"You know I'm always looking for special weapons and armour."
Alusaron, Vivec
Quick Guide to
writing successful Morrowind NPCs
What is good:
Having quests: The quests must involve the NPC being done, and may involve any other NPC\creature no matter whether it's new or old. You do NOT have to script anything; just explain, preferably in detail, how the quest should go, and write the journal entries. It is also good to use colour-code or italics for quest material in the document. If you're unsure whether the quest is feasible, E-Mail me, Max a.k.a. ~NOBODY~ at max99x_nobody@yahoo.com.
Having multiple responses to the same topic, no matter how small the difference is. For example, an NPC is talking about his friend:
Initu Llethri [Initu is alive]: He is my best friend. I always go to him for advice whenever I need one.
Initu Llethri [Initu is dead]: He was my best friend. I always used to go to him for advice whenever I needed one. It was such a pain for me when he died!
Initu Llethri [Initu has left Morrowind (determined by a quest)]: He was my best friend. I always used to go to him for advice whenever I needed one. Too bad he's in Cyrodiil now...
Making new topics, or adding responses for topics existing in the original game, even if the response(s) are small. For example:
My trade: I am a hunter. In these parts nix-hounds are abundant, so it is very easy to earn enough money to make a living. Though there're many more Ashlanders like me who also follow the trade of hunting, so I get a healthy amount of rivalry.
Rivalry: Yes. Just yesterday, Sannout went out a moment earlier than I did, and shot three hounds while I had nothing.
Nix-hounds: Nothing special. Just a type of the local animals. You certainly know them yourself.
Giving the player choices. Example:
Balmora: A nice city, though maybe a
bit too big for my tastes. I prefer the peace of this small coastal town. I bet
you visited it, didn't you?
Choice 1: Yes
Choice 2: No
Choice 3: I live there actually.
Balmora [choice 1 chosen ]: Then you
probably know no less than me about it. I've been there only once, you see.
Balmora [choice 2 chosen ]: You should.
It is the second biggest city after Vivec on Vvardenfell. Ald'ruhn may have more
residents, but Balmora is bigger.
Balmora [choice 3 chosen ]: Oh, then why
would you be asking?
Using variables. It adds immersion when
the NPC knows the player's name, class, rank, etc. Two examples:
Mages Guild [Player is member of the
guild. Player's rank is higher than the NPC's.]: I've been a member for a very
long time, %PCName. But as I'm not much of a mage, I will probably never be
called %PCRank... Though I'm happy that you are.
Little Advice: Whenever you meet
another %PCClass, ask him about his trade. There's much to learn from the wisdom
of others. And even more from the wisdom of colleagues.
Taking into account all the
info about the NPC. For example whether they are involved in a quest, the place
they are in, their class, race, gender, faction, rank, inventory, and all that.
Of course, some may be changed, but obviously not everything.
Changing miscellaneous
non-dialog things about the NPC. For example you could add a fishing rod to an
NPC that used to be a commoner and now is a fisher. Or moving an NPC that used
to be a thug and now is an assassin to a corner out of the light.
Referring to other NPCs. So a
servant is supposed to talk about his\her master, and an admirer about his\her
beloved for instance. It is also encouraged to ask us or other team members for
info about the NPC being referred to. So either the dialog, or at least an
address to contact the writer of that NPC will be given.
Having results to the dialog,
like adding money, changing disposition, teaching, making something
appear\disappear, etc.
Talking slightly off topic. If each
topic had the same info in it said by every NPC in different words the mod would
be worthless. Here's an example:
NPC#1, Someone in particular: Natigoth
is such a nice person. I met him once at the Enchanter's shop, and we've been
friends ever since.
NPC#2, Someone in particular: There
aren't many residents worth seeing here to be honest. The publican over at the
Spotted Owl inn is quite friendly, so if you are bored or need a friendly ear,
go there. Then there's the Mages Guild steward, Anne. If you have anything to do
with magic, you should visit her sometime. The rest of the city are just
commoners like myself. Of course you might also want to see the nobles, but I'm
not the best person to ask about that...
What is bad:
Copying from the original
game (TESCS). This is the worst thing that a dialogue can contain. It is ok to take
certain information, like rumours or lore-related facts, but never to copy.
Having anything that doesn't
suit Morrowind atmosphere or the Lore. So if an NPC says that he comes from "The
snowy land of Elsweyr," or something like "It's gonna rock, man," the dialogue
will be rewritten or not accepted at all.
Making NPCs with split
personalities, or none at all. So if an NPC says that he adores Kwama eggs in
one topic, then that he hates them in a second, and afterwards that he doesn't
care for them in a third one, he won't make it to the released mod.
Having short dialogue. This
may sound obvious, but as our experience shows, many can't understand it. Less
than 20 words is a short response. It is ok to have several like that, but not
the whole dialog. Especially not for the main topics like Background and "My
trade." 1 page is a short NPC, 2 is OK, but 4+ are suggested.
Leaving out topics. While
missing a topic or two is ok, leaving more is bad.
Repeating the same thing in multiple
topics. For instance:
Someone in Particular: You can find
everyone in the local pub. That's where all the important people stay.
Specific Place: The pub is really a
great place to relax. Everybody goes there.
