Cats, bathtubs, and quarantines: I have writing questions

[Furiae]

I've been working on a submission; apologies for the length! I split these into writing and lore-related questions.

Writing-Related:​

*First, general composition question to COC2/TiTS writers: Do you find it easier to write sex scenes with an outline? I've written a lot of smut in my day, but without parsers, so I'm thinking this might make things easier on myself.

*Are slutty/playful/aggressive the only companion tags, or are there more/should I just put what I'm going for in {} and let Godthe coders sort it out?

*Are encounter-based scenes to intro a new NPC still more desirable than them just rollin' up to the Wayfort, etc?

*If so, are any areas more "in demand" for new encounters? My intuition is the Undermountain feels pretty roomy, but I have lore-related Q re: that, so let's just segue over there!

Lore-Related:​

*If I do put my character(s) in the Undermountain, how are they gonna get out? I'm intending them to show up at the wayfort after being saved by the champ, but quarantine, so...yeah. Any protocol I should be following?

*possibly, but not necessarily related: how many people/how much stuff can go with champ to the Ways Between? Is there an intent required to follow? Can they bring a caravan in? Should they all be holding hands like Sailor Teleport? Inquiring minds.

*What is the bath situation in the wayfort like? I found plenty of available detail in the Frost Hound, Cait's temple(cold water?!?), the kitsune den, even Lumia's joint but other than Aileh's tub and the renovations involving heating runes, I can't find any info.

*Also in the wayfort: So, kill alraune=no effigies. But am I correct in understanding that if I repair the wayfort, there will always be hornets to boss around, regardless of whether I acquiesced to Jael'yn's plea for maid outfits? I've browsed the code but didn't really see a consensus.

*The wiki seems to imply the "Mad Sultana" is still in power. but in-game, although the length of her reign is inconsistently referenced, it seems clear she was replaced. How long ago would she have been in power until? Cait just says she was a kitten, but I'm hoping for a more specific answer or a handwave of god.

*this mappy-type-thing Savin posted seems to imply that it's possible to go from Jassira to the Marches by land. Is that right, and if so, just how bad of a time would that be? (guessing 'really bad')



Thanks to anyone kind enough to reply, and if my writing in this post sucks, keep in mind I'm on my phone in a starbucks full of shouting Chinese tourists.

 

[Savin]

Do you find it easier to write sex scenes with an outline?

Personally, no. I know Skow does tho.

should I just put what I'm going for in {} and let Godthe coders sort it out?

Yeah. or just use callouts for specific companions; the roster is fixed in place now.

Are encounter-based scenes to intro a new NPC still more desirable than them just rollin' up to the Wayfort, etc?

At this point, no, the encounter tables are pretty full.

how are they gonna get out?

They don't, basically.

Should they all be holding hands like Sailor Teleport?

Basically this. You can take your party and maybe a couple of other people (Eve, Gweyr) through at a time.

What is the bath situation in the wayfort like?

Like the Frosthound: get a bath tub and fill it with buckets.

there will always be hornets to boss around

Yeah. Their hive is right there. Similarly, even if you don't recruit Daliza, her troops are still around in the area.

How long ago would she have been in power until?

Fairly recently. No hard dates given.

Is that right, and if so, just how bad of a time would that be?

Technically yes, practically no. That's a desert down there and it's particularly shitty. You can grab a boat and hug the coast, though.

 

[Furiae]

Ok, first of all, thank you x 1000 for the responses, this is all super-helpful! I'm just gonna quote a few points for follow-up:

Personally, no. I know Skow does tho.

Interesting. So like any kind of writing, it's just down to preference. Makes sense. I've kinda just been doing my normal style + a fuckton of //comments as guideposts to help myself navigate.

At this point, no, the encounter tables are pretty full.

Okay, this is good to know. Is there anything related to introducing new characters (timing, type of event, etc) that is currently more preferred/convenient/less troublesome these days? (Not asking for brownie points, just figure if I'm changing things up to avoid getting stuck in UM, might as well check. I thrive on limitations)

 

[Savin]

Is there anything related to introducing new characters (timing, type of event, etc) that is currently more preferred/convenient/less troublesome these days?

If you're angling towards having your content be in Undermountain, I'd suggest just having them be in any of the many largely-empty spaces in the outskirts or in one of the inner-city bars.

Elsewise, there's plenty of room in Harvest Valley's two settlements. Or pick out a specific tile for the character(s) to appear in somewhere on the fringes of an explorable area.