Castle Paradox

[DukeofDellot]

(First post on this furom)

I doubt this is a new idea, actually, I know this isn't a new idea, but how many people would want to play a game where every place you've unlocked is forever avalible for travel, and the game was based mainly around side quests.

Basically all you would do was talk to ever NPC you found, preform tasks for them, (Such as vengance, resque, herb recovery, ect.) and hope that it would progress the story. Of course, that would happen after you pulled your whole team together.

The main story would be pretty srange yet very simple (and customizalbe) but pretty much all the main plot would do would be unlock areas to find new quests. I don't mean that all the quests would be hard, some wouldn't even involve combat (like the only one I currently have).

But like most sidequest-driven games, your charictors would be customizable yet still fill the roles in the story they would need to. Like Martyr the dwarf, would be able to have the class of Paladin, Monk, or Cleric that all learn White magic, and all are based off of the church.

Anyway, I was just curious that my effort of making this game over the summer would redeem my shame caused by making Nordomin: Call of the Elements... If that's even possible.

[Setu_Firestorm]

You do have an interesting proposal, however, you'd have to be extremely careful with handling that idea.

While a sidequest-driven game would be fun, you would really have to make the whole plot and purpose of the game revolve around what you're doing that's taking you on these sidequests.

Some examples would be like Azure Dreams, where even though you had a main goal that you were trying to reach, the fun of the game was that you could remodel the city however you saw fit. You could also make friends or enemies merely by choice. Azure Dreams was not a big epic game where you're travelling the world seeking something; it was a game where you have fun while striving for your goal within the same town.

So, my point is, if you make a game like that, have it be the whole point of the game, and be careful how you present it. If you do it just right, you'll have a great game that everyone will have fun playing.
_________________


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/georgerpowell
Newgrounds: http://setu-firestorm.newgrounds.com

[Inferior Minion]

Actually, Legend of Mana pulled this off pretty nicely.

IT WAS A GOOD GAME AND I LIKED IT!!!! SCREW YOU ALL!!!!!

The game consisted solely of small side-quests and side stories that didn't necessarily get completed when the game ended. There were multiple stories going on at once and the side-quests varied in depth. Each storyline had it's own set of characters in a world you "created." However...from what I remember...not many people seemed to like it. I thoroughly enjoyed the game...I guess it's a matter of how well it is executed.
_________________

[Leonhart]

Hey I love LoM! It's one of the best game made by Squaersoft!
I admit that lots os sidequests is needed to get through the game.

Anyway, I don't understand the idea of this thread. A game based around sidequests? What, like "Rent A Hero"? Can anyone clarify this for me?
_________________
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on.
- Robert Bloch

[Valiant Warrior]

*bust out obscure old skewl RPGs*
Darklands is like this. Extremely addictive game, don't play it if you've got a life. At the beginning you make your entire party, stats, name, Coat of Arms (cuz it takes place in medevil Germany), history (where he was born, noble, commoner, etc),age and occupations he goes through (so you can make him older and go through loads of occupations until he's a knight). after you've made your party, you head out. The whole point of the game was to make a title for yourself, to get your name out there. So you would fend off bandits and robber knights in towns, save caravans that were attacked, battle witches, and even retrieve goods for people. The mroe you do in the town, the more well known you become, so you cvan read your stats for the town of how well known you are. The place (since its Germany) was very big, so there was a lot of wandering and loads of town, so tons of opportunites. Wow, what a game, it never ended... just kept going... going... going (seriously, there was no end)

Another example would be the SaGa series, although it is really terribly unpopular (but I like it), what you do is choose a character (there's seven main characters, each with their own quest in mind), then follow their story. It had tons of sidequests, so you'd always get sidetracked, but you knew what the characters goal was. Anyways, there was a lot of free movement and wandering, but if you got down to it you could whip through a character in about 2-3 hours (but you wouldn't have fun getting secrets, characters, and skills).

Or think about all the deungeon and dragon things, or might and magic, or those online RPGs. So a sidequest oriented game isn't that uncommon, just not exactly mainstream and usually under-rated. And you've gotta do it well, not lame. And it'd be better (if you've got a main plot) to have the choices of the game decide the plot, instead of just leaving behind a character, perhaps a whole seperate character dies (cuz the dude that would've saved him wasn't there) so you go through a grieving time in the story.

Leonhart: It's a pretty simple concept but can give complex gameplay. Basicly it's like this, you play the game , but instead of following a linear plot (like what's happening too often in RPGs) you go on sidequests alot, and the sidequests can affect the story and your gameplay. In other words, the substance of the game is a bunch of sidequests.
_________________
*VW has left the building*

[Leonhart]

Like, FFX-2. It's all mission-based.
_________________
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on.
- Robert Bloch

[DukeofDellot]

I'm sorry, my net was down yesterday...

Well, I've never played any of those... but um... well yeah, just like one of those, I think...

Has anyone ever played Kights of the Old Republic? I would try and recreate that, with a new somewhat cartoony, but very serious, design.

Generally, the main idea would be that the towns would be filled with people, and about 92% of them would be related to either Sidequests or the Mainquest. This would not include shopowners, but many shopowners would have a sidequest themselves.

I'll explain how it works later, when I have the time.

[Cube]

Hmm... sounds mostly like FFXI (Or most MMORPGs, I just feel FFXI pulls off the part of actually having a story better than the others out there). Basicly, in FFXI, is you're ploped into the starting town of your choise and given an opening sequence mostly explaining the current situation of your country. You'll have a nice conversation with some NPCs and they'll welcome you. Then they'll go off on their business and leave you to explore the town before heading out to do whatever.

But while in town you'll notice that nearly all the NPCs have some sort of problem or errand for you go on. For example, this person in a local home is cooking but is lacking ingredients. Quest like these are just there to get you gil or useful items.

Then there are quests that tie into the story, but aren't really part of it. These would be those quests involving the Galka in Bastok, and especially those things that bring up Raogrimm (And the ones that involve Naji and Cornelia are sometimes pretty amuzing (Especially Naji. Poor Naji...)).

Then there are missions, which are like quests but more straight forward and actually involve a ton of story. I don't want to ruin the story for anyone (As some might get FFXI someday) but it's like FF1 kinda. You're given hints where to go and you go there, and are rewarded with nifty cutscenes with tons of story.

Other games that're kinda like this would be FFTA on the GBA. The story is progressed through missions, with quests and other things to keep you busy for a while.

[DukeofDellot]

AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

I just typed this really long (I mean Godzilla-sized) explination, but I forgot to login beforehand, so I lost the mesage. I wrote friggn' five examples!

Oh well, I guess since I've lost the mood to continue typing, you're just going to have to play Kights of the Old Replubic (for Xbox) to find out what I'm trying to do, because that's as close as anything gets to my idea. If you don't have a Xbox, or completely dispise Star Wars, then I guess you'll have to wait until August for me to release a demo. I don't have the internet at home...

[Kenji Murasame]

Basically, if you're going to make a RPG like this you better have a great battle engine going for you.

The story isn't going to impress; so Concentrate on making the dialouge unboring.. Cube mentioned FFXI; which I find to have extremely boring NPC dialouge.

Anyway, sidequests are the hardest thing to make interesting in a RPG so I wish ya luck

[Cube]

Hmm, I was rather impressed by the NPC dialog in FFXI. When they talked to me, it felt like they were actually part of the world you're playing in, rather than being excuses for quests... Or just being there so the city could actually be called a city.

Also depends on the city you're in though, as the people talk differently from town to town. Windurstians are goofy, San d'Orians are formal stuck up jerks and Bastokans are... Well, carefree/ignorant . Jeuno citizans are a mix of them all, which is the whole point, heheh.

Even so, I guess it's what you also look for in a game, and the people you talk to. I try to talk to everyone, so I've met NPCs that I don't care for, while others I've found quite interesting (Naji of Bastok is always one of my favorites, and there are many in Jeuno). And who can forget Cid .

Which city did you wander around in, if I might ask? (And Server and name if you happen to be on Titan, heheh)

[Leonhart]

There's a Cid in FFXI?
_________________
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on.
- Robert Bloch

[Cube]

Well... Yeah. It's FF. Of course there is .

...Can't think of anything else to say than that, heheh.

EDIT:

Actually, I did think of something. That's like someone saying "You mean Final Fantasy XI is actually like a Final Fantasy game!?". Yes, yes it is. It's FF... But online. Did you think the online aspect would ruin the series? I certainly hope not ;...

So yeah, it's good and it's fun if you actually play the game enough to get past lv18 unlike everyone else from the OHR community *Stare*...

[MultiColoredWizard]

The series was ruined a long time ago. I still don't think it should be called a series at all. It's just a title tacked on for money.

[Leonhart]

99% of us love the series. Guess who belongs to that 1%....
_________________
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on.
- Robert Bloch