DC collaboration

[manikus]

here are some questions i've come up with (and my answers) that we can using as a starting place on a project.
if you can think of any more questions, please add them, or if you want explanations of some of my terminology [img]smile.gif[/img] let me know.

DC Collaboration:
1. setting?
2. campaign setting?
3. scope?
4. party size?
5. party level?
6. pc races?
7. npc races?
8. setting magic level?
9. setting religious level?
10. setting government level?
11. setting monty haul level?
12. guilds?
13. secret societies?
14. linear/parallel/open-ended?
15. random combats level?
16. combat level?
17. dc resolution? (640, 800, 1024)
18. default databases? (consider future possibilities)


my answers:
1. fantasy, city near a major waterway
2. original world to be default DC world
3. grand (large)
4. 3 or 4
5. 4 to 6
6. standard d&d 2 ed
7. as above plus anything else
8. common but high
9. common but not invasive
10. monarchy but not invasive
11. low
12. yes; thieves, merchants, mercenaries, …
13. -
14. parallel, with strong ending, but leaving it open for sequels
15. low or non-existent except in special areas i.e. sewers, slums after dark, deep forests
16. as per story, focus should always be on story, not on leveling
17. 640 offers smaller download sizes, but 1024 is prettier
18. no, add more default items and more cursed items, maybe eliminating all +4 and +5


btw, i've got a little story idea going that is more along the line of backdrop, leaving the actual plot open.

-manikus

[TwilightKing]

1. setting?
Fantasy! I agree with the city (or large town) near a waterway.
2. campaign setting?
Default DC world is sounding really good.
3. scope?
Medium to Large.
4. party size?
4 to 6 with room for at least 2 NPC's
5. party level?
I suggest 1st or 2nd. This will give newcomers to a feeling of progression, and be nostalgic for old schoolers. I still love a lot of the lower level monsters like goblins, orcs and giant rats! Also, this takes into consideration that spells aren't completed yet in the program.
6. pc races?
standard D&D 2ed, maybe also include the half-orc from 1st.
7. npc races?
standard plus goblinoid, drow, etc. (anything that could be too unbalancing to play as a PC)
8. setting magic level?
Low to Medium (This first game could be low, the sequel could be medium, and the third and final chapter could be high.)
9. setting religious level?
Low to Medium (This first game could be low, the sequel could be medium, and the third and final chapter could be high.) Religion could become more of a factor in a sequel.
10. setting government level?
Monarchy
11.setting monty haul level?
Low, with a gradual progression.
12. guilds?
Definately: Thieves, Merchants, Magic, Bards, etc.
13. secret societies?
MOST DEFINATELY! These are usually the grease that gets the wheels of adventures moving.
14. linear/parallel/open-ended?
A mix. Parellel with a few seeming linear arcs, open-ended is a must, but should also be able to close cleanly, should that sequel never come.(kind of like Star Wars Episode 4)
15. random combats level?
as needed
16. combat level?
as needed by the story.
17. dc resolution? (640, 800, 1024)
640 is what I work in, but I can adapt.
18. default databases?(consider future possibilities)
no, start with default, write the story, chuck what we don't need. I did this for the sunless citadel (incomplete) mod in regards to monsters.

Can't wait to hear the story! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 05-07-2004, 11:52 PM: Message edited by: TwilightKing ]

[SilentThief]

Is this a poll? Because if it is, then it looks like this is becoming "official", and I'll thro my 2 cents in, also.

1. setting? and 2. campaign setting?
Think size of project to be completed. I agree that a fantasy setting and the idea of a major city near a waterway is a good idea also, but we should have a few little towns around, and these towns should be on major roads between the larger cities. I think we should have some map submissions, or some rough ideas for the map submitted and someone draw it up. Also, little towns or small locations could be someones own creation (like someone does "town a" with the overall theme fitting in, but with thier own look (think artwork) and quests)
3. scope?
Larger project equals longer production time, and the more that is to be done, the more likely it is to overwhelm. smaller = easier. Now with that said, everyone likes the idea of a huge fantasy world with lots to do and explore. My suggestion is something "medium".
4. party size?
depends on the answer to #5. It can be suicidal to be a lone character at 1st level, so if not a full 6 (Is it like FRUA: 6 the most you can have, 8 with NPC?) then there should be plenty of NPCs around to spice things up... not a bad thing, tho.
5. party level?
I think it should be 1st level, so you get a chance to build your character. If higher, not too high in level or you have the magic overkill.
6. pc races?
Standard
7. npc races?
Whatever! I mean, if someone wants a town of Drow, they should have a good explanation.
8. setting magic level?
Low, both for PCs and for enemies.
9. setting religious level?
The less there is of an "organized religion" the better. With anyone being able to submit to this, the idea of "generic good religion A" & "generic bad religion B" becomes necessary to not offend. Its enough to have the idea of these guys are good versus those guys are bad, without much else. If you want to detail more, use art detail, chain of command, influences and alliances, ect.
However, you won't offend me unless you design a cult that is specifically against the SilentThief (Ahhhhhhhggg! don't Sacrifice me!!!)
10. setting government level?
depends on setting, you'll see more in the larger city, tho!
11. setting monty haul level?
better low then high
12. guilds?
OF COURSE!
13. secret societies?
OF COURSE!
14. linear/parallel/open-ended?
YES, various quests with a main quest
15. random combats level?
if wanted
16. combat level?
usually difficult, but not impossible unless they aren't supposed to do it yet (or impossible if they just aren't supposed to...)
17. dc resolution? (640, 800, 1024)
any, don't matter to me
18. default databases?
Keep the powerful items to a minimum.

and thats my 2 cents
SilentThief

[manikus]

that's three of us so far! i know that there are others who are currently busy with r/l that might be interested to...(kaltusara?)

silentthief brings up an excellent point about individuals having complete control over smaller towns, etc. i propose that we don't do this, please read why.
collaboration versus communal-
with collaboration, it may well be assigned (or volunteered) that person a is in charge of town x, etc, but it may also be that each person is involved with town x in some way, person a does the map, person be does the coding, person c gets the background music etc. i view collaboration as a design by committee, we all have a say, and we all do what we can or want to reach the end goal.
now communal, i perceive as something a little different (this goes back to something raised in one of the ua newsletters) something where individuals work with a set base and add what they want, not needing anything from anyone else. eg. it's kinda like the abandoned designs- we upload a base, interested individuals download it and add to it, not changing the databases or any of those couple of features that might mess it up (are there any?) then they would re-upload the base files for the design (.dat, .lvl, and maybe a couple of others) with any additional new files...i have more ideas on this that i'll post in a separate thread.

the distinction doesn't necessarily eliminate an individual doing a small town on her own, it just means that in the collaborative process that everyone would have to agree (or not disagree) before the individual went ahead with it.

-manikus

[Gnarf]

the distinction doesn't necessarily eliminate an individual doing a small town on her own, it just means that in the collaborative process that everyone would have to agree (or not disagree) before the individual went ahead with it.

So basicly it means the communal project will suck up everything that's too bad for the collaborative, no? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I may be interested in participating in this. Though, I haven't used DC for a long time, and I'm just starting to get into it again... so I dunno if I'm really up to it.

[manikus]

lol! i hadn't thought of it like that. and right now it would certainly seem that way.
but, once the collaborative project gets rolling, there would be a set story, where as anything, anytime would go for the communal project.

-manikus

[TwilightKing]

Originally posted by manikus: lol! i hadn't thought of it like that. and right now it would certainly seem that way. but, once the collaborative project gets rolling, there would be a set story, where as anything, anytime would go for the communal project. -manikus

Communal! That could be cool as well. I would rather concentrate on the collaborative first. But after getting a full DC adventure under our belts, a cummunal adventure sounds like a lot of fun.

[manikus]

i kind of see doing them simultaneously, at least for me. i come up with all kinds of little stuff that i want to do- not enough for an adventure, maybe just a quest in a small cave or something. [img]smile.gif[/img]
collaborative would definitely be my priority, communal for kicks- to blow off steam while staying creative in dungeon craft.

-manikus

[SilentThief]

Well, Manikus, I see you've been busy since my last post!!! I also think I get what you are saying with the collaborative project vrs the communal project. For the most part, I don't have an opinion one way or another as to how we do the communal project, as long as we do one. But its also possible that the "communal" project could become one of the unfinished designs. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, either. For example, we could have the equivalent of the "Forgotten Realms" that's owned by WotC. That was a huge, huge world that was constantly being added to and changed by people who loved the realm and because ppl were always writing books and adventures adding/changing it, the world came alive.
Another idea is to have people create thier own "secret societies" with their own motivations and organization and have various factions in different states of conflict in any given location. In fact, if anyone is up on the "PlaneScape" Campaign, thats exactly what that setting is like.

Just another thought.
SilentThief

[manikus]

i really want to do a communal project as well. i envision it like your forgotten realms example. it's totally possible to have us all do secret societies/factions, but might be kind of hard to work them all together, especially if it's just a couple of us that are really into it.

do we want this to be our own setting? i say yes. city or overland to start? i say city, we can do like a central part and then the borders and allow people to fill in, or design a while city that just has the architecture and let people pick what would go where.

just some ideas.

-manikus