galsiah said:
Vault Dweller said:
A talking skull... Any opinions?
I don't think it's a good idea unless there are many similarly weird (if totally different) artefacts etc. in the game.
Not many, but there are several non-human characters in the game, although they do fit in better than a talking skull, to be honest.
...I still think you'd need to come up with some good explanation of how and why it was created. Mad mage on acid trip probably doesn't qualify.
There is an explanation. This character was one of the Magi who summoned the "gods" (it's a long story). He used a similar process to bind his spirit to his body. For a very specific reason, the original "summoning team" was killed. If you decide to find out what happened, eventually you'll learn of this magus, find his notes, and find the location of his burial chamber. You may find that the sorceries still work or that they failed decades ago.
It's a bit wasteful to come up with a rich history for a single weird item...
See above. This character is already part of the lore.
almondblight said:
Hmmm...interestin excerpts, but the first seems a bit to obvious.
I wasn't trying to make it into a puzzle. I simply wanted to make it a bit more interesting than "you see a red rectangle, click disarm".
Ismaul said:
Maybe they're too magical, but you could always go with a Lovecraftian flavor.
There's plenty of Lovecraftian flavor in the game.
What about, instead of a living/unliving individual, you had a sentient object.
Something like:
There is a stone statue of a demon reading a book. The demon is carved with great precision, and his pose reflects deep thoughts and tranquility. As you approach, the statue closes the book in one fluid motion and looks at you with amusement:
"I do believe we have a visitor. Unfortunately, it appears that we are closed at the moment, and I've been instructed to dispose of all visitors. Therefore, we have a dilemma."
"Dispose?"
"Kill. Destroy. Murder. Do you have any preferences in the matter? If there is some sort of death you would enjoy more, feel free to share that with me. Being an expert in killing, I'm sure I'm familiar with most methods and would be more than happy to accomodate your request."
....
"What are you?"
"Since it's unlikely that you can understand the concept of silicon-based lifeform, call me "stone guardian". I was created by the masters of this tower, who appear to be long gone. Such is the nature of flesh - it doesn't last. Stone, on the other hand, lasts forever. A gift and a curse at the same time, really."
"You are very intelligent for a stone creature."
"I'm very intelligent for any creature, human, and I doubt that you have the capacity to estimate my intelligence."
And so on. The guardian is ancient and he also was around when the events related to the main quest took place. His perspective is different though.
Monolith said:
Not necessarily. He can derive his vital energy from a machine of some kind - magical or not. That way he'll be bound to the place you found him. The player can activate it and thus bring him back to life - if he has the necessary skills or whatnot.
That may work. Sounds like a good opportunity to test some skills.
Azael said:
I assume that the reason for this is that VD wants some sort of interactive link to the past as opposed to just finding writings, which is a good idea if you ask me.
That was the idea.
Kind of like encountering Zax in the Glow. Of course, maybe a talking skull isn't the best and most original solution.
Goes without saying, which is why I'm not sure about it.