The Tavern

[Wakka-Wakka]

-Sorry if this has been suggested, didn't search, want to post the idea anyways -

I was thinking how great an inn would be if it played more of a part in the game... For example, you could go into the tavern(i'm calling the inn a tavern for the purposes of this thread... adds to the atmosphere) and have a few drinks(actual function, costs 5 denar), maybe special events could happen in the tavern on a random basis...

-Scenario-

Imagine that press the "Gimme an ale, barkeep" button in the conversation window, and take a swig of brew... Then, a small narratory message is shown at the bottom of the conversation box, reading:

A Peasant farmer enters the tavern, clearly distressed, smelling of blood and sweat..."there's a three war parties of Khergit Raiders coming here from Rivacheg *pant* , looking for *insert random NPC name*, if you're here, I suggest you leave, there's no sense inviting death on the rest of us."

And so, that character steps forward, maybe a promiscuous duke, or a noble-lady who is running from her husband, maybe even a cowardly merchant who backstabbed the wrong business partner.... whatever, they've got money, and they're asking you to either go and kill the khergit leader, or smuggle them away from danger.

-End Scenario-

This could open up a whole range of new quests, maybe even rendesvous with the local bandit faction, who want you to kill a bunch of local manhunters, or help them ambush a convoy of heavily guarded caravans.

Heck, you could do a quest for the local garrisson commander, defending the town from a party of sea raiders, or a vaegir attack. I think that the quests would be relatively easy to script, a bunch of garrison units are spawned outside the city, and several more powerful groups of enemies are spawned nearby, approaching the town. If they reach the town through the garrison and you, you fail the quest.

Hell, maybe a black knight captain and his crew want to off their leader, and they are willing to offer their services if you agree to help them achieve their goals.

In any case, I think the Tavern should play a larger part in the game, it would be nice if it would have more functions, such as:

-A place to chill with your party, and order a couple Ales..
-Nice place to meet some local wenches... and rooms for rent in the same building!
-Great place to be approached for quests
-Learn about what's going on around the city
-Get to participate in city defence!
-Get put in jail for pulic drunkeness and lewd behaviour.. not to mention indecent exposure.
-Get into bar fight by pissing off the locals! (make the character spawn without any armour on, holding a weapon such as a bar stool, a hefty mug and serving tray(shield), or a handful of darts and a whisky bottle, taking swigs every so often to replenish hitpoints..)

....... wouldn't that be sweet? I'd beat up Xerina, personally.. everyone knows that she's really a man...

Yup, well, thats my idea... I personally think the tavern would be a great place to role play and just screw around... making the game a whole lot of fun for when we run out of other things to do.

 

[Sir Prince]

Suggested many times. But I like it. And you presented it nicely.
Welcome to the forums!
Oh, and FINALLY ANOTHER CANADIAN! Especialy British Columbian! Check out the frappers (show us were you live) thread in the off topic.

 

[jrawlings]

Great idea. But who says it has to stop at the tavern. It could be possible that the Blacksmith has something for you to do as well. What if you could find the starting material as a quest for that lovely suit of Black Armor you always wanted? Maybe put a dungeon crawl element into the Salt mine or some other yet to be inserted location to find the appropriate raw item to make your armor? (would also make the hardcore cavalry players think a bit about putting points in melee skills)

Maybe each person in the towns has their own agenda...

The fletcher could ask you to go looking in the forest for the right kind of tree to make that awesome war bow that you always wanted.

The tournament master could ask you to hunt down some bum that owes him $$$ from bets that were lost.

The merchant in Zendar is worried about competition from the smith in Rivacheg and wants you to see what they are pricing their items at and what they have in stock.

The "kidnapped" girl quest could spawn from almost anyone, instead of just the merchant.

Maybe the tavern keeper in Sargoth has a relative in Veluca that he's worried about. Your job would be to deliver a message or something of that nature.

Maybe Praven was once a Vaegir town and a family fled when the swadians took over, except one was left behind. Maybe your job could be to smuggle that person out of town and return them to the Vaegir side.

The scenarios could go on and on...

 

[Hedge Knight]

As far as town defense goes, wouldn't that be the province of the count's office? As far as wishful thinking goes, it would be nice to see fortunes actually change with the war, depending on decisive battles for a town's occupation. Merchants would lose most if not all of their stock after a turnover, as new tributes would be required and soldiers tend to make their own requisitions. Missions could open up there, to help out merchants desperate to survive in an environment suddenly hostile to the bourgeoisie of a different nationality... The count himself would be replaced by an opposite number among the opposing force, someone designated(scripted) to appear or be replaced by his predecessor as the town changes hands.
Of course, town defense missions would take place with or without your participation, and be resolved on certain days of the game's natural progression. There would simply be a window of oppurtunity as the town's name is read with the red subscript 'under siege' or 'contested' clearly visible on the world map. There might be a brief battle as your party tries to break the blockade as a relief force. Once inside, you would get the option of either manning the wall, or leading the sorties, as dictated by your character's strengths.
I'm sure there's somthing planned for the final version of the game along those lines. I just don't feel right coming right out and being so audacious as to actually ask for what I'm too lazy, unskilled or isolated to create for myself. I can only post an idea in the vain hope it gets stolen, and be ironic with my allusions to the fact that beggars can't be choosers.

Oh, and Canucks unite!

 

[jrawlings]

As far as town defense goes, wouldn't that be the province of the count's office? As far as wishful thinking goes, it would be nice to see fortunes actually change with the war, depending on decisive battles for a town's occupation. Merchants would lose most if not all of their stock after a turnover, as new tributes would be required and soldiers tend to make their own requisitions. Missions could open up there, to help out merchants desperate to survive in an environment suddenly hostile to the bourgeoisie of a different nationality... The count himself would be replaced by an opposite number among the opposing force, someone designated(scripted) to appear or be replaced by his predecessor as the town changes hands.
Of course, town defense missions would take place with or without your participation, and be resolved on certain days of the game's natural progression. There would simply be a window of oppurtunity as the town's name is read with the red subscript 'under siege' or 'contested' clearly visible on the world map. There might be a brief battle as your party tries to break the blockade as a relief force. Once inside, you would get the option of either manning the wall, or leading the sorties, as dictated by your character's strengths.
I'm sure there's somthing planned for the final version of the game along those lines. I just don't feel right coming right out and being so audacious as to actually ask for what I'm too lazy, unskilled or isolated to create for myself. I can only post an idea in the vain hope it gets stolen, and be ironic with my allusions to the fact that beggars can't be choosers.

Oh, and Canucks unite!

There have been many people who have made similar suggestions regarding sieges. Just do a search and you'll see some of the many great ideas that folks have come up with along those lines. So you aren't alone in hoping for a dynamic world with sieges.

 

[namster]

i would like to see a barmaid at the Zendar tavern get a pinch as she walks past one of the gladitors - then she kicks the fella where it REALLY hurts and dumps the remainder of a tankard over his head...

hahaha