Eschalon quest design at RPG Vault
Eschalon quest design at RPG Vault
Preview - posted by Vault Dweller on Thu 26 April 2007, 23:56:38
Tags: Eschalon: Book IRPG Vault has posted an article, examining quests mechanics in Eschalon: Book 1 and featuring a new <a href=http://mediaviewer.ign.com/ignMediaPage.jsp?media_id=4496635&object_id=851289&channel_id=227&page_title=Eschalon%3A+Book+I+Peek+%231&adtag=network%3Dign%26size%3D468x60%26channel%3Drpgvault%26site%3Drpgvault_hub%26channel%3Dfeatures%26type%3Dpartner>dialogue screenshot[/url].
In this article, we'll take a look at one quest within Eschalon: Book I, and see how the flexibility of the game allows players to complete the quest using their character's unique abilities. This particular quest is given to the player very early on in the game; your character is told that he is required to enter a specific crypt to retrieve an item, but you soon discover that it is sealed with a reinforced, locked door. Now then, how you decide to get inside is up to you. Let's examine a few possibilities:
Can you pick the lock on the door? Certainly, if your skill in Lock Picking is developed...
If you happen to possess more brawn than finesse, you'll find it simpler just to bash your way through the door...
Perhaps an easier route to take would be for you to just find the key that unlocks the crypt door. With a bit of exploration, you can find the cemetery caretaker and attempt to persuade him to give you the key....
Well, you can always wait until the sun sets, and then, under the cover of darkness, attempt to steal the key...
Of course, you could simply kill him and take the key without further delay - but then, you must decide how that deed should be done. If you kill him yourself, the system will brand you a murderer, but if you could manage to lead a few Fanged Salamanders into his house, then you might be able to eliminate him without his blood being on your hands... well, not directly on your hands, that is.
Our main objective while developing Eschalon: Book I has been to create a world in which these kinds of options are always available to the player.Flexible design *is* the best thing since sliced bread. I hope I can bully Thomas into letting me betatest.
In this article, we'll take a look at one quest within Eschalon: Book I, and see how the flexibility of the game allows players to complete the quest using their character's unique abilities. This particular quest is given to the player very early on in the game; your character is told that he is required to enter a specific crypt to retrieve an item, but you soon discover that it is sealed with a reinforced, locked door. Now then, how you decide to get inside is up to you. Let's examine a few possibilities:
Can you pick the lock on the door? Certainly, if your skill in Lock Picking is developed...
If you happen to possess more brawn than finesse, you'll find it simpler just to bash your way through the door...
Perhaps an easier route to take would be for you to just find the key that unlocks the crypt door. With a bit of exploration, you can find the cemetery caretaker and attempt to persuade him to give you the key....
Well, you can always wait until the sun sets, and then, under the cover of darkness, attempt to steal the key...
Of course, you could simply kill him and take the key without further delay - but then, you must decide how that deed should be done. If you kill him yourself, the system will brand you a murderer, but if you could manage to lead a few Fanged Salamanders into his house, then you might be able to eliminate him without his blood being on your hands... well, not directly on your hands, that is.
Our main objective while developing Eschalon: Book I has been to create a world in which these kinds of options are always available to the player.
