Paired NPCs

[cheshirecat77]

Hello all,

 

As a long-time messer-around of BGII, I have decided to take the plunge and give a fully-fledged NPC mod a try. The concept foremost in my mind was of a pair of NPCs, who would have an individual friendship (and possibly romance, if I have the stamina) with the PC, as well as banters with each other and the other NPCs. My question is - do you find NPCs who come in pairs (a la Khalid and Jaheira, Xzar and Montaron, etc.) to be interesting or irritating? My hope was that by having two of them there, they could provide context for one another without forced info-dump dialogues, but I'm worried that it might wind up taking up too much of the PCs screentime (and party space). Any thoughts on how to make this possible?

 

Thanks in advance,

Cheshirecat (emerging from the shadows of lurkerdom after quite some time)

[Zireael07]

Hello all,

 

As a long-time messer-around of BGII, I have decided to take the plunge and give a fully-fledged NPC mod a try. The concept foremost in my mind was of a pair of NPCs, who would have an individual friendship (and possibly romance, if I have the stamina) with the PC, as well as banters with each other and the other NPCs. My question is - do you find NPCs who come in pairs (a la Khalid and Jaheira, Xzar and Montaron, etc.) to be interesting or irritating? My hope was that by having two of them there, they could provide context for one another without forced info-dump dialogues, but I'm worried that it might wind up taking up too much of the PCs screentime (and party space). Any thoughts on how to make this possible?

 

Thanks in advance,

Cheshirecat (emerging from the shadows of lurkerdom after quite some time)

 

My Khalid mod will feature Khalid & Jaheira as paired. I think there were some others. Keto with someone? Don't remember... Myself, I like them. My next project, after I finish Khalid, might be restoring Dynaheir...

[ericp07]

It's a fine idea. Kiyone and Kova from BTL have plenty to say to the PC, as well as to each other. The concept of linked characters is what first interested me in checking out The Luxley Family, so that will be included in my next round of mod installs as I continue to attempt a playable BGII multimod installation. If written the right way, the player won't feel as though he or she had slipped from playing a game to reading an on-screen novel, but instead will feel involved as the story unfolds.

 

Best of luck in developing this concept!

- Eric

[Luridel]

If they're both interesting characters, I'll find 'em interesting.

 

It's tricky forcing a pair of NPCs on the player, because the player might only want one, or might spend a lot of time with one out of two dead (or permanently dead!). There's a lot more to account for. If having both in the party is encouraged-but-not-required, I think it'd work more smoothly.

 

Party space is always scarce.

[cheshirecat77]

If they're both interesting characters, I'll find 'em interesting.

 

It's tricky forcing a pair of NPCs on the player, because the player might only want one, or might spend a lot of time with one out of two dead (or permanently dead!). There's a lot more to account for. If having both in the party is encouraged-but-not-required, I think it'd work more smoothly.

 

Party space is always scarce.

 

That's a good idea. Maybe I'll try to make it so that they'll tolerate being alone, but will comment on the other's absence. This will make for a lot of writing/coding.... but hey, no set time frame is the joy of modding old games

 

Thanks for the responses, everyone!

[ericp07]

It's a fine idea. Kiyone and Kova from BTL have plenty to say to the PC, as well as to each other. The concept of linked characters is what first interested me in checking out The Luxley Family, so that will be included in my next round of mod installs as I continue to attempt a playable BGII multimod installation but there's no Mac OS X version, and I have no way to extract the contents of the download. If written the right way, the player won't feel as though he or she had slipped from playing a game to reading an on-screen novel, but instead will feel involved as the story unfolds.

 

Best of luck in developing this concept!

- Eric

[Zireael07]

If they're both interesting characters, I'll find 'em interesting.

 

It's tricky forcing a pair of NPCs on the player, because the player might only want one, or might spend a lot of time with one out of two dead (or permanently dead!). There's a lot more to account for. If having both in the party is encouraged-but-not-required, I think it'd work more smoothly.

 

Party space is always scarce.

 

So how to achieve the encouraged-but-not-required effect? Any hints?

[berelinde]

TBH, I'm not a fan of paired NPCs. For one thing, it's a lot to ask a player to devote 40% of their available party space to your guys. Also, it tends to turn into the X and Y show, taking the focus off the PC.

 

From a writer's standpoint, it's tough enough getting one NPC done. Two?

[ericp07]

If they're both interesting characters, I'll find 'em interesting.

 

It's tricky forcing a pair of NPCs on the player, because the player might only want one, or might spend a lot of time with one out of two dead (or permanently dead!). There's a lot more to account for. If having both in the party is encouraged-but-not-required, I think it'd work more smoothly.

 

Party space is always scarce.

 

So how to achieve the encouraged-but-not-required effect? Any hints?

 

You'll want to develop each character as able to stand alone and be interesting enough, as well as to include the interaction between them (and the PC, and perhaps other party members) for when they're both in the party. It can work well, I think.

 

Happy modding,

Eric

[Andarielle]

I agree with what was said, I am not a fan of paired NPCs because of the reasons listed above.

 

The mod would also be more complicated to write, because then you have to write way more dialogues and you may become confused or overwhelmed.

[Aion]

There's Kiara and Zaiya, too. Good interesting mod, although I found Kiara (the romanceable one) taking up most of the dialogue. Zaiya was quiet and just...there, adding a wild mage. Which sucks, because I would've liked seeing more Zaiya dialogue.

 

Mulgore and Xavia for BG1Tutu? I don't know if they're a pair. Seems like it. But I haven't tried that one yet. There was the Tiefling Sisters mod planned here at G3, Keli and Inara. Unreleased, though.

 

I don't mind NPC pairs. If they're both interesting, it can be very nice. I don't mind devoting 2 of 5 available slots to them. I don't play with tons of mod NPC's at any time anyway, and I've seen all the Bioware stuff, so usually I take one or two mod NPC's around, and a few Biowares to compliment them and to see the modxBioware dialogue. Not every NPC is crossmodded yet, after all. To each their own, but I'd play an NPC pair as quickly as I'd play a new NPC on its own. I don't think they steal too much spotlight. If it's written well, they take up as much spotlight as two seperate NPC's. My advice, though...let them talk with each other, the PC and the rest. Don't let one be quiet, unless the mod specifically asks for it (like one character being always silent, like a mute or an assassin or something, and the other being a talker/negotiator. Just an example).

[ericp07]

Look, Raist...bunnies!

[theacefes]

Not quite the same thing, but when I made my Auren mod, I tried to write it in a way that the PC would gain a somewhat interesting party member that they could converse with however, if Nalia is in the group then there is additional content and some extra quests/encounters. Optional but not required is always better.

[Kulyok]

I don't think it's good. An NPC should have a firm relationship only with one person - my PC. Otherwise, what the hell are they doing in my party? Find their own.

 

However, there is a very good use for paired NPCs: quests. If there are two NPC quest-givers(or a quest-giver and a villain, or a villain and a victim), their relationship can be a perfect driving force for the plot. Take Irenicus and Ellesime, for example. Or Irenicus and Yoshimo, or Anora and Loghain, or Meredith and Orsino, and so on and so forth.

[Ardanis]

I don't think it's good. An NPC should have a firm relationship only with one person - my PC. Otherwise, what the hell are they doing in my party? Find their own.

Let's see... The protagonist pair - PC and Imoen - stumble across Khalid-Jaheira/Xzar-Montaron. Doubling ranks is a certain way to increase the survival chance for two 1st level Candlekeep fugitives, as well to conduct whatever business is awaiting in Nashkel mines.

What the hell are they doing in my party? Forming a mutually beneficial alliance. Life isn't always about relationship, on a rare occasion there's business too And just because PC is player-controlled, there's no telling it's his/her party, not their.