Development Cycle Archive
Thread: Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one? (II)
JustG wrote:
The question to continue discussing is this:Should the method of becoming Force Sensitive (not the path from Force Sensitivity to Jedi) be a mysterious, unknown mechanic orone that is visible and known to everyone?
Hiya JustG,
First of all, props guys. Nice work on making the deadline and getting so very much done. Still some kinks to work out, but as a live jedi, I like most of it and appreciate all of it.
The path to becoming FS...
Let me describe how it was for me, before the new holocrons were introduced:
I tried to be good, really I did. I didn't kill townsfolk or jawas, I was kind to noobs. I really thought that the "path" to becoming a "light" jedi had something to do with being good - and not being evil or doing evil.
I went to the temple on Dantooine, and though I did not know about the waterfall at that time, I declined to take the dark side mission from the guy out in front of the temple. I didn't want to mess up my "karma".
That was how I originally thought that I could get to jedi. It was mysterious, and there were no clues (though I thought there were). It was intriguing. It was confusing. It made me think long and hard about decisions I made.
IT WAS FUN! ENGAGING!
There was a theory, which I thought was actually a really good theory, and which fit in very well with the other "faction" aspects of the game:
That each of us had a "hidden jedi faction" and as we gained (or lost) points in that faction, we advanced (or retreated) from "unlocking".
I really like that as a mechanic for unlocking. Each path must be unique to prevent "walkthroughs" being posted. Spoilers are just that - they spoil the game. By having each player with a hidden faction of light and dark, and then attaching faction points to actions or the results of actions, it is possible to create a way to unlock without creating something which is easily spoiled.
Points in the hidden factions could be added or subtracted by any number of means. Complete a mission for an engineeer, gain a light point and lose a dark. Complete a mission for a criminal, gain a dark and lose a light. Kill a townsfolk - dark, kill a cannibal - light.
Make it take LOTS of points either way. People who decide to be consistantly good or evil will unlock sooner than those who are wishy-washy about it. But all will have the same chance and none will be able to ever pinpoint exactly what they did.
Or, perhaps it would be better without the light and dark - just having one hidden faction of points to be built up. Craft a shirt, get a point. Complete a mission, get a point. Place a harvester, get a point. Train someone in a skill, get a point. Heal someone, get a point. Harvest a creature, get a point.
It shouldn't be too difficult to figure out how many points most people can get in a day, and then to raise the point requirement so that it takes a long time to unlock.
You would still be restricting unlocking FS to those who had put in a lot of time in the game. To those who had "earned" it, and anyone could eventually get there no matter the path they chose. Artisan, Entertainer, Combat...it wouldn't matter...anyone has a chance to get there.
But mystery is key. Mystery is requisite. Without it, walkthroughs and spoilers are inevitable. There must be variables.
Do not tell us what the path is. Do not construct the path in such a way that it can be identified and laid out for others to follow.
Futhermore, if everyone knows what the path is, then you will re-create the hologrinding situation...where everyone is doing everything they can to complete the path as quickly as possible. That would be as horrible as hologrinding was.
Do not make "unlocking" into a goal. Make it something which "just happens" under the right circumstances, and don't tell anyone what those circumstances are.
Let us play the game itself - as intended - and make "unlocking" a happy surprise. Make it as it was before hologrinding.
I think some ofthe other replies made the right points, so I'll just add my two cents' worth. (You did ask.
)
Presumably you developer-typefolks long ago worked up the design document for Force Sensitivity. I doubt that many of the goals for this part of the game have changed; only the actual mechanics for achieving those goalsare in question.
But for usplayers to do a good job of answering the questionof "known vs. mysterious,"we still need to start by identifying what the goals for this part of the system are. Once we know that, we can do a better job of suggesting specific mechanisms.
So here's the top-of-my-head list:
GOALS FOR THE PROCESS OF ACTIVATING FORCE SENSITIVITY
(0. The process must be fun! But this should go without saying.)
1. The process must bedifficult for each character who attempts it in order to minimize the number of characters with access to Force skills, who are always rare in the Star Wars universe.
2. The process should beultimately achievable byevery character, but immediately achievable by no character.
3. The general path may be known, but the specifics should be mysterious -- not random, but not deterministic.
4. The process should be challenging regardless ofa player's innate abilities, connection speed, number of accounts, or time online. In other words, the process should be scaled to each character's current skills.
5. The process should not require camping of any NPC or object. Having a static location leading to an instanced mission is acceptable, but multiple such locations would be preferable if this approach must be used at all.
6. The process mustclearly incorporate keyStar Wars license elements. Given that becoming a Jedi is one of the two or three most iconic elements of all Star Wars-related media, becoming Force Sensitive in SWG must have a strong Star Wars feel to it.
7. The process should expose players (through their characters)to many forms of the content created for SWG.
Based onthese goals, here's my suggestion for a mechanic to achieve them. I first made this suggestion several months before SWG launched, and others have offered their own versions of it (so it's not a new idea); this is just my take on it.
It comes down to this: Force Sensitivity Points.
Every quest, every mission, every distinctaction a character takes, may have some smallnumber of Force Sensitivity Points, or FSPs, assigned to it. The number of FSPs may be 0 (for a basic action with no moral implications, or a generic mission with no story elements); it may be moderate (for an action with moral implications or a mission with some story elements); it may be large (for a very difficult mission that tells a key part of some Star Wars story, and which cannot be repeated); it may even be negative (characters should be able to lose FSPs for choosing actions -- or inaction --that no Jedi would take).
As a character goes about his life in SWG, his FSP totalis constantly updated to reflect the FSPs gained or lost throughhis in-game behaviors. When (if!) his FSP total reaches some appropriate number, bingo -- he becomes Force Sensitive.
I believethis approach wouldachieve each of the goals I listed for the process of becoming Force Sensitive:
1. By keeping the number of positive FSPs low and/or the required total high, the difficulty of the process can be made difficult but not impossible.
2. By choosing her character's actions, and in particular what (if any) NPC missions to take, every player has a chance to eventuallymake her character Force Sensitive. But because it's not possible to gain all needed FSPs immediately, becoming Force Sensitive will take time.
3. By keeping the number of FSPs granted by specific actions a closely-held secret, as well as the "magic number" of FSPs required to become Force Sensitive, the general path may be well-known ("you have to play like a Jedi") while the specific actions necessary remain for the most partnot only mysterious but different for each player.
4. Scaling assigned missions toa character based on that character's current in-gameskills puts all players on a level playing field, and insures that what matters most is how you actually play your character.
5. If the number of FSPs provided by NPC missions is generally low, then FSPs can be spread out over most of the hundreds (thousands!) of current randomly-spawnedmissions. Thus no camping of static mission-givers is necessary. However, some specific missions (probably the highest-value ones) may be created that use instanced dungeons to minimize camping. Although low-FSP missions should be spread all over, the high-FSP missions (which will become known) should be isolated in generally known but slightly randomized locations on the different planets.
6. Normally, when a player receives FSPs, he won't know it. He may guess that some action he's taken has given him some FSPs (positive or negative), but most of the timethere won't be any obvious indication that this has happened. However, the missions that give large numbers of FSPs (positive or negative) should make it clear to the playerthat Force Sensitivity is involvedbyincorporating key Star Wars elements into the mission. Thiswould explicitly tell the player that FSPs are at stake. Not only is this simple fairness to players, it makes LucasArts happy by being a use of license elements thatwill beboth satisfying and memorable. The most effective license element in this case will probablybe tolet the player's character meet and converse with (or be talked at, if necessary) one of the advanced Jedi (Light or Dark) from the Star Wars universe.
7.Most FSPmissions --but in particular those that give moderate levels of FSPs --should be designed to require players to experience different aspects of SWG. For example, what appears to be a simple combat mission ("gotranquilize the rogue falumpaset that's bothering my kaadu herd") might require the character touse basic crafting skillsto build a specific kind of device needed to achieve the mission goal, or to interact with a crafter who can do so. Or a crafting mission could call for the character to travel to an adventure planet to hire a dancer or doctor, who tells the player something about that profession. Some missions might need to be solo; some missions might require grouping. The point is to design these medium-FSP missions to expose players to different places, professions, and content in SWG.
...
Yes, that was a long answer to a short question. 
But it's the best answer I can give.
Comments, questions, and constructive suggestions are always welcome!
--Flatfingers
Message Edited by Arconis_Runicblade on 07-10-2004 05:05 PM
I, and I believe a great many other folks were confused about what you had intended for publish 10. I thought that the quests you are going to implement wwere to open the FSCS, not to got from Force sensitivity to Jedi. I'm kind of dissapointed really, I was looking forward to some engaging quests to discover my force sensitivity. In fact, if that's possible, that's what I'd like. No more mysteries please.