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Even if you add detail to a town, that doesn’t mean that the town instantly becomes a quality town. Just because you can see that there are lumber mills and masons doesn’t mean much. In my opinion, (which is what most of this article is based on) what makes a town a quality town is what you can do in it. In most scenarios, you can enter a town, check out the shops, and leave, unless there is something you’re meant to find in it. If a town has something to see in it, it’s probably best to show some kind of dialog message telling the party that there is something here. Or, you could hint at it while talking to people in town. For example, if there is a tavern or bar in the town that sells drinks, make it possible for the party to get drunk. If that happens, show some kind of comic message of what happens while your drunk. Make sure to have the Barkeeper urge you to buy more for some reason or another. You need to hint at it or else the party will never know that they can do it. How about having a park in one of the cities, with no guards around. If you wonder into the park, you encounter some brigands. They demand you give them your gold. If you do, they leave, if you don’t they fight. This kind of encounter might be common while traveling outdoors, but they seem to be lacking while in towns. Just because it’s a friendly town doesn’t mean there can’t be some hostile creatures popping up here and there while the guards aren’t around. Finally if you have room, give all those people that wonder around pointlessly short dialog text. I know most people hate it when everyone they talk to just has “No Response” on them. Give them short, but colorful dialog messages that basically tell you they that aren’t interested in talking to you. You could also make them tell short stories about what they are doing, and just forgo giving them a name and use the dialog on more than one character. Having “Travelers” that tell you they are from the distant land of “Gandregolia” is better than having them say nothing at all. Other things you might do are put in secret add-ons that you can find if you search around. Have a trap door in the back room of the inn that leads down to the sewer. Maybe that old wizard’s house is bigger than you thought and goes several stories underground! You could also be colorful and combine happening between towns. Maybe someone in “Taguin” screwed up and sent a precious jewel to some low/middle class person in “Darina” who is now living a high class life. And the merchant is upset because “the person I sent the jewel too keeps claiming he never got it.” You can even go visit this person in the town of “Arvendora” and listen to his complaints in person. :) |
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