drocis the Devious

    Drocis the Devious Avatar

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    Agreed. I was trying to keep things simple, and I didn't go back through and Q/A my work. The example I created was just food for thought for the devs. It's hard to know how much work they're willing to put into a tour guide quest - I don't know where the line is drawn. :)

    But yes, you're absolutely correct in your assessment. One of the things that makes any quests difficult is that in the real world there are perhaps millions of ways to resolve conflict. You could say or do almost anything and it's hard to imagine how many different outcomes might take place. In games like this, there are always going to be limited outcomes and limited ways to get to those outcomes. The deeper we go, the more complex and more time it takes to create.

    What I liked about my original example was that even though you only had two choices (three if you count not doing the quest, or not finishing it on purpose), you still have an opportunity to make things right in future releases. The Kobold Commander could either trust you or not trust you. The Performers could either like you or dislike you. So future events might make a future release starting point more or less advantageous but not prevent you from moving forward to complete the next quest. I think this gives players the sense that their actions are meaningful even if they're limited. It also, after several decisions have been made, gives the player a chance to either make up for past decisions or reinforce those decisions. So in my mind players that might play for 3 or 4 release could run the gambit of being huge enemies of the kobolds to being fairly neutral to be their best friends. While the same could be true of the performers and because there are several choices that have been made it might even be possible for both groups to love or hate you. :)
     
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  3. Lum the Mad

    Lum the Mad Developer Emeritus Dev Emeritus

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    Actually, there are two ways to complete this quest. It just happens that the second way is considerably harder!

    no one said you HAD to be friends with the kobolds...
     
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  4. Carlin the Druid Archer

    Carlin the Druid Archer Avatar

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    Hey cool, that's great Lum. It's these kind of multiple solution quests that make for interesting gameplay :)
     
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  5. Net

    Net Avatar

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    I thought about killing the Commander since he was not blue, but I did not want to risk ruining the quest for myself and I would not want to be their enemy anyway.

    I really hope there will be more quests like this, with multiple solutions. I will always try to pick the nonlethal way, even if it is easier.
     
    Last edited: Jun 29, 2015
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  6. Drocis the Devious

    Drocis the Devious Avatar

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    I did not kill any Kobold's because I am stupid and lazy. Instead, I stood in a circle with all the automation's. My avatar is still there saying things like "ERROR - This is an ERROR message, and what not."
     
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  7. Jordizzle

    Jordizzle Avatar

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    I loved the R19 quest for the Kobold Commander Mask. It was fun and a lot more interesting versus the previous releases. Thanks!!
     
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  8. Miracle Dragon

    Miracle Dragon Legend of the Hearth

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    I hope the next hat quest gives us an option of two different hats, one black/white, the other white/black.. and it should be only possible to get one of the two hats with each account!!

    Now, as the tour guides have been kobold-handled, it's sensible that they would be in some state of disrepair. I think it's time we learn something of who creates these automatons, see their workshop, learn some lore behind the engineer's guild and what projects are up their sleeves for our future in New Britannia.

    Maybe the master engineer can be named after the lead engineer at Portalarium, and he could hand us a spanner wrench saying he could use our help to check on all the tour guides and give them some adjustments if they don't respond correctly to voice commands or if they think they are in a different place than they are at.. He could offer us an engineer's cap if we finish the job honestly.

    Perhaps a competing engineer, with um, female automatons, could approach you saying if we use the tool to sabotage the tour guides instead, she'll finally get a chance to gain foothold in the largely male-dominated automaton industry. And she would offer her engineer's cap as reward for this just service.

    I think it's important to keep using the virtues to force players to decide between no right/wrong answers, but hard decisions with consequences either way you choose.

    Please, show us that this is an Ultima successor! And let us show everyone which virtues we chose during pre-alpa, by the hat we wear! :) (not proudly, but with humility, as a reminder that we are all bound by the trials of virtue everyday)
     
  9. Ravenclaw [BEAR]

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  10. Weins201

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    I wish they would get MUCH more complex other than just wandering around and finding a Automoton, Fighting, Secret rooms, Riddles, puzzles a litl of everything.

    Make it so you have to PLAY the game a little.
     
  11. Miracle Dragon

    Miracle Dragon Legend of the Hearth

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    very cool
     
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  12. amaasing

    amaasing Avatar

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    Loved the quest just as it was. I also think having the videos for new players to help them gain the hat is an absolute plus for this community. If you don't need the help, then don't watch the video - pretty simple. And I personally think the hat theme is perfect. Once we get something to display them on then it will be fantastic - looking forward to the Tour Guide Hat Rack.
     
  13. gtesser

    gtesser Avatar

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    I prefer that these quests be kept simple. Since they are only temporary, I don't think they should waste much time on them when there are other things that could be worked on (things that could be in the finished game, for example).
     
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  14. majoria70

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    Well in a way if you look at it like the quest type that goes in the game is important. Testing out what we like and don't like even regarding how quests operate is important. So I say make simple, medium difficulty and whatever for us to test. Whatever needs to be done to make the game the best. I do think the secret of the story has to be preserved of course, I'm sure it is being taken care of to preserve that for us;)

    oops reworded that a bit. more coffee perhaps;)
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2015
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