One of the things that got me thinking after reading the families and families selection blog [Source] was how the different starting conditions might play out. The non-traditional characters caught my eye the most so thought I would start a bit of discussion on the topic.
If you haven’t read the Developer Journal yet in a nutshell non-traditional characters are when a player take over the life of an established NPC. You have a starting age of 18+. You take over a NPC using the exact attributes, skills and appearance they have developed over time without any customisation (though you can later change their name). You also get anything they have developed such as a business, area of land or reputation.
Discussion Points
D1. What age do you think will be the upper age limit for non-traditional characters? Or do you not think there will be one?
I think it is certainly an interesting proposition due to the starting benefits of taking over a well-established NPC who has had a long time to find their place in the world. However, that will come at the disadvantage of a reduced lifespan. For instance if you are taking on a 70 year old character, they could well have some pretty prestigious position but could keel over at any time. You would not only have to pay for another life pretty quickly, but at that age you are unlikely to be able to have your own offspring to continue the family. Perhaps you get control of any offspring they already have, or perhaps they have placed a maximum age on non-traditional characters.
I think an age limit does make the most sense in the long term. It prevents misunderstanding and people costing themselves more money than they intended. It also allows people to have their own offspring to build their own family from that point on. The age limit could therefore be approx. 30 to 40. Though that leads onto additional questions about when does child bearing age stop in this game.
D2. What sort of benefits do you think will come with a non-traditional character? Are they balanced with the other options?
There has to be a balance between the benefit you get from a non-traditional character compared to joining a family or making a ward. Currently it looks hugely stacking in favour of the non-traditional character from my perspective, which makes me think I am missing something crucial. You get the life you want to live already set up for you, you just have no character customisation. This is assuming that you can choose the NPC you take over based on a similar filter system so if you want to farm, you can choose a farmer for instance, which seems a reasonable assumption.
Basically, I cannot see why anyone at the start of the game choosing either of the other options. Unless I have misunderstood joining a player family will not be possible as there will be no player born children to take over, wards are alone, and non-traditional characters get a huge host of bonuses. Unless you are absolutely set at giving up major advantages to get that jawline you have always wanted in character customisation I just do not get why you would go for a ward.
So what you think? Age restrictions? Imbalance? Something you are not interested in at all as a mechanic? Go!