Guild Changes - AMA proxy questions

[Adhira]

We know that some of you who will not be attending this Saturday's AMA have questions that you would like to ask regarding the upcoming guild changes.

Please post those questions here, in this thread.  We will try and get to as many of these as time allows.

NOTE: This thread is NOT for discussion.  Please don't start debating the merits of the guild changes. Please keep this thread clean and concise, and used only for the questions you wish to ask.  That will help us a lot in making sure that we address the areas that concern you.

[Riev]

With the implementation of new guilds with Combat on one end, and Mercantile on the other end, has there been any discussion as to the place those roles hold in Zalanthas as a whole? Is this more of a restructuring than a redesign?

[purpledragon]

Will current characters be affected? (being forced to drop their current guild and chose one of the new ones.)

[Synthesis]

1.  What classes will be available for desert elves?

2.  What classes will be available for city elves?

3.  Will the help files for these classes provide detail regarding skill availability/progression/caps similar to the help files for the extended subguilds?

4.  Are any of the current classes being kept unchanged, but being given a different name?

5.  Will skill overlap between class and subguild continue to work as it currently works?

6.  Have you given any thought to allowing people to request (within reason--no switching a warrior/thug to a Dune Trader/Krathi) that their current legacy class be manually changed over to one of the new classes? (E.g. burning CGP for the request or burning a special app.)

[mansa]

Will there be any changes to add crafting skills in game based on in game actions?
(i.e. similar to professions in WoW)

[seidhr]

Will there be any changes to add crafting skills in game based on in game actions?
(i.e. similar to professions in WoW)

Can you phrase that question under the assumption that we don't know how that works in WoW?

[evilcabbage]

each class in an mmo has abilities they can do.

professions are things you can learn in game.

so say i play a fighter character, but then i join salarr, and i rp and stuff to learn weapon crafting or whatever.

that's what mansa's getting at i think.

[Fredd]

Will there be any changes to add crafting skills in game based on in game actions?
(i.e. similar to professions in WoW)

Can you phrase that question under the assumption that we don't know how that works in WoW?

I think he means that anyone can learn to craft. But you can only know X number of crafting skills, in total.

So a Warrior might join Salarr and learn Tanning, and Armorcrafting IE.

Question: Will any of the new classes require Karma?

[nauta]

1. Will the skills and branching lists be made explicit in the help files for the new Classes much as they are currently for the Subguilds, e.g., "Archers can achieve journeyman level ability in archery, dyeing and direction sense. They can reach advanced level in fletchery, feather working and bow making."?

2. Will the new Guild system have anything in it related to the topic of skills bump so you can come into chargen with a PC that can avoid the initial grind (with suitable tradeoffs of course)?  For instance, will one of the classes be like the others in its column except the starting skill ranks are higher (with suitable trade-offs, etc.)?

3. Will the Criminal classes get all three of the coveted criminal skills (backstab, steal, lockpick) --- they are currently distributed across the three sneak classes?

4. (Related to #1): If so, will you be also making explicit in the help files whatever skills/stats bumps various races and starting locations get (if any), e.g., (I'm making this up, it might be true though) half-elves get ride, elves get steal, pointing to Red Storm gives you chopping weapons, etc.?

[HavokBlue]

Will any new guilds incorporate advanced weapon skills? If so, will they be incorporated as a baseline skill or branched?

(Not asking which guilds may receive which skills.)

[lostinspace]

Meta question, can someone link the proposed guild changes? I'm sure I'll have questions, but I need a refresher first.

[solera]

Meta question, can someone link the proposed guild changes? I'm sure I'll have questions, but I need a refresher first.

https://gdb.armageddon.org/index.php/topic,52438.msg999959.html#msg999959

That one?

[Veselka]

2. Will the new Guild system have anything in it related to the topic of skills bump so you can come into chargen with a PC that can avoid the initial grind (with suitable tradeoffs of course)?  For instance, will one of the classes be like the others in its column except the starting skill ranks are higher (with suitable trade-offs, etc.)?

Most curious about this as well. From the original announcement and other allusions by Staff over the last couple of years, it appeared that some of these new guilds would have higher starting skills and lower maximum caps, to aid casual players who don't want to be the best but don't want to be the worst, and want to red shirt the shit out of some roles (jump in head first and start swimming). Are there plans to include these skill bumps into Guild choices, or will it remain up to 3 skill bumps per PC?

[Rokal]

1: Will the 'skill peak', ie, the max potential a class can reach over all with skills, be relatively higher, or lower, or about the same with the new classes?

[tapas]

Where would you map the current guilds on the grid? Presuming that's possible/developed that far.

Have you given any thought to the generalist vs specialist dichotomy? I have a feeling that players will gear more towards specialists than jacks of all trades.

[lostinspace]

As of now, will there be any classes other than those on the grid (such as sorcerer), and will any of the classes on the grid be restricted by karma?

[LucildaHunta]

I'll probably make the AMA, but just in case.

Have some of the crazier branching points been lowered?

[Refugee]

  That's Veteran's Day and I am going to be eating free steak and having a good time with the other Vets.  Sorry to miss it.

[Brokkr]

Steak for breakfast?

[Fredd]

Steak for breakfast?

Sounds like someone isn't a Vet. We vet's eat like kings for one day a year, and then go back to ramen.

[evilcabbage]

i'm a vet and i don't intend to eat like a king.

[ChibiTama]

Which classes will be able to make cures? Which will be able to make poisons?

[Veselka]

Do you have general descriptions written for the class choices available?

[Miggy]

Will there be a wilderness version of backstab for raiders, like ambush?
Will skills of crossbow, bow and slings be split up between the classes?
Will the current subguilds be altered at all to reflect changes to the new skillsets?

[Refugee]

Steak for breakfast?

12:30 is lunch man.  But yeah, there's free breakfast too.  I served in a time when they spit on us in the airport, when you weren't allowed to wear your uniform off base because of trouble, we had to change at work before going home if we lived off base...so it's such a wonderful experience to be appreciated.

Sorry for highjacking the thread, I'll stop

[Fredd]

Will there be a wilderness version of backstab for raiders, like ambush?
Will skills of crossbow, bow and slings be split up between the classes?
Will the current subguilds be altered at all to reflect changes to the new skillsets?

Good catch on the subguilds.

[flurry]

Will any skills be exclusive to one class?

Would any kinds of plots or activities be hindered by the absence of an active PC of a particular class?

[Brytta Léofa]

What guilds will get ranger quit and forage food?

[Armaddict]

What guilds will get ranger quit and forage food?

This is important!

[Brokkr]

What guilds will get ranger quit and forage food?

Trick question!  None of the new classes are rangers, so none of the new classes can have ranger quit!

[gotdamnmiracle]

What guilds will get ranger quit and forage food?

Trick question!  None of the new classes are rangers, so none of the new classes can have ranger quit!

Does this mean that the role of quit OOC will be expanded to account for this? Will staff be placing many more wilderness quit safe rooms? How will this be balanced?

[Brokkr]

OMG Man!

[Delirium]

I'm gonna do that moderator thing where I remind people to only ask questions and not discuss.

TYVM xoxo

Edit: yikes, I was being lighthearted but I can see how that might have been misconstrued. Please do abide by OP's request to refrain from discussion/commentary as otherwise that defeats the purpose of the thread. Thank you!

[Molten Heart]

.

[tapas]

How will staff be handling spec apps and skill bumps with the new system?

[chrisdcoulombe]

How will staff be handling spec apps and skill bumps with the new system?

This sort of got answered here http://gdb.armageddon.org/index.php/topic,53139.0.html  Which says no special apps during the beta for beta players.   It sounded like after the beta and they learn more they will change that.

[Armaddict]

Is there any thought to mixing up weapon skills?  By that, I mean some rogues having piercing, others not having piercing, etc.

Not all combat types having all four weapon skills?

Having multiple weapon skills but capped at different levels?


In the distant future, if Arm is still around, I'd love to see coded specializations for bonuses, i.e. This class chooses an environment to excel in giving them this bonus, or this class chooses a weapon combination which gives this bonus to defense against this, etc.

Maybe even go deeper into code.  For thinks like an archer with forest specialization being able to use archery without the risk of hitting trees, while all other archers have a flat chance to fail due to foliage.  MY MIND IS GOING CRAY CRAY.  COOL THINGS.

Edit:  Motivation:  I want more shields.  I want more spearmen.  I want swordsmen to be a specialization.  Etc.

[deathkamon]

So this is what I'm getting at from the changes that are gunna happen.

As a result of these changes, there will be a wider variety of classes which are specific to the playstyle of different players. Some of these classes will be better than others, while others (as the "mixed" classes are intend for) would be the middle ground for all these other classes. And then there was also the added thing about skill caps, whereas for example, a maxed shield use on a more stealthy class would be far more inferior when compared to the max given to a more combat oriented class.

In terms of the last thing about skill caps, how would mixed classes bias from the classes it would be "mixed" from?

i.e.: Desert Ninja Amos, a more sneaky ranger, has a lower riding skill cap than Beast Wrangler Wanda, who's more like a badass warrior-ranger. When talking about the new class system, how skilled could a "mixed" ranger be, who's like Amos and Wanda put together, when solely speaking on their aptitude in those skills they got from the "mixing"?