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alignment: perspective, and motive
lectrocuda
Member Posts: 604
This is an interesting take that i think could twist the dynamics of what we understand as alignment.
Currently alingment is earned by completeing tasks for factions. Usually the motivation is gear, and exp, and the reason the faction wants you to do this is because they are lazy.
So the motives behind this are completely negative, yet we are always rewarded with a positive when alignment is increased.
I propose an alignment system that reacts to your motives, and gives you multiple ways to enhance your relationship with certain factions and your overall alignment.
However I dont believe that there should be enemies and friends dictated by the game either. However, the terms are set according to your alignment, and the game will suggest who you should treat like friends/enemies, according to the data stored in your alignment.
Am I losing it?
To the caterpillar it is the end of the world, to the master, it is a butterfly.
Comments
I think you have a good idea. The questions is, how do you make it "balanced."
Certainly you should have some quests where the greedy merchant wants you to kick the farmers off their land (or kill them) so he can sell the land. This should give lots of gold or a nice items, but no or negative reputation.
Then you have the quest where you defend the orphanage against the same greedy merchant (who keeps buying all the mortgages). They can't pay you, but if you save them you get lots of reputation since you were so selfless.
I guess the best way to do it is having reputation lower prices and make special items available for people with high reputation, and having the "bad guy quests," actually cost reputation. Then you can either do "goody quests," and not have much cash, but have everyone like you and give you nice prices, or you can do "bad guy quests," and be rich but not able to buy much.
Of course, player trades could get around this, but nothing is perfect...
I am thinking an over all dynamic story arc.
For instance, the way all anti-US activity is considered Al-quida. There could be a faction who you automatically become associated with, due to your alignment/reputation, and then you become part of another groups PvE, but also incorporated into PvP. Almost bounty hunter quests. The trick is, to have these quests available at lovwer level zones, so you can become an elite mob that groups hunt down. However the only way you know is from word of mouth, and your alignment.
To the caterpillar it is the end of the world, to the master, it is a butterfly.
Interesting sounding system, although I think your complaints about existing faction systems are a bit odd (factions aren't "lazy" for employing you, unless you're calling all employers "lazy" for not doing the work themselves.)
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
I say it because it seems in villages, everyone is just hanging around. They give me some bs story about how they are too busy. Its part jokingly, but part my perspective
To the caterpillar it is the end of the world, to the master, it is a butterfly.