Castle Dunmarle

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Archnon
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Castle Dunmarle

Post by Archnon » Tue Oct 19, 2021 6:04 pm

So, having played plenty on Skal, I finally took the trip up to Castle Dunmarle and man was it worth it. What a beautiful area design. The inn and the castle look awesome and there is plenty of flavor and personality up there. However, I couldn't help but notice 1/3 shops was in use and 1/5 quarters was in use. One of the larger quarters was absolutely amazing and could hold tons of RP potential. However, the general disuse of the area seems to indicate that players are not frequenting it. While I know the suggestion thread is closed, this just seemed like a crime to me that this awesome area was being wasted. You will never replace the fire outside the armor but It feels like an area groups on Skal could make use of more, but there are some serious limitations and a few things struck me.

1.) Merchants and banks. It took me a while to find the peddler. He really didn't sell much but he did offer access to bank accounts, which was nice. However, this could be moved inside the tavern, like most bankers, it might be more intuitive.

2.) Travel. It was a hike, and one through one of the more dangerous areas of the island. And if the reward was some unique quests (Skaldark), or shop keepers (ala the hermit and Skaldark) or something like that, this would make sense, but as it stands, it was just this really beautiful area that begged for RP. This could really use a fast travel option. Honestly, it seems like a great candidate for a caravan or a boat. Something that was timed so you had to wait around for it. There is even a dock outside the castle on the map that could be used. I really just couldn't find a reason that low-level players shouldn't be able to get to the castle. Some way to travel between town and the castle would make sense given the nature of the island, but also create opportunities for people to take advantage of those quarters, shops, and frankly the spaces. The inn was a very inviting place to RP that could act as an alternative to the fire. And there was plenty of room to make the area your own.

Perhaps I missed something but i think I talked to everyone. And I haven't heard people talk about it in character as anything other than just a place to visit, which seems like a crime. Just some thoughts.

MRFTW
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Re: Castle Dunmarle

Post by MRFTW » Wed Oct 20, 2021 6:35 am

People don't visit it because the merchants at the castle sell precisely ZERO healing supplies, while the trappers cave one screen over sells healing supplies, as well as buying everything that isn't potions or berries, which they offer a fast travel back to the village to sell.

Removing all the utility of the trappers' cave and making it naught but a dropoff for that one writ, and a safe resting zone, and moving healing supply and fast travel sales to Dunmarle would both improve realism and foot traffic to such a beautiful area.

I also quite like the idea of making the underdark writs exclusively there.

Good Character
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Re: Castle Dunmarle

Post by Good Character » Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:18 am

The greater issue is the level you need to be about to access the area being so closely connected to the maximum level permitted on Skal. This may be an unpopular opinion, but Dunmarle Castle shouldn't be improved upon in QoL ways but strictly to increase its mysticism and to aid with DM-plots.

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Edens_Fall
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Re: Castle Dunmarle

Post by Edens_Fall » Wed Oct 20, 2021 1:37 pm

Skal was never meant to be an end area and the fact there are rooms to rent and shops at all for players to use is pretty awesome in and of itself. However, I think improving such things only gives more incentive for players to remain in Skal and thus working against the general idea of the area as a starting zone. Level, RP, make friends, and move onto the mainland. Anything else would likely lead to an entrenched player group trying to live and work in Skal.

Just my two cents.

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Ork
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Re: Castle Dunmarle

Post by Ork » Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:01 pm

I love skal. I love the setting, the aesthetic and the areas. I have played there a lot. I usually start all my surface characters there. I think truthfully IG, you set up some great lore that remains underutilized like the NPC that comments Skal 2/3rds covered under permafrost. As a genuine Skal-enjoyer, I'm in favor of expanding Skal to incorperate epic level content. I'm also in favor of keeping Skal free of settlement politics. It might be an excellent destination for players seeking a reprieve from the political settlements.

When Dunmarle opened, I was hoping for epic content. A staging base for the next leg of Skal baddies.

While I know the level policy had good intentions, it doesn't eliminate the god-kings of Skal from remaining. Many accept the MoD knowing that no one else on Skal can actually contend with them/kill them. Especially with the timechange causing issues with returning to Skal, I advocate for moving Skal closer to Arelith but influenced by some magic that keeps it glacially locked.

Sombricimos
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Re: Castle Dunmarle

Post by Sombricimos » Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:40 pm

Skal was never meant to be an end area and the fact there are rooms to rent and shops at all for players to use is pretty awesome in and of itself. However, I think improving such things only gives more incentive for players to remain in Skal and thus working against the general idea of the area as a starting zone. Level, RP, make friends, and move onto the mainland. Anything else would likely lead to an entrenched player group trying to live and work in Skal.

Just my two cents.
So because something for low levels is poorly designed means it should remain as such, just because it's for lowbies?

So why have it in the first place then?

Archnon
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Re: Castle Dunmarle

Post by Archnon » Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:50 pm

I'm always a little baffled that people who stay on skal don't just stop leveling at 16. I mean, if you love the area, that is an option. Just don;t click level up I agree that the MOD is not effective. The way leveling works, even a horde of level 16's won't be able to take down a level 20-30 build and kill them once, let alone 10 times. And there is not content on Skal that you run a risk of. A better option might be capping experience received while on skal, so if you have X experience, any experience you receive goes straight to adventuring and you don't get XP per tick.

But I digress. My point was not to engage in a long winded conversation about leveling, epics and whether or not skal should or should not be a starter area. I really just wanted to point out that there is this amazing area that is not getting used at all because the players on the island 1.) have no reason to go there 2.) Incur a high cost to go there (for anyone under level 14 which remains most of the island) 3.) Some slight redesign decisions could ameliorate this and expand the potential areas for people to RP on Skal.

Now, I accept that the team likely has plans for Dunmarle and hence why it is what it is, but in the absence of those, I would love to see the area more utilized.

AstralUniverse
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Re: Castle Dunmarle

Post by AstralUniverse » Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:53 pm

I love Skal. It's really something else. It was never designed for any epic content and the team made that clear when they banished all epic characters from Skal unless they take MoD. I dont expect Skal to be expanded any time soon. It's meant to be an introduction to Arelith, and as such, I think expanding the content to a point you dont want to leave because there's so much left to explore sort of defeats the purpose of it's theme as Low level, Introduction to Arelith.

I do, however, hope that someday some areas will be reworked, because they are huge and empty and the geography of Skal makes no sense at all. it's supposed to be an island but there is sea shore only at a very few corners of the island. The northern edge of Skal has warterfalls indicating there's more climbing up to the north, if there were screens.

So if not expansion, at least a rework, One Day(tm).
Svrtr wrote:

I've spoken with Kenji and warpriest will be allowed to take elemental avatar so keep this in mind too


MRFTW
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Re: Castle Dunmarle

Post by MRFTW » Fri Oct 22, 2021 1:05 pm

A further piece of feedback I'd have is that the crypt would be a nice spot for a writ - if your class can't or won't complete a few writs on Skal, they can quickly run out of writs. There's no boss monster down there, although there are some hard hitting mobs with 24ish AB, and the door locks behind you when you enter, making you find the exit or die if you're not a locksmith.

Perfect fodder for a Kill X writ, not dissimilar to the troll cave one around Westcliff. There's only one heavy undead writ on Skal, although the troglodytes does feature some as well, so it'd be nice for those low-teens undead hunters, when the ghostwood isn't particularly challenging any more.
Ork wrote:
Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:01 pm
While I know the level policy had good intentions, it doesn't eliminate the god-kings of Skal from remaining. Many accept the MoD knowing that no one else on Skal can actually contend with them/kill them.
I also strongly agree with this sentiment - While you can still own shops and property, a MoD and a lack of writs doesn't really hold anyone back.

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