[WIP MOD] Dorn Romance Expansion
amika
Member Posts: 34
I said I wasn't going to post this until I had enough work invested that I wouldn't burn out all my enthusiasm by talking... and I think I am at that point now!
So if you're like me, you played through the entire Dorn romance and were like, "wow what a hot orc," and "i wish there was more hot orc" and "i love this unhealthy relationship." After poking around to see if anyone had done any big expansions already, and reading forum posts and critiques, I decided to try one myself.
Stuff that's already in:
- It's PG-13. Sorry to everyone looking for orcin' porkin'.
- It imports a couple new variables from BGEE/SoD. The most consequential one triggers a variant lovetalk track if you finished the SoD romance.
- There's more dialogue choices for neutrally-aligned PCs where it felt like they were missing before, particularly while recruiting him. You don't really need to share his enthusiasm for slaughter in order to feel for him.
- Chapter 6 abduction plot. I learned how to do art assets for this!
- As long as you can keep Anomen ignorant of what you've been doing behind his back, he'll join you. I can't promise he'll stick around forever or that no one will get killed. But until then, watch him and Dorn be jerks to each other.
- A handful of tweaks and some little fixes, like, there was a problem with the wrong version of a later context-sensitive lovetalk triggering, some newly-recruited NPCs reacting to things long after they'd happened, a couple replies mistakenly did/did not end the romance, etc. Also, if the PC knew him in BGEE/SoD, he'll know them from the beginning.
Stuff I'm progressing on or haven't decided about yet. I welcome comments!!!:
- Alternate lovetalks for the post-SoD track. The talks are still paced more or less the same, and it's not a whole new romance, but it accounts for some things Dorn realizes through SoD and the fact that you've been through some stuff already.
- New dialogues where it felt like they were missing in the original track. I try to write him as the more nuanced version he is in SoD. He just doesn't want you to let anyone mess with you, you know?
- Feelings about Dragonspear are pretty much resolved (one way or another) by the end of SoA. ToB throws back to the decision Dorn made at Resurrection Gorge, similar to Anomen's romance progression, but my ideas about this are still a little loose.
- New epilogue where I felt one was missing.
- Dorn's ToB quest was a lot of fun, but it felt disproportionately epic given the decisions I made through SoA. I'm wondering if he should have an optional, more grounded ToB quest based on his SoA quest outcome.
Stuff I'd really need to be convinced to do:
- I don't want to change a lot about his character or replace too much of the original dialogue, because that seems rude to the writers, and I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't like Dorn in the first place. I'd rather focus on adding new content based on context (eg, different outcomes at Resurrection Gorge).
-Likewise, I'm not touching his recruitment quest. I don't think it's too comically evil for this setting. Not after Xzar.
- I can't really get myself interested in redeeming Dorn in the eyes of the world at large.
Anyway.
That's what I've been up to. If this interests you, stay tuuuned.
So if you're like me, you played through the entire Dorn romance and were like, "wow what a hot orc," and "i wish there was more hot orc" and "i love this unhealthy relationship." After poking around to see if anyone had done any big expansions already, and reading forum posts and critiques, I decided to try one myself.
Stuff that's already in:
- It's PG-13. Sorry to everyone looking for orcin' porkin'.
- It imports a couple new variables from BGEE/SoD. The most consequential one triggers a variant lovetalk track if you finished the SoD romance.
The new track also plays out a little differently depending on how sour your PC is during recruitment & first lovetalk, not necessarily in a bad way. You can even just roll up and demand revenge if that's what you're into.
- There's more dialogue choices for neutrally-aligned PCs where it felt like they were missing before, particularly while recruiting him. You don't really need to share his enthusiasm for slaughter in order to feel for him.
- Chapter 6 abduction plot. I learned how to do art assets for this!
Only if he has no patron. And Bodhi really has some low punches to throw your way.
- As long as you can keep Anomen ignorant of what you've been doing behind his back, he'll join you. I can't promise he'll stick around forever or that no one will get killed. But until then, watch him and Dorn be jerks to each other.
Or like, you know, make Anomen hate the Order.
- A handful of tweaks and some little fixes, like, there was a problem with the wrong version of a later context-sensitive lovetalk triggering, some newly-recruited NPCs reacting to things long after they'd happened, a couple replies mistakenly did/did not end the romance, etc. Also, if the PC knew him in BGEE/SoD, he'll know them from the beginning.
Stuff I'm progressing on or haven't decided about yet. I welcome comments!!!:
- Alternate lovetalks for the post-SoD track. The talks are still paced more or less the same, and it's not a whole new romance, but it accounts for some things Dorn realizes through SoD and the fact that you've been through some stuff already.
- New dialogues where it felt like they were missing in the original track. I try to write him as the more nuanced version he is in SoD. He just doesn't want you to let anyone mess with you, you know?
Like, do you want to discuss those wraiths, Dorn, or what.
I also think it's kind of really funny that he doesn't say anything to the PC the morning after he sleeps with them, but I'll probably put something in because I've heard some people think it's just not triggering.
I also think it's kind of really funny that he doesn't say anything to the PC the morning after he sleeps with them, but I'll probably put something in because I've heard some people think it's just not triggering.
- Feelings about Dragonspear are pretty much resolved (one way or another) by the end of SoA. ToB throws back to the decision Dorn made at Resurrection Gorge, similar to Anomen's romance progression, but my ideas about this are still a little loose.
His personality shift is slight; he just reverts to the less strung-out version of Dorn that was in BGEE once his patron stops making him itchy all the time... or whatever he did. He does take an alignment shift if he retains a patron, but it's, uhh, not upward.
- New epilogue where I felt one was missing.
- Dorn's ToB quest was a lot of fun, but it felt disproportionately epic given the decisions I made through SoA. I'm wondering if he should have an optional, more grounded ToB quest based on his SoA quest outcome.
I'm torn on this because I do like the running theme that he was damned before he met you and sometimes all the effort in the world can't save someone, but I alsooo like the idea of him giving up his patron having a more tangible, rewarding result on his storyline.
Stuff I'd really need to be convinced to do:
- I don't want to change a lot about his character or replace too much of the original dialogue, because that seems rude to the writers, and I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't like Dorn in the first place. I'd rather focus on adding new content based on context (eg, different outcomes at Resurrection Gorge).
-Likewise, I'm not touching his recruitment quest. I don't think it's too comically evil for this setting. Not after Xzar.
It feels odd because, being the PC, you're usually the one being bust in on. If you need moral absolution, Dorn is under duress and you can spare the wedding party?
- I can't really get myself interested in redeeming Dorn in the eyes of the world at large.
His personal growth seems to be tied up in realizing there's more to power than mere brutality, and I think it'd undermine all his bitter outcast's opinions on morality if he turned good or neutral. I like how useless it is to want to save him, and I think it makes him a better character. He might have his own high hopes for you, though.
Anyway.
That's what I've been up to. If this interests you, stay tuuuned.
7
Comments
That's the topic:
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/34124/criticizing-the-ees-a-pure-story-perspective-1-6
i mostly agree with your reasoning (expanding the npc and adding some nuance to the character that was present in bg1:ee and SOD) and I'd be really glad to see abduction scenes and such
in any case, here is my version of dorn's expansion.
Link: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/47294/mod-dorn-romance-expansion-for-bgii-ee#latest
it just adds new dialogue and modifies some of the existing ones, as well as changing their order. No cutscenes and fixes were done, since i'm not really an expert on this. take a look, it might help you decide on direction, and if nothing else, not to make the same mistakes i did. also, if you happen to really like something from the mod, feel free to take it, copy, modify it as you please! throw some credit my way in that case.
please tag me when you finish the mod, i'm eager to try it out
Edit - apparently this is the wrong Dorn romance. Ignore me.
If there's one thing I could possibly try to persuade you to add in:
For my CHARNAME, it made zero sense, and with my personal interpretation of how I see Dorn and his hard-earned loyalty at the end of ToB, it also made no sense, which added up to a giant fat disappointment.