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Flirting with Sand


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PM sent,hopefully it won't annoy you too much :)
Trust me, it won't.

 

....what I wonder is,do those variables change everytime you go through a dialogue tree,or just the first time?Do repeating a "correct" answer build up points with him,or rather it's a one time process?I just want to make sure that obsessive clicking won't get my bard in trouble :laugh:

Running through the dialogue tree will keep building up points. I didn't like doing it that way, but the alternative was to code the same dialogue twice, and I need to keep the bloat down as much as possible.

 

Argh,now this is making me burn with curiosity and I'm tempted to reroll an elf just to see the different answers!Like in Dark Waters 2,when I discovered that the love confession,if your PC was an elf,was much sweeter than the one between another race and the male romance interest (elf)...I hope it doesn't change things so dramatically :)

Aside from my inner fan girl going in obsession mode now,you really did an amazing job with race/gender checks,I can't wait to go further in the story now...let's hope Sand will warm up to my chaotic good bard :(

No, don't rerolll an elf! You won't gain any new insight or have any hidden pathways open up in dialogue. The wording is just a little different. I have a strong repulsion to romances that are better/only available to certain races, so I'd certainly never write one. You'll get just as much and just as pleasant dialogue if you are an aasimar (or a dwarf) as you would if you were an elf.

 

Here's one set of lines so you know what I'm talking about.

 

Elven PC: Is it true, what they say about elves?

Sand: You might be in a better position to answer that than I would be, but that would depend on what they say.

etc.

 

Non-elven PC: Is it true, what they say about elves?

Sand: Hmm, that would depend on what you've heard.

etc.

 

Sand isn't particularlly interested in his own or anyone else's race, which is probably the only reason I was interested in writing a romance for him at all. Had it been all about being elven, I would have yawned and chosen another character. He makes precisely one reference to it during the entire game: If you ask him what Kalach-Cha means he will tell you that he doesn't know, but it isn't elvish. That means that he spent enough time among elves to learn the language, but that's all it means. It doesn't imply that he's a font of knowledge on the subject.

 

 

Spoilers: highlight to read.

As it turned out, I did have to impose some bit of personal history upon him. He was associated with the Brotherhood of the Arcane and with the Hosttower in his past. He left rather than perform the tasks they required him to perform. This is a lot like the Thayvian Academy, so I used that as a model. The Academy of Luskan, like the Academy of Neverwinter, is responsible for training mages who elect to receive formal training. Unlike the Academy of Neverwinter, however, the Academy of Luskan is run by the Arcane Brotherhood, and it is rife with the corruption, scheming, and endless power struggles that the Arcane Brotherhood embraces. Sand would have received his training there, studying beside humans, elves, and all other magic-using races. Since the game is unclear as to how long this training takes, I chose to have him spend most of his formative years there. So yes, he has a family out there, and he has memories of it, but he was exposed to non-elves from an early age and has not developed the prejudice that some elven characters possess.

So, as you see, there's no benefit to be had from playing through the romance as one race or another.

 

There are times when I think that the only reason BioWare decided to make Sand an elf was because there's some unwritten rule that all BioWare CRPGs must contain at least one elven mage. The only one that I've played that didn't was DA:O, and I can't tell you how delighted I was by that break from the cliche. And then, in Awakenings, they threw in the uber-elven Velanna, who makes up for DA:O's lack of an elven mage by being a double-scoop ball of hate. Ick.

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There are times when I think that the only reason BioWare decided to make Sand an elf was because there's some unwritten rule that all BioWare CRPGs must contain at least one elven mage. The only one that I've played that didn't was DA:O, and I can't tell you how delighted I was by that break from the cliche. And then, in Awakenings, they threw in the uber-elven Velanna, who makes up for DA:O's lack of an elven mage by being a double-scoop ball of hate. Ick.

 

I know what you mean she very hard core. I like the ending where she becomes less so though it's nice to see that she becomes less bitchy :) . Also now that you mention it they do do that. I never noticed but I'm not what you'd call observant. :laugh:

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I'm glad the pm didn't annoy you!

 

Running through the dialogue tree will keep building up points. I didn't like doing it that way, but the alternative was to code the same dialogue twice, and I need to keep the bloat down as much as possible.

 

I honestly don't mind this system either,seeing how I usually stress my party members with endless chatting :(

At least this way I won't have to be scared on choosing "wrong" and having to reload everytime :p

Maybe I should ask for pinpoints in pm,seeing how we don't have a "flirt guide" as for the influence ones for the vanilla game :(

Just to make sure I don't end up with Sand hating my bard in act III :)

 

Sand isn't particularlly interested in his own or anyone else's race, which is probably the only reason I was interested in writing a romance for him at all. Had it been all about being elven, I would have yawned and chosen another character. He makes precisely one reference to it during the entire game: If you ask him what Kalach-Cha means he will tell you that he doesn't know, but it isn't elvish. That means that he spent enough time among elves to learn the language, but that's all it means. It doesn't imply that he's a font of knowledge on the subject.

 

Oh indeed,he is a scholar first and foremost,so that may even be that he learned elvish just because it was his roots,but more like as a matter of knowing than "elf pride" itself;then again,who knows what's really going on in that prolific head of his :(

 

As for his past,I have some thoughts on the matter...

 

 

Spoilers: highlight to read.

I really liked the idea of giving him a family background;of course,I was a bit shocked to discover about his brother at first,but then again it's really sweet to imagine the grumpy Sand softening at his lil young brother,ahhh the mental images ;)

And as long as it's nothing earthshaking (like "Nasher is my father" or "I am married and have children in Luskan" ;) ) I don't see any harm in it,adds to the character as long as it's kept in general :p

 

As for his formative years,indeed it's hinted that he spent most of them in Luskan academy;there is though some "cut-off" content,according to the wiki,that would hint that Sand taught at Neverwinter Academy as well,and then was fired,probably due to Qara's father intervention,or so I understood.Honestly I didn't see the dialogue itself,but I remember seeing a great deal of cut-off content regarding Casavir and Bishop browsing with the toolset;now if only I could remember the file,I would go check...

 

It isn't strange to imagine anyway that Sand,being the upstanding mage that he is,sought a position in neverwinter academy once he fled from Luskan;and seeing how Nevalle says he "works" with neverwinter to "clear his name" somewhat (can't remember the actual dialogue right now),it isn't hard to imagine that during war with Luskan maybe someone used this personal information against him,pretty much like Torio does during the trial.

 

This scheming would probably explain even his comment about "the docks quarter being less tied to politcs than the merchant quarter";so I guess it had to be expected that he became this sour,poor Sand :)

 

Maybe this can be used as well in the talk?In the end it's in the game..somewhere ;)

end of spoilers.

 

There are times when I think that the only reason BioWare decided to make Sand an elf was because there's some unwritten rule that all BioWare CRPGs must contain at least one elven mage. The only one that I've played that didn't was DA:O, and I can't tell you how delighted I was by that break from the cliche. And then, in Awakenings, they threw in the uber-elven Velanna, who makes up for DA:O's lack of an elven mage by being a double-scoop ball of hate. Ick.

 

Well technically,there are plenty,from a certain point view: if you play as one,an apprentice that you can meet and talk to during your mage origin (he is a bit hostile if you aren't an elf,but he relaxes if you say to him elves are no inferior,still...),Aneirin (wynne's runaway apprentice),Zathrian,not to mention your keeper and the elf mage that follows you in the dalish origin;the only one that stress the elf topic is that apprentice in the mage origin,but I've seen it more like a way to show how elves are treated in that setting than something else honestly.

 

As for Awakening,I still didn't get the chance to have a playthrough at it,but I have mixed feeling on it:I remember at the time how fandom was in uproar on how Alistair was such a good love interest,while Zevran a poor one...and in time I've found myself cringing at most of the romantic dialogue Alistair has,and finding that Zev has some very deep lines,if you care to choose the "correct" dialogue tree....not to mention he is a lot more mature in some ways,and I'm not speaking of mere bed talk (at least he has the grace of not saying something like "I think so,I hope so" when asked if he really wants my PC ;) ).

So now that there's all this "Love Anders,hate Nathaniel" talk going on,something tells me I'll end up liking Anders as friend as I did with Alistair and loving Nathaniel instead,but who knows...too bad they decided to avoid the romances this time,alltogether,that rubbed me off a bit honestly :laugh:

 

Any plans on a DA romance pack Berelinde? :p

 

 

Meanwhile,I'll eagerly await new version...staying tuned,and thanks a lot for the hard work,really,I can't stress that enough :D

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No plans for DA. My computer hates the DA toolset. Besides, with BG2, NWN2 and very little free time, I've got more active projects than I can finish any time soon.

 

Spoilers

I think the teaching at the Academy thing was when he first came to Neverwinter, right after he left Luskan.

/Spoilers

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Awww,I was just teasing on DA (not that I'd mind a romance pack for it though :laugh: ),but I'm sorry to hear the toolset doesn't work on your machine :)

I honestly didn't even tried it yet,since at the beginning there was all this talk about it being bugged,but :(

 

As for the spoilers,yup,exactly what I thought as well...think it can be used,or did you already? :(

 

Guess I'll just have to play through the game and find out for myself,although I'd prefer waiting for the new release before advancing too much :)

 

 

As for Sand being elven.....I think maybe they just thought they needed someone who could be calm and focused even in the heat of battle,opposite to Qara the psych...not to mention someone who'd love the learning itself and be more mature,again in opposition ;)

 

And since elves are renown for their talent in focusing and love for learning.....well just a thought ;)

 

One way or another,I'm just really glad that Sand was born :(

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Guest Guest

nice.. I found this page totally by accident, and currently I don't even play NWN2 anymore. But with a "flirt-with-sand" option I'm thinking about re-installing... Anyways, the reason I'm replying to this topic is, that I do not find where to download this mod... sorry but it's 2 am here and I'm getting old...

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Guest Maralae. Maeve Teynel.

Sorry to bother you, but is this being tested? Because I'm so eager to play with this flirtpack, I'm almost counting the hours until it's released.

 

If it's being tested, do you need another beta tester? Not that I want to be just so I can flirt with Sand and I'm such an impatient fangirl. :suspect: Nope. Not at all.

 

Thank you for working on this- most modders neglect our beautiful elf, it's nice to see him included for a change.

 

My best wishes,

Maralae (Maeve Teynel@P&T)

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It's being tested, but it can use another tester... if you feel like registering so that I can send you a PM.

 

I kind of stalled on this for a while. My life got busy and I was unable to finish some edits, but I hope to have the next alpha up tonight. So if you want to test, this would be a good time to register. Once you've done that, post here and I can send you the download link.

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Registered now!

 

The problem is, I might not be able to log in every day because

 

1) my Internet server is terrible, and I'm having trouble when it comes to getting a PERMANENT service;

2) real life is a bugger. I play NWN2 every day, so what I might do is either log in every day with news (if I can) or log in whenever I can (even if that's not every day) and put everything that I've noticed while playing, that day and the days before.

 

I have a save game right before Neverwinter with my tiefling powerbuild; I can kill stuff like nobody's business with her, so I'll make progress in no time.

 

Thanks for letting me test! :suspect:

 

Maralae.

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Guest Aeltari

Ooo Im totally stoked about this! I have waited a very long time to indulge my fantasies of loving Sand!

 

As part of his back story, I always thought that he should have been "aquainted" with Torio before she became the Luskan ambassador. They were both there in Luskan after all....(yes Im one of those fail people who glomp all over the notion that Sand and Torio should be together).

 

Cant wait for release!

 

Aeltari

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