Discussing my latest ideas

Jad.3 wrote:

What did you do with museum?!

You ask LaCroix for transport to bring the sarcophagus back. He sais: "the car is ready", and when you leave the office you go directly to the museum.
(Seems like something similar was originally intended for all downtown main quests. There are mapchange triggers for Dane, Grout's, and museum on the ventrue_1 map.)

Direct travel from Isaak to 609 was also intended, I think. There was a line for that in the Isaak dialog. I've already restored this option in CE. So it would be possible to add a new hub, maybe holywood hills or some film studio, if someone can create the map...

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That's pretty cool, though I'm a bit wary of giving players all those occult items for free. I would prefer what Zer0 did in TFN and have Mr. Ox sell them in his shop.

Dragatus wrote:

That's pretty cool, though I'm a bit wary of giving players all those occult items for free. I would prefer what Zer0 did in TFN and have Mr. Ox sell them in his shop.

I have no intnetion of giving them all for free. Most will be quest rewards. Others can probably be bought somewhere. But I don't want to make money as important as in TFN.
I might still change it to only one item in the haven, the Thaumaturgy enhancer for Tremere, the Zaralketh for Obfuscate users, and the Galdjum for the rest.

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Childe of Malkav wrote:

Dragatus wrote:

That's pretty cool, though I'm a bit wary of giving players all those occult items for free. I would prefer what Zer0 did in TFN and have Mr. Ox sell them in his shop.

I have no intnetion of giving them all for free. Most will be quest rewards. Others can probably be bought somewhere. But I don't want to make money as important as in TFN.
I might still change it to only one item in the haven, the Thaumaturgy enhancer for Tremere, the Zaralketh for Obfuscate users, and the Galdjum for the rest.

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I think it is a good idea. Way to avoid getting OP at the beginning of the game...

Feral wrote:

Childe of Malkav wrote:

Dragatus wrote:

That's pretty cool, though I'm a bit wary of giving players all those occult items for free. I would prefer what Zer0 did in TFN and have Mr. Ox sell them in his shop.

I have no intnetion of giving them all for free. Most will be quest rewards. Others can probably be bought somewhere. But I don't want to make money as important as in TFN.
I might still change it to only one item in the haven, the Thaumaturgy enhancer for Tremere, the Zaralketh for Obfuscate users, and the Galdjum for the rest.

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I think it is a good idea. Way to avoid getting OP at the beginning of the game...

Yea, I think you're right. Giving two occult items at the beginning is a bit OP. So it will be the one best suited to the disciplines at the start.

Most everything works now. There's just one major problem left: the newscaster. But I have some furniture for every room, the mailbox, the computer, a phone to call a cab or for Nosferatu a sewer entrance, the radio, curtains at every window, the poster quest posters, some other wall decoration, Heather with animations, and the haven bum waiting at your door after the tutorial.
Next step will be some rats in the backyard, getting McFly at the right spot, and either a music channel for the radio or some music mashine...

For now I had to skip the Mercurio cutscene in Santa Monica. Maybe I can find something when the haven is done.
Btw, the Santa Monica haven will be used by Akeem. He will sell books to raise your stats, and thus replace the college. And when it's time for it, he will still give the hunter quest.

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No college?!? Who are you and what have you done with Malkav!?

By newscaster you mean the malk intermezzo? Doesn't have to be in haven. PC can work for it, encounter during some quest...

May wanna make the Santa Monica haven an Elysium; otherwise the risk of frenzying after using Akeem's college service could fuck one over.

Karavolos wrote:

May wanna make the Santa Monica haven an Elysium; otherwise the risk of frenzying after using Akeem's college service could fuck one over.

Seems to me he will sell old school books - thus no frenzying. Other than that, Elysium is a domain of a powerful vampire, so no problem there. And it would avoid the issue of Akeem being a wuss

Edit: But from Kravolos' words comes an idea: studying a book takes time. Perhaps some combination of new college and old books? The smarter you are, the less time it takes to study, thus less bloodloss?

Sorry, Newscaster means the whole tv, not just the Malk intermezzo. Well, if I can't solve the problem the player will have to watch the news at Akeem's.
For Akeem's being Elysium, I think so, too.
For learning from the books, you think I should leave the bloodloss in, like in the college? What do you think about making the number of skills you can learn dependent on the learning feat?
Oh, and if you wish, you can call a pet shop and buy a cat or dog...
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Childe of Malkav wrote:

For learning from the books, you think I should leave the bloodloss in, like in the college?

I do. (With appropriate comment on the book or something.) Then you wouldn't just read it in the street till sunrise from fear of frenzy. You'd get comfy at your home, open a vintage bloodbag and dive in

Childe of Malkav wrote:

What do you think about making the number of skills you can learn dependent on the learning feat?

Learning feat instead of what? How would it work?

Childe of Malkav wrote:

Oh, and if you wish, you can call a pet shop and buy a cat or dog...

Why would a vampire get a pet? To feed? From one perspective, why the hell not; from the limited number of items perspective, what would I miss with pets present?

No Camels? <: |

Jad.3 wrote:

Childe of Malkav wrote:

Oh, and if you wish, you can call a pet shop and buy a cat or dog...

Why would a vampire get a pet? To feed? From one perspective, why the hell not; from the limited number of items perspective, what would I miss with pets present?

Not that I am against it, but having a pet would mean the player has the "Inoffensive to Animals" merit, which the vanilla game kinda suggests already, albeit perhaps not intentionally. The cat doesn't run off if you go near the gate outside 609, and while the dogs in the Beachhouse and the junkyard do attack you, it could be due to the fact that they are hostile to anyone(save for the thugs in the case of the beach house), while the dogs in the junkyard might be agitated by the fact that you with there, there are two people in the junkyard that shouldn't be(though it could be due to the fact that it is two Vampires).

So it could either be that the player has the merit, or perhaps you'd have to ghoul the pet in some way, to stop it attacking you. Perhaps either with a discipline, or perhaps knocking it out if not possessing a usable discipline, with the consequence that too much would unfortunately kill it. Though I don't know if the cat does have attacking animations.

Or, if one lacks a discipline, then they can just allow the animal to bite them.

What makes the college better than the books is that it's more adaptive. By which I mean with books you get specific books that can give you specific dots. That encourages players to spend XP only on the abilities they can't get with books. The college on the other hand is more flexible and you can buy any ability you want.

Dragatus wrote:

What makes the college better than the books is that it's more adaptive. By which I mean with books you get specific books that can give you specific dots. That encourages players to spend XP only on the abilities they can't get with books. The college on the other hand is more flexible and you can buy any ability you want.

I agree with the above. I also think the college is better. Anyway what ever you decide to do I look forward to it.

By the way which patch did you decide to use?

Childe of Malkav wrote:

Sorry, Newscaster means the whole tv, not just the Malk intermezzo. Well, if I can't solve the problem the player will have to watch the news at Akeem's.

Childe of Malkav wrote:

For Akeem's being Elysium, I think so, too.

Ditto. Definitely no Frenzies at Akeem's. Or at least make him so rich in dots he could wipe the floor with any PC he wants at any time. Because he is, like, an Assamite, no?

Childe of Malkav wrote:

For learning from the books, you think I should leave the bloodloss in, like in the college? What do you think about making the number of skills you can learn dependent on the learning feat?

Bloodlos should stay in. Study takes time. Believe me, I know. What do you mean by the latter sentence eludes me. Could you elaborate?

Childe of Malkav wrote:

Oh, and if you wish, you can call a pet shop and buy a cat or dog...
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I... Feel... Betrayed... What is next for me? Humane Society?

For studying, I have no intention to get back to the limited existing skillbooks. What I want is that instead of sitting at your computer, you go to Akeem and "buy" a book from him. But this book won't be a regular item, it's just a "note" like Strauss' invitation. When you buy a book from Akeem, the note will be unhidden on his desk, and by using it, your ability raises (plus bloodloss). And when you're ready, it will be gone. That also means, if you have plenty of blood and a high research feat, you can learn several skills in one go. Or would it be better to limit it to one book per visit?
For the number of skills, that probably was badly written. What I meant was that either the number of books Akeem sells, or the max. level, is determined by the player's learning feat.

I managed to have the radio play Deb or some music. It is toggled. When you switch it on Deb starts, next time you hit the button music is played, and hitting the button again turns it off.

Hm, judging by your comments, the petshop wasn't my best idea. Maybe I better take it out. Oh, and Jad, don't worry, you wouldn't miss any item. Cats and dogs are npcs, not things...

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Ah, that already sounds better. So it's basically the mechanics of the college with new fluff. That's cool. In that case bloodloss makes sense. But do make the area Elysium.

I'd say let the player read as much as he can. If you impose the 1 book per visit rule, you just encourage palyers to walk out and right back in.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of a pet shop. I like puppies... Kitties too.

As for the learning process, now it is clear and sounds good.

Petshop sounds ok as long as the animal is blood bond to the vampire (and being taken care of by Heather )

Sounds like a lulz made by Gary tho.

Claudia wrote:

Petshop sounds ok as long as the animal is blood bond to the vampire (and being taken care of by Heather )

Then I will make the petshop call only available if Heather is present. And if she leaves, she'll take the animal with her. Too bad the only animals the player can feed of are rats, and that kills them.
Maybe the ghoul cat can bring her Nossie can-opener a rat for breakfast...

Quote :

Sounds like a lulz made by Gary tho.

Nope. If it were from Gary, it would be the famous NY sewer alligator...

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Maybe have Heather ask you if she can have a pet.

We're talking about animals and nobody has mentioned "Animalism". D:

I mean, IIRC knowing the discipline makes it so that animals wouldn't run away at the sight of you and would actually come up to you. Maybe making it so that the Pet shop can be called earlier by a character with animalism than those without it needed Heather for it. Maybe even "dialogue" with the pet for Animalism users?

SaulottheGentle wrote:

We're talking about animals and nobody has mentioned "Animalism". D:

I mean, IIRC knowing the discipline makes it so that animals wouldn't run away at the sight of you and would actually come up to you. Maybe making it so that the Pet shop can be called earlier by a character with animalism than those without it needed Heather for it. Maybe even "dialogue" with the pet for Animalism users?

I like it...

I took Animalism for granted, as I go Gangrel (shock, no?) or a Nossie most of the time...
Ventrue, Tremere, Toreador and the rest of out of Clan users or non users should have it harder for sure.

Animalism sounds like a good idea. I thought about the whole thing mostly for Gangrel anyway. So animalism it is, and for others maybe Heather.

About the dialog. Something like this?

Woof.
1. Yep
2. Right you are.
3. Really?
4. Not now.

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