NPC expectations for sequel

Weasel · Post by **Weasel** » Sun Jan 14, 2001 9:58 pm

Originally posted by Drakron Du´Dark:

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, PUT THE DAMN BLADESINGER KIT.

Drakron I'll be sure to e-mail them and ask. You haven't been gazing in to the abyss to long have you?

------------------
'Weasel the Most Holy of the Holy Cavaliers'.

Grimbold the Unlovely · Sun Jan 14, 2001 10:00 pm

Am I the only person who liked Ajantis in BG1? He would be so much better than Amomen . . . but Amomen is not as bad as some people seem to think. Insecure rather than snotty.

Rail · Post by **Rail** » Sun Jan 14, 2001 10:13 pm

Wasn't Adjantis one of the slain paladins on the windspear hills, though?

How about having a half-ors? Putting in a monk, barbarian, or sorceror would have been nice, since they were new classes for the game. I'd like to see them add a few kits and have some NPCs with those new kits.

And for goodness sake, give us a decent thief! (daily quotient of irony)

Bernie · Post by **Bernie** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 9:27 am

Well, I'm a Minsc fan so Minsc has to return. As others also stated, Imoen and Jaheira will pretty sure be back again. I'd like to see a better balance between good and evil chars (most are good-doers, even Jaheira and Haer'dalis with neutral alignments seem to be). And whenever Edwin will be back... she needs a female portrait...

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 9:32 am

Anyone want Xan back?

I agree, Ajantis was cool. Pity you have to slaughter him like a dog

And Kagain teamed with Korgan - the double-dwarves-of-doom (wielding axes).

Doltan · Post by **Doltan** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 10:28 am

For all of you people crying for a decent thief... There may not be a decent one, but there are 4 (Yoshimo, plus the 3 Thief/Mages Nalia, Imoen, and Jan). What was Bioware thinking when it made 4 psuedo thieves, and no Monks, Sorcerors, or Barbarians? The variety in NPCs in BGII is really poor.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 10:39 am

I know what Bioware were thinking - *Spoiler* (there are newbies joining all the time)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Hmm, there are no good thieves. Since I didn't make my character a thief, Imoen is locked up, Nalia is a cr*ppy one and Jan is annoying (and a gnome!

) guess I'll have to take the rather spiffing Yoshimo..... Quelle surprise! After that you get Imoen back.

Good point about sorcerers/barbarians etc though - the NPC's are a poor spread.

[This message has been edited by Gruntboy (edited 01-15-2001).]

Doltan · Post by **Doltan** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 2:25 pm

That's exactly what they were thinking. But why make Nalia identical to Imoen? That is one serious brain fart (excuse the language!).

Ubik · Post by **Ubik** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 2:41 pm

Ok, some serious talking about those NPC's...

With the incredible variety of races and subclasses introduced with the 3rd edition rules, there is quite hard to have ALL the classes or even all the races in a game who can be completed in less than a year (imagine about 40 NPC AND their quests AND the subplots they fit into AND their romances... THIS WOULD BE A HUGE GAME!!!)

So, if the folks at Biowar (we take it for granted that there will BE a BG3, but the truth is that beyond the expansion - that is a sure one - there is nothing to be taken as granted) want to have every race/class in it they will have to make a game like 500 hours minimum (with all the subquests) long game.
Rather hard, when BG2 is hardly 150 and it is considered HUGE allready.
So, here is an alternative (an idea given to me by a guy in another thread who has actually used Shadowkeeper to alter ALL the NPC in his party!)

Customization!

That is the alternative idea. Make the NPC customizable - at the begging of the game that is, or vary them from game to game. Could be done randomly or I don't know how. Ideas about that would be welcomed (by Bioware too, I bet

)

Edwin · Post by **Edwin** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 3:25 pm

Ubik, you're right.
A possibility could be: mantain the char. fron BG I (in order to give the story a real continuity); some of BG II (same reason as above); and create 1 new char for all the classes they want to put in the sequel. But they must be customazible char. For example: instead of Valygar, create a ranger, with his lines, alignement, personality and so on, but we will choose if he will become a plain ranger or a ranger kit. In this way they have to program only one char. story, but the replay value and customization is really high.

Minerva · Post by **Minerva** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 4:46 pm

I'd like to see more variation in races as well as classes. BG2 has mainly human characters while BG1 had much more varieties.

I liked Branwen in BG1. She was very good cleric with quite good stats, and I kept her till the end of the game. I haven't her dead in BG2, so it is possible to see her again.

Saumerez · Post by **Saumerez** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 4:49 pm

What if after you created (or imported) your character you had to select two characters which would have names and such already and their ability scores would then be assigned according to which class/kit you select for them.

You could have the option of not using them (or giving them the boot if you encountered someone you liked more). Nothing says that they have to have deep story lines after all. If you would rather have specific classes/kits and miss out on a bit of character interaction then why not?

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Tue Jan 16, 2001 8:33 am

They would have to put in some major plot to put Kivan back in after all he was trying to avenge the death of his family, and if you kill the raiders in BG1 then you have more or less eradicated his need for vengeance.

Lenny · Post by **Lenny** » Tue Jan 16, 2001 3:39 pm

Ajantis! Yes, definitely. Sure he's dead, but are our party members the only citizens of Faerun who know how to access the temple resurrection service? If anyone, I'd think a paladins' guild would do so.

That reminds me: There's a fellow in my workplace named Allen Helm. I set his computer up to play Ajantis' "happy" line every time he logs into the network.

"We follow the righteous path. ...The path of Helm!"

It's been nearly a year and he hasn't figured out how to change it.