Upcoming changes to the Karma system

[Adhira]

ArmageddonMUD operates a Karma system designed to open up the more complicated, powerful and RP challenging roles to players.  The awarding of Karma has been  a somewhat ad-hoc process with many shortfalls.  We have redesigned the process to outline a set of criteria that staff will use when awarding (and removing) karma from a player account.

Karma Award Process
The criteria is grouped in to sets of categories for which points can be awarded.  The categories are as follows:

Longevity
Good communication
Ability to roleplay
Proven understanding of magick and its place in the game world
Proven understanding of cultural and racial structures
Contributes to the game
Leadership

Staff will be using these categories and associated criteria from now on.

Character Generation Changes
For future developments we will be implementing a system of point expenditure in character generation.  These new points are called 'char gen points' (CGP).  You can have at most, as CGP as you have karma.  CGP, once spent, will regenerate over time up to the level of karma that the player account has.

All existing karma races and guild options will cost you CGP during character generation.

There will be two NEW options for spending your CGP:

Option 1:  Extended Subguilds

A number of subguild options will be available to 'purchase' with your CGP.  The cost of purchase will vary dependant on the subguild chosen.  These subguilds will have higher caps than existing subguild options but will not exceed caps placed on similar main guild options.  The subguilds are designed to increase the lifestyle and playability options available to a character.

Extended subguilds include options such as "Master Tailor" which will allow a character to excel in the area of tailoring, including producing work at a mastercraft levell.  For the more adventurous Cutpurse or Master of Defense might be more applicable.  Subguilds will be available for those who wish to trade, craft, fight, roam or follow a path to magick.

Details of these options will be available via helpfiles prior to them being implemented.

Option 2: Skill Bumps

Players will also have the option to spend their CGP 'bumping' their base skills.  This will give them the option to bump starting skills one 'level' of mastery per CGP spent.  Only starting skills are available to be bumped (so if you branch something from using CGP, you can't spend CGP on the branched skill). Skills that are available to everyone with training (like ride, pilot and watch) would be available for bumping.  Some skills will be limited/restricted from being bumped. For instance, weapon skills will not be bump-able more than one or two at most. Offense/defense will not be an option.

We will post more details once the code is ready to implement.  If you have questions to ask staff regarding these changes please address them in this thread:  http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,41933.0.html

Please note: Staff will not be giving specifics of the criteria.  The subguild categories have already been created and we are not soliciting for new ideas in this area.

Edited by Morgenes to clarify some points that were originally discussed and implemented that didn't make it back to this doc before it was posted.

Edited again by Morgenes to remove the clause about always having access to one.  We are changing this in exchange for a more rapid regeneration rate.

[Morgenes]

Just a bump to indicate that I have edited the original to post some clarification points that we had made during implementation of this that didn't make it back to this doc.

I also wanted to post a doc I wrote that was used to show examples of character generation and hopefully might help with understanding of how this will work:

Char Gen Points
Char Gen Points (CGP) are the currency granted by your karma level to affect character generation.  They are spent in char gen when you choose an option that requires karma.  They regenerate over time, at the rate of 1 point per two weeks.

Test Accounts:
Here are some example accounts that we will use through these tests for examples:

Account		Karma		CGP/Max CGP
Newb		0		0/0
Novice		2		2/2
Veteran		6		3/6 (still regenerating from previous)
The Brain		8		8/8
Awesome		8		8/8

Racial Choice:
When you enter character generation, you are presented with the race options available to you based on your available race options [defined by karma level].  These will be limited based on the amount of CGP you have available.

Examples:
Newb enters the race screen and is presented with the normal race options.  Anything he chooses doesn't cost anything, so there's nothing really to talk about here.

Novice has 2 Karma, so has access to 'Desert Elf' as well as the normal options.  Let's say he chooses Desert Elf.

Veteran and Awesome don't want to play a Desert Elf, and The Brain is planning on making a psionicist, and so choose Human, costing 0 Char Gen Pts.

After Race Choice:

Account		Karma		CGP/Max CGP
Newb		0		0/0
Novice		2		1/2 (-1 for Desert Elf)
Veteran		6		3/6
The Brain		8		8/8
Awesome		8		8/8

Guild Choice:
You are presented with the guild options available to you based on your available guild options [defined by karma level].  These will be limited based on the amount of CGP you have remaining.

Examples:
Newb still only has mundane choices to make, now I'm really wondering why I bothered to add them, but hey, he's along for the ride.

Novice would have been allowed to make a water or stone elementalist desert elf by the way things worked before.  But now they only have 1 char gen point left, so they only have access to mundane guild options.

Veteran has been itching to play a Stone Elementalist, so he chooses that, spending 2 CGP.

The Brain is wanting to play a Psionicist, and so chooses that, spending 8 CGP.

Awesome chooses a mundane class [assassin], not spending any CGP.

After Guild Choice:

Account		Karma		CGP/Max CGP
Newb		0		0/0
Novice		2		1/2
Veteran		6		1/6 (-2 stone elementalist)
The Brain		8		0/8 (-8 psionicist)
Awesome		8		8/8

Sub-guild Choice:
Similar to Guild Choice, you will be shown sub-guilds that your karma level gives you access to.  Your remaining CGP will limit the options available to you.

Examples:
Newb still doesn't have any char gen points to spend, or karma options, so he chooses a normal sub-guild.

Novice has 1 CGP left, and so chooses 'Master Trader', to make that Ranger/Trader Desert Elf concept work just right, spending 1 CGP.

Veteran isn't interested in Master Trader (his only option since he only has 1 point remaining), so he chooses a mundane sub-guild.

The Brain is out of char gen points, so he chooses a normal sub-guild.

Awesome has chooses a normal subguild as well, not spending any CGP.

After Sub-Guild Choice:

Account		Karma		CGP/Max CGP
Newb		0		0/0
Novice		2		0/2 (-1 for Master Trader)
Veteran		6		1/6
The Brain		8		0/8
Awesome		8		8/8

Skill Bumps:
At this point the player is placed back in the menu-system and can fine-tune their character as they see fit.  If they have remaining CGP, a new option will be available 'Skill Bump'.  This will give them the option to bump starting skills one 'level' of mastery per CGP spent.  If this would cause them to branch, they would NOT get access to those branched skills.  Only starting skills are available to be bumped.  Skills that are available to everyone with training (like ride, pilot and watch) would be available for bumping, the initial buy on those would be one CGP.

Some skills will need to be limited/restricted from being bumped.  For instance, weapon skills will not be bump-able more than one or two at most.  Offense/defense will not be an option.

If after making skill bumps they go back and re-choose guild options, they will lose any skill bumps they entered.  

Examples:
Newb, Novice and The Brain are all out of CGP, so they don't see the skill bump option.

Veteran has one remaining point and so decides to bump a spell from his Stone Elementalist tree.

Awesome decided to spend 4 CGP on bumping his starting skills.  He puts 2 CGP into hide, and 2 CGP into backstab.

After Skill Bump Choice:

Account		Karma		CGP/Max CGP
Newb		0		0/0
Novice		2		0/2
Veteran		6		0/6 (-1 for spell)
The Brain		8		0/8
Awesome		8		4/8 (-2 hide, -2 backstab)