Heroica RPG - Quest Masters' Lounge

[Palathadric]

Yep, that's exactly what I meant - Quest #102 was probably not as good a fit for Matthias as it would have been for some other characters for all of those reasons.

I would say Matthias was the perfect fit. A hero like Guts has already become relatively callused and the quest would probably not draw a tremendous amount out of him. I can't see Guts having a problem killing anyone on the quest or it meaning a whole lot to him. However, Matthias is still trying to be a "good hero" so it made all that happened have real meaning to him and it probably affected him the way Zepher would have wanted it to. You may have preferred a more quick and morally easy quest, but I think Zeph really drew out the best from Matthias here. However, of course, too much of that would probably leave you feeling frustrated, that's why "heavy" quests have to be balanced with the "light" ones.

[Zepher]

Alright, let's finally get down to it!

Alexis - I was a little worried picking Alexis for this quest. There have been times in the past where I've selected her, or seen her selected, and she's sort of fallen off the face of the earth. I think, however, that Alexis was a great choice for this quest. While the rest of the party built a bizarre layered hateful/fearful dynamic, Alexis remained aloof the entire time. She was impossible to predict (much like Purpearl) but the fact that she appeared to genuinely have no vested interest in any side what-so-ever really made her the MOST neutral character in the party, and the fact that she was also the most powerful balanced nicely with that. It is terrifying to know that the person with no feelings towards any happenings is also the one that can have the most effect. Even that final battle proved it - if any other single hero had sided with Chauncey, he'd likely be dead now. I think there's sometimes a complaint in PvP that the longer playing players could steam-roll players who have played for less time, but I think it's a dynamic we must preserve because of characters like Alexis. I think it is IMPORTANT to her character that she can strike out alone and do whatever she wants.

I also liked playing up some of her previous interactions. It was a little hard to tell how she felt towards XX - in theory I don't think she'd like him because of 53, but they really didn't cross paths THAT MUCH in that quest upon re-reading it. He respected her abilities for sure, and was the only hero he knew, but you keep Alexis so neutral even he didn't know what to make of her. I like that. Her dismissiveness over Arthur and Althior is also awesome - a good way to have her transformed character be shaped by events that no longer make sense for them. Instead of ignoring them you use them as a tool to show where she is now, and I really dig that.

The issue the others raised with battle issues is something to note, it really does make it look like you're not paying attention. I repeat often too because I also have a character who wouldn't chat too much in battle, but sometimes a little flourish adds a lot, and proves to everyone else that you're still really playing. But over all, I really like Alexis.

Nerwen - Well, it was my second quest in a row hosting Nerwen, and I think before that I was questing with her and debating religion and free will and punishment and all that, so she's sort of become a Nyx to me - it's easy to watch a character grow if you're forced to read every line they say for that long. Nerwen is awesome. I'm sure I said it at the end of 88, but she's complex because her strengths and weaknesses are the same thing. Nerwen is resolute, and does not allow bad things to happen, but because she is so resolute once something is "bad" in her mind it will never and can never be good.

Nerwen's interactions with just about everyone was great. It became clear early in the quest, I think, that Nerwen and Purpearl would not get along. But, and this is why I like long quests, watching their relationship fall apart over a week, all the hidden resentment... it was superb, and really did culminate in the final battle with Russel and Pigley - Nerwen would NOT allow them to die, and Purpearl wanted to take some down because she's a raging lunatic.

I enjoyed everything Nerwen did. I really do think that she and Purpearl and Alexis are three of the best played elves in the game - you often talk about how their perception of time makes them so unbudging (they're just moving slowly in our opinion). I think it stood out in this quest, and they all played with it well together: the hastiness, the superiority, the certainty of actions. It was great to see, and I think Purpearl and Nerwen are prime examples of rivals within Heroica. You also never neglected to show her softer side. Just as she is steadfast in her opinion on evil, she is likewise steadfast on her friends. I could never see her abandoning Russel and Pigley, and her dedication to XX just for Nyx's benefit shows her incredible willingness to stick by those she is loyal to. Another reason I love her and Guts, and feel I will love Matthias and her in the future: once she has chosen someone, there can be fights and disagreements but they will always be someone that she sticks up for. The conversation with Samuel, Raguel's apprentice, was lovely too. Nerwen can feel regret, but she still stands by what she has done.

Purpearl - I also really genuinely loved Purpearl. She was a terror, and I had no idea what way she might bend. I was incredibly pleased that she was the party leader. The power went to her head almost immediately, but I think that's because that's how Purpearl is. She actually reminds me a little of Zelphie, without the perverse charity side of things.

Purpearl and Nerwen were awesome together because they both have strict moral codes that don't have anything to do with traditional moral codes, but also don't have anything to do with each other. Purpearl is brutal. She does not spare many people. I'm not entirely sure what she wants right now, on a higher level, if anything. She seems prepared to live the life of a full out mercenary, but she has so much drive that I feel she is striving for something more, something bigger. But maybe she doesn't - that'd be quite the character too, an incredibly driven unflinching character with no exact end destination, just a forward push.

Purpearl and XX have that in common, for the moment at least. They both just want gold (though XX wants it for booze and bombs) and aren't too squeamish about getting it. The two bonded over it quite a bit, so much so that XX is fairly certain that Purpearl saved his life in that final fight. I was really glad that they got a side quest together. It was fitting, and they clearly gelled together. If XX hadn't met Nyx first, he may have been making eyes at Purpearl instead. Of course, Russel and Pigley are terrified of her.

Matthias - I didn't design the quest for anyone in mind, Avery is a character from a previous quest which WAS designed for the aforementioned four. Debts didn't have a particular audience in mind, but I'm incredibly thankful I got Matthias. Matthias is awesome. I'm glad that he was the outsider in this quest: three women who live five times his lifespan. That's scary.

So yes, Matthias played a different game, but I think it was a good one. Matthias was trying to find a powerful ally to stand with him against the bad things in the world. But he doesn't have complex thoughts on good and bad, like Nerwen and Purpearl - for him, good and bad is very simple, and I love that. This quest served to show him that the rest of the world doesn't think the same way, but he's already started to learn how to navigate it. Sure Nerwen and Purpearl and Alexis didn't conform to his ideas of "good" and "evil" and he wasn't powerful enough to exert his will alone, but he found he could draw out allies, make smart choices, navigate these dangerous waters, in other words, and still have a good effect on the world.

Matthias also served as a great companion to all the NPCs. Russel and Pigley trust and adore him. XX is fond of him too, even after they're many arguments, there's something about two men with guns that XX just can't give up. I think he likes Matthias' "simple" view of a black and white world.

But I really do think that Matthias grew without giving up his core being, and I think that's a powerful statement. He learned that there is much darkness out there in Olegia, AND some dangers in the Hall, but he didn't up and leave. He stayed. Because he's just as committed as the fearsome Nerwen and Purpearl, because he may be a small player now but I think Matthias knows if he continues to work hard he may grow strong enough to spare Sam and Keith or to protect the little man. He has learned that being good isn't going to be easy, that the Gods aren't always automatically on the side of good, but he has still decided to keep the course, and that's a powerful statement very few players have made with their heroes before. Matthias has doubt, but he also has faith in himself and that what he's committed himself to is right, and that's a strong character who has all but vanished from the story of Heroica. I think we need more of them.

The allies and enemies and nuances that arose over 5 months was incredible, and made me really happy to have picked this long of a quest for such a strong party.

That's it,

Would love to discuss if anyone has any more thoughts on the quest, but if not I'll just be sitting around tinkering with my next few!

-Zeph

[StickFig]

Matthias was trying to find a powerful ally to stand with him against the bad things in the world.

This is, more or less, what I am shooting for with Matthias - a kid who has dreams but needs a friend (or ten). Thanks for your encouragement!

...if not I'll just be sitting around tinkering with my next few!

[Masked Builder]

Alexis - I was a little worried picking Alexis for this quest. There have been times in the past where I've selected her, or seen her selected, and she's sort of fallen off the face of the earth. I think, however, that Alexis was a great choice for this quest. While the rest of the party built a bizarre layered hateful/fearful dynamic, Alexis remained aloof the entire time. She was impossible to predict (much like Purpearl) but the fact that she appeared to genuinely have no vested interest in any side what-so-ever really made her the MOST neutral character in the party, and the fact that she was also the most powerful balanced nicely with that. It is terrifying to know that the person with no feelings towards any happenings is also the one that can have the most effect. Even that final battle proved it - if any other single hero had sided with Chauncey, he'd likely be dead now. I think there's sometimes a complaint in PvP that the longer playing players could steam-roll players who have played for less time, but I think it's a dynamic we must preserve because of characters like Alexis. I think it is IMPORTANT to her character that she can strike out alone and do whatever she wants.

I also liked playing up some of her previous interactions. It was a little hard to tell how she felt towards XX - in theory I don't think she'd like him because of 53, but they really didn't cross paths THAT MUCH in that quest upon re-reading it. He respected her abilities for sure, and was the only hero he knew, but you keep Alexis so neutral even he didn't know what to make of her. I like that. Her dismissiveness over Arthur and Althior is also awesome - a good way to have her transformed character be shaped by events that no longer make sense for them. Instead of ignoring them you use them as a tool to show where she is now, and I really dig that.

The issue the others raised with battle issues is something to note, it really does make it look like you're not paying attention. I repeat often too because I also have a character who wouldn't chat too much in battle, but sometimes a little flourish adds a lot, and proves to everyone else that you're still really playing. But over all, I really like Alexis.

Thanks Zeph, glad you like the character. Though I must admit most of that was not by design. Though I will try to keep it going.

I too enjoyed the XX dynamic, like you said, I wasn't really sure how to handle it, I hope to run across him again.

Well that'll be something for me to work on for next time. Thanks for the feedback and for hosting!

[Purpearljellyblob]

Purpearl - I also really genuinely loved Purpearl. She was a terror, and I had no idea what way she might bend. I was incredibly pleased that she was the party leader. The power went to her head almost immediately, but I think that's because that's how Purpearl is. She actually reminds me a little of Zelphie, without the perverse charity side of things.

Purpearl and Nerwen were awesome together because they both have strict moral codes that don't have anything to do with traditional moral codes, but also don't have anything to do with each other. Purpearl is brutal. She does not spare many people. I'm not entirely sure what she wants right now, on a higher level, if anything. She seems prepared to live the life of a full out mercenary, but she has so much drive that I feel she is striving for something more, something bigger. But maybe she doesn't - that'd be quite the character too, an incredibly driven unflinching character with no exact end destination, just a forward push.

Purpearl and XX have that in common, for the moment at least. They both just want gold (though XX wants it for booze and bombs) and aren't too squeamish about getting it. The two bonded over it quite a bit, so much so that XX is fairly certain that Purpearl saved his life in that final fight. I was really glad that they got a side quest together. It was fitting, and they clearly gelled together. If XX hadn't met Nyx first, he may have been making eyes at Purpearl instead. Of course, Russel and Pigley are terrified of her.

Thanks for the comments, Zepher! Purpearl has only been onto three quests, so there's still a lot more to discover. Depending on what happens in future quests, I'm letting it flow as it comes, so who knows what will happen next! But I'm glad you had fun hosting Purpearl and I'll look forward to another Zepher quest.

As for the other side quest, I'll get to it soon enough. I had fun with the Wolfgangers, especially with Cheech and Quinn from #83, and Watsap from #87 fitted in very nicely. Loved Crazy Dan and Nona the Witch as well, not to sure what to expect from Nona in the future, having owed her one!

[Waterbrick Down]

Quest 111:

Overall, a pretty straightforward adventure. Nothing tricky or convoluted about it. You did an excellent job Khorne of helping to expand the world of north of Dastan and I enjoyed both Farrech and the Polkung and the amount of detail you went into. The sets were very well done and I am always amazed at people's ability to incorporate photo backgrounds into their builds. Character wise, each of the different locations seemed to have their own consistent culture which is wonderful to see. The Polkung, were very well described and their characterizations always seemed natural. The inn was a great addition and I enjoyed the random NPC interactions and the free form style. I've got to commend you on Orel, he came across as quite believable. Too often I think we as QM's create NPC's that are on the extremes of compliant spectrum, we either create NPC's that are always aggressive and unbending, or we introduce characters that will bend over backwards to help the Party. Orel was a happy medium, he didn't stick to his principles so far that he was opposed to the heroes' input and suggestions, but he also held to his code that demanded he continue on his journey in the end. Well done. Battles were balanced (something easier to do at lower levels) and the loot was fitting.

As for the rest of the Party, Leofwein is starting to come into his own right, glimpses of Alexandre broke through once in a while, but you did a good job of making him distinct in his own right. Lynne, I liked the motherly tone and the unsurity of the character and it seems like you're taking her in a good direction, the only thing to take care with is the difference between role-playing and story-telling and this happened with Sorrow a little as well.

Lynne brushes her hand across her face, wiping off a trail of black blood, wondering if anyone noticed the odd anamoly. She hadn't been so throughly injured since...

Sometimes your characters get so caught up in asking for other players to take notice of things to advance the stories of your characters, that it no longer feels like a natural interaction on the player's part, just good form to acknowledge the things that are strange about your characters. I'm guilty of it as well at points, so by no means take this as criticism, only an observation.

As for Polly, I can't say I'm as in love with the character as much as I was in love with the design. After actually questing as her, I don't believe it's a character I want to see grow any further, so I'll be retiring her and starting over.

So all in all, a great job Khorne.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Waterbrick Down

[JimBee]

Quest 111 was great, Khorne. I can only compliment you further on the wonderful job you did with retaining the image of Dastan as we (the Dastan trilogy QMs + Flipz) have left it after 29, 30, 31, 59, 104 and the quests relating to the characters from Dastan. The shift from exterior threats to pressing interior issues of the country were represented very well in this quest: the return of Dragons, the remaining in-fighting and negotiations of the people, and the after-effects of the war. There was even more depth added because you largely used the viewpoint of the common people and military personnel, which is something that I think was skipped over a lot in the original trilogy. And of course, you added a whole new story of your own by exploring a previously-untouched part of the continent and tying in the stories of the Polkung, Norsemen, Dastanese, Cyclopses and Taurians. I thought the background story and writing was superb, and would really like to see more quests from you.

The only part I think could've went more smoothly was towards the end, from the pub-trawling through the steppe navigation. Things felt a bit slow there and it took a while to get to the precipice of the story, which turned out to be less satisfactory for the heroes than anticipated. I'd like to see a follow-up quest someday that reflects on the consequences of the decision to not follow the ex-Paladin right away. Perhaps by then he will have fully turned to the ways of the Norse shaman, and the conflict between him and the Paladin Order has increased. I hope the story continues because it seems interesting and it seems like it would offer more lore with this part of Olegaia.

I thought the PC's did a decent job. Their interactions with NPCs were believable and mostly interesting, but I think the inner-party interaction could have been better. Leo seemed a bit generic and similar to Alexandre, and his accent was a little inconsistent/felt unnecessary. In my opinion he's too similar to Alexandre to warrant a second character - try to branch out and try new things, possibly put yourself in place with a character that you're not comfortable or used to playing as! Lynne was bit hard to understand, mostly I think because I have not followed the quests that she's been in too closely. Endgame, perhaps you could emphasize more that she's her own character now and make more references to her past, because it seems like it's assumed that everyone would already know all about her. From the perspective of someone who does not, it's hard to understand where she's coming from. But like WBD said, the motherly nature of Lynne is definitely there, so I think that's a plus for her character.

I'm really sad to see Polly go. She was my favorite new character, and I thought she had a lot of potential. The idea to make a child hero that has very childlike thoughts and does childlike things was a very unique one, and I think it could have offered a lot of room for development in the areas of maturity and independence. I was looking forward to her becoming an Evoker so that Mr. Sanders could become a reality, which would've been a huge turning point for her as a character as well. I also liked how you tied her into Skrall's story (as per the original rules for a second character), and it's also disappointing that she never found what she was looking for. I'd urge you, Waterbrick Down, to reconsider ditching Polly right away (at least give it another quest or two?) and give her a chance, but it seems like you've already made up your mind. You'd know better than anyone if she had potential, so I guess it's for the better. I look forward to the next character idea that you've come up with.

[Endgame]

I very much enjoyed 111, Khorne! Going to Dastan was something I definitely didn't expect, and I think the quest benefitted hugely from it. I think Dastan is an area tied with Eubric in terms of cultue. The place seems just so alive, and I think your builds and characters captured the area very well.

The battles were very well balanced, I thought. There wasn't any knock outs, but they all seemed important and relevant, and in gneeral it kept enough of sense of danger to mix with the foreign aspect of the quest. Because, really, that's what this was: Lynne and the others heading out into a world they didn't really understand well. We covered a lot of Dastan in a relatively short amount of time, and for that I applaud you.

Pacing took a hit in the later half, but I can't help but feel my sporadic activity was repsonsible.

In regards to Lynne: I too like the direction where she's going, but I understand what I'm saying. I'm a bit surprised that someone (such as Polly) didn't come outright ask her what her deal was, considering the whole curious child aspect, but it makes sense considering how qucikyl she got over the whole greenskin thing. I've definitely alluded to what her past has done to her, but I'll try to make a few more references to her actual past now. Thanks for the adivce!

[Khorne]

Thanks for the criticism, guys . I'm really glad my venture into existing Dastan and expanding that with something new was well-received. Initially, I had even more plans to feature the Polkung more prominently and let the PCs get to know the political intrigues at the governial seat in Nygrad, where the Polkung are divided amongst radical secessionist factions and those who'd like to keep things as is, perhaps with only slight change. The politics of the Northern March were touched upon by the Dastanese general in Farrech, but in Nygrad the heroes would've truly been thrown out amidst them.

I love different cultures, history and inventing stories, so I loved telling the story of the Northern March. As with the Vikings, I have a whole bunch of background materials in my head which helps keeping things streamlined. I'm really glad you liked the story of the Northern March and its inhabitants.

The reason why the ending was somewhat anticlimatic and why I didn't force the party to go to Nygrad was timing. Overall, the things I need to work on most are timing and preparation. A lot of stuff happened in real life that greatly affected the pacing and I never really got it back on track. The Quest was started end August and it nearly took 3 months to complete, which is a really long time for a simple, basic 14-page Quest like this one. This was not so much by inactivity of the players, but rather to due poor pacing and updating on m side. Keeping in mind that the coming days would only get busier for me (work, exams, holidays, etc.), I decided It'd be better to offer the Heroes a change to end things at the Polkung camp or else I'd risk failing the players more in terms of updates. That's why I also decided to cut the "steppe-exploring" short. I also planned it to take more time and be bigger, but I decided to let the Polkung take the Heroes to their camp to cut time.

So, JimBee, the ending was somewhat improvised. I had a bigger ending with more of a bang planned, but chose to do it like this. The heroes wouldn't have been able to "save" the priest, though (or maybe, very maybe because insane l33t RP skills of the PCs they could've convinced him to stay ). He was set to leave from the beginning, because like you said: hypothetically I'd love to continue this storyline and expand upon the Vikings, Värtland and the role of the Shaman King (which is actually a Sandy character ). This quest was mainly a testing ground for me and a jumping board to launch something else, maybe.

More pointers and tips for me:

• BUY SOME FRIGGIN' DECENT LAMPS
  
• learn some basic maths and get the battles right
  
• more planning
  

All in all, I had a great time and I really liked the party. Great learning experience .

Party criticism:

Leofwein: Like some others here have said, Leofwein doesn't really differ that much from Alexandre. Even their avatars are quite alike. Aside from that, I really liked that you were very active and loved your input. I'd host you again in an instant. You're a great player to have! I'd be awesome if you could flesh out Leofwein somewhat more and make him stand out from Alexandre.

Polly: I really like the idea of a child hero, who travels with her bear. Just like JimBee, I'd hate to see Polly go, because I find her quite original. I'd love to get to know more of the character. It's your choice of course if you want to keep her or not . If you do ditch her, I can't wait to see what character you'll come up with next .

Lynne: I think some of the best RP and general character outline came from Lynne. She's got that motherly touch, but there's something "weird" and mysterious about her too and you let it shine through occasionally, which I like. I don't really know the full story of Lynne, because I haven't followed all you quests in detail, so I like how it's all kind of mysterious to me.

[Capt.JohnPaul]

111-

Awesome quest, Khorne! I loved the idea and even though the pacing was a bit slow at times, it actually wasn't too bad. I loved all the characters, groups/tribes, stories, and pictures. All were good. However I feel it was a bit too much battle. Battle battle battle. The feature of walking through the wilderness was nice, but it seemed like a bit too much and in haste after everything, and seemed to be a filler. It was probably due to having to add all this in such a short quest, but if we had more time it probably would've been ok! Good work, I'd love to go on your quests again!

I thought the PC's did a decent job. Their interactions with NPCs were believable and mostly interesting, but I think the inner-party interaction could have been better. Leo seemed a bit generic and similar to Alexandre, and his accent was a little inconsistent/felt unnecessary. In my opinion he's too similar to Alexandre to warrant a second character - try to branch out and try new things, possibly put yourself in place with a character that you're not comfortable or used to playing as!

Thanks for the input!

As some have said, (I can't find it in the quotes ) the accent was a bit sporadic. I tried my best to make him sound like a tough soldier, and I wanted to try and get the oldish stereotypical "brute" across. I'll try better to try and get it more consistent and maybe a bit less distracting so it seems natural.

Party criticism:

Leofwein: Like some others here have said, Leofwein doesn't really differ that much from Alexandre. Even their avatars are quite alike. Aside from that, I really liked that you were very active and loved your input. I'd host you again in an instant. You're a great player to have! I'd be awesome if you could flesh out Leofwein somewhat more and make him stand out from Alexandre.

It's all about the stats, man! Thanks for the advice, I'll see what I can do!

[UsernameMDM]

Quest 116

One of THE best quests I have been on:

• Story as good & didn't unfold too quickly
  
• Twist at the end was just right and didn't feel shoe-horned
  
• ROLEPLAY WAS TOP NOTCH on all accounts (PCs & NPCs)
  
• Loot/gold was excellent
  
• Fights were tough but not ridiculously so
  
• Updates were pretty reliable
  
• Wish there were a couple more fights/XP gaining
  

Thanks again WBD! I will be signing up for your next quest for sure!

Edited December 15, 2014 by UsernameMDM

[JimBee]

116 was a real pleasure to follow along with. The roleplaying between all characters was excellent, and the plot was very intriguing. I've been told that I'm pretty good at seeing how quests are going to unfold before they do, but I really didn't see the twist at the end coming.

My favorite part was the open-world style of the quest. The characters could really go anywhere in Eubric (with some nudging from the QM so they didn't go to places they didn't need to), and the accommodation by the QM to account for any situation was excellent. I'm still not sure if Hoke was ever meant to go down to the sewers. It seemed like he wasn't, because the battles seemed impossibly difficult and as if WBD was steering him in another direction. But somehow the Hydra battle was won, and the Wolfgang characters revealed themselves here. It was a really natural flow of events that was also present throughout the rest of the quest.

I had an idea that was actually very similar to the open-world format of this quest. It was towards the final development stages, but I'm unable to build sets for it. It was perhaps more ambitious and without as much direction as 116, and even used some of the same locations and recycled pictures. Waterbrick Down, I think you hit a sweet spot between railroading and open-worldness for quests. There's a fine line between the PCs having no control and them having no direction. It's not always possible to have this sweet spot, but with a place as familiar as Eubric and a pretty straightforward quest objective, this quest really worked out well. There were ample amounts of both direction and control.

I also have to congratulate the players for being as adventurous as they were - with quests it often feels as though the PCs are going to be railroaded no matter what, so it's easy to say "ready for the next location". That wasn't present in this quest because the PCs could go anywhere, and MDM, Flare and K-Nut adapted well to it well.

I also really liked the lingering gangs like the Blood Paw and Metasimians taking part in this quest. At some point, maybe after the first Scuba-hosted quest, the minor gangs of Eubric disappeared. There was some narrative about the Wolfgang overtaking them, but we never actually got to see that. This quest illustrated the remaining rival gang struggle against the Wolfgang, which was really great.

Overall, a beautifully done quest. Congrats to the players and QM.

[Waterbrick Down]

Well where to start? I originally planned on 116 having a Jeckyll & Hyde theme, but am glad to see it expanded into so much more. The Halloween quests were intentionally darker and weighted to have more somber outcomes, even so I think the PC's did a great job in providing a little hope to a dark city. I've taken to prepping for my quests in a loose manner, bare bones structure and then let the PC's fill in the rest of the details. Run-in's with the Wolfgang, the Sewers, the Bloodpaw, mixing potions with Blitze & the guild, certain Lotus scenes, were all added because of what the PC's wanted to pursue. I have a tendency to be a little too free-form at times which can lead to Party confusion as to what steps to take next, hopefully things weren't too confusing. I noticed a few time when the Party started to waiver as far as direction and that's when the NPC's would jump in with their direction, which hopefully worked a little better than in the past when I just let the party stumble around. Speaking of NPC's, it was a joy to bring back some old faces as well as some new ones, interactions with the PC's felt natural and consistent which I enjoyed immensely as a QM. All three of my players were great; excellent response time, engaging role-play, and top notch supportive criticism. As a QM, it can be easy to grow distant from the fact that I'm playing with other people and this group gelled not only as a Party but a a group of people playing a game, which I really appreciated. Onto the players themselves.

Althior/K-nut: Looking back from where you came from, I can only say that I am continually impressed at Althior's development as character. He is the right balance between what I like to term role-play and roll-play, a good blend between player and character. You were Barlin Mando's tried and true drinking buddy and companion and I think he'd be a dependable friend in the future. I loved our conversation in the Lotus as it really felt like two men-about-town enjoying the few pleasures the depressing city had to offer. You also had some amazing scenes with Ecrub and Dr. Cula. It was kind of fun to see Hoke and Benji just run off and leave Althior to fend for himself. Speaking of role-play, the last scene between Althior and Benji was high quality stuff and I couldn't wait for each reply and didn't want it to end. It's good to see characters finally getting called out on what they believe and having to take a stand. Keep that sort of quality dialog up and Althior has a good shot at being one of the most influential orators in the game. As far as a player, it's always good to have someone sharp for solving puzzles and you proved yourself handily with both the Guild of Invision puzzle and the one with Blitze. Nicely done. You weren't involved in as much combat so hopefully you were still satisfied with Althior's impact on the story. I'd be glad to have you back at any time.

Benji/Flare: Benji has always intrigued me because he seemed very stereotypical at the beginning of the game but has blossomed with his new class. He's the morally gray and ethically torn character that gives Heroica believablity. He's desires to fit in to society but at the same time wants society to fit him. He's got caught up in some pretty shady deeds but is still trying to bring light to those around him. His lycanthropy defines him yet it doesn't consume him. You've done a good job of balancing his different traits so far, Flare. Make sure that Benji doesn't get so consumed with curing himself that he becomes predictable, otherwise his lines won't be worth reading. Benji constantly found himself at odds with both Althior and Hoke, but never quite to the point of blows, he's a powerful character but he knows his limits and when diplomacy is the better path. It was good to see how he reacted to the different predicaments based on his allegiances; the Sewers, Ecrub, the Town Watch, the final battle, made for some good development. From a player standpoint, you're character is one of the harder ones to balance for because he's so powerful, but I enjoyed coming up with challenging battles and seeing you and your party companions overcoming them. Thanks for participating, it was good to have have such a wide variety of players and characters.

Hoke/UsernameMDM: Diplomacy, diplomacy, diplomacy. You'd think the guy was a walking apology. Hoke was a blast to QM. I spoke with you earlier about enjoying your little bit of Role-play in the Training Room and wanting to see more from you and you certainly delivered. I can remember first interacting with you in quest 19 and thinking how sort of bland Hoke was, but you have definitely took off as witnessed by this quest. Torc is a wonderful addition to the character and your work at balancing how much attention is placed on him is superb. It's been very interesting to see how each of the dragoons has interacted with their dragons, and I've loved how each one is unique. Hoke embraced his leadership role in this quest and held it strongly even with powerful characters both stats wise and opinions wise such as Benji in his party. Your interactions in the Lotus and at the end were some of my favorite and I thoroughly enjoyed helping advance his character development. Hoke had a tendency to go off on a some wild tangents (i.e. the sewers, though that was partly my fault), but out of all the characters he clung to his nobility and uprightness with a fierce tenacity and it was a joy to play off of that with some of the more seedy and morally ambiguous NPC's. Like Benji, you're a hard character to balance for with that humongous SP, but I hope the battles were challenging enough to have you sweating, but rewarding enough to make it worth it. Glad you were able to participate and I'd readily take Hoke along on another quest some time in the future.

QM/WBD: This quest was more than I had hoped for in terms of character development, NPC interactions, puzzles, and challenging battles. I thoroughly enjoyed hosting every minute of it and seeing it to its conclusion. I was pleased with the battle balance and hopefully it never came across to outside observers as totally cheap or totally impossible. Photography is getting better and I'd like to host a quest one day as polished as Brickdoctor or Sandy, but I'm getting there. Puzzles were one of my favorite parts to implement and hopefully they didn't feel forced or contrived. I'll be taking a break from QMing for a little bit, but I couldn't have asked for a better quest to finish up on.

Again, it was a pleasure hosting all of you and thank you for your positive feedback, as well as all of you who have been reading from the sidelines.

[UsernameMDM]

Yes, Hoke's Diplomacy efforts need to be a little less hat-in-hand.

So, what did we miss? We would have been able to save Blitze's daughter? Did we miss any battles/xp for not exploring? Did you try to kill Hoke with the Hydra (man I love Spellspins!)?

Here's Hoke's roleplay with Moira for those interested:

QM Note: I figured we'd just keep things going here.

Hoke enters the room behind Moira. The room is small but cozy, a fireplace is lit in the corner, a small bookcase contains some of the more popular works of the day. Beyond the sitting room a bedroom arrayed with fine silks and linens.

Moira moves over to a small cabinet and produces two goblets and a bottle of mulled wine. She offers a glass to Hoke.

"Now Hoke, what is it that you wished to speak to me about?"

"Thanks madame," Hoke says as he accepts the Mulled Wine and sips on it as the two speak.

Hoke uses Diplomacy.

"You will have to forgive my directness in the face of your utmost hospitality, of which I am yet to find any that can begin to compare. I am currently on assignment for the Town Watch through Heroica Hall. I assure you, my lady, that neither you nor our establishment is the focus. Mando simply, but fortunately, brought us here. However, any aid or information we receive from you in most appreciated."

Hoke caught his breath as he mentally framed his words.

"We are following someone, or something, that seems to have a bit of a violent side. Detective Hoples informed us there was an unfortunate incident here recently that may have involved our quarry and a Miss Eliza Pennypinch. Do you have knowledge about this incident, and are you at liberty to speak about such things?"

As Hoke begins to speak, he can feel Torc's claws slowly dig in his neck and shoulder. Her tail slowly, almost imperceptibly, begins to coil around his neck. He nonchalantly lifts his hand and gently strokes the hatchling and offers her a bit of meat. She takes it, and holds it in her mouth but does not consumes it.

She never taking her coldly blazing amber eyes off the other creature in the room with wings.

Moira sips from her wine.

"I thought it was a little early to be seeing Hople." The succubus smiled, "I've heard of this monster, Eliza came in a few nights ago from an escort, pretty banged up."

Moira drifts closer to the mystic knight.

"Tell me Hoke, why does someone like yourself stay here in Eubric? Surely you've seen the corruption, the evil, the sickness that is so rooted in it."

"Madame, that is exactly why I am here, for the sick need a physician, and every tumor, every cancer I can eradicate that threatens this city, I will, no matter what it costs me."

"And this, thing, man, beast, or demon, seems to be such a sickness."

If Hoke had not consumed the Dragon Daiquiri, he would be in utter pain. Torc was literally boiling. Her claws dug deeper, her muscled tensed. He feared she would pounce at any second. He placed his hand on her again to calm her.

She stared forward, never looking away from the succubus.

"Ah such passion, such purity, you're not like the others in your organization Hoke. Do you have any more plans for the evening? Perhaps after you've seen Eliza, you'd like to stick around."

Moira now stands face to face with Hoke as she puts a hand on the mystic knight's arm.

Hoke can feel the succubus's breath on his face. He stands tall, rigid, face a mask of control. He takes the lady's hand off of his arm, gently kisses it again and lets go, hoping she would return it back to herself.

Hoke uses Diplomacy

"Madame, you are too kind. Truly, too kind. I would much appreciate a word with your lady. As far as the evening, let us see how this case develops as I am currently in the employ of the Town Watch. My time is not my own."

Moira retracts her hand but still smiles at Hoke.

"A gentleman to the end. Very well," The succubus hands Hoke a set of three keys, "You'll need these depending on which room's she's in currently. If you need anything I'll be waiting here. I hope Hoples will see fit to give you a little time for enjoyment."

"Thank you again madame."

Hoke accepts the keys.

He makes a slight bow and leaves the room.

Edited December 15, 2014 by UsernameMDM

[Waterbrick Down]

Yes, Hoke's Diplomacy efforts need to be a little less hat-in-hand.

So, what did we miss? We would have been able to save Blitze's daughter? Did we miss any battles/xp for not exploring? Did you try to kill Hoke with the Hydra (man I love Spellspins!)?

Saving Blitze's daughter, Althior had actually just figured out the cure on the round you struck her down. But yay! for a somber ending. The sewers weren't originally planned for, but I didn't want to tell you "no you can't go down there" so I figured some nearly impossible battles would deter you. The sewers scene actually helped progress some other story lines, as well as bring the Wolfgang into the picture, so it wored out for the best. Other than that, there really wasn't stuff you missed, just stuff you chose not to interact with. The other room in the Lotus, pushing the Hinckwell into why he was at the Lotus, fight with the Bloodpaw and Metasimian representatives at the Lotus, investigate the other alchemists, investigate the other crime scenes, and so much more. In an open world type quest, there aren't important or necessary details only ones that have more impact than others.

[UsernameMDM]

Saving Blitze's daughter, Althior had actually just figured out the cure on the round you struck her down. But yay! for a somber ending. The sewers weren't originally planned for, but I didn't want to tell you "no you can't go down there" so I figured some nearly impossible battles would deter you. The sewers scene actually helped progress some other story lines, as well as bring the Wolfgang into the picture, so it wored out for the best. Other than that, there really wasn't stuff you missed, just stuff you chose not to interact with. The other room in the Lotus, pushing the Hinckwell into why he was at the Lotus, fight with the Bloodpaw and Metasimian representatives at the Lotus, investigate the other alchemists, investigate the other crime scenes, and so much more. In an open world type quest, there aren't important or necessary details only ones that have more impact than others.

I wanted Hoke to throw-down in the Lotus vs the Bloodpaw & Metasimian but it felt like your posts were guiding us away from that. Anyway, thanks for the quest and the critique.

[Flare]

As usual I want to apologize to my fabulous QM because I'm not very lengthy with my introspective posts on quests.

I want to start with my overall feeling from the quest: Awesome. So awesome. This is my first time to be on a quest hosted by WBD, and I have been more than just impressed.

First off, the whole free and open world situation is extremely enjoyable and much better than the usual railroading that happens in a quest. Fantastic. This was sort of the feel that I had wanted to give in my first quest, but had failed at, and it was not only enjoyable but also inspirational even though I will not be able to be hosting again in the near future.

The characters were also fantastic. The NPCs all felt very real. The only one I don't feel this way about is Hoples. He was always quiet, and never had much to contribute. It was a little annoying, his blandness and his unwillingness to do anything even though this was his case. But I suppose it is justifiable.

The whole theme of the quest was very excited, you had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The plot twist was unexpected but also made a ton of sense, so kudos for that! We sort of suspected Barlin Mando at first but that was a bit off My only complaint was that there were a couple times that I felt like we were grasping at straws, but in the end things worked out.

Overall, I'd dare to say that this has completely overtaken Quest #4 as my favorite ever quest that Benji participated in. Not only was the story supreme, the setting superb, and the characters most charasmatic, I've had more opportunities to roleplay than almost ever before. K-nut and UsernameMDM - you guys are awesome. Benji has gotten to know your characters much better than almost every other PC that he's quested with before. I think that I agree wholeheartedly with what WBD said about the characters in his review of the quest.

Thanks for the amazing quest Waterbrick Down, K-Nut, and Username MDM. I wouldn't even think twice about choosing to go on another WBD quest, or to quest with you two again.

[Palathadric]

It has to be one of the best quests! I liked the ending and didn't realize at all who the monster was. The party was absolutely superb and the QMing was topnotch.

I've always liked Hoke, Althior is quickly becoming one of my favourite PCs, especially after the events of 100, and Benji is getting better and better. I still have a hard time understanding what exactly he's thinking and how strong his loyalties to anyone apart from himself are, but that's great.

[K-Nut]

Absolutely wonderful quest, WBD. I really enjoyed not knowing just about anything of what was going on, yet still having been able to solve a mystery like it. Your little clues were subtle and really helpful, which really kept the quest from becoming either obvious in its twists or boring in its lack of clarity. The NPCs were great on this quest, but I'll hit more on that later. My fellow PCs were awesome too, and I did not expect the levels of interactions from them at all. Last time I saw Hoke, it was on Quest #5, so it's nice to see he's grown a lot from there and become a much more interesting character. It's also great to see the transformation Benji's been through; after he despised me for siding with the Wolfgang in Quest #33 and then he becomes their biggest supporter. He's grown a lot since Althior first quested with him, too. I'd gladly quest with either of you two again.

Only weak point of the quest I would say was when we were led to the theater. Behind the scenes, really none of us had any idea what to do, but that was a very brief part of the quest. The battles were interesting, as were all the interactions that occurred throughout the city. The overall tone of the quest was nice too with it being much smaller, which I'll again hit on later.

Althior/K-nut: Looking back from where you came from, I can only say that I am continually impressed at Althior's development as character. He is the right balance between what I like to term role-play and roll-play, a good blend between player and character. You were Barlin Mando's tried and true drinking buddy and companion and I think he'd be a dependable friend in the future. I loved our conversation in the Lotus as it really felt like two men-about-town enjoying the few pleasures the depressing city had to offer. You also had some amazing scenes with Ecrub and Dr. Cula. It was kind of fun to see Hoke and Benji just run off and leave Althior to fend for himself. Speaking of role-play, the last scene between Althior and Benji was high quality stuff and I couldn't wait for each reply and didn't want it to end. It's good to see characters finally getting called out on what they believe and having to take a stand. Keep that sort of quality dialog up and Althior has a good shot at being one of the most influential orators in the game. As far as a player, it's always good to have someone sharp for solving puzzles and you proved yourself handily with both the Guild of Invision puzzle and the one with Blitze. Nicely done. You weren't involved in as much combat so hopefully you were still satisfied with Althior's impact on the story. I'd be glad to have you back at any time.

I prefer to ignore most of the early days myself. I really, really enjoyed the small feel of the quest, especially after the bombshell of Quest #100. I also enjoyed the Lotus portion of the quest quite a bit (even though at the end I was really trying to make the conversation interesting ), but it was nice to have Althior being friendly towards someone. I very much enjoyed the character of Ecrub. Althior has always been (at least since he died) very amoral and realistic when viewing the world, and Ecrub really suited that I think. I really liked the scenes at the Guildhouse, especially since he's a huge pain in the megablocks towards Alchemists. I did like Althior's lack of involvement in battles too. To me, he seems like he'd take solving a puzzle over beating the daylights out of someone any day.

[UsernameMDM]

Failed to mention this earlier, but THE best thing about WBD's quest: a battle almost right from the get go. There wasn't 3 pages of back-n-forth-getting-the-info-to-start type stuff, but a battle. Two thumbs way up for that. Got my attention and was the perfect hook.

[Waterbrick Down]

Question for those on 116, was the general quest PM helpful or annoying?

[UsernameMDM]

Question for those on 116, was the general quest PM helpful or annoying?

Fantastic!

[K-Nut]

I'd say it was very helpful. It allowed for much more conversing between players and the QM. That much OOC would have been obnoxious in crowding up the Quest thread.

[Flare]

Question for those on 116, was the general quest PM helpful or annoying?

It was excellent

[Zepher]

Well behind the times, but I'm finally getting a breather and am using today to throw myself back into Heroica with even more vigor!

#111: Awesome quest, Khrone. Loved seeing the more rural Dastan, and I think you did the country proud. The heroes of heroica do spend an undue amount of time with royalty (especially in Dastan) and that's not a great comprehensive look at a culture. I also love the Paladin Order (I have a special place in my heart for them). I think you did an absolutely superb job of transplanting a Paladin into Dastan and allowing the new environment to highlight the Paladins, and likewise allowing the environment to highlight the Paladin. I also have to agree with WBD - your character felt very "middle path". I think it is easy to make the NPCs rather one dimensional sometimes, and it's something I'm striving against but something you flawlessly succeeded at. They felt flawed and inconsistent, but in the way that normal characters are, not as if there were something off with them. There were some things they were certain of and would not budge in, and some things they were less sure of, which I think creates a powerful character. The sets were also superb and added even more depth to Dastan. So, really, congrats - you expanded two of my favorite parts of the game, and I was impressed with both!

#116: I think I may not be alone is saying that WBD are some of my favorite quests to read... perhaps my favorite. Your sets are always beautiful, the stories are organic, you show us the working class in much the same way that Khrone did. Your praise for his NPCs can easily be said about your's too - they feel organic and their relationship with the PCs evolve naturally. Your quests evolve extremely naturally too - not something I personally have chosen to emulate in my quests for a number of reasons (some of which are constraints being away from my bricks) but absolutely something that I respect and more importantly something that you've perfected, in my personal opinion. I love love that you choose to focus on character like Ecrub and the Blood Paws and... the other gang who's name I can't recall right now. But it adds a fantastic depth to Eubric. Sandy has her hands full with the Seven Houses, and has made enormous strides in including the other player's story lines, so now it's up to us to keep feeding in extra stuff to build Eubric so Sandy can keep the Free City evolving. The ending twist was not "shocking" but still surprising and more importantly impactful - Kurt Vonnegut would approve.

The party was fantastic. I have long championed all three characters as complex characters, but still down to earth. I think they played off each other so incredibly well. Althior is AWESOME. I think his death has been handled beautifully since he was brought back from it - he's amoral, but not. He's uncaring, but not. It never feels contradictory, just complex. I love that he was a comic relief character before too, because it still sort of hangs around him even though he's come so far from there. Juxtaposing who he was with who he is now is a strong choice and highlights his new moral system beautifully. The fall out from 100 has been artfully handled too.

Benji's amoral attitude is beautiful too. I love that nothing is really tying him to the Wolfgang anymore, but that he still stands up for them. I think it's a mix of his hot-headedness (he wants to rebel and be right) and also a hint of social liberty... but not too much. I like that you've taken his attraction to Violetta and allowed other character traits to carry what could have ended there. It feels like it flowed in a way that was totally organic, even though the rationale for his alliance has radically changed. It simply traced through his character.

Hoke is steadfast, head strong, loyal, powerful, certain. He is a simple character, but not in a way that he's ill-defined. He's predictable, but in the way that a working man is predictable. I really can't praise him enough. I have liked him since 19, and will forever champion him as a "everyman" of Heroica who is so much more. I think a lot of people view simple as "not developed yet" (sometimes even as "stupid" in real life) but I think both in RP and in real life it is often more of a choice, and a powerful one made by a steadfast and spiritually sound person. Hoke is one of my favorite heroes, and I will continue love reading him, hosting him, or playing alongside him.