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#11
Seasons Information / Re: Two Lists
Last post by Halaster - March 26, 2024, 10:03:38 PM
Some updates on the lists:

REQUIRED FOR SEASON ONE:

Code
- Separation of game data and library, isolating them so we can freely make changes while retaining the original/previous - done
- Character conversions / storage - Automation to store all non-staff characters - done
- Implement 10-point karma system - in-progress
- Specific Magick Project - in-progress
- Minor tweaks to stats - in-progress
- Minor tweaks to City Elves - done


Community
- GDB / Discord overhaul, addressing toxicity in the community - in-progress
- Newsletter about Seasons - ongoing
- New Website - delayed
- Request Tool tweaks (category changes, character limits) - not started


Game
- Finish Grey Forest revamp - in-progress, nearly done
- Map size and access.  Define what is open and what it looks like, and make the changes. - done
- Core major storylines - in-progress, nearly done
- Staff-generated subplots - in-progress
- Cultural Magick tweaks - in-progress, nearly done
- Update Allanak, RSV, etc. to show the time jump (NPC's who've aged out get updated, use newer room enhancement features). - in-progress
- Relevant game documentation updates to reflect any changes above - in-progress
- Minor updates to City Elves (in game) - done



STRETCH (Will do if time permits, but not required to open):

Code
- Overhaul / fix stats
- Overhaul / fix regen rates
- Overhaul / streamline PClans
- Combat simplification
- Taxes - simplify and clarify
- Staff tools work/updates
- Move shops to SQL and work on persistent inventories across reboots - in-progress
- Poison tweaks
- Banking tweaks - done
- Skill gains overhaul


Game
- Sparring Dummies / NPCS - Consistency among types of clans, access
- City Elf Overhaul - in-progress
- Labyrinth Overhaul
- Rework GMH from a playability standpoint
#12
General Discussion / Re: Penalty to sorcerers and s...
Last post by Riev - March 26, 2024, 09:30:02 PM
Quote from: Windstorm on March 26, 2024, 08:25:08 PMno matter how many hours you've dumped into sparring, you could still get fireballed by somebody capable of parrying an attack. With subguild magickers being basically dumped out of meaningful combat capability, I feel a finger's been put back on the scales that empower PCs who go out of their way to spar a lot, and I don't like it.

As a note, many of the sub-classes offer things like Parry so you can still have a full-guild Krathi with a decent level of parry for defense.

Back in 'the day' before these changes, ONLY main guilds offered parry. So there is still that. However, you are correct, the constant in-combat spam needed to 'git gud' can allow people with no Thematic/In Character earned power to suddenly force things to shift simply because "they spent a long time sparring Gortoks"
#13
General Discussion / Re: Penalty to sorcerers and s...
Last post by Windstorm - March 26, 2024, 08:25:08 PM
I have fairly extreme mixed feelings on this subject and I've been reluctant to share them.

I guess my problem with combat and fighting in Armageddon is twofold:

1. Coded "fighting power" in Armageddon often comes by way of somewhat ridiculous pathways. Either finding questionable ways to get skill failures, or finding high-powered characters to spar with endlessly. PCs who do this can have outsized world impact not even via roleplay but just by sparring a lot; Armageddon is unique in this way, and it is not a good way. It's far more overdue for a change than magickers were.

2. Combat is simply too instantaneous and the nature of it being that way lends itself toward PCs who have gamed their way to higher combat power via oft-unrealistic time investment playing it understandably safe - IE, slaughtering all competition pretty ruthlessly - because they dumped a lot of time into getting there.

I honestly appreciated subguild magickers in that they basically threw the sparring gods closer back toward the range of mortality because no matter how many hours you've dumped into sparring, you could still get fireballed by somebody capable of parrying an attack. With subguild magickers being basically dumped out of meaningful combat capability, I feel a finger's been put back on the scales that empower PCs who go out of their way to spar a lot, and I don't like it.

If we must go ahead with this, I have to beg that we also make sparring less a pathway to godliness. Put a (low) upper limit on how much it increases skills.
#14
General Discussion / Re: Magefall Questions
Last post by Lizzie - March 26, 2024, 07:52:09 PM
Quote from: Riev on March 26, 2024, 06:33:37 PMI fully intend to be part of the group that wants you dirty, filthy magickers dead. All you've done is cause trouble, and while I can't prove it? You're the reason my cousin's third girlfriend's 2nd child was stillborn.

So. Here's a knife at your neck. I hope it pierces that dull black heart of yours.

My whiran is going to be your VBFF. Very Best Frenemy Forever.
#15
General Discussion / Re: Magefall Questions
Last post by Riev - March 26, 2024, 06:33:37 PM
I fully intend to be part of the group that wants you dirty, filthy magickers dead. All you've done is cause trouble, and while I can't prove it? You're the reason my cousin's third girlfriend's 2nd child was stillborn.

So. Here's a knife at your neck. I hope it pierces that dull black heart of yours.
#16
General Discussion / Re: Magefall Questions
Last post by Pariah - March 26, 2024, 04:08:13 PM
Well I tend to play mostly characters that believe "eternal oblivion" so once I'm dead, who gives a fuck, it's all over from my perspective,  but sure I guess if someone wanted to roleplay this scenarios and that strife sure.
#17
General Discussion / Re: Magefall Questions
Last post by Lizzie - March 26, 2024, 03:32:02 PM
Quote from: Pariah on March 26, 2024, 02:39:32 PMYeah, I think this is more along the realms of how things would really work if this place were real.

If I'm Jarod the hunter (Course I would be, it's 99% of my characters) in Zalanthas and I find out that Joe-Bob is a water witch and can fill my waterskin for free, and heal my back from damn near dead with little to no effort.  That benefit is going to outweigh the superstitious part of my mind, the benefit outweighs the con.

I feel like arm has sorta stagnated because of how magick was universally hated and they didn't allow you to evolve into understanding it's utility unless you just happened to be a Templar or AOD soldier.

I'm hoping this leads to more flexibility and not rigid black and white rules in regards to how you view magick.

My takeaway on the announcement, applied to your question, is this:

Your character can get that healing, and know damned well that if you manage to live past 40, your testicles will shrivel up and fall off, and all offspring your PC has had since the accursed healing will be magickers. Anything bad that happens post-heal, will be directly because of that healing. The water you drink for free this year and next from your vivaduan buddy, is what will cause you to die of dehydration after a day out in the salt flats, five years from now.

You can have your character believe that, because it's still part of the mythos of elemental magick. But if he doesn't believe that, it won't be an OOC faux pas.
#18
General Discussion / Re: Magefall Questions
Last post by Pariah - March 26, 2024, 02:39:32 PM
Yeah, I think this is more along the realms of how things would really work if this place were real.

If I'm Jarod the hunter (Course I would be, it's 99% of my characters) in Zalanthas and I find out that Joe-Bob is a water witch and can fill my waterskin for free, and heal my back from damn near dead with little to no effort.  That benefit is going to outweigh the superstitious part of my mind, the benefit outweighs the con.

I feel like arm has sorta stagnated because of how magick was universally hated and they didn't allow you to evolve into understanding it's utility unless you just happened to be a Templar or AOD soldier.

I'm hoping this leads to more flexibility and not rigid black and white rules in regards to how you view magick.
#19
General Discussion / Re: Magefall Questions
Last post by Halaster - March 26, 2024, 02:13:57 PM
As mentioned in the update #2, there will be some societal changes to Allanak that affect that standing of mages.  During the intervening 50 year period, they will have experienced a rise in social status, then getting knocked back down a bit.  When we open, some of these events will be semi-recent - in living memory.  So individual characters can choose how they view gemmed in the city.

There will still be plenty of elements in society that distrusts them, hates them, wants them dead.  And you can be those people.  There will -also- be plenty of elements in society that view them a bit more favorably, which you can also be if you choose.

When the game opens, there won't be any gemmed hired by the Byn, except one old guy who's been around since their status was at its peak.  The game will explore the new dichotomy of their sort of "mixed" standing in society.  So the first Byn sergeant will get to decide whether or not they're gonna start hiring gemmed (again).  Our first PC templars and AoD sergeants will get to decide whether they want to make use of gemmed more commonly or not.

It really boils down to this:  you won't get in trouble OOC'ly for having your character view the gemmed a bit more favorably than what we're all used to seeing.  You will have IC justifications for doing so.  And you'll have IC justifications for hating them with the heat of a thousand suns.

That make sense?
#20
General Discussion / Magefall Questions
Last post by Pariah - March 26, 2024, 02:06:16 PM
So I've always been a fan of magick in Arm, always liked the risk/reward of it for the most part, only thing I didn't like honestly was the superpowered t1 fighter mage combos that just decimated people if they had time to "mature" skillwise and spellwise.

I also know there are quite a few players who always hated that mages were never going to have high social status besides the "Oh shit he could kill me in one spell" way.

Seems like this is tweaking that quite a bit with clan hiring and such.

So without getting too "spoilery" will all the same protections of the gem extend to their new employers too?  Like the Byn and whatnot?

I can only imagine there are some purist folks who are all pissed off by this news, but I'm a little more laid back and figure what the fuck, lets see how this goes.