How do we feel about NPC-initiated flirts?

[berelinde]

How do we feel about NPC-initiated flirts?

 

You're walking along and Mr Mod approaches you with a semi-generic dialogue line that's an obvious lead-in to an NPC-initiated flirt. Sometimes, the flirts are good, sometimes, they're just little reminders that yeah, the romance is still working even if there aren't any talks in the cue at the moment.

 

From my perspsective, there are pros and cons to having NPC-initiated flirts.

 

Pros:

• They are little reminders that the romance is still active even if there aren't any talks in the cue at the moment
  
• They flesh out areas of the game where talks are traditionally sparse, like the Underdark
  
• They are a good opportunity for togetherness and/or smut that you might not necessarily want in a romance dialogue
  

 

Cons:

• Since there are only so many of them, they get repetitive after a while
  
• They can happen anywhere, so they have the potential to disrupt game events or interaction with other party NPCs.
  
• They take a lot of time to write and don't really contribute all that much in terms of NPC development, nor do they really progress the romance.
  
• The semi-generic dialogue lead-in is usually pretty horrible
  

 

At this point, I've got two extremely short PC-initiated flirts to write and all the writing for BG2 Gavin is done... except for the NPC initiated flirts. I'm still waiting for reports on the last round of playtesting, but that's winding down as well. The voice artist is coming over next week to record the spoken dialogue, and then that's it. The mod is ready to package and ship.

 

So, with that in mind, I'm opening a poll. Usually, I like to provide a number of entertaining poll options, but this time, I'd like to just keep it quick and to the point.

 

I want NPC-initiated flirts.

I would just as soon do without the interruptions.

I don't much care one way or the other.

 

If you've got comments to add, please feel free! I don't really have an opinion on this one, so I'll leave it all up to you guys. Keep in mind that I'll stop counting poll responses Saturday the 17th of April. At that point, I'll be packaging the mod and looking for Mac and Linux test-installers. If the Mac and Linux installation goes well, I'll be releasing the mod Tuesday the 20th of April.

[cmorgan]

No poll vote from me heh. I went back and voted "don't mind either way"- I like the NPCFlirtPack, but I am not sure it is a required thing.

 

They flesh out areas of the game where talks are traditionally sparse, like the Underdark

FlirtPack does not do this - Edwin Romance does, and Aran will, but I think most flirts get suspended for underdark. But the point is well taken - when a player has run through most stuff in the Mega-installs and there is not much to do until the end of Chapter 5, they keep conversation going, in some form. Otherwise, Chapter 6 and endgame get only a few things here and there.

[berelinde]

Yeah, if I do NPC-initiated flirts, they'll keep going in the Underdark. They'll be different sets of flirts, but that's not an area that has a lot of dialogue.

[Evaine Dian]

I've risen from the dead just to vote that I most definitely want NPC-iniciated flirts. The more content, the better! Especially the dreaded Underdark needs more content to keep me happy.

 

It's great to hear that you're almost done, I'm very much looking forward to your mod!

[KathStoneDog]

What do we want?

NPC-initiated flirts!

When do we want 'em?

NOW!

 

Kath Stonedog

[KIrving]

I'm in two minds about npc initiated flirts. While I like a lot of content, npc flirts can get quite repetitive. Although I imagine Gavin will have a way for the pc to turn them off, even temporarily, in the PID.

Personally, particularly for the Underdark, I'd prefer some different PID flirts. Something that reflects the pc's, possible, feelings about the situation.

[berelinde]

If you've got some Underdark-specific PID flirts in mind, post 'em in the thread in the workroom. I wrote over 4K lines of flirts since Friday, so I'm absolutely, utterly and completely crispy-fried, burned out, and otherwise uninspired for anything location-specific, so if you want it in there, you're going to have to spell it out.

[DeathAngel]

I'm in two minds about npc initiated flirts. While I like a lot of content, npc flirts can get quite repetitive. Although I imagine Gavin will have a way for the pc to turn them off, even temporarily, in the PID.

Personally, particularly for the Underdark, I'd prefer some different PID flirts. Something that reflects the pc's, possible, feelings about the situation.

 

I agree with you. I also would like to add that I'm rather excited that the mod is coming out so soon. I've been wanting to play BG again soon and this will give all the more reason to.

[CrazeeFFan]

I'm not sure how to vote. I was just going to vote I could do without the interruptions, but I suppose I don't really mind either way. It might be cool if, instead of generic flirts (such as, "(Gavin looks into your eyes and smiles) I'm so happy I met you, CHARNAME. I just thought I should let you know. (He sighs contentedly, and slips his hand into your own)") you had specific ones - be they chapter, race, class or area. That'd be cool. Truthfully, I'm just as likely to click my way through them, otherwise.

 

Whatever you do, I'm not too fussed.

 

EDIT - Just saw what you said about being burned out, writing flirts. Fair enough! If I think of anything, I'll be sure to let you know.

[berelinde]

There are already three different kinds of area in which flirts can occur and four different relationship levels that get flirts. Breaking that down further into, say, a dwarven fighter/thief who has a casual relationship with Gavin and is currently in the Umar Hills in Chapter 3 is *not* going to happen. I don't have that kind of time or energy.

 

I can try to keep the flirts original (no recycled BG1 flirts, or at least not intentionally) and relevant, but specialization for race/class/chapter is not possible.

[CrazeeFFan]

There are already three different kinds of area in which flirts can occur and four different relationship levels that get flirts. Breaking that down further into, say, a dwarven fighter/thief who has a casual relationship with Gavin and is currently in the Umar Hills in Chapter 3 is *not* going to happen. I don't have that kind of time or energy.

 

I can try to keep the flirts original (no recycled BG1 flirts, or at least not intentionally) and relevant, but specialization for race/class/chapter is not possible.

 

Fair enough. I completely understand. Modding is time-consuming enough as it is. I'm still in awe that anyone can find the time or the patience!

[berelinde]

So far, it looks more or less like what I expected.

 

When you ask someone what they want from an NPC, the answer is often MOAR!!11!!! That's cool. It would be horrible if they said "LESS!!!".

 

Just checking in to say that at ~36 hours into the poll, the count stands at 15 in favor of NPC-initiated flirts, 1 opposed, and 3 indifferent (one of which is myself). The fact that I cast a neutral vote doesn't mean that I won't do it if the majority on Saturday says do it. It just means that I'm disinterested, unbiased one way or the other.