This article collects information regarding the conceptualisation of the gameplay of The Mana World
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This article is currently only a proposal
The features or design guidelines described in this article are only a proposal made by one or some persons. It has not been evaluated or accepted by the core development team yet. Feel free to add your personal opinion about them or make counter proposals.
In this article i want to present my idea for the central epic quest i mentioned in the comments on the Backstory. The quest is based on finding out the truth of the world backstory, obtaining the power of the elements and unlocking the elemental races.
While the quest is de facto mandatory for magic based characters because it is the only way to obtain the 7 basic spells of the 8 elements (although some more specialized spells might be obtained on other ways), it is still attractive for weapon based characters because it offers the chance to obtain some free elemental weapons.
To leave the choice of weapon open to the player i decided not to give complete weapons as quest rewards. Instead i decided to give the character the possibility to apply elemental enchantments on any weapon of the players choice or to give the character unique crafting materials that can be used to create an elemental weapon of his/her choice.
The quest is separated into 8 similar storylines. Each line is about learning the spells, obtaining the weapons and learning the background of the spirit and the race of a specific element. The storylines are very similar to ensure a fair balance between the elements. Although some details might be changed to create a less repeating experience when learning all 8 elements. Because the storylines are very similar i am describing them as one storyline. The description is separated into not element specific parts that only have to be done once for all elements and element specific parts that have to be done for each element and may differ a bit from the description given here.
Quest plot
Tutorial
(not element specific)
Magic based character: Mage tutors can be found in all the starting areas. They teach all players the basics of magic and give them the first spell of each element. When the character reaches skill level 5 of an element the mage tutor tells him/her to visit the temple of this element.
Weapon based characters: Combat tutors can be found in all the starting areas. They teach all players the basics of fighting. When the character reached skill level 5 of any weapon skill the combat tutor will tell him/her about elemental weapons and that the 8 temples are the best way to get an elemental weapon.
Ridiculous errand
(element specific)
The 8 temples are quite easy to find and to reach. The priests will talk a bit about the history of the world (official, false version) and send the player on a quite easy errand.
Reward for magic based characters: When the character reaches level 10 of the element of the temple he can learn the 2nd spell of the element.
Reward for weapon based characters: When the character reached level 10 of any weapon skill the priest will bless a weapon of the players choice that does not require more than 10 skill level (or other restriction to limit it to low level weapons). From now on the weapon inflicts elemental damage.
Combat practice
(element specific)
The next task, after another bullshit lecture, will be to "smite the foes of the temple". The priest will ask the character to hunt a specific amount of a rather weak monster of the opposing element.
Reward for magic based characters: When the character reaches skill level 20 of the element he can learn the 3rd spell of the element.
Reward for weapon based characters: When the character reached skill level 20 of any weapon skill the priest will give an elemental blessing to a weapon of the players choice that does not require more than 20 skill level (or other restriction to limit it to low level weapons).
Advanced errand
(element specific)
Now that the character earned the trust of the priest he is sent on a more important mission involving a plot against the worshipers of the opposing element. His/her task is to go to the country of the opposing element and follow a quest line with various npc dialogs ending in a fighting quest with a small boss monster.
Reward for magic based characters: When the character reaches level 30 of the element of the temple he can learn the 4th spell of the element.
Reward for weapon based characters: When the character reached level 30 of any weapon skill the priest will bless a weapon of the players choice that does not require more than 30 skill level (or other restriction to limit it to low level weapons).
First Dungeon Crawl: Sages housing
(element specific)
The priest will tell the character that he is one of his best students and the sage of the element wants to see him/her to teach him/her even more powerful magic / give an even more powerful blessing. Unfortunately the location of the sage is rather difficult to reach and the way there is guarded by aggressive creatures of the element.
When the character reached the house of the sage he/she will notice that it has been overrun by strong creatures of the opposing element. The character has to search through the house and fight the monsters.
Eventually the character will have to face a rather strong boss monster. This boss drops a crystal named "splinter of the body of *spirit of the element*", which can be used as a crafting ingredient to create an elemental weapon adequate for a skill level 40 character and a quest item that has to be obtained to reach the sage.
In some cases the sage might be killed, captured or missing. In that case the character gets the following clues on another way:
When questioned about who the "person" is the splinter is named after the sage will tell the character that this is "a riddle he/she has to solve himself/herself". Then the sage gives the character a book written in a language he/she can't read and sends the character away.
Translating the book
(not element specific)
To translate the book the character has to visit a scholar in the Kingdom of Sonbrand. In case the character doesn't find this out on his/her own, the priest might point him/her in the right direction when visited again.
Speaking to the scholar might be difficult and include some more errands and npc searching. In case the character has already spoken with him about the book of another element this part of the quest should be shortened.
The scholar will translate the book. It contains the instructions for casting the 5th spell of the element (which the character can learn when he/she reached skill level 40) and describes the history of the race of the element, its "birth place", where it can be found and the magic words to open the entrance to it.
Second Dungeon Crawl: The birth place
(element specific)
The "birth place" of he race is usually located at a rather noticeable place that has some relation to the element. The entrance is usually not visible but can be opened by the character for a short amount of time (allowing party members to come with him/her). The "birthplace" itself is a rather large dungeon with mixed monster population that reassembles an ancient city. The task of the character is to find various pieces of information about the background story of the race that are required to eventually find the shrine of *spirit of element*.
When examining the altar that features a statue of the spirit he/she will find instructions for learning the 6th spell of the element (in case he/she reached level 50 of the element skill) and a crystal called "splinter of the hearth of *spirit*", which allows to craft an even more powerful elemental weapon than the "splinter of the body" (a weapon suitable for a skill level 50 character).
When obtaining the splinter of the hearth he/she will get a vision that tells him/her to come to a special location.
3rd Dungeon Crawl: Meeting the spirit
(element specific)
The location mentioned in the vision will be in an even less reachable location than the dwelling of the sage. It will usually be a place that is closely associated with the spirit of the element. A volcano for the fire spirit, an iceberg swimming on the ocean for the water spirit and so on. There might be some additional hurdles to take until the character can reach it.
When the character reached it and fought its way through it he eventually meets the spirit in person. The spirit will explain a lot of background story about the creation of the world and will give the player the mission to revive its personal race. From now on the player can create new character with the elemental race of the spirit. The spirit will also teach the character the 7th spell of its element (skill level 60 required) and another crystal named "splinter of the soul of *spirit*" that can be used to craft a very powerful elemental weapon (skill level 60).
Further Gameplay
When the character has met all the spirits (or at least those he/she wanted to visit to obtain their elements), he/she is on his/her own. The spirits might mention some additional challenges that the character might take on to learn even more powerful spells or obtain even more powerful magical weapons, but the spirit makes clear that it is up to him/her how to use the power and the knowledge he/she obtained.
Synopsis
When the player has completed all 8 element quests, he will
- Have visited large parts of the game world
- Fought through 24 different dungeons
- obtained 56 different spells
- crafted a powerful weapon of each element
Needless to say that this quest can only be completed when the game world is basically finished.
To introduce this quest in an earlier stage of the development process we could start with the quests for only 2 or 4 elements and/or only script the first parts and leave the endings of the quests for later releases.
