In my other thread about http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1160789-i-want-to-have-showcases-in-my-homes/page__gopid__17035086#entry17035086
My friend Sshodan said this.


I thought about it and WOW! I thought of a good idea. Have a useful traveling companion A PAINTER! (Or writer to write stories of your deeds) When you do battle he'll occasional collect a "snapshot" and pain it (have a limit of about 30) then you can ask him about them and see them and choose what you think is best to keep, and the rest he can sell. Marvelously ingenious!

(The idea for the bard is roughly the same, he'd of course have writings he'd have to choose from it can't be completely random, but depending on what you do he'll write about it.)

Alternative Ideas

uhmmm... a Bard maybe?

Now explain to me, how would that work given the gameplay mechanics, design choices and engine restrictions?

Well explain to me how it wouldn't work. It's very simple to see how it would work (most especially the painter) I'm typically against the idea of a companion, because fighting on your own is overall better, but a non-fighter (like Gabriell in Xena) would be much more interesting.

That would be a great thing to have - since we are a hero there should be someone to commemorate our heroic deeds! If we have companions some of than being bards and having an artistic talent as a bonus to a normal set would be awesome! They may do less fighting (just enough to stay alive themselves) but help out in other ways (like carrying loot and providing some cometary to what you are doing).

I voted no one both. I like to hear the people talk about rumors of a hero doing such and such deeds of yours but I want an air of mystery of who he is. I mean, the only thing that really bothered me in Oblivion is how people knew I was the Hero of Kvatch. How did they know I was the Hero of Kvatch? I had different armor than I did in Kvatch, I wouldn't look anything like described....

Well the "people" wouldn't necessarily have to know anything, but you'd have your own personal collection of your deeds to look back on.

So, you are fighting... and magically the painter stops time to draw a picture of you fighting a creature. It would be unrealistic, if it indeed happened, it would be annoying.

Or maybe, the bard thing, narrating your "deaths" or at least adventures, how complex a system would have to be to create interesting, fun and smart pieces of texts detailing the stuff that happened to you. Works on rogue-like games like Dwarf Fortress, but that's because all interesting stuff has to happen on text because you can't have pretty graphics to picture all this.

I wouldn't enjoy the bard option, as the idea of someone singing my characters deeds didn't appeal me at all, but the painter companion is a different thing. The Idea of asking him/her to paint a beautifull landscape and later being able to hang it in your house is cool.

Doesn't the journal already do that?

:clap:

Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all...year

I want my own minstrel!

Minstrel: Bravely bold Dragonborn rode forth from Winterhold. He was not afraid to die, oh brave Dragonborn. He was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways, brave, brave, brave, brave Dragonborn. He was not in the least bit scared to be mashed into a pulp, or to have his eyes gouged out, and his elbows broken. To have his kneecaps split, and his body burned away, and his limbs all hacked and mangled, brave Dragonborn. His head smashed in and heart cut out, and his liver removed, and his bowels unplugged, and his nostrils [censored] and his bottom burned off and his [censored]...
Dragonborn: That's, uh, that's enough music for now, lads... looks like there's dirty work afoot.

Quite easy, two ways for the painter. He could one have a Photo graphic memory (AKA snapshots) or he could keep a decent distance when you're traveling, take out his sketch book and sketch. Also while you're stopped to camp he could paint you sitting by the fire and/or eating. As for the bard things you do like, "He went into the dark depths of hinar's crypt.." you start fighting a wriath and assume you're using magika and favor an ice spell he'll add "He fought the vile undead wraith with courage in his heart firing blasts of magika at his foe, his fingers covered in frost" and you can add things for a variety of situations.

How would the bard work if go around killing everyone? Would he still tell the world of your epic deeds? If so I think I would have to kill him too.

EDIT: I clicked no for both

IF you do that, he'd indeed write about your heinous deeds, but you own him so weather he tells people or not would be up to you.

What I find interesting about this poll is that in Oblivion we had a history of sorts written for us in Shivering Isles (where "tokens" of our accomplishments would populate the great hall as we progressed through the story). While that's more of a visual history, it represents the same thing and I see no reason why a story of the hero's tale couldn't be generated as the player progresses. It would take alot of writing and testing though, maybe too much work for this time around. But similar to how those old quest/story books worked in which you made choices as you read along, and jumped to different pages based on those choices where the tale would progress. In a game as huge as Skyrim though, just imagine how complex that logic would have to be!

I said yes, but instead of following you around they could be commissioned to paint a picture and you can take a screen shot that the artist paints for you.

I think that's a fantastic idea. One of the things I love about Halo is the fact that it captures everything in temporary files, then you can go and save your awesome moments in screenshots or clips. Then in San Andreas you could carry around a camera and take pictures of stuff in the game you thought was interesting. This would be a great way to add that into Elder Scrolls but keep it *in* the game. I've always wanted the ability for my character to paint, but this is a even better idea. All they would have to do is give you a companion with the option to "paint a scene" so the game will constantly be saving say, a 15 second clip for instance. You could go talk to your painter friend and "recall the tale" of whatever you did, this is explained as your character remembering what just happened. You then go into a "theater" type mode of the past 15 seconds, you can then choose a "scene" for your friend to paint. Then all the game has to do is take a screenshot of that, apply a awesome "painted" filter over it and Voila. You have a painting to hang in your home.

very interesting, I added a section for alternative ideas for this issue.

Sounds interesting, fresh and a good diea.
But no to him being a companion. perhaps someone like the Adoring Fan who knows all about you and seemingly stalks you... ::ninja::

I would prefer it to be a companion where I can choose when and if he stalks me.

For some reason, the poll is broken for me. I voted NO in both of them and then a screen comes up and says that I need to vote in every question, which I did.

In any case, a big NO on both. I don't need a painter and I don't need a scribe to write a book of all my deeds.

There is no such thing as a "Useful Companion" in an RPG.... not for me anyway.

I just noticed and fixed it.

but in comment to your post, I agree no companion for me, but if they INSIST on "adding" companions these are the guys I'd like to have a choice from, but once again you don't have to use them. You can stay playing solo (like I probably will)

:celebrate: