Something additional that people don't seem to mention often: there are plenty of romance options (possibly too many to make sense) but how about a NPC romancing another NPC?
I found it cool that Imoen and Kelsey would have a romance in the Kelsey NPC mod. If other characters were to find love, it would make more sense for my own PC. I was thinking maybe a Harper stationed in Athkatla would make a good "old friend" of Jaheira's (not *necessarily* a romantic interest, but a detailed/expanded inter-NPC friendship track).
I'd find it interesting if they come from areas in the game where you don't find NPCs. Imnesvale gets you Mazzy, De'Arnise gets you Nalia, Trademeet gets you Cernd, Sewers get you Keldorn, etc. No one comes from Windspear? Why not Garren Windspear's daughter/son? Or maybe one of the Watcher's Keep people? Maybe a thief looking to raid the Keep of its treasures, or one of the Knights outside of it?
A lot of mods also bring in old joinable NPCs from BG1, but how about some formerly NON-joinable NPCs? That would make things diverse, and the Angelo mod did a pretty decent job of this. Perhaps other minor characters you met/helped along the way? Duke Eltan might be pushing it, but maybe Officer Vai was impressed by you and heard of your kidnapping, wanted to see whats up? Or someone you formerly fought, like the Angelo mod? Tranzig would be an interesting choice if you let him live in the first game.
These arent great ideas, but they are workable and a bit different. What I'd really like to see though?
Lordy Binky the Buffoon would be a really cool Jester NPC
I can just see him as the ultimate troll, mocking Irenicus's most beloved lines "You need a new tailor, your mask is absolutely dreadful!" "you will suffer. you will all suffer" "yooos weel suffa. yooos weeel allllll suffa"
I would use the word "taper" personally. I like a romance every now and then. It has become a bit excessive though... but hey, I don't need to use them! I just don't like how all the romances seem to use resources that would be better spent developing friendship paths. As someone stated earlier, people have far more friends than lovers in real life (Colin Farrell being the obvious exception)
We have lots of Elves, Half-Elves and Humans already. Some more Half-Orcs, Gnomes, Halflings or Dwarves would be appreciated given that there is currently only one of each in BG2:EE.
There have been a couple of similar threads to this and the most agreed-upon suggestion for a new NPC was something along the lines of a Neutral Female Dwarven Barbarian or Dwarven Defender. This covers the lack of female Dwarves, lack of Barbarians/Dwarven Defenders and relative dearth of neutral aligned fighters.
There are a couple of other class combinations that haven't really featured in the series. There are no Fighter/Mage NPCs in either game and no Sorcerers in BG2. It might also be cool to have an Druid such as an Avenger given that Jaheira thinks of herself as more Harper than Druid and Cernd should be avoided at all costs.
That said, as long as a new NPC is well written & voice acted, fits into the world comfortably and isn't brokenly overpowered I'll welcome any further additions regardless of race/class/alignment/gender. A quest, NPC specific item(s), romance options etc add a bit of flavour but aren't always essential. New content should be indistinguishable from original content in an ideal world.
I agree with 90 percent of what other have said on the thread -- Kidcarnival all but nailed it. But, still, I see things a bit differently.
A. Since we are talking about a mod NPC (right?) the rule is: feel free to do *anything* you like. You are going to work for others without pay (right?). So, do whatever sounds fun. Want to make a level 90 weredragon? -- go for it.
B. If you *want to* make something for others I'd take different approach to the those calling for barbarians / skalds / dwarven defenders (but, again, whatever). Think about what kind of party you want to put together and what is missing from that party. The bare-bones basic, D&D 1st edition 4 person party was -- 1 fighter, 1 cleric, 1 thief, 1 mage.
The BG2 power party has 2 front liners, 1 archer, 1 Cleric, 1 Thief, 1 Mage. If you start thinking about how to put together different parties based on that template you will find that you can put all sorts of NPCs into the front line but you will keep putting the same few people into the cleric and thief slots. Take a look at the 'help me build my party' threads and you will see what I am getting at. The game needs more clerics and more thieves.
So, things I'd like to see. How about a Dwarven cleric that will play a role in the Korgan-Mazzy 'romance'? After Korgan goes gleeful about getting a maybe perhaps charname could suggest that he try to go sober, to start bathing and to get right with the Dwarven gods so he could have a chance with Mazzy. The story could complete with an atonement quest lead by the cleric.
I like the mentor idea -- how about a cleric who wants to talk about divine politics and charname's role in the pantheon? If charname becomes a demi god of murder he will have to face down Cyric -- a major power. Charname will lose.
So, can the 'portfolio' be changed? Can charname become the god of euthanasia? Of redemption? (ending one life to start another). I there a way that charname can avoid destiny altogether and give up the taint of Bhaal?
Last bit of advice -- if you want to write about dwarves (as it seems that lots of people on the forum want) go back to Tolkien and Tolkiens's sources to get the flavor down. Read or listen to Beowulf and get a sense of a people who wanted nothing more than to defend their beer hall and to be gifted with handsome mail shirts in return for doing heroic deeds.
I'd definitely like to see more of the smaller folk in mods, and there's certainly potential for material beyond just NPCs. Both halfling and dwarven realms were in Amn at one time, so there are certainly ways to tie in quests and new areas.
Comments
I found it cool that Imoen and Kelsey would have a romance in the Kelsey NPC mod. If other characters were to find love, it would make more sense for my own PC. I was thinking maybe a Harper stationed in Athkatla would make a good "old friend" of Jaheira's (not *necessarily* a romantic interest, but a detailed/expanded inter-NPC friendship track).
I'd find it interesting if they come from areas in the game where you don't find NPCs. Imnesvale gets you Mazzy, De'Arnise gets you Nalia, Trademeet gets you Cernd, Sewers get you Keldorn, etc. No one comes from Windspear? Why not Garren Windspear's daughter/son? Or maybe one of the Watcher's Keep people? Maybe a thief looking to raid the Keep of its treasures, or one of the Knights outside of it?
A lot of mods also bring in old joinable NPCs from BG1, but how about some formerly NON-joinable NPCs? That would make things diverse, and the Angelo mod did a pretty decent job of this. Perhaps other minor characters you met/helped along the way? Duke Eltan might be pushing it, but maybe Officer Vai was impressed by you and heard of your kidnapping, wanted to see whats up? Or someone you formerly fought, like the Angelo mod? Tranzig would be an interesting choice if you let him live in the first game.
These arent great ideas, but they are workable and a bit different. What I'd really like to see though?
Lordy Binky the Buffoon would be a really cool Jester NPC
"You need a new tailor, your mask is absolutely dreadful!"
"you will suffer. you will all suffer"
"yooos weel suffa. yooos weeel allllll suffa"
You do meet (presumably) Garren Windspear's son or otherwise close relatively in BG1. *whistles silently watching you go look him down now*
Additional hint to show I'm not all cruel. He's in Beregost.
There have been a couple of similar threads to this and the most agreed-upon suggestion for a new NPC was something along the lines of a Neutral Female Dwarven Barbarian or Dwarven Defender. This covers the lack of female Dwarves, lack of Barbarians/Dwarven Defenders and relative dearth of neutral aligned fighters.
There are a couple of other class combinations that haven't really featured in the series. There are no Fighter/Mage NPCs in either game and no Sorcerers in BG2. It might also be cool to have an Druid such as an Avenger given that Jaheira thinks of herself as more Harper than Druid and Cernd should be avoided at all costs.
That said, as long as a new NPC is well written & voice acted, fits into the world comfortably and isn't brokenly overpowered I'll welcome any further additions regardless of race/class/alignment/gender. A quest, NPC specific item(s), romance options etc add a bit of flavour but aren't always essential. New content should be indistinguishable from original content in an ideal world.
A. Since we are talking about a mod NPC (right?) the rule is: feel free to do *anything* you like. You are going to work for others without pay (right?). So, do whatever sounds fun. Want to make a level 90 weredragon? -- go for it.
B. If you *want to* make something for others I'd take different approach to the those calling for barbarians / skalds / dwarven defenders (but, again, whatever). Think about what kind of party you want to put together and what is missing from that party. The bare-bones basic, D&D 1st edition 4 person party was -- 1 fighter, 1 cleric, 1 thief, 1 mage.
The BG2 power party has 2 front liners, 1 archer, 1 Cleric, 1 Thief, 1 Mage. If you start thinking about how to put together different parties based on that template you will find that you can put all sorts of NPCs into the front line but you will keep putting the same few people into the cleric and thief slots. Take a look at the 'help me build my party' threads and you will see what I am getting at. The game needs more clerics and more thieves.
So, things I'd like to see. How about a Dwarven cleric that will play a role in the Korgan-Mazzy 'romance'? After Korgan goes gleeful about getting a maybe perhaps charname could suggest that he try to go sober, to start bathing and to get right with the Dwarven gods so he could have a chance with Mazzy. The story could complete with an atonement quest lead by the cleric.
I like the mentor idea -- how about a cleric who wants to talk about divine politics and charname's role in the pantheon? If charname becomes a demi god of murder he will have to face down Cyric -- a major power. Charname will lose.
So, can the 'portfolio' be changed? Can charname become the god of euthanasia? Of redemption? (ending one life to start another). I there a way that charname can avoid destiny altogether and give up the taint of Bhaal?
Last bit of advice -- if you want to write about dwarves (as it seems that lots of people on the forum want) go back to Tolkien and Tolkiens's sources to get the flavor down. Read or listen to Beowulf and get a sense of a people who wanted nothing more than to defend their beer hall and to be gifted with handsome mail shirts in return for doing heroic deeds.