Player's headquarters

[InBlast]

Hello everyone !

I'm coming to you to discuss about the headquarters in games : it's a base for your party, that can haddle some features, likes books, trophies, upgradables production systems, etc...

Also, if you have a lot of characters, they can be here when you don't take them with you. Something like the camp in DAO.

Do you think it's an interesting feature in RPGs ?

I think the easiest way to do it is having a lot of different maps for your base, and change it at every upgrade you do. Any ideas about something better ?

What do you think is important to have in this HQ ?

 

[estriole]

i like suikoden because of it's HQ system. recruit someone... got something new in castle.

especially suikoden 2.

you can have cooking minigames (with side stories), climbing mini games where you can gain rare items, dance mini game, gambling mini games, fishing mini games, etc.

you can also have item shop which upgrade itself with the stories. (sell more equipment etc. super rare item need to be found in chest though. but at least normal rare item can have low chance to be available at the shop).

it would be nice having place like that to waste time when player a bit bored with the story. (another example is gold saucer from FFVII but it's not HQ though).

HQ also will make the player have sense of achievement.

for how to make it easier... currently converting my last part of my decor and build series from ACE to MV. it would be easier to manage HQ when it's done. we can place decoration, etc... even if you want to have a city... just make a building charset. then place your building in the building lot. customizeable city sounds better than our regular HQ. .

then we need something like Region Map Loader by formar converted from ACE to MV. then it would be easier to build our HQ in one map (no need multiple map which could be confusing to event. hopefuly formar making plugins in MV.

 

[InBlast]

Nice ideas =)

For the map, i'm using parallax mapping. That's why i plan to use multiple maps, because i want some constructions to appear only when you do something to build it.

I don't know what Region Map Loader is. I made some quick research, i appear to be something that allow you to load differents maps with events. Am i right ?

just make a building charset. then place your building in the building lot

I don't understand what you mean by that ^^

 

[Milennin]

I like it if there's effort put into it. When things change every time you have done another part of the story, and if there are characters in the base that they have new dialogue after completing a new part of the story.

 

[Kes]

I personally don't see the point of doing this by parallax mapping - unless you plan to do that anyway.  As a mechanism it doesn't need it and just adds an additional work load.  

You can add things using events conditioned by switches which are activated at certain points of the game.  With shops and NPCs it could be switches, the actors' levels or other stats or the presence of a particular character in the party which trigger changes.  The possibilities are very wide.  If there is going to be a huge change of appearance of the map, then instead of parallaxing, just do a new map with the alterations and have your transfer event send the party to the new map when your particular condition is met.

 

[SinのAria]

One FF (FF6?) had your base be inside the Airship.

I personally like camps.

 

[Nebuerys]

I personally see very little importance of having a full-blown headquarters in your average RPG. When it comes to the basic management of party members such as equipping, changing or party members, checking your collectibles and even just to have simple conversations with your party, it's too tedious to have to wait for the map to load and walk around the place just to do things that can be done through your standard party menu.

Of course there are exceptions to this depending on the relevance of having a base is to the plot. Large, fortress-like bases a la Crossroads Keep from NWN2 makes sense because the player must fortify his base due to an expected siege. On the other hand, having permanent bases won't if your party is the ever-travelling type.

 

[Demimura]

Most rpgs ive played had HQ systems that i really enjoyed, some even had easter eggs or endgame quests stashed around them.

as long as the HQ isnt humongous for no reason, you can pretty much do anything you wish, like medics, peddlers, gathered party members, etc

 

[Wavelength]

We've had this discussion a couple times already in the last several months - it might be worth searching old threads in this subforum for lots of other ideas.

 

[Zoltor]

Technically I have basically a HQ going on in my game(don't need it for party switching though). The city in question is a side quest hub that is where you pick up most of the side quests in the game, but it also has a ton of side quests for its self, things like upgradable shops/facilities(other then shops for crafting material, weapons, items, ect, you also have a Arena, and Casino with upgrade quest chains as well).

You have to do a side quest to gain access to this city, but once you do, you're going to be going their pretty often, to hand in quests, and unlock/upgrade facilities. Traveling to it is rather painless, as I made a relic that can open a portal anywhere(except in a dungeon, so it can't be abused), and then when you're done doing whatever in the city, you can return to the exact spot you created the portal.

 

[M.I.A.]

I usually keep my Actor roster small to allow for better character development and story telling, but I do like to include a little mix and match when it comes to changing up the party. I usually handle this in one of two ways:

1) Please select your first Character= Knight, Paladin, Wizard, Priest, Engineer, Chemist (a-la Final Fantasy, in which case the characters dont really have personalities and its more for strategic game play)

-or-

2) When you enter into the HQ (Guide, Mom's House, Barracks, Etc.), all Party Members except the main character (or stand-in Main character) are automatically removed from the Party, and when you speak with the other cast members, they give you some piece of knowledge based on the stories progress.. and then you are prompted to invite them back into the party before moving on your way.

It always irks me when you can change party members on the fly... as if you are actually traveling with 30 other people... LOL.

 

[Beamlight]

Hello everyone !

I'm coming to you to discuss about the headquarters in games : it's a base for your party, that can haddle some features, likes books, trophies, upgradables production systems, etc...

Also, if you have a lot of characters, they can be here when you don't take them with you. Something like the camp in DAO.

Do you think it's an interesting feature in RPGs ?

I think the easiest way to do it is having a lot of different maps for your base, and change it at every upgrade you do. Any ideas about something better ?

What do you think is important to have in this HQ ?

Personally, I do. I love headquarters in games. And you're right; combining different maps with events can allow for players to really feel like they are filling their space up. It gives players a central home to come back too. I like the idea of that.