Forgotten World: Should Jaana Have A Child?
Iceblade sent me the following question by email:
Do you think it would be too much if one of the companions had a child with a native Britannian (note events here take place 50 years about Underworld 2?
He went on to list Jaana, specifically. Now, my first thought was: they can do that? My second thought was that this was a question for a poll if ever there was one. So after discussing the matter a bit further, it was decided that I would be the one to put up the poll in question, so that discussion of the idea could take place in the same place.
[poll id=”3″]
Personally, I think it’s a neat idea, one I would actually like to see implemented. Nor do I think it’s particularly beyond the bounds of what’s reasonable; earlier revisions of the Ultima 9 plot called for another companion (Geoffrey) to have had a child with one of the locals, after all. So why not the druidess?
What say you, Dragons and Dragonettes?
I think if Lord British can have a child with a native Britannian, any offworlder can so long as their internal plumbing is still working. Women have, IIRC, up to 40 years. Men can keep sowing oats even when they’re twice that age.
So it depends on Jaana’s age, unless you want to use magic or something as an excuse.
Why would you? Just because you can?
As a proof of the power of their editing tools and grasp of the game’s engine, it would be a pretty impressive demonstration.
And done right, it would be a small enrichment to the game, but an enrichment even so.
Ultima seems to be really fast and loose with Companion ages I notice: Compare Jaana between U6 and U7, makes me think that the Companions aren’t near immortal but are the offspring of the companions from the last game. (just no one knows about it… not even the Avatar) Or they could be Cylons that age and pass on their personalities and memories onto the next body.
In all seriousness, though, Jaana’s U7 portrait looks young enough to have children. Obviously, Lord Heather is the father here.
Jaana was pretty cute in Ultima 7, and about the exact opposite of that in Ultima 6.
Entertainment Tonight (ET) just called and suggested whatever brings more viewers. Other than that, of course sexual reproduction should be a part of Ultima. It’s what we animals do. You can bake bread, but not fuck? How does that work out in the end?
@Sanctimonia, there is already Bucs Den… “want to parteee?”
I’m not so much in love with that idea. Most of the times I dislike the “just because we can” approach.
While you’re at it, give gwenno a child or add one to each NPC. THAT would show off the powers of the editor…
Seriously I’d rather see an alive Mr. Smith than a child.
Yeah…there has long been sex in Ultima. Though only the last in the series featured sex of the non-procured-from-a-hooker variety. Progress!
I suppose giving Gwenno & Iolo a kid or two would be the logical choice; they were the notable couple amongst the Companions!
Actually, Jaana having a child fits very well with my vision rather than a simple I can do it type thing.
Iolo and Gwenno are however too old in even in U7. IIRC None of the other companions were involved with anybody else. Oh and it is going to take more than a horse plague to knock smith out.
If it fits with your vision then just do it instead of asking a couple of ultima fanatics 😉
You will only get annoying answers 😉
Good news about Smith
Really, you can do whatever you want. It’s your patch. People can play it or not play it. Those who don’t like your work can always enjoy playing the original Ultima IX, bugs and all. What you guys are doing with the Ultima IX engine is nothing short of spectacular.
“Yeah…there has long been sex in Ultima. Though only the last in the series featured sex of the non-procured-from-a-hooker variety. Progress!”
Huh? What about Serpent Isle?! There is actual nude sex scenes in it with non-hookers.
it even featured same sex sex 🙂
Well, the only Ultima with sex that didn’t feature same-sex sex was Ultima IX. It seems three consecutive same-sex adventures left the Avatar slightly less adventurous. Also, Pagan girls are prudes.
Mainly, I wanted to see whether such an NPC would be too much for the majority of the Ultima community to swallow. Looks like most people are favorable to the idea.
While we’re at it…U7 also featured a little sheep humping…
Bestiality, homosexuality, prostitution, full-on nude scenes…eat your heart out, BioWare. Eat your heart out.
I remember there was a book called Ultima: The Avatar Adventures that dealt with Ultima IV – VI. It was more like a dramatized clue book from what I remember. I vaguely recall that there was a budding romance between the Avatar and Jaana that was not able to develop because of the importance of the Quest of the Avatar (as opposed to my adolescent fantasies of the Avatar banging all the female companions and other NPCs when I first played Ultima IV).
I’m not sure if the book is considered canon, but it would be interesting to have the Avatar at least look upon Jaana as a mother fleetingly with a bit of regret because of a potential (and perhaps more fulfilling) life he could have led with her if not faced with the burden of being the Avatar as opposed to being an off-worlder who visited or settled in Sosaria/Britannia like the others.
I think it would be interesting from Jaana’s perspective as a mother. Perhaps her daughter is a rebellious druid who doesn’t see eye to eye with Jaana about the relevance of the ‘old ways’ especially in such dark times. Perhaps the daughter could also be a vehicle to tie in a conflict between a mother’s love for her daughter and the need to exercise Justice if the daughter turns out to be a foul disciple of the Guardian. Such an NPC could not only be a trial to test the Avatar’s understanding of the particular Virtue, but that of the companion who represents that Virtue.
Finally, such a character would be another example of life moving on in Britannia despite the grand conflict between the Avatar and the Guardian.
Of course, just because something is in the game doesn’t mean you have to do it. The only time I can think of where you had to was with Frigidazzi in 7 part 2…
I would like to note that at present we don’t know where the dialog and NPC usecode is at in the executable, but we are optimistic that we will find it and be able to decode it since it shouldn’t be too drastically different compared to U7 and U8.
Still, I’m currently diving into design work for Forgotten World, which is why I’m asking these questions.
You could say no to Frigidazzi. The Magelord would appear before the sex then and still arrest you (since Frigidazzi is still nekkid from her dance and you are alone in her bedroom with her)
Gwenno looks no older than Jaana IMO, and it *does* make more sense she and Iolo would have had a kid in over 200 years, unless they simply can’t.
But I echo the sentiment that something shouldn’t be done ‘just because you can’, especially with a core companion. If there’s a good story reason behind it, then go for it.
Dungy: Actually, the avatar could shag another dude in Ultima IX! If you drink the Silver Serpent potion while you visit the prostitute you wake up with another guy.