IWD2: Chimeras

[Domi]

EDIT: I have drafted a couple oif additional story-lines through Ch2-4 + thoughts on Ch5-6. If anyone is interested in feedbacking, please let me know

 

Initial Post:

 

While I am working I find myself making notes on plot improvements. So, if someone else is doing that too and wants to share their thoughts, please, drop it here.

 

My own ideas so far did not go past introducing a Moderate Faction in Chimera, a Tiefling Character with the code name "Talleyrand" which shows up first time after the resolution of the logging village and will potentially lead to Diplomatic game solution; and pegging Aurelites as another potential Faction.

[jester]

Funny enough although killing the sisters bugs me more than most, I think they are the least likely to deviate from the plan. Now they seem to be the only real other faction IIRC. Everybody else is directly linked to the twins or doesn't really matter storywise. If Chult jumps ship, the plan to destroy the Ten-Town would still be in pretty good shape. Although perhaps Sablic Taan could be bribed/threatened out of the picture, but that would include to get rid of the red faction climax (Underdark>UExit>FoS>FoSExit).

 

That said I would love to have the option to use diplomacy.

[Avenger]

Yes, i always thought that killing the Aurilites is a mistake. I tried everything to NOT have to do it, but then i read up their dialogue file, and said: crap.

IWD(1/2) are almost purely hack&slash.

[Domi]

I see myself the Aurelites faction as one that can be put at odds with both Chimeras and Humans, because of their unique religious agenda. And, yes, I think they are the only other Faction that comes into play early enough to be developped as a full player in the game. I think Malarites can be easily used as a subset of Aurelites. Three factions = plenty possible twists.

[Raven_Song]

I think Malarites can be easily used as a subset of Aurelites.

 

What exactly do you mean by subset?

[Andyr]

Malar and Auril are both subservient to Talos; this may be related to what Domi meant.

[Domi]

Yep, some sort of joined agenda as opposite to a separate faction.

[Raven_Song]

I was under the impression Malar and Auril despised each other, despite both being subservient to Talos. Would the two "churches" work together?

[Domi]

They are already working together for Chimera and for some time they can have an agenda that allows them to cooperate against Chimera's mainstream (ie retun the North to pre-civilized state; from where they can in the future not covered by the game divide to Malarites imposing their great Hunt, while Aurelites pursuing their no artificial sources of warmth and ever-winter thinggie). Malarites are just too accidental in the game to give them too much influence imo; Aurelites have a better compound/representation.

 

Complexity is good, but too much complexity is simply unrealistic to do well without making the game so tangled that it becomes unplayable.

 

But speaking of Malarites, Malarites area is definetly opened to a Malarites Hunt sidequest, with either PC's party themselves or a non-joinable NPC. Basically, Hunts allow the winner some goodies, in case of PC if s/he can win the hunt, he might well win the dam as a "diplomatic" solution of sorts giving the area more direction and dialogues. or s/he can just compete with the Hunt to either help the non-joinable NPC or prove that s/he is a better hunter than the Malarites. It could be either plot advancing or not (ie their victim might be someone from Chimeras that comes in latter on as a helper if saved). Currently Malarites area at the dam ignores the possibilities to learn more of the cult.

[Domi]

Xuki, a Half-Elven Mage in AR2102 (Sh. Bridge) is the first one to name Chimeras and offer to negotiate a deal. It only works as a cover-up sham however, no links to any other way to get the conversation going.

[Domi]

In AR4000 there is a hilareous cut (?) dialogue with Goublika, the leader of the giants that pelt Captain Yurst with boulders. It implies that Goublica and his Formian Giants are hunting Shrenical, seeing how they are dragon hunters. So, here we go, allies for PC! I restored the dialogue and it is a working encounter, really funny. The way the Globals are set atm, you can only buy Goublika out and *then* give him info from Captain Yurst, but I think Yurst dialogue can be tweaked w/o damage to make Goublika go away in exchange for information.

[BigRob]

Even just being able to end the encounter peacefully would be good... all my favourite bits in the IWD series were the bits where you were wandering around in the towns/enemy strongholds chatting to people anyway.

[Domi]

Yeah, I couldn't resist 'ending encounter peacefully' thinggie in that area. I added a few extra options in the conversations with Illium & Odea, so you have more chances to avoid slaughtering the whole village of Andora, and this giants thing is really much more fun (if costly) when you can chat to Goublika.

[Domi]

Well, found a perfect place to branch the game - in the Ice Temple, there is a cut bit that allows PC to surrender to Shernical. I restored it for now as a smart-ass shortcut to getting inside of the Temple, instead of finishing off the battle with Shernical right away, but once the party is imprisoned, it's becoming an obvious point to start negotiations either with Shernical (straight working for Chimera) or Aurelites (if desired) or the Diplomatic Representative. So, yep, working for Chimera and Diplomacy should alone be plenty to get the game some non-linearity.

[Raven_Song]

This all sounds very promising - and should do wonders in making Icewind Dale II more replayable.