iRPG Storyline Progression

[Gan]

So we've created a storyline, are making maps, and have just about all the resources we need.
All we need now is to progress through the storyline step by step and figure how things are set up.
This happens here. Gnome and Silver, you guys know more of the storyline than the rest of us. Can you help us fill this?

The player makes an account, goes through a brief tutorial on controls and how things work, starts in front of the castle...



-Gan

[Silverwind]

Me and Gnome discussed a rough idea for gameplay and story progression awhile back:

Start the game by purchasing lvl 1 regents from the blacksmith and talking to the leader/elder/instruction giver who'll instruct you to cleanse the woods of monsters to the east.

Explore the woods and defeat the boss to complete the dungeon.

Purchase lvl 2 regents from the blacksmith and report to the leader/elder/instruction giver. He'll congratulate you on a job well done and send you south to an insect infested swamp.

Explore the swamp and defeat the boss to complete the dungeon.

Purchase lvl 3 regents from the blacksmith and report once again to the leader/elder/instruction giver. This time he'll want you to investigate a graveyard west of the town.

Explore the graveyard and defeat the boss to complete the dungeon.

Purchase lvl 4 regents from the blacksmith and report your findings to the leader/elder/instruction giver. He'll applaud your courageous efforts and burden you with the final task of cleansing the caves to the north.

Explore the caves and defeat the boss to complete the dungeon.

Return to town and trigger the victory sequence.

[Gan]

Regents? The inventory can only hold a weapon, armor, and trinket + potions.
By the way, what exactly are regents? Why would you need them?


-Gan

[Silverwind]

Regents is a diminishing term for equipment, or necessary supplies. In this case the player's regents are their weapon and armor.

EDIT:

A roleplay example:

Florome Woodhaven (charismatic Warrior): "Rest up and restock your regents lads, for tomorrow we take back the Longdale!"

Standing Army: *cheers*

Glandeli Silverwind (typical Rogue): *sigh* "We don't get paid enough for this..."

[Gan]

Oooh.

Alright. So. I'm thinking we need more variety. I see... dungeon, dungeon, dungeon, and dungeon. Maybe we could mix it up a bit?
Also WarHampster is very busy, we can't spend time on making grave tiles. Also a grave in a newly settled place would be kinda strange.


-Gan

[Silverwind]

Yup. We were thinking of linking it to Gnome's idea of a previous town that didn't go down too well with the neighboring monster lairs, but I'd be happy with a different dungeon altogether.

[Gan]

Something different sounds like a good idea, though dungeon? Couldn't we think of something more creative than just a dungeon in each part?


-Gan

[Connors]

I was thinking one way to solve the problem of it seeming too linear would be you can travel to most parts of the overworld map from the start but it's not perfectly clear which areas you need to complete first. The earlier missions would make it more obvious then the later ones. One of the clues would be not to go into an area very far if the monsters turn out to be to strong.

EDIT: I have a story idea:
1. A secret group of wizards has set up a "base" in the mountains of [silly name for far-off mountain range] to experiment with magic forbidden by most other wizards. At some point they make a terrible mistake summon a bunch of monsters. Some of them run away like cowards, while some of them are trying to stop the monsters and close the portal and the rest are trying to take advantage of it and control the monsters. (these are the villains.)
The charachter would be trying to find out where the monsters came from and you would eventually have to find all the wizards who were involved.
its simple enough right? There's just a lot of charachters.

[Silverwind]

Something different sounds like a good idea, though dungeon?

Dungeon is just an RPG term for level/stage. I was referring to the forest, swamp, graveyard etc.

Couldn't we think of something more creative than just a dungeon in each part?

What do you mean? Mini games?

[Gan]

Ah! I understand. By dungeon I thought you meant an underground place for imprisoning vile things.


-Gan

[Connors]

*feels ignored*.....


There are a lot of things we could do that would be similar to dungeons.
Perhaps in one section we can make a partly destroyed town infested with monsters which you have to navigate through.
Or you have to search for somebody in the wilderness.

[Gan]

Not a bad idea though probably not for this game.

We need to move. Forget side quests until after the main is finished. We'll start in one of the 4 areas, build it, go to the next, build that then once everything's built we can wrap it all together.

What's the first area and the goal to be achieved there?


-Gan

[Silverwind]

We need to move. Forget side quests until after the main is finished. We'll start in one of the 4 areas, build it, go to the next, build that then once everything's built we can wrap it all together.

You're right, the hands of idleness close tight around our project. We should look for inspiration whenever motivation is scarce. I always find concept art inspiring, so I here's a vantage point of Newtown from the southern hills and a rough sketch of the leader/elder/instruction giver.

What's the first area and the goal to be achieved there?

The town. We need a complete, working town before anything else. A castle or tower should be under construction in the centre and traders should have stalls/shops around it. The player needs to be able to purchase equipment from the traders and talk to the leader/elder/instruction giver (who prompts a varying dialogue relative to the dungeon the player is currently exploring).

Once we accomplish those essentials we can celebrate the completion of our first area!

The second area and first dungeon is the forest on the eastern hillside (provided we're all in agreement to that part of the map layout).

*feels ignored*.....

Sorry Connors, those are nifty ideas. I think we've finally settled on the Newtown story, but the destroyed town idea certainly sounds workable. You should discuss it in depth with Gnome, who has similar ideas.

[Gan]

Those pieces of art are fantastic. You're quite an artist.



Outlining a few important details in our current Newtown.
Does it match what we need? Should we scrap and rebuild to fit our needs better?

More walking space would be good depending on how many towns people will be out and about. For one we'll have the Instructor. We may want more.
Should the area be more de-forested and spread out?


-Gan

[Silverwind]

How about the town progressing over time? At the start only the bare bones of the castle are visible, the trees haven't been cleared etc. Then the stone paths start getting laid, the castle walls grow, mushroom plots spring up and so on.

Gnome did a great job on the layout, so there's no need to change it around much.