If you were a builder, what would you build?

[Taven]

Awhile back, we had the "Builder" role introduced to accommodate the willingness of players to help assist on a lot of staff-related things that didn't include facilitating IC storytelling. They assist with writing descriptions and items for various staff projects. There was a lot of player enthuiasm for the role, and while only a few positions were accepted, there were a lot of applications, as I recall.

So I had a question for you all: If you were a builder, and got to pick what you built, what would you build?

Remember that these qualifications would have to apply:

• It's something being built, not coded. It can't be a coded change or initiative in that regard. It can, however, be new items, rooms, or take advantage of existing code.
• It couldn't be something that would benefit your current PC, or give you an advantage in the game--Instead, focus on things that would help other segments or players as a whole

Note also that this thread is 100% for fun and has no actual bearing on anything being built, nor is it intended to pressure anyone. Just have fun brainstorming!

[whitt]

Some sort of shady hole in the wall fighting-pit / brothel / gambling den in the Commoner's Quarter.  Somewhere that was just shy of entering the Rinth as far as questionable activities.

[Taven]

If I was a builder, I would build...

• More non-silk, higher-end outfits in southern fashion
• More variety of very cheap, run-of-the-mill outfits, that super poor PCs or your average NPC would have
• Recipes for existing GMH crafts that currently are uncraftable
• More interesting echoes/any echoes for inside of various clan compounds. If codedly possible, make these different depending on time of day.
• Talk scripts for more NPCs
• More Storm-focused trade goods that involve richer PCs/are marketed to richer PCs (silt pearl-based and other silt items)
• Echoes for the village of Morin's in areas that are lacking them
• More variety of tribal items traded in Luirs
• More clan-crafts for tribes (Sun Runner, Al Siek, Arabet, Soh, and Akei Ta Var)
• More tattoos for everywhere, but especially focusing on rinthi tattoos/intentional scarring

[Molten Heart]

I'd add civilized settlements and surrounding wastes and wilderness areas to the Silt Sea.

An island pirate stronghold (Port Royal style) open to like minded visitors, but rough and dangerous like the Labyrinth or a slightly more lawless Red Storm Village.

At least one city or settlement on the far shore allowing trade across the sea to be something players can participate in, not just virtual. Players (and the rest of the virtual world) could compete over trading in raw and finished goods there while negotiating all of the dangers.

[Old Kank]

• Caves.  Lots and lots of caves.  A whole subterranean network, possible settlements, all that fun stuff.
• More in-depth ruins that you can actually explore, rather than just vague, "the ruins of an old encampment are here" type things.

[Kankfly]

Steinal!

Or at least the ruins of Steinal. It has to exist somewhere. Right??

[Eyeball]

Several set piece scenarios that staff could spontaneously hook up to the world and provide some unexpected adventures, for one.

[Narf]

Several set piece scenarios that staff could spontaneously hook up to the world and provide some unexpected adventures, for one.

That would be fun! And if they were generic enough you could probably keep using them about once a year or so.

[Malken]

Not sure if it's a builder's job, but I would turn every non-craftable objects I can get my hands on into craftable ones.

[Patuk]

ctrl+c ctrl+v Almoxene docs

A crammed building, some lady elf with a rhomphaia, some kid handing out dried meat

celf clan 2015

[Jihelu]

I would make it possible to piss in jars and keep it.
Or something.


I am not a smart man.

[Erythil]

Loads and loads of ruins and points of interest that make travel more rewarding and encourage exploration.

[Majikal]

Loads and loads of ruins and points of interest that make travel more rewarding and encourage exploration.

Would be tight to just have a spice patch type of code with ruins and poi popping up across the known.
But no coded ideas.


I would DEFINITELY focus on making the uncraftable craftable, I like building items.

[The Silence of the Erdlus]

Lots of different food recipes from both extremes and the middle, from dried rat meat to a modified ceviche (with citron leaves and raw meat rather than citrus and fish). I've dreamed of making different foods that could fit into our desert low-tech world, that people would use for the luxurious and taste or the ease of packing on the go or cheapness.

[Delirium]

Tons of caves and ruins and subterranean tunnels, and air rooms for the red desert. Lots of details added to existing rooms that make it rewarding to stop and explore and look around and pay attention to your surroundings. Write up the stories for any new places and dig up the ones for places that do exist and make sure they're all discover-able in-game somehow, but not all in one place, so you have to ask around and involve a number of people before you can find out.

Tweak and balance the animal / NPC population until they are a good, close approximation of the virtual balance (so, maybe cut down on a few critters and add in others, and add in roving elven and raider NPCs in appropriate areas, as well as human tribals and northern/southern hunters, etc, etc, etc.)

I'd take a look at the markets and add in shops (especially hide buyers), lower selling prices across the board but make sure anything you have can be sold.

So yes, you can sell all of those chalton hides, even if it's only for 5 sid per.

[The Silence of the Erdlus]

It is kind of ridiculous what they will sell chalton horns for, and there's only five in the city you can buy. People have to leave them lying around, which isn't very desperate-hunter like.

[In Dreams]

Could a builder find a way to add support for simple variations on basic crafts?

If I can make a tregil-carved flower vase, why can't I make a flower-carved flower vase, or a quirri-carved flower vase, or a chalton-carved flower vase? Etc etc.

There needs to be more support short of "mastercraft it" to make simple things, and simple variations on things (purely for flavour) that PCs would be able to make with their crafting.

[Taven]

Could a builder find a way to add support for simple variations on basic crafts?

If I can make a tregil-carved flower vase, why can't I make a flower-carved flower vase, or a quirri-carved flower vase, or a chalton-carved flower vase? Etc etc.

There needs to be more support short of "mastercraft it" to make simple things, and simple variations on things (purely for flavour) that PCs would be able to make with their crafting.

I don't think builders can actually MAKE new MC objects, but they can certainly write them up.

However, what you describe sounds like a significant code change that would require changing how MCs function. Which would be pretty neat, but require a massive overhaul of everything, I'd imagine.

[Lizzie]

If I were a builder I'd tweak the NPC merchants this way:
1) They now recognize PCs. (they already do - so this step is complete)
2) They will buy 2 of "each" of whatever that PC has to sell that the NPC typically buys, per RL week.
3) Instead of kicking the PC out if the PC over-haggles, they will return to their initial offer, and stick with it, for the next 24 RL hours, on that particular item.
4) They will not reject offers for other items from that PC, if they have resorted to #3.
5) This will be for both buying and selling from and to the NPC.

If I were a builder I'd have the scripting tools to do the above. In C++ it involves arrays, but arrays can be made into user-friendly scripting tools by the coder. The tools would need, therefore, to be built by the coder - but once those tools exist, any builder assigned to that task would have access to them.

[Fujikoma]

I'd animate Tektolnes and feast on the blood of the living!

I mean, wait. I'd make all kinds of crafts for players to discover. Is there even a use for Kagor leather? I'd go through potential components and make crafts for them. There's no reason a player, who has to wait a RL MONTH, should have to blow their one mastercraft on a leather buttwipe in order to expand a hide's usefullness beyond zero. I'd also try to fix the markets, if the option was available.

And honestly, I'd force all dwarves to start with a false beard on their face.

EDIT: I should say, I highly approve of the new Stormer gear, and have sent in kudos for it, still have yet to discover all the recipes. I'd like to see more things like this, with other materials. Considering mastercrafting anything can get your long-lived PC ghosted, it's refreshing when staff adds these sorts of recipes for independants to explore and tinker with. I mean, what, some weapons and shit armor? Who's Salarr going to fuck up for /that/? You want to get pissy, GMH, take it up with staff, there simply weren't enough recipes.

Also, starter shop items, I'd make the most popular ones craftable, then work on the least. It's a rediculous hunt, IMO, to find something that makes your c-elf concept work.

[Alesan]

leather buttwipe

Someone make this happen.

[AdamBlue]

Everything that is made should be craftable. From a broken barrel shield.
I would find an extremely hard to find way for a real character to really actually find metal, even if in small amounts. Likely having to go through an ancient dungeon of ancient evil to try and wrench the grip of a broken steel sword from someone who died thousands of years ago fighting monsters long dead.
I'd create more dangerous places with massive monsters. Cave Mekillots.
I'd make more creatures to inhabit the world.
I'd ensure that there is always a new adventure to be found through suddenly and unannounced locations in commonly visited places.

[The Silence of the Erdlus]

After what Fujikoma said, I'd add at least two practical crafting recipes for every worked leather in the game (that way you've got a choice between boots and gloves for example.) From what I've heard some of the leathers don't even have recipes.

[Desertman]

Scripted commoner NPC's that walk around just being commoners doing commoner things for no other reason than to add atmosphere to the area they happen to be in. (I know we have a few of these already, but the thing I really want to add is MORE of them, and more talking scripts that more deeply detail them as people/give away more of their details.)

A guy who walks from a hovel in the commons every morning to dig dung at the stables, then walks to the poo buyer, then back to his hovel at night. He talks about his job/his thoughts/his little existence throughout his day.

A beggar who sleeps in the dorms of the Gaj who wakes up every morning to go sit outside of the water temple in Meleth's to beg for water before going back to sleep in the dorms every night.

Things like that. Things that don't matter but things that would be interesting to see moving about in their element. If you followed them and actually listened to them you would actually learn things about them/their life/their history just by observing them on their "route".

[Ath]

Scripted commoner NPC's that walk around just being commoners doing commoner things for no other reason than to add atmosphere to the area they happen to be in. (I know we have a few of these already, but the thing I really want to add is MORE of them, and more talking scripts that more deeply detail them as people/give away more of their details.)

A guy who walks from a hovel in the commons every morning to dig dung at the stables, then walks to the poo buyer, then back to his hovel at night. He talks about his job/his thoughts/his little existence throughout his day.

A beggar who sleeps in the dorms of the Gaj who wakes up every morning to go sit outside of the water temple in Meleth's to beg for water before going back to sleep in the dorms every night.

Things like that. Things that don't matter but things that would be interesting to see moving about in their element. If you followed them and actually listened to them you would actually learn things about them/their life/their history just by observing them on their "route".

This might make an interesting project.  Talk scripts are not that hard to add in and I could see a few NPCs being given a random echo script to add a bit of flavor.