Feature Request / Suggestion: Storyline missions - meaningful NPC stories

[fabittar]

After reading Elite Dangerous Retribution - a pretty good book -, I came to realize what the game is missing: meaningful NPC side stories, much like any other game. By this I mean a series of missions revolving round a set of non-player characters, their motives, attrition etc. For instance, imagine taking a mission for escorting another ship or ferrying some imperial girl in your ship (or anything in-between), and this girl has a name, she tells you her story (let's make it interesting and say she's lying about who she is). You take her to her destination, maybe you're attacked by some other NPC on the way who tells you another version of her story, and you're given a choice as of what to do. Suppose you opt not to deliver the girl to said antagonist, thus taking her all the way to the station / port she asked you to, and the mission ends with more a little more story from this NPC, detailing some of the things she might be trying to hide. The follow-up could be anything from a second mission for the girl - further advancing her side of the story -, or a transmission by the NPC antagonist you met earlier, offering more details to his story and a chance to double-cross the girl etc.

I don't know if this is feasible, but Elite Dangerous is in dire need of some storytelling other than newsfeeds, voice recordings and community goals. I see all these bland NPC names and pictures at the various stations and they all seem like a waste of resources as it is. They add nothing to the game.

 

[space voyager]

If I had a credit for every time someone figured this out...

I wholeheartily agree with any addition to personalized story-telling, both NPCs' and one that a player dwells in.

 

[Strangepork]

After reading Elite Dangerous Retribution - a pretty good book -, I came to realize what the game is missing: meaningful NPC side stories, much like any other game. By this I mean a series of missions revolving round a set of non-player characters, their motives, attrition etc. For instance, imagine taking a mission for escorting another ship or ferrying some imperial girl in your ship (or anything in-between), and this girl has a name, she tells you her story (let's make it interesting and say she's lying about who she is). You take her to her destination, maybe you're attacked by some other NPC on the way who tells you another version of her story, and you're given a choice as of what to do. Suppose you opt not to deliver the girl to said antagonist, thus taking her all the way to the station / port she asked you to, and the mission ends with more a little more story from this NPC, detailing some of the things she might be trying to hide. The follow-up could be anything from a second mission for the girl - further advancing her side of the story -, or a transmission by the NPC antagonist you met earlier, offering more details to his story and a chance to double-cross the girl etc.

I don't know if this is feasible, but Elite Dangerous is in dire need of some storytelling other than newsfeeds, voice recordings and community goals. I see all these bland NPC names and pictures at the various stations and they all seem like a waste of resources as it is. They add nothing to the game.

Why DID the writer leave?

 

[metatheurgist]

Missions are procedurally generated and have to fit into specific templates. It'd be an immense amount of work to create enough dialogue and story elements that could mix and match to create interesting missions that make sense. Without that immense effort you'd just end up with the mission equivalent of "This liner is in the top 1% of all liners". Interesting the first few times you saw it, sick of it after 3 goes.

I think they'd be better off doing one-off mini-campaigns that can be done by one or more players that occur in various parts of the galaxy. The stories would have to be generic enough that they can be done by more than one player and don't alter the galaxy. But that sort of thing would be best left when all the gameplay elements are fully developed.

 

[Vasious]

Missions are procedurally generated and have to fit into specific templates. It'd be an immense amount of work to create enough dialogue and story elements that could mix and match to create interesting missions that make sense. Without that immense effort you'd just end up with the mission equivalent of "This liner is in the top 1% of all liners". Interesting the first few times you saw it, sick of it after 3 goes.

I think they'd be better off doing one-off mini-campaigns that can be done by one or more players that occur in various parts of the galaxy. The stories would have to be generic enough that they can be done by more than one player and don't alter the galaxy. But that sort of thing would be best left when all the gameplay elements are fully developed.

And What the OP describes is the Mission wrinkle system & Chained missions

Pick up a Passenger, you can get a message that someone is out to get them and the NPC comes along to attack you.
You can also get a wrinkle of someone asking you to delivery you passengers to a different destination to sell them into slavery.


The General reception was Not worth the CRs in the distraction...

 

[Ronin77]

And What the OP describes is the Mission wrinkle system & Chained missions

Pick up a Passenger, you can get a message that someone is out to get them and the NPC comes along to attack you.
You can also get a wrinkle of someone asking you to delivery you passengers to a different destination to sell them into slavery.


The General reception was Not worth the CRs in the distraction...

Yes and then after your attacked the passenger is unhappy and cancels the contract whilst in deep space.
So as Captain of this luxury liner, you are not paying for life support or power. So those are now shut off. Since no one is paying for fuel i will turn back to refuel at the local star.
Hope whatever oxygen you brought with you in your luggage will last out till i can get back to a station. Have a nice day.