Party member with story and dialogue ?

[Chris_Wilson]

Hi there,

I did not read that in your news already so I ask. Will we have party member with story and dialogue etc... ?

I really hope so, I always felt too lonely while playing icewind dale and first I have done is install the mod for NPC party member.

[HobGoblin42]

I did not read that in your news already so I ask. Will we have party member with story and dialogue etc... ?

We are still discussing the design of background stories, personal quests and (hidden) agendas for companions.

But before we go any further, we need to solve challenges regarding full character customization combined with meaningful companion's content & characterization.

As soon as those problems are solved, we will publish a blog post related to this specific topic.

[daveyd]

Just a thought, if party members with fully fleshed out backgrounds and unique personalities proves to outside the game's scope, perhaps a sort of happy medium can be achieved.  For ex: TSI games is / was planning for Seven Dragon Saga to have player generated parties, but companions would have goals / motivations that impact how they react to the player's choices and approach to completing quests.    Closest thing I can think of for a released RPG is the personality traits in Expeditions: Conquistador.   I love generating characters, but would love to see party members be something more than walking stat sheets. 

[StoneAgeArtisan]

Based on my conversations over the years I realize I am in the minority on this, but when I played through Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, I created my entire party. For BG 1 I had to play it as a LAN game with only me in it, but it worked. I never really like the NPCs that could join you. I'm sure I missed out on some side quests, but I enjoyed the game a lot more. Perhaps that's why I liked the Icewind Dale series a little better than the Baldur's Gate series. The plot was built on the idea that you would create your entire party. I suppose the *best* option is to let the player choose how he or she wants to play, which I believe the developers have already stated is their plan.

[daveyd]

Based on my conversations over the years I realize I am in the minority on this, but when I played through Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, I created my entire party. For BG 1 I had to play it as a LAN game with only me in it, but it worked. I never really like the NPCs that could join you. I'm sure I missed out on some side quests, but I enjoyed the game a lot more. Perhaps that's why I liked the Icewind Dale series a little better than the Baldur's Gate series. The plot was built on the idea that you would create your entire party. I suppose the *best* option is to let the player choose how he or she wants to play, which I believe the developers have already stated is their plan.

Yeah, while I'm not opposed to the idea of companions with a backstory, I found a lot of the BG companions rather annoying.  But then I'm not really a big fan of BG in general as I detest RTwP combat and the games have far too much filler / trash encounters IMO (which is of course a problem regardless of the system).  And I've never played Icewind Dale as I hate IE combat so I couldn't think of playing an IE game that had even more combat than BG.

Anyway, yes I think giving player's a choice is always the best option whenever possible. 

[StoneAgeArtisan]

...I found a lot of the BG companions rather annoying.  But then I'm not really a big fan of BG in general as I detest RTwP combat and the games have far too much filler / trash encounters IMO (which is of course a problem regardless of the system).  And I've never played Icewind Dale as I hate IE combat so I couldn't think of playing an IE game that had even more combat than BG.

Yes, I was being polite about the BG companions. Honestly they really annoyed me too (the reason IWD was a better game to me was because there were no companions or their silly dialogue.) Even most of the portraits were just ridiculous looking. There was a lot about BG that broke the immersion for me, and the Real-Time w/ Pause was tedious. I and so many auto-pause options checked because I really just wanted it to be turn-based. But let's face it, BG came out in a time of severe cRPG "drought". Richard Garriott had abandoned his Ultima fanbase to spark the MMO craze (I never drank that particular kool-aid and still don't understood the mass appeal of Everquest, Wow, and all the others). So BG was a good as it got for the Ultima/GoldBox/SSI fan.

[ewang]

Based on my conversations over the years I realize I am in the minority on this, but when I played through Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, I created my entire party. For BG 1 I had to play it as a LAN game with only me in it, but it worked. I never really like the NPCs that could join you. I'm sure I missed out on some side quests, but I enjoyed the game a lot more. Perhaps that's why I liked the Icewind Dale series a little better than the Baldur's Gate series. The plot was built on the idea that you would create your entire party. I suppose the *best* option is to let the player choose how he or she wants to play, which I believe the developers have already stated is their plan.

LOL...same here...I played both Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 with 6 characters, all my own.  Not into picking up "strangers" and such.   

[SoggyOatsTavernKeeper]

I may have been late playing BG1&2 but the Companions there were not an issue for me, personally, I enjoyed some of their quips and interactions. It brought a bit of depth the only character I hated was the npc that stop to talk to you to see if you would just attack it if it annoyed you long enough. The game wouldn't be the same without the tied to your childhood friend, meeting the two morally ambiguous people that take you off your original course to save a mining town. Picking up a human warrior and his space hampster to rescue the damsel in distress. I could go on but I shan't. Companions can contribute to story and is why I enjoy D&D, because its a collaboration of personalities at the table that together forge a great story together. I think that's why I also enjoyed playing Pillars of Eternity 1&2 and finding out about the world with and through the companions.

[LadyBard]

I did not read that in your news already so I ask. Will we have party member with story and dialogue etc... ?

We are still discussing the design of background stories, personal quests and (hidden) agendas for companions.

But before we go any further, we need to solve challenges regarding full character customization combined with meaningful companion's content & characterization.

As soon as those problems are solved, we will publish a blog post related to this specific topic.

Is it possible to implement something like NWN1 early discarded draft?

Like personal quest based on character traits/class/gender even for premade characters?

Like - druid companion whether or not created at start or recruited got special story quest which may unfold differently based on his race/gender?

I was told NWN1 had great story draft which was discarded by problems at Black Isle/Atari/Bioware studios.

[Andronius The Druid]

I may have been late playing BG1&2 but the Companions there were not an issue for me, personally, I enjoyed some of their quips and interactions. It brought a bit of depth the only character I hated was the npc that stop to talk to you to see if you would just attack it if it annoyed you long enough. The game wouldn't be the same without the tied to your childhood friend, meeting the two morally ambiguous people that take you off your original course to save a mining town. Picking up a human warrior and his space hampster to rescue the damsel in distress. I could go on but I shan't. Companions can contribute to story and is why I enjoy D&D, because its a collaboration of personalities at the table that together forge a great story together. I think that's why I also enjoyed playing Pillars of Eternity 1&2 and finding out about the world with and through the companions.

I did not read that in your news already so I ask. Will we have party member with story and dialogue etc... ?

We are still discussing the design of background stories, personal quests and (hidden) agendas for companions.

But before we go any further, we need to solve challenges regarding full character customization combined with meaningful companion's content & characterization.

As soon as those problems are solved, we will publish a blog post related to this specific topic.

Is it possible to implement something like NWN1 early discarded draft?

Like personal quest based on character traits/class/gender even for premade characters?

Like - druid companion whether or not created at start or recruited got special story quest which may unfold differently based on his race/gender?

I was told NWN1 had great story draft which was discarded by problems at Black Isle/Atari/Bioware studios.

You know, you guys make excellent points. Great posts!
FWDing right now to the Party Leader. 

[LadyBard]

I may have been late playing BG1&2 but the Companions there were not an issue for me, personally, I enjoyed some of their quips and interactions. It brought a bit of depth the only character I hated was the npc that stop to talk to you to see if you would just attack it if it annoyed you long enough. The game wouldn't be the same without the tied to your childhood friend, meeting the two morally ambiguous people that take you off your original course to save a mining town. Picking up a human warrior and his space hampster to rescue the damsel in distress. I could go on but I shan't. Companions can contribute to story and is why I enjoy D&D, because its a collaboration of personalities at the table that together forge a great story together. I think that's why I also enjoyed playing Pillars of Eternity 1&2 and finding out about the world with and through the companions.

I did not read that in your news already so I ask. Will we have party member with story and dialogue etc... ?

We are still discussing the design of background stories, personal quests and (hidden) agendas for companions.

But before we go any further, we need to solve challenges regarding full character customization combined with meaningful companion's content & characterization.

As soon as those problems are solved, we will publish a blog post related to this specific topic.

Is it possible to implement something like NWN1 early discarded draft?

Like personal quest based on character traits/class/gender even for premade characters?

Like - druid companion whether or not created at start or recruited got special story quest which may unfold differently based on his race/gender?

I was told NWN1 had great story draft which was discarded by problems at Black Isle/Atari/Bioware studios.

You know, you guys make excellent points. Great posts!
FWDing right now to the Party Leader. 

Just don't make one character gain xp based on his personal quest.

[Dark_Ansem]

I was told NWN1 had great story draft which was discarded by problems at Black Isle/Atari/Bioware studios.

This is true: the original campaign was a lot more symbolic and entrenched in the concept of madness, but in the end became a standard "save the world".

[kanisatha]

I guess I'm going to be in the minority here but I'm very much more inclined towards RTwP than TB and backed this game anyway because I absolutely love everything else about it. Even the TB combat as you folks have developed it (based on your video) is actually ok for me relative to TB combat in other games, for example D:OS which I really didn't care for.

But that's beside the point. Re. companions, I'm very much in favor of companions having personality and depth to them. For me, IwD's biggest weakness is that my party feels so lifeless and empty. I think one of the main reasons people like the ability to make their own companions is so they can min-max and create "perfect" companions and parties. I, however, strongly like the idea of having companions that are not perfect, who have weaknesses and flaws, and where it is then up to me as the player to find creative and interesting ways to overcome or compensate for those weaknesses and flaws to produce a solid, functional party.

[Dark_Ansem]

I used to be like you, then XCOM2 turned me to the "Turn Side" - it can definitely be a bit boring, however, so I'm curious as of how the turns will work in this game. Is it going to be like Final fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, XCOM2 or what?

[Claudius33]

TB provides more tactictal depth than RTWP. Nothing beats the Jagged Alliance 2 and Silent Storm combat engines so far. When it comes to fantasy RPG, TB might prove boring because a player tends to always use the same feats, spells and capacities. Change should come from a variety of situations, the maps, the opponents, the weapons, the strong and weak points of the foes ... What XCOM 2 does very well.

RTWP provides more dynamic combat  and faster resolution but sometimes turns out to a mess especially when high levels spell casters are involved. Against bosses or during hard fights a player may have  to hit pause every second to guide his /her party.

Anyway both can prove pleasant to play if  the development of the story, characters, lore, overall background are appealling. I do not doubt that RB will offer it!

As for party composition, I  personnaly prefer full fleshed companions rather than bland followers. Others prefer to tailor their party. Ceres Game made a good call giving the two options.

In my NWN2 mods, companions are full fleshed and I give the choice to the player to select their classes/races among a range of choices.