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 regardless of 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, feel free to contact whoever will be coding the NPC you're writing.
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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...
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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 are many more Ashlanders like me who follow the same trade, 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.
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Giving the player choices. Example:
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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 largest city after Vivec on Vvardenfell. Ald'ruhn may have more residents, but Balmora is simply bigger.
- Balmora [choice 3 chosen ]: Oh, then why would you be asking?
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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?
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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 one's peers.
- 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 is now a fisherman. 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. 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 other team members for info about the NPC being referred to.
- Having results to the dialog, like adding money, changing disposition, teaching, making something appear/disappear, etc.
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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.
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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.
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