Sorry for net replying any sooner...university work, as always, messed up my schedule. Frell it all.
Okay, here are the basic premises I will be working with - Please post your comments or opinions on them. Different interpretations than mine are more than welcome, as is constructive criticism. I will try to do my best to accommodate them.
*************************************************
Thats what I would like to call the “script†of the dialogues.
General framework:
The player will be able to take four paths during the NPC interaction: a) “friend†approach b) “captain†approach c)break off the conversation d) “otherâ€, NPC related and only available to a few characters
A) will get you the best results, but to do this your character has to have certain character traits, like a high negotiation skill. It will also depend on your character reputation, e.g. cautious characters will only open up to someone with a high reputation (if this can be implemented, otherwise you just have to select the right answers).
B) will work if you do not prefer to do “waste time†on dialogue and get straight to the point. This will give you faster results, but will also yield lesser benefits. Essentially, the relationship between you and your officer will remain practically unchanged.
C) The Player should have the option to terminate any dialogue, and he should also be able to terminate any progression made upon the two paths outline above. In short, it is a STFU option for anyone who does not care about dialogues or does not wish to proceed upon any of the paths mentioned above.
Now lets move on to my take upon the characters. Please read&review. Second opinions are always helpful.
******************************
The Characters:
Name: Lucas da Saldanha
Nationality: Spanish
What the game tells us : Lucas, whose father is an admiral in the Spanish Navy, has run away from his marriage and had a fling with the governor’s daughter, which ended badly or did not even start (the innkeeper only says that Lucas acted dejected, which is open to a lot of speculation). He then was kidnapped but returned to his father by the Player.
My take on the character :
Lucas stems from the nobility of the Spanish Empire, but his privileged upbringing is not that appealing to him. The dominating influence of his father (who just screamed authority at me, most unlike his son in that silly uniform – c’mon, gold-plated armour? How weak is that?) made sure that he rarely made his own decisions. At the same time, the father’s assignments as Naval Officer estranged the two. An arranged marriage, caused Lucas to flee to the Caribbean, where he hopes to fulfil both his dream of becoming independent and find happiness.
Lucas will not confide in anyone with a reputation below neutral for the captain path. For the “friend pathâ€, which might lead to a special quest if I have the time, you will need a reputation higher than neutral.
Dialogues planned: 4(+4 if quest is made)
******************************
Name: Joaquin de Masse
Nationality : French (given away by the name, and also the fact that many french of that time – Like Suffren – served in the Maltese Order.)
What the game tells us: Joaquin was sent by the Catholic Church to destroy an animist sect. He is a good swordsmen, and carries a Maltese blade.
My take on the character: Like many children of the lower French nobility (notice the absence of a title in his name) Joaquin entered the Maltese Order hoping to gain the experience and prestige necessary for upper positions in the French government. However, unlike many of his contemporaries, he stayed in the order, and became one of its most trusted operatives. Holding the rank of Inquisitor within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, he is an expert in getting information and of course, dissembling information.
Requirements: There will be no extra quest for Joaquin, simply because the game does not provide us with any areas. (Might change depending on the monastery area) The Captain path will not be available for Joaquin, since he has a much higher authority than the Player, and as an Inquisitor, knows how to avoid questions.
In order to pursue the friend path, the player must have a “hero†reputation and good negotiation skills.
Talks planned: 4/5
******************************
Name: Clement Aurentius
Nationality: Dutch (taken both from the name clement and aurentius, which sounds a lot like the latinized names of germany and the Netherlands)
What the game tells us: He lives in the lighthouse of the English colony Greenford. He is distrusted by some barbarians for his knowledge of history and science, and has done extensive study in the Indian legends and languages.
My take on the character:
Clement, who is now in his 50s, has witnessed the occupation of the Netherlands by the Iron Duke, Don Fernando Ãlvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, tercer duque de Alba. (Fun fact 1: Unlike Wellington, who was named so because he had iron bars at the windows of his house, Alba actually earned the nickname for his harsh rule and style of command Fun fact 2: The House of Alba has 63 titles of nobility, making it the house with the most titles in the world). After suffering at the hands of his Spanish captors, he fled to Douwesen, where he spent some time before moving to Greenford, entirely devoting his time to his studies. He has experienced some tragedies in life. (I don’t want to reveal more).
Requirements: In order to interact with him, the player needs to have a good reputation and a negotiating skill of five.
Dialogues planned: 4-6, depending on the path of the player.
******************************
Name : Artois Voysey
Nationality: French
What the game tells us: He was Navigator on Blythe’s ship and almost killed by the latter for wrecking the ship. The ship carried a load of silver, and was almost certainly a pirate ship (The hull corresponds to that of a frigate, and Blyth wears no government uniform).
My take on the character: Artois is a distrustful person who does not really fit in with the pirate world. He most likely comes from a family of seamen.
Requirements: In order to interact with him, the player needs to have good negotiation skills and have at least a neutral reputation.
Dialogues planned: 3-4
******************************
Name : Nigel Blythe
Nationality: British
What the game tells us: He’s a scumbag, backstabber and a pirate. Eventually he is killed by the player.
My take on the character: Young Nigel was one of many sailors in the British navy who suffered cruelty at the hands of officer. Rather than submit, he snuck into the captain’s cabin and slit his throat. Nigel then deserted and joined a pirate crew. After killing the Captain of that ship, he then proceeded to plunder Spanish treasure galleons. After capturing one of those ships, his ship was thrown on the rocks near Douwesen during a Storm.
Dialogues planned: 4 (Should be a riot to write).
******************************
Name : Danielle Green
Nationality: British, with French father/mother/ancestor (from the name Danielle)
What the game tells us: She is the former lover of the PC, commanding her own ship. She is a good fighter, especially with her rapier. (Although the game stats do not reflect it, the player alludes to her fighting skills in one instance). Danielle is a rash decision maker, hates betrayals and may be quite snappy from time to time. (She might appear self-centered at times, but I blame this on bad writing). She does not mention her family nor any friends, so she might not have any or prefer not to talk about it.
My take on the character: Danielle does not like to talk about her past. As a child from two different and often hostile countries, something in her past happened which caused her to grow up quite independent. (Don’t want to spoil the dialogues). She values her independence enormously and tries to defend it at all costs.
As a young girl, Danielle spent a lot of time at sea, learning the tricks of the trade from a relative, who was a merchant captain. During an attempt to defend his ship from enemy privateers, he was mortally wounded. Danielle took command of the ship and managed to drive the enemy off. Because the merchant company did not accept women as captains, she was forced to hand over her ship to a male officer. Fuming at the insult, Danielle used her inheritance to buy a small ship of her own. It was a small step from a smuggler to a privateer when war broke out, and she has been a pirate ever since. During one of her runs to Quebrada Costillas Danielle met the PC, and they had a short and tempestuous affair, which ended when neither wanted to give up his/her independence.
Dialogues planned: 4-12, depending on the path you are taking. Also, there might be one or two special quests depending on the path you are taking.
Danielle is the main plot mover in the game, and her talks should reflect it.
Paths/requirements: The “captain†path will only work with a high leadership attribute, and will contain the least dialogues. (4)
The “friendship†path will work with a high negotiation skill, and will lead to one quest and about 8 dialogues.
The “romance†path, which will only be available to Danielle and no other character, will lead to one/two quests and – if you follow it through – up to 16 dialogues. This is the hardest to write, so I will not make any definite promises on that one. Needless to say, you will need major attributes and be especially good in spotting the right responses.
Sorry for net replying any sooner...university work, as always, messed up my schedule. Frell it all.
Okay, here are the basic premises I will be working with - Please post your comments or opinions on them. Different interpretations than mine are more than welcome, as is constructive criticism. I will try to do my best to accommodate them.
*************************************************
Thats what I would like to call the “script†of the dialogues.
General framework:
The player will be able to take four paths during the NPC interaction: a) “friend†approach b) “captain†approach c)break off the conversation d) “otherâ€, NPC related and only available to a few characters
A) will get you the best results, but to do this your character has to have certain character traits, like a high negotiation skill. It will also depend on your character reputation, e.g. cautious characters will only open up to someone with a high reputation (if this can be implemented, otherwise you just have to select the right answers).
B) will work if you do not prefer to do “waste time†on dialogue and get straight to the point. This will give you faster results, but will also yield lesser benefits. Essentially, the relationship between you and your officer will remain practically unchanged.
C) The Player should have the option to terminate any dialogue, and he should also be able to terminate any progression made upon the two paths outline above. In short, it is a STFU option for anyone who does not care about dialogues or does not wish to proceed upon any of the paths mentioned above.
Now lets move on to my take upon the characters. Please read&review. Second opinions are always helpful.
******************************
The Characters:
Name: Lucas da Saldanha
Nationality: Spanish
What the game tells us : Lucas, whose father is an admiral in the Spanish Navy, has run away from his marriage and had a fling with the governor’s daughter, which ended badly or did not even start (the innkeeper only says that Lucas acted dejected, which is open to a lot of speculation). He then was kidnapped but returned to his father by the Player.
My take on the character :
Lucas stems from the nobility of the Spanish Empire, but his privileged upbringing is not that appealing to him. The dominating influence of his father (who just screamed authority at me, most unlike his son in that silly uniform – c’mon, gold-plated armour? How weak is that?) made sure that he rarely made his own decisions. At the same time, the father’s assignments as Naval Officer estranged the two. An arranged marriage, caused Lucas to flee to the Caribbean, where he hopes to fulfil both his dream of becoming independent and find happiness.
Lucas will not confide in anyone with a reputation below neutral for the captain path. For the “friend pathâ€, which might lead to a special quest if I have the time, you will need a reputation higher than neutral.
Dialogues planned: 4(+4 if quest is made)
******************************
Name: Joaquin de Masse
Nationality : French (given away by the name, and also the fact that many french of that time – Like Suffren – served in the Maltese Order.)
What the game tells us: Joaquin was sent by the Catholic Church to destroy an animist sect. He is a good swordsmen, and carries a Maltese blade.
My take on the character: Like many children of the lower French nobility (notice the absence of a title in his name) Joaquin entered the Maltese Order hoping to gain the experience and prestige necessary for upper positions in the French government. However, unlike many of his contemporaries, he stayed in the order, and became one of its most trusted operatives. Holding the rank of Inquisitor within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, he is an expert in getting information and of course, dissembling information.
Requirements: There will be no extra quest for Joaquin, simply because the game does not provide us with any areas. (Might change depending on the monastery area) The Captain path will not be available for Joaquin, since he has a much higher authority than the Player, and as an Inquisitor, knows how to avoid questions.
In order to pursue the friend path, the player must have a “hero†reputation and good negotiation skills.
Talks planned: 4/5
******************************
Name: Clement Aurentius
Nationality: Dutch (taken both from the name clement and aurentius, which sounds a lot like the latinized names of germany and the Netherlands)
What the game tells us: He lives in the lighthouse of the English colony Greenford. He is distrusted by some barbarians for his knowledge of history and science, and has done extensive study in the Indian legends and languages.
My take on the character:
Clement, who is now in his 50s, has witnessed the occupation of the Netherlands by the Iron Duke, Don Fernando Ãlvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, tercer duque de Alba. (Fun fact 1: Unlike Wellington, who was named so because he had iron bars at the windows of his house, Alba actually earned the nickname for his harsh rule and style of command Fun fact 2: The House of Alba has 63 titles of nobility, making it the house with the most titles in the world). After suffering at the hands of his Spanish captors, he fled to Douwesen, where he spent some time before moving to Greenford, entirely devoting his time to his studies. He has experienced some tragedies in life. (I don’t want to reveal more).
Requirements: In order to interact with him, the player needs to have a good reputation and a negotiating skill of five.
Dialogues planned: 4-6, depending on the path of the player.
******************************
Name : Artois Voysey
Nationality: French
What the game tells us: He was Navigator on Blythe’s ship and almost killed by the latter for wrecking the ship. The ship carried a load of silver, and was almost certainly a pirate ship (The hull corresponds to that of a frigate, and Blyth wears no government uniform).
My take on the character: Artois is a distrustful person who does not really fit in with the pirate world. He most likely comes from a family of seamen.
Requirements: In order to interact with him, the player needs to have good negotiation skills and have at least a neutral reputation.
Dialogues planned: 3-4
******************************
Name : Nigel Blythe
Nationality: British
What the game tells us: He’s a scumbag, backstabber and a pirate. Eventually he is killed by the player.
My take on the character: Young Nigel was one of many sailors in the British navy who suffered cruelty at the hands of officer. Rather than submit, he snuck into the captain’s cabin and slit his throat. Nigel then deserted and joined a pirate crew. After killing the Captain of that ship, he then proceeded to plunder Spanish treasure galleons. After capturing one of those ships, his ship was thrown on the rocks near Douwesen during a Storm.
Dialogues planned: 4 (Should be a riot to write).
******************************
Name : Danielle Green
Nationality: British, with French father/mother/ancestor (from the name Danielle)
What the game tells us: She is the former lover of the PC, commanding her own ship. She is a good fighter, especially with her rapier. (Although the game stats do not reflect it, the player alludes to her fighting skills in one instance). Danielle is a rash decision maker, hates betrayals and may be quite snappy from time to time. (She might appear self-centered at times, but I blame this on bad writing). She does not mention her family nor any friends, so she might not have any or prefer not to talk about it.
My take on the character: Danielle does not like to talk about her past. As a child from two different and often hostile countries, something in her past happened which caused her to grow up quite independent. (Don’t want to spoil the dialogues). She values her independence enormously and tries to defend it at all costs.
As a young girl, Danielle spent a lot of time at sea, learning the tricks of the trade from a relative, who was a merchant captain. During an attempt to defend his ship from enemy privateers, he was mortally wounded. Danielle took command of the ship and managed to drive the enemy off. Because the merchant company did not accept women as captains, she was forced to hand over her ship to a male officer. Fuming at the insult, Danielle used her inheritance to buy a small ship of her own. It was a small step from a smuggler to a privateer when war broke out, and she has been a pirate ever since. During one of her runs to Quebrada Costillas Danielle met the PC, and they had a short and tempestuous affair, which ended when neither wanted to give up his/her independence.
Dialogues planned: 4-12, depending on the path you are taking. Also, there might be one or two special quests depending on the path you are taking.
Danielle is the main plot mover in the game, and her talks should reflect it.
Paths/requirements: The “captain†path will only work with a high leadership attribute, and will contain the least dialogues. (4)
The “friendship†path will work with a high negotiation skill, and will lead to one quest and about 8 dialogues.
The “romance†path, which will only be available to Danielle and no other character, will lead to one/two quests and – if you follow it through – up to 16 dialogues. This is the hardest to write, so I will not make any definite promises on that one. Needless to say, you will need major attributes and be especially good in spotting the right responses.
******************************
Alright, that's it. If there are no objections, I'll go ahead and write the dialogues. Sample dialogues will be posted as soon as time permits.
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