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Initial motivation for PCs

I have been working on a total conversion mod for BGEE (originally for BGTutu) for over a year now and I am having a little problem with getting the plot started. So far I have been concentrating on side quests and basic game mechanics. It is very difficult to set up the story for as many different PCs as possible.
In BG1 the PC's motivation can be to avenge Gorion. Or if charname does not care about his foster father he might just want to get rid of those bounty hunters for his own safety. He might simply be looking for adventure or companions, so he joins Khalid and Jaheira in their quest.
Of course in BG1 the PCs back story is quite predetermined. I am trying to keep the game open for a variety of characters with different back stories while still having a main plot.
Basic motivations can be the desire to help people, the hunger for power, the wish to have adventures, wealth or fame.
Maybe someone could help me find motivation for different PCs so I can introduce the plot in a way that every character can follow it.

English is not my native language. So I hope this post is not too confusing.

Comments

  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
    CalmarJuliusBorisov
  • CorvinoCorvino Member Posts: 2,269
    With multiple character alignments it can be tricky to get a universal motivator.

    Classic ideas are having the entire world or the character's friends, family or interests threatened somehow. That way Good, Evil and Neutral characters all need to respond in some way. It's a bit cliche and does funnel people in a certain direction but it gets the job done.

    Revenge is a possible motivation, but misses out for e.g. someone roleplaying a priest of Ilmater, who accepts and forgives suffering.

    BG2's device of having something essential taken from you is a good one. It means you can attach your own alterior motives to your character, but the fact is you *need* to get back what Irenicus takes from you.

    There's always the possibility of a McGuffin though. McGuffins are small, portable items like a USB drive with secret data in a spy film, an ancient and powerful magic scroll in fantasy or a briefcase full of cash in a gangster movie. They don't advance the plot in themself, and the character won't use it but they need to be protected and delivered to the right person.

    Hope this is useful, but check out TV tropes if you need ideas. It's where I steal all mine from.
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
    [Deleted User]EntropyXII
  • DrugarDrugar Member Posts: 1,566
    If you're changing things anyway, why not include a town crier or billboard that says "Mine infested with demons. Those who kill them get 2000gp and the thanks of the town of Nashkel."

    Good hears 'demons', evil and neutral hear '2000 gold'.
    [Deleted User]
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
    elminster
  • EntropyXIIEntropyXII Member Posts: 656
    edited August 2013
    The first time I played the game I hadn't a clue what I was doing. I managed to immediately run down to high hedge, pick up Kivan then continue past Beregost. Imagine my confusion when I took the job in Nashkel for gold, completed the Mines and then suddenly finding myself advancing the plot.

    My Lawful Stupid Paladin's motivation? You could call it gold, I guess. But in truth it was a strange amalgamation of being a noob and the continuing to be a noob.
    [Deleted User]elminsterDJKajuruJuliusBorisov
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    @entropyxii sounds like a retard run of the original fallouts (really low intelligence stat) where you just wonderously wander everywhere you need to go without even realizing it :)
  • CorvinoCorvino Member Posts: 2,269
    @ChildofBhaal599 that's pretty extreme (and non-PC), intelligence was easily the prime stat in oldschool fallout as it determined skillpoints per level. I wasn't a powergamer at the time, but I really felt it when I dropped my int below 8, arguably it makes the games far harder!
  • EntropyXIIEntropyXII Member Posts: 656
    @ChildofBhaal599 - Not to mentioning the fact that I constantly skipped conversations, imagine my further surprise when I finally got to the end of the game.

    "AHA! There you are armoured figure! Erm.. brother...? what?! Highlander?"

    Bearing in mind that prior to my first playthrough of BG, my only PC game experience was 'Worms' - I think I did okay!
    [Deleted User]
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    Corvino said:

    @ChildofBhaal599 that's pretty extreme (and non-PC), intelligence was easily the prime stat in oldschool fallout as it determined skillpoints per level. I wasn't a powergamer at the time, but I really felt it when I dropped my int below 8, arguably it makes the games far harder!

    yeah I always had 10 intelligence because I wanted to get as many skill points as I can, but I found it funny when I saw on youtube that you get sort of caveman speak when you have low intelligence. I think I will have to try that sometime
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    Its sort of like Arcanum. I always like the intro part of Arcanum where if you have low intelligence you are right away declared a moron by Virgil :)
  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    I kinda of started on the other end - my first IE game was Planescape Torment!

    Then I tried BG2 , but at the start I asked Imoen who she was , so I thought "what, another guy with Amnesia?".

    [Deleted User]
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