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DevDiary 8 - Quest Creation


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The making of a story

Hello, I’m Radomir Mirchev, Senior Narrative Designer of JA3, and it’s story time once again.


This time I’ll tell you about how stories are created in Jagged Alliance 3 and how more threads are woven into them.

For that purpose I’ll guide you around one of my favorite places in Grand Chien. This is spoiler territory, but don’t worry – I’ll leave enough for you to explore and discover when you get to play the game and reach Port Cacao Docks. While I introduce you to the neighborhood, I may drop a hint or two about what’s going on there. It’s mostly stuff that anyone at the Docks could tell you.

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Design goals

But before we start, let me bring you back to Jagged Alliance 2 for a while.

In JA2, there were just about a dozen of quests and most of them were adoringly simple. They managed to do so much with so little – mostly because they were well-integrated into the framework of the game, made use of existing mechanics and provided different, sometimes quite specific quest outcomes. That helped bring the game world to life.

For example, you could convince Doreen to shut down her factory where she exploited child labor, or simply kill her – or both. You could obtain the Chalice of Chance by killing the poor old guard, or take great effort to sneak into the museum and steal it. The game reacted to these choices, for example by modifying Loyalty at the sector.

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Screenshot courtesy of Lilura1, cRPG blog

We wanted to keep this kind of integrated content and build upon it.

We had to make sure that we give you freedom of choice, including implicit choices. But as I said in a previous Dev Diary, freedom only means something if there are suitable outcomes that react to your actions – so you should be able to kill (almost) anyone, and the game should be attuned to your dark psychotic side.

In addition to that, we tried not to insult your intelligence by expecting you to follow series of fetch steps. As with other game aspects, we wanted to encourage you to try things and see what happens. However, we shouldn’t allow you to feel lost and end up scratching your head what you are supposed to do next. We decided to provide subtle hints here and there that were presented as notes in your PDA.

Now let’s fast forward to Jagged Alliance 3 and see how we built the Port Cacao Docks sector with these goals in mind.


Narrative concept

While building the sector, we needed to establish the scene first.

We wanted to show how tough life is in Grand Chien, and how people adapted to the realities of a post-war country that is on the brink of chaos once again.

A document is written that describes the general feel, features and specific points of interest of the place. It is important to supply it with real world visual references which will be used by the art team to produce the necessary assets.

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The level designers pick up from there and work their magic to bring it to life.

Can you see the context already taking shape? The people living at this place are struggling to rebuild their life on the remains of the fishing industry (much like in Steinbeck’s “Tortilla Flat”). They live in a country devastated by years of war and corruption, but they still need to have a bit of fun sometimes.

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Then the narrative designer takes some time to write another document that nails the initial idea into a workable concept. We need memorable characters that have their own agenda and problems. Your mercs will appear in their story as a solution – or as just another complication.

 

Meet the bartender Lurch and his best friend Headshot Hue – formerly a team of headhunters who both retired after, ironically, getting injured in the head.

Lurch’s current vocabulary is limited to the word “Aye” and his mental capabilities don’t go much beyond that.

On the contrary, Headshot Hue is rather talkative – despite the fact that he was shot through the head and the bullet left a hole in his brain. This is actually based on a real case, but you may as well take it as a throwback to the story of Elliot from JA2.

 

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Hue has a plan to steal his friend mom’s valuable shotgun, and he will tell you at length why this is a good thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

06.thumb.jpg.838b7d42a2b692b3a52a264d72ff53d1.jpg...But of course, there should be a more straightforward approach to acquiring the shotgun. Lurch can’t stop you from taking it if he’s dead, right? On the other hand, perhaps the Docks’ inhabitants will miss their adoringly stupid bartender.

In any case, that option must be taken into account.

 


Art Concept

07.thumb.png.d5f2910fd74fc15556a5ad290adaf45e.pngWhen we have the general idea in place and before we get back to the story details, we need to sit down with our artists, and define how our NPCs look.

Each character is described shortly, with quotes and visual references.

NPCs like Headshot Hue participate in conversations and require full portraits, and those like Lurch only need a distinctive character appearance.

The map is also tweaked and polished at this point.

 

Content writing & Scripting

When everything else is set in motion, the designer can finally sit down and write about 12 pages of voiced text content – including the lines and conversations of quest characters, interaction lines, and “banter” responses for NPCs in the area, so that the world would feel more alive.

 

In our lingo, “banters” are short texts displayed in-view over characters' heads without interrupting the gameplay. They are fully voiced when spoken as character lines, but apart from that, they are easily moddable. 

Banters support multiple lines, actors and separate conditions, and they are organized in groups that allow them to be distributed per unit in a very flexible way. As a result, the villagers you meet in Port Cacao Docks may comment on your actions so far, give you hints to undiscovered stories and locations, or talk about what’s going on in this particular area.

09.thumb.jpg.6814a125ec67e044db2d34408fb10474.jpgYou are encouraged to speak to the locals and learn what is important to them, and sometimes your mercs will chime in.

You may overhear a conversation between villagers or even enemies while you sneak past them, and you could get a quest note with useful information.

For example, if you stop and chat with a strange well-armed lady, you will probably learn about the famous Coffee Beans gang that once ruled the Docks.

 

However complex and flexible it may be, the banter system is surpassed by the conversation system which is used for interactions with key NPCs. It allows for more intricate exchanges where you can respond to the NPC, ask about specific things, haggle, appease to them or even threaten them. Your mercs will sometimes comment and take a stand, or recommend an action.

 

The simplest feature of conversations is the Greeting. The designer makes sure to provide alternative initial phrases for different situations. They work with conditions in a similar way to the banters.

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For example, if you bring Hue whatever he needed to obtain the shotgun, he will recognize your actions with a unique Greeting and offer you reward – and actually a choice.

 

 

 

 

 

Conversations also include Phrase responses that have their own conditions and effects. They can enable and disable each other, so that you wouldn’t be overwhelmed with too many options, and the conversation would feel natural.

11.thumb.jpg.0d5b422aa7b935545a0d511e3be79ccf.jpg...Unless it doesn’t. But you just can’t get along with some people.

Meet Granny Cohani, the gun dealer at the Docks and former member of the Coffee Beans gang.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point the designer has 16 pages of good intentions that need to somehow go on the road to... um, release, right? It’s time to sit down and transfer the written content to the respective game editors, set up the conditions, trim the text here and there – and ultimately discover there is so much that can be improved.

Changes are being made, and there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (and possibly just a bit of swearing).

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Then the designer pauses and looks at the bigger picture. Okay, we’ve got a quest about two friends and a shotgun, one foul-mouthed old lady that would gladly buy it from you, and a bunch of NPCs walking around and waiting for you to nudge them with your mouse cursor. Is that enough content to fill a town sector? Perhaps not.

This is how the aforementioned Coffee Beans came into play.

They are the last remnants of a glorious age of freedom, adventure, and honest bank robbery. After their leader Ma Baxter died, the gang was disbanded. Even though all of them miss the good old days, the stubborn old ladies need to be convinced to drop their quarrels with Granny. Eventually, the old gang may be reunited against those “little boys” from the Legion.

It’s up to you to try dealing with them – or leave them be and see what happens, or choose another approach. Did I mention that they are well-armed?

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Task production & Polish

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When the content scripting is done, all that remains is task it to the respective contributors – combat designer, artists, and scripters.

At this point the narrative designer secretly hopes that everything will come together without his further intervention.

Let us all take a moment to laugh at him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once all tasks are completed, comes the time when the designer can start the game and play the quests. It is a moment of peace and appreciation of a job well d-ohgawdwhathappenednow...

The designer discovers that he didn’t think of this, and didn’t properly explain that.

Changes will be required and improvements will be done.

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Editing & Merc interjections

Ultimately, we have a few nice stories that are pretty much working well.

Now it’s the time to take another good look at the content, see if it feels good, polish the text and pepper it with what is the soul of Jagged Alliance: merc interjections and remarks.

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Some conversation phrases will be unlocked by a merc with high Wisdom, another stat, or a certain perk. Sometimes specific mercs will have something to say... or do.

I won’t promise that your merc will say exactly what you would like, but it’s up to you to let them speak.

 

 

 

Abuse by evil people

In the end, when we feel that the story is all grown up and strong enough, we throw it to the lions.

Our testers are the most kind and lovely people one could ever hope to meet, but while playing, they are nothing short of a bunch of raging psychopaths. A designer may feel pretty smart for script-handling the death of one NPC or another – but who could have guessed that the first thing a player may do when they save the kidnapped President of Grand Chien, is to just shoot him in the face and see what happens?!

...Though let us all be thankful to the testing team. After all they did to the game, it’s pretty safe to lay it in your hands!

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I know it will be in good hands.

 

Radomir “Gadina” Mirchev,

Senior Narrative Designer


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56 minutes ago, WolverineX23 said:

I don't know... I kinda like Granny...can we recruit her in our team? If not maybe modders can do that after launch...

I wasn't following any other dev diaries so close as JA3's ones. Is it very common to read "hope mods will fix this and that" from fans so often during game development? (it's not question to you personally) I am wondering..

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25 minutes ago, Reloecc said:

I wasn't following any other dev diaries so close as JA3's ones. Is it very common to read "hope mods will fix this and that" from fans so often during game development? (it's not question to you personally) I am wondering..

  I don't know...my "request" wasn't a fix though...just a minor add to your squad...a 80 year old grandma with guns.

  Also, if we reunite the gang, will they count as militia?

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1 hour ago, Reloecc said:

"hope mods will fix this and that" from fans so often during game development?

If a game announces mod support, expect this to be someone's comment about literally everything, and also for it to actually be done and a genuine improvement.

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Wait we're not supposed to kill the president?

But I thought this was Tropico: Jagged Alliance edition!

Now how am I supposed to become generalissmo now devs?? 😭

I like the quest showcased, I hope it's like more humorous than pathetic or embarassing, a lot of characters in JA2 were mostly just really really mean, and the others were really really ridiculously stupid.

Btw, anybody want to guess what that rifle is in the first screenshot? Looks like one of the rarer 90s HK 7.62 semi-auto sniper rifles. (Think I found it actually) Heckler-and-Koch-PSG1-on-tripod.jpg

Edited by Elite77
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1 hour ago, Elite77 said:

Btw, anybody want to guess what that rifle is in the first screenshot? Looks like one of the rarer 90s HK 7.62 semi-auto sniper rifles.

That does seem to be the Heckler & Koch PSG1. However, with the screenshot being low resolution, I can't tell what that stock is on the rifle, other than it being something different. It looks wooden and almost like an early CETME rifle stock. Why that would replace the existing one on the PSG1, I don't know.

It isn't even the cheaper MSG90 rifle.

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I am curious as to how the NPCs in Grand Chien perceive your mercs. Do they see your soldiers as a chance to change their lives for the better, changing the governing body of the country, or do they just see them as a bunch of opportunists, looking to exploit the war-torn country for their own personal gain?

I am also wondering about how long those NPCs have experienced such misfortunes? Were they down on their luck before the previous government was overthrown or only after? That would have a hand in how they view you. They are less likely to care about your presence if life has always been poor for them. Restoring the old government might not make any difference at all to their fortunes. That would then play a factor into how much they would be willing to help you in any way.

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25 minutes ago, Solaris_Wave said:

I am curious as to how the NPCs in Grand Chien perceive your mercs. Do they see your soldiers as a chance to change their lives for the better, changing the governing body of the country, or do they just see them as a bunch of opportunists, looking to exploit the war-torn country for their own personal gain?

This could be an interesting area to explore. In JA2 you had local town loyalty and of course you had MERC reputation based on how many of your recruits have died, but it would be really interesting to have a global reputation that is affected by how you act. Word spreads around and that defines how people meet you.

Professional reputation, thug reputation etc.

They write something about actions having consequences here, but how local are those consequences that's the big question.

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Yeah, it wouldn't just be civilians that would be affected or feel apathy to your presence (although they would most likely be the ones who could potentially dismiss your mercs as just another bad bunch of people, if they don't see positive results).

Gangs would seek to exploit your presence to strengthen their own position, regardless of the grand scheme of things taking place in the country. They might ask you to help them but other than giving you short term gains, I can't see them really caring what you do unless it damages their own power and profit.

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1 hour ago, Solaris_Wave said:

That does seem to be the Heckler & Koch PSG1. However, with the screenshot being low resolution, I can't tell what that stock is on the rifle, other than it being something different. It looks wooden and almost like an early CETME rifle stock. Why that would replace the existing one on the PSG1, I don't know.

It isn't even the cheaper MSG90 rifle.

Yep, the buttstock caused a lot of confusion for me as well. But I believe now we can say for sure it is indeed a PSG1 thanks to the last screenshot. Buns has a 3d model of the rifle on her back — and it features the regular PSG1 stock. I bet they decided to introduce a different stock as a default option in order to make it more fun for us to modify the rifle. Always sad to swap a weapon part for something that look worse instead of looking cooler 😉

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I don't really understand where the benefit could be in changing the stock. If it is supposed to be an 'upgrade' to replace the adjustable stock with a fixed wooden one (that is also weaker), then it doesn't make sense. If it is supposed to be a cheaper or cut down version of the PSG1, then that doesn't make sense either. The PSG1 was/is a premium precision rifle and if you couldn't afford that but still wanted a H&K rifle, you could choose the MSG90 or the G3SG/1.

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I like how much effort your team pour into building this world, quests, characters. Something that land a bit flat in previous entries. Whilst its a bit of distraction from main hassle but definitely help to immerse into game and add replayability.

Loving all dev diaries and looking forward to new footage on next stream! (stream schedule reminder would not hurt..)

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Thank you for the kind words ♥

 

13 hours ago, WolverineX23 said:

  Also, if we reunite the gang, will they count as militia?

Nope. It's better - they come in addition to any militia you would train there. But there's catch 😉

 

As for the civilians' attitude towards the player - that is indeed an interesting topic, but it may be more fit for a Dev stream.

All I can say in short is - it's not simple and straightforward. After all, initially you're just another bunch of people with guns. When you do things, news goes around, but that doesn't mean the locals know or care about all the facts 🙂

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I'm glad so much effort seems to have been spend on the story and missions, that's the favourite part for me when playing games. JA2 quests were ok, but not even close to, for instance, Witcher 3 or Disco Elysium.

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I like that every sector tells its own story and that they are designed to reflect the damage the villages received from the war that takes place in Grand Chien. I hope your choices in the dialogues really have a big impact on your team and the game world.

 

I think it would be great if some crazy mercs could even screw up some dialogues so that they say something that you didn't want. In this case you have to think about hiring some mercs, because they maybe good on the battlefield but are dangerous in the dialogues.

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"You could obtain the Chalice of Chance by killing the poor old guard, or take great effort to sneak into the museum and steal it."

If I remember correctly, the best way to handle this situation was to simply have a merc sneak up on him and shoot him with a tranquilizer dart. You could also wait for him to leave his back office and then switch off the alarm.

Man, Jagged Alliance 2 was just a playground of wild CRPG fun.

Edited by Frank
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On 5/31/2023 at 2:41 PM, Gadina said:

Thank you for the kind words ♥

 

Nope. It's better - they come in addition to any militia you would train there. But there's catch 😉

 

As for the civilians' attitude towards the player - that is indeed an interesting topic, but it may be more fit for a Dev stream.

All I can say in short is - it's not simple and straightforward. After all, initially you're just another bunch of people with guns. When you do things, news goes around, but that doesn't mean the locals know or care about all the facts 🙂

Hey @Gadina, can you give us some sense of scale of this endeavor? Ie How many people work on quests, how many did you cook up for us and most importantly is there any bank robbery ??

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3 hours ago, Claypl said:

Hey @Gadina, can you give us some sense of scale of this endeavor? Ie How many people work on quests, how many did you cook up for us and most importantly is there any bank robbery ??

I'm not sure I'm at liberty to share production details, but I'd say that the Pareto principle applies here 😄

As for the number of quests, the question is what qualifies as one? There are dozens of stories in the game that can be perceived as a quest, and multiple one-off unique interactions or just outcomes across the game world. Some stories have multiple outcomes, others are just something to discover. Some are important for the future of the mercs and the fate of Grand Chien, others will just serve as means to an end - granting Loyalty, money, resources, XP, unique items, and sometimes, a game experience that makes you smile or contemplate.

From what I've seen as feedback so far, it seems that people are happy with the content density. Moreover, they tend to discover cute little things even in their third playthrough, and they're excited about that (even the "evil people"!).

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2 hours ago, Gadina said:

I'm not sure I'm at liberty to share production details, but I'd say that the Pareto principle applies here 😄

As for the number of quests, the question is what qualifies as one? There are dozens of stories in the game that can be perceived as a quest, and multiple one-off unique interactions or just outcomes across the game world. Some stories have multiple outcomes, others are just something to discover. Some are important for the future of the mercs and the fate of Grand Chien, others will just serve as means to an end - granting Loyalty, money, resources, XP, unique items, and sometimes, a game experience that makes you smile or contemplate.

From what I've seen as feedback so far, it seems that people are happy with the content density. Moreover, they tend to discover cute little things even in their third playthrough, and they're excited about that (even the "evil people"!).

Radomir radomir radomir!

We are honored by your presence sir radomir. Like talking to a real life merc in person! 🤣

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@Gadina appreciate any details. Being dev myself (not as exciting stuff might you), I'm always intrigued with the backend of the creative process.

From what you write and what was shown through dev diaries its shaping up to be quite an adventure.

We all are looking forward to get it started!

On other end, for you guys it must be a nail biter!

Anyhow everyone is excited 😄

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