Everytime I create a new character I become excited thinking in which kind or story and gameplay I am going to play with him/her. Will I be a fierce warrior with no interest in financial issues or become a king? I will be a leader? Maybe I will start as a bandit making money from raids and caravan attacks until my wife shows me my true path and then I have to start over with a new life (with the corresponding skill penalty).
This kind of story building is one of the biggest things I see from this sandbox game. In some other games where you can customize a lot your character/species/empire usually bring some kind of Origin feature (Stellaris Origins DLC for example). This brings even more richness to the story and the way you play it.
The character creation process is indeed powerful to support this but I would add a couple of adjustments. Origin and Destiny, you could choose both as the final steps of creating a character.
The first one regarding where and how you start the game, these are a few examples:
- Aserai Prisoner: You start the game broke and prisoner of the Aserai, your relations with them are bad and you will have a tough time getting out their territory BUT you have good relations with some nobles from your culture Kingdom waiting for your return.
- Young Apprentice: You start with good relations with one Noble from another culture, you start in the town this noble starts, this noble generates training quests for you, you gain extra skill XP based on the skills of the Noble teaching you.
- Cultured Start: This is a plain start within your culture with some built relations with nobles and notables from your culture cities and villages.
- Thug Life: You start with 10k gold but criminal state within your starting location not in your culture.
- Enslaved: You start with Vigor and Endurance bonuses, you are broke you cannot gain renown until you pay for your freedom to your Noble Master
- Found an artifact guiding your destiny: For example Neretzes Folly or a Mythical Sword or something starting a primary quest
- Uncertain Future: You start in a random location and you cannot select destiny, you will have a random destiny revealed when you reach Clan Tier 2
The second one regarding your goals in the mid/late game, what you want to be:
- Tournament Legend: Once you win let's say 100 tournaments you gain a title granting you relationships or mercenaries willing to join you, also get a great attractive with women.
- The Biggest King in Calradia: Once your kingdom becomes the more powerful one you get loyalty bonuses, maybe a unique Crown Helm you can wear also with your civilian outfit.
- Great Merchant: Once you level trade to a certain point and your total income increases you get some bonuses, maybe you can hire up an elite guard who always goes with you when you go to hideouts
- The Bandit King: Once you level Roguery to a certain point and you have stolen a lot from kingdoms you gain the ability to conquer and manage Hideouts (very easy management like workshops)
- The first Knight: As a vassal you develop exceptional Riding and Polearm skill and relationship with the ruler of your kingdom, then you will recieve a special title giving you income daily
- The great Explorer: Once you have visited every location (village, castles and towns) in Calradia your name sound everywhere you get a relationship bonus and a special companion/follower
- The Avenger: Once you avenge your father's death (you first need to investigate who was his murderer, take him prisoner and execute him) you gain powerfull allies and repect from your enemies, and maybe the stolen unique sword or armor that belonged to your father
These are ideas, it could be a mod, a DLC, or a feature included in a simpler way, maybe the same bonus for all the destinies and it would be some kind of long term personal quest. I don't like starting in the empire in every playthrough and it would be very simple spice the start a bit.
I hope TaleWolrds takes some from this kind of threads to make the best storytelling sandbox in the market.
This kind of story building is one of the biggest things I see from this sandbox game. In some other games where you can customize a lot your character/species/empire usually bring some kind of Origin feature (Stellaris Origins DLC for example). This brings even more richness to the story and the way you play it.
The character creation process is indeed powerful to support this but I would add a couple of adjustments. Origin and Destiny, you could choose both as the final steps of creating a character.
The first one regarding where and how you start the game, these are a few examples:
- Aserai Prisoner: You start the game broke and prisoner of the Aserai, your relations with them are bad and you will have a tough time getting out their territory BUT you have good relations with some nobles from your culture Kingdom waiting for your return.
- Young Apprentice: You start with good relations with one Noble from another culture, you start in the town this noble starts, this noble generates training quests for you, you gain extra skill XP based on the skills of the Noble teaching you.
- Cultured Start: This is a plain start within your culture with some built relations with nobles and notables from your culture cities and villages.
- Thug Life: You start with 10k gold but criminal state within your starting location not in your culture.
- Enslaved: You start with Vigor and Endurance bonuses, you are broke you cannot gain renown until you pay for your freedom to your Noble Master
- Found an artifact guiding your destiny: For example Neretzes Folly or a Mythical Sword or something starting a primary quest
- Uncertain Future: You start in a random location and you cannot select destiny, you will have a random destiny revealed when you reach Clan Tier 2
The second one regarding your goals in the mid/late game, what you want to be:
- Tournament Legend: Once you win let's say 100 tournaments you gain a title granting you relationships or mercenaries willing to join you, also get a great attractive with women.
- The Biggest King in Calradia: Once your kingdom becomes the more powerful one you get loyalty bonuses, maybe a unique Crown Helm you can wear also with your civilian outfit.
- Great Merchant: Once you level trade to a certain point and your total income increases you get some bonuses, maybe you can hire up an elite guard who always goes with you when you go to hideouts
- The Bandit King: Once you level Roguery to a certain point and you have stolen a lot from kingdoms you gain the ability to conquer and manage Hideouts (very easy management like workshops)
- The first Knight: As a vassal you develop exceptional Riding and Polearm skill and relationship with the ruler of your kingdom, then you will recieve a special title giving you income daily
- The great Explorer: Once you have visited every location (village, castles and towns) in Calradia your name sound everywhere you get a relationship bonus and a special companion/follower
- The Avenger: Once you avenge your father's death (you first need to investigate who was his murderer, take him prisoner and execute him) you gain powerfull allies and repect from your enemies, and maybe the stolen unique sword or armor that belonged to your father
These are ideas, it could be a mod, a DLC, or a feature included in a simpler way, maybe the same bonus for all the destinies and it would be some kind of long term personal quest. I don't like starting in the empire in every playthrough and it would be very simple spice the start a bit.
I hope TaleWolrds takes some from this kind of threads to make the best storytelling sandbox in the market.
