At the end of last year, I was able to wrap up one of the side quests for my second module, Predestinated Days, just in time for me to pick up another to continue working on at the start of this new year. This quest I am considering now, however, is set a little out of the way. Not only that, but it involves its own backstory, with NPCs doing their own thing, and which the heroes may somehow discover. If you are interested in reading about the latest development, especially in the steps involved for a builder, or hoping to pick up a hint of what to expect in the next module, let's go exploring.
Step One: Acquiring The Quest!
Every good gamer knows that before they can reap the rewards of their various adventures, they need to find a quest that may offer such in the first place! For the adventure creator, this can be a challenge, because, unless we care little about quest delivery, we often prefer to gently guide a player into a place where it feels natural for them to take on the adventure rather than railroad them into it.
However, unless it is a story driven module only, we are also aware that the gamer plays our modules so they can do quests in the first place. Therefore, of all the stages of quest development, this step is probably where the builder can cut themselves a little slack when it comes to creating the quest. For myself, I use a number of quest delivery systems, from conversations, reading notices, or finding items, to name just a few. Personally, I try to avoid "repetitive" tasks (or quests) where possible. Therefore, any task I design will normally only be "achievable" the once, but may or may not be time restricted.
The main aim for me when introducing a player to a quest is to give them the feeling of ownership rather than a requirement. In a story driven module (or campaign), however, it is impossible to avoid certain quests that require finishing ... but, if we can add more story elements that allow various completion paths, or that may become part of the main story in some way, then we can offer a unique experience for each player who plays the module. This latest quest I am working on is one such story element I am hoping will potentially add some unique experiences for the player.
Step Two: Reaching Our Goal!
Normally, most quests, once acquired, require some preparation on the part of the heroes before they head out to do the actual quest. If the quest is a simple one, like having to speak with somebody or fetch an item, the amount of preparation may be minimal. However, this is also an area where the builder can throw in a curveball to catch out unprepared players. This should not be overused, of course, but it is a good way to have the heroes suddenly find themselves involved in a larger quest than first expected.
In the quest I am currently working on, some of the opening steps are about 'info gathering' before coming to the conclusion that the heroes need to travel to a location farther afield. This had me looking at the map systems again, and, for this quest in particular, looking at the overland map that will come with Predestinated Days. Having done their 'homework', the heroes will learn they must travel to a certain location, and this is where the new overland map comes into play.
This week's screenshot shows the new look for the overland map. On it you can see the new "Travel Information" at the top of the screen. This information takes into account all pertinent figures regarding the whole party and their travel situation, including: 'Current Terrain', 'Speed' and 'Distance Travelled', as well as who in the current party of travellers is best (according to the PCs skills) at 'Detecting' objects and creatures, and/or 'Protecting' the heroes from possible dangers. There is also a line of information saying whether the heroes are using basic rations or have a cleric that is using Create Food and Water to enable them to travel. All these figures update live, and the overland map supports all the other objects a player would expect to see in such a setup, including finding hidden objects or locations, as well as having encounters!
Step Three: Completing The Objective!
So having reached our 'goal', we now have to determine what we need to do to complete the objective. However, this stage can also include extra info gathering and preparation, as in steps one and two above. That is, we may have additional steps that need to be considered before we can achieve our final mission objective. It's akin to discovering a new area that has its own requirements to be met before being able to reach the final objective within the area. This, of course, can continue for as many times as you have the time to develop this particular story line.
I know I am describing what most players and builders will already instinctively know, but sometimes it is worth considering some of these steps more carefully before moving forward to the next ... too soon. In a story driven adventure, we aim to avoid the formulaic 'pick up quest', 'reach quest', 'do quest' which use as few details as possible, as that will only make the 'adventure' feel weak or quickly forgettable. In The Althéa Campaign, my aim is to reproduce the feel of adventuring and world exploring rather than be forced to follow a single story. That is to say, the campaign, while having a main story to follow, it is not the sole reason for a player playing a PC in the world. The world is bigger than the main story, even if the main story is the greater part of the module.
So, back to the quest I am working on, and how it fits in with the rest of the campaign. First, it has connections with the first module, The First Day, and so has a sense of continuity for players who played the first module. Secondly, it takes part in a section of the world that may otherwise be overlooked if the heroes choose only to follow the main quest. Note, it is this latter point that makes this project I am working on a campaign rather than a module. There is a subtle difference between what a cRPG (computer role-play game) calls a side-quest and what in PnP (pen and paper) one would call a scenario. My aim, especially in this second module of the campaign, is to try to provide one or two larger scenario type 'side-quests'; this being one. Such scenarios take more time to build, however, and so even incorporating just a few can be a challenge.
Step Four: Mission Accomplished!
Only after the heroes have overcome all the obstacles on their trek to reach and achieve the final goal, can they at last say that they have accomplished their mission. However, hopefully, the journey to this accomplishment will be one to remember rather than anything quickly forgotten. The quest may have opened as a mystery before some information was learned, a path trodden, and some creatures defeated along the way. But, the flavour or story behind this quest will, hopefully, have one or two elements that make it stand out from the crowd, which in turn, may also help to give value to any reward the PCs finally receive. In particular, the heroes actions may well have served to change another aspect of the world in which they travel, while always still on the course to save it from a yet far worse pending threat.
The point is to give a sense of achievement whenever possible, without overplaying or underplaying each stage. If the task has been more basic, but a part of the background story nonetheless, then it should be recognised as good role-play by the player and rewarded for such appropriately. In other words, when a PC agrees to collect ten items for a local mage, the reward should not be the greatest sword ever made, (unless you have a good plot reason for doing so), but be rewarded appropriately. After all, the PCs have still made some sort of progress. The point is to try to balance the number of 'basic' tasks with more meaningful scenario type quests, in such a way that they complement each other in a style that awards satisfaction in proportion to the quest's difficulty. Each should reward the player in a way that befits the effort involved.
Step Five: Thanks For The Memory!
In the case of the scenario I am currently writing, it opens with a missing person, involves some investigation, some risk taking, some travel, and eventually the discovery of new areas, for which the attentive player will have prepared their PCs for any potential combat ahead.
That's the outline for this scenario, and the final confrontation is already prepared. The front end is completed, and the final rewards are in place, should the heroes succeed in their task. All the areas are designed, and all that remains is to add the final details that I hope will make this diversion a memorable one. Now, whether that is a good or bad memory may not be just up to me, but how the heroes adventures fare in this place. Good adventuring, heroes!
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| Roaming The World At Last! |
