Scars, anyone?

[tokage]

Don't work on the weather.

With the difference that the system discussed here, wouldn't try to recreate the clothing of the person in front of the PC by interfacing with surveillance cameras and webcams over the internet. That would be ridiculous, even more if it bumps down real game play on the priority list.

I was just suggesting that the visible signs of damage (that are there in Lugaru, so I suppose there will be some in OG, too) could carry over partially to later levels in the form of scars as part of character developement. If there already is a system to display these injuries, displaying scars shouldn't be that of a problem either, at least on first glance. So this is wide away from the complexity of a skynet-like real time weather simulator.
But I never demanded (and expected) that my idea should become top priority. The moment it would seem too complex or not necessary, the idea can be scrapped and I won't cry about it.

The other major concern mentioned here:

Otherwise your character would end up a walking blob of scar tissue.

, mainly 'having too many scars making them overlap', is valid in my point of view.
I didnt know that there was Fable were somehting like this was already implemented, never played that.

To the other thing, namely 'people would try to get cool scars and stop playing the game seriously'
I can only say: If they have fun doing that, why not let them? After all games are about fun...

[Xerxes713]

I'm very much a subscriber to the Peter Molyneux model of "Don't work on the fucking weather."

I think that incident may have been what made poor ol' Peter go a bit loopy later on, meaning "about when Fable was being developed."

Anyways, I think someone mentioned something about being able to reset the model? Maybe there could be a screen where you could remove scars selectively. So, you could take off the really ugly ones and just keep one or two really badass ones.

[invertin]

I'd prefer if scars were perminant to be honest. It'd give you more incentive to survive because there is always a chance of getting some horrible looking scar on you.

It might stop people killing themselves for uber cool scarz, but whether or not that's an upside is...

I can't remember the phrase. Shut up. I'm tired. I just woke up. -.-

[MightyWarriorEX]

Or not implement the system in the first place.


I'm very much a subscriber to the Peter Molyneux model of "Don't work on the fucking weather."

Basically, when he and his buddies first founded Lionhead studios, and they were working on Black and White, they decided they wanted to make the in game weather mimic that of the weather outside a given user's house. In the end, they had an aggregator for dozens of weather sites and a bunch of bloat that they'd put hours and hours into developing. Eventually they realised they'd derailed the rest of the the game's development and cost themselves not only the actual development time that they wasted on the weather system, but also the momentum of the project.

So, yeah.

Don't work on the weather.

I freak'n LOVE the weather! That sounds like a cool idea, I would have enjoyed seeing.

[Xerxes713]

I freak'n LOVE the weather! That sounds like a cool idea, I would have enjoyed seeing.

But they would have sacrificed (even more) gameplay to put in that one feature. And it probably would have been really buggy anyway.

In any case, I don't see how people trying to get cool scars is a bad thing. Maybe they could get achievements, XBL-style. But again, don't work on the weather... even though I didn't say that the first time.

[invertin]

On the subject of a weather system- The problem was that it was supposed to change depending on the weather in the player's region. That's just overzealous, so they didn't do it.

There's nothing overzealous about scars. But I would prefer that they were a punishment or incentive to get better at the game rather than a "Hey. Wanna know how I got this thingy over my eye?"

[Zantalos]

Fable 1 did have scars, but they were absolutely pointless along with most other concepts they tried in that game (eating food, making relationships, range weapons, gaining xp, money). It was like being good or evil, either you get silly looking blue lines embedded into your skull or you have red lines, neither of which were particularly good looking or bad ass. The scars were exactly the same, you get killed by a thunderbolt so the game smacks an arbitrary looking scar down the side of your face. Or you get shot by an arrow, it didn't matter because the scar had nothing how you got it, only that you were killed, so they draw another line on your face. Not immersive at all, just a lazy way to kick the player while he's down, totally pointless in my opinion.

However in Lugaru it's pretty sick when you get slashed or beat up, because the attack wasn't just a health bar drainer, it has some real meaning behind it. Like that sword will cut you, and that is way different than getting kicked in the head, because you will see yourself bleeding out from that cut, watch out.

Scars don't seem that difficult to make, they already have them in the game, all they would have to do is remember to save where they are in between levels. Taking one step further would allow the scar to progressively change color and texture to look like it's getting healed, or better yet give you the ability to bandage it or put stitches over so it stays only for a few days and not become permanent or at least very long lasting. I'm not a big fan or having irreversible repercussions like permanent scarring, but certainly for a week or month it would look totally bad ass.

Missing limbs and serrated ears, nah, I don't think it's worth it.

[invertin]

Actually, you got blue lines on your face from being a Will User.

...

I've got nothing more to add.

[Zantalos]

Which is disgusting because they give you bonus xp for casting magic so you inevitably got those blue lines that might as well be scars, because they were hideous.