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Post by Winterhawk99 » Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:27 pm
Name Your Game final build until the end of dungeon
The Quest starts when a hooded mysterious figure approaches the PC at => 20th level. They should say nothing to the PC but should hand them a letter. At this point all NPCs associated with the dungeon should be taken away from the PC and mysteriously disappear. Afterward the hooded figure leaves the area.
Letter
They call you Dovakeen Some call this name as a savior for Skyrim others the one who will cause the destruction of all of Tamerial. End or beginning it makes no difference. What does make a difference is if you have the will it will take to do what you must to survive and to help those around you survive. Three of your companions those you would call friends and lovers have been taken to a place. It is up to you to save them. You may take all the time you need to prepare Dovakeen however, I would not take too long. The people you love can only survive without water for so long. Make Your Choice Dovakeen. X marks the spot.
Here we mark the map with the dungeon however don't have a quest entry stating the exact name of the dungeon. If the PC does not make it within 72 hours we auto kill one of the taken NPC's then after another 72 hours we auto kill another. Until there is only one left. Another 24 hours we whack the last one off. When the Player goes through the dungeon if any have been auto killed there should be a different version of what the ghost pendulum says. I'm now giving our villain a new name so as not to directly tag the name jigsaw.
The PC arrives at the dungeon. We may want to figure out some way to mark it with an X but the idea of the X is really for the map. Building an X with placeables would be kind of neat. The PC goes through the entrance and goes away fighting what seems to be normal Dwarven mechanisms at some point along the way two hooded figures accost him and knock him out. Here is where the real quest starts.
Here we have to take everything away from the PC except for some rags put all his equipment in a chest at the end of the dungeon similar to the forsworn conspiracy so that they can pick their equipment back up at the end. Then the PC needs to be teleported and locked into the first situation. We give him 8 lock picks for the first trap. We also give him a shiv or iron dagger to make his way through encounters within the dungeon.
When the PC wakes up, they are chained to a dwemer pump in front of a whirling blade. Here is where things get interesting. First A phantom of Pendulum appears and tells the PC of their first test.
You have looted chests from the bones of the dead on many occasions Dovakeen. In this thievery you had all the time in the world to apply your crafts at lock picking. You have sought the treasures that families gave to their dead for their travels in the afterlife. Now Time is not on your side. The Pump you are chained to will slowly push you into the blades of the machine in front of you. You have in your pocket 8 lock picks to escape from your chains but how many can you use before the blades cut you to shreds. The Clock starts now.
In This test the PC is given 8 lock picks they can use up to 4 lock picks to get out of the trap if the 4th lock pick breaks the PC is sent into the blades by the pump and killed. First all locks will be master quality locks. Each time the PC breaks a pick we have to momentary throw him out of the lock picking cycle and into the real world and add a counting integer. With tracking the integer, we can then have the pump push the PC into the blades after the 4th pick is broken then the PC will have to start over. Otherwise if the PC does get out of the trap they can then move on to the next test or dungeon.
When the PC opens the doors to the next room there will be a display case holding a single arrow and a letter. The PC can then take the arrow and read the letter which will read.
Patience is a Virtue not to be overlooked
(this may take several days to complete please be patient)
Between the different tests it’s been suggested we have some encounters. I'm all for that. The one thing we have to remember is that The PC will not be wearing armor and the only weapon they will have on them will be either a shiv or an iron dagger or something small like that. The other thing we want to keep in mind is the enemies will be of a nature of either something Pendulum can control like the dweomer mechanisms or incidental things that usually find their way into dungeons like the very large rats ( I forget what they are called). If someone wants to make an encounter chart of what a 20-50th level character can survive fighting with an iron dagger and no armor they are welcome too.
The next part of the dungeon isn't really much it's a set up for the next to the last test. There is not scripting, traps or anything else. It’s just a long hallway with shields in a pattern on both sides. The important things will be that the shields do not hit the PC in the face 'Here We Are'. We want them to be subtle almost unnoticeable unless they look closely. The order of the pattern will be used in the next to the last test to turn off all the traps with the spinning obelisks we all know in love in most of the Skyrim puzzles.
Some encounters.
After some encounters the PC approaches a door. Going through the door they find themselves on a balcony They have an arrow but no bow yet there is a bow to the right or left of them on the balcony. Here is where they cannot jump the gun. In the middle of this room is a friend (specifically a person they helped in the past that considers the PC a friend). The friend is chained on top of a pillar at level with the balcony. The pillar and floor of the room is drenched in oil and there are 30 lamps above the room hanging just waiting to be shot. However, it is quite obvious that if the PC shoots any of the lamps the fire caused will stream up the pillar and turn the friend into a crispy charred shell. Here a phantom image of Pendulum will appear and tell the PC how they can save the friend.
Chained to the pillar before you stands a man/woman who was too cowardly to fix their problems so came to you to do what they chose not to do. Now they would call you friend but are they as worthy to be a friend to you as you are worthy to be a friend to them? You see on the ceiling the lamps that can spell their doom. On the table to the side you see a bow. In one of the lamps hides a creature that is the living essence of fire. Shooting this single lamp will free the creature which will dissipate without touching the oil on the floor thus saving this so-called friend. Choose quickly though if you do not shoot within 30 seconds all the lamps will fall the resulting fire engulfing this so-called friend. Make your choice Dovakeen Live or Die. The clock starts now.
OK the first save someone else scenario. I choose someone you helped to be the first victim. First because you can't help yourself from stepping on someone that wants a quest done and because they are easy victims that the PC would certainly know. The technical issues of the quest are making sure the fire will walk up the pillar, holding the npc in place, the float timing from the end of pendulum's speech to the end of game (30 seconds) and making sure that the one lamp that will not touch the oil lights up with live if the PC uses spell or shout and making sure if the PC shoots that one it will not light the oil.
The bow should not be obvious until pendulum tells the PC that there is a bow over there that leaves out the part where the PC can shoot the lamps before they enter the room except for by spell and if they do then they haven’t gotten where exactly they are and that’s their problem.
Possible consequences of not saving the person. Revoking their thane status. No one selling goods to the PC in that town. Jarl takes any property back that the PC has acquired in the victim’s hometown. Guards harassment of the PC in victim’s town.
Some encounters
This trap test will be something like an arena. The PC walks into a large open room the door locks behind them on the other side an Orc Chieftain walks into the room the door locks behind him also.
Between the two of them and along the walls are spike traps woven into a maze. Our phantom Pendulum appears and speaks first to the chief and then to the PC.
Pendulum to NPC.
Chief Hobo Canobo Your Strength in arms in maintaining your position and stronghold has until now been against the untested whelps wanting to improve their position. Now to gain your freedom you must earn it by fighting someone forged in the fires of a dragon’s breath. Behind this adventurer stands the key to your freedom. The door behind them will be unlocked and opened when they are dead by your hands. You may take their head as a trophy as the way of your people if you survive.
Pendulum to PC
Behind the Orc chieftain is someone that follows you Dovakeen. To have the chance to save them, you will have to defeat an Orc Chieftain full in his glory and power. If you do the door to save your follower will open up to you. Only by killing the Orc will the door open and reveal who is behind. Be careful for you also have to negotiate the spikes along the floor and wall while fighting through the door. Stand or fall it makes no difference to me only the one to survive will carry on.
The technical issues here are pretty small. We need to change faction on the Orc as soon as the speech is over, and we need to unlock and open the door for the PC if they are the one to survive. The traps should be tricky to negotiate while crossing and fighting if the spike traps won’t work on the walls we need to put tripwires with swinging traps on the walls. We may also want to work on the Navmesh a little more so that the Orc will only travel near the edge of the traps and not try to bully his way through them.
No encounters this time next room will be the next test.
In the next room The PC will find either a Housecarl or a follower chained up between 4 statues. The Room is cold, and the statues have a bluish static about them. Pendulum's phantom once again appears and says.
As you have gained fame so too have you gained Apprentices and followers. This is one of those. One that would follow you to the gates of Oblivion itself. One that gains their fame by being beside you. Are they worthy of the fame they will have when history tells your story? Here they as well as you will be put to the test. Your follower is bound between the 4 statues that will slowly freeze them to death unless you reach the 4 levers above the room switching the statues off. Each statue is timed so that only in the proper sequence can you get to them before your minion is frozen completely solid. Do you have the speed to deactivate the levers in time before they are frozen solid? Do they have the Fortitude to survive giving you the time to save them? We shall see Dovakiin. The Door to your next test will open when they draw their last breath, or all the switches are pulled. The Pendulum has been is struck. Timing is everything.
So, we have to set the statues on a timer so that the PC has enough time to do the levers while leaving the NPC enough cold shots to survive. The PC must time the shots of cold, so they know which statues to turn off first. We can easily connect levers and spells to the statues. We need different timing floats so that the statues do the spell in sequence and giving x amount of time in between spells. The NPC has to have their death script work. In the case of housecarls they cannot die unless the PC accidentally kills them. The door to the next room has to open on npc's death or the pulling of the last lever.
Possible Consequences: PC loses all housecarls and no one will follow them.
Some Encounters and such.
The next test will be the most complex build of the game. It took me several days to figure out how to make it all work. The construction in this room will be extremely important. The turning obelisk must be aligned so the if the PC remembers them from between the 1rst and 2nd test they can turn them in the same order.
As The PC walks through the door he sees a piece of paper in the middle of the room surrounded by 10 turning Obelisks there are chains hanging from the ceiling in a circle between the note and the Obelisks
when the PC takes the note spears come up from the ground making a cage around the PC trapping them but letting them pull various chains. Each of the ten chains swivels one of the obelisks to a different picture there is another chain in the center of the room hanging over the letter that chain will test if all the obelisks are in the right configuration. If they are not something bad happens when the PC pulls the chain. That reminds me the shields between the 1rst and 2nd test have to be arranged 5 to a side. That way the PC can do the order right/left of the doors in the room.
The Letter reads:
Beyond the Door in front of you is a very important person that has influenced your life in Skyrim Dovakeen, but to reach them you must withstand this final game. There is no clock. The game is simple. There are ten turning obelisk each one has a chain you can pull to view a different symbol. Throughout your journey here you have seen these symbols not once but twice. The Question is Do you remember? The chain in the center will open the door and free you from the cage if the obelisks are showing the right symbols, however if you are wrong you will have to endure pain. You have 10 chances if you have not solved this by that time the cage below you will release and send you down into the spikes at the bottom of the pit. It will be Game Over. Make your choice wisely Dovakeen the game has already begun.
I got an Epiphany while I was writing the letter. To give the PC a better chance to remember on this test and on the previous 4 tests we can put the shields in the test rooms on opposite sides of the walls preferably in the shadows. OK with each unsuccessful attempt another punishment is add to the PC so that say they miss the first one poison darts hit them, they miss the 2nd one then poison darts hit them and spears come up from the floor or down from the ceiling hitting them also. Then we can add flame, to that etc. you get the picture. The technical issues for this test will be getting the script timing right, making sure all placeables are connected properly. Also, the PC can have no chance to escape the cage while the cage is going up. I'll test that out in the trap warehouse.
In the next room the PC finds themselves on another balcony. Along the balcony are 3 levers spaced out equal distance to the exit. Below on the floor is a Maze. At one end is a person in a cage. That person will either be the PC's spouse or the apothecary in Whiterun that is in love with the PC though the PC doesn't know it yet. When the person is released, they must negotiate the maze with the help of the PC. There are 3 points where electricity travels across the path of the maze if the person goes through the electricity they will die however if the PC pulls the lever and takes the shock themselves the person can get past the electricity safely. This time a phantom pendulum will appear and say.
Below you Dovakiin is someone that loves you. They pine for you when you are away from them. They smile when you are near. But do they truly love you? Do you love them enough to take their pain so that they may live another day? They are caged as you can see. To earn their freedom, they must negotiate the maze to the door opposite from where they are caged. You also see the devices about the maze. They hold the power of lightning and will kill anything that passes through. Are you willing to take their pain so that they may pass? If you pull the levers on the balcony the lighting will stop and be transferred to you instead. You are the only one that can save them. Will you sacrifice yourself or let them die? Make your choice in this final game.
OK, so when pendulum stops talking the cage releases the PCs spouse/apothecary and the the game begins. The Victim will walk through the maze the PC has to pull the levers and take the shock or the NPC will die. If the NPC makes it through the maze or dies the final door will unlock revealing the end of the dungeon which could be any number of scenarios. The technical issues here are a script to open the cage door automatically when pendulum ends the speech. The VFX electrical discharges. Stopping the charges when the PC pulls the lever. The PC taking the charge when the levers are pulled.
This ends the dungeon part of the final build we have to conceptualize the end but with this outline we can start building the dungeon proper now.
