Should Brandybuck be easily found?

rroyo · **Joined:** Oct 14, 2006 **Posts:** 3292

I'm attempting to minimize the impact my early game additions are having on the leveling scheme. With the addition of Brandybuck, the modification of the Wolf Cave, and now the Plainwicke Adventure, it's possible to go up an additional six levels or more.

What I'd like to know is: Should Brandybuck remain a place you can find by simply passing close by or should there be a person in Blackroot who tells you of the place and marks your map?

I'm choosing Blackroot because the player usually has his or her favorite early game followers by the time that place is reached.

And please, would more than one or two people respond to this?

Thanks in advance.

wayne-scales · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:03 am **Post subject:**

Well, it sounds like you came up with the idea and now you're just looking for agreement! I say go for it in Blackroot!

Dark Elf · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:11 am **Post subject:**

rroyo, I have like the third of the awesome life experience you have and I'm telling you this; it's your mod man, do whatever the hell feels best for you!

Arthgon · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:27 am **Post subject:**

I vote for Blackroot. You could also make a quest of it. If the PC saves the NPC, he will tell you where Brandybuck is.

Dirtman · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:20 pm **Post subject:**

Blackroot.

Or you can write a script that will require a highly developed outdoorsman skill in order to find it. No, wait, wrong game.

Arthgon · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:27 pm **Post subject:**

Quote:

Or you can write a script that will require a highly developed outdoorsman skill in order to find it. No, wait, wrong game.

Yes, it is possible, but you could better use the perception ability. So, if you have a high perception then you will find Brandybuck.

rroyo · **Joined:** Oct 14, 2006 **Posts:** 3292

How about something simpler?
At the end of the road leading south from Black Root is an ambush scene I added a while back and forgot about. Kill the Void Lizards, realise what the Ressurection Potion is there for, and talk to the grateful merchant.

I took the idea for an in-game test-drive yesterday and it works.
Reseting three numbers will return things to the way they are now (2.2).

Arthgon · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:45 pm **Post subject:**

Quote:

realise what the Ressurection Potion is there for, and talk to the grateful merchant.

What if the PC used the potions on his companions?.

rroyo · **Joined:** Oct 14, 2006 **Posts:** 3292

Here's the scene now with the merchant ressurected.
Just one guy, two cows, three Void Lizards, and three Ressurection potions.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o314 ... tScene.jpg

wayne-scales · **Posted:** Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:41 am **Post subject:**

I like it! Especially the wagon! You should try and add dialogue for the Conjure Spirit spell! Perfect oppurtunity!

rroyo · **Joined:** Oct 14, 2006 **Posts:** 3292

Arthgon wrote:

What if the PC used the potions on his companions?.

Your followers? Then the merchant would stay dead, you'd never hear about Brandybuck, talk to the town's bigoted mayor, have Wiqia Rurrae try to kill you with kindness, get the quest to rescue the medicine show troop, purchase the hobbit hole, meet a possible free follower named Wrinko, have a drink at the Full Mug Tavern, learn of passage to Cattan from Dernholm, hear about the history of island - and what its original name was, learn the history of Norleigh Seahold, battle the Merow Vortahm, etc., etc, etc.

And even more will be added to that list during the coming year.
You just might want to think twice about leaving the merchant there to rot.

This is the most complex and multi-layered thing I've built yet, and I've barely begun on Cattan.

wayne-scales wrote:

You should try and add dialogue for the Conjure Spirit spell! Perfect oppurtunity!

Indeed. Thanks for the idea! It would give me practice in an area where I've got none.
As soon as I finish debugging Plainwicke, I have a go at that. I'm pretty sure I can set it up either way this poll goes.

team a · **Posted:** Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:43 am **Post subject:**

I probably need to take a closer look, but i'm really glad i saw brandybuck by just passing it, because I didn't really see anything new in black root. It's probably better to actually hear about it from someone, but it would have to be someone that stood out to a player who's experienced with the stock game. Actually, i'd suggest having a halfling in SH who can't get home because of the bandits near the bridge - perhaps in the SH tavern, a place most players pass through. the NPC could thank the player for killing the bandits, and the player could bring the NPC home after doing so (the NPC could have a HB script to check if the player isn't bringing the NPC straight there)

rroyo · **Joined:** Oct 14, 2006 **Posts:** 3292

rroyo wrote:

I'm attempting to minimize the impact my early game additions are having on the leveling scheme. With the addition of Brandybuck, the modification of the Wolf Cave, and now the Plainwicke Adventure, it's possible to go up an additional six levels or more.

This plus a suitable revision of what was just a generic ambush scene led me to set this up in Blackroot. Knowing of the town in Shrouded Hills or even Tarant kind of defeats the idea.
I'm still willing to leave the map-marking the way it was, but if I do go with the halfling merchant, I'm convinced I made the right location choice.

When people first start playing the game and get past the character exploration stage, they search everywhere trying to find something that might have been hidden or overlooked.
Here's a chance to experience that kind of fun again. You never know what I'll change - and where.

And I've already added two halfling followers. The latest one - Lasou Vlafa - will be quest-specific - like Doc Roberts.

team a · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:27 am **Post subject:**

are you going to have lead-ins for the player to go exploring down that road, say a halfling merchant standing outside the Black Root blacksmith or inn that would stick out to a player? I don't know about you, but if that's the road i'm thinking of, I only go down there to get Arthur Tyron's note and I don't know if I'd even go all the way down the road, if i didn't see any changes on the townmap.

rroyo · **Joined:** Oct 14, 2006 **Posts:** 3292

In that case, you'd be SOL in finding the guy.
I'm not going to add a new townmap of that size (7 mb) until there's enough changes to make it worthwhile - like a steamship or houses just south of the mayor's place.

team a · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:34 pm **Post subject:**

Oh ok, I understand you about the townmap. Of course, Black Root's townmap has to be regenerated anyway - it was made before the train tracks were complete.

rroyo · **Joined:** Oct 14, 2006 **Posts:** 3292

Ok people. I'm not too far from packing everything up, so let's tally the votes.

Combined from the poll and postings:

5 - Leave the map-marking as-is (1 vote inferred)
4 - Get the map marked in Blackroot (1 vote inferred)
1 - Go with both options
3 - Don't care. (1 vote inferred)

Brandybuck shall continue to be a place you can easily find.

There you have it folks, democracy in action.
My thanks to everyone who contributed to this.

Should Brandybuck be easily found?

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