32 replies to this topic

[Andyr]

I like the sound of this idea.

Seems like a good way to get around writing interjections, heh.

You mention he is a human, and spent 63 years in a Tethyrian jail. Do you have an explanation for his longevity (and is it related to his pallor)?

[Shfelliot]

Seems like a good way to get around writing interjections, heh.

Oh, this by no means gets me around writing interjections. Brythe will have utterly hundreds of possible interjections will everyone and everything...more than any BGII ingame NPC and possibly as many as Khadion. I'm just saying this particular mod enables them to be optional. If you want him to interject, he will. If you want him to shut the hell up, he will. It's your choice, and also gives you the opportunity to let him speak when and where you want to. He can speak the whole freakin' game, not at all, or only at times you want him to. He will be as quiet or as noisy as you, the player, so desire him to be. This is yours truly's answer to the overly opinionated average BGII NPC...instead of limiting his dialogue, I want to give you, the player, control over its frequency and flow. This option is actually sort of inserted into his personality, as Brythe sees himself as the tool of the PC and thus he is subservient to whatever the PC's wishes.

Edited by Shfelliot, 12 December 2005 - 06:39 PM.

[Tom]

How do you plan on doing that with the dialogs? Will there be an option "Ask Brythe for advice" at various junctions, or will you be able to turn him on and off so to speak, like an option when you speak to him for "Pipe up whenever you see fit", "Don't say a word" etc?

[Shfelliot]

How do you plan on doing that with the dialogs? Will there be an option "Ask Brythe for advice" at various junctions, or will you be able to turn him on and off so to speak, like an option when you speak to him for "Pipe up whenever you see fit", "Don't say a word" etc?

Brythe is a lightswitch, so you sort of 'turn him on and off' when you don't want interjections and banters such to appear. (speak to him and request such, basically). In conjunction with his very reactive personality, you'll notice Brythe will never start a conversation with ANYONE...PC, NPCs, or otherwise...they always will have to start it. Banters can be turned on and off AND are always player-initiated, so there's two fail-safes in that case.

Two things I'd like to address:

1) Brythe as a gun for hire: Don't completely lose track of that idea, because that IS one of the more straightforward paths. He is, after all, a mercenary. Just lend yourself to guiding your relationship with him in that manner...

2) Portrait options: I don't want to say too much on this as nothing is definite. We might have a nice little selection of possible portraits later on (feel free to always propose one! ;P), but there *is* going to be an official one at some point.

Edited by Shfelliot, 16 December 2005 - 07:06 AM.

[jastey]

The questionw was rised twice and not answered yet: Why should I take a over 65 year old human along?

[Shfelliot]

The question was rised twice and not answered yet: Why should I take a over 65 year old human along?

Why, indeed. And Brythe, if you count his lifespan before prison, is probably closer to 85 or 90 before leaving the dungeon. And Brythe was imprisoned for committing horrible atrocities...the murder of over 150 individuals...men, women, and children...something he surprisingly admits to doing. He rotted for 63 years for it inside the dankest, darkest Tethyrian dungeon for over 63 years for it, almost forgotten by the people he committed the crimes against? Why the hell wasn't this man executed for his crimes? Or at least left till he died? Tethyrian politics and a series of incidents which probably could have only happened in a place like Tethyr, where civil war and political backstabbing is essentially the way of life. That being said, has he served his time? Has he changed over all these years? Why the HELL would you want to take a man like this along with you? Can you even trust him? Has he not served his time through the system of his nation? Or should he be put down like a dog...his crimes forever stain his soul and fate? Certainly some NPCs will definately think this. Do you? Even with his promise...what are *your* reasons for taking him along? I freaking LOVE this kind of thinking...and this is what taking Brythe along is all about.

Regarding his age...I should mention that while Brythe's skin is bleach white, his eyes sunken in and his hair black and stringy over his face, he doesn't seem to have aged all that much. He appears, as it were, to certainly someone who has been living in a dungeon the vast majority of his life...but he doesn't look old. Rather, he looks somewhat like he might have if he didn't age much at all. Why? He's a freakin' human. Just another question surrounding someone full of questions. Play the mod, maybe you'll get an answer. Despite everything, he is extremely capable in battle. But he did murder even women and children...

I can't answer the question of why you should take Brythe with you. I give you his story, his promise, and a whole confused, very vague and extremely screwed up sense of who and what he is, what he was, where he is going, and what he may or may not become. How you deal with it, how you put the pieces together, is going to be up to you.

[Kulyok]

I can't answer the question of why you should take Brythe with you. I give you his story, his promise, and a whole confused, very vague and extremely screwed up sense of who and what he is, what he was, where he is going, and what he may or may not become. How you deal with it, how you put the pieces together, is going to be up to you.

That's the problem. These three things: surprisingly not aged for his 80+, has a mysterious metagaming way to not be recruited by an evil PC, talks only on command - these things can become a serious barrier for players who want to see Brythe as a living, breathing individual, a person, not an extra-special NPC with some very unusual abilities.

An intriguing explanation for his age (or changing 63 to 13? 13 years in prison is quite a lot, just read Dumas' "The Two Dianas"), some banters for an evil protagonist (as Andyr suggested), and at least some NPC-initiated talk (quest-related?) would help in this regard, I think.

[Shfelliot]

That's the problem. These three things: surprisingly not aged for his 80+, has a mysterious metagaming way to not be recruited by an evil PC, talks only on command - these things can become a serious barrier for players who want to see Brythe as a living, breathing individual, a person, not an extra-special NPC with some very unusual abilities.

An intriguing explanation for his age (or changing 63 to 13? 13 years in prison is quite a lot, just read Dumas' "The Two Dianas"), some banters for an evil protagonist (as Andyr suggested), and at least some NPC-initiated talk (quest-related?) would help in this regard, I think.

All I can say on this subject is, I can't possibly give answers that will satisfy *every* problem addressed here. The best I can give you is in fact, since it seems to be such a big issue here, maybe we can incorporate some kind of dialogues for evil PCs.

Regarding the realism factor...look, there's still quite a limited scope of what one can and cannot do in the Infinity Engine, and the concept of Brythe (*including* the age thing) is shrouded in a hundred 'what the f**ks?' which slowly over a period of time are answered through character interaction, and choices. Brythe is intended to make you think, enjoy a nice involved and seriously messed-up story...giving you something a little different than Joe average NPC. There are things which *are* sacrificed in the sake of believability for the experience, and there are things which you're just going to have to trust me on till you've played the mod and seen it for yourself, because for everything I'm telling you regarding the story, there's ten things I'm NOT telling you, and I'm all ABOUT story and character development. If this kind of vague approach isn't your kind of mod and ruins the realism of taking him along, this may not be the mod for you. Brythe is about mind games. But Brythe *is* intended to be a character you will struggle with...but you really have to *meet* him...which is something I can only do in a limited scope in a forum.

Regarding the talk feature...that's in his very personality, and something I decided if I ever created a mod, it would be fun to incorporate...and considering fairly much EVERY mod has some sort of talk feature...I don't feel too bad about it. Given the scope that this IS a mod, and there ARE gaming mechanics involved...at least here's a mod which has a metagaming mechanic which is, in fact, something that is actually incorporated INTO the character's personality and will be addressed IN the character banters at some point. I really can't apologize if you don't like that feature...that's something I want in the mod.

These are the best answers I can give on the subject. If they're not satisfactory, I apologize. I hope you do stay and see as more information on the mod is released. If not, maybe there is a mod out there which meets a more realistic standard for you.

Edited by Shfelliot, 18 December 2005 - 06:41 AM.

[Minarvia]

I will DEFINATELY stick around and see what happens with this. I am intrigued, more intrigued than I am for Khadion right now! But I'll definately take both along.
I, too, don't really understand the dialog initiating bit regarding dialogs with other NPC's, but I'm sure I will once Brythe is ready for playing.

[Shfelliot]

I will DEFINATELY stick around and see what happens with this. I am intrigued, more intrigued than I am for Khadion right now! But I'll definately take both along.
I, too, don't really understand the dialog initiating bit regarding dialogs with other NPC's, but I'm sure I will once Brythe is ready for playing.

It just basically means you will notice the trend that in any banter with Brythe and another NPC, the NPC will *always* start the conversation. Why is he like that? You have to play the mod...

[Alandrea]

Well, you have my attention. I look forward to discovering more about him.

[Shfelliot]

Stupid fact of the day: When I picture Brythe in my mind, I always see him in a white undershirt, pants, and long wet messed up black hair that falls over his white-skinned broken, slightly demented, grinning face. I'm not sure if that makes him more of a DnD character or a Calvin Klein model.

Edited by Shfelliot, 03 November 2006 - 06:37 PM.

[Tieflingz]

If this guy's up for romance

I'd so play a female character that's not evil for the first time!!!