The Dragons Among Us is in development now, and we're planning a late 2012 release. The main script and characters are all ready to be added, and over the next few weeks I will be planning all the side quests.

Here is an opportunity for members of Amaranthia to help shape the game!


What to do
Create an outline for a side quest.
It does not have to be VERY detailed, but should not be too vague.
If you wish, you may include information about the person the quest is for (eg - a princess, a man who has been turned into a frog, etc), and a reward, but it is not necessary.
It can be a very short side quest, or it may require several steps to complete.


Who may enter
The contest is open to ALL forum members.
You MAY submit as many entries as you like.


How/When to Submit
Entries are to be submitted ONLY between June 11 and June 17.
Entries should be PM'd to me.
Put "SIDE QUEST -" as your PM subject, with a very brief description of the quest (eg: SIDE QUEST - FIND THE QUEEN'S SLIPPER)


Judging and Prizes
Entries will be judged, by me, after June 17, and the THREE winners announced on June 20.
Winners will have their quests added to the game, and will receive a free copy of the game on release.

Non-winning entries will all be posted to this thread after judging, so everyone can see what a creative group we have


Other Info
Over the next few weeks, I will post some spoilers here (description of some characters, places, events) that may give you ideas.
You may also post questions here and I will answer them if it doesn't give away too much.
You may PM me before June 11 to ask if specific aspects of your quest idea will fit into the game.
Do not talk about your entry with others - you don't want to give anyone else ideas to expand on
Also keep an eye on this thread for any responses to discussions that may give info about the game.

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Game Snippets/Spoilers

Overview
After celebrating his coming of age, Dashiell is privileged to take the month's offerings to the nearby monastery. On his return, he and his friends are attacked by a lone dragon! Shocked to learn dragons live so close to Merivale, Dashiell fears for the safety of his people, but has little time to act - another crisis is looming in the Kingdom of Mayfield, and the men of Merivale are called upon to help resolve it.

Dashiell's world is thrown into turmoil as he discovers secrets that shake the foundation of his trust and beliefs, and threaten the very existence of the dragon clan. Just who is the enemy, and what is the debt that must be repaid to the dragons? Find out in our new game, The Dragons Among Us, due for release in late 2012.

City: Mayfield
The city of Mayfield is a hive of activity. The seat of King Victor's throne, it is the center of trade and commerce. Wander around and get to know the locals, be entertained at the circus, have a cold drink at the local bar, or investigate the mysterious goings-on in the bowels of the castle. How will you spend your visit?

PC (Optional): Sherwin
Sherwin is Dashiell's best friend. They grew up together in Merivale, a small farming community, but while Dashiell is happy in his little corner of the world, Sherwin detests the lifestyle and longs for travel. A geeky intellectual who would rather have his head in a book than be outside taking in the fresh air, he is also ignorant to the advances from the opposite sex. Sherwin is an optional team member, and you'll have several opportunities to recruit him.

Town: Pittleton
Pittleton is a town of thieves, with a thriving black market. When you need that "special something" that you can't just go down and buy from the corner store, this is the place to go ... if you are prepared to pay the cost or scratch a few backs to get it.

Your reception here depends entirely upon decisions you make along the way. Will you be viewed with suspicion and kept at arms' length? Or welcomed like one of the family? Or perhaps you'll be greeted by a lynching mob, out for revenge?

You'll need to play more than once to experience everything this town has to offer

PC: Carwin
Carwin is a sergeant in the Mayfield army. His loyalty to the king is unshakeable. Strong and ambitious, he's happy to help you if there's some benefit for him, and he can get you into places that are otherwise inaccessible. But he will not tolerate anyone getting in his road, and heaven help those who betray him!

PC: Malua
Malua is a water spirit who speaks the common language of mystic beings. Some races you encounter do not know the language of humans, but Malua's race, the Lualia, does. Aware of the selfish nature of humans, she views them all with suspicion, but after a kind and heroic act, will agree to accompany you, acting as both a guide and a translator, as you prepare to approach the dragons.

PC: Tyvetti
Tyvetti is a trapper by trade, who has seen a little more of the world, and is wiser in its ways, than Dashiell. The two join up in a time of need and become good friends. Tyvetti firmly believes any kind of power has a corrupting influence, and applauds those who put the needs of others ahead of their own. But Tyvetti has a secret that, if it got out, would surely lead to his demise, and perhaps Dashiell's as well.

PC: Rumina
Rumina left her home town of Dunken, a mining colony, and moved to Merivale when her brother was arrested and thrown into prison. She's a herbalist, and if you find the right plants and she has the recipes, she'll be able to make potions for you - very useful if you're a long way from the nearest shop.

PC: Mute Girl
On your travels, you will encounter a mute girl, who starts to follow you around. With no indication of who she is, or what she wants from you, do you let her come along? One thing becomes clear - she knows how to fight, and has some pretty neat tricks up her sleeve. But can she be trusted? Since she can't tell you her name, you get to give her one

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Remember, DON'T send your submissions to me until June 11! I don't want to see your ideas until I have all the other side quests listed

I am TOTALLY in for this. My mind is already thinking up sidequests even though I only know a little bit about the game.

Awesome! Who else is entering? It's going to be pretty quiet in here due to the secretive nature of entries, but I won't know if that's a bad thing until June 11!

Remember you can ask me stuff about the game, and I'm happy to answer questions if it's not too spoiler-ish.

I might if the muses are kind.

Alright, sounds intresting

My mind is sadly blank. BLANK.

Sounds highly interesting. But if we knew a bit more about the game... it would be a lot easier

I will give you some more information. There's heaps of time, so just see, as I add info, if it sparks any creative juices

Nice. I love subquest, it would be a big present just to have mine in a game

are the lead characters dragons or what??

Sounds really interesting!

@Soumy, there is a possibility that you may have a dragon PC.

I'm going to pop some info on one of the locations into the Announcements thread. Check it out, if you're looking for possible inspiration

Sounds like a lot of fun! I will seriously consider entering this.

is there a city like dragkthor in the game?

thinking of a totally dragon based sidequest.....

Question!

Since we are allowed to submit more than one entry, do we send each of them in a separate pm to you shaz or list them under one pm only? o.o

I'd like to know for sure whether or not you can have a dragon in your party as soon as possible since I'm thinking about sidequests somehow involving that.

Yes, you will have a dragon in your party. At this stage, you will not enter a dragon city. But if you have a great idea for a side quest that requires that, go ahead and submit it - if I like it so much to include it, I will make the adjustment needed.

One entry per PM, please, with the "theme" of the side quest as the subject, so I can find specific ones easily when I need to.

Wait, what theme? Theme as in "festival" or "romance"? Or theme as in "finding things", "looking for people", "delivery"?

It's in the rules in the first post. Just the "main purpose" of the side quest, so when I'm looking through the list for one I know I read, I don't have 20 "side quest contest" messages that I have to look into to see if it's the one.

The example I used was "Side quest - Find the queen's slipper" - just a short summary of the goal/task.

I've decided to add all the snippets and spoilers from the other thread into the first post here, so they're all kept together. That way you won't miss any, and you won't have to go searching for them