Reputation System Changes

Kirkor

I am not sure, if Beamdog can do anything about the reputation system, as it can be restricted by contract limitations, but I think it's worth to try. This is my idea, that I've already posted in one of topics here, regarding the reputation system.
So I have 2 ideas:



1. Your maximum reputation depends on Charname alignment:
- Good aligned Charnames can get maximum of 20 reputation points.
- Neutral aligned Charnames can get up to 18 reputation points.
- Evil aligned Charnames can get up to 16 reputation points.

So it would make Roleplaying slightly easier, as you don't have to murder innocents without reason, to maintain low reputation with your evil character. It would also make the game slightly different with each playthrough, as you don't always end up wit 20 rep in the end.


2. For every evil NPC in your team (Viconia, Baeloth, Dorn and some others) you would get -2 to your MAXIMUM reputation. So having 5 evil companions in your team would make you have maximum 10 reputation.




If you combine these 2 ideas, you actually can end up with much more interesting and maybe more challenging reputation system. It would be much harder to have high reputation (as opposed to what happens now, where you can easily have 20 reputation at the very beggining of the game). So in worst case scenario (Evil aligned Charname with evil team) you would have maximum of 6 reputation.


So, what do you think?
Is it even possible to implement such thing?

Debaser

You could try to find a modder to make a mod that does this. But honestly it means there's no consequence for actions at all if you do.

Kirkor

Well, you still get or loose your reputation. And worst case scenario should be rather rare.

Mykra

Kirkor said:

2. For every evil NPC in your team (Viconia, Baeloth, Dorn and some others) you would get -2 to your MAXIMUM reputation. So having 5 evil companions in your team would make you have maximum 10 reputation.

I actually like this one, but it would have to have more of a negative to it somehow, otherwise you are just rewarding lazy gameplay.

Perhaps a hit to your maximum reputation, and harsher penalties to shops/etc.. for lower reputations, or increased chances of Flaming Fist/Guards trying to shut you down, or some sort...

JTM

You need to have a system that addresses two variables. Reputation and virtue. I mention this in better detail here: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/243965/#Comment_243965

The virtue mod tries to fix the broken rep system as best it can. But regardless, if you don't have a two variable system on a fundamental game engine level, then it is only a half baked solution. It is quite possible to be very evil and have the highest rep. To ignore this possibility is limiting the game and play options.

The flaws in the current rep system are hidden when a player openly plays her alignment, meaning a low rep she is playing a evil character and high rep playing good character. But it doesn't handle polar opposites well in regard to rep vs. virtue. Hence the need for two variables innately in game engine. It would open up a wealth of possibilities...

Messi

There is pretty much no practical difference between 16 or 20 rep. Slighty lower merchant discount but it's not like you are ever short on gold.

Mathmick

The problem with reputation is that its trying to represent two things at once:
-How your party is viewed by other people.
-How good/evil your actions are in the game.

Party members react because of the second, and many reputation modifiers happen because of the first.
Two variables, like JTM said, would improve the system greatly if quest rewards were changed.

For example, if one were to do a fetch-quest for a Paladin Guild to retrieve an item from a secret group in another town, but retrieve it by slaughtering them, your "Reputation" would increase while your [Morality, Alignment, Goodness...] would decrease.
On the other hand, if you openly gain favour with a horrible warlord to reason with him and stop his oppressive methods, you might lose "Reputation" for willingly associating with him, but the other variable will increase for trying to help the people.

Luigirules

The problem with trying to have a morality scale is that morality is subjective.

deltago

Most quests that give +1 Rep can be completed in a different way. for example

Lena and Samuel. You can turn the body into the flaming fist instead of lugging it back to FAI. This will prevent you from getting the +1

Turn in a dead Brage instead of sending him to the temple of helm. You can also collect the 200 gp from Oublek instead of being honest to save another +1

Siding with Silke instead of killing her gets you a -2 Rep. Yes attacking Silke doesn't give you a +1 but, siding with her negatively affects your Rep

Those are just 3 examples. Yes metagaming the rewards are always better if you choose the Rep +1 bonus, however, playing evil should be challenging and those rewards are out weighed by the loot you get from reputation traps.