RPG late game

from Elemental Forums

Good Morning

This has probably been talked about on occasion in other threads, but I thought I'd centralize it.

I've been watching several 'let's play FE' of late, and have noticed a dyametric shift in the game from early to late. Early game is very RPG based; you hero and perhaps a few troops moving around the map and performing quests. However, but mid to late game, that all disappears. Instead, it becomes empire vs empire and wars and all that other CIV stuff. Now, that IS really good stuff and I do enjoy smashing an empire into oblivion, but wouldn't it be somehow possible to still engage the RPG side of the game?

Problem 1) Boarders restrict movement. While it's very important to maintain your boarders so that your empire remains safe, it would be nice to still be able to explore and RPG across the map....OR have new RPG quests forming in areas that you've already explored....we can call them "wandering quests".

Problem 2) The different 'elemental zones' that I've seen seem to be unneeded to play the game. There has to be MORE plot hook encouraging the player to move in on these zones to build their empire.

Problem 3) While probably not fully developed yet, the AI seems to be either 'at war' or 'at peace'. Not much in between. Definately not much intrigue. Would be nice if it were possible to receive RPG quests from neighbouring kingsdoms aswell, and incur good will should you be successful....

Thoughts? Comments?  

1,846 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

I love all these things.

 

#1: Yes, I would like to explore the quest-aspect of the game, but due to outpost-vomit, that usually gets shut down long before I've seen even a quarter of the map. There ought to be a way for your champions to go "questing" where they are unable to engage troops and cities, but are then allowed to pass unimpeded through borders of any kingdom with which you are not at war. Champions only. Not troops may be brought with (would allow "harder" quests to be difficult, but soloable).

 

#2: Yep. The only reasons I ever enter most wildlands is if #1: I am so far along in the game that I'm basically waiting to drop the proverbial boot and want some fun distraction, or #2 creatures are coming out to harass me and I need to go thin them out. By the time most Wildlands are feasible, you have already won the game. The wildlands are interesting and colorful, but I think they are generally too full of end-game content for most people to feel comfortable engaging them at the same time as fending their borders of two actively hostile neighbors. (Risk =/= Reward)

 

#3: I would absolutely ADORE neighboring AI factions requesting "help" in locating special artefacts in exchange for influence and money, and sometimes items. That would be so much fun. Especially in cases where you are at war with a faction and another faction wants to get something from their land without aggravating them (we really need X, but cant afford to go there to get it. Since you are already at war.....")

 

Very good ideas.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Wildlands could use a kick in the noggin, meaby make it easier to pass wildlands to stop borders from being so, stopping, or make wildlands way more interesting. (instead of just a bunch of monsters, make it a bunch of monster cities, each with special rewards and some overall reward for clearing the wildland.

Also I think the borders ATM stop questing too much, so I agree with you on that, and there is a "Master Quest" in the game for late-game questing, but usually that quest is impossible to reach without being either at war or very very friendly with ai's since theyre cities are all over the damn map :)
So a way to travel and quest after the city spam have been commenced for a while would be nice.

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

I mentioned this in another post, but I think outposts should be severely limited to certain areas only, claimable just like any other resource, but you need a settler to do it (instead of ZoC). This would create a large zone of control that lets you claim all the resources in it.

In regards to point #1, it limits outpost spam and leaves large parts of the world just for quests and travel.

For #2, it creates player owned zones similar to the Wildlands that players can fight over, encouraging conflict and possessive attachments to areas.

For #3, it encourages the AI to spread units out to protect their cities and outposts (instead of either ignoring outposts because they are cheap, or too numerous to defend). That way they can defend, and it creates multiple, clear attack points for both the player and the AI.