Heroica RPG - Quest Masters' Lounge

[Kintobor]

Is one of those quests the 'newbie quest'?

I was surprised that there was no magic involved in the murder. It seemed implausible for it to have been committed by hand and poison alone... We never thought about Connor's Wolfgang ties either, although we did consider the suicide option. For some reason, I didn't suspect Abigail at all- even when she confessed. I thought that it would be a rather bad idea to have the murderer be already suspected and captured before the heroes were called in. But I had a lot of fun- and so did Avalanche!

They could all be the newbie quest, actually. One involves a treasure hunt for the Cat Burglar's hidden stash, another is the sequel to Grim Grinning Ghosts, my first quest, and another involves the mail system in Eubric and a fanatic lover. So in all honesty, it's at this point finding out the best way to advance the plots, because I've got these great ideas and have no clue where to go with them.

[Dragonfire]

I'd like to go on the sequel to #83, but I'd love to go on a Grim Grinning Ghosts sequel! I've always wanted to go on one of those quests.

[Kintobor]

Looking back though, not everyone in the city can use magic. I think if magic was involved it would be a whole different can of worms you'd be dealing with. Once magic entered the picture, anything was possible. That and I think a killer with no magic abilities makes a better, and more serious threat. Someone poofing out of thin air with a wand and blowing people up, while scary, is more... comical, I'd think.

That was intentional. Abigail was never caught before you were called in, the Town Watch and The Syndicate were out looking for her.

I'd like to go on the sequel to #83, but I'd love to go on a Grim Grinning Ghosts sequel! I've always wanted to go on one of those quests.

It may be the sequel to Grim Grinning Ghosts, actually, since the basic idea of the quest is down pat, I just need everything that goes on in between.

[Zepher]

Alright - I'll get around to my quest soon enough (I want Flitwick to have his say first!) but I want to give Kintober some feedback while we wait. I think, personally, that it's important for people who observe the quests to comment on them too because of many reasons (preserves the sense of the community, outside eyes, more opinions, quests are hard to host and feedback is deserved, more Zepher stuff, etc.).

Kintober, it was a pretty solid quest from you, but not your best. First, the positive: the sets and characters were as fantastic as always. They look nice and they're all distinct. I really enjoyed the "doppleganger" crew with fake-Donny, fake-Alexis and fake-Atramor. Maybe fake Thothwick too (is that racist )? I like Paolo, and he can be added to the list of characters I wish I had the parts for. I hope and pray that someone will eventually host a big Town Watch Quest and incorporate all the little Town Watch members, they're such a fun crew at this point, headed up by a great NPC. I think you've also done a good job of not making your stories too inter-connected. It's something I personally struggle with.

Now, for some negative feedback (there's only a bit of it) - the quest seemed a little short-lived. Why'd they only question one person?? Without any offense to Paolo, that's a terrible investigation of a crime. "This one person didn't do it," is a bad way to let it rest... I don't know, just bothered me. I guess they got a lead on someone else, but if you had given them a few suspects, I think that would have been more fun. Furthermore - Abigail's testimony was immediately labeled as "wrong". It felt like the heroes couldn't fail. It also felt like Paolo knew the answer and egged them towards it, which always makes for funky writing, but I understand that's sort of a necessity of a game like this, and so it is just a constraint of the genre. I think you know what I mean, though. "No, that doesn't sound right to me, but also I'm not going to toss out any ideas, but I know for a fact that theory is wrong," - it sounds stilted.

But, over-all, very nice quest. I'm a huge fan of your work, which is why I give such specific critique (Sandy can tell you too that I'm only critical of things I like a lot already ).

[Kintobor]

I have to agree with you Zepher, and I'll definitely have more suspects if another mystery quest rolls around. I honestly don't mind criticism, because it often leads to better results later. And I didn't really think they'd come off as fake Alexis and Atramor, but I can see where fake Alexis is coming from. As well, I'll note I specifically made the Harlot Outfit gender neutral for a reason, since we do have some Rule 63 items out there. (one of which I made. ) Awkwardness, ho!

I too really want a quest featuring all the Town Watch members, but I unfortunately have none of the parts for Serevan, and he's honestly one of my favourites. I do have the parts for Lilith, Patricia, Nevron, and the two guards from Guffington 2, I believe, so just about everyone.

[Professor Flitwick]

(I want Flitwick to have his say first!)

Ah, this alone probably added at least an extra week to the Quest length! Sorry if my participation seemed lax in this Quest, but being several hours behind (or ahead, or whatever, timezones) left me unable to join in on a few conversations, so I hope I wasn't a hamper to the Quest. I really enjoyed this Quest, I think I prefer these slightly shorter Quests.

I'm glad I got some Shadeuax rep, and I hope I was able to stay relatively in character in my attempt to get it!

I'm hard pressed to pick a favourite part of the Quest. The Tavern provided some fun interactions; it was nice seeing Ella again, and I hope she recognised Thothwick (I didn't think it wise to noisily greet an Empress in a tavern full of potentially dangerous people ). I also enjoyed avoiding the battle, and being rewarded with experience for using diplomacy is something I really hope to see in other Quests. The journey to the Inn also provided some great interactions, as did the debate at the end, with parts of Quests being dedicated solely to role playing is something else that needs to appear more often. For a while, I did think Karie might be able to befriend Thothwick, but she managed to prevent that quite well! I also find it funny that two Wren questers developed a sort of 'Old Boys Club', and I thought it was great that it unintentionally led to Karie feeling left out of the loop.

Now for a Sandy quest, so I can continue my Zepher Quest/Sandy Quest/Zepher Quest/Sandy Quest chain!

[Zepher]

Alright, looks like I'm up at bat.

So, Quest 84. Overall, I'm happy with it. Some of the cut-scenes had some stilted dialogue, namely Fish Face's entrance and the little verbal brawl between Shawe and Hinckwell (though that second one was redeemed by you guys asking some questions and letting them really state their opinions). I was pretty happy with the sets - they were simple but I think they always looked nice. I like the dressed-down looks of some of Kint and CMP's sets, and I'm trying for the same look with moderate success, so I'm pleased.

Character-wise I had some fun too. I like Shawe and Hinckwell, and think they're both good additions to their respective families without being too repetitive. I hope others will consider using them, and they'll pop up for me again for sure. Bors was fun, and by allowing him to live you've allowed him a re-appearance as well. I even enjoyed Grady, but maybe I just liked the figure. Looked very pompous swash-buckling aristocratic guard. I hope someone else re-uses him too, as I don't have any concrete plans.

Inns are magical. I don't know why I haven't used them before. So useful.

Battle-wise, I was also decently happy. The Golden-Eyed Enforcer would have been very challenging, but you guys circumvented it. Kintober, I actually liked the Bomb Mechanic, and will argue with you there - I think it added some extra strategy. For example, if you had Bors deal the free hit, there was a 50/50 chance he would do LESS damage than if he dealt damage. You guys never used it that way, but you could have. Grady's attack, on the other hand, I agree was a little unbalanced - not terribly, but a little. I expected more phoenix essences, and higher SP. Both Thothwick and Dyric could have survived his attacks after a special damage if they fought from the back row, though, and special damages are rare and I believe they should shake up the battle. I think that the battles were quick, fierce, and dangerous, which is what I was hoping for.

Karie - You know I already love Karie. She's weak and strong all at once, and it's very hard to pull off. You were sort of an outcast this quest, which is nice for me at least, seeing as you led to my outcasting in 70. I'm sorry you didn't gain Hinckwell rep, but you actually didn't lose any either (your next Hinckwell quest should put you in good favor with the family, with the wonky system we have in place you never go back to "neutral"). I hope this quest will have some sort of effect on Karie- doesn't have to be as much as others (where she met a lover, for example), but at least some. I think you played it well. It was a short quest, with really only one consequence, but you've already taken it to heart, and I like it. I hope that the three of you quest together again.

Which is a shame, because I thought the two would have gotten along had things gone differently.

This is one of my favorite things about the game, and I think is the message to the entirety of Heroica's story - actions come into place randomly, but their effects are permanent.

Dyric - I was pleased to have Dyric and Thothwick back. I've been trying to in general avoid Wren questers, but I think it's time I brought them back especially as we get closer and closer to the finale. Dyric is a strong character. You know that I know how much he's developed over time, and I think it's very justified. He has matured well. He is noble, and knows himself. My advice, actually, is to find some older weaknesses and see how they fit into his new shiny veneer. I think he's a very well rounded character, but a failing or two could do him some good. I think his skills as a leader and negotiator are flourishing, and I think that is absolutely the right direction to take the character. Your choices for him have been well paced as well, and you've stuck to them - Assassin for Light was decided upon and then explored in 34 and 53, and now the last two quests have really cemented him as a growing steady-head. Keep it up, really. He's an intriguing and honest feeling straight man, and I like it.

Thothwick - I never mind holding up a quest for you. Thothwick is another thoughtful character, another slow growing character who exemplifies the interesting and honest normal man. He's got his passions and quirks, but they stem from him, not some strange past. I encourage what I always encourage with you - more past actions weighing on your current actions, though you've MOST CERTAINLY IMPROVED. You had Ella, you had 'Hero Worth Something'. Both were great moments, so I'd like to see them even more. It's nit-picky, because Thothwick is already fun and a pretty great character, but just saying that doesn't really help anyone. I was glad I finally got you some rep - I think I still owe you for your first quest and your imprisonment (see, that might be a fun thing to think back on from time to time - how does that play into who Thothwick is now?). I'd love to have you again once you finish with Sandy. And of course Ella remembered you. She was playing the "coy game". She wouldn't be so overt with her identity if she didn't remember you.

And now, just while we're here and I'm inviting people back to quest with me again, some teasers.

YOUR FRIENDS FROM THE INN WILL BE APPEARING IN...

Raguel, the Warrior Priest along with the Troops of the Red Lizard Kingdom will be appearing in Fathers & Sons, with a hopeful launch date of December 1st.

Ella and her faithful guard U'Voros will be appearing in The Warrior and the Prophetess, with a hopeful launch date of whenever 85 ends... winter, hopefully.

The Witches and Marcellus will be appearing in The Purification Crusade, with a hopeful launch date of Spring 2014.

[Flipz]

I really enjoyed watching Quest 83 go on, though I was disappointed when I realized Kinto had beaten me to an Ace Attorney Quest (dangit, all you people and your stupid set-building ability! ). I agree that the decision not to allow magic was a little bit awkward--I, personally, would have used the opportunity to have another red herring lead (perhaps a kooky impoverished street magician type who would be completely unhelpful in questioning, until it accidentally becomes obvious he didn't do it--I think you're aware of which character(s) I'm alluding to, and the archetype is a staple of the Ace Attorney formula just as much as the overeager confessioner).

I'm glad of the wording you used to explain why wizards "portaling" out would be unlikely--for later reference, there are two known "large" populations of mages with access to teleportation-type magic, both of which involve varying degrees of Planeswalking: one, the population in Arthur's homeland, used external technology to perform the art (or so they claim), and with the disappearance of Arthur's father their ability to maintain the technology is diminishing--this group is well on the way to "dying" out. This group primarily traveled TO other planes, constructing a new Gate on the other side as a means of returning; if the Gate is in a different spot relative to the original entry point, a new portal in a different location will be created. The other group lives on the crystalline island of Etheria, and use a combination of focusing crystals and internal Ether to fuel their abilities; they have much more limited access to the planes, both in number of accessible planes and in duration of portal openings (so thus, number of people able to travel through the portals), but they are a self-sustaining population (in terms of birth- versus death-rate), and they can also teleport limited distances within the same Plane (though it is prohibitively expensive in terms of Ether cost). Etheria primarily interacts with the opposite side of the world than Eubric does, however--Xu, Njago, Fenario, and Terra Chima are their biggest cultural contacts, though they've had contact with Zut'tau'ri as well before the latter began their current isolationism.

(Obviously those aren't the ONLY two groups, but they're the biggest ones we know of. )

Kinto, you should look into buying The London Escape if you can--it's a good set, and has Serevan's torso. You can ususally find it fairly cheap in smaller stores' clearance section, and the prices I've seen on Bricklink are quite reasonable for the price if you want to go that way.

RE: 84, Zeph, I'm going to disagree with you about Dyric. His flaw seems to be that he's still unsure of himself, that he's young and inexperienced, and thus likely to make mistakes. It's not blatantly obvious, but it's there, and it informs all of his choices, which is the way a good flaw operates.

[Kintobor]

What face does Serevan have, by the way? I'm trying to compile a list of sets to pick up for Heroica and other projects.

[Flipz]

What face does Serevan have, by the way? I'm trying to compile a list of sets to pick up for Heroica and other projects.

Looks to be this one.

...wow. Aquaman's more intense than I give him credit for.

Hair's this one from Mirkwood Spiders, another set that's worth getting (it's on my list for certain ).

[CMP]

I enjoyed 83/84. I'm super glad these short-shot Quests are making a resurgence. They've never been as popular as they should be.

Raguel, the Warrior Priest along with the Troops of the Red Lizard Kingdom will be appearing in Fathers & Sons, with a hopeful launch date of December 1st.

Ella and her faithful guard U'Voros will be appearing in The Warrior and the Prophetess, with a hopeful launch date of whenever 85 ends... winter, hopefully.

The Witches and Marcellus will be appearing in The Purification Crusade, with a hopeful launch date of Spring 2014.

How'd I already get mixed up in all three of these??

[Dragonfire]

I wonder why Serevan is flesh-skinned while everyone else is good old yellow...

[Scubacarrot]

Not everyone. There are Moon Elves, Mopags among others that are flesh colored. It's not impossible to say Serevan might be a half moon elf or something.

[Duvors]

Not everyone. There are Moon Elves, Mopags among others that are flesh colored. It's not impossible to say Serevan might be a half moon elf or something.

Actually, I think he is a moon elf.

[Scorpiox]

Actually, I think he is a moon elf.

To my knowledge, they're extinct, or thereabouts.

[Sandy]

The simple reason that Serevan is a fleshie is because the elven earpieces come in flesh color, and would require constant photoshopping to match yellow heads.

There are various tribes of elves, and their skincolors vary. Simple as that.

[Brickdoctor]

The simple reason that Serevan is a fleshie is because the elven earpieces come in flesh color, and would require constant photoshopping to match yellow heads.

Yeah, I'm constantly having to check to make sure I remembered to do that for Lady Calaryl. It's not that bad (I roughly copy the ear into a new layer and use Selective Color to increase the yellows; not sure what you do.); I'm just always forgetting to do it.

[Duvors]

To my knowledge, they're extinct, or thereabouts.

No, if you read 66 you'll find they're still around.

The simple reason that Serevan is a fleshie is because the elven earpieces come in flesh color, and would require constant photoshopping to match yellow heads.

There are various tribes of elves, and their skincolors vary. Simple as that.

I thought they where painted, glad to see they aren't.

So, Tolkien style High Elf?

[Scorpiox]

No, if you read 66 you'll find they're still around.

EDIT: I've just re-read part of Quest #66, and it makes it clear that the Moone elves are somewhat an endangered species.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Scorpiox

[Sandy]

I thought they where painted, glad to see they aren't.

Heartwarming to see that you care so much about my parts collection.

But I don't paint or customize my LEGO - too much hassle for something that can be done with Photoshop in a few seconds.

EDIT: I've just re-read part of Quest #66, and it makes it clear that the Moone elves are somewhat an endangered species.

Yes, the remaining Moon Elves now reside in Moone as a minority race.

[Flipz]

You know, we seem to spend an exorbitant amount of time arguing about power creep...how about spectacle creep?

[Pyrovisionary]

Yeah I saw that... And it's kinda right.

[Zepher]

Something I've actually been worrying. Especially as we all have our "finale finales". I've already put the world of Heroica in peril once. There are other ways to go big without actually putting the world into legitimate danger.

[Palathadric]

Something I've actually been worrying. Especially as we all have our "finale finales". I've already put the world of Heroica in peril once. There are other ways to go big without actually putting the world into legitimate danger.

They're nice sometimes when they can get a lot of feeling out of the PCs, like 53 did, but sometimes they can just seem too extravagant when they don't really need to be.

[Kintobor]

I think so far we've been dealing with the fate of Eubric, or a city or a continent. I'm not to worried as of yet. In terms of arc finales, the thing one should consider is how important is the story to the overall fate of Uland? The follow up to Four's Company will be intense, but not grand. There's a difference there. Creating a group of characters the party cares about and slowly plucking them off is more effective than say, torching a district of Eubric.

Not all plots need to end with Eubric under siege. I'd say minimum one attack on the city per QM.