QUEST DEVBLOG 3/10 - 3/24
3/10 8:30AM - 10:30AM
Completed polish on Forest Region Bible and submitted for review. Region is now in line with the template set forth by leads, relevant themes are highlighted, and the work of consistent revision can begin.
3/10 11:00AM - 1:00PM
Studio Meeting in Bob and Betsy Beyster Building
MQ led the Level Squad meeting, as the lead was out for health reasons. Relayed the completed Narrative Bible and accompanying Region Bibles to the Squad. No specific requests from Level, though MQ reiterated a general focus on unique and consistent characters. The Narrative Group set a plan to implement the Region Bibles in a game-wide revision. I was assigned the Village Revisit Region for the following week.
3/14 7:30PM - 8:30PM
Began weeks work on the Village Revisit prior to meeting, mainly comprised of familiarizing myself with revised bible, and looking for areas of initial conflict with the newly established aims. No particular concerns stood out that would require the input of the initial authors/leads. Two versions should easily integrate without wholesale change.
3/14 8:30PM - 9:30PM
Quest Narrative Meeting (via Discord)
Meeting was set to assess progress on region revisions, and set an itinerary for Sunday. Focus is on unique dialogue options detached from fetch quests/errands, as the Bibles have opened up distinct possibilities for new content. Time is short, though, and any such changes would need to be input before feature lock.
3/16 8:00PM - 9:00PM
Began more in depth work on dialogue revisions within Village Revisit. Primarily focused on the mob encounter, which has some strange/perfunctory dialogue in an attempt to keep the Druid’s voice consistent and the villagers naturalistic.
3/17 8:30AM - 10:30AM
Continued work on Village Revisit, so as to have a fairly feature complete and refined revision for the morning meeting. Quests within the Region are consistent with the stated emotional outcomes. Battle with the mob has been refined to better convey the themes of Might Not Making Right, and the dialogue within the nursery wrangling has been pushed to highlight distinct character traits.
3/17 11:00AM - 1:00PM
Studio Meeting (via Discord)
Attended remotely as I was dealing with a stomach bug. Quest leads discussed the approaching feature lock. Level Squad leader was out this week, so I sat in on the Encounter voice chat until we split off into groups. Narrative discussed a range of low-impact additions that could be implemented prior to feature lock. Forest Region was central to the discussion, as the team discussed integrating Ollei into the region and potential additional dialogue with the Shrooms post-battle.
3/18 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Following feedback on the Region revisions, and the potential additions of branching/unique dialogue throughout the narrative, I once again reviewed the region and its representation of the intended themes as expressed in the Bible. Really only minor polish. This probably isn’t the ideal Region for added content. The possibility of highlighting the scheming horse insurance salesman was broached. Concerned that it might skew the tone, but scripted a potential scenario in my notes. Will revisit. For now, the revision has been marked complete.
3/23 4:00PM - 5:00PM
Bit of a transition week, so I spent an hour focusing on potential key NPCs that can play a larger role in the final version. Current script has an overabundance of generic characters, and while it runs the risk of shrinking the feel of the world, it will benefit the text to push a few key players into the bulk of these interactable roles. Butcher/Doctor/Barber has a ton of potential within the village, and definitely still circling the Horse Insurance Salesman for next week. Castle Guards could potentially benefit from a captain of sorts as well. A lot of the planned jokes that benefit from their generic presentation have fallen by the wayside.
3/24 8:30AM - 10:30AM
Examined possible implementation of the Ollei quest, and the ramifications it would have on future narrative. Encounter would have to be placed between the Shrooms and Council of Deer, potentially prior to battling the Shrooms. Discussed implementation would allow a key item to be acquired at any point during exploration of the Forest Region via dialogue with a key NPC. Of concern to me is the effect this could have on Village and Village Revisit, as the idea necessitates a change in the Druid’s initial departure as well as their expressed concern for Ollei as a motive for helping the villagers. Have noted these areas, and will inquire as to the status of this quest at the meeting.
3/24 11:00AM - 1:00PM
Studio Meeting in Bob and Betsy Beyster Building
One week out from feature lock. Discussion surrounded the transition into the refinement period. Inquired with Level Squad about the feasibility of incorporating Ollei in to the Forest Region. Programming believed it to be fairly easy to accomplish, absent new mechanics or art. Relayed this information to Narrative lead, as this implementation would require further refinements in the Village Revisit dialogue. In the end, the leads decided that the Forest Region was not the ideal place for additions, so the issue was tabled in favor of potential additions within the Castle Region.
