I fell in love with this game before I even bought it. The imagination and motivation that clearly shows in this masterpiece-in-the-make is something for which the gaming industry thirsts. I can't wait to see what's in store for AI and NPC interactions. Will there be an auto-generated personality system that dictates how characters treat each other? Will there be a schedule system similar to Oblivion and Skyrim? The anticipation thrills me. I have become a die-hard fan after a day having had the privilege to know of this work of art.
Now, I know it's very early to be considering quests and character development, or how deeply the developer plans to implement such a thing in a game of this magnitude. But I do have a few ideas as to how characters can be developed, and fold into the story of the player's design. Perhaps a system where a character will be given a generated back-story if they are with the player for long enough, a story based on their personality (if such a thing would be developed).
As an author, I would be thrilled to volunteer my skills and become a part of this genre-defying project.
Writer needed?
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ZeeCakeIsASpy
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun May 12, 2013 4:40 pm
Saw this on the Steam discussions; good on you for putting it here.
I found myself loving Kenshi in much the same way. It's the game I wanted to make since elementary school, so being involved in any way would be an excellent way to get experience in game design and writing, as I hope to make games of my own after college. I've done a lot of writing and concept work for my own ideas but it'll be great to contribute to a more tangible project at the moment, especially one the gaming world frankly needs to see.
As for quests, I know the dev has a very detailed and intricate plan for implementation. Gathered from what he wrote on the subject:
In a traditional RPG, you'll have a questgiver in a town tell you that bandits are in the mountains and pose a threat to the village, but if you ignore it for a week nothing will have happened as though they were waiting for you. In Kenshi, more like how it would happen in the real world, you will encounter this village and learn that bandits will make a concerted effort to take it. You may like the town as a trade outpost or safe haven; you can ignore or forget about the attack, in which case when you return it will most likely have been overrun. If you stay, however, you can build defenses, arm villagers, and kick their asses Seven Samurai-style and get favor from the village that way, while the bandits may have survivors, vow revenge and try again another day. It's all reactive and dynamic in the best possible way.
That's just an example; I don't know if he plans more traditional ones as well as the ambient "not-quests" that you take up on your own accord, but I can certainly see room for them.
As for characters he plans to make them more realistic as well:
Say you have a friendly NPC in regular gameplay, not like a significant character as the squadmates in things like Mass Effect, and you come under attack by a more powerful force. In most games, he'll heedlessly fight to the death, only because he is coded to do so; you don't really care because there's no emotion behind it. A more realistic character will see the enemies and run if his AI is more intelligent, but this action isn't much better by player perspective for being betrayed so easily by game scripting alone. A Kenshi example will have a character who, after having spent time with the player character and has grown friendly, sees the large force as a threat to his friend the player, and will fight ferociously to protect him/her, and one less involved with the player may fight with less heart or run after a while; a more organic set of actions.
Though as for personalities I'm not entirely certain. On a larger scale, factional divisions and gaining favor apparently direct the actions of most individuals in this Alpha state, though I can see things like a roe system among NPCs, like food gatherer and farmer beyond just shopkeepers appearing. In fact, to maintain the realism of a society, and being able to help or destroy their economies by cutting off trade and such, it might be more or less necessary, in addition to a food/water system, or else starving them out wouldn't work.
Smaller scale, individual character personalities would be a little more difficult. It'd be relatively tricky to give individual squadmates their own personalities and backstories out of a large number of potential ones, but it's doable and you're on to something with having them appear over time to make it easier and adapt to what members may already be present. As for conveying these developing aspects, I've another idea:
In addition to having the standard "talk" option to speak with squadmates individually like Baldur's Gate or similar games, there could be a way to flesh out the idea that the player is not the center of the universe and that your squadmates interact with one another and not just you, and have squadmate interactions reflect that. A sort of larger talk that includes more than just two characters including the player speaking could lend much to the ease and realism of making everyone an individual with their own histories and personalities. Once initiated, everyone willing will contribute to a dialogue that the player steers, during which more detailed information is presented for all those present, giving basic information as to their personalities and backstories but also more dynamic information. If one who has a soft spot for the Empire lets that info out it might start a scuffle or rivalries, or one who has valuable information of machinery that they cannot use but could share with an engineer squadmate. Anyone who might not want to engage in the conversation will require goading by the player as a way of building relationships. These could be had over meals perhaps, with favorite foods playing a role in enticing otherwise unwilling participants.
I'm not even directly involved and this is fun by itself. Bottom line is, I'd also be honored to offer input perhaps beyond on the forum, and even just talking about practical ideas with real constraints is still good practice. I look forward to seeing what you and other people can share as well.
I found myself loving Kenshi in much the same way. It's the game I wanted to make since elementary school, so being involved in any way would be an excellent way to get experience in game design and writing, as I hope to make games of my own after college. I've done a lot of writing and concept work for my own ideas but it'll be great to contribute to a more tangible project at the moment, especially one the gaming world frankly needs to see.
As for quests, I know the dev has a very detailed and intricate plan for implementation. Gathered from what he wrote on the subject:
In a traditional RPG, you'll have a questgiver in a town tell you that bandits are in the mountains and pose a threat to the village, but if you ignore it for a week nothing will have happened as though they were waiting for you. In Kenshi, more like how it would happen in the real world, you will encounter this village and learn that bandits will make a concerted effort to take it. You may like the town as a trade outpost or safe haven; you can ignore or forget about the attack, in which case when you return it will most likely have been overrun. If you stay, however, you can build defenses, arm villagers, and kick their asses Seven Samurai-style and get favor from the village that way, while the bandits may have survivors, vow revenge and try again another day. It's all reactive and dynamic in the best possible way.
That's just an example; I don't know if he plans more traditional ones as well as the ambient "not-quests" that you take up on your own accord, but I can certainly see room for them.
As for characters he plans to make them more realistic as well:
Say you have a friendly NPC in regular gameplay, not like a significant character as the squadmates in things like Mass Effect, and you come under attack by a more powerful force. In most games, he'll heedlessly fight to the death, only because he is coded to do so; you don't really care because there's no emotion behind it. A more realistic character will see the enemies and run if his AI is more intelligent, but this action isn't much better by player perspective for being betrayed so easily by game scripting alone. A Kenshi example will have a character who, after having spent time with the player character and has grown friendly, sees the large force as a threat to his friend the player, and will fight ferociously to protect him/her, and one less involved with the player may fight with less heart or run after a while; a more organic set of actions.
Though as for personalities I'm not entirely certain. On a larger scale, factional divisions and gaining favor apparently direct the actions of most individuals in this Alpha state, though I can see things like a roe system among NPCs, like food gatherer and farmer beyond just shopkeepers appearing. In fact, to maintain the realism of a society, and being able to help or destroy their economies by cutting off trade and such, it might be more or less necessary, in addition to a food/water system, or else starving them out wouldn't work.
Smaller scale, individual character personalities would be a little more difficult. It'd be relatively tricky to give individual squadmates their own personalities and backstories out of a large number of potential ones, but it's doable and you're on to something with having them appear over time to make it easier and adapt to what members may already be present. As for conveying these developing aspects, I've another idea:
In addition to having the standard "talk" option to speak with squadmates individually like Baldur's Gate or similar games, there could be a way to flesh out the idea that the player is not the center of the universe and that your squadmates interact with one another and not just you, and have squadmate interactions reflect that. A sort of larger talk that includes more than just two characters including the player speaking could lend much to the ease and realism of making everyone an individual with their own histories and personalities. Once initiated, everyone willing will contribute to a dialogue that the player steers, during which more detailed information is presented for all those present, giving basic information as to their personalities and backstories but also more dynamic information. If one who has a soft spot for the Empire lets that info out it might start a scuffle or rivalries, or one who has valuable information of machinery that they cannot use but could share with an engineer squadmate. Anyone who might not want to engage in the conversation will require goading by the player as a way of building relationships. These could be had over meals perhaps, with favorite foods playing a role in enticing otherwise unwilling participants.
I'm not even directly involved and this is fun by itself. Bottom line is, I'd also be honored to offer input perhaps beyond on the forum, and even just talking about practical ideas with real constraints is still good practice. I look forward to seeing what you and other people can share as well.
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