A Task System

[hatchets]

I really do enjoy Armageddon. But sadly, when there is noone around. I am horrifically bored. While one of the neatest things about Zalanthas is how strong everything you run into can be, it also is a detriment. (Hard to explore solo without dieing) So I was thinking some sort of, city/clan task system would be enough to spice things up. What it would entail I imagine would probably be better suggested by older players.

In previous muds I have played, there have been NPC's whom collected rare/unique items. Some of items could only be gained on a specific day from a specific city (festivals normally, such as Goblin' Whomping Day in the Dwarven Home Town, you might get a Whompin' Club. Which would only occur one day out of the whole IC year) Gave you stuff to shoot for, and gave other PC's stuff to hold onto and barter off.

There have been tasks, which increase in difficulty as you progress. It might start out with, kill a rabbit, and then move on to a deer, boar, bear, Ogre, Demon ect...

There have been 'delivery' tasks. In which one NPC citizen asks you to deliver a crap item to another NPC citizen, giving you a small description or a name. And you gotta run around town looking to deliver it.

There have been Bounty Hunter Tasks. Given permission to hunt down a specific NPC without getting criminalized for taking them in, dead or alive (rewarded of course less if dead) Sometimes the NPC wasn't just a city side crook, he'd venture out into the world and you'd have to hunt him down. (Last seen east of the Elven City)

There have was also an 'achievements' command for all of this. Which would list things like, deadliest creature you have killed (if you were teamed with multiple people think only a % of the value of 'danger' was given to you, so if a rabbit has a value of 2 and 4 people team up to kill it, they get .5 value for it, where as a person who goes out and kills a rabbit on their own would get the whole 2 value) It also had things like, the healthiest Food you have ever cooked (game had alot of health related to food, inproper nutrition would cause sicknesses, including a cold, nothing like sneezing right before you sneak up on a target in the shadows to assassinate them) One of my favorite achievements was the % of the world explored. each 'room' was worth a fraction of a percent, and youd explore and could then relate to how much of the world that character has actually seen.

There was also work to be done in the different cities one was as a cook for a restraunt, which you'd have to prepare different types of food, an NPC would show up and purchase what they wanted, but if you didn't have what they wanted ready you'd be docked pay and discredited as a cook after to many. And another was working as a Mortician's Aide, Guards would bring in dead bodies and put them on a cart, youd have 3 carts. You could send the body to the mortician or to the morticians aide, the mortician of course worked faster. They would determine if the corpse was diseased, or just regularly dead (diseased had to be cremated and took longer to dispose of) and in the mean time youd have to keep the carts clean for the next body so you wouldnt cross contaminate. (could be quite enthralling to keep up with the mess) If you completed X number of either type successfully, youd start to unlock an underground trade market, just for a few semi unique items. Maybe trade a rope belt for a red rope belt, with the insignia of the Goblin Traders on it. Shows you have worked well for them ect...

These are just a few things from previous muds that have helped keep me busy in down time. And helped lead to plans of Adventuring. When there are players around to play with, I am easily excited to interact with them, without them, I find theres little to do unless you go 'forage' for hours and hours which just gets redundant.

In a game like Zalanthas I could easily see a Task giving NPC for the different clans/houses/cities. Tasks moldable to each clan. Maybe once in a while an NPC merchant brings out a few rare items or something, or brings out lots of coins to buy rare items, and hires body guards prior to it. It is a very rough idea, and not very filled in towards Zalanthas since I don't know all of what is out there, perhaps more experienced players already have some such ideas.

Rewards are equally left open. Perhaps some sorta special city reward tokens that are traded in at a specific city shop designed to reward those whom serve Tek/Mek/ the sub cities leaders. Some tasks might simply be some coin for reward. Like I said, just a rough idea, would like to hear what others would suggest for it.

[Maso]

I wouldn't actually mind seeing a few 'coded' jobs, like the mortician one, scattered throughout the game. Most of the non-PC related, non-clan, lower skill jobs you can do in Zalanthas pretty much involve going and collecting something (dung, salt, cotton, whatever) and taking it back to an NPC for not very much 'sid.

Something that was a little more involved would be great. However, I'm pretty sure it will be considered that the game is fine as it is, and that your off-peak time should be used for solo-RP.

[Creslin]

I would enjoy something like this. On a somewhat related but off-topic note, it would be cool if you could hire NPC mercenaries for X coins to serve you for Y days and basically can order them around much like Militia / Templars can order NPC soldiers / guards.   

Tasks where you have to do escort missions would be hella cool, escorting a merchant wagon from Allanak to Luir's for example. Would open up many more opportunities for raiders too. 

Unfortunately this kind of stuff would take a lot of work and I doubt it will be added. 

[RogueGunslinger]

Eh. No thanks. I'd hate for stuff like this to take away player interaction. I imagine a scenario where people grind these little tasks for their benefits, instead of looking for people to interact with.

[A Large Bag]

Eh. No thanks. I'd hate for stuff like this to take away player interaction. I imagine a scenario where people grind these little tasks for their benefits, instead of looking for people to interact with.

Pretty much my thoughts too.

[jstorrie]

I feel like accessible automated quests would sort of detract from the whole the-world-is-a-blasted-hellscape feeling.

There are plenty of little things to do that you can do alone:

- explore, finding rare resources outside (like rare poisons, herbs, mineral deposits, gemstones, etc.)
- the various 'get stuff' jobs like salting, mining, and so on
- hunt
- raid gith / tribals
- craft
- trade between different areas

Players of authority figures like nobles and templars could stand to hand out a few more 'quests' for the little guys, though. Whenever I'm in that position, I try to make a habit of creating tasks that unaffiliated or off-peak players can pick up.

[Bushranger]

In previous muds I have played, there have been NPC's whom collected rare/unique items. Some of items could only be gained on a specific day from a specific city (festivals normally, such as Goblin' Whomping Day in the Dwarven Home Town, you might get a Whompin' Club. Which would only occur one day out of the whole IC year) Gave you stuff to shoot for, and gave other PC's stuff to hold onto and barter off.

I really prefer the current system Armageddon MUD has where there are rare/unique items that come out only once ever or on special festivals like LuirsFest which takes players to organize and run. These almost always try to cater at least one or two events for when off peak players like myself can attend. Much nicer for an RPI than an automated NPCs come out dressed as tribal elves on this one day of the year every year with or without player involvement, and it makes the rare/unique items from these events even more special when you manage to obtain one.

Armageddon MUD also has even more rare/unique items that are sometimes passed down from player to player, through PK and trade, that have grown histories for themselves. A certain chair comes to mind as does a few of the metal items. Try for one of those nifty copper daggers  

There have been 'delivery' tasks. In which one NPC citizen asks you to deliver a crap item to another NPC citizen, giving you a small description or a name. And you gotta run around town looking to deliver it.

There have been Bounty Hunter Tasks. Given permission to hunt down a specific NPC without getting criminalized for taking them in, dead or alive (rewarded of course less if dead) Sometimes the NPC wasn't just a city side crook, he'd venture out into the world and you'd have to hunt him down. (Last seen east of the Elven City)

This is the kind of thing I much prefer come from players. I agree with jstorrie and RogueGunslinger here.

There have was also an 'achievements' command for all of this. Which would list things like, deadliest creature you have killed (if you were teamed with multiple people think only a % of the value of 'danger' was given to you, so if a rabbit has a value of 2 and 4 people team up to kill it, they get .5 value for it, where as a person who goes out and kills a rabbit on their own would get the whole 2 value) It also had things like, the healthiest Food you have ever cooked (game had alot of health related to food, inproper nutrition would cause sicknesses, including a cold, nothing like sneezing right before you sneak up on a target in the shadows to assassinate them) One of my favorite achievements was the % of the world explored. each 'room' was worth a fraction of a percent, and youd explore and could then relate to how much of the world that character has actually seen.

There was also work to be done in the different cities one was as a cook for a restraunt, which you'd have to prepare different types of food, an NPC would show up and purchase what they wanted, but if you didn't have what they wanted ready you'd be docked pay and discredited as a cook after to many. And another was working as a Mortician's Aide, Guards would bring in dead bodies and put them on a cart, youd have 3 carts. You could send the body to the mortician or to the morticians aide, the mortician of course worked faster. They would determine if the corpse was diseased, or just regularly dead (diseased had to be cremated and took longer to dispose of) and in the mean time youd have to keep the carts clean for the next body so you wouldnt cross contaminate. (could be quite enthralling to keep up with the mess) If you completed X number of either type successfully, youd start to unlock an underground trade market, just for a few semi unique items. Maybe trade a rope belt for a red rope belt, with the insignia of the Goblin Traders on it. Shows you have worked well for them ect...

No. Just no. I really don't want to have people zooming around for some sort of achievement mini-game with no regard for RP. "I'm an aide to Lord Winrothol, but I'm out here in the Silt Sea because killing a silt horror is next on my achievement list." really isn't something I'd like to hear. You can be a cook in game already, join a clan (official or unofficial), it is even a great job for an off-peak player as you can log in to find a kitchen full of raw meat, fruit and vegetables the clan hunters have brought in and then do some solo RP cooking it all up to stock the shelves for the rest of the clan when they log in. I don't want jobs to just be a part of some achievement list for characters though where everyone has been a beggar, cook, cleaner, dung hauler, salt collector, obsidian miner, cotton picker, clay digger - pick roles that are In Character.

In a game like Zalanthas I could easily see a Task giving NPC for the different clans/houses/cities. Tasks moldable to each clan. Maybe once in a while an NPC merchant brings out a few rare items or something, or brings out lots of coins to buy rare items, and hires body guards prior to it. It is a very rough idea, and not very filled in towards Zalanthas since I don't know all of what is out there, perhaps more experienced players already have some such ideas.

Rewards are equally left open. Perhaps some sorta special city reward tokens that are traded in at a specific city shop designed to reward those whom serve Tek/Mek/ the sub cities leaders. Some tasks might simply be some coin for reward. Like I said, just a rough idea, would like to hear what others would suggest for it.

Rewards should not be open, I really don't want to see any kind of token system so every warrior can get level 9 raid armor set from killing rats in the sewers to collect tokens from NPC Lord Templar Whosit. This is Armageddon. Rewards should be sparse and hard to get, rewards that are worth anything that is.

[tiptoe]

I really do enjoy Armageddon. But sadly, when there is noone around. I am horrifically bored. While one of the neatest things about Zalanthas is how strong everything you run into can be, it also is a detriment. (Hard to explore solo without dieing) So I was thinking some sort of, city/clan task system would be enough to spice things up. What it would entail I imagine would probably be better suggested by older players.

My best advice for an off-peak player is a ranger-type guild with a crafting-type subguild and starting in the North. While many creatures are too difficult, there are quite a few near Tuluk that are much easier. It can be pretty entertaining figuring out which ones are. Explore and test the waters. In downtime, find materials and make shit. In the beginning, for me, it was more about seeing how long I could keep a character alive. Once you get past that initial hardship of finding enough coin to keep yourself fed/watered, you'll discover there are many other facets to the game, and many other things you don't need other players to enjoy.

Don't be dependent on others for your entertainment. It's all about making your own fun.

More on topic with your suggestion...I think a task system would take a lot away from the game itself. Armageddon is a role play intensive MUD. I feel that automated quest-giving NPCs really would detract from the whole experience. There's plenty of busy-work to be found in salting, clay digging, poop scooping, cotton picking, and spice sifting.

But don't get discouraged is the main thing. Most MUDs get us very used to having very specific tasks to complete before you can move further in the game. Here, you have the freedom to decide your own tasks. Set goals for yourself like collecting X amount of obsidian, figuring out how to make X item, joining X clan, etc.

[EldritchOrigins]

Back in the day, House Kadius used to have weekly orders that needed to be filled.  These orders were unique and changed each week.  Players that were able to fill the orders were given bonuses as compensation.  However if the orders weren't filled by players, it was assumed that the house was somehow able to fill these orders from some other means (NPC or virtual sources).

For example lets say some virtual member of House Nenyuk ordered a snakeskin bound ledger.  House Kadius would award cash bonuses to house hunters (or any house member really) that brought in a certain amount of snake skins.  This could mean they hunted the snakes down themselves or bought them from someone else.  However the would acquire the item didn't matter.  The idea was that this gave players some kind of objective that they could peruse on their own but at the same time being optional instead of become some kind of busy work that had to be accomplished each week.

Other examples might be sapphires, vestric feathers, bahamet shells, jozhal hides, tribal clothing, marble, anything really that the house might need to fill an order.

The best part about this was that most, if not all of the orders were for virtual customers.  This really helped me as a player by drawing my attention to the virtual world and how active and robust it really is, but by not using my imagination to envision the virtual world, I really limit myself and my creativity in game.


What some of you are probably thinking is that this isn't code driven, and you're right.  I that some sort of coded quest system would detract from the social aspect of the game by taking the focus away from roleplaying with others.  However this might be different if the tasks somehow involving multiple parties.

As for achievements, I think they'd also take the focus off of roleplaying.  Sure this would give us something to do, but it might also create a mentality of racking up achievements would shift the focus from roleplaying (unless of course one is playing a dwarf following their own focus.

There could stand to be more of the automated gathering quests though (mining obsidian/glass, lumber jacking, gathering salt, digging for clay or amicably picking cotton.  These seem to be realistic for roleplay and also providing rewarding activities for when things are slow.

[Potaje]

However, a Pc (or pcs) could be the ones to initiated such things for other players.

Even the mortician thing, though I doubt many would be so obvious with letting themselves be known, I could still see a Nilazi posing as a mortician. hiring folks to haul bodies or assist in this or that.

But still, Pc to pc is best, and it does seem there are several off peakers, so they just need to find each other and make these things happen.

[hatchets]

Eh. No thanks. I'd hate for stuff like this to take away player interaction. I imagine a scenario where people grind these little tasks for their benefits, instead of looking for people to interact with.

Guess you missed the part where its not meant to take away from the player interaction but rather to be something to fill the void when there is no interaction to be found. Sorry but the game is complete crap when noone is around in the morning hours, cept for a random fellow whom looks at you in passing and runs along.

Foraging crap is already redundant and in alot of situations unrealistic. The Obsidian Lode appears in the same spot every time to go bash it. The cave never runs out of shards and stones. You can forage for days. The salt is generally slave work, but thats cool cause you can make 1000 sid an IC day doing it (which ruins the whole idea that making a living is hard to come by anyways)

I am not talking about quests and tasks that would make you run around and do them all the time. I am talking about having it as an option, and not with some over powering reward for doing them.

I feel like accessible automated quests would sort of detract from the whole the-world-is-a-blasted-hellscape feeling.

There are plenty of little things to do that you can do alone:

- explore, finding rare resources outside (like rare poisons, herbs, mineral deposits, gemstones, etc.)
- the various 'get stuff' jobs like salting, mining, and so on
- hunt
- raid gith / tribals
- craft
- trade between different areas

Players of authority figures like nobles and templars could stand to hand out a few more 'quests' for the little guys, though. Whenever I'm in that position, I try to make a habit of creating tasks that unaffiliated or off-peak players can pick up.

Again, this was focused more towards solo RPing, which hunting, raiding, and trading can all kill you if you haven't been around a while and trained your skills up. Personally, I am tired of sitting around for 3-5 hours a day, waiting for someone in my clan to show up to 'training' and then sometimes it doesn't even happen till an 'off day' which then I have to wait another 3 hours to get back to a 'training day' and folks aren't feeling up for doing anything except sitting in the tavern talking shit.

'get stuff' jobs I mentioned above. They are not involving enough, they are repetative operations, which while yes I can set a trigger up to keep doing them, and hope someone shows up to RP with, I have already fallen asleep waiting, so I don't use triggers for it anymore.

While yes, it would be ideal that players in leading positions would create tasks. It again comes  back to off peak solo RP. Or even Peak Solo RP if the player isn't in the mood to deal with people. (anyone who has ever played muds for an extended period of time has reached the point where they just feel off, or pissed or some such over real life and feel they wouldn't play their character appropriately in their current state of mind so finds solo busy work to do instead of interacting with others) Which it is better to have them in the game for the chance interaction, (perhaps one that even brightens their mood) then to have them just not log in.

Rewards should not be open, I really don't want to see any kind of token system so every warrior can get level 9 raid armor set from killing rats in the sewers to collect tokens from NPC Lord Templar Whosit. This is Armageddon. Rewards should be sparse and hard to get, rewards that are worth anything that is.

The idea isn't to have some over powered reward system. Again the idea is to create some sub busy work for solo RP that isn't as mind numbing as salting for a few hours to make an rediculous amount of coins in a game, as you put it, where rewards should be sparse. Everyone talks about how hard it is to provide food and water for your character, when its not at all. Maybe if there were raiders whom posted up around salting areas, but as of yet I ain't seen any. Not sure how much shoveling poop pays, but from experience, in about thirty minutes or so of salting I can make 500-1000 coin. I just have to stay awake through the mind numbing problem.

Rewards in previous muds were things as simple as a water token, fill a container with 3 drinks of water. A canteen of soup.

Reward 'tokens' could even be player traded in some instances. Maybe House Salarr provides discounts to Salarr tokens provided as proof of services rendered to House Salarr, even if menial in task. Sky is really the limit. Its no different then the soapstone coins you get from that one guy, cept with more possibilities.

But still, Pc to pc is best, and it does seem there are several off peakers, so they just need to find each other and make these things happen.

Of course PC to PC is best. No arguement against it. And as for 'several off peakers' I sign on and type who, and see 13 people online sometimes, luckily I don't only sign on in off peak times I get the benefit of having enough free time at the moment to sign on through out the day. Now there are easily more then 13 clans. So with some luck MAYBE, 2 people are in the same clan. Because the average breaks down to be less then 1 person per clan. So if you are one of the lucky ones this time and have 2 people in the same clan, maybe you have some pc on pc interaction. But otherwise, your only hope is to hope you can go sit in a tavern, and someone shows up, and considering the number of taverns, and cities, you may be lucky if there is even another person in your town at the time, let alone, in the same bar. So you bar hop, to see if someone is in another one. In a game where there is supposed to be an bustling virtual world, npcs every where, but no real interaction with them, you shouldn't feel alone and more importantly stuck. You cannot hardly consider it RP, that your character hops from bar to bar to bar looking to find someone to talk to (and sometimes theres not even much of a conversation to be had, you look at then with some clever add on, squinting or some such, they look at you. Maybe you nod to each other, then one of you stands up and walks out after the silence becomes boring.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I've always supported automated quests. It's pretty simple to come up with good ideas that are not grand, and that'll offer entertainment for off-peak players or those in more isolated places, like Red Storm or Cenyr and such. It's not hard to come up with multitudes of realistic IC tasks that won't make you rich. Some could be pretty dangerous, even.

What's more, you don't have to do the quests alone. If you and a buddy are around, maybe you two can go collect that weed the local baker needs. It gives you a IC reason to go do this, experience that, and do this. What's more, it's a in-game goal, and can be used to flesh out the world even more than now.

People worry about PC interaction, but if I'm honest, I think it'll promote PC interaction in ways that don't currently exist. Sometimes players need a reason to be - automated quests are a reason to be.

PC jobs will always be more lucrative, but I absolutely support the subsystem of automated tasks.

Uhm, no achievements. That's too lame. Armageddon is just not that sort of game.

[Dar]

I am all for tiny little, not very profitable quests like that that help players (newbie or otherwise) get the feel of a bustling economy that includes houses that are virtual.


I all for Jal to announce that they will kill anyone that brings them yet another bit of salt too. 1.5k every 2 rl hours is not something I consider a good idea. Yes, you need to be skilled and very spammy to get those numbers, but they're sure as hell possible enough to turn a 5 day ranger into (pfffth, I dont need your sid mr Noble) dude.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I all for Jal to announce that they will kill anyone that brings them yet another bit of salt too. 1.5k every 2 rl hours is not something I consider a good idea. Yes, you need to be skilled and very spammy to get those numbers, but they're sure as hell possible enough to turn a 5 day ranger into (pfffth, I dont need your sid mr Noble) dude.

Gawd yes. I really do wish the economy was balanced differently.

[Maso]

Meh, the economy is a hard one. For the less spammy players it's hard to earn enough just to stop your character from starving - never mind move them forwards. And a cushty clan isn't always a viable option...

[Nyr]

Actually, all of the automated jobs have been recently rebalanced.  We enabled tracking on them, toned down the ones that were making too much money, and amped up one that was making too little money.  The automated jobs that you can do on your own reflect the difficulty of the task.  Cotton picking, poop scooping, and clay digging are all lower-yield.  Salt-grebbing, glass mining, obsidian mining, and spice grebbing are all higher-yield.  If you spend a reasonable amount of time per RL day working on the higher-yield stuff, you can make a living off of it and also have plenty of time to play.  In fact, these are designed with independents in mind--the idea being to spend some time making 'sid, then some time enjoying the use of that 'sid for other things.

Anyway, part of that rebalancing means you can't make 1000 sid per day salting.  It has been toned back to be more reasonable.

We already do have a scant few of these automated "quests" in game.  This isn't a bad idea to expand into places where it makes sense.  The question then is time, effort, and agenda for the project for whomever might be over such things.

However, you also seem to indicate that it's difficult to connect with clanmates.  Might I suggest leaving your clan (if ICly feasible) or storing the PC?  If you can't find your clannies on a regular basis, they are off-peak, you are off-peak, they don't play much, or you don't play much.  One of these is true.  You would have better luck going where the PCs are when you are playing, and sometimes that takes some trial and error (or maybe a chat with staff via the request tool, they might be able to help).  Then having this quest system becomes more of an idle want rather than a need that is not being met by your current play.

[Jeshin]

To confirm Nyr's post (not that he needs it), salt grebbing is now capped out at roughly 400+. I saw 400+ because I don't want to give a specific number but rest assure you can no longer net 1000 sid even with high forage or luck on which salt you pick up.

[Dakota]

This thread makes me want to app for the next roll call thinking their would be hope for an active, off-peak leadership position in a mid-high traffic clan.

[hatchets]

However, you also seem to indicate that it's difficult to connect with clanmates.  Might I suggest leaving your clan (if ICly feasible) or storing the PC?  If you can't find your clannies on a regular basis, they are off-peak, you are off-peak, they don't play much, or you don't play much.  One of these is true.  You would have better luck going where the PCs are when you are playing, and sometimes that takes some trial and error (or maybe a chat with staff via the request tool, they might be able to help).  Then having this quest system becomes more of an idle want rather than a need that is not being met by your current play.

While it is a solid suggestion by some situations. I do not have trouble connecting to clan mates all the time. I am not strictly an off peak player thankfully. I mean yes, I could just choose not to log in till peak time, run off a couple peak hours, then stop playing and repeat. But somedays I have the day to myself (seeming to be more often now that my sister is back to watching her kids) So I get up early, no kids to deal with, nothing interesting on TV, and lots of armageddon to sit around idly waiting. Again, it is not to say I don't get interaction with clan mates, cause I do soon as it starts getting closer to peak play times, lots of interaction some days. Just have to wait 3-5 hours for it.

[Semper]

However, you also seem to indicate that it's difficult to connect with clanmates.  Might I suggest leaving your clan (if ICly feasible) or storing the PC?  If you can't find your clannies on a regular basis, they are off-peak, you are off-peak, they don't play much, or you don't play much.  One of these is true.  You would have better luck going where the PCs are when you are playing, and sometimes that takes some trial and error (or maybe a chat with staff via the request tool, they might be able to help).  Then having this quest system becomes more of an idle want rather than a need that is not being met by your current play.

While it is a solid suggestion by some situations. I do not have trouble connecting to clan mates all the time. I am not strictly an off peak player thankfully. I mean yes, I could just choose not to log in till peak time, run off a couple peak hours, then stop playing and repeat. But somedays I have the day to myself (seeming to be more often now that my sister is back to watching her kids) So I get up early, no kids to deal with, nothing interesting on TV, and lots of armageddon to sit around idly waiting. Again, it is not to say I don't get interaction with clan mates, cause I do soon as it starts getting closer to peak play times, lots of interaction some days. Just have to wait 3-5 hours for it.

Ranger, magicker, crafter. Those three come to mind immediately. If you /are/ one of these guilds/subguilds and/or solo-rp is not your thing, find ways to get the off-peak players together and run a plot. If your clan doesn't allow it, talk to staff or store your character if it's becoming a bother. Go ask a willing noble or merchant family PC for a little task to do, and gather people to do it.

Seems kind of straight-forward to me. Just gotta be willing to experiment or go out of your comfort zone. 

[hatchets]

However, you also seem to indicate that it's difficult to connect with clanmates.  Might I suggest leaving your clan (if ICly feasible) or storing the PC?  If you can't find your clannies on a regular basis, they are off-peak, you are off-peak, they don't play much, or you don't play much.  One of these is true.  You would have better luck going where the PCs are when you are playing, and sometimes that takes some trial and error (or maybe a chat with staff via the request tool, they might be able to help).  Then having this quest system becomes more of an idle want rather than a need that is not being met by your current play.

While it is a solid suggestion by some situations. I do not have trouble connecting to clan mates all the time. I am not strictly an off peak player thankfully. I mean yes, I could just choose not to log in till peak time, run off a couple peak hours, then stop playing and repeat. But somedays I have the day to myself (seeming to be more often now that my sister is back to watching her kids) So I get up early, no kids to deal with, nothing interesting on TV, and lots of armageddon to sit around idly waiting. Again, it is not to say I don't get interaction with clan mates, cause I do soon as it starts getting closer to peak play times, lots of interaction some days. Just have to wait 3-5 hours for it.

Ranger, magicker, crafter. Those three come to mind immediately. If you /are/ one of these guilds/subguilds and/or solo-rp is not your thing, find ways to get the off-peak players together and run a plot. If your clan doesn't allow it, talk to staff or store your character if it's becoming a bother. Go ask a willing noble or merchant family PC for a little task to do, and gather people to do it.

Seems kind of straight-forward to me. Just gotta be willing to experiment or go out of your comfort zone. 

Changing character guild/subguild isn't going to really do anything for me. 'solo rp' There really isn't any. You can forage for hours and hours and hours, or you can idle. Finding the off-peak players sounds good, except again, you missed the pryer mention that there are 13 people online. You are lucky if 2 of those people are even in the same city as you, depending on the city you chose. Let alone that your character will even relate to them in any real fashion. It isn't about experimenting or going out of my comfort zone.

I have played muds for 16 years, I have played many different muds, many different characters. I enjoy roleplaying, I enjoy starting plots or as I call it stirring the pot. To even listen to folks suggest that somehow its my fault by my choice of guild/subguild/ or even worse, my own lack of 'trying' is simply absurd and insulting to say the least and likely to drive off more folks then it attracts even if its meant to be helpful. This coding suggestion was not a "im bored and cant find anything to do ever" thread, it is a suggestion to add more spice to the game, especially for those people whom are playing in the down time which I have been recently having more experience with.

What some of you do not seem to realize is Down Time is not always simply because there are no players around, a character could be in down time smack dead in the middle of peak. This comes about from a player whom is playing a specific type of character whom has no real desire to interact with the general masses, but enjoys their RP with the click they have gotten in with. It just so happens that the click is not around today for whatever reason, now a player is left with two options, either don't play, or break the RP he has taken the time to develop. This coding suggestion is a third option, a way of finding stuff to do. If they are, for example, a clan of elves, whom should, by the help files, not be trusting of everyone, it might be nice if an npc of their clan, had little tasks to do, with small rewards (NOT OVER POWERING REWARDS) for doing them. Cause simply saying "Well its your own fault if you can't find anything to do at those times, maybe you just shouldn't play that character at those times then." Really doesn't sound like anyone is enticing those players to actually play. Rather to stop playing until that peak window.

[Synthesis]

Most of this should be handled by your clan leadership.  You don't need automated tasks.  All you need is a post on your clan board that says "do [task] by [deadline]."

Beyond that, it's just a matter of someone giving you the leeway to do it.  If you prove to your bosses that you aren't an idiot, they usually will waive the idiot rules for you and let you do whatever, as long as a) you're useful and b) you maintain your non-idiot status.

[Nyr]

I don't think it is unreasonable to suggest that you try to fit your style of play and your availability of play to the role you wish to play rather than the other way around.  No one is saying you need to avoid logging in.  The suggestions have been to find a role that suits that kind of play. 

If the problem is off-peak player activity, you should definitely look into a role that is more conducive to that.  This may be more of an independent role or a role in a clan that has more off-peak players.

If the problem is that you play more than the PCs you are currently playing around, that is a different issue.  You can't mix up the two issues here because the solutions are going to be different for both.  This issue might be helped by the system you have proposed.  It also might be helped by freeing up the IC limitations on your role (that may be addressed in the process of playing the current PC or by working on a new one).

Some of the things you have suggested for tasks seen in other games are not feasible for the game.  Percentage of the world explored/deadliest creature killed/healthiest food crafted achievements?  In an RPI, you can just lie and say you did those things.  Sure, we can code it up, but it doesn't make much sense to do that.  Kill different stuff that gradually gets harder and harder as a bounty system?  In the first place we do not have a level-based system in this game (and would not implement one).  Templars, nobility, or practically anyone with the 'sid to do it can put up an IC rumor board post detailing their bounty on something.  This has been done by PCs before and it can continue to follow that line (there are actually posts on boards now detailing exactly this).

Some of the things you have suggested might be feasible for the game.  Delivery tasks?  Sounds reasonable.  Automated jobs working temporarily for someone?  There's framework for this concept already in place, though not necessarily ready for implementation in the current engine or the Javamug engine. 

Unfortunately, all of the ideas that are feasible along these lines are not going to be implemented overnight, nor is there a guarantee they'd be implemented at all.  In the absence of those ideas fleshed out and in-game...yes.  You do have to make choices concerning what works for your playstyle, as well as your available playtimes.  No one is advocating that you just not play, they're just trying to find options for you in the interim--or options that use what is already available.  They're not trying to be insulting about it, they're just trying to help you with what is already there. 

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I'd honestly like to see the game balanced enough so that being in a clan was the most lucrative choice, and being an rich independant was hard, not easy. Yes, Templars can charge extra tax, etc, but ... I'd like to see it actually balanced that way. The reality exists that nobles are not the richest characters in the game, and neither of GMH merchants. It's indies. Yes, the balance of power is by blood and whatever, but I'd love to see nobles and GMH merchants having more power because they had the coin you want, too.

Those who are in clans shouldn't be able to do automated tasks. Even if you have to cheat and have the NPC check the player's pfile, instead of some IC articale of clothing or something, I'd retain those tasks for indies only, or certain clans, like Bynners and poop.

[Patuk]

I'm honestly of the opinion that nobles and highly ranked GMH people should just get any amount of coin they would desire. Both these roles are special apped to begin with, so the chances of any abuse showing up are low, and the amount of money both people have realistic access to is far, far more than anyone could ever blow ICly, barring the special projects for which staff would need to look at things anyway.