Looking For Ideas...

[Arslajin]

I'm looking for ideas regarding what the playerbase might want to see changed in Dusk. However, I'm looking for larger-scale ideas at this point (for example, changes to combat rather than changes to particular skills). The ideas can be enhancements or radical changes, but I do ask that they stay within the confines of the Dusk theme (not "We should have elves!" type stuff, please). Topics of interest could include combat, crafting, factions, skillsets, skill progression, matures, exploration, and pretty much anything that reasonably applies. The ideas can be outside the box type stuff too and don't have to already be present in the game as long as they fit the game.

I think the best way to handle this is for you guys to just solely post ideas in this thread rather than replying to each other. I also won't respond to the ideas, but rest assured I'll be reading them. If you guys (or myself) want to delve deeper into a topic/idea, presumably with the intent of fleshing it out, then just start a new thread with the original post quoted.

I'm looking to enhance/improve/replace parts of Dusk to make it a deeper, richer game while still remaining true to its style and gameplay experience. Hopefully you guys find this an engaging opportunity to help do the same thing.

*** Also, please note that any significant changes will not affect the current version.

[Pelagis]

I'll just edit this one as I get new ideas:

Combat: Give players the same near-guaranteed circle after counterstrike without panting that mobs seem to have. Allow a two-handed grip to increase effective strength for meeting weapon weight requirements.

Stats/Matures: I'm in favour of full point-buy stats and having them be more evenly useful, and remove player stat caps. Can still min-max, but you'll be creating weakness by doing so. Mob stats might need rebalancing, though. Add a high-cost reroll of abilities at a given rank, perhaps 25k*rank.

Skill Progression: Rather than constantly interrupt the flow of things, I'd like it if having a learn available didn't prevent earning more enlights, it just gave you a bonus for going to the trainer every few points, so you don't feel the need to rush off every enlight or two because you don't want to miss any. Alternately, make the crystal ball effect innate and universal.

Skillsets: A witch, theo, or apoc skill (augury or insight) that allows them to see the target's exact stats.

Faction: More available housing. Stronger guards, with a limit on the number per room.

Helpfiles: A short description of what each title is based on, to make them more competitive.

[Ashteroth]

I'll just edit this one as I get new ideas:

Combat: Give players the same near-guaranteed circle after counterstrike without panting that mobs seem to have. Allow a two-handed grip to increase effective strength for meeting weapon weight requirements.

Stats/Matures: I'm in favour of full point-buy stats and having them be more evenly useful, and remove player stat caps. Can still min-max, but you'll be creating weakness by doing so. Mob stats might need rebalancing, though.

Skill Progression: Rather than constantly interrupt the flow of things, I'd like it if having a learn available didn't prevent earning more enlights, it just gave you a bonus for going to the trainer every few points, so you don't feel the need to rush off every enlight or two because you don't want to miss any. Alternately, make the crystal ball effect innate and universal.

Faction: More available housing. Stronger guards, with a limit on the number per room.

Helpfiles: A short description of what each title is based on, to make them more competitive.

I concur with the two-handed grip for weapons.

I'm not sure I like the idea about matures. I would like to see matures more evenly distributed, and I believe the mature system needs an overhaul. Perhaps even allow randomly 1-3 mature points be distributed by player per mature. Any change to the mature system would have to be very carefully considered though, just making them fall into desire stats more often could cause a whole host of problems. More super players would rise up (Though I argue that stats are not the most important thing) and balance of the game could have serious problems.

I would like a more fluid flow in skill progression as well. I do think it is important for the player to have to return to the teacher from time to time. Could make skill progression slower and slower the longer the player waits to go to the teacher, even to the point of being impossible to enlight after a while. This could allow intelligence to player another role, in that if the player has a higher intelligence the longer they can go before enlights slow to such a crawl as to be forced back to the teacher. Returning to the teacher before enlights stop coming could yield small bonuses like a random amount of trivial xp (not so trivial for the beginning player), or an extra enlight randomly distributed.

Factions need to be more modular, not necessarily have more housing. I think stronger guards are needed, and monuments could use a change as well. I'm not sure that giving the monument a description will make it more competitive. Ravel is the only one I know that thinks stealing a monument that costs so little money means anything. If a faction had a monument, then that monument was stolen or destroyed they may not ever be able to have that monument again, unless they stole it back. Only a certain amount of each kind of monument can exist at a time, obviously the stronger the monument the less that can exist.

Could even make 'super' monuments that only allow the enlistment of one kind of guard at or just one guard of a kind at a time. Only one of these monuments can be obtained by a single faction at any given time. All these things and more would definitely make competing for monuments more serious. If I want a certain monument but see that two other factions already have it and only two can be active in the game world at a time, I will be more inclined to take or destroy that monument.

All of this was hashed out between chasing after little ones, but I plan on giving a formal list of ideas I would like to see make the list - just as soon as I am done sorting them all out.

[jonan]

I'd like to see a runelore skill bonus for stamping stat granting runes. cap it at +3 so it doesn't get too out of control. maybe up the damage ratings on some of the crafted weapons, flails definitely(maybe put them on par with maces). maybe make some craftable misc items. my wish list is kinda small. . .

[Renzio]

To be quite honest, I think the mature system is the flavor that makes Blood Dusk so tasty. While tweaks would be welcome, an entire revamp, I think, would be unnecessary. One tweak idea I had was stat trading... Let's say you have 19 int and 9 bearing. You decide that you want to switch styles after a while but don't wanna reroll the character due to good mats, you pop over to the guru and pay 10k exp per point difference(in this case, 100k exp) and viola you have 9 int and 19 bearing. I don't recommend being to manipulate it more than that due to excessive min/maxing. Also, I believe it wouldn't fit with the entire idea of maturing anyway(stat manipulation, that is).

[Renzio]

Okay... here's my idea on an intimidation change/tweak:

Rather than have intimidation only be applied when you first start combat, have it apply only when you attack. Every attack applies your intim score minus the target's courage. And rather than be giving up the offensive when scared, you should be paralyzed with fear. One, this would make more sense, and two it would be a lot more useful. The threshold should be bearing. For example, if you have 5 intim and your target has 1 courage and 9 bearing, it would take very little to paralyze them in fear. It'd be a like a different kind of trip.

[Ashteroth]

Some quick ideas for the future game:

1. Modded armor should be repairable. If not by a craftsmen, then by the docnition. For half the xp cost of having it grafted on originally, the docnition can clean it up and fix it. Could even be the roll of a particular mod-smith mob


2. Most modded armor is junk. I propose that modded armor be more useable and the draw backs of mod armor be done differently.

- Pain does not stack with each new piece

- Chance to bleed if the grafted armor is hit directly and harder hits increase that chance
OR
- The base pain of the armor has a chance to add to the pain of the attack

- Mod armor installed in locations where mods exist will have no pain, bleeding, or increased pain per attack associated with it


3. Mods: I'd simply like to see these expanded more. Perhaps some extra slots for mods, or to see something 'machine-like' that can be added to existing mods or be a mod itself. Something like a mix between what the Machine god already does, and the technology of the Artificier's creations. Perhaps entire limb replacements. Obviously nasty drawbacks need apply.

4. There needs to be more things that can be done with experience

- Experience banking. I think this should only be limited to factions, and should be quite costly
- Once installed a special key can be made by the locksmith to access it
- This experience could be stolen by factions who are at war
- The exp can be used for karma that will stay with the faction, no matter how few players exist
- Can also be used for spreading exp out to players who may or may not need it
- Anyone with a key can access the vault containing exp
- Only faction leaders should be able to turn it into karma

- Other specialization avenues
- Add a single and permanent mastery that will increase a single skill, and/or stat. Should be limited to a one time use

- A one time chance to reroll ability choices. I think it should be limited to once per career per character with a small chance that the same abilities will show

- Experience cost to force a learn

- Temporarily boost chance to enlight


5. 8th skill slot should be more accessible. I know most of the details pertaining to it, and it is virtually impossible for even a group to reach it and if they did reach it, to obtain it. Possibly a tough quest from the Guru or series of riddles.

That's all for now.

[Ashteroth]

Sleeping - A new, but functional social. Kind of like rest, but with a larger healing boost. Have a broken bone? Illness? Slow healing? One could use the sleep command. Maybe even make it only functional inside of closed or quiet areas. Can be jumped while sleeping, giving a big offensive boost to the attacker. Make the 'take' command functional so that when a player or npc is sleeping, even a non-stealth can steal items. However, taking can wake up the player/npc and make them instantly hostile. Agility could play a role in success rate.

[Ashteroth]

Merium says, 'Would be nice to have a seperate window just for ruby communications though.'

I completely agree. Via prompt config.

[Ashteroth]

Matures: I am torn on this. I like both the randomness of the matures and loath it at the same time. I think most would agree, and I included, that matures need to have better spreads and yet remain tough enough to obtain good rolls that rerolling is required to get potentially better matures.

After some thinking, I believe that having any kind of modular mature system would be a mistake. However it is the random matures that can drive new and old players away. Frustrated that one player seems to get a 33+ base stat with every new roll, while the rest can spend weeks to months even, trying to achieve something similar. So I propose a whole new kind of mature system that is neither modular, nor easy enough to come up with the ultimate roll within an attempt or two.

Matures should represent their very name, maturation based on their past actions. Some would argue that this takes place on some degree already, but nobody knows enough to be dogmatic on it. I would like to see matures work in a way that players mature based on things players did, with maybe a 50-75% degree of randomness. For instance, if a player jogs/runs everywhere they will increase the likely hood of maturing with higher endurance. If a player chooses Berserker and walks around with weapons that border their strength limitations or beyond, they will increase the chance of having higher strength matures.

Certain emotes could even play a role in deciding the chances of higher stat chances in any given mature. Such as being highly interactive could increase bearing in matures, slapping someone then running off could have a negative chance to mature with intelligence. Honestly though, any change to the mature system of this kind should be completely secret. Maybe an announcement that matures have been tweaked or changed, but no description of what can be done to affect a mature.


Gladiator Pit: The gladiator pit has been closed down for a long time, and I miss it, so I have an idea on what can be done with it. This would give a late game activity and monad sink for those who have too much wealth. The player would go to the Pitguard and pay a handsome sum in monads for training in the pits. An automatic system would play out where the player removes all but what they are holding in their hands and all containers. The Pitguard would then stash it in an inaccessible locker and the player is now allowed to move east into the pits.

The pits would have a significantly increased chance to give enlights to the player. The pits would be rather difficult to deter lower rank players from trying to do it for faster enlights. The design would be for someone whose trying to max their alt, and is a mid-high rank3/4 to be able to enter and have such a high chance of getting enlights that it is practically guaranteed to get at least one. Since this is a combat-zone it would be more for getting enlights on combative alts, though prayers, chants, and certain apoc skills could benefit as well.

Once defeated, just like in the old pits, the players is kicked from the pits and given all of their items. I also think a player should have to be a certain skill average and rank to enter the pits. Also, no experience should be gained from this venture. Pure training only.