sanity, revamping the pigmen and other tribes

[ZaCormyr]

Ok guys, bare with me here (put your pants back on damnit!) This is a long one. Please take some time and read carefully, think about it, picture it. Some will love this, some will not. Just hope the former beats out the later! This is an idea for the long term, it´s not for the next update. It is by no means to be the main thing in the game, just one of the main parts. And it doesn´t need to be taken as a whole.

To start, some history. Wilson has been brought to this world by a demon. What if it has happened before to others? What if that´s why the pigmen know a little language? Think about that for a sec, lots of stuff could be added if this were true. Such as the remains of an old camp, with items to be found.

They will be adding a sanity meter. So far we know that to gain sanity you must be more dapper etc.. with the coat and hat. That might help for a bit but not for long IMHO. I´d say you need to do good deeds for others to feel better about yourself, thus gaining sanity. Not to mention that in the process you´d be socializing, another increase in sanity. Ok, on to the main idea.

So, I´d like there to be many different semi-civilized tribes, like the pigmen (and seems maybe monkeymen). Each world would have it´s own combination of tribes which balance each other out in regards to their strengths and weaknesses, and challenges for the player but also rewards. Maybe 4 in each world. Ok so in order to help the tribes, you need to teach them, in order to do that you must gain their trust (through gifts or favors) which would be easier or difficult based on the players previous actions in the world (reputation - destroy a whole forest where ents live and the ents will need some serious convincing to talk with you, just an example). So like the pigmen, they already have basic language (at some point they might tell you about others who ¨visited¨their world). To start you would teach them better language in order to teach them other stuff, so you draw things in the dirt or sand etc etc.. Once language has improved you can move on to things like basic tool crafting, basic resource and food gathering or hunting, cooking and recipes, magic etc etc until they are as advanced as you, or as advanced as they can be. Meaning maybe some tribes are better at certain things. I´d say monkeymen would be a little more intelligent than pigmen, maybe monkeymen are better at magic...

As you teach them, they start to do things on their own. Finish a farming lesson, come back a couple days later and the pigmen are now farming for themselves, busy planting seeds, watering etc.. Sooner or later you could have tribes starting to invent new items on their own. Items you can only get if they have invented it first! This will create and living, breathing village, instead of pigmen wandering around aimlessly... and it´s due to the players actions, which in turn helps him/ in a lot of ways.

A note on village mechanics. Think of a basic version of The Sims, once each pigman completes a task, it decides what the next priority should be, get food, tend crops, craft an axe to chop wood, has time to do some research, defend the village etc...

Diplomay - First, the player can decide who he/she wants to be friends with, who to be enemies with.. or friendly with all, or enemies with all. Since there would be items to be had from the tribes, which are unique to each tribe, you´d need to seriously consider who to piss off or who to make love you. Also, the tribes themselves can be friendly, or enemies, with each other. There could be total peace, or chaotic war.

To facilitate the friendships, or wars, among tribes, each tribe has a leader which can send msgs to other leaders. They call a truce, peace, alliance, declare war, ask for help, or even start trade. Each decision is based on the tribes needs at the time. The player could try to manipulate a leader within the limits of the players reputation with that tribe, to go to war, or declare a truce etc. If the player is in good standing with a tribe, he could trade with them for resources, unique items the tribe invented etc..

The map - I see it as a large area for the player which is neutral, but then areas where it´s kind of the kingdom of some tribe. Each tribe would have certain resources and food etc.. in it´s area that are abundant, and others that are lacking, thus the possible need for tribes to trade with others or you.

Bosses - I´d like to see areas controlled by bosses and his/her minions. A cavern... an island.. in order to defeat them, you´d need the help of one or more tribes. Without the items the bosses hold, you could not build the portal to the next world (i´m assuming the portal would be crafted, not just found or appears at some point).

For now, there we go... I got a rag ready to wipe crap off my face, and a cookie for those who are nice! heehee

[jujubomber]

To start, some history. Wilson has been brought to this world by a demon. What if it has happened before to others? What if that´s why the pigmen know a little language? Think about that for a sec, lots of stuff could be added if this were true. Such as the remains of an old camp, with items to be found.

Oh damn! That's a cool idea for pre-game events. Now that I think about it, the graves would imply others were there before as well.

As for the rest of your post, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand I think its a cool idea to interact with the other tribes. On the other hand it starts to remove from the lonely atmosphere of the game. Maybe later in the beta I'd have a change of heart? I dunno.

Bosses sound cool and...suddenly I thought of something that relates more to the history before the game starts. What if the tribesmen used to be people but changed after being in this realm for so long (a side effect of dying/giving up in this world? Do their past actions determine which tribe they get reborn in?). Anyways, that's not related to bosses. It makes sense that you would have to defeat some since you're trying to escape from a place that the demon brought you to. The 'teaming up' type deal for helping defeat the bosses can make sense if the tribesmen did used to be people.

Overall I think your idea with the socializing aspect is interesting, but currently I can't see it happening anytime Soon.

[ZaCormyr]

Now that I think about it, the graves would imply others were there before as well.

That would make sense! Like it.

On the other hand it starts to remove from the lonely atmosphere of the game.

I´ve been thinking about that. So I believe that having the pigmen etc.. be victims the same way as Wilson, would be a bad idea. That makes the tribes become too personal to Wilson, someone to share his experience with. Maybe the tribes could be previous experiments the demon had been doing on pigs and men, monkeys and men etc.., this would come out in the story over time, maybe that is part of what enlightens the tribe(s) to help them become more than what they are currently. But still, their story would be their own and Wilson´s would be his own.

This will keep Wilson alone, since the only remains of previous victims like him are graves, and maybe old campsites, possibly a skeleton in a cave as well. Thus Wilson´s search for a way out is his own. What he does to achieve that goal is done on his own (aside from getting help from a tribe to kill a boss to get items for the portal). His loneliness is the fact that he´s the only one missing home and wanting to go back. All the craziness of night, the sanity meter, and his missing home and trying to find a way back, and also that the player is the only one to move from world to world, those would keep that part of the game healthy IMO, because that part of the game should be rich with content, just like the tribe thing.

Hope that makes sense...

[ZaCormyr]

Bump, yup i did it to my own.. (hanging head in shame)

[TylerTheDragon]

Now that I think about it, the graves would imply others were there before as well.

If that was the case , why would the ghosts ATTACK you? even though you dug up their graves m i'm pretty sure they would come and help you do things so you might be able to put their souls to ease..

[ZaCormyr]

If that was the case , why would the ghosts ATTACK you? even though you dug up their graves m i'm pretty sure they would come and help you do things so you might be able to put their souls to ease..

Hmm, well generally a ghost is someone who died horribly and untimely, and thus cannot move on, it is stuck in this plane of existence, resenting those still walking around in the flesh.

Does that work for ya?

[horatio_svetlana]

The reason a ghost would attack is because it doesn't work on the imperfect logic people do. It's in pain, it sees you and attacks because it's angry. The Sixth Sense probably put a good idea to it, ghosts don't even know they're dead and act strangely.