Ok I have made a previous post this one hopefully will give you some ideas, again I am no game designer but stories and running one hell of a exciting D&D campaign I excel in.
So in my D&D campaigns I always set up multiple things before I even accept players, one thing I am huge about is building a world based around the players actions and decisions as well as interactions.
Here is a list of the most vital aspects I incorporate into my D&D campaigns I use a lot of home-brew content.
!. I give or create multiple endings that would carry over and affect the next campaign I host.
Example: lets say my six players are given the option to help a village of gnomes that are rumored to be a circle of dark druids but the players have not gathered much more information on this.
so they can decide to gather more intel before helping or they can just rush to help the village without more information or not help them at all or possibly just attack them and eliminate a potential threat before it expands or maybe they decide to notify the local guards or a guild of assassins or thieves or circle of good druids maybe just tell a tavern owner about it.
depending on what they choose there is potential for multiple outcomes not just one or two paths but 6 or more outcomes.
List of outcomes:
1. They gather more intel finding out that it is in fact a rumor spread by a Dark High Druid that is wanting to take over that circle and eliminate a possible queen of the druids high circle in such bringing war and chaos between the druid circles stopping them from stopping a powerful Dark Lord trying to become a god. now this has multiple side quest potential and boss encounters.
2. They decide to just rush off and help them, thus possibly stopping a huge threat and then gathering a Allie in the process and if interacted correctly a new traveling companion NPC a Druid named Elwor now they become aware of this threat and can decide to stop it or get others to intervene or notify the guards of this possible threat.
3. They choose to just attack thus ensuing a battle and making a new enemy Elwor escapes the battle now informing other Druid circles of these mercenaries that attacked his circle now they have multiple outcome paths and have made a powerful new enemy or become wanted criminals and have bounties put on them or assassination contracts, now they can try to resolve this issue further down the road and clear there names and explain what happened or they can ally with this Dark High Druid thus turning the campaign into more evil then good.
4. they choose to not help at all and move on to a different quest boom they find out later that village was slaughtered no survivors and theres a strange war brewing between different Druid circles something about a Druid Queen was viciously murdered and chaos now threatens the whole realm the campaign now turns into a war campaign multiple forces are getting involved soldiers are sent to the front lines of battle exc exc now that Dark Druid has become one of the ultimate bad guys one of the main bosses of the whole campaign.
5. They choose to notify the local guilds and guards, thus earning them reputation and access to royal contracts and quest or the option to join the guards and work there way up to becoming a elite force of the king and queen thus now envolving them directly in stopping this dark druid threat again making the Dark Druid one of the main bosses and stopping a huge war also gaining a new Allie npc called dargor who now joins there group, even in my D&D campaigns I limit how many NPCs can travel with the party I allow 2 because its a party of 6 actual player thus making the party a total of 8 2 are DMpcs.
So you get the point in my campaigns I build around the players every decision or interaction every action or choice has a major outcome and multiple ending not just 1 or 2 but multiple endings.
I also use previous campaigns outcomes and choices that impact the very world around the player for example the players decided to help the Dark Druid so after campaign is complete the new campaign is now covered in darkness that Dark Druid has rised to power and now the new campaign they kings and queens have joined forces to fight back against this Dark Druid and take back there home good vs evil guess what the previous party has become the bosses to be defeated in the new campaign with some added powers.
This is what I mean by everything matters, choices should not play only minor impacts but huge impacts and changes as well, I would love to see multiple endings and special circumstance recruiting new companions and multiple companions should be able to be recruited not just 1 or 2 you could be potentially set a new bar for open world interactive choice matters customization type of games again don't know if its possible but I would love to think it is and truly carry over different playthroughs with different endings into a future game and let players load there previous outcomes and characters into the new future game that majorly effects the story the companions that are possible to recruit and even the main bosses.
Lets say you can not recruit a companion because your to good of a alignment so it stops him from being a potential companion stuff like that.
Also allow us to maybe have our own Keep or castle and recruit NPCs that are required to have a forge or a enchantment magical shop or a potion shop like for a apothecary shop we would require to recruit a high herbalist skill NPC and so on, also if possible add in tactical large scale battles like many tactics game for example battles like fire emblem where you control a force you you send into the field of war so that is where having a keep and building up a force to use in tactic combat situations.
please make it where we have multiple npcs or companions we can build a romance with and even marry once your married it shuts out any other possible romances or if you choose to cheat or sleep with multiple it actually impacts the game and your allies and companions where it can actually have consequences like you lose that companion stuff like that where it delves even further into choices matter.
Also allow it where it is compatible with using a controller not just mouse and keyboard. I am aware everything I have suggested might not even be possible but you ask for suggestions I am giving them I love deep in depth story content and choices it makes me feel like I am truly part of the game it also makes me think should I really do this or do i really want to do this.
Anyway thank you for everything and hopefully this gives you some great ideas to play with I know its a long thread but thank you sincerely appreciate all the work your doing.
Shane J Garvin.
