Ok, I followed a link here from a similar thread on the AGDInteractive forums (http://www.agdiforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=12229&p=199336#p199336).
Here's my thoughts on the subject of theme, reproduced from that thread:
and also on class and character development:
Here's my thoughts on the subject of theme, reproduced from that thread:
QuoteEver since waaay back in the mists of time, shortly after QfG 2 was originally released, I've hoped to see a QfG-style game with an East Asian oriental setting. You know, something that mixes together Chinese, Japanese, and Korean myths and history. QfGs 3 and 4 were fantastic (and QfG 5 was, um, QfG5) but still, they were not quite what I was looking for. They didn't scratch my itch.
and also on class and character development:
QuoteSee, I would go the opposite direction - I'd streamline the game - because adding extra classes (etc) would make the game far too large and complex for a small team of developers.
No, I'd eliminate strictly defined classes from the game altogether. I'd retain the "use a skill to improve it" system, though, and make this (and perhaps the completion of relevent optional side-puzzles) the criteria for receiving class-like abilities.
For example, raising one's intelligence and honour to a certain level, and completing a quest for the local Daoist Monk, would allow the player to learn Daoist spells; raising one's strength and honour, and completing a quest for the reclusive romantic swordsman who lives near the peak of Mount Wu, would allow the player to learn sword techniques; raising one's dexterity and reducing one's honour, and saving the local beggar thief from punishment by the locals, would allow the player to learn thief skills. In many ways, you might say that this is akin to treating every class in a similar way to the Paladin class in QfG.
Each decision that the player made would narrow his selection of future options, thereby subtly "streaming" him into one of three unofficial classes - Daoist, Swordsman, or Beggar Thief - or into none at all. Keep it simple and allow the player to develop his "class" through in-game actions rather than by making a snap decision at the start of the game, that's the key.