[Mainquest] #1 - Part-Time Jobs

[Seniosh]

Quest 1: Part-Time Jobs

Now i'm going to attempt to start outlining fully all of the quests. It's all based off of Cuthalion's system, which i've found can be a bit clumsy when writing the type of dialogue i particularly like having. If you'll notice, there are 5 times in the dialogue when the conversation ends, because there are 5 different ways to end the conversation. If anybody can suggest a better system for writing dialogue, i''ll gladly use it.

I'm going to update this stage by stage. There is a LOT of dialogue in my quests.

The story in brief:
After completing two or three writs, you have become a high enough level to attract the attention of the Gray Faction, discussed in the Story Thread. As you are walking out of the Soluthis Guildhall, a man contacts you and asks you to meet him in Soluthis at midnight the following day. Once his is gone, the Soluthis guildmaster contacts you, persuading/threatening you, telling you that you are to be his "inside man" in the Gray Faction.

You go to the Rendez-vous as planned, and follow the man back to the Gray Faction hideout, where you are tasked on a simple smuggling run, just to prove your loyalty. You must travel to Steadhelm, meet get a package on the docks, and then return to Soluthis, . On the way, you will be attacked by some rival smugglers, so watch your back! This accomplished, you have earned the trust of the Gray Faction, and are to wait for further instruction, both from the faction and from your Guild Master, who is eagerly awaiting information about the operations of the faction.

Stage 0
Trigger: Completion of a writ
Consequence: Player is approached by a man after leaving the Soluthis Guild
Player actions: Dialogue
NPCs: Smuggler (imperial)
Dialogue:

-Smuggler101-Greeting01: Hey, You! Want a little extra gold?
-Player101-Choice01: What?
-Smuggler102-Response01: I see you're in the Morag Tong. I work with some of your friends doing all sorts of odd-jobs. Strictly off the record of course
-Player102-Choice01a: Sorry, I'm not interested.
-Smuggler103-Response01a: Too bad, If you change your mind, I'll be in Kali Gulas Square, midnights. Come alone if you know what's good for you - and not a word of this to anyone.

[End Dialogue] - Trigger quest stage 15 -

-Player102-Choice01b: What Kinds of Jobs?
-Smuggler103-Response01b: Oh, Jobs the Tong refuses, item "liberation", maybe a bit of smuggling. you're an assassin, who's going to stop you?
-Player103-Choice02b: Count me in
-Smuggler104-Response02b: I knew you'd take the offer. See you at 12 midnight, Kali Gulas Square. I trust we'll keep this affair between the two of us?

[End Dialogue] - Trigger quest stage 10 -

-Player103-Choice01c: Sorry, I'm not interested
-Smuggler104-Response01c: Too bad, If you change your mind, I'll be in Kali Gulas Square, midnights. Come alone if you know what's good for you - and not a word of this to anyone.

[End Dialogue] - Trigger quest stage 15 -

-Player103-Choice01a: Isn't that illegal?
-Smuggler104-Response01a: Hah! an assassin afraid of being caught? That's a new one.
-Player104-Response02a:I guess i'll check it out.
-Smuggler105-Response02a:I thought you'd come around eventually. See you at 12 midnight, Kali Gulas Square. I trust we'll keep this affair between the two of us?

[End Dialogue] - Trigger quest stage 10 -

-Player104-Response02b: I'll decline
-Smuggler105-Response02b: Too bad, If you change your mind, I'll be in Kali Gulas Square, midnights. Come alone if you know what's good for you - and not a word of this to anyone.

[End Dialogue] - Trigger quest stage 15 -

Stage 10 and 15
Trigger: Dialogue
Consequence: Player chooses whether to speak to Velthas or just go to the meeting point.
Player Actions: Speaking to Velthas or the smuggler

Journal entry Stage 10
- I was just contacted by an Imperial who works with members of the Morag Tong to make some extra money. It's certainly not legal, but i should go to Kali Gulas square at midnight to check it out. Or, I could report it to the guildmaster, Velthas, but there probably isn't harm in taking a few jobs

Journal entry Stage 15
-I have been approached by a shady Imperial offering me money to take illegal jobs. I should contact guildmaster Velthas at once! Or I could just get more information in Kali Gulas square at midnight.

Dialogue if the player decides to report to Velthas before going to the rendez-vous

-Velthas101-Generic Greeting
-Player201-Topic01: Illegal Dealings
-Velthas102-Response01: I know, I saw that recruiter trying to get you. I almost thought you were going to give in, good to see your loyalty.
-Player202-Topic02: What are you going to do?
-Velthas102-Response02: I've got a clever plan; you see, none of them know that you contacted me. So, I'm going to plant you as an informant.
-Player203- Topic03: Isn't that dangerous?
-Velthas103-Response03: Of course it is, but I'll be covering you, just in case something goes wrong. And obviously, if you tell them about me, I'll kill you along with them.
-Player204-Topic04: Why haven't you killed them already?
-Velthas104-Response04: Orders from Llathis. We think this is one branch of a large organization. Now no more questions, meet them at the specified place, and I'll contact you with more information

[End Dialogue] - Setstage 20 -

Journal Entry Stage 20 -
I have informed Velthas about the illegal activities taking place in the Tong. He was impressed by my show of loyalty, and has asked me to join the faction and provide him with inside information. I should go meet the recruiter in Kali Gulas Square at midnight.

Dialogue with the smuggler (whether or not you talked to Velthas)

Smuggler201-greeting: I knew you'd show up. I can tell you'll do just fine with us.
Player301-Topic01: What now?
Smuggler202-Response01: It's time to make you a part of the Grey Faction, a blending of the criminal underworld and Morag Tong. Feeling up to it?
Player302-Response02: Of course
Smuggler203-Response03: Follow me

Player action: Follow the smuggler to a small, low-level hideout of the Grey Faction.

Dialogue with the smuggler in the hideout

Smuggler301-greeting: Now that we're here, I have a job for you. A little introductory errand before the bigger things.
Player401-Topic01: What do you want me to do?
Smuggler302-Response01: Nothing hard, just meet a couple of our contacts over in Steadhelm, pick up a package, and bring it back here. They should be waiting near the docks. Don't worry, they know the drill.

[end dialogue] - if getstage = 20, setstage 30 - if getstage = 10||15, setstage 25 -

Journal Entry stage 30 - I have been given a simple task - pick up a package in Steadhelm, and bring it back to the hideout. A smuggling run, in other words. I should complete this task and gain their trust.

Journal Entry stage 25- The Grey Faction has made me a member, and given me my first job. I should be able to complete this flawlessly, and then move up to bigger and better jobs. This could be a good source of income.

Stage 25
Trigger: Dialogue
Consequences: Velthas contacts the player, and informs them that they have violated the rules of the Tong, but will make up for it by becoming an inside man
Player actions: speaking to Velthas

-As player starts out on the road to steadhelm, Velthas walks up to them-

Dialogue

Velthas201-Greeting: Going somewhere?
Player501-Response01a: Not particularly
Player501-Reponse01b: I'm running an important errand
Player501-Response01c: I'm going to steadhelm
Velthas202-Response01: Oh really? Interesting. I thought you were on a smuggling run for an illegal and dangerous faction in the criminal underworld.
Player502-Response02: But... how?
Velthas203-Response02: Silent! Did you think the Morag Tong is blind? You have erred, but fortunately for you, I have some plans that involve keeping you alive
Player503-Response03: What do you want me to do?
Velthas204-Response03: You are going to be my informant in this so-called "Grey Faction". Don't even think of telling them about me. I will know, and you will know I know because I'll kill you myself. Now continue on your errand, I will contact you later if I have use of you
Player504-Response04: Am I expelled from the Tong?
Velthas205-Response04: Of course not! Then you'd be no use to anyone. If you serve your purpose well you will be pardoned. Give no indication that this has occurred.

[end dialogue] - setstage 35 -

Stage 35 Journal entry - Velthas, guild leader of the Morag Tong in Soluthis, has just informed me that I will be his inside man in the Grey Faction. I seemingly have no choice in the matter, and he will either expel me from the Tong or kill me if I betray him. This isn't quite what I expected.

Stage 30 and 35 action - the player travels to Steadhelm, and is approached by two dunmer near the docks, who then enter into dialogue with him

Dockworker101-Greeting: We have a package for some friends in Soluthis, you here to pick it up?
Player601-Response01: Yes, I am
Dockworker102-Response01: This your first job?
Player602-Response02: Yeah, why?
Dockworker103-Response02: Just watch out on the way back. There might be other people who want that package.

Setstage 40

Action: Player walks back to Soluthis. Along the way, bandits attack, just to make things fun. (unless the player somehow uses fast-travel, teleportation, or just avoids the road.

Then, the player makes to back to Soluthis, and hands the smuggler the package.

Dialogue

Smuggler401-Greeting: Do you have the package?
Player701-Response01: Yes, here it is.
Smuggler402-Response01: Excellent, everything's here. Our customer will be pleased. Here's 200 gold for your troubles. We'll contact you next time we need a job done. There will be much more gold involved next time.

Setstage 50 Quest Complete!
Journal Entry stage 50- I've gained the trust of the Grey Faction, and made some money. Both Velthas and the smugglers will contact me when they need something. Until then, I should act as though everything is normal, and complete more writs.

There, done with the dialogue for one quest. Shouldn't be too hard to implement it.

[Cambridge Spy]

I see you've posted some Morag Tong-related dialogue in this thread! Can I work on this dialogue for you, please?

Thank you!

[Seniosh]

Wow that was quick. Listen, the NPCs involved in this quest do not exist yet. Indeed, i haven't even created an ESP for this quest yet. However, if you want to make a thread for Morag Tong dialogue, whether here or in the voice-acting dev boards, I'll see what i can do about getting it into the game.

The one thing i must insist (and i think you'd agree) is that if you do the dialogue for an NPC, you do every piece of that NPC's dialogue. There's nothing that irks me more than one NPC with 5 voices.

For this particular quest, the Smuggler is a smooth-talking imperial. That's why he's in charge of recruiting for the mysterious group of smugglers known as the Grey Faction.

I'm really not sure what the process for voice-acting development is. I'll see if i can get in touch with SACarrow and see how the whole thing works ingame.

Thanks for your enthusiasm. I'll see what i can do about getting more dialogue up (takes a while to write and organize though)

[Cambridge Spy]

Originally posted by Seniosh
Wow that was quick. Listen, the NPCs involved in this quest do not exist yet. Indeed, I haven't even created an ESP for this quest yet. However, if you want to make a thread for Morag Tong dialogue, whether here or in the voice-acting dev boards, I'll see what I can do about getting it into the game.

The one thing I must insist (and I think you'd agree) is that if you do the dialogue for an NPC, you do every piece of that NPC's dialogue. There's nothing that irks me more than one NPC with 5 voices.

For this particular quest, the Smuggler is a smooth-talking imperial. That's why he's in charge of recruiting for the mysterious group of smugglers known as the Grey Faction.

I'm really not sure what the process for voice-acting development is. I'll see if I can get in touch with SACarrow and see how the whole thing works ingame.

Thanks for your enthusiasm. I'll see what I can do about getting more dialogue up (takes a while to write and organize though)

The Smuggler is a smooth-talking Imperial? I thought you said he was a Dunmer. Whatever, I'll see if I can do the dialogue you've posted on this thread so far.

Thanks!

[Seniosh]

I let race be slightly flexible. It would make sense for him to be dunmer or imperial, since the smugglers don't necessarily have to be native to Silgrad, and Imperials are famed for their charisma and powers of speech.

Plus, you said you're better at Imperials (and i forgot whether i stated his race or not. It was just a side-note, and i just changed it)

The smugglers are a colorful bunch of people, and "persuasive" and "smooth-talking" aren't the first adjectives i'd use to describe the dunmer, so I think he'd work as an imperial

[Cambridge Spy]

Seniosh,

I'll just let you know that I won't be voicing EVERY NPC in the Morag Tong questline. I just asked if I could voice the Smuggler because I thought I could do it. I'll just decide which NPC to provide a voice for and then give you my interest in it. Anyway, I've finished with the lines you've posted so far concerning the Imperial Smuggler, I'll forward them through SACarrow.

Thanks!

[Seniosh]

Oh, i know you won't be doing every NPC, my only request is that if you do one NPC, you do all of his lines.

With the smuggler it shouldn't be an issue, seeing as he's nameless, but if you were picking up someone like Velthas, i'd want you to do all of his lines - just for continuity and flow. The smuggler actually might be in a few more quests though, so i'll let you know when i do more lines for him