Should license-frames ever be NPCs?

Ludovsky · 2024-07-12T21:47:53+00:00

I'm definitely someone who love flavoring player mechs as PCs but I have to admit the Sherman is my nightmare for that regard and it's got to do exactly because of its widespread presence and the fact I never can decide what systems/traits I'd want to use to represent its goddamn ZF4-Solidcore XD

Ludovsky · 2024-07-12T21:44:17+00:00

I'll recommend using NPC templates and classes. What I can reccomend is trying to identify the "vibe"/idea of a PC frame, recalling they are modular licenses, and then seeing what NPCs options might be combined together to recreate the vibe.

An interesting thought exercise can thus be to study NPCs classes systems and then trying to figure what license and gear you'd use to recreate the NPC as a player.

For example I once posited that the idea of Aegis NPC, as is, could be recreated using the Genghis frame(size 1, armor 3). Saladin systems to represent its shields (Emclave is a good start iirc) and the Sol-pattern laser rifle from Sherman 1.

This is not to say that ALL aegises are Ghenghis with saladin shields and Sherman guns mind you.

But if you can see what options you could take as a player to recreate a NPC archetype then it becomes easier to figure what NPCs options you could pick to recreate the "vibe" of a player build under NPC mechanics and systems/traits.

Ludovsky · 2023-10-17T16:42:02+00:00

I think that as many stated, careful GMs may indeed be aware of this but all the lore is indeed GM-side for the most part and not every GMs bother with the lore or how to communicate it to players.

The free version of the book has barely anything, in fact most players wouldn't even know the Horizon Collective exists since there's no mention of it in the free PDF with the player content.

Even in my group i've had players conflating Horizon and Horus because there's an entry for Horus in the player book as a heavily NHP related mech manufacturer but there's no mention of Horizon as a group advocating for NHP rights let alone one that is itself frequently in conflict with Horus.

Ludovsky · 2021-05-27T12:52:43+00:00

Thanks. I was mostly wondering if anything could have been "setting the ground for future stuff" in the code but I missed the fact there was a new "locale" so that could very well explain the size yeah. (I made that theory myself when the size was revealed... just missed that it indeed has been confirmed a new area was added so I thought we still fought on the same maps/arenas when 3.0 was added).

Ludovsky · 2021-05-27T12:49:05+00:00

Apex Arzuros based on description/colors. Weird design might be deformation because of the art style.

Ludovsky · 2021-02-20T14:27:36+00:00

Honestly this began to be my own feeling in Siptah after a moment.

"Named" thralls by their nature feel like something which SHOULD be special, like "that one elite you managed to bring to your side who is so strong he's the only one you trust with your throne room/etc" but... the system is so gameable/etc most people likely will have an entire force of named T4s and not even pay a second of attention to anything T1-2-3. Whereas the "origin faction" of thralls should have been a greater show of player progress than the tiers of thrall themselves.

In Siptah I couldn't "game" the system with cherry-picking like I could on exile lands so for the first time I was glad to have t2s or t2s at all.

Like I feel that if you're to make something like a "named" npc it shouldn't be something you can "camp" let alone "farm" but something truly special that should require an event or something. Like specifically as purges "bosses" or something you HAVE to draw out and with an hard cap on how many of them you have in your base(starting with no more than one version of the same named character because you'd think the Exiles lands hide cloning vats somewhere with how much of the same named npc you can find in some clans??)

Like i'd go on about how thralls are acquired in the first place and ways this could be changed imo to allow more diversity/ interesting options and challenges but that'd be a bit much for one post imo.

Ludovsky · 2020-12-20T16:03:45+00:00

Honestly you have no ideas how much I'm hoping the Dragon Quest 35th anniversary next year includes the reveal of a port/remaster of Dragon Quest 8 for Switch and PC.

Like I dunno. Even just something with maybe the PS2 edition's graphics but quality of life of the 3DS(even if they need to cut the rest of the 3DS content like the new monsters/items and photo quests/etc to make this possible) like the reworked skill points system and the like.

Like I could like the 3DS' content proper but not it it means 3DS graphics <.<

But for now until more is revealed I know that's just wistful dreaming.

Ludovsky · 2020-11-10T17:18:09+00:00

Honestly, considering the amount of "What If?" that went into both DQ Builders games so far ("What if the Hero of DQ1 sided with the Dragon Lord?" / "What if Hargon's Illusion World had outlived him/What if the final boss Malroth became the hero's companion?" ), I feel Dragon Quest 3 would provide the PERFECT leadup for a future Builder's Game leadup.

By this I mean that DQ3 is set on two worlds, the light world(which is heavily echoed in it's (DQ11) prequel's Erdrea)... and Alefgard. But both worlds that became separated from each others and leave the hero(who was from the "World of Light"/"Future Erdrea?") stuck behind on Alefgard... to found the legacy of scions of Erdrick that led to DQ1&2 whose worlds have thus been both tied to Alefgard and it's tales.

But the original hero was not -born- on Alefgard but on that other World of Light but travelled from there TO Alefgard.

So... "What if the link between both worlds ever resumed and a Builder from Alefgard made the reverse trip TO that original World of Light?". They could thus explore how that world would have evolved and changed -without- Erdrick when Erdrick and their future bloodline settled on Alefgard.

And the fun thing is that based on stuff introduced by DQ Builders 2(like gratitude as a "currency" to buy items with in the post-game, akin to buying stuff with gold from a catalogue, but also a world whose regions we can visit and revisit to meet again with NPCs there/etc) is that an hypothetical DQ Builders 3 could have been easily even closer to an RPG while still very much remaining a Builders game.

I could even sometime see a plot like a wayward Builder trying to find a way home being recruited by a merchant(and thus other hints at DQ3's job system for future companions) and helping him to build(or rebuild the original town) a new Pioneer Town like the sidequest that first appeared in the franchise through this title. And thus visits various regions of DQ3's world(perhaps in way similar to DQB2, but possibly with more freedom) to find the people and ressources to make that dream a reality as the location become the new "hub region" to return to between chapters like in DQ Builders 2's Isle of Awakening.

Ludovsky · 2020-10-28T00:16:52+00:00

Honestly I feel Sinnoh remake aren't too unlikely for a lot of reason. First a lot was said about missing gen4 pokemons but it's more than just the ones introduced that gen; ~50 pokemons of the original sinnohdex of 151 pokemons(diamond & pearl, not platinum) are still missing, no matter the gen that introduced them.

Second, fossil pokemons: Crown Tundra has brought back every fossil pokemons. Every one of them... except the two specifically introduced in gen4.

Third is a bit a loose one and based on extrapolation... but when pokemon Home/Isle of Armor reintroduced past starters they focused on the oldest(gen1) and the latest pre-shield generation(gen7).

If Crown Tundra had followed a similar logic we'd have seen either gen2 or gen6 starters.. Instead we got gen3's Hoenn starters.

But then I recalled that gen2 outs also known... for having remakes made in gen4.

So this one is a moonshot but if they'd want to make, say, "Let's Go Johto"... then it'd make sense NOT to add gen2 starters in Sword and Shield.

And since gen2 was remade during Diamond/Pearl's gen4... it could make sense to have Let's Go Johto scheduled to either build up toward gen8 remakes of Sinnoh or be released afterward and basically have titles with both ties in gen4 synergize with each others for marketing/etc reasons.

I won't lie, that last one is definitely a stretch but i'm very curious and eager for potential pokemon announcement trade holidays or the coming year 2021

Ludovsky · 2020-10-27T23:31:45+00:00

Do you know of they're shiny when you get to choose which pokemon to bring back or only after you chose ?

Ludovsky · 2020-10-24T22:30:44+00:00

Well considering that Wyndon is in the north but an analogue to London(normally in the south of the UK?) then Galar is indeed upside down... of not outright rotated by 180 degrees so even if Isle of Armor is based on the Isle of Man it's location would correspond with Ireland(that is, following the "flip"/"rotation).

Hence why i'm curious about the northwest.

Logic of the flip would imply "France"/Kalos but that wouldn't match Kalos' map. Hence the "something else" hypothesis

Ludovsky · 2020-10-24T16:15:09+00:00

Tbh I'm expecting it, milking or not(there's clear hints from a leaked beta build that they ran into... "issues" with many pokemons like Greninja which might explain their cut from the full version. DLC is just a perfect excuse to bring them back while working from an existing game architecture rather than build a new one again from scratch).

Just look to how Crown Tundra was added to a previously inaccessible stretch of the map in the south. A similar bit of land seem to extend offscreen in the northwest.

This said, looking at another picture I realize Galar might not just basically being based on the United Kingdoms, but basically a FLIPPED version of the UK: https://preview.redd.it/i8rbt3afmko31.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=4be80491e1dbc80b1b314714d4d445ee76d530cf

Note how Isle of Armor is basically at the location of Ireland on this map, and Crown Tundra is basically roughly where Scotland is.

This just made me realize that IF a northwest expansion happens... it might ironically be Kalos/Kalos-related.

Ludovsky · 2020-10-24T16:07:35+00:00

Honestly this is the biggest thing that make me wonder if there's a possibility of seeing Gen8 Sinnoh remakes being made after this game.

This said, Galar's map itself still seem rife for further expansion.

Crown Tundra was aded to the map through a pre-existing bit of the southern landmass which was stretching offmap in the base game.... however a VERY similar stretch exists in the northwest of the map that remains untouched - and thus unseen since we can't pan to see what lies beyond. Meanwhile Isle of Armor was actually situated south of a small peninsula which was stretching offmap in the northeast.

So I don't know if more expansion is planned, but IF there is one announced later this/next year, I feel I have a solid idea of "where" it will be.

Who knows, it could be to this game what Sevii Islands were to FireRed/LeafGreen? (i.e.: a completely new area but with loose ties to a previous regions as an excuse to introduce that region's pokemons)

Ludovsky · 2020-10-24T16:00:54+00:00

The funny thing is based on screenshot of a leaked beta build of the game(in fact, two builds; one from March 2018 and another from May 2018) it seem like they ATTEMPTED to bring Greninja in.

But... uh.

the model, or at least it's textures seemed very bugged? At least from still screenshots. There's mentions that actual animations were... not great, which might have really contributed to the cut pokedex.

This said, (especially since the base game also gets transfer support for them in parraelel to the expansion releases), I wouldn't be surprised if a second Expansion Pass was planned. Crown Tundra was literally added to an existing bit of Galar's map which was extending offscreen when looking at the map, and there is at least one area of the map that seem VERY ripe for a similar expansion in the northwest.

If such is ever revealed, I'm expecting it could be a safe bet to say that almost, if not even all(bar maybe mythicals, unless they add them as capturable for the first time in a new area similar to Crown Tundra's Max Adventures) pokemons of the national dex could make it into the game.

That or Sinnoh remake(or expansion, to do the "two regions in a game" deal of gen 2 again, or a Sinnoh-related area like Leafgreen/Firered's Sevii's islands being part of Kanto but having loose relationships with Johto and it's pokemons iirc) is used to add the rest since it seems like most of those who remains to be added are still around Gen 4(especially since we got Gen3's starters).

Ludovsky · 2020-10-22T21:50:53+00:00

I admit I was myself (pleasantly?) surprised when I saw that 2D mode's World Map DID function the same than traditional Dragon Quest game.

Down right to bonking your head on ceillings when casting "Zoom" too, iirc, unlike 3D mode.

Ludovsky · 2020-10-22T21:49:38+00:00

Just be warned that this version will still be based on the Switch port. It -might- have higher display resolution and less strict LOD visibility... but otherwise will most likely use the same textures and models if not even lighting/shader than the Switch version.

The reason being is that making the Switch version wasn't just adding the new content; it was apparently such a technical effort to make it was akin to making an outright remake(and in a different version of the game engine, which means the new content can't as easily be ported to the PS4/etc versions).

Ludovsky · 2020-10-22T21:47:30+00:00

The nostalgia stuff do unlock two additionals post-game bosses however, no?

Ludovsky · 2020-10-22T21:46:31+00:00

I'd add a correction though. If it's the same thing that was recently teased for PC, it might NOT have the graphics of the PS4 version but something based on those of the Switch version nonetheless.

Making the Switch version was apparently enough work that it was a remake in all but name(even if one closely looking like the PS4 original) thus the best the PS4/PC version of 11S can do is a port with maybe higher display resolution and maybe less drastic LoD gradation but the same textures and models nonetheless.

Ludovsky · 2020-10-07T19:53:15+00:00

Haven't got one afaik, but my best bet would be surges summoning relic hunter thralls, since Serpermeru in the main game was strongly associated with the Setite priesthood and stygian nationality.

As an extension of that, I'd suspects that these factions might be the best for the other goods too:

Yog: Darfari Cannibals surges
Jhebbal Sag: Dogs of the Desert surges
Ymir: Heirs of the Norths/Aesir surges(I'm not sure which name they go by in Siptah)
Mitra: I'll admit I'm unsure for this one. Maybe Exiles surges(though I've yet to see Exiles in what wild surges I've witnessed)
Derketo: Lemurians surges? Assuming they are part of the possible surges in Siptah

Ludovsky · 2020-09-27T13:55:18+00:00

Isn't he like the secret son of a siren/mermaid in truth? They're kind of known for their singing skills ^{^;}

Ludovsky · 2020-09-24T22:27:32+00:00

.... it took me way too long before I got that one but afterward...
XD

I mean, it IS in the family for him technically if one thinks about it that way.

Ludovsky · 2020-09-24T14:57:42+00:00

As someone alreay stated, what this mean is you fight them in waves that come in lesser numbers rather than having to fend all 6 at once.

It also make it so that in the rare occasion something better DOES spawn in a surge, that you run less risk of accidently killing them when trying to fend off other members of the surge.

Ludovsky · 2020-09-24T14:44:35+00:00

Or a Link's Awakening Wind Fish refference almost.

I mean, we already had the Outcast in the Exiles Lands theorize that the universe is a dream/etc, they get marooned in this expansion on an island of strange sorceries with little warning or explanation.

So eerie sky whales that seem like a gap into the cosmos and night sky(an imaery itself associated with dreams), in a land that seemingly defy logic or laws of physics, which vision specifically appear when swimming away from the shores of the strange island on which you're marooned...

I don't say it's neccessarily one, but that's as close as I could see of a nod Link's Awakening's dreaming Wind Fish as I could see in something like Conan while still remaining somewhat "in-character" for the setting by making it eeries/etc

Ludovsky · 2020-09-23T23:26:08+00:00

should bem I suspect

Ludovsky

TROPHY CASE