[Dialogue] Writing Prompts

[Melchior Dahrk]

Based on comments in this thread and my own difficulties in getting started with writing dialogue for this project, I'm trying to get us off the ground by coming up with some prompts and compiling some background info to use in dialogue.


List of Optional Common Topics

Background
Community Consortium

• The Community Consortium is an organization of NPCs created to service the needs of ModTown and the modders that dwell there. Often their primary task is providing supplies and materials to various modders, assisting in modder works, and planning the expansion of the town and bringing in new trade and residents. While an organization designed to support the ModTown community and modders in particular, the relationship between the Community Consortium and modders is not singularly beneficial to just the modders. In return for their services, modders pay Community Consortium membership dues, and also provide new structures and land on occasion to support the expansion and growth of ModTown. Of course, this doesn't work quite so simply as all of that, with many modders reluctant to pay their part, or disagreeing about how an expansion should be managed, or if it should occur at all. The player will wander into all of this as they make their way through the ranks.

Creatia Island

• The name of the island and small islets that ModTown is built on.

Ekkeog

• The mushroom wielding giant outside of town.

Grand Architect

• The GA is the highest ranking official in the CC. He and the planning commisioner (directly below him) are corrupt and paranoid. This is not common knowledge, but could be alluded to in opinions

latest rumors

• Could be related to the main quest or dungeons on the island or the goblin camp or 4th wall breaking news about modding or whatever

little advice
little secret
modders
ModTown
Services

• Barracks, Bathhouse, Casino, Smithy, Enchanter, Merchant Hall, The Esteemed Alit Inn, The Knight's Tower Inn, Fort

Someone in particular

• Hard to do before we start NPCing... but could involve modders, CC members, barracks commander, etc

specific place
The Assembler

• The villain in the main quest. He makes bone creatures and lives in the volcano. People may be scared of him or his minions showing up and terrorizing the countryside.

Examples

Community Consortium

Spoiler for Hiden:

Random: The Consortium is the administrative organization on Creatia Island. They mediate between the Modders and Non-Modders here in ModTown.
Random: If you're new in town, the Community Consortium can help you get your bearings. They're the administrative organization here in ModTown.
Random: The Community Consortium is a group which in the best of times serves as an impartial governing body for ModTown. They approve city expansions, provide residency training for new modders, maintain the flow of goods and supplies for modders and non-modders alike, facilitate ambassadorial initiatives with foreign powers, and nearly anything else you can imagine.
Random: They're the ruling body here, of a sorts. You need something approved? You need to go to the CC.

Creatia Island

Spoiler for Hiden:

Random: Creatia Island is the landmass that ModTown was built upon.
Random: By visiting us here in ModTown, you have arrived at Creatia Island. This beautiful area holds many exciting places to explore and discover.
Random: Creatia Island is the landmass that ModTown was built upon. The island itself contains various sub-regions, all of which are dominated by the large volcano which looms up from the northern part of the island. On the slopes of the volcano, are some small Ashlands; and the Western Plateau of ModTown overlooks a large Grazeland area. But most of Creatia Island is covered in flora from the Ascadian Isles of Vvardenfell.
Random: Creatia Island is dominated by the large volcano which looms up from the northern part of the island. Other, smaller sub-regions are scattered around the periphery of the volcano: Ashlands, Grazelands, and Ascadian Isles.
Random: There are many things to see and do beyond the walls of ModTown, %PCRace. Just be careful if you're venturing into any cave or ruin as the Community Consortium does not maintain patrols beyond the city proper.
Melchior Dahrk: That is the name of the island that ModTown was built upon. When Darkelfguy and myself conspired to lay the foundation for this city, I agreed to create the island. I went for a style strongly inspired by Vvardenfell but on a much smaller scale. So you'll see a bit of the Grazelands over where Old Ekkeog tends his flock and some Ashlands at the base of the volcano; but the island was predominantly terraformed after the Ascadian Isles region. Arguably the most idyllic area in Morrowind.

Ekkeog

Spoiler for Hiden:

Melchior Dahrk: Have you met our parasol mushroom carrying giant? He keeps a flock of goats out past the Western edge of ModTown. He's friendly enough for a giant. But I wouldn't lay hands on his goats... very touchy about those creatures, he is.
Random: RACE: DARK ELF: The giant on the western edge of ModTown. He's usually pretty timid, but a Breton once tripped over one of his sleeping goats. Poor fetcher was unrecognizable by the time they calmed Ekkeog down again.
Random: RACE: ARGONIAN: The large one, near the western edge of ModTown. Just keep heading west until you smell goats.
Random: RACE: IMPERIAL: He's a giant, and a resident here in ModTown. He carries a giant mushroom around with him, and shepherds a flock of goats. He's usually pretty tame but giants are unpredictable, so approach him at your own risk. You'll find him if you keep travelling west through the town.

latest rumors

Spoiler for Hiden:

Random: Apparently someone thought they saw S'Havarr in a dark part of ModTown with a moonsugar dealer. Do you believe them?

little advice

Spoiler for Hiden:

Random: If you're venturing beyond the border of ModTown proper, I would suggest going well equipped. Most of Creatia Island is tranquil on the surface, but there are some dark places if you step off the beaten path.
Random: There's an old Daedric tower just north of ModTown which is historically called the Tower of Baelgon. Though no one alive today could tell you who or what Baelgon was. My advice to you would be to steer clear of that place - dark powers dwell below its eldritch exterior.
Random: IF DISPOSITION IS BELOW 30: You stink, tourist. There's a bathhouse in town, just West of the gathering hall, behind the Esteemed Alit Inn. Go get yourself a good scrub down.
Random: You look like you're new, visitor. The Community Consortium has a great Visitor Center with information about what ModTown has to offer. Their complex is on the large island just West of the main city.

little secret

Spoiler for Hiden:

Random: If you're looking for a challenge, Melchior Dahrk has been known to allow enterprising treasure hunters to raid his vault if they do some sort of work for him. Dahrk Manor is the overgrown Velothi tower just East of the Gathering Hall if you're heading towards the docks and Census and Exise offices.

modders

Spoiler for Hiden:

Melchior Dahrk: That is the term given to the group of individuals who modify, create, and/or remove content from the game. Their work includes things as small as a new shack in Seyda Neen or as large as developing the entire mainland of Morrowind. Simply by visiting this island, you are experiencing a single mod collaboratively created by a group of modders.

ModTown

Spoiler for Hiden:

Melchior Dahrk: ModTown is a community of modders. But while modders comprise the majority of the population, the city has a large number of non-modder inhabitants who provide many essential services. This ModTown was built on Creatia Island in 2015. But there have been several iterations of ModTown in the past. Each with different groups of modders depending on the year it was built. Between the modder homes, the city, and the island itself, there is a lot to see and do here in ModTown 2015.

services

Spoiler for Hiden:

Random: The enchanter shop can be found directly across from the bathhouse. Do take care of what you say to the enchanter though, he's gone under some heavy fire lately for a rumor.

specific place

Spoiler for Hiden:

Random: If you're a fledgling adventurer, OrinDac's shop is a great place to find adventuring gear. There's a wide variety of armour and weapons to suit whatever your needs may be.

I hope this helps. I will add to it as I can. Feel free to comment with additions/suggestions. Let's keep going!

[Autoclock]

To add to this, I think it would be funny if NPCs talked about how the Autotower people keep trying to pay their dues with their own form of currency (which is basically just Dwemer metal shaped into a disc with the word "MOOLAH" written on both sides), and suggesting ridiculous plans that aren't needed or feasible, like a row of rocket launchers.

[Turelek]

As for rumors or someone in particular, the enchanter shop owner is rumored to be addicted to moon sugar.

[Melchior Dahrk]

These are great suggestions. I'm thinking that we could probably create a randomized set of responses for some of the generic topics like little advice, little secret, latest rumors, someone in particular. And stuff like this would fit in well.

I think that the generic responses should be written by the originators. For instance, Turelek, could you write a rumor about the Enchanter? And Autoclock, could you write a couple rumors/secrets whatever about the folks in Autotower? Some sound like they could be restricted to CC members.

Since we're going to have a random set of responses, I'll probably add one for my avatar about the treasure hunt in his home.

[Autoclock]

I have a few ideas, yes. I'll keep you posted.

[Melchior Dahrk]

I added a few Little Advice topics.

edit: why the heck don't we have spoilers on this board, DEG? We have glowing text and a marquee tag; give us spoilers!

[Melchior Dahrk]

Added some random Community Consortium topic responses.

Jac, or others who are interested in contributing some dialogue can use this thread for reference. Bearing in mind the uniqueness for the characters they may be writing for and their location: the casino, the pub, the merchant hall, the guard barracks, etc. Each person may have a specific response. I am just writing some random responses that I can put in a generic filter for the ModTown cell.

edit: added some random topic responses for Creatia Island

[Darkelfguy]

Great initiative, Melchior! I really should get started on writing up some dialogue myself, since we already have a fair number of locations setup already.

Spoiler for Since you wanted it...:

As per your request, spoiler tags are now enabled

[Melchior Dahrk]

Thanks for the spoilers!

Yeah, get writing!

[Turelek]

About the Enchanter Shop owner (rumor):

Spoiler for Hiden:

Apparently someone thought they saw S'Havarr in a dark part of ModTown with a moonsugar dealer. Do you believe them?

Enchanter Shop as a service:

Spoiler for Hiden:

The enchanter shop can be found directly across from the bathhouse. Do take care of what you say to the enchanter though, he's gone under some heavy fire lately for a rumor.

[Melchior Dahrk]

Fantastic work! I'll be sure to start getting these into the next version of ModTown.

Anyone reading this topic: note that writing up a background or dialogue for any type of NPC is welcome. We can find them a home. Need a lot of pub-goers, a couple townhome residents, some bathers, FG MG & TG members, and others.

[Mafilux]

Well I'm pretty new to this but am willing to come up with some generic townsfolk for the mod and I'll leave some dialogue options here too.

Dark Elf; Ekkeog:

Spoiler for Hiden:

The giant on the western edge of ModTown. He's usually pretty timid, but a Breton once tripped over one of his sleeping goats. Poor fetcher was unrecognisable by the time they calmed Ekkeog down again.

Argonian; Ekkeog:

Spoiler for Hiden:

The large one, near the western edge of ModTown. Just keep heading west until you smell goats.

Imperial; Ekkeog:

Spoiler for Hiden:

He's a giant, and a resident here in ModTown. He carries a giant mushroom around with him, and shepherds a flock of goats. He's usually pretty tame but giants are unpredictable, so approach him at your own risk. You'll find him if you keep travelling west through the town.

specific place

Spoiler for Hiden:

The gambling hall of ModTown is famous throughout the land as a place where dreams are made or undone! If you're interested in lining your pockets with gold it's near the gathering hall.

specific place

Spoiler for Hiden:

If you're a fledgling adventurer, OrinDac's shop is a great place to find adventuring gear. There's a wide variety of armour and weapons to suit whatever your needs may be.

I think it might be fun to add in some statistical facts for the little secret dialogue options. Things like when Modtown 2015 was started, how many people contributed, how long specific plots took to develop, etc etc.

[Melchior Dahrk]

Awesome stuff, Mafilux. I've added your and Turelek's stuff to the list above. And I like your idea about using the little secrets to talk about that sort of thing. Maybe Darkelfguy can help refresh my memory on some of the stats... "our first announcement video got xxx views!" "in total, x modders contributed to create ModTown 2015!" "ModTown 2015 was initiated through a forum post on x-x-x" "the ModTown forums have had over x posts since the project was first announced!"