Basement
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Frans' New Basement
In this lesson, we will create a basement for Frans' Inn. (Err... perhaps we need to make that TWO basements?) Recall that Frans' old inn was burnt down by a fire. And when Frans found out that most of the original basement (and its supply) were still intact, he has decided to join the two basements to create an even larger storage space!
[Reasoning: As you planned your narrative, try to make it convincing not only for yourself but also your audience. In whatever you design (as in this case, the basement), try to find a reason or justification for doing so. Frans may not be wise in reusing part of a burnt structure, but you can't fault him for wanting to "save" money, given his character. If you can place yourself in the shoes of your characters, you will likely create a more convincing story.]
Planning the Layout
You may "decorate" the basement anyway you like. (Bear in mind that Frans is not as rich as he would like to be, so go sparingly on the fanciful items. For example, one would not expect to find huge statues, or marble columns/flooring in Frans' cellar.
The following figure shows (an example of) an adjoined basement for Frans' Inn.
You are free to create your own version of the basements using the skills you have learned so far. Imagine yourself as Frans; how would you put together a basement for yourself?
[Tips: You should keep your supplies in such a way that it would provide easy access should you want to look for them. A neatly basement will help your player find the "supply" they need, too. Group barrels (of wine) and sacks (of grain/floor) into individual areas. Designate rooms for special items (pots and pans, cabinets, etc).]
Finding The Supplies
In the new basement (the one that led to Frans' new Inn), selectively place a few barrels or crates with inventories in it. (The figure below shows several crates with inventories just next to the staircase and several more in the room on the east-side of the staircase.)
[Tip: Don't place the supply too far deep into the basement. At this point we want to give the players an early sense of success, so as to maintain their interest levels. A few rats will attack the player, but the supply is nearby (in the room to the east). The supply near the staircase should be something that is not related to Bennay's request.]
Changing Inventories
1. Select an individual crate in which you would like to place an inventory (meaning, "Have Inventory" = True). Make sure the Static and Have Inventory? attributes are both unchecked (as shown below). A non-static placeable really means it is usable by the player (i.e., the crate will reveal its content/inventory when clicked). If the "Have Inventory?" attribute is unchecked (=Not False), it would mean that the placeable actually contained something.
[Note: I know, this is a very convoluted way of doing things. Since there is no way to change the Toolset, we must follow along.]
2. Access the Inventory tab, and click on the EDIT button at the bottom of the screen. This will allow you to specify certain items, or even assign random items as inventory for the Placeable.
3. In the next window, select garlic (the item you created in the last Practice) from the bottom left and click on the Add Item button. This will add the garlic as the inventory for the crate. The item called "garlic" will now appear in the upper left area. If you would like the player to find more than 1 garlic, you can change the Stack Size of the item, found in the right-hand panel (see figure below).
4. Do the same for the crates next to the staircase. You can place various food item into these crates. If you did not specify the item in the inventory, the Toolset will assign item randomly (which may or may not be food item).
You may place whatever food items you may have created in the previous Practice in the crates that were located right next to the staircase, so long as they are not the supplies Bennay wanted (i.e., flour or grains). You may alternatively change the crates into some other containers of your choice. For example, you can create recipe (scrolls) and place some of them on a shelf or a cupboard.
[Note: Finding scrolls and potion in an Inn basement may come across as strange to some player. I will leave the inventory to your imagination.]
5. Place some flour or grains in the crates located in the room to the east of the staircase. While you want to "force" the player to visit this room, in order to obtain the right "inventory" to complete Bennay's Quest, try to make it easy for the players to complete the first quest.
[Important: In game-development, a small success within the first 5-10 minutes of game play is known as a motivational hook. It need to happen early and gave the player a sense of achievement. After all, you don't want your players to get bored... and think the game isn't very interesting. Motivational hooks should occur at key area (not too far apart, to keep the pace of the game going. It is especially important in Fast-Paced games such as Driving, or First Person Shooters.]
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