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So we are going to need a story/world for this game, and I thought it would be a good idea to use Maridacan for that, like the RTS. That way
- we don't have to come up with 2 stories 
- this demo and the real game will have a strong connection
- the story can be fleshed out and trialed

Perhaps we could do it in the same time as the RTS, but maybe something in it's ancient times would also be nice. That way you can freely change some elements without having to adapt these to the RTS story.

What are your ideas?

Sounds like a very good idea.

Can't comment much more atm, because Im afraid I haven't gotten around to reading the storyline yet

Solinx

I'd agree with you if I didn't have about a bajillion half-finished RPG storylines on my hard drive.  Give me a little while and I'll give you an adapted sample.  In any case, I've got no qualms with creating modules set in Maridacan.

This is a storyline I came up with many years ago, after playing Neverwinter Nights.  I found that, no matter how good or evil you played, you always ended up as the hero.  This campaign is designed as a foil to the usual stuff of the genre; no matter how good or evil you play, you will always end up as the villain.  That's not to say that you won't have choices, or that you must be evil.  The campaign will prove interesting for those who seek the difficult path to be a hero, those who embrace the role of villain, and those who walk in between.


The story will focus around the capital city of Dathon, which is the center of a feudal kingdom that extends over a large realm.  Although events in the distant parts of this kingdom may be alluded to in the story, the main character will have no way to travel to these places, and instead it will focus on one area that is constantly changing.  As time passes and events happen, the city of Dathon and the immediate surroundings will change, and the player may find areas explored before have entirely new meanings.

Dathon's success has brough to in some unsavoury attention.  There are several groups plotting to send the entire kingdom into civil war, and you will find yourself being drawn into the conspiracies that are whispered as rumours in taverns.  There are several factions, some more shadowy than others, and you may choose to join, oppose, or maintain neutrality to any of them, although some are twisted in their machinations, and you may become a pawn or an obstacle to them by no fault of your own.

There are several key characters in the story.  Depending on your path, some may become valuable allies, and others may become antagonists, but very few are actually locked as friend or foe.  Some can be killed early, some cannot be fought until later on for plot reasons.  You can also sometimes manipulate these characters to act differently than they would by default.

At some point in the story, your character will need to become much more powerful, as the objectives you seek are beyond human limits.  There are several special ways to increase your power dramatically beyond human limits, but each of these carries a price.  Some will make you join or oppose certain factions by default, and some may have more personal consequences.

The story is split into chapters, each picking up roughly where the previous ended.  Each chapter has loosely choreographed series of events.  These events can be changed, manipulated, delayed, or even cancelled altogether by your actions.  Some events may occur that may not have otherwise, as well.  Chapters have very well defined beginnings and endings, although these may differ depending on the course you took in this and previous chapters.


Factions:

House of Vallarin:
Over the past eighty years, the House of Vallarin has been the prominant power throughout Dathon.  They have crushed their opposition, and sat for some time without any checks in their path.  The House Vallarin is stretched beyond its means, and cannot control the new matters at hand.  They have countered by increasing security and controls upon all manners of society, and have recalled portions of their vast armies to maintain order in the local districts.  Corruption is rampant, even inside the house itself.  Vallarin is as unstable as it has ever been, but it still holds the reigns of power which the other four lack.  The current head of the house, and ruler of all the kingdom, is King Armonde.  As the events of chapter 1 brand you a murderer, the House Vallarin is the only faction you cannot join.

Altonaic Guide:
This powerful trading guild has a stranglehold over much of the kingdom's economy.  They have wiped out much of their competition, and control pricing in a most malicious manner.  The king has begun to act, taxing the group at every turn and limiting their powers.  He has underestimated their reach, and the guild's more shadowy hand is now poised to act.  Rumour has it they control a large portion of the criminal underworld, which is why they are always at war with the rival group only known as the "Cloak and Dagger".

Cult of Raphime:
An enigmatic group called the Cult of Raphime has emerged in recent days, and their growth and dark power has caused alarm, forcing King Armonde to act against them.  Yet they seem to have some infernal power behind them, and their followers always elude capture.  The cult is now believed to operate within the capital itself, but their true goal is a mystery.  Scholars researching the matter have discovered that in one of the forgotten heathen pantheons, Raphime was a scribe to the god of judgement and law, but why such an obscure figure is now worshipped is beyond knowing.

Cloak and Dagger:
The origins of this group are as unknown as any, but they are constantly at war with the Altonaic Guild.  The cloak and dagger has no real name, but so infamous have they become that they have earned as title their very motif.  They are a shadowy group that operates as a network of criminal allegiances.  Each rank controls the level below it like a puppet, hiding true motives and operations.  Recently, several high ranking government officials have been murdered, and the telltale signs point to the cloak and dagger operations in the capital city.

Celestial Fellowship:
A group of archmages have formed this arrogant society which operates outside of the laws of any kingdom.  Manipulating others with a core group of followers, the fellowship has set its sights on several key objectives.  What those objectives may be, and what consequences they have for the realm are unknown.  The archmages who have formed the fellowship are well known as masters of the arcane arts, and use powerful artifacts long thought lost to keep themselves removed from the striking range of the other factions.


Character Background:

Your character was abandoned as an infant, left to die in the squalor in the Dathon slums.  Yet by some good fortunes, a small group of children found you and took you into their care.  You were raised among these wild children, learning their ways and skills.  The only person of similar age to you was Isira, who you called your sister.

The day came, however, when a group of armed adults - possibly guards or otherwise - stormed the condemned building where the thieving children had made their lairs, and many were killed without hesitation by them.  You escaped the massacre, but behind you, but you never found Isira - either alive or dead - for the building was burned down shortly after.  Ever since, the nightmares of this event have haunted you, and the loss of your family drove you to leave Dathon.

The story picks up upon your return to a town that has changed in the decade you have been gone.  There are some faces you may remember from your time as a child, and your first choice is what to seek out.  Do you wish to search for your lost sister, or perhaps another family member who you made contact with before you left and thus is easier to locate?  Maybe you don't care, and are more interested in joining the political strife and taking your share of the power and fortunes at stake.  However, there is no escape either your past or the present chaos, as they will soon become intertwined.

shall we just name the game "Dathon" then? nice and easy

Like any RPG, it's not about Dathon but about your character.  Dathon's just the setting.  Moreover, the campaign shouldn't be so much the core of the game as an example of its potential; we want to leave it open for players to create their own campaigns.  We should definitely differentiate the name of the campaign and the name of the game.

In any case, I don't want to do too much work on the campaign setting until we have the engine roughly working.  Our first campaign should be a Diablo style dungeon crawl with pretty much no story (not too tough; getting the engine to that point should be the bigger challenge), and then we build something complicated.

we want to leave it open for players to create their own campaigns. 

er...say what now?

i think you'd better write a general description topic of this game, for those who aren't so familiar with the RPG genre (or not at all), like myself

It's all here in one of the earliest threads: http://openwar.bartvanheukelom.nl/forum/index.php/topic,174.0.html

Roleplay:  this will be essentially like a campaign.  There's a story, and your character is thrown into it.  The game will be more combat oriented, so don't expect Neverwinter Nights roleplaying, but we can probably do better than, say, Diablo.  This gameplay mode will feature long-term character development, parties consisting of NPC's or other player characters, and different approaches to the same story.

Gladiator Mode:  either single-player or multiplayer, this allows players to pre-select a level of experience, create characters to match that, and then duke it out.  There are a variety of settings available, allowing for either kill-based point schemes, or last-man-standing survival battles.  There are also cooperative settings to survive waves of weaker enemies (or a single overpower one...).  Experience gain can be turned off or on inside gladiator mode, allowing characters to either stay at one strength or gain in power from fighting.

Campaign Mode:  this single-player or multiplayer setting allows players to take part in a series of military battles in teams, trying to kill each other and capture strategic points.  The game consists of a series of battles that play out until one team has won the campaign.  Players can attain personal and strategic accomplishments as the campaign wears on to increase their experience (making them more powerful) and rank (giving them more planning and organization options) respectively.  "Individual battle" mode is also available to accommodate an itch for this type of gameplay without having to play a campaign through.

The Armoury:  the armoury allows you to build and test character designs.  The armoury allows you to test a character as you add abilities - and step back on your decisions if you find they're not to your taste - in order to develop the design of your choice.  When you're satisfied, you can save your character design, and it will automatically be followed as your character levels up in any other game mode, so you don't have to take time out from the faster-paced game settings to level up and plan your advancement.

Tutorial: learn how to play the game.

Each of these modes provides different settings and objectives, and of course a different form of gameplay.  It's no mistake that these game modes correspond to RTS equivilents.  Gladiator and Campaign mode are like skirmish matches (either singleplayer or multiplayer), whereas roleplay mode is like the story campaign in a RTS (armoury mode would be like sandbox).  Naturally, we build the skirmish modes first, and once we have them developed we simultaneously refine the game there while building the story.

I do think that when it comes to designing scenarios for any gameplay mode that we will need some form of editor to make the process easier for us.  Is it so much of a stretch to make such an editor available to the modding community, which would then make their own stories and settings?  It's pretty much extrapolating the map editor that's become common fare in RTS into the RPG domain (like Neverwinter Nights has done).

Scenarios, editors, etc. will all be in level 3, and we must be sure to make that editable for everyone. User-made content is the future of gaming.

Exactly the point; our story will merely be an example, not designed to overshadow or predetermine any future designs.  If someone wants to build on it, that's their business.  If someone wants to head in a totally new direction, that's fine as well.

So I've been thinking again, and I still think it would be nice to have this campaign be set in the same world as the RTS Game, but in a later time. I was thinking about the Maridacan equivalent of our 18th century, the time of pirates and colonies

The story will focus around the capital city of Dathon, which is the center of a feudal kingdom that extends over a large realm.

Sounds like a future Tharwain to me 

Come now, they're all feudal kingdoms ;-)
I definitely would want to pursue this as a separate world.


I'm thinking of actually doing multiple different stories for the RPG.  I think we should start with something more like Diablo (next to no story, focus totally on fighting) and then once we've mastered that and produced several chapters, we develop something a little more story driven.  Certainly to begin with we'll want to build something simple while we're testing it.

Sounds good, although from what I know developers like Bioware adapt the skills to the story, instead of the other way around.
What could be done is make a start with the basic skills and basic Diablo like story, and develop the more complex and specific abilities when you get to the more story driven part.

Solinx

I think Bioware kind of failed in that regard.  I often felt the story didn't leave enough room for the free use of skills.  One of my greatest examples was spawning enemies.  Often enemies that spawn in do so within melee range ("ambush" so to speak), but the "anti-ambush" skills were ineffective due to the way they were scripted.  If you were in stealth mode, they would charge at you automatically because they were scripted to, ignoring your stealth.  Likewise because they spawned in at close range, the ability to track enemies at long ranges was practically useless.  In this case the scenario HAS to be designed with the skill in mind; how can stealth function if a script causes an enemy to ignore it?

Good point. I think both approaches will be used in the end. As the story evolves, certain abilities will come up through encountered situations, while at the other end abilities can influence the flow of the story.

Solinx

I don't see how you could create a story based on abilities. Isn't that like creating a movie and starting with some action moves, then think up characters to execute them

Well, look at it from this point of view:

A writer comes up with a new superhero. First question is asks himself is what this hero's special abilities are. Let's say he decides they include flying. This ability opens up possible story lines. The other way around, if he first asks himself how the story should go, he might find out that the superhero should be able to fly.

What I expect to happen is that both happen while the game is developed. Abilities already defined open up storylines, and storylines that take a new turn of direction suggest new abilities.

Solinx

Any scenario should have multiple solutions.  Every monster should have multiple weaknesses.  I think the idea here is whether we design the monster to have weaknesses in existing skills, or design skills to exploit weaknesses in existing monsters.  Of course we approach it from both directions, but I feel that if we do things right we should have a skill list by the end that should provide adequate variety for any scenario.

One thing I found annoying in neverwinter nights was disarm; as it happens 99.9% (not an exaggeration, as it happens) of monsters are immune to it.  A perfect example of why you have to be actively considering these things in scenario design.

Never used disarm myself, but I thought some people used it quite effectively. Could have been another game tho. Anyway, what you describe is a good goal, which I hope can be attained throughout the story. Probably won't be easy.

Solinx

Nothing worthwhile ever is :-)

I've also come up with a slightly more straightforward story design that can be broken into smaller portions.  I've got it on my other computer, so you'll probably have to wait for tomorrow (this afternoon for me, but that will be the middle of the night for you) to see it.  And before you ask, it's a couple of weeks old; there's no way I'd have enough time to write a decent sized background story these days <_<

So true

Looking forward to reading the new design tomorrow. And good luck with whatever is keeping you so busy

Solinx

I was going to rant about my project, but this post is long enough without that:


Backstory:

When the northwestern span is considered, history, legend, and myth are indistinguishable.  What few people travel to those reaches and return tell tales of unbelievable scope.  Heroes, monsters, and magical powers beyond the comprehension of mere mortals of other scapes are said to reside in that distant realm.  Now, it seems, one of those monsters in particular has come to our's.

No one truly knows what Amrath is, but in his name a host of unspeakable creatures that have long resided only in the nightmares of children now invades the greater realms, and the people who caught in his wake are given no choice but to run or perish before them.  Though news of Amrath's legion seemed distant at first, his armies have closed with steady pace over the years, and now to this very region he sends one of his greatest agents - the mighty dragon Khaxrir. 

The host under command of Khaxrir has found itself pinned, however, by winter and the mountain scape, and a bastion called Braeghun.  With its garrison recently bolstered by the King of Taspan - a relatively small country now caught in the path of Amrath - the commanding officer, Heijan Valmaga, has made the decision to attempt to hold his location throughout the winter, when all passes out of the region will be frozen shut and he and his men trapped in mortal combat with the dragon itself...


Chapter I:

An ongoing siege in the region has decimated most of the outlying villages, and left only the stronghold of Braeghun and a few of its better defended posts standing.  The king's reinforcements have done well to stem the tide of Khaxrir's forces, and the dragon appears to be intent on slowly whittling them away throughout the winter.  With the frost settling in and Braeghun's supplies topped off, both forces are preparing for a long drawn out fight in isolation from their main forces.  Minor skirmishes have been ongoing for weeks now, and leaders on both sides are anxious to start turning things to their favour.

That's where you come in; you're stranded in Braeghun, sieged by forces eager to slaughter any humanoid that dares dwell beyond its walls.  Eager for every able hand in the coming battle, Heijan Valmaga has convinced you to operate as a mercenary.  You will report directly to Valmaga himself.  He is a fair captain who will offer good pay - if you can deliver on his requests.

The chapter is progressed by completing missions and quests.  Each time you complete an objective (not when you report back, but when you have actually completed the objective) the timeline inches forward by a certain amount, unlocking new missions and events, and closing some old ones.  You will not be able to complete every quest, allowing for some replayability and variety in gaming experience.  Once you have earned 20 mission points (most missions give 2-5 points), a major battle will occur, and the chapter will start driving towards its inevitable conclusion.  The final quest is called "Dragon's Demise", which is a fittingly appropriate climax, I think.

This is only a Pyhrric victory, however, for it comes at great cost, and Amrath has already deployed reinforcements which will deal with Khaxrir's failure.  This will open up the door for chapter II and further advancement of the story.

One of the major aspects of this campaign will be that it's not diablo style, you will meet and in fact lead groups of soldiers in many of your missions.  Some missions involve small parties, others are full blown battlefields with hundreds of warriors.  Cooperating with your forces and using them to complete your quests is critical to victory.

Another advantage of this story is that it ports very well into multiplayer, allowing for players to work together to complete quests, or compete to try to win as many quests as possible.  Here is a list of quests.  It also details how many quest points you need to earn before the quest is available, how many quest points you must earn before it becomes unavailable (timing out), and how many quest points are awarded for completing it.


Goblin Marauders:
Khaxrir has sent small forces of goblins to cause havoc in the surrounding area, and they're proving difficult to route.  Valmaga can't afford to send a large force into a potential ambush, but a small group of mercenaries could drive them out of their lairs before reinforcements could be called.  This mission requires a considerable degree of endurance as the goblins send disorganized waves against you.
unlocked: 0 points
provides: 3 points
closed: 8 points

Kobald Sappers:
Valmaga's scouts have warned him that a group of kobalds have opened a shaft into the mountain side are in the process of digging.  While it's likely only exploratory, Valmaga wants them driven out promptly and permeanently.  This mission is one of tactics, using the destructible and unstable environment to your advantage.
unlocked: 0 points
provides: 3 points
closed: 8 points

Ferrying Supplies:
The soldiers on the far side of the river have been cut off from patrols, and Khaxrir's lieutenants are ensuring that no reinforcements can cross to their aid.  Valmaga wants you to transport a shipment of essential equipment to these stranded forces.  A small group could slip by the enemy's lines unnoticed where more would provoke a mighty attack.  This is a stealth mission, focusing on conserving fighting strength and avoiding unnecessary battles.
unlocked: 0 points
provides: 3 points
closed: 8 points

Gnoll Troubles:
A band of gnolls, presumably under Khaxrir's command, have been accosting smaller patrols along the nothern roads.  Valmaga warns you not to be caught by surprise, as these gnolls are vicious and deadly.  If their leader is killed, a remarkable bounty will be paid out.  Once this missin is unlocked, you may be assailed by these gnolls at any time. 
unlocked: 5 points
provides: 2 points
closed: 18 points

Highway Bandits:
As if Khaxrir's forces weren't enough, there are other humans who apparently have no qualms with attacking their own in these dark times.  There is a considerable bounty on the bandit lord's head, but he won't reveal himself unless he thinks he has the upper hand.  You'll have to get ambushed by his men and force them to retreat, then track them back to their lair to uncover this bandit.  He will not come out to you.
unlocked: 5 points
provides: 2 points
closed: 18 points

Roaming Shadow:
Recently, the night patrols have been returning spooked, telling stories of a shadow that resides somewhere between sight and imagination that devours men whole.  While Valmaga dismisses it as exaggeration, he does not doubt the possibility of an evil spirit hunting along the roads for victims, and wants any capable soldiers to destroy it if they encounter it.  The shadow will only appear at night, and is attracted by wounded individuals, preferring to feed on the weak while obscuring and disabling the strong.
unlocked: 5 points
provides: 2 points
closed: 18 points

Grave Robbers:
Displaced kobalds and goblens have taken to the unsavoury act of looting from some of the outlying graveyards, using some vulgar necromancy to protect themselves from the undead that roam there.  Valmaga has offered a small reward to anyone who can make a solid example of some looters and hopefully prevent others from following the path.  The kobalds will scatter when you locate them.  You have to find a way to box them in and kill at least half their numbers to drive them out for good, otherwise you'll need to come back later to try again.  You could also destroy their anti-undead wards, but then the undead will attack anyone - even you.
unlocked: 5 points
provides: 2 points
closed: 12 points

Restless Dead:
Undead have been spotted roaming the country nearby known graveyards.  While it's beyond his power to do much about it at the moment, Valmaga is particularly concerned that this blight may spread into the stronghold's local crypts, and has asked any available mercenary to cleanse the graveyard just beyond the outer wall.  You will need to use a purification rod to cleanse each shrine in the graveyard, and then make sure to prevent any undead to corrupting it again with their presence while you complete the others.
unlocked: 8 points
provides: 2 points
closed: 12 points.

Lost Patrols:
Several patrols have gone missing along the northern roads, and Valmaga is no longer willing to risk further lives in the region.  Officially he's telling everyone to stay clear, but privately he's asked that you check things out and report back with your findings, and possibly the fates of his men.  It turns out that the men all became lost in a forest that enclosed around them and cut off their way back.  When you, too, become trapped you must destroy the evil spirit that did this.  You will become seperated from any mercenaries you brought along with you, but may encounter others who are lost.
unlocked: 8 points
provides: 2 points
closed: 16 points

Daring Rescue:
Captain Valmaga has become aware that the enemy is keeping many prisoners in a nearby encampment that is not heavily guarded.  He wants to see if a small force can breach its defences and free those who are trapped within.  This is not a regular mission as you may be used to, and instead you will be assigned in an officer role to a large force of warriors to launch a decisive offensive battle. 
unlocked: 10 points
provides: 5 points
closed: 20 points

Giants in the Hills:
It appears Khaxrir has finally been moved to deploy some of his giants.  These brutes have taken the fortifications on a large hill and are currently bombarding anyone who approaches with boulders.  Valmaga is deploying an offensive in the region, but he doesn't have an officer to spare to lead it.  Given your previous successes, he'd like you to try your hand at command and dislodge these giants.  You must either use the debris of battle that surrounds the fort as cover, sneak up on the giants, or deplete their supply of boulders to make a safe approach with all your men.
unlocked: 12 points
provides: 5 points
closed: 20 points

The Lone Tower:
One of the last permeanent fortifications outside of Braeghun itself appears on the verge of falling, and this has concerned Captain Valmaga.  Seeing an opportunity for you to show leadership, he has assigned a large force to your aid in order to reinforce the lone tower and turn back the assailants.  This mission involves breaking a siege while attempting to protect the tower itself from assault from all sides.
unlocked: 14 points
provides: 5 points
closed: 20 points

Khaxrir's Offensive *major event*:
In a sudden sweep, Khaxrir appears to have sent a large surge of forces across the river.  The lands surrounding the stronghold are now awash with monsters.  You will have to find some way to rendezvous with friendly forces, or you will surely perish!  Either use your skills to sneak or fight your way into the castle, or escape into the wilderness and survive long enough to meet up with a group of rangers rangers.
unlocked: 20 points
provides: 5 points

Great Siege:
Khaxrir's forces have the stronghold of Braeghun surrounded, and it appears he intends to finish the assault in one fell swoop.  You must join in the defence of the keep, or you will fall with it.  Due to your past successes, Valmaga has assigned you command of a large portion of the outer defences and asked you to defend them as best you are able.  Holding the castle and its different walls will be a true test of your abilities.
unlocked: complete "Khaxrir's Offensive" by sneaking into castle
provides: 5 points

Riverside Battle:
Disturbed by the sudden turn of events, the rangers you have met up with have decided that the time has come to join the battle themselves.  At their side, you will be granted a chance to stem the tide of Khaxrir's forces.  This will be a difficult battle, but you must capture and hold the bridges so as to disrupt the offensive.  Doubtlessly once your actions are known, you will be attacked from both sides.
unlocked: complete Khaxrir's offensive by escaping into the wilderness
provides: 5 points

Death and Decay:
Amidst the broken bodies and carnage of the recent battles is an underlying necromatic energy which has seeped into the core of the land, poisoning it.  Captain Valmaga has insisted that the crypts below Braeghun itself remain sealed no matter what.  Many have come to doubt his judgement on the matter, and you yourself now may feel inclined to venture below and remove the source of the problem once and for all.  These tombs go far deeper than anyone expected, and the source of the dark energies - a necromancer naturally - is apparently not aligned with Khaxrir, instead present only to feed upon the death and destruction that goes on above him.  Destroying him will do much to stop the spread of undeath, though the graveyards will likely remain tainted for some time to come.
unlocked: 30 points
provides: 7 points
closed: 50 points

The Kobald King:
You have become almost legendary after your exploits during the great offensive, and you have been asked to lead a counter-offensive of your own deep into enemy territory and to slaughter one of Khaxrir's most trusted captains.  Yasug may be a small kobald, but do not under-estimate him - he is a master of destructive magic, and will have set up powerful traps to guard against your coming.  Speed is of the essence; you must lead your troops to establish a foothold in the fortress, and then take a small dispatch with yourself to finish Yasug himself.
unlocked: 30 points
provides: 7 points
closed: 50 points

Tides of War:
Though the grand offensive is "over", a series of skirmishes to the south have not been resolved decisively, and both camps await battle to resume shortly.  This region is a critical tactical foothold for either force to use against the other.  This must end, and both Valmaga and the rangers are sending their forces to aid you in driving out the enemies.  Deploy your forces and act quickly, or enemy counter-attacks could pincer you.
unlocked: 30 points
provides: 7 points
closed: 50 points

The Belly of the Beast:
The indecisive outcome of the grand offensive has left many of Khaxrir's critical bastions in the region open to assault.  One particularly large garrison of orcs has been pinned out by rangers as the perfect target.  You will be involve in a campaign to raze the fortress.  Doubtlessly many of Khaxrir's most powerful lieutenants inhabit this fortress, and it is crawling with orc kin, but its destruction would be a critical loss to Khaxrir himself.
unlocked: 30 points
provides: 7 points
closed: 50 points

Dragon's Demise:
Amrath himself has become aware of Khaxrir's failure, and it has become known that he is diverting a great multitude of forces to ensure Khaxrir will succeed in his goals.  Braeghun will not survive a second onslaught, and it is paramount to destroy the dragon and scatter his forces before these new enemies can arrive.  You will pierce into the very heart of the dragon's lair and then slay the beast so that it may never harm another soul.
unlocked: 50 points
provides: chapter closure

Can you explain unlocked, provides and closed?

Nice story otherwise

Points are units of time.

Each mission becomes available at a certain moment, indicated by x points. (unlocked)
When you accept and complete a mission, x points of time have passed (provides)
And when you're working on one misison, the moment to accept another can pass. In other words, after x points of time have passed, the opportunity of another mission has passed. (closed)

One of the major aspects of this campaign will be that it's not diablo style, you will meet and in fact lead groups of soldiers in many of your missions.  Some missions involve small parties, others are full blown battlefields with hundreds of warriors.  Cooperating with your forces and using them to complete your quests is critical to victory.

You have no idea how much I like just the thought of this

These are really good quests. A shame you can't do them all.

Solinx

Yes, the points are a measure of time.  All missions become available at a certain time, and will become unavailable at a certain time.  Completing these missions causes time to pass and drives the story forward.

I should also note that the point system will also be used to determine the types and frequency of random encounters with enemies.  Naturally things get tougher as time goes on.

When you accept and complete a mission, x points of time have passed (provides)

Just to clarify, it is mission completion that awards the points.  That is, if the mission is to kill a boss character, the points are awarded the moment his corpse hits the ground, not when you return for your reward.

These are really good quests. A shame you can't do them all.

It's really nice for replayability this way.  Diablo 1 had this feature, but it randomly chose which quests would not appear.  For our purposes, you get to pick which ones you want to do and don't by the order in which you approach them.