Deserted Island

I just played through the puzzle for this, and believe me when I say it's a challenge.  A fair challenge, but a challenge nonetheless.

I've already done the NPCs. Not much were needed, just a few to give hints as to solving the puzzle on offer. I just need to figure out a few cutscenes.

1: The arrival. The characters should chatter amongst themselves before heading off.
2: Talking with the captain. He's unwilling to leave unless someone takes out the monster, but if the players reassure him that they can take it on then he'll get to going there and then. Probably offer to save the game before they leave, if that's the option they take. It's a hard fight.
3: Leaving while the monster is still alive. It will attack the ship.
4: Attacking the monster by the island. Not exactly the most exciting cutscene as the monster just attacks them, but it still needs to be set up.
5: Leaving the island after killing the monster.

I should probably have other things for the characters, but can't think of anything. Given that they're stuck on an island, I may have them each talk a little about themselves. Sernt can talk about how he's always wanted to see the world, Lyla can be annoyed at him for taking this so lightly, Gaita can be snippy at her because she looks just like the person that murdered his wife, Talon can try to keep them all from falling out... Yeah, have all that in the opening bit that sounds good. But outside of that... I don't think it fits to do that anywhere.

Return to Oblit's Island

There are two towns for this part of the game. Oblit's Castle, and the freshly reconstructed Torris.

Oblit Castle would have to be set before Oblit's death, because the castle would be in lockdown after that. People will have their dialogue shifted around so that they're blaming magic for all the bad stuff we've seen occuring throughout the game.


Torris will be much the same. Though there will be one character that will trade an item found in the volcano for a thing the players can use to not be damaged by the lava.


Other topics of conversation can include:

Someone in Oblit mentioning Torris
Someone in Torris mentioning how the town was rebuilt

Volcanic Redesign

I'm not entirely happy with the way the volcano/fire nexus dungeon came out, so I am expanding it slightly. I will be utilising a technique that will let me be more economical with regards to the maps.

As in, I'm using the same number of maps for this dungeon. I'm just using them in a smarter way than they were before. Rather than using different maps to illustrate the same room with different laval levels, I have a smarter way to do it involving events changing which tileset is being used.

Anyway, those new rooms!

What were formally rooms 3 and 4 are to be moved downstairs. The new room 3 will be a branching room, extending in two directions. One north, the other south. South is the new room 4, which will lead the player downstairs and in turn into the newer area.

The real trick now is figuring out what goes north of the new room 3. What sort of puzzle can I come up with? I think this is a prime opportunity to make use of the pillars from the earthen dungeon, though not in quite the same (ahem) convoluted manner. Just the one screen this time around, and their position will be represented by a boolean switch rather than an integer.

There will be a lava pool in the room as well, and the gate for that will also be represented by a switch. Within that pool will be the pillars. The real trick at this point would be figuring out how the hell the raised pillars are any use when there'd be lava filling the room. It's the same problem as for the escape route - what does the raised sand block off? In this case the answer would have to be access to something on the lower level. Either a treasure chest or a switch. This definitely needs to be carefully considered, without question.

The other puzzle I was considering was one that would make use of pushers, because I do seem to be rather fond of them. I need to think carefully about this, and what else could be in these rooms.

Thieves City, for the last time!

This time, it is a very different party that visits the city. This time, there is no Gaita present. This will surely change the way things are run. After all, they are not exactly used to the place, now are they?

Here's what I currently know about the situation:

1: It can't progress until Death arrives from Sotop, thus the player needs to do something there first.
2: Death goes to the ice caves after a brief meeting with the party there.
3: Death intends to frame the situation on Oblit in some way.

Four Tasks

The player must undertake four tasks.

The first is to try and raise the confidence of the person that was taken hostage before. The player can help them improve their fighting ability, and then spars with them. The intention here is to lose on purpose to boost their confidence.

The second isn't sure he trusts the former prisoners. This is a tricky one that requires me to think more carefully about what must be done.

The third is one I've already come up with the answer for. One of the people there is a demolitions expert, and helps Lerin blow up the mine entrance. For this one to work, I'll need to tweak things so that the trio find it demo'd either way.

The last needs the most work, I think. mediate a discussion between two friends... kind of tricky. I need more time to think about the even numbered ones, it seems.

Sotop, again

The party must visit Sotop, and thus the NPC dialogue of both Ranol and Cerin will be altered to make clear that the party must go there. There are only two ways into the forest. The northern one isn't possible to access since Gaita isn't in the party and they need someone that can pick locks. As such, the party will enter the southern entrance and will surely see Lerin lying motionless near the entrance.

Attempts to enter Sotop will fail until they speak to her.

I was originally planning to make the party acquire a compass to enter the forest in the first place, but I do not believe it is truly necessary. Given what happens, the party shouldn't actually need it at all.

With that taken care of, I should focus my attention back on what transpires when the party enters this portion of the game.

Sotop's NPCs

To begin with, four of the NPCs are concerned about what has transpired. Where I previously discussed this.

That's a good place to start working from, I think.

Returning to Kron

I've actually already managed the cutscene. All that remains is to make a few alterations to what people talk about.

There will likely be two different portions here. The first, before fighting the boss. The second, after fighting the boss.

The first thing that will change is that trust will become static. It no longer really matters, thus anything that changes it will no longer count for anything. This can be worked around quite easily.

As for the second part, there will be nine new characters introduced to the city. Additionally, the inn and the shop will open for business again.

In the new Kron, they will almost certainly dicuss:
Rumours of the resistance sending Disease in.
Disbelief about what happened.
Hatred aimed at resistance.
Thankful that the party stopped the plague.