14 replies to this topic

[Tempest]

I'm working on Valerie's interjections and scenery dialogues, and something has come up that I'm not sure is very fitting.

In one of the southern mountain areas of BG1, the party is accosted by a group of very suspicious and very insulting Amnish nobles on a hunting trip, lead by a woman named Sendai. You can resolve the situation diplomatically, or it can end in violence.

As currently written, Valerie steps in and forcefully resolves the situation peacefully by revealing that she is a Cowled Wizard of Amn and that Charname's party travels under her protection in Amnish territory. Sendai and company aren't evil or have any particular reason to intentionally murder a Cowled Wizard, so they decide that murdering in cold blood a member of one of Amn's most powerful organizations is a bad idea.

I am, however, aware that having an NPC, particularly a mod one, infringe on the player's decisions can rub a lot of players the wrong way.

Any particular thoughts one way or the other?

[Daulmakan]

If you want to enforce her dealing with the matter but at the same time give some leeway to the player, maybe add a dialogue option for CHARNAME to initiate hostilities by him/herself regardless of (and after) her intervention? And afterwards have the PC deal with an angry/annoyed Valerie? (if you're tracking friendship/romance points or some such, this might be a good place for gaining/losing approval).

[Bookwyrme]

I'd say give CHARNAME some choice. It really is annoying to have the NPC take over entirely, even when it would seem reasonable. So, yes, like Daulmakan said, give the PC a chance to say "Shut up, Val. II think she's too annoying to live" or "Thanks for helping us out of a difficult situation" or, maybe even, "I know you meant well, and you defused the situation, but never do that again."

[Tempest]

Done. However, in the current version Valerie will flat-out leave the party if you attack them anyway. You're attacking someone for insulting you even after Valerie defused the situation. Someone willing to do that is someone Valerie has no desire to associate with.

[Bookwyrme]

I can see that working. I just hate being utterly railroaded.

[Tempest]

I don't mind railroading when it fits the situation at hand - Valerie is a Cowled Wizard, a major and official power in Amn. Few Amnish citizens are willing to anger them, much less deliberately antagonize a group under their aegis (don't expect this to save you any trouble in BG2, of course). More to the point, Sendai is being belligerent and paranoid against a group of adventurers (read: troublemakers and mercenaries) from a place that Amn's current relations with are icy at best, with war not far from everyone's minds. A Cowled Wizard traveling with such a group, though, neatly negates that. You really are left with the choice to attack these people for no better reason than they were a bit mean to you before Valerie smoothed out the misunderstanding. Which, in my mind, is an unambiguously evil act.

In any event, force the battle and expect a reputation hit (-1 or -2). Whether or not you agree with the decision being evil, Valerie certainly thinks it's an act of murder over a petty insult and will be telling people in Nashkel as much.

Edited by Tempest, 02 October 2012 - 08:16 PM.

[Iavasechui]

Maybe add in another set of bracers of archery elsewhere? That's the only reason I would ever fight Sendai's group anyways.

[Tempest]

You're choosing to pick a needless fight with Amnish nobles. Valerie is a representative of an Amnish government institution. You could always boot Valerie out of the party before doing that fight, or doing it before recruiting her.

[Tempest]

Except Sendai only attacks you if you're hostile to her, and if the gameplay point is so important, console in the scimitars. I don't even know what mod you're using that adds scimitars to Sendai because she doesn't have them in the base game to my knowledge.

[Tempest]

It's only a strong gameplay tradeoff if you have that particular mod installed, it would appear. I do not consider this an issue worth changing the mod over. There will always be mod conflicts, particularly with various tweak packs.