Original description
Vox Populi
(New name)
a.k.a. The Evolving Society
I need contributions from creative minds!
I have been nourishing this idea of a large island that starts completely wild and untouched and, at the end, if the player plays right, turns out into a big business with plantations, cattle and small villages all over the place.
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NEW MOD SPECS - as of March 2010 (the original post is at the botttom)
After working for more than a year on several aspects of the mod, I am ready to put them all together now.
But, first of all, I want to thank again everybody that posted on the mod forums. I've been classifying the ideas and suggestions from the community. I must have read every single phrase at least half a dozen times and I think I got them well organized for future reference.
The specifications below are the result of merging my initial idea with many others that improved and complemented them. There are still many other ideas and suggestions kept in a wish list for future use.
The specifications below are the 'best scenario' for the first Beta version of the mod.
Apart for some small adjustments, I don't intend to add new concepts during this phase.
I may drop some of the concepts described if they prove impractical for any reason.
Some comments up front:
The mod scripts will be based on my http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1060697 (adapted to these specs) and my Construction Suit (Beta testing)
No NPCs enacting their trade (with the possible exception of the farmer, as I already have it [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw7wwQ22Ys8])
No interiors - NPCs will go in and out, but the player will not go in - possible exceptions:
? the Inn (as the player will recruit there),
? the Theater (again, because I already have it - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vROUU6I5XEE])
? and of course, the Player's Villa and Player's Office (see description)
1.
GUIDELINESPlayable at any Player level
No interference from current game state
No interference to current game state
? Kind of a semi-TotalConversion? Or would it be a Semi-Conversion? lol
1.1.
Player roleFrom the very beginning:
Must have the right to order NPCs around
Must have the right to determine what will be built
Must have the right to determine where to build and which architecture
? Therefore: Medieval Lord and serfs (maybe Owner and employees)
2.
GAME MECHANICSGame relies on a few major components:
Player - recruits NPCs, builds/improves/relocates facilities, manages the island
NPCs - the inhabitants of the island: a few that arrive with the PC and others recruited from a steady flow of visiting NPCs
Facilities - The places that, somehow affect the life on the island. Most require an NPC and produce some kind of material (e.g Food, brick), product (e.g ships) or service (e.g security). Some are required to go beyond a certain level (e.g sewer, granary).
Food - required to keep the population alive
Materials - Raw materials are used to build simple building (stone and logs) and to be transformed into more advanced building materials required for better buildings (bricks, planks and metal parts)
Indicators and Satisfaction - Several aspects of the island live are represented by indicators, which directly affect population satisfaction and, indirectly, affect productivity. A dissatisfied NPC works slower and may, on extreme cases, leave the island.
The player will influence the speed and direction of the community growth by:
? Creating and upgrading the facilities
? Recruiting and assigning NPCs to the jobs
? Keeping the NPCs happy, creating services facilities as the community grows more sophisticated.
? Providing the required inputs (e.g. weapons and armor for the guards)
? Providing optional inputs to improve production (side quests to be defined)
The player will have a 'Player's Office', a kind of War Room, from where the player will follow the evolution of the community.
3.
FACILITIESEach facility needs one or more NPCs to run the business.
Facilities are built at the lowest level and may be upgraded to higher levels as the NPC gets more experience.
Required materials must be available to build and upgrade facilities.
3.1.
Extraction FacilitiesProduce food and raw materials (logs, raw stones and ore).
? Farm
? Forest
? Quarry
? Mine
3.2.
Processing FacilitiesSpecialized facilities to process raw materials into advanced building materials
? Sawmill
? Masonry
? Foundry
? Smith
3.3.
Production FacilitiesSpecialized facilities that create products.
? Shipyard
? Wood works
? Stone works
? Metal works
3.4.
Service Facilities: Specialized facilities that provide services.
? Boarding House >> Inn >> Hotel
? Chapel >> Church >> Cathedral
? Healer >> Apothecary >> Hospital
? Barracks
3.5.
City Improvements (don't need an NPC) ? Granary - required to store food
? Sewer - required to upgrade buildings
? Dock - required to import/export and attract more visitors
? Armory - required to store guards weapons and armor
? Parks and other city beautifications
? Public baths - enhance Health
? Public lights - enhance Security
? Paved Streets
? Paved Roads
? Theater
? Outposts to contain wildlife
3.6.
HOUSES: Where the NPCs live.
4.
THE CITYWhen creating new facilities, the player will choose the position and angle of the building, as well as the building size and architectural style.
The higher the facility level, the more options the player has.
Within the available building options for the facility level, the player may move the buildings around and change style at no cost, any time (just aesthetics).
Besides the facility buildings, the player will have a choice of adding some other constructions that will affect the community, like parks, street lights, city walls, etc. These constructions consume building materials.
And, very cheap or free, the player may add all kinds of beautification to the city: wells, trees, fences, flowers, benches, etc. No limits here. Anything! I mean it! Anything she can find in the game, she can add to the city.
For those that enjoy it, creating, improving and tending the city visuals may be a game all by itself.
5.
NPCS5.1.
HiringNPCs will show at port and stay at the inn for a few days -or- naufrages?
Player may recruit / hire them and assign them a job.
5.2.
LevelingNPCs will accumulate wealth, change status and will be more demanding over time
NPCs will accumulate experience on the activity and will be more productive over time.
Wealthy NPCs may hire other NPCs as workforce or house servants
5.3.
GeneralWhen assigned a job, will occupy a free facility, if available
When assigned a job, will occupy a free house, if available
There is a chance of NPCs moving together depending on the house level
May demand better house to match his/her status (or be unhappy)
May demand better work facilities to match his/her experience (or be unhappy)
5.4.
AttributesEach profession has a major attribute that determines how well an NPC performs his/her tasks:
Strength - for Farmer, Lumberjack, Stone miner and Miner
Intelligence - for Carpenter, Mason, Smelter, Smith
Agility (craftsmanship) - for Shipbuilder and Wood, Stone and Metal artisans
Personality - for Innkeeper, Cleric, Healer
None - for Guard
5.5.
ProductionNPCs will go to work at the beginning of the day if:
? Has 1 food -or- work at half speed + dissatisfaction
? Has a work facility
? Has raw material, if applicable
At the end of the day:
? Add product to warehouse or record the services provided
? Go home - if has one
? Go to the inn - if there is an inn + mild dissatisfaction based on status
? Sleep in the streets + dissatisfaction based on status
The quantity produced at the end of the process cycle is variable and will be affected by:
? The NPC attribute
? The NPC satisfaction
? The experience of the NPC
? The level of the facility
? The presence of optional objects and knowledge subject of side quests [to be defined]
6.
CURRENCYCyrodiil gold has no use in the island
There will be some scripted, invisible indicators of the economic activity that could be considered as a currency;
As such, we could say that from the 'payment' of a day's work:
? Part goes to the worker - as a lifelong indicator of wealth / status
? Part goes to the owner of the facility - as rent
? part for the city treasure - as an economic indicator
? part to the Lord/Lady - as a guideline for gradually building the player home as a reward for the job well done (or game well played).
7.
INDICATORS AND SATISFACTION7.1.
Personal Way of LifeAffected by
? Food - cumulative 10% dissatisfaction per day without food
? House - 10% dissatisfaction per difference in NPC status x House level
? Facility - 10% dissatisfaction per difference in NPC experience x Facility level
7.2.
Personal ServicesAffected by availability of (*)
? Bar
? Bath
? Theater
7.3.
City ServicesAffected by availability of (*)
? Security - Barracks, city lights, security force size
? Health - sewer and health care facilities
? Religion - shrines and religious facilities
? ?? - parks and city beautification
7.4.
Economy Affected by
? Production - Moving average of the daily production in units of material
? Treasury - Moving average of the daily production in units of currency
? Population - Moving average of the population size
(*) Moving average of the daily state of 1 point per building level, weighed by NPC status
8.
MATERIALSMaterials are stored in a global, virtual warehouse to be used by processes, consumed or exported
8.1.
FoodFood is used to keep the population alive.
A quantity of food is consumed every day by each individual resident in the island
8.2.
Wood cycle: Log >> PlankWood is mostly used to build/improve houses/shops (initially) and boats/ships (later)
8.3.
Stone cycle: Stone >> BrickStone is needed to build simple houses. Brick to upgrade them
8.4.
Metal cycle: Ore >> Ingot >> Metal partsMetal parts are needed to improve houses/shops (initially) and boats/ships (later)
9.
MILITARYMilitary forces affect Security Indicator
Military facilities affect Security Indicator
Citizens act as militia, until replaced by pros
9.1.
Weapons and armorCentral armory, when built
Guards choose the best equip every morning
Player may add equipments to Armory
9.2.
Building / FacilitiesBarracks
Armory
Watchtowers
Walls
9.3.
RanksGuards will go up in ranks according to the general rule
9.4.
Pirates/bandits raids: Pirates and bandits attack every once in a while
Nearby guards run to face them.
Citizens will complement the force, if necessary, or run inside.
Player may help
Unpredictable outcome
Outcome determines destruction of buildings / improvements / goods
9.5.
WildernessHostile beasts in the wilderness will keep away from improved areas after the player does a first 'clean up'.
10.
REWARD: PLAYER'S VILLAAt some milestones along the way, the happy subjects will offer their leader a new building for the Playes's Villa.
The player will choose where to place it and will be able to 'decorate' the Villa exterior the same way he/she gives better looks for the city.
11.
BEGINNINGThe player arrives with a few NPCs so they can raise the island to a level that justifies visitors (that will be hired to increase the population)
The lore is still open.
12.
ENDINGEvents toward the end of the mod are still fuzzy and will be better defined when there is a working prototype to test.
That's all, folks . . . I hope I did not forget much . . . comments are appretiated, as always
[This same text has been posted in the three mod forums: http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=915021&st=0 - http://thenexusforums.com/index.php?showtopic=83048&st=160 - http://thewormhole.nfshost.com/forum/index.php/topic,1298.0.html ]
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Original post (22-Nov-2008)
I need contributions from creative minds!
I have been nourishing this idea of a large island that starts completely wild and untouched and, at the end, if the player plays right, turns out into a big business with plantations, cattle and small villages all over the place.
Unlike most mod requests, I think I can handle most of the technical stuff (except modeling), but I am no good at all with words: creating story lines, plots, quest etc is alien to me, even in my native language. I could not even come up with a good title for this mod/thread. The subtitle is shamelessly cloned from a Nexus Forum thread.
That is why I am asking for your creative ideas for the main storyline, the side quests and the works.
To make sure this is possible, I will spend the next couple of months 'probing' the feasibility of the many technical features that will be needed, like how to turn a forest into farmland, how to get settlers to work the land, how to dynamically place rows of some plant so it looks like a farm field, etc.
During this period, I would love to hear the ideas you may come up with. Just dump your ideas in this thread.
These are the major guidelines I will stick to, so let's stay within their boundaries:
- The mod is intended to mimic a small, Middle Age settlement growing into a medium-sized city, including its effect in the surrounding area.
- There is no Main Quest as we know it. The player will need to manage and balance a few aspects of the game to keep things going. The player plays the cards right, the community flourishes. Plays it wrong or leaves things unattended for too long and things dry and shrink.
- The evolution (grow or shrink) should be based on player's decisions, not on player's actions. Although some decisions may require some actions.
- No big hero, savior of the world deeds. The need of the player's combat/magic abilities should be kept to a minimum. Maybe take care of some wild beasts or clean up a mine, at most. But even these could be done without the player.
- Side quests should be normal, day-to-day events/situations the player has to deal with (like a bad crop or a neighbor's quarrel). Some may need some kind of compromise from the player. Some, if left unattended, should interfere with the evolution.
- No sixual/advlt/mature ideas, please. In this area I can be very creative all by myself, thank you.
- [I will add more as they occur to me]
The remaining aspects of the mod are open.
These are some of my ideas, so you can get the picture of what I am talking about:
MAIN STORYLINE I am not sure whether the player should be:
(1) Lady/Lord of the Land and the NPCs her/his subjects. Player 'rules' from a throne room. Subjects are granted audiences to present their problems (side quests). Main quest balancing would be discussed with a group of ministries.
(2) Mayor of the community. Hears rumors of problems and has to go somewhere to solve them. Main quest balancing would be done by passing laws and regulations.
(3) Anything in between . . . or a mix of both . . . or something else altogether.
How would it start? The obvious 'player finds a map of a lost island'? Would the island society start from a few natives or the player must hire a few initial settlers from mainland?
I imagine the end being an island with a fair sized city (with a nice port, some local commerce, etc) and a few peasant villages scattered over the island. Most of the area used for production and some wild life reserves to keep the environment healthy.
Is there a need for a storyline/lore to get from the beginning to the end?
And, of course, a good name for this mod is in order!
EVOLUTION ? GAME BALANCINGMy original idea was a farm island, so the player would have to collect a certain quantity of whatever ingredient to works as seed (say 100 strawberries). The peasants would clear a piece of land and grow strawberries (the land would initially show the peasants working on it and, later on, show ordered rows of strawberry bushes). After some time, the peasants would harvest the strawberries and the player would take it to a major city to sell (later on, as the community grows, this would be done automatically by merchant ships coming to the island)
To start this process there must be enough free peasants available, money to pay them, . . . what else?
Much later, if the player chooses to invest in it (money?, time & effort?, resources?), there would be an Alchemy Factory of sorts and the crops could be sent there and the resulting potions would be sold for a higher profit.
A similar concept could be applied to
- mining > smithing > weaponry
- cattle > food > clothing?
- Forests > timber > houses or ships
At first, the player should do the hard work (like collecting seeds and selling the crop). Later on [maybe as a result of a side quest or based on the evolution level] some/all of these things will be done automatically [like a specialized peasant will do it or a immigrating merchant will provide the seeds and buy the crops]
What would the player gain/profit/achieve from being a good manager/ruler? Money? (I don't think so). Going up ranks within the community? Some very special items that would only be produced by the community at certain stages? Just the feeling of achievement?
What kind of things will be monitored and has to be balanced? I suppose some very basic society needs like: happiness, food supply, shelter, public health. Ideas?
SIDE QUESTS (some ideas to start with)
Some of the farm tools disappeared. Crop is in danger.
Production is low because a wild beast is attacking the peasants in the fields
[some NPC] is depressed because his/her companion is cheating on him/her
(. . . what did I tell you about my creativity? . . . )
It would be nice to have some (or all) side quests that would improve one aspect of the people needs while being bad to some other area. Like the player deciding one way it would improve general happiness but reduce production. Deciding the other way would have an opposite effect.
[YES, I am roughly think along the lines of the Civ/AoE games. Not the tech advancement or conquest aspects, just the growing communities. Maybe closer to The Settlers game of several years back.
NO, I am not trying to reinvent the wheel or creating a whole new game. I just hope that it will be possible to figure out a small set of rules (within the game engine capabilities) that will make this kind of evolving mod possible]
I suppose this brainstorming phase is where one finds most of the fun of creating a mod. I have my fun figuring out ways to make things happen in the game. Later on, actually creating the mod is mostly hard work.
And don't worry whether it is possible or not. Make it happen is my job. [. . . well . . . just don't go overboard]
Thanks in advance
» Sat May 28, 2016 10:27 am 
