Thought Control Expanded

[Solus]

Mind Reading. This idea would require a LOT of text, but very little actual programming or new systems, but the ability to read minds using Thought Control. For most random people this would be random text, possibly humorous, or giving background. Like, you read someone's mind, and it's mostly useless, but interesting info about their lives or love interests, drug additions, crimes, worries, etc. But for other people, maybe you need to get info from someone and your skills aren't high enough to persuade them (or they simply can't be persuaded) you read their mind. This method could be used to get safe/door codes, key locations, item and stash locations, learn of waiting ambushes, but it's kind of a gamble, because you might not get any useful info, but would still spend your psi points. (Perhaps a higher cost if the info is more valuable?) I'm thinking something similar to Divinity 2. It's a very balanced system, just might not be easily implemented.

Basically, you have a list of generic text, could be anywhere between 50-500 lines (depends on how big the game is, and how many NPC's there are) and that's the generic stuff that will be given to random NPC's you can talk to, but don't really need to. It really depends on if the ability is accessed through dialogue or if it's a point and click ability. If the former, then it'll be a lot easier, as you can only use it on npc's you can engage in conversation, but the latter would require more lines (nearing the 500) to give to EVERY visible npc.

Anyway, then every time an important npc is created, or in general any npc with useful information (that doesn't require a huge quest to get) you don't give him any of the generic dialogue, but rather that important bit of info.

Obviously there can be a static check, perhaps your TC skill level to their will, or something, that determines if you can actually invade their mind or not, and the better the info or the stronger the will, the harder that check will be to meet. A message saying their will is too strong, or something, could pop up, and you know you need to simply find another way, or up your skill first.

This is a system you could put in that would not change the existing game by too much, and would provide interesting alternative ways to get information.

[maheusz]

Well the problem is the skill isn't named Mind Reading, but Mind Control. In my opinion planting suggestion in one mind is easier than reading it in coherent form. Also making such stuff would change the role of the psychic skills - for now they're purely combat oriented. In the example you've made Mind Control is MUCH better than Pyro and the second one, name of which I forgot. It not only focuses on combat, but also on giving out info, exp, loot. A bit OP, don't you think?

Also as far as I'm concerned in Divinity 2 the mindreading was a basic of the game. They constructed it on this. Adding this into Underrail just because it's interesting thing to do... I don't know...

[Solus]

Well, to solve both your concerns, I will say this:

1) It's called thought control, so if you prefer, we make it less of a mind reading thing, and more of a jedi mind trick type deal, same exact system to the letter, only they say the things out loud as a confession to you, rather than think them to their selves. Now referring more to the mind trick option during some dialogue in the Knights of the Old Republic series. Get discounts at stores (small ones) and various other things.

2) While I could EASILY see it becoming OP, I also think this is easily avoidable. For one, psi doesn't regenerate, so you have to restore it using chems you buy/craft, and this particular skill would need to use quit a bit of psi points, and on that same note, you can't even do it until both your skill and/or will can top the check against the other characters, and you can make varying difficulties for different characters, so that merchants need almost a maxed out skill to get the discount, and even then it's only a "nice" discount, not a cheat, and it's merely another way to complete certain quests, while bigger deal quests would require a higher skill, you could also, in some cases, present the option, though when attempted, give an immersive message saying it will always be impossible. (these cases, and cases where the skill is not high enough would use either half psi points, or none at all, or, if the dev prefers, double, for the extra effort required to try so hard and fail) So yes, it can in some ways be OP, but there are many ways to balance it out, so that it's something of a gamble. The payoff COULD be great, or you could just waste a bunch of psi points, get possible debuffs for failing, or take neural damage for failing, or both, etc etc.

[UnLimiTeD]

I actually made an account here, finally, to post in this thread.
So.... Hi!

I actually originally (before trying it) expected Thought Control to be more about subversion and less about smashing your opponents brains out with bursts of energy.
If there was, just like using skills like Mercantile, the option to use "[Thought Control]" at a set point cost to influence someone, just like Persuasion would do.
Obviously, if the skill is just about smashing the enemy with a variety of mindblasts, it would be too powerful.