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Re: [Adonthell-devel] Quest map


From: Alexandre Courbot
Subject: Re: [Adonthell-devel] Quest map
Date: 05 Feb 2003 14:18:45 +0100

> I suggest we can use a "quest map" - graphical representation of how far you
> have progressed in your quest.  It can show goal of the quest, suspects,
> possible leads to the solution and so on.  To be specific I attached
> wastesedge possible quest map (I apologize for poor drawings) in the middle
> of the game:
>  - you know about the noise
>  - you know that Jelom was singing
>  - there was an argument and for whatever reason Alex was listening
>  - you start to suspect that gems are fake ....
> 
> During the game certain pictures can show up and go away.  For example at
> some point you can cross out chemist as it does not help you in the
> solution.  And so on.  Generally the idea is to have a quick representation
> of how far you have progressed in the game, and one can even use it as a
> tool to give player a hint.
> 
> I do not think that map can replace diary: they probably can coexist and you
> can extract diary entries for example by clicking on some pictograms.
> 
> From programming point of view quest map uses same global variables as
> dialoques and should be "straightforward" to implement (that is usually what
> I say when I have no idea how to do something :)

I have a quite mitigated feeling about this idea. Sure, it would be a
great reminder. But on the other hand, wouldn't it be a spoiler as well?

Let me explain. In the game, there will be tons of events happening.
Some will be important for one quest, some for another one, some will be
purely anecdotical. What might happen is that every time one event
happen, the player will look at his quest maps. "Ah, so this event is
related to this quest", or "It doesn't appear anywhere - guess it's not
important then". Doing so will totally unveil the internals of the game.
If done properly, the quests should give the impression that they are
totally integrated to the world, and having a so direct rendering of
them would kill the magic, I think.

Also, isn't it the purpose of the game to force the player to remember
and analyze what has happened around him? Wouldn't it do this task?
While I'm not at all against reminders in the game (i.e. the characters
reminds you of the events when you talk back to them, so you are never
out of an important information), this way of doing sounds a bit too
direct (and assisting) to me. What do others think?

Alex.
-- 
http://www.gnurou.org





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