[Frosty]

I grew up in a towen of about 2000. The busnus oweners the township console the cop and the fire deparment all knew each outher. But nobody knew the names of the folks who just work on the frams or in the packing plants

[cardtrick]

I grew up in a towen of about 2000.

Yeah, same here. I definitely don't know the names of more than a hundred people or so though (except for those I went to school with). On the other hand, this isn't something I care much about . . .  it just looked odd, so I thought I would ask. Is this done in other games? I don't recall ever noticing it before.

Also, does that mean people will no longer know your name once you go to a different city? Or if you have no background?

Finally, how does this make sense for the grifter background? If everyone in town knows you well enough that they know your face and name, how can a grifter possibly accomplish anything?

[star]

guys, you overcomplicate things again. the shopkeeper knows your name and thats perfectly fine. i want this game to be out this year, ok please?

[cardtrick]

guys, you overcomplicate things again. the shopkeeper knows your name and thats perfectly fine. i want this game to be out this year, ok please?

For the last time, man, this kind of thing occupies our time, but doesn't slow down development of AoD. Vince has already said that he's only going to be posting updates once a week; us discussing this will not hinder that in any way. Even if Vince himself gets into the conversation -- how long does it take to write a forum post, two minutes? In any case, there's a good deal of modeling and texturing work left to do, which is totally unaffected even in theory by this kind of suggestion, so I really don't understand what you're complaining about. What would be the point of any of this if we weren't posting thoughts and suggestions?

[star]

Uhm, i don't know, maybe post some more relevant thoughts? I mean they certainly arn't going to implement a system that keeps track of which NPC's know your name and changes the dialogue accordingly. An easy and clean solution like the one they did (backgrounds and people know you) is enough here, because pretty much no one will care or even notice that the shopkeeper just mentioned your name. And even if some will, there's already a perfectly good explanation for all this. So what the hell is so important about this topic that you propose discussing it for another 2 or 3 pages, my dear friend?

[cardtrick]

Uhm, i don't know, maybe post some more relevant thoughts?

Indeed. I should have known I was posting something irrelevant . . . if only I had posted a complaint about other posters on the forum, rather than a comment on dialogue from one of the screens Vince just posted. Sometimes I just don't think.

[TheLostOne]

Uhm, i don't know, maybe post some more relevant thoughts? I mean they certainly arn't going to implement a system that keeps track of which NPC's know your name and changes the dialogue accordingly. An easy and clean solution like the one they did (backgrounds and people know you) is enough here, because pretty much no one will care or even notice that the shopkeeper just mentioned your name. And even if some will, there's already a perfectly good explanation for all this. So what the hell is so important about this topic that you propose discussing it for another 2 or 3 pages, my dear friend?

You're right.  Because no game ever changes a character's dialogue script from the first time you talk to the second.  The amount of work required to do that would BOGGLE THE MIND.

Edit: and what Cardtrick said.

[Vince]

How small a town?  In a town where people recognize most others by face and name it would seem a bit odd to have an assassin's guild don't you think? 

Well, take Hells Angels, for example. They operate openly. They even opened a clubhouse in my area. Everyone knows that they up to no good (from drug trafficking to killing (a bunch of Bandidos' bikers ended up dead, which was called the biggest mass slaying in modern Canadian history)), yet there they are.

Assassins handle disputes and conflicts. Many would agree that assassinating a military leader and stopping a war is a much better option that fighting that war and losing thousands of lives on both sides.

Unless it's not really THAT small and you're a regular at this shop....

It's a role-playing game. OF COURSE you are a regular at that shop. lol

Is it dependant on your background what different people know your name?  If that's what you're implying then cool!

Yes.

[Vince]

Also, does that mean people will no longer know your name once you go to a different city?

Yep. Except for your guild.

Or if you have no background?

No background = nobody knows you. You are a stranger. In different cities

Finally, how does this make sense for the grifter background? If everyone in town knows you well enough that they know your face and name, how can a grifter possibly accomplish anything?

Not everyone. A few people.

Joseph "Yellow Kid" Weil, one of the most famous grifters, operated in Chicago and died when he was 100. He was well known. Here is a good article:
http://kennethsuskin.blogspot.com/2007/12/interesting-people-yellow-kid-weil.html

"The most gullible of all were bankers and lawyers," Weil reminisced, because "they felt so secure in their knowledge that they didn't think anyone would dare sell them a bill of goods."

[Scott]

I like the images, except for the stripes on the pillars.  If they're supposed to be striped, they're fine, but if the stripes are supposed to represent shadows they need to be lightened up a bit.

One thing that that terrible mess of a game Lionheart did right was having NPC's gesture when they talk.  They did it quite convincingly too.  Having 10 or 12 different generic gestures [ie. arms crossed, pointing, nodding, shaking fist] and tagging dialogues lines with said gestures might look good.  Not every line would need to have a gesture of course, or it would look like you were dealing with a junkie.

[Sleet]

Where else do you get all those bolts for your crossbow? The merchant has all those cool weapons you like to drool over too. Course you want to get friendly with him - he may give you a deal.
 

[star]

Indeed. I should have known I was posting something irrelevant . . . if only I had posted a complaint about other posters on the forum, rather than a comment on dialogue from one of the screens Vince just posted. Sometimes I just don't think.

Yeah, well, after reading your post where you raised so many points, like what happens if you go to another town, will the people there know my name? What happens if i choose no background, will no one know me? What happens if i choose the grifter background, isn't that illogical, how can i be a grifter if everyone knows my name? I live in a small town, but no one there knows my name, etc etc.. After reading that i just felt the urgent need to tell you that maybe you're getting stuck into irrelevant details. Sorry if that was too offensive for you or you felt like i was just complaining, because i generally like your posts and ideas very much.

[Helian]

I'd like to have "makes an emphasis on" changed to "places an emphasis on", but that's just personal preference, I guess.
(I know that goes against my own, earlier stated policy of no-nitpicking, but considering the recent change-of-pace in this thread, I changed my mind as well)

[Vince]

So, we've finally reached Feng, the local loremaster. You can see all lines now, but I doubt that you'll see that many in the actual game. Anyway, you can pick one option.



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[Mephisto]

We have 20 in trading, 22 in persuasion and 30 in streetwise. Lets choose that streetwise as it is our highest skill.