How you start out.

[alesch]

I always liked the game pirates for it's beginning, where yu fought a duel against your old captain and possibly gained control of a decent ship and medium sized crew, or lost and were sent packing to start the game with a few lousy sailors and a lifeboat. It seemed to give the story a more concrete starting point, and I would really like to see somethign similar done in M&B.

Some people would probably read this and think "But I like being able to imagine my character's own backstory" or "I really don't care how the story starts" but it would have benifits.

For example if you created a character who was a squire, then you'd start the game fighting a rather large battle, against bandits, or possibly a random faction. If you're victorious you could start the game with the remnants of an army (inherited form the knight you served who was killed in the battle perhaps?) while if you lose you flee to Zendar, with nothign but a few weapons and a sickly horse that no one bothered to loot form the battle field. You could even have it like a normal battle so that you'd retain any wounds you sustained, possibly starting the game wiht only a few hit points.

If you were a merchant you could start the game defending your caravan, which a lot of money had been put into, from bandits. IF you won theb attle you begin the game with a few guards and a nice shipment of salt to deliver to Zendar. If you lose you could possibly begin only slightly better off than poor old Marnid. It would definately give the merchant character a bit of common ground with Marnid.

A hunter could possibly start in a hunting party which is ambushed by river pirates, while the priest is waylayed while carrying chuch tithes or something. There are really a hundred situations to start in, but actually starting in some sort of a dangerous situation or battle, which influenced your starting conditions would be fun.

Another addition to character creation which would be interesting would be the ability to select a race. This would influence starting default skills, based on cultural influences rather than anythign like "Elves are naturally inclined to sing and make toys for fat pedophiles to use in baiting children". Also, if you were a Swadian, Vaegirs could be more ill-disposed to you at the start, and vice versa. It mgiht even be interesting to make certian races identifiable, such as making Swadians have lighter hair than Vaegirs more often than not or some other type of subtle visual cues. Right now the only difference is that Vaegirs don't like shaving much, unless you as the commander make them.

You could also include being a Khergit, or some other foreign culture, such as the Sea Raiders. Just somethign to give the player a little more tangible way to diferentiate him/herself from every other character in the game world. Beign a Sea Raider or Khergit that's chosen a side in the war would be pretty cool.

 

[Mechstra]

I actually like this idea a lot, the more I come to think about it. Definitely has a lot of potential.

 

[Thucydides]

Congratulations, you just created the opening/backstory sequence for the game--you win a croissant.

 

[alesch]

Does this croissant come with butter? They're only good with butter... but I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

[DaLagga]

I like it. The game would certainly draw more people in if it started right in the middle of a battle. Or maybe...if you wanted to make this a heavily story driven game you could start out as a little boy. Your home town is being attacked by khergit raiders, your parents are killed before your eyes, and you pick up your fathers sword in a desperate attempt for vengeance. I'm probably pushing it, but i think it would be cool.

 

[Mechstra]

I think we want to steer clear of obvious revenge clichés like that - stick with background-related but non-emotional start points, I think.

 

[alesch]

They don't have to be emotional, and revenge would be a choice the player would make on their own. It just doesn't make much sense to me that a Squire just goes to Zendar by himself, with what must be hius Knight's spare equipment. The squire battle with the knight dying would provide a good explaination for why the squire is alone. Of course you would only be alone if you lost. If you won it would still explain why you'd be in charge, with the leader fallen, the leader's apprentice steps into command.

I don't mean to put any kind of restrictions on the plotline or the player, but these starting situations would provide an explaination for the situation, and more importantly in my opinion a bit of variation in the starting situation. Instead of always starting with the same stuff whenever you create a new character you could start with more, or better equipment. Or possibly you could start with far less.

Starting as a defeated and disgraced squire with nothign but a pair of shorts and a knife would be hard, but rewarding.

 

[Mechstra]

The only thing is that it'd be the most likely outcome for new players, automatically dooming them to a hard course of action in their first game - the players who'd get most out of the tough start would be the ones who'd win the battle anyway.

 

[alesch]

Hmm, that's true. Maybe what could be done is this: just like in the game Pirates, if you lose the battle you are todl that you're in a more desperate situation than you coudl have been, and are given the option to retry or restart, or to keep going with the less favorable outcome. The system worked well, I'm sure it'd be feasible to twist somethign similar into M&B

 

[tsuken]

I like the idea of starting with more diversity. Like choosing sides, or starting off great or terrible. But on the other hand, people that start off terrible will only be people who are new to the game, so this could be a really bad thing.

More diversity, always welcome, but watch out it doesn't scare off new people.

 

[Thucydides]

Does this croissant come with butter? They're only good with butter... but I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Best with almond paste, but sure, butter it is.

Making it specific enough to thrust you into the role of a boy with dead parents and a burnt village isn't advisable--you should be able to think of the actual backstory, but thrust into an initial struggle nonetheless.

 

[okiN]

I really like this idea, I've never liked it when you just pop out of nowhere in games like this. I hope armagan considers this idea.

 

[Worbah]

There could be an optional tutorial/prologue unique for every character.
These are ****ty first drafts, filled with a million cliches:

Hunter: You return home after one of your long trips into the wilds, only to find your wife/family raped and murdered by a small group of river pirates. You hunt them down one by one in a map a bit larger than the normal random ones.

Priest: You receive training from your master before you are to go out into the world.

Squire: As you are travelling with your master knight, you are approached by a single man, dressed rather plainly, with a grim stare. He bumps into the knight, who then demands blood. the traveller produces a nomad sabre, and the fight begins. Your master gets killed, the traveller throws your masters sword at your feet and says "You're free to go."

Merchant: You are to bring medicinal herbs from Wercheg to Tihr, which suffers from a plague, but your escort turns on you and robs you, leaving you for the dead. You manage to crawl your way to Zendar.