Larian Studios Forums Divinity - Original Sin Divinity - Original Sin - General Idea: modular in-game options

Talking about zombies in the other posting...

Another idea I often used in paper games were modular rules as options, meaning we could easily put them in the game or leave them out after personal preference.
We are all used to game graphic options, etc. to customize and adapt our gaming rigs to the game, but games often don't use much the opportunity to have a similar options menu for in-game optional rules. Especially cprg's could take advantage of such a system.

I bring this up for less in look of the campaign of D:OS which I bet Larian already know quite well what they want to have in and what not. I think about a feature which could not just add something to the campaign but more likely to mods later made with the editor.

Just some examples of what you could put into such optional settings:
- Illness (e.g. from wounds, rotten zombie guts, weather exposure.)
- fog of war (yes/no)
- friendly fire (realism vs. munchkin-kiddos)
- were-sheeps (to were or not to were)
- gore (for the pixel-blood challenged ones)

That way people could decide themselves if they want to focus on munchkin-action mode or add a bit more realistic flavors to add some flavor to the rpg experience.
Again, those ideas are mainly seen as inspiration for Larian to see what they want to maybe add to D:OS or future crpg games.

I could post a bit more about possible topics for optional/modular in-game features but I wanted to hear first some general thoughts from Larin and other folks.

Love your posts, Bearhug! Keep 'em comin'!

A battery of good game options would be great to have. I know at least that fog of war was a toggle choice in Divine Divinity. As for the rest of your suggestions, I give a warm thumbs-up (except the weresheep one - I mean, hey, don't be a BAAH-stard... )

And if we're lucky, and a DM-client gets added to D:OS, a rather deep matrix of game options would do wonders for different GMs' various ways of running their campaigns. So far, an in-game chat is confirmed, but I'm praying for more RPG-goodness in the same vein.

Nah, I'd rather have the designers present the base game as they intend it and balance it around that instead of having to worry about a zillion combinations of settings. Let modders handle the rest.

A no/low gore option is possibly a good idea though, a lot of games have those.

There was a fog of war setting in DD? I must have missed that.

Indeed, there is: You can toogle the fog of war like so: Options>Video>Performance>On/Off.

Who wants no gore in an RPG??? I wouldn't want to play one without gore....

Btw I made a similar thread some time ago: http://www.larian.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=463650#Post463650

All the brainstorming I do is always about general ideas where the one or the other idea could be also for the game D:OS, but I often think about that marvelous editor as I just can't forget that demonstration of the remake of the original starting village of DD in that presentation video of the video.

Like I said, I am sure Larian has already quite a good idea about the game and the campaign. I lack the time to keep a close look what others already maybe posted, but that doesn't really matter. Better an idea mentioned again to be maybe never mentioned at all.

As a game maker do you have to think about options which are maybe not your personal cup of tea, but it is nonetheless good to bring every idea on the table the game could profit from or at least some people. And if it can't be used in this one, I am sure D:OS is not Larian's last rpg game.

I ever admired their love for incredible detail, picking up often points and topics most other companies dare to touch because their sponsors are too focused on profit and target groups alone. By Larian's games I ever felt their love for their product, doing that what they believe in and what feels right to them even large groups might disagree. That's why I ever promoted DD and the following games over all the years to those blind 'pffft,-just-another-diablo-clone' dummies which think that rpg is all about action only and bigger-tehn-life stories. But it's exploring, interacting with the world which moves rolke-players, the feeling that you can make a difference with your actions in the game, all those small details which fill a godo rpg with life and not cg eye candy, endless hordes of monsters and Walmart-style mountains of loot where you would need some friggin 18-wheelers to haul all the trash back to the next trader and casah in on gold loads which make Fort Knox green of envy.
Those games are digital crack as they appeal to the collecting instincts which we all have in us. But an endless collection derby doesn't make a good rpg.
I am sure that Larian will give the loot junkies as well their fix as the story junkies and Diablo can eat its heart out

But enough venting

Btw, I appreciate the links people give to similiar links as cross refences are always useful, especially if Larian might like at least the one or the other idea. Thank you for those.

I just mentioned blindly some examples for possible in-game options.
Gore:
Personally I believe that gore belongs into a fantasy game as people who like to poke and slice each other with weapons which are not made for the dining table create messy results.
Having an gore option in doesn't hurt except maybe those which just can't ignore that there is a toggle function. *smacks the fingers of LordCrash*
I am sure some munchkins would even like besides a on/off choice even a extreme version where every enemy explodes. But I am sure most prefer showers with warm water and soap before blood and intestines

Illness:
Well, I am sure that would be just of interest for truly masochistic hardcore roleplayers as true action heroes never get sick nor die....just once. The feature was just a feature I scuked out of my fingers which was a part of most paper games and I am sure which the majority of computer players wouldn't like to touch without a pincer. That idea was again aimed at the editor and not at D:OS as I think that a lot of players would love to create their own adventures beyond DD, BD, D:OS & co.

weresheep:
Ok, I just couldn't resist that one Thanks Idira for the laugh you gave me. You're a baaahd-kitty

friendly-fire:
Ooooh, I do looove that one. I ever hated how most games eliminated just out of convenience friendly fire and people are used to toss without a second thought a fireball through a wooden Inn without wasting any thoughts of fire safety regulations and volatile targets like oil lamps, Dwarven beards, dancer's garments, and the Inn itself.
I am sure in most games players marauding behavior would probably get them lynched by disgruntled locals and being public enemies number one by setting public buildings ablaze.
Some of the most hilarious memories from paper games are from such hooligan moments of stupid players not thinking first before flinging spells and giving the party member an ultra-short haircut, well done at the front and still raw at the backside.

I wish one game would offer an optional environment system where you CAN see the results of badly timed spells re-arranges the local environment and you and your party might spend the rest of the evening trying to fix the bloody mess 0:)

this, I have no idea if this is still the case but back when Sacred came out there was a law in Germany about no gore in video games.. so having a no gore option is a good thing. Grr was trying to find info on this but the game is just too old and google isnt being cooperative =P

Hmm ... it's strange, I was Always thinking the fog of war is set ON by me, but it wasn't ! But set in ON and here & there now I see "fog", but the areas I haven't visited yet are like always "black". So I was always thinking the "black" undiscovered areas = fog of war, but I'm wrong !

No, you were right. The fog option in the graphics does not refer to the screen/map fog of war.

Thanks for clearing that up, Raze.

I always had it set to "on", so I have no idea what effect "off" had on the game. I checked other golden oldies, like BG, Planescape Torment, ToEE and IWD, and none of them has any setting affecting fog, well except ToEE and its fog-checks-per-frame slider. They do have various toggles though: gore, weather, always run, maximum hp, show tips, and so forth.

Freindly fire is definitly going to be in the game.

Weresheep are in the game (but i think you have to follow certain hints to find them).

I guess we can discuss about a gore option but i think since a lot of RPGs (like Draon Age) have an on/off gore option D:OS will have one to.

I think Illness is boring but thats just my peronal opinion. Look at Skyrim, drink one Potion and everything is okay. If you have one everything is fine, if u dont use the pyramids and get one from the next healer. I cant think of a satisfying solution thats not just wasting 30 seconds.

Haha, I'm always for a more possiblities to adjust the game to your taste, no-gore settings included. I just wondered why poeple want to turn gore off....

But it should only be done if it's an easy task and don't take much time (and makes the game probably more buggy).

How about an ultra-gore mode then? Like the old Diablo games or Dragon Age? :P

I would definitely appreciate a 'less gore' toggle. I know this is a light-hearted game and isn't meant to be taken too seriously, but the amount of blood spraying around in those preview videos is ridiculous. It looks like the characters are losing about a pint of blood each time they get hit.

Helena: Hehe, they are exaggerated placeholders, I think Swen mentioned that early on.
Indeed, it looks like a Monty Python-scene with ketchup and red paint spraying everywhere. The final product will surely be in keeping with the rest of the graphics and definitely tuned down rungs upon rungs.

Indira: that's good to hear.

Oh yes, I remember the friendly fire option in the videos as Swen got set on fire and being fireballed from some of his 'guests'
I just wish I could have seen his face as he got barbequed:)

That must have been Jesse Cox with Swen, the funniest playthrough of them all, IMHO!

There is never too much gore.... :P

I will curse you all if Larian reduces the gore level......

And I have to say that I miss crashed corpses of slain enemies and pools of blood on the floor.....

I like gore! Lot's of gore. Perhaps some slider would work to tune it to everyones needs.