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[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

*Island shipping and handling to/from Canada via uncharted sea, is not guaranteed, and might get pirated on it's way there.

Update 02: Name of the Island!

Hey everyone, the time has come. We need a name for the island by August 25th!

Come up with something fun and creative, or boring. I don't care. If we don't come up with one (or if it doesn't fit the game), Obsidian will come up with one.

Deadline: FRIDAY, August 25th.

--------------------------------------

Update 01: Discussion with Obsidian.

Here's the summary of discussion: They want to keep the story secret so we can enjoy the surprise. Basic outline in spoiler (for those that want total blackout:

Spoiler

It'll mostly revolve around Bishop/New NPC in search of Erol of Levi. The game is also going to feature portraits from the previous titles so be all meta and play as Evilore finding Erol of Levi. The island is going to have one of the toughest dungeons in the game. The Island is a homage to GAF logo; let's see how they recreate it! How about Goose and Fox? No, it's not coming back, it'll stay in it's original place of glory.

Other than that, he has played the console version of the first Pillars of Eternity and is quite surprised how the controls have transitioned for a game with various spells. I cited Diablo III to be my favorite controller transition from PC to Consoles.

Other than that, he is quite excited to show us what they're working on.

Keep on providing feedback and I'll convey them the message!

-----------------------------------------

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a long awaited sequel to the crowdfunded success, Pillars of Eternity. Created by Obsidian Entertainment, Pillars of Eternity is a PC role-playing game, and a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment. Launched on Kickstarter, Pillars of Eternity secured over $4 million. It features a party-based tactical, Pausable real-time gameplay in a two-dimensional top-down D&D playstyle, with pre-rendered background. It’s a beautifully written game with immersive and explorable areas, and interesting characters. It was GAF’s most beloved PC game of the year.

In Pillars of Eternity, NeoGAF owns an Inn called “Goose and Fox” Inn, currently ran by innkeeper Bishop. The “Goose and Fox” was founded shortly after the Dyrwood gained independence by a travelling scholar named Erol of Levi. It was created as a place for people of all backgrounds to discuss the issues facing the new country. It soon gained a reputation for the loud and sometimes violent arguments that took place within. After one particularly nasty argument, Erol of Levi left without any warning; possibly fearing for his life. At some point in the future, Bishop, a former scholar of Berath, took over.

For Pillars of Eternity II, We banded together and raided an Island! Together, along with Obsidian, we are going to create the best Island ever!

I will be conveying your ideas to Obsidian, and they will be watching this thread very closely. I will bump this thread twice a week to keep the discussion flowing.

Here are the talented team members at Obsidian Entertainment that are collaborating with us:

• Katrina Schnell: Producer
• Bobby Null: Lead Designer
• Josh Sawyer: Director
• Justin Britch: Lead Producer
• Adam Brennecke: Lead Programmer

The tentative story for GAF Island:

Erol of Levi, owner of Goose and Fox Inn, left for a quest but never returned. We meet a man who is willing to guide us to solve the mystery of Erol. GAF Inn is destroyed and burned by mysterious. We fight great monsters, and face some of the most challenging and rewarding island and quests ever! Will we find Erol? Maybe he could be corrupted, maybe he has a bigger agenda.

Who will decide? You all will. Collaborate and brainstorm. Let's make the greatest Island ever!

——————————————————————————————

Q. I want to be part of this! How do I pledge?
A. Thank you for showing enthusiasm! You can pledge directly to Obsidian, however the pledge for the Island has been fulfilled and closed.

Q. I have a great idea for the Island! Can I provide my idea and not donate?
A. The goal is that everyone who donates gets a priority over what the Island would be like. However, every NeoGAF member is welcome to voice their opinion and help make this the best collaborative experience for NeoGAF. Like last time with the Inn, everyone can collaborate openly, and help shape the lure and the look of the Island.

Q. When is the deadline for giving ideas?
A. There is no specific deadline, however I believe it will be finalized within the end of August.

Q. Will NeoGAF be mentioned in any way in the game directly?
A. We will make sure that all shout-outs are subtle as to not take you out of the lure (A lot of folks didn’t even know “Goose and Fox” was a nod to GAF. Mission accomplished!). However, there will be a Gold-Tier In-Game Credits to “NeoGAF Community”.

Legacy threads:

Project GAF Inn: http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=491435

"Goose and Fox Inn" Construction: http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=719745

Project GAF Island: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1338752

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Reserved post for more information.

 

[dreamstation]

Good luck with it you guys. I'm terrible when it comes to brainstorming and being creative but I can't wait to explore GAF Island! The Goose and Fox Inn was really well done. Great job.

 

[MartyStu]

Really late over here so I will have to contribute later, but I really like the basic outline for that story.

 

[Frozenprince]

Really late over here so I will have to contribute later, but I really like the basic outline for that story.

Yep

 

[phazedplasma]

Have they given parameters on the scope of the island?

is it a single dungeon, a few locations, etc?

 

[Giolon]

Great to see the thread! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with!

 

[Robottiimu2000]

Excellent! Need more details on what give! Dungeons? Characters? Plots? How much? Etc.

The odd sages of gaffagous island were known for their vast knowledge on unnecessary things and their ability to seek information in places where only few knew even to look for!

 

[dude]

Did we end up settling on a name?

 

[Chronospherics]

How does this collaboration work exactly? How much is gaf putting in and who is conveying that to the developers? I'm curious.

 

[Anno]

How does this collaboration work exactly? How much is gaf putting in and who is conveying that to the developers? I'm curious.

Last time I think it was a series of surveys and questionnaires provided by Obsidian that people would talk over and vote on.

Thanks for setting up a thread SK. The initial premise sounds great!

 

[e0n]

Initial premise sort of sounds like Heart of Darkness. Maybe a parody?

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Have they given parameters on the scope of the island?

is it a single dungeon, a few locations, etc?

No scope. Nothing yet. It's why I say go crazy on the idea so they can narrow down what's possible and what isn't. Last time we got hit with surveys, this time I'm hoping it's a more collaboration process, so the sooner we toss ideas, the more unique the island will be.

P.S. No name has been decided either. However, the idea of the Island shape being a homage to GAF logo has been discussed.

Initial premise sort of sounds like Heart of Darkness. Maybe a parody?

Haha I didn't even think of that. Now that you mention it...

 

[Durante]

P.S. No name has been decided either. However, the idea of the Island shape being a homage to GAF logo has been discussed.

I think that would be neat, and you can do it really subtly. Just have half of the island be volcanic or shale stone and the other half be some ochre stone or sand. You could even have roughly the "N" shape between them as some river bed or canyon. And then you make a bridge over that the climax location for the story.

Or maybe not. But I'd like that.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

I think that would be neat, and you can do it really subtly. Just have half of the island be volcanic or shale stone and the other half be some ochre stone or sand. You could even have roughly the "N" shape between them as some river bed or canyon. And then you make a bridge over that the climax location for the story.

Or maybe not. But I'd like that.

Yes! That's the idea!
I like the terrain split. Cool concept.

 

[decoyplatypus]

I think a terrain split could also work with a "rival camps" concept where, shortly after landing on the island, the GAF crew (i.e. whoever was in the inn when it landed on the island) split up over [who burned down the inn/how to distribute resources/what to do with Erol's legacy/whether pineapple goes on pizza], and some part of the crew disappeared into the volcanic region. Maybe some members of that dissident crew raid the main camp for supplies, while others have been absorbed into a hidden cult founded by Erol among some of the island's older inhabitants.

Some other ideas:

1. At some point, members of the GAF crew could try to steal the player's ship and escape the island.

2. Some NPCs could be trying to build a raft. Player could be called in to moderate dispute about who goes on the raft. A few NPCs insist that they should have priority because they were "Gold" members at the Goose and Fox.

3. The main camp has built a large sentry tower they call the "crow's nest," but the sentry assigned to it is a notorious alcoholic -- an homage to DrinkyCrow.

 

[piratepwnsninja]

Like what I'm hearing so far. My request is that pirates are involved somehow. I kind of like pirates.

 

[Arulan]

The tentative story for GAF Island:

Erol of Levi, owner of Goose and Fox Inn, left for a quest but never returned. We meet the last innkeeper, Bishop, who is willing to guide us to solve the mystery of Erol. GAF Inn is transported to the island via a portal, destroyed and burned. Bishop leaves the burning inn to go on a bigger quest. Alongside him, we fight great monsters, and face some of the most challenging and rewarding island and quests ever! Will we find Erol? Maybe he could be corrupted, maybe he has a bigger agenda.

I like the idea of following in Erol of Levi's footsteps, but I don't think Bishop or the GAF Inn needs to be there. The latter transporting itself to the island comes across as a little forced and perhaps outlandish for the setting.

I think that would be neat, and you can do it really subtly. Just have half of the island be volcanic or shale stone and the other half be some ochre stone or sand. You could even have roughly the "N" shape between them as some river bed or canyon. And then you make a bridge over that the climax location for the story.

Or maybe not. But I'd like that.

That sounds interesting.

One of my original ideas was a quest for the rumored (GAF) gold of the island, where Erol of Levi was last known to have headed, which a series of turns ends at a loss.

Spoiler

Unless a unique requirement is met: such as having the Bartender's Ring from the Goose and Fox Inn (if that's possible), or some other esoteric requirement

 

[Anno]

Sounds stupid, but working in some reactivity for the Bartenders Ring would be my #1 request to be honest. I want Bish to be super disappointed in me for always stealing the thing.

Following Bishop in Erol's tracks sounds fun. He probably had reason to kick out of town when the riots came anyway.

 

[decoyplatypus]

I like the idea of following in Erol of Levi's footsteps, but I don't think Bishop or the GAF Inn needs to be there. The latter transporting itself to the island comes across as a little forced and perhaps outlandish for the setting.

I tend to agree with this.

What options do we have for how players will discover the island? Is it going to be a semi-hidden location players may (or may not) hit while sailing, or can we ask for NPCs who will direct players to the island? Because that could influence what kind of story we want the island to tell.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

I like the callback to Bartender's Ring. Could be interesting to access hidden passages in the Island or completing certain quests.

 

[Enduin]

I like the idea of following in Erol of Levi's footsteps, but I don't think Bishop or the GAF Inn needs to be there. The latter transporting itself to the island comes across as a little forced and perhaps outlandish for the setting.

Yeah I agree with this.

I think that would be neat, and you can do it really subtly. Just have half of the island be volcanic or shale stone and the other half be some ochre stone or sand. You could even have roughly the "N" shape between them as some river bed or canyon. And then you make a bridge over that the climax location for the story.

Or maybe not. But I'd like that.

I like this as well. I think subtlety is key though, maybe not ape the exact colors of the logo as that's a bit limiting. Probably not so subtle is my liking for the name "Grief and Felicity." Aping the GAF logo as the general shape of the island could be setup where one half is a hellish landscape(grief) and one half a veritable paradise(felicity). Which is also a fun play on the somewhat divisive and often comically opposed views present on the forum. Even then I still wouldn't mind, might prefer, if the island(s) name(s) weren't directly based off of GAF, and instead use some derivation from that for the name of a quest or names for some items/equipment found on the island where the acronym can be more fitting and not feel like we're forced to make the island name incorporate it.

I also liked the discussion of using GAF in jokes and famous threads as inspirations for quests and smaller details. Nothing too overt and in your face, but small shit like the 30 copper Vailian Lunch. Or like a some guy roping you in on a quest about his missing girlfriend, which turns out to all be a hoax. Shit that GAF members might recognize, but to everyone else wont stand out as some blatant reference.

 

[Menome]

Remember the agreement:

I want a tree named after me.

 

[chaosblade]

2. Some NPCs could be trying to build a raft. Player could be called in to moderate dispute about who goes on the raft. A few NPCs insist that they should have priority because they were "Gold" members at the Goose and Fox.

Only if the response is that there's no such thing as gold membership.

I like the idea of following in Erol of Levi's footsteps, but I don't think Bishop or the GAF Inn needs to be there. The latter transporting itself to the island comes across as a little forced and perhaps outlandish for the setting.

Agree with all this.

Sounds stupid, but working in some reactivity for the Bartenders Ring would be my #1 request to be honest.

Also agreed, that could be neat if possible.

 

[The Wart]

I like the idea of following in Erol of Levi's footsteps, but I don't think Bishop or the GAF Inn needs to be there. The latter transporting itself to the island comes across as a little forced and perhaps outlandish for the setting.

Thirded. Fourthed? That might work in a Larian game but Pillars is a bit more grounded.

 

[The Wart]

I like the idea of mirroring the GAF logo with terrain, but again in keeping with the setting, I think it should be something geologically plausible. Maybe it could be an atoll -- something like the picture below, but with the above-sea land being larger and the lagoon constituting the dark half of the logo. The quest could relate to some kind of treasure or strange phenomenon in the lagoon.

I also liked the discussion of using GAF in jokes and famous threads as inspirations for quests and smaller details.

Honor and shame should be a huge part of the quest.

 

[Eusis]

Wait, the inn was teleported? Is that a thing that happens in PoE?

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Wait, the inn was teleported? Is that a thing that happens in PoE?

No, it's just an idea tossed around during discussion to see what the limitations are for what can do in the island. So far everything in the story is tentative and can 100% be changed depending on what you all decide. I don't even mind the entire island being a cat island if everyone unanimously agrees.

I see everyone wants it more grounded, so I've changed the text tentatively to the Inn being burned by mysterious bandits. I will keep on updating the tentative story as more discussions take place.

 

[Enduin]

No, it's just an idea tossed around during discussion to see what the limitations are for what can do in the island. So far everything in the story is tentative and can 100% be changed depending on what you all decide. I don't even mind the entire island being a cat island if everyone unanimously agrees.

I see everyone wants it more grounded, so I've changed the text tentatively to the Inn being burned by mysterious bandits. I will keep on updating the tentative story as more discussions take place.

Why not just have like a letter from or report of Erol reach Bishop, familiar with and aware of the events surrounding our character in PoE2 he enlists our aid and our ship to help him investigate this island and what has become of Erol. No need to burn down a perfectly good Inn.

Hell maybe cut Bishop out completely, sorry Bish, and simply utilize the Bartender's Ring itself by having it resonate with something in the game at some point that triggers a message leading us on the quest and search for Erol and the island.

 

[phazedplasma]

Hell maybe cut Bishop out completely, sorry Bish, and simply utilize the Bartender's Ring itself by having it resonate with something in the game at some point that triggers a message leading us on the quest and search for Erol and the island.

I like this. Also like the subtle visual grey/orange cues.

It'd be cool if you show up on shore and its a ruined tiny town that you have to clear out.

Find some clues to explore the island more and after some battles you get to what you
think is the boss, but its a npc pirate outpost (with a secret cave entrance).

 

[decoyplatypus]

No, it's just an idea tossed around during discussion to see what the limitations are for what can do in the island. So far everything in the story is tentative and can 100% be changed depending on what you all decide. I don't even mind the entire island being a cat island if everyone unanimously agrees.

I see everyone wants it more grounded, so I've changed the text tentatively to the Inn being burned by mysterious bandits. I will keep on updating the tentative story as more discussions take place.

I'm not sure we need to destroy Goose and Fox as backstory for GAF Island. If the idea is to move Bishop and Goose and Fox clientele from Defiance Bay to the island, there are other ways to motivate them. Say we go with the "mystery of Erol von Levi" hook. In that case, a mysterious letter--or map, this being a nautical-themed adventure--might show up and persuade Bish and some regulars to set sail (selling the inn or leaving it under temporary management). Maybe some of them think the map leads to Erol's (GAF) gold. They land on the island and find no gold but a whole world of trouble. Or they think Erol himself is on the island. Almost anything will do.

I guess my main question at this point is what kind of activity we envision for the island. Is it like GAF Inn, only shipwrecked on a deserted island (i.e. a moderate number of NPCs in a single location)? Or is it something else?

 

[Sliver]

Bish should have nothing to do with it, canonically.

 

[Mattakuevan]

I'm not sure we need to destroy Goose and Fox as backstory for GAF Island. If the idea is to move Bishop and Goose and Fox clientele from Defiance Bay to the island, there are other ways to motivate them. Say we go with the "mystery of Erol von Levi" hook. In that case, a mysterious letter--or map, this being a nautical-themed adventure--might show up and persuade Bish and some regulars to set sail (selling the inn or leaving it under temporary management). Maybe some of them think the map leads to Erol's (GAF) gold. They land on the island and find no gold but a whole world of trouble. Or they think Erol himself is on the island. Almost anything will do.

I guess my main question at this point is what kind of activity we envision for the island. Is it like GAF Inn, only shipwrecked on a deserted island (i.e. a moderate number of NPCs in a single location)? Or is it something else?

I think a grand adventure for Gaf Gold turned into trouble sounds fantastic.

 

[Enduin]

I'm not sure we need to destroy Goose and Fox as backstory for GAF Island. If the idea is to move Bishop and Goose and Fox clientele from Defiance Bay to the island, there are other ways to motivate them. Say we go with the "mystery of Erol von Levi" hook. In that case, a mysterious letter--or map, this being a nautical-themed adventure--might show up and persuade Bish and some regulars to set sail (selling the inn or leaving it under temporary management). Maybe some of them think the map leads to Erol's (GAF) gold. They land on the island and find no gold but a whole world of trouble. Or they think Erol himself is on the island. Almost anything will do.

I guess my main question at this point is what kind of activity we envision for the island. Is it like GAF Inn, only shipwrecked on a deserted island (i.e. a moderate number of NPCs in a single location)? Or is it something else?

Could do a message in a bottle type thing and have us find the island where they've been shipwrecked and various NPCs are scattered throughout the island. Some going mad, some not. If going with the logo shaped island have a bridge in the middle with a bridge keeper and pull a GAF style Bridge of Death from Monty Python's Holy Grail. Some of the NPCs that ventured into the interior and lost their minds could spout off GAF inspired things and small quests. With the finale being finding Erol of Levi in some fashion or another, be he dead or alive as the veritable King of the island that inhabitants revere, maybe as a mad King or some fraud unlikely King surrounded by fools.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Good suggestions! Keep them coming.

 

[RK9039]

If there is a new GAF inn on the island there should be an NPC that only recently started working there, but then quits his job after 2 hours because he had nothing to do.

 

[decoyplatypus]

Could do a message in a bottle type thing and have us find the island where they've been shipwrecked and various NPCs are scattered throughout the island. Some going mad, some not. If going with the logo shaped island have a bridge in the middle with a bridge keeper and pull a GAF style Bridge of Death from Monty Python's Holy Grail. Some of the NPCs that ventured into the interior and lost their minds could spout off GAF inspired things and small quests. With the finale being finding Erol of Levi in some fashion or another, be he dead or alive as the veritable King of the island that inhabitants revere, maybe as a mad King or some fraud unlikely King surrounded by fools.

I like the idea of a message in a bottle leading players to the island. I think we may want to ask Obsidian about design constraints for the island so we know whether we can suggest sidequests, whether everything has to be able to occur on one "map," etc.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Definitely like the message in the bottle leading us there. I dunno about the bridge in the middle- it's an island, you could always just... sail to the other side. Or swim, even, if the gap is totally insurmountable on both ends. Some other kind of feature would be better, I feel.

 

[Enduin]

Definitely like the message in the bottle leading us there. I dunno about the bridge in the middle- it's an island, you could always just... sail to the other side. Or swim, even, if the gap is totally insurmountable on both ends. Some other kind of feature would be better, I feel.

Fair enough. Island would be sloped. Think of it like a wedge where one end is level with the ocean and then it rises as you go towards the other end. So the other half of the island is just dozens of meters above the water bordered by sheer cliffs.

 

[Fishious]

I think that would be neat, and you can do it really subtly. Just have half of the island be volcanic or shale stone and the other half be some ochre stone or sand. You could even have roughly the "N" shape between them as some river bed or canyon. And then you make a bridge over that the climax location for the story.

Or maybe not. But I'd like that.

Oh, this is good. It's a nice subtle way to reference GAF and I feel like in addition to the terrain split there's thematic room for concepts based on the duality of the island.

I'm not sure we need to destroy Goose and Fox as backstory for GAF Island. If the idea is to move Bishop and Goose and Fox clientele from Defiance Bay to the island, there are other ways to motivate them. Say we go with the "mystery of Erol von Levi" hook. In that case, a mysterious letter--or map, this being a nautical-themed adventure--might show up and persuade Bish and some regulars to set sail (selling the inn or leaving it under temporary management). Maybe some of them think the map leads to Erol's (GAF) gold. They land on the island and find no gold but a whole world of trouble. Or they think Erol himself is on the island. Almost anything will do.

I guess my main question at this point is what kind of activity we envision for the island. Is it like GAF Inn, only shipwrecked on a deserted island (i.e. a moderate number of NPCs in a single location)? Or is it something else?

I also prefer something other than burning down the Goose and Fox. I think the mystery hook is a good one. Something along the lines of a package arrives at the Goose and Fox containing notes on strange plants and animals, an uncharted island, and excerpts from a diary. With no sender listed, the staff assumes it's a prank, but after the regulars examine and debate over the contents they become convinced the package was from the Erol of Levi himself! A group of regulars and a few employees set out to find the island and perhaps find the long absent Erol. Some go out of concern for the missing man, others to unravel the mystery contained in the message, and a few in hopes of riches.

Since the Goose and Fox presumably won't exist in this game the actual hook for this quest/transportation to the island can be handled by an NPC, probably near any port. Either a former Goose and Fox employee/regular/Bish can relay information to the player about how people have already departed for the island, but not returned. Alternatively the search party could have run into a snag in finding transport and the player's party offers transportation on their ship.

I think either setup could work depending on whether we want the Gaffers to be established on the island, having gotten themselves into trouble or see the entire mystery unfold as the player takes them there.

 

[Enduin]

Here are few scenarios I cooked up:

We meet a strange fellow and company at some port looking to go fishing in some particularly far and out of the way location offering up a hefty price for whoever accommodates them on the one day site seeing/fishing trip. Upon reaching said remote destination the ship is overwhelmed by an almost super natural storm and wrecked upon some unknown island.

Everyone is scattered and we now have two main objectives: locate all the survivors and gather materials to repair our ship. (This setup could be almost like Outset Island in BotW, in the sort of back to basics setup, where we are trapped and stripped of our gear and even our companions and have to rely on our words and wit to progress. Think of a bunch of those story book multiple choice sequences and dialogue interactions and not much combat until the end.)

On the island we find strange inhabitants; likely others wrecked here ages ago,
never able to leave. Some are sane, but others, especially those who venture further inland have become anything but. Signs point to several of our own traveling inland.

Along the way we find our lost companions and passengers. All have become influenced by the island in unique and different ways. Some are just loony, some can be saved, others appear completely lost and have become violent. Like a crazy man guarding passage over a bridge.

As we reach the remote far end of the island we find overgrown ruins and the strange fellow who chartered our boat, who is not who we originally thought he was. He is in fact Erol of Levi(or Bishop looking for Erol). He lied to us and was trying to find this island.

End with moral quandary of whether we help Erol/Bishop, respect the ancient power of the island, betray them or convince them to leave.

We find a message in a bottle, leading us to an uncharted island where we find the shipwreck of Bishop and other adventures searching for Erol of Levi. They have been stranded there for several months, Bishop has gone missing, and some of their crew have become mad or violent after being trapped on the island for so long with almost no hope of rescue.

More or less the same as Gafigan's Island in content and resolution, but without the possibility of being stripped of our companions and equipment. Allowing for a more combat focused encounters and ability to leave before resolving the conflict on the island. As well the islands strange inhabitants would be mostly, or solely, those of the wrecked Bishop excursion.

This scenario would just be a random remote island that players could come across. The island itself isn't sinister or anything, but could house some interesting ruins for loot. But the main attraction is that this is an island where outcasts are marooned on purpose.

As we explore the island we would find various degenerates inspired by famous GAF threads who were banished from their homes and purposefully marooned on this island to spend the rest of their days because they were so annoying or troublesome.

We can help or hurt these outcasts who all have different and bizarre requests. Like a fine 30 copper Vailian Meal. With maybe an overarching island wide quest the pits two factions against one another over some incredibly dumb and inane disagreement that has developed into a blood feud.

And here is a shitty 5 minute MS Paint mock up of the island I'm roughly envisioning. The ruins could sitting on or in a lake with a small riving leading away form in to a waterfall on the west side. I don't know.

New Ideas:

Basic premise is Island of Dr. Moreau. Can involve, or not involve Bishop and/or Erol and/or someone he's related to mayhaps the cause of his flight, or be just something completely unrelated to all of that.

But yeah crazy weird island filled with weird hybrid creatures the result of some animancy gone wrong. Maybe someone involved in the Waidwen's Legacy/Hollowborn research who saw promise in the existence of Wichts and binding animal souls with humans.

GAF related things could still be incorporated. Actual state of the island could go in a variety of directions. One way would be to have it kind of ape Dr. Moreau, being in active operation and still under his control with less than free and more feral beings inhabiting the island.
Another take, which I kind of like more, is that whoever was in charge died years ago and the victims of his research have no been alone on the island for years now. Many developing a degree of intelligence and sentience, creating their own little tribal society.
Possibly competing ones, taking elements from the Island of Misfit GAFers.

We could then be faced with moral quandaries of how to deal with this and whether we leave them be, try to cure them or pacify these abominations.

I would love a huge murder mystery island. Setup could be that Players are requested by Bishop to accompany them to a remote island after receiving a strange and mysterious invitation by an unknown benefactor promising great treasure and to those who come.

The only access though is a single boat which brings to this fantastical, luscious island with massive and impressive mansion. But they aren't the only ones invited. There is also a motley crew of interesting and suspicious guests, who could be based on famous GAFers and threads. We are told that we are to receive priceless and amazing gifts, but due to unforeseen complications we must wait X days for their arrival and islands host to return. All seems well until guests start to die.

With no way off the island, you must suss out who is the murderer or murderers with the help of Bishop at your side. Interrogating those who are still alive, examing those who have met untimely ends and exploring this alluring but insidious island and the now haunting and labyrinthine mansion that crowns it. But can you really trust your only companion? Dun dun dunnnnn. Or maybe Erol is the mastermind behind it all, like a phantom skulking in the shadows, or even plain sight. Exacting revenge on those witless and ungrateful patrons who ruined his life and took advantage of his hospitality and good nature.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

I like the idea of mirroring the GAF logo with terrain, but again in keeping with the setting, I think it should be something geologically plausible. Maybe it could be an atoll -- something like the picture below, but with the above-sea land being larger and the lagoon constituting the dark half of the logo. The quest could relate to some kind of treasure or strange phenomenon in the lagoon.

Honor and shame should be a huge part of the quest.

I'm definitely into the subtle geographical features.

If it's a largish island you could have an unusually orange tinge to the sand or the soil and refer to it as "The Sunset Plains". Then you cram in a reference too

 

[Anno]

"The Sunset Plains".

This is the level of subtlety and inside baseball that I like to see!

 

[SlasherJPC]

There should be a crazy npc that talks about a cultish hive mind that everyone just blows off. Ha.

 

[Fluffernutter Pancake]

We need a reference to CBOAT somehow on the island.....some ideas:

1) After reading the tentative story of GAF Island................perhaps Erol of Levi's pressing quest was to track down the mysterious CBOAT (an actual boat) or the captain of the legendary CBOAT, which had been plaguing the Goose & Fox for years, disrupting their ale supply and replacing them with leaky barrels (work-in-progress). Erol of Levi did discover remains of the CBOAT as a shipwreck on GAF island, but what he found amidst the remains drove him to near madness and he ended up living as a reclusive hermit deep in one of the island's caves.

2) A shipwreck on the island beach somewhere and when you click on it, the description should read something like,

"The splintered and rotted remains of a once proud vessel lay scattered about the beach.
Among the wreckage, you find a soggy and tattered journal."

Then there can be a journal with a few pages devoted to lore about the boat, actually the legendary CBOAT, and its adventures & ill-fated voyage. Ripe potential to mention how leaks contributed to its demise.

3) An NPC on the island is a crazy sea captain, either Captain C'Boat or Captain of the legendary CBOAT......run with it from there.

4) When you click on NPCs around the island, sometimes they ask whether you (or their fellow NPCs) have spotted the mysterious and legendary CBOAT ghost ship, which is said to come out only under the light of a full moon, and if spotted from just the right spot on the island, the moonlight reflects off the boat's bronze figurehead and reveals an 'X'.....'ONE X' on the beach. If one digs at that spot, a 'BOX' is discovered, a leaking box......what is inside the leaking box?



Something like the above or a variation on one of them would be fantastic.

 

[Wadiwasi]

I think a really good plot twist for the quest would be for the player to find the remains of Erol of Levi in a cavern or with something guarded. The problem is......the remains have been there for far longer than they should have been.

So who was the Erol of Levi that was last seen at the Goose and Fox Tavern?

 

[Anno]

So there's that adventuring troupe on the second floor of the Goose and Fox. Key? Two-Tone something? They're an option in the quest to get the dagger for the little kid who you can physically and mentally scar for life.

Anyway, the adventurers might have a reason to be out somewhere as far-flung as the Deadfire, and maybe they could provide the narrative thoroughfare to connect the G&F with GAF Island. Like maybe you find a body adrift on the tide. A note or journal on their body tells of their trip across the seas, seeking some lost treasure or ruins. If the player stole the ring from Bish then the journal will lament that they were unable to find the ring themselves and so would need to find another way through the ruins. If you didn't steal the ring then it can be found on the body, nearby or whatever and provide an easier route through a dungeon on the island.

 

[Amibguous Cad]

I'm loving the idea for Island of Misfit gaffers, assuming we think the comedic tone works in PoE.

I particularly love the idea of splitting into two factions with some kind of conflict, something to mirror the console wars. Magic vs. strength? Swords vs. bows? Some kind of pop culture ephemera that's already in PoE lore? It has to be something that the player will think is ridiculous but believable that the misfits would be so invested in.

I'm thinking it shouldn't be a literal war, just an intense rivalry. The player would pick a side in order to acquire ~macguffin~ (maybe either a good sword or bow so the player himself is casting their lots with one set of fanboy or another) and do all kinds of pranks and nonviolent sabotage, perhaps leading up to some competition between the two sides. Use thief skills to sneak in and pour oil on bows to weaken them, use persuasion checks in a formal debate between the two sides, go get ~macguffin2~ from $monster on the island, that sort of thing.

 

[Eusis]

No, it's just an idea tossed around during discussion to see what the limitations are for what can do in the island. So far everything in the story is tentative and can 100% be changed depending on what you all decide. I don't even mind the entire island being a cat island if everyone unanimously agrees.

I see everyone wants it more grounded, so I've changed the text tentatively to the Inn being burned by mysterious bandits. I will keep on updating the tentative story as more discussions take place.

I do kind of wonder if the original inn even needs to be destroyed, either it's another GAF reference with a freak coincidence, or split off by some people who had a stake in the old pub perhaps? Some other G-A-F placed linked to Erol of Levi? Maybe wealthy investors owned the island? But I wouldn't want to avoid a good Bishop or Erol of Levi story if there's one to tell, and admittedly the original inn being destroyed IS a mirror for the PC's problem.

As for the CBOAT reference: Perhaps alternatively a boat with a C on it (or something) known for randomly sailing around, sending out cryptic clues to secrets of countries, nobles, or otherwise powerful figures, but whose identity is never figured out and rarely shows up? I'm sure that can be better iterated on, and might even be a quest to find treasure.

 

[Enduin]

I'm loving the idea for Island of Misfit gaffers, assuming we think the comedic tone works in PoE.

I particularly love the idea of splitting into two factions with some kind of conflict, something to mirror the console wars. Magic vs. strength? Swords vs. bows? Some kind of pop culture ephemera that's already in PoE lore? It has to be something that the player will think is ridiculous but believable that the misfits would be so invested in.

I'm thinking it shouldn't be a literal war, just an intense rivalry. The player would pick a side in order to acquire ~macguffin~ (maybe either a good sword or bow so the player himself is casting their lots with one set of fanboy or another) and do all kinds of pranks and nonviolent sabotage, perhaps leading up to some competition between the two sides. Use thief skills to sneak in and pour oil on bows to weaken them, use persuasion checks in a formal debate between the two sides, go get ~macguffin2~ from $monster on the island, that sort of thing.

Yeah I think it's a tall order, and maybe beyond the scope of what the Backer Reward is meant for, but I would very much be supportive of GAF island being very non-combat focused and more about RPing and choice vignettes. You can always choose to attack NPCs to resolve a conflict, but it shouldn't be the only resolution. Even if there are generic enemy monster mobs it would be cool if there were alternative ways to defeat them rather than a straight up fight. Using stuff like the vignettes to trigger environmental solutions or using unique items to lure them away or incapacitate them.

In regards with the idea of using GAF threads and famous posters as inspiration for the characters and conflict, it wouldn't have to be completely, or even mostly, comedic in nature. The premise of the island being all bizarre outcasts is absurd, but the implication and reality of stranding people is rather dark and some of those inspirations could be taken into more darker and serious directions where applicable for certain NPCs. They may seem rather absurd at first but we find out darker more sinister implications to their banishment and marooning. Depending on whats chosen it could be a mix of absurdist humor, dark humor and actual serious drama.

Kind of like how some of the Fallout Vaults work. Many have really absurdist type setups that lead to very dark, disturbing and deadly outcomes. The same could be true here with the main conflict on the island, or for any of the individual NPCs therein.

I think whatever the island wide conflict is should be up to Obsidian to decide in order to fit the game's lore and setting more than adhere to any GAF specific conflict, as long as it is appropriately absurd at first glance. Something inane and completely nonsensical that only a bunch of desperate marooned outcasts could ever create a red vs blue type conflict out of. But that rivalry eventually devolves into serious conflict with potentially deadly repercussions for everyone involved.

Or, maybe even better, don't reveal what the nature of the conflict is and just portray the island as being in deeply divided by two camps and force the player to navigate this powder keg of a conflict only to reach the ultimate end of it all and find that they were at each other's throats for some completely idiotic and stupid reason.

Like fighting over the Stick of Truth or Conch type issue. Some pointless, powerless bauble they found in the ruins or washed ashore that they then imbued with completely unnecessary importance. Or maybe more in line with GAF, they argue over the rules of a game they play on the island someone lost the rule book ages ago and two house rules came into being both claiming to be the official rules of the game. And our big task is finding this rule book that was lost in some ruins guarded by a big monster.