Please - XP progression from other than hacking up things
Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 2:48 am
This one is more aimed at the Devs. Happy for it to go into a constructive conversation about different mechanisms to achieve the desired end - but let's not let this devolve into an anti-grinding thread/anti-rpr thread please.
So, I've been taking a break for a bit. As have most of my real world friends who have played on Arelith for more than a few years. But it's getting to the point where we are more excited watching the update thread than actually playing - it's brilliant to see the amount of passion, time and effort being invested into the server right now - but in some ways, some players are being left behind.
I came to Arelith for the RP about a decade ago. I get that times change, but especially over the last 6 months it feels like it's trending more and more towards MMORPG's.
We have:
- New crafting updates have shinier loot,
- Area and creature overhalls for better scaling,
- Discussions about appropriate areas for faster leveling,
- An influx of players who have historically been more exposed to WoW, Diablo III, and competitive games that involve PvP (Lol, CS, etc) - which is a shift away from the playerbase traditionally coming from Pen and Paper.
Don't get me wrong. Arelith is still going strong where most of the other servers have died. The influx of new players and the server evolving to meet their expectations and style of play is good...
but...
For the RP heavy types who try and go for a whole-world immersion feeling, it does feel like it's getting a bit strained. I particularly play crafting characters - and when you are on to the 4th generation of near godlike creatures that you are making wands for and you are still at level 12, it gets a little rough. There are those of us when we play a character - we play them from level 1. It defeats the purpose to be a world explorer and kill a whole heap of creatures until we get to x level so we finally be the vegan monk that doesn't squash an ant.
Adventure XP has helped - significantly. Yet if one of my characters has no reason to go somewhere, then they aren't going to. They aren't going to go on a tour of the island to build a massive pool of adventure XP because that's simply not who they are. If I've got a Strength 5 gnome, I'm going to buy sand and coal to make glass for crafting, not tumble on out into the wildness.
Gift of Humility helps a little bit - but once again, it comes from hacking things up. There are players that hate the grind, and would rather spend their time researching, writing, crafting, selling, and just being part of the world.
RPR used to help a lot - but for multiple reasons RPR isn't all that fashionable any more. Mostly because it comes down to the judgement of DM's, and the sometimes terse relationship between players and DM's.
Grinding has been an issue since time immemorial. Grinders going to grind. Power Levelers are going to power level. We saw what happened with the anti-grind script, and no amount of Dev or DM intervention is going to ever have a significant effect on this. So can we please bite the bullet and throw a lifeline to the NPC type players?
So - what can be done?
It's important to point out, right at the start, that these suggestions will be abused by power levelers - but they are going to do their thing anyway. The benefit to those who will appreciate it outweighs the harm that can be caused by those who are going to find other ways race to level 30 anyway.
1. Give adventure XP for using crafting points.
2. Give adventure XP for settlement leaders, and the leaders of factions over x players (done by CD key if possible)
2. If it's possible, give an adventure XP cookie that increases the longer you are in an area (only while you are active.) This represents being at work, studying the area, practicing social skills. Whatever. Have it kick in after 2(?) ticks (12 min?) starting at whatever and maxing out a 5x whatever. Moving area resets this. Going AFK makes this inactive (similar to the old RPR script).
3. Integrate scribe scroll, brew potion, and craft wand into the crafting system so it no longer drains XP and gold. Because unless you are a level 30 with XP to burn, getting involved in this part of the economy comes at the trade off of character progression.
Remove blank wands / bottles / scrolls so these have to be crafted and thereby make a real market for them. Then to use the feats you have to have a stock of crafted objects like spell components. Then have yet still have another object (like what is needed to scribe certain scrolls) to use the feat (3 in total). You already have to burn a feat on two of these in most cases, and for those of us in the service industry for other players, well, that's punishment enough
Off the cuff idea - I'd also happily trade off getting any xp from anything for a pool of adventure XP that would take you to level 30 disbursed over a set period of time. I've heard of people grinding there way up to level 30 in a matter of weeks. As someone who has never had a epic character over a decade of playing, I wouldn't mind if it took 6,9, 12 months. It would just be nice for it to happen while engaging in the elements of the server that I actually enjoy.
Anyway, have a think. Any contribution to the game time of those of us who are on the server for the RP/social elements rather than the hack/slash/pvp elements would be greatly appreciated.
So, I've been taking a break for a bit. As have most of my real world friends who have played on Arelith for more than a few years. But it's getting to the point where we are more excited watching the update thread than actually playing - it's brilliant to see the amount of passion, time and effort being invested into the server right now - but in some ways, some players are being left behind.
I came to Arelith for the RP about a decade ago. I get that times change, but especially over the last 6 months it feels like it's trending more and more towards MMORPG's.
We have:
- New crafting updates have shinier loot,
- Area and creature overhalls for better scaling,
- Discussions about appropriate areas for faster leveling,
- An influx of players who have historically been more exposed to WoW, Diablo III, and competitive games that involve PvP (Lol, CS, etc) - which is a shift away from the playerbase traditionally coming from Pen and Paper.
Don't get me wrong. Arelith is still going strong where most of the other servers have died. The influx of new players and the server evolving to meet their expectations and style of play is good...
but...
For the RP heavy types who try and go for a whole-world immersion feeling, it does feel like it's getting a bit strained. I particularly play crafting characters - and when you are on to the 4th generation of near godlike creatures that you are making wands for and you are still at level 12, it gets a little rough. There are those of us when we play a character - we play them from level 1. It defeats the purpose to be a world explorer and kill a whole heap of creatures until we get to x level so we finally be the vegan monk that doesn't squash an ant.
Adventure XP has helped - significantly. Yet if one of my characters has no reason to go somewhere, then they aren't going to. They aren't going to go on a tour of the island to build a massive pool of adventure XP because that's simply not who they are. If I've got a Strength 5 gnome, I'm going to buy sand and coal to make glass for crafting, not tumble on out into the wildness.
Gift of Humility helps a little bit - but once again, it comes from hacking things up. There are players that hate the grind, and would rather spend their time researching, writing, crafting, selling, and just being part of the world.
RPR used to help a lot - but for multiple reasons RPR isn't all that fashionable any more. Mostly because it comes down to the judgement of DM's, and the sometimes terse relationship between players and DM's.
Grinding has been an issue since time immemorial. Grinders going to grind. Power Levelers are going to power level. We saw what happened with the anti-grind script, and no amount of Dev or DM intervention is going to ever have a significant effect on this. So can we please bite the bullet and throw a lifeline to the NPC type players?
So - what can be done?
It's important to point out, right at the start, that these suggestions will be abused by power levelers - but they are going to do their thing anyway. The benefit to those who will appreciate it outweighs the harm that can be caused by those who are going to find other ways race to level 30 anyway.
1. Give adventure XP for using crafting points.
2. Give adventure XP for settlement leaders, and the leaders of factions over x players (done by CD key if possible)
2. If it's possible, give an adventure XP cookie that increases the longer you are in an area (only while you are active.) This represents being at work, studying the area, practicing social skills. Whatever. Have it kick in after 2(?) ticks (12 min?) starting at whatever and maxing out a 5x whatever. Moving area resets this. Going AFK makes this inactive (similar to the old RPR script).
3. Integrate scribe scroll, brew potion, and craft wand into the crafting system so it no longer drains XP and gold. Because unless you are a level 30 with XP to burn, getting involved in this part of the economy comes at the trade off of character progression.
Remove blank wands / bottles / scrolls so these have to be crafted and thereby make a real market for them. Then to use the feats you have to have a stock of crafted objects like spell components. Then have yet still have another object (like what is needed to scribe certain scrolls) to use the feat (3 in total). You already have to burn a feat on two of these in most cases, and for those of us in the service industry for other players, well, that's punishment enough
Off the cuff idea - I'd also happily trade off getting any xp from anything for a pool of adventure XP that would take you to level 30 disbursed over a set period of time. I've heard of people grinding there way up to level 30 in a matter of weeks. As someone who has never had a epic character over a decade of playing, I wouldn't mind if it took 6,9, 12 months. It would just be nice for it to happen while engaging in the elements of the server that I actually enjoy.
Anyway, have a think. Any contribution to the game time of those of us who are on the server for the RP/social elements rather than the hack/slash/pvp elements would be greatly appreciated.