I've been doing some forum diving, and am re-inspired by this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=690. Also, I don't want to study anymore. So in typical Big Idea thinking without concern for the consequences, here goes:

MtG was necessarily minimalistic in its plot because it was strictly a card game. The story had to be advanced through the flavor text, and any side materials that really only a few people ever cared to read. TFW is not limited in this way; it has a team of developers constantly behind it, it can insert plot into our world with same technical capabilities (if not the same structural ease) as a World of Warcraft. It has a map element, which while typically random, can always be easily fixed for specific plot events, in the style of an Age of Wonders. And the currently low number of players gives the devs nearly as much control over the plot as any single-player game.

Jed has already announced that there will be 2 grand clash tournaments/year if all goes well. I envision similar tournaments only perhaps designed to advance some loose frame story. I can see a conflict between the various factions of the DL in which each player must only play with their DL and neutral cards and the deck can only contain one faction (Baltasar, Abraxia, etc.). The maps substitute the typical Far Wilds terrain with lava, blighted lands, and themes of the underworld. And the winning deck's faction becomes the dominant DL force in the Far Wilds.

Or, in conjunction with the release of a new expansion, a League tournament is run with only brand-new cards and the very basics of the Seed Set. Without knowing anything about the opponent's strategy, the ins-and-outs of how the cards work, or what combos to expect, new enemies are dealt with as they would on the battlefield; the entire focus is adapting. Those creatures which see little to no play are removed from the new expansion as they've been thinned out before the expansion is released for purchase, perhaps to return in another expansion.

Finally, the Wilds itself can come under the control of the Chaos Domain, hostile to every other race. In every ladder game that is played, a difficult AI player is added with this Domain to make things even more complicated. Additionally, a "Chaos AI" option is added to the fight menu, for players to play against a more difficult AI with this new domain. To remove the Chaos from TFW, 100 separate players must beat the Chaos in a 1-on-1 match.

These ideas just scratch the surface of how typically MMORPG events can be incorporated into a TFW plot. Of course, the first step would be putting flesh on the bones that Jed and the Devs have provided, which some have already been willing to do in the previous thread, and I myself would enjoy. After that, the sky is the limit.

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-Minds

As for the backstory itself, I was actually tasked with writing one up and it's been done for a while. Jed will be putting it up for public viewing one of these days. It expounds upon the vague description of the world's history currently under the "world" link on the main page.

I like the idea of themed tournaments drawing upon plot elements and advancing a sort of 'current' plot arc, since the existing plot is all historical and establishes only the context of the present world, although I don't see why it would have to be restricted to factions. If individual players are going to be changing the game environment, they should be allowed to write the history of their own kingdom, as it were, rather than strictly following plot guidelines.

real suggestion for single player modus
huge post in the middle
http://thefarwilds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=704

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sry for bad english

TFW borderlands trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47Vh4ZxtkbE
TFW trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSTCNgoFBQ4

Seeing a thread on a possible story-expansion set made me remember this thread. I know that the devs are more into the technicalities, but I agree more than ever that there needs to be an infusion of plot into all of this. I read the new "World" section on the homepage, and it relates a great story (I'd like to see it proofread a little more, and nitpicky things like that, but a start is a start). I guess my main question is, where does it go from here?

While raptorus' suggestion for a single-player mode is fine and dandy for an extended tutorial, it doesn't address issues like 1) a continuing the plot and 2) creating a plot in which everyone is involved. I think a lot of these ideas can be merged into not only a fun game, but a decent business model as well.

- Above, I suggested three Big Picture different ways to have plot-driven tournaments.
- Raptorus suggested a single player campaign that ends with you establishing a strong foothold in the Wilds
- Lord Midnight suggested an expansion pack of cards all based on one plot concept

So combine them. Release expansion packs which must be bought in order to participate in key TFW plot tournaments. For example, Midnight's booster revolves around the search for an ancient ruin. Sell both "The Search for Galath" and "Galath Booster Packs" in the market, then hold "The Search for Galath" tournaments. To enter, you must have purchased the prime deck in the market, and 25% of your deck must be made with "Galath" cards. Further, to enter any plot tournament, you'll already need to be in the Wilds, and established your foothold - in other words, completed Raptorus' campaign.

Take it a step further. After you purchase "The Search for Galath" from the market, another level in "Explore the Wilds" becomes available in Single Player mode. This level lets you set up camp at an area near the ruins. This would be required before competing in the Galath draft, the Galath league, and the Galath Tournament, effectively blending single player and multiplayer plot functions.

Plot points can be awarded to people who participate in all these forms, and who win games. The winner can win the treasure, be it gold or a unique card or whatever. The tournaments close after a set date, but the Galath cards remain available for purchase. The plot is updated to reflect who conquered Galath with which faction and how, and "The Search for Galath" is over.

My thinking is, if there is an epic clash of this kind that only takes place over the course of, say, a month or two, there will be a rush to buy those cards as a way to participate in something that will never happen again in TFW's history. If given the chance to help shape the Wilds, so to speak, I think people will be willing to spend a bunch more money.

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-Minds

hey Im glad you like the idea of Galath !

I think the kind of thing you are talking about is really cool.

When I thought it up, I was thinking of when you buy a Galath Booster, there is no galath starter, you are actually paying for the expedition to find it. By paying the 100 or so Gold, you are actually searching for Galath.

By design, no one has found Galath-Baen, in over a thousand years, though there are other ruins that yield treasure about. It is unlikely that any person would find it now, though I suppose it is possible.....


I I have another "expansion" I will be detailing soon, it fits directly into what you guys are talking about. It is based on some advanced buildings, and some new terrain types...

I look forward to seeing what people come up with

I like the suggestion of a single player campaign / tutorial. Done well, they can be a lot of fun, although it does definitely take some work to get the infrastructure set up (although some of it may already exist). If you want an example of what can be done in a CCG, a game I used to play (Starchamber, now essentially in limbo after SOE acquired the studio), eventually came out with a campaign that was a lot of fun and did expose the story (although the last mission of the tutorial campaign was really too hard, at least on the default difficulty). It also did a reasonable job making it interesting for more experienced players with difficulty levels that adjusted the starting resources of the computer opponent.

So this is the format that most MMORPGs take, right? Whether they check to see if you've done it before, everything allows you - not the generic you, but you in particular - to participate in every element of the plot. In WoW, though I haven't played it, I've heard you and 20 friends can go and kill the main boss of the entire story. Over and over and over again. It requires such a high suspension of belief that I have never been able to reach for multiple reasons, but one is this - if 20 other people who I don't know killed the guy, why is he still there for me to kill?

The way I had envisioned this was that Galath would be some kind of ongoing event for a month within TFW, in which people compete against each other. Every player is in a rush to find it, or the ruins, or the treasure, or whatever. The actual elements of the story aren't really relevant. All of that was simply to say that it wouldn't be a single-player game - TFW relies too much on multiplayer elements. But it would use that multiplayer strength to advance a plot, something typically reserved for single player games.



I'm ok with that. Otherwise, you could sign on three years after Galath is released and play through a plot which, at least to everyone else that has been playing since day one, has long been resolved.

PS: I'm definitely not trying to be antagonistic, please don't take my words as such. I do think that something as large scale as this requires a lot of discussion, brainstorming, and input, so keep the comments coming

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-Minds

I dont know if you guys are familiar with Legend of the five rings ccg?
The gist of it was that there were these samurai clans, and there were ocasional "storyline" tournaments. Also the whole game is very storyline-feel with named personalities not just nameless samurai etc. (also these personalities would change through time having different unique versions.)

Basically players could influence the story by winning. The siege of Tokugawa castle? Who wins? Your favourite monk is searching for a scroll? Is his experienced version a mad-skillz ninja, or an ancestor ghost(cause he died?)... Tournaments are held, players decide
Also, when a clan piles up enough victories/important tournaments this is reflected in the next set.


Best story i remember involved a Lion clan (honorable clan) player who made a somewhat unusual deck (with lots of cards that lose honor and a single demon). It was not quite competitive but by some miracle won (nobody was expecting its play stile really). Upon victory he took of his shirt to reveal a shadowlands(evil corupting faction) t-shirt

Why the long story? Well, it threw the community into uproar, Lion players were furious, others wanted to try out these new tactics. Of course this was reflected in the next set which featured many fallen samurai, and a new redemption seeking gameplay. Boom, just cause of some guy who thought it would be funny.

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The Far Wilds version for example:
(a card example, cause TFW storyline first has to be fleshed out and established and then story tournaments can have fun with messing with the setting)

The grey mage - Playable only in storyline tournaments.
?domain 2flux
0A/2H 4M 3V 0R
2: Grey mage gets +2Attack and +2Range. Once a turn.

Grand clash is held, with qualification rounds first, blah blah.
Who wins with his domain, the creature ends up made as that domain creature.

-- or ie.
GC is all done (lets say Sylvan won), next set there is an extra Sylvan creature: the Mosslight Griffon and its a flying-but-not-healing variation.
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Also TFW setting kicks ass just for the fact that elves and dwarves are really humans, AND it has a whole elementals faction too.