Heroica RPG - Quest Masters' Lounge

[Sandy]

Please tell me it's not a Zeigfried or Byblos Quest...I don't want to miss another one...

It's not, although future quests for the both are in the plans.

[Scubacarrot]

I'm not arguing against your story at all, Sandy. I know you allow for choice, and that your story is very cause-and-effect (something I used to be obsessed with, but have broken away from). I love it. I'm just saying my personal taste in story writing, not suggesting what should happen in the over-all story itself. I think everyone would be pissed if I ran things my way!

Most quests would be in our minds and the other half would be fighting wanna-be Gods, sometimes together. Pfff!

[Zepher]

I like political drama stories too! I just haven't tried my hand at one yet. I don't have the time to set up a big political story, so I leave that to Sandy, sit back, and admire. If there were less of them, or they impressed me less, I'd offer them, but I can offer something else to the game that aren't offered, so as to make the quest options more rounded.

[Sandy]

I don't know if non-cause-and-effect would wok well for a RPG. Just would intrigue me.

Well, yeah... If you give players a chance to affect the storyline, you should be straight and clear about it. Otherwise what's the point? Why make the players choose between A and B if you're going to do whatever you like in the end?

This is all theoretically speaking, not in reference to you or your quests. Speaking in passive is hard in English.

[Cutcobra]

t's still too early to take out one of the main families in power - nobody has even gotten to use the expert job class they offer yet.

I think they should make the Ji Pei neutral and replace the Bonaparte enemies with another family/gang. Just saying this since all the families have their differences except the Bonapartes and the Ji Pei (i think).

Shadeaux - Hinckwell: Both are the richest families

Guild Of Invision - Ziegfrieds: I think the alchemists don't think magic is good.

Bonapartes - Ji Pei: ???

[TheBoyWonder]

Both of the houses compete for control of the seas in a way,

[Etzel]

I think they should make the Ji Pei neutral and replace the Bonaparte enemies with another family/gang. Just saying this since all the families have their differences except the Bonapartes and the Ji Pei (i think).

Shadeaux - Hinckwell: Both are the richest families

Guild Of Invision - Ziegfrieds: I think the alchemists don't think magic is good.

Bonapartes - Ji Pei: ???

Bonapartes and Ji Pei both fight over the control over the waters and the trade around Eubric. That's the big issue between them.

[Zepher]

I do also mostly follow cause and effect in my quests, though a bit of chaos... (see what I did there) makes them more exciting and unpredictable for me and the players. It's not actually cheating cause and effect, just giving them different results than they may have expected.

FOR EXAMPLE (and I sent this to you in a PM): If this were a Zepher quest, here's what would have happened. Same opening up until when the heroes found NEMO on the ship... who would in fact be RENO pretending to be NEMO, pretending that RENO had taken his place (when in actuality, the man at the fort claiming to be Nemo would be, in fact, the real Nemo). Reno would have set himself up to be kidnapped, and set up a quest-request for his rescue before leaving. Hints would be dropped along the way in Reno's philosophical statements that he was in fact Reno and not Nemo. At the end, the heroes would have to pick who to kill still. Just one extra crazy twist that may have made their choice different than what they expected, but still cause and effect. How much sadder would it be when Hestia realized she failed to revive her own husband.

Anyway, that's Zepher's crazy mind. Your's is probably more fun to play.

And, again, just to clarify, I don't think a twist needs to be thrown into every quest to make it interesting. I just think that twist would have been awesome.

Edited March 20, 2013 by Zepher

[Sandy]

Bonapartes and Ji Pei both fight over the control over the waters and the trade around Eubric. That's the big issue between them.

Actually, the conflict between the Bonapartes and the Ji Pei is ideological: the former represents a conservative, protectionistic force who wants to maintain control over who comes to Eubric and who doesnt, while the latter is a newcomer to the scene with advanced new technology and a foreign way of thinking. The Bonapartes see the Ji Pei as a threat to the safety of the city (they cannot control airship traffic, after all), while the Ji Pei are miffed about the Bonapartes hindering their industrial agenda.

Hope this clears up things for the two families.

[Scubacarrot]

FOR EXAMPLE (and I sent this to you in a PM): If this were a Zepher quest, here's what would have happened. Same opening up until when the heroes found NEMO on the ship... who would in fact be RENO pretending to be NEMO, pretending that RENO had taken his place (when in actuality, the man at the fort claiming to be Nemo would be, in fact, the real Nemo). Reno would have set himself up to be kidnapped, and set up a quest-request for his rescue before leaving. Hints would be dropped along the way in Reno's philosophical statements that he was in fact Reno and not Nemo. At the end, the heroes would have to pick who to kill still. Just one extra crazy twist that may have made their choice different than what they expected, but still cause and effect. How much sadder would it be when Hestia realized she failed to revive her own husband.

That's actually what Guts was getting at with what he said right after they'd found Nemo.

[Etzel]

Actually, the conflict between the Bonapartes and the Ji Pei is ideological: the former represents a conservative, protectionistic force who wants to maintain control over who comes to Eubric and who doesnt, while the latter is a newcomer to the scene with advanced new technology and a foreign way of thinking. The Bonapartes see the Ji Pei as a threat to the safety of the city (they cannot control airship traffic, after all), while the Ji Pei are miffed about the Bonapartes hindering their industrial agenda.

Hope this clears up things for the two families.

Yeah yeah, petty details. Whatever the ideology, they both want power, and they still both depend on the trade in and out of the city, right?

[Kintobor]

FOR EXAMPLE (and I sent this to you in a PM): If this were a Zepher quest, here's what would have happened. Same opening up until when the heroes found NEMO on the ship... who would in fact be RENO pretending to be NEMO, pretending that RENO had taken his place (when in actuality, the man at the fort claiming to be Nemo would be, in fact, the real Nemo). Reno would have set himself up to be kidnapped, and set up a quest-request for his rescue before leaving. Hints would be dropped along the way in Reno's philosophical statements that he was in fact Reno and not Nemo. At the end, the heroes would have to pick who to kill still. Just one extra crazy twist that may have made their choice different than what they expected, but still cause and effect. How much sadder would it be when Hestia realized she failed to revive her own husband.

I too was expecting this to be what happened in the quest!

I can't believe my first quest is almost halfway done and I'm already planning both a sequel and a new story arch! This game is so not addicting!

[Scorpiox]

Just to throw my hat into the ring, Haldor would probably back the Bonapartes over the Ji Pei if everything came to a head. Although their methods may not be ethical, I believe that order is just the thing that Eubric needs. If the Bonapartes could take more of an active role in managing the city, I believe that it would be much better off. The main cause for all of the crime and poverty is lack of an effective government.

[Endgame]

Another amazing quest, Sandy! I agree, these little bites-sized quests are better for telling the main story. They cram so many important details into such a small space, pretty much no filler whatsoever.

Only thing I found mildly disappointing about this one was the first battle - the enemies were all literally the same! Maybe I'm just weird in the fact that I like having overly-diverse battles...

[Cutcobra]

Actually, the conflict between the Bonapartes and the Ji Pei is ideological: the former represents a conservative, protectionistic force who wants to maintain control over who comes to Eubric and who doesnt, while the latter is a newcomer to the scene with advanced new technology and a foreign way of thinking. The Bonapartes see the Ji Pei as a threat to the safety of the city (they cannot control airship traffic, after all), while the Ji Pei are miffed about the Bonapartes hindering their industrial agenda.

Hope this clears up things for the two families.

It does .

[The Legonater]

And yes, I know Sandy wouldn't kill off major NPCs off screen. I would, not him. You guys are just lucky he heads up the large story. I (PERSONALLY) think it would be a more interesting story if the Bonapartes fell apart after the heroes made the "right choice", and the power of Eubric fell apart around them. Then the heroes would have to figure out some new power balance. Random happenstance makes awesome story. Read Game of Thrones, go watch some Film Noir.

I figured it out. Zeph is the Joss Whedon of the Heroica verse.

Just to throw my hat into the ring, Haldor would probably back the Bonapartes over the Ji Pei if everything came to a head. Although their methods may not be ethical, I believe that order is just the thing that Eubric needs. If the Bonapartes could take more of an active role in managing the city, I believe that it would be much better off. The main cause for all of the crime and poverty is lack of an effective government.

Ditto for Dyric. Despite his ties with Duplovia (or, perhaps because of them) he'd realize that limitation is a lot safer than free reign. Besides, Dyric is big on order and justice, which is one of the reasons why playing him through the Wren quests is such fun.

[CMP]

Ditto for Dyric. Despite his ties with Duplovia (or, perhaps because of them) he'd realize that limitation is a lot safer than free reign. Besides, Dyric is big on order and justice, which is one of the reasons why playing him through the Wren quests is such fun.

I'm liking his development. He was really a typical character at first (exiled prince assassin whatever ) but a Lawful Good assassin is getting a lot more interesting.

[Flipz]

I figured it out. Zeph is the Joss Whedon of the Heroica verse.

I already said that earlier in the Quest; I had asked Corny to change Zepher's name to reflect this.

Ditto for Dyric. Despite his ties with Duplovia (or, perhaps because of them) he'd realize that limitation is a lot safer than free reign. Besides, Dyric is big on order and justice, which is one of the reasons why playing him through the Wren quests is such fun.

Interesting...Arthur is big on justice, but despises order; to him, freedom is the ultimate necessity of life. "Live free or die," as it were. At the same time, he agrees with a lot of the stuff people like Dyric and Skrall say...he'd be Neutral Good, except people like Cronk push him away from Lawful, which is why he remains Chaotic Good even after all this time.

[The Legonater]

I'm liking his development. He was really a typical character at first (exiled prince assassin whatever ) but a Lawful Good assassin is getting a lot more interesting.

Thanks. The past couple quests (34 and 53) have really helped me develop him as a character, and build a strong(er?) foundation of beliefs, as opposed to say, the beginning of Quest 19, where he was basically an angsty exile. To be honest, I looked back and tried to read Quest 19 a while ago, and nearly quit just because of how annoying I found Dyric . Needless to say, Dyric is a lot more fun to play as of late, and I'm looking forward to seeing where he goes after killing Wren.

[Palathadric]

I (PERSONALLY) think it would be a more interesting story if the Bonapartes fell apart after the heroes made the "right choice", and the power of Eubric fell apart around them.

"Right choice?" I think most heroes, would have sided with Reno honestly, because that's how you lot are. Seditious persons!

[Palathadric]

Just to throw my hat into the ring, Haldor would probably back the Bonapartes over the Ji Pei if everything came to a head. Although their methods may not be ethical, I believe that order is just the thing that Eubric needs. If the Bonapartes could take more of an active role in managing the city, I believe that it would be much better off. The main cause for all of the crime and poverty is lack of an effective government.

Besides the fact that LEGO Bluecoats and Redcoats are awesome and not to be discarded from this game.

I think Eubric needs a new strong group that can protect it and keep justice and all that better than the Bonapartes, but I don't think it would survive the tumult between the time it would take for the new government to take over after the Bonapartes had been thrown down.

...I don't know if I'm making any sense.

[Waterbrick Down]

Besides the fact that LEGO Bluecoats and Redcoats are awesome and not to be discarded from this game.

I think Eubric needs a new strong group that can protect it and keep justice and all that better than the Bonapartes, but I don't think it would survive the tumult between the time it would take for the new government to take over after the Bonapartes had been thrown down.

...I don't know if I'm making any sense.

Slightly, you're proposing that we do away with the houses and move onto a more modern form of government. Remember those things just don't happen over night though.

As always Sandy, 58 was a lovely quest, nice and short and with enough twists and party conflict to keep things lively. I can't imagine the difficulty of balancing for 2 raiders using the MNSS strategy, but I think you did a pretty good job at it. The amount of freedom you gave the PC's in determining the fate of Heroica was inspiring and really helped to contribute towards the collective contribution aspect of this RPG. As far as builds and NPC's, I really liked the tavern, especially the were-gators and the development of Hestia and Nemo as well as the Bonaparte story-line was delightful to watch.

[Dannylonglegs]

I agree! 58 was great! I loved watching it, and I don't watch every quest (Not that it's a choice. it's more of a time thing. )

~Insectoid Aristocrat

[Zepher]

I'm more a Coen Brothers fan than Whedon. Watch some of their films. They're master of the happenstance.

[Kintobor]

I'm more a Coen Brothers fan than Whedon. Watch some of their films. They're master of the happenstance.

Shut the blok up Zepher, your out of your element!