Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) Divinity 2 - plot dreams

Revenge is a dish best served cold <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mage.gif" alt="" /> and the rebels said that other ranaar rifted away to rivellon after the demons came (so a small base is possible).

BTW: what ever happend to the hero of <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> will he return?

Well, maybe as an NPC in the WG or V guild? In form of a nice portrait with a black ribbon tied to it? Hail to the deceased hero of.... - might be a secret safe. So, if you have the insignia of the appropriate guild (the ring I mentioned) - you will find something in there... Maybe a map of the entire world. It is not recquired before, as WG and V char are limited to their boundaries in this first act.
Kiya

Well technically there are a large number of Ranaar left- There were individuals "lost" to riftrunning any number of times, not to mention those that might have spirited away or summoned and trapped, as all species are capable of, and then there is the God factor...Deux Ex Machina, Ranaar god(s) takes a small group of Ranaar and dumps them in another plane for safekeeping, sort of a genetic preserve <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

I don't see any reason to write the Ranaar out just yet, especially since they seemed to have such an interesting culture. Could an essentially peaceful culture survive had they passed a certain magic curve? If they became strong enough to paralyze entire swaths of enemies, or "brainwash" them? Such spells exist in the BD universe, and it would have been a very poor Ranaar High Elder who did not see far enough ahead to grasp the essential problem of self defense in a peaceful culture. I mean, personally, I would have sent explorers to gather information on much more powerful defensive magics...which BD is weak on...and would make a very interesting character for another game.

Picture a spellcaster that took damage every time a living thing was injured by it's attacks...so it's spell selections were all variations on time stops, planar traps, reverse summon, turn permanent ethereal, etc, etc. Lots of possibilities for a non violent but terrifying spellcaster.


How is that fantasy game writers lack such imagination, that there is no Necro-Gandhi class?

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> No fair stealing the name, it's MINE. Necrogandhi...your worst fears come true...someone who ignores you to death.

Hey, Div2 will be released(someday - is the next larian's project?)? Or is just to think about if it would be released?

I have no other info - so, Div 2 will be released. But this thread here is meant as a sort of brainstorming, Shyon - as I thought, some gamers would like to dream a bit <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
Kiya

In any case => I like to dream <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" />

Yes, you are correct and I know of docs where the Raanaar really had visited Rivellon - though... I had the impression, they were "invisible"


Fascinating idea <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> - though a bit dangerous for the Raanaar or the char getting a sort of damage from attacks. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> - nice thought of keeping a kidnapped NPC safely where she/he is supposed to remain. Ethereal (in the sense of ghost form?) - being able to surge through walls?

Hmmmm, I was thinking of a totally new area for Rivellon - maybe the ethereal part? Where physically damaging spells wouldn't work/have no impact? So, only an ethereal Raanaar could be a guide or a teacher? Yeah, why not? Pauper graveyard - Raanaar rift in there, corrupted by Buad's Tea, as the rift was placed stupidly <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif" alt="" /> - so, those stupid enough going through are in this In-Between-World? A sort cloudy, misty world, where processing is difficult, as up/down, east/west doesn't exist? A world, where physical damage is useless? Try to bombard the wind <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> - yeah, a Necro Gandhi would be nice to find there - but why? Hm, a trapped Raanaar?
Kiya

Controlled levitation could be the only way to move there - inventory is useless, no potions/armour etc. Chars would be reduced to their ground stats without boosts. Mind control would be a way to get answers - who has more ideas?


And what about alliances for a time being? Based on contracts? I mean... how do I know in advance which guild would be the best for my game play? Or a sort of... how is it called if I get newspapers daily until I say no? In German it's called "abonnement" - something just for a time being until I decide? And only after decision I will get full access to advanced skills/spells? <pout>

aahaah, just answered this but my post vanished, I'll try again and hope this doesn't 2pete.

Rhianna's story notes the Raanaar that were lost, I don't remember anything in the novella about Rivellon but that seems likely. There were a number of gods as well, and presumably the Raanaar gods aren't just going to let their kids get slaughtered.

Re: nonviolent spellcasting, for instance, I would cast an ethereal etch spell at an orc. Each time he would become fainter, and do less weapon damage to me, until the final HP hit, where he would vanish/die for the XP. I might also have spells that turned someone into a ghost temporarily, so as to take them out of combat until I was ready for them. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> Necrogandhi casts summon skeleton rings that walk up to creatures, link arms, and sit there, preventing them from attacking or moving. This allows slower mind control/switch side spells to take effect, which give you XP also, because the monster cannot stand itself when the spell wears off and it dies of a stroke.

re: the Raanaar concept, perhaps the lost Raanaar, those that survived, were gradually driven insane by their isolation, but their powers steadily grew. Finally they have returned from their improper rifts and start scheming to recreate their plane of existence back in time. This can have consequences for the other planes and cause fluxes of power throughout the world, periodically changing the spell and magic weapon damages, so you can't pick one static fighting style and tank your way through the game.

And the Raanaar seem friendly, all to happy to teach you these powerful new spells if you can find your way in their half worlds, the ether pockets. Because unknown to you, everytime an ether spell is cast, it strengthens their new plane, and warps all the others.

What you meant with the badsmile symbol - Bad dreams? About what? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

You don't need to answer if you don't want, i just started to think about strange things(dreams) trying to get your idea. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/freak.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/stupid.gif" alt="" />

*feels depressed seeing kiya pout* must u make me feel guilty? u emotion manipulator! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

back on topic: alliance depends on the guild a character is in. contracts are more of quest-based, i feel.

about that newspaper thing, it's call subscription. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shhh.gif" alt="" />

i'd say yes to the part of advanced skills/spells. u can't expect guilds to let u go off with knowledge of their best skills/spells out, knowing that other guilds may take u in & use that knowledge against them. so i feel choice of gamers will make a big impact on the game. then & only then gamers will have to be careful on who to trust, who's good enough to be an ally etc.

unless u have taken over the guild as the leader (this can be possible if your dream plot allows it) & thinking of joining other guild as either an ally or follower.

i was thinking of alliance & guilds this way;

let's say u joined the warriors guild, who are allied with farmers & religious guilds. now these 2 allies are the alliance tied to your guild, so u can have quests & knowledge (skills & spells) from them though not to the highest levels which u can only have if u joined their guilds as a direct member & not just an ally. i hope that's logical for u as it is for me.

again, i say it's best illustrated with Venn's diagram, realised in 3D. sadly i can't draw it out. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" />

as for time-based alliance, well i was thinking that with the guild handling the alliance part, drawing out system of ally/enemy/neutral become easier at least for the developers. so once u choose a guild, u have been assigned allies & enemies while the unassigned guilds will be neutral, which u can individual contracts from, which are quests.

but then there is another layer which i'm curious of; personal level of alliance. this is separate from guild-based alliance.

maybe i should start with heirarchy, priority from highest to lowest;

personal -> guild -> race (i think guild & race can be interchanged)

personal would be how your character relates to a NPC. let's say, your WG character & an assasin NPC that u saved earlier from some beasts.

it can start with alliance/guild check. guild [check] guild
-> WG [vs] AG, so both guilds are in opposition

next will be race.
-> human [neutral] elf, & that i hope is self-explanatory.

then personal. diplomacy/charisma PC [more/less] diplomacy/charisma NPC
-> 57 [>] 49, which means WG character can convince the NPC to be friendly.

this means even if guild checks & racial checks are successful for our character, if he/she fails in personal check, NPC will be hostile/neutral. choice of dialogue will determine the success of all these checks & therefore the outcome.

i think this means a complete re-working of reputation system which is no longer global in nature. like accidentally killing a cat will no longer trigger the effects of cats guild against u. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> if u can convince other cats that u're their friend. *bribery* <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />