Alignment - how have you used it successfully in single player modules?

[Legacy_UnrealJedi]

               I am trying to figure out ways to incorporate alignment as a way to affect the outcome of PC interaction with NPCs and also the outcome of the entire storyline of the module. How have you used alignment successfully in your single player modules?
               
               

               

                     Modifié par UnrealJedi, 11 octobre 2013 - 05:55 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               SoU used a chaotic shift to check rampant looting that was pretty effective.  

The Lawful-Chaotic axis shift per action seems the most vague... oft times when I experience a designer's biased shift decision, it appears more random rather than based on discernable ethics.  In a way, it can get annoying because the player can have a hard time understandimg what the environment is actually demanding (i.e. personal interpetation of designer vs. player) but in another respect can make the game more interesting for the player "pushing the envelope" to discover exactly what rules are in place and the consequences.

Good-evil consequences usually are more obvious, to me anyway.

IMO shifts that are not obvious to most players should be very small adjustments to help establish the designer's personal bias in the cause-effect relationship.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_UnrealJedi]

               Thanks for the reply HipMaestro. What I am doing now is constructing conversations with key NPCS by using multiple PC choices and writing them based on three alignments: Lawful Good, Neutral Good, and Chaotic Good (I am not allowing evil PCs in my module, as I feel D & D is inherently a HEROIC game). Based on the player's choices it will shift their alignment 1 point in a specific direction (for example, choosing the "Lawful Good" node moves their alignment 1 point toward Lawful. This seems important but I cannot quite put my finger on how to make this affect an NPCs reaction to the PC. I am trying to keep from railroading a player into having to stay strictly within a specific alignment. I feel that is too restrictive. I know this is a little vague but just trying to figure out to make further use of alignment in a role-playing aspect. Any thoughts?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               I think the "little vague" remark is good.  It means the interpretation of how characters interact within the limits of law-chaos is not all that recognizable or discrete.  And that means you should express your own interpretation of how cause and effect influence the progress through your adventure.  

As long as your interpretation remains consistent throughout the module and isn't too cryptic for players to figure out how actions and consequences are related, it should work just fine.  IMO the alignment dynamic, if used effectively, extends the interest level of just about any module and can absorb the player into the story more than without that dimension.  Innovation is just more fun!

For those who are focused mainly on the H&S potential of an environment, you probably will probably annoy them because they abhor non-combat related hurdles.  So, determine your target audience and use the alignment system that best suits that group.