what are the best attempts at making a mission where choices lead to different outcomes?

ussjohnbrown

I know technically its not easy Whats the best was to do this and what are good completed foundry mission examples?

paxfederatica

The different choices/outcomes would have to be implemented outside the storyboard, using triggers and popup dialog objects.

For example if you wanted to give the player three different options, you would place three invisible objects where you expect the player to be (preferably the largest objects, to ensure the player is located somewhere on them). Set each of these objects to spawn ("show") at the point in the story where the decision is to be made, and to despawn ("hide") when either of the other two objects is chosen. Then, add three dialog objects to the map (they can be placed anywhere), one for each choice, trigger each one to spawn when its corresponding object is selected (Component Complete), and add whatever text you need for each one. Finally, spawn/despawn whatever other objects, mobs, FX, etc. you want to be affected by each choice.

For best results, in most cases your story should be structured so that once you hit the decision point, whatever else follows on the storyboard (1) won't happen until after the player's choice and its consequences have fully played themselves out, and (2) will make sense regardless of which choice was made.

ussjohnbrown

Is there a way to usen optional objectives on completely different maps so the endings are different?

ussjohnbrown

For example pick one of three doors each leads to a different map?

duncanidaho11

ussjohnbrown wrote: »

For example pick one of three doors each leads to a different map?

Nope. The actions on one map cannot be made to directly affect another. You can give the player dialog options labeled to what they did previously (and tie those into changes on the following map) but it is not an automatic process and the player must be consciously aware of the fact that you're setting things up in this way (so you probably don't want to do it repeatedly, I only did it once at the end.)

ussjohnbrown

So if i have 3 doors that don't open each with an optional objective that triggers a transition to the next map... Door 1 triggers map @ door 2 mapb and so on?

ussjohnbrown

And anyone have example missions that an illusion of choice is best represented?

duncanidaho11

ussjohnbrown wrote: »

So if i have 3 doors that don't open each with an optional objective that triggers a transition to the next map... Door 1 triggers map @ door 2 mapb and so on?

We do not have that ability in the STO Foundry.

ussjohnbrown

Question two... I heard things about layering space maps to create different effects... And can this be done 29th ground maps?

ussjohnbrown

I maybe beb misunderstanding things....

duncanidaho11

ussjohnbrown wrote: »

Question two... I heard things about layering space maps to create different effects... And can this be done 29th ground maps?

What I believe you heard was layering backgrounds in custom space maps to create interesting combinations (some have other effects attached to them). Ground maps just have access to preset backdrops. You cannot layer them.

ussjohnbrown

Ah...

ussjohnbrown

Can you trigger space backrounds? To make it appear you've changed maps?

duncanidaho11

ussjohnbrown wrote: »

Can you trigger space backrounds? To make it appear you've changed maps?

Nope, they're static. There are other effects that you can trigger (nebulas FX, warp trails) but these are objects you place (take a look in the editor for a full list, a lot of this you pick up through experimentation .) They aren't backgrounds.

ussjohnbrown

Thwarted again.

drogyn1701

So there are some ways to do multiple paths and branching story choices. They're not easy nor are they "clean" but they can be done.

I'll give you an example and a mission of mine to check out to see it in practice. Apologies for the long explanation, but it took a while to figure out how to do it.

I wanted to give the player a moral/ethical choice at the end of the mission. So, without revealing story spoilers, I place the player in front of a console. I tell them in a dialogue window that they can either activate the console or not. The next objective is a reach marker at the end of the map. If you activate the console, the villain yells at you and spawns enemies to try and kill you on your way to the end of the map. If you leave it alone, you can run to the end of the map without any trouble. This is all done outside the objective, using triggers. The dialogue and enemies are set to appear if you activate the console, which is not tied to an objective, so you don't have to activate it to advance the mission.

I wanted this choice to carry on to the rest of the mission, but we can't carry triggers across maps. So, what I did was the first thing that pops up in the next space map is a map dialogue window where a character asks whether you activated the console or not. If you push the "yes" dialogue button, a group of enemies spawn. If you say "no" a group of friendlies spawn.

I do this once more in the end dialogue of the mission. If you say yes you activated the console, the NPC says "you'll get a medal for this!" and if you say you didn't, he'll tell you you'll probably be court martialed.

The mission is called "Over There" on the Fed side.