Honestly though, some of that could be handled at the guild level with a ghelp about statpacks and suggestions and definite numbers from someone who knows what they're takling about .
Suggested statpacks for AA profession:
X - Reason Y- Reason Z- Reason
Suggest statpacks for for BB profession A1- Reason A2 - Reason
etc. Maybe include some unartifact DPs numbers, prospective health/mana numbers at key levels.
Honestly, the game help files could really use a sprucing up. Some of the players would even write them for you, as long as you include them. GHelp files -should- do this, but let's be honest, that's putting a lot of responsibility on the players to produce and maintain a functioning novice system. In a game where every shift in power may be a complete reset/deletion of a previous system, it needs to be game based...for the children.
After that, there's need to be a more advanced series of helpfiles that you can call "Things that no one told you that will affect your life and/or ruin it."
Things like:
Regen. Which stack, which don't. To what level? Why does my statpack suck? (aka. Why is Khizan yelling at me) How my armor work? What's the difference between resist and armor?
Health/Mana per level. Why a big health pool is -awesome- (why the sip malus with low con is x2 bad) How do I determine my weapon speed? Can I figure out how much damage my sword will do? (yes. it will make you very sad) How bad is a level 1 sip malus? How awesome is a level 1 racial balance? How must resist is blunt/cut racial? What damage types does str have an effect? And why is it a dump stat (it totally is, sup intelligent?)
What damage types does int have an effect on? What is multiplicative and why will it make me sadface? What abilities are multiplicative?
Are there environmental modifiers that can ruin my day? (yes) How does limb armor work? Does health pool help this?
What's the difference between a monolith and an obelisk (aka: Why Dias got your ass killed)
There's a laundry list of helpful facts that can help people transition from "newb" to "capable." Many of these facts aren't well explained in any help files. If they were, some dope may have deleted it. If you don't read the forums or talk shop with a veteran who's feeling social, you may never learn these.
I'd honestly go far as to include some some of introduction to the novice that clears up: "Why people will dislike you from day 1, regardless of how nice you are."
There needs to be some background explanation why the circles dislike each other. Then, once they pick a profession and a city, the novice system should be like.
**YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE A MALIGNIST (haha, joke's on you) you need to avoid: X, Y, Z or Kliko will kill you.***
It would be good to get that mindset going from level 5. "This zealot wants to burn me. I don't want to be burned."
Honestly, the game help files could really use a sprucing up. Some of the players would even write them for you, as long as you include them. GHelp files -should- do this, but let's be honest, that's putting a lot of responsibility on the players to produce and maintain a functioning novice system. In a game where every shift in power may be a complete reset/deletion of a previous system, it needs to be game based...for the children.
I'd agree and would add that pointing out not just what resists are but how they actually help/hinder would be a good idea as well - for example, Athletic gets a bunch of resists. Well what does poison resistance mean, functionally, if you're bashing? If you're in PvP? What does "+1" mean in the statpack listing when you're level 15 and haven't learned "Resists" yet?
I was blabbing at Selthis about warning indicators for novices in bad areas.
How hard would it be to have room names display information and color. (Assume this is Ahkan, the Khandavan). The in game mapper would start to display (area name), instead of mudbot.
Monarch Square. (Khandava Council.) <-- ally Antioch Shuk (City of Antioch) <-- bad An ogre garbage heap. (Vorrak Mines.) <-- neutral
Choosing a useful statpack can entirely make or break your experience in Aetherius. Some professions are dependent on high survivability, quick assaults or some combination of the two. What follows is an entirely practical and somewhat out of character rundown on some of the more useful statpacks you'll encounter while utilizing Ithaquan and Antiochian professions.
ASTUTE - In the early stages of the game, the astute statpack provides a level two experience bonus which simply allows you to level up more quickly. It features a stat score of 12 across the board making it ideal for lower level individuals who wish to focus on gaining experience. You will have, unless you've already used it, one free reincarnation after level 21. It's not an awful idea to begin your time in Aetherius in astute if you know you're going to be making a quick dash at 80 or 100. In combat however, astute will put you at a severe disadvantage.
CLEVER - There are few professions we possess that make good use of the clever statpack. It features a high intelligence score and most of our professions utilize strength. However, for Templars who are focusing on burst damage via the devotion ability flare, clever can be devastating in conjunction with a high damage claymore, axe or broadsword. Be sure to talk to an accomplished Templar before making this decision however. Clever will make your standard doubleslash subpar and will make you a lot less durable than you want to be. Monks can find situational use in this, but without a gem or the change aspect ability reincarnate it's not worth trying. All other professions should absolutely avoid it.
FAST - For a number of our professions, fast is the highest ceiling for player versus player combat. It is by far the least durable, but allows for window classes to quickly bring down opponents with a level two balance bonus. Fast should not be considered until -at least- level 100, and, even at level 100, without protective artifacts it is still not ideal. It comes with a level one sip malus, which makes healing worse. It suffers a low strength and constitution score, but has acceptable intelligence and dexterity. It has a level one bonus against poison damage which won't matter often. The level one asphyxiation damage malus will matter against Assassins, Renegades and some creatures in popular hunting areas.
STURDY - This statpack is a great one for hunting and basic survival. Sturdy benefits from a high constitution statpacks, as well as a level one bonus against blunt and cutting damage. The strength score is a bit above average, and while the dexterity and intelligence scores are lower, those won't matter much until you learn evasion or face classes that drain intelligent for instant kills. There's no balance advantage to the statpack, which means that you'll have a far harder time in man to man combat, but if that's not a priority than sturdy will treat you well. The level one malus against electric damage is not really a factor.
ATHLETIC - Athletic is another solid statpack choice for hunting, but also has viability in man to man combat. The strength and constitution scores are good, and this statpack also features bonuses against cutting, blunt, fire and poison damage, as well as an important level one bonus to balance. For these perks it suffers a level one sipping malus, as well as a malus against cold damage. Most physical damage classes will find this statpack to be incredibly useful, especially if augmented by skills like trailblazing, which feature a built in buff to sipping.
STRONG - When it comes to strong, most classes can benefit. It features a high constitution score of 16, making it very survivable. It also comes with a strength score of 15. This is an ideal setup for someone looking to do high physical damage and survive burst damage. Intelligence and dexterity scores take a beating as a result, but most of the classes that would choose this statpack do not benefit as much from either stat. Ideal candidates for this statpack are: Knights, Monks (not using any telepathy and not going for limb breaks, but rather raw combo burst damage), Rangers, Wardancers (burst damage Wardancers) and Amazons.
DEXTEROUS - If you possess transcendent evasion, dexterous can be a good statpack. The high dexterity score allows for high physical mitigation, alongside a middling constitution of twelve. It also possesses a level one balance bonus, and, more importantly, essentially no penalties. This is another statpack that should not be tinkered with until reaching aspect and possessing full evasion.
CAPABLE - A niche statpack for Clerics who also possess an artifact diadem. Otherwise, avoid.
POWERFUL - A less useful version of the strong statpack.
INTELLIGENT - None of the Anti-Magick classes gain enough benefit to justify using this.
NORMAL - Astute but with a lower experience bonus and a slight bit more health and strength.
‘Least I won’t have to carry it no more. You see how bloody heavy it is?’
‘Every sword’s a weight to carry. Men don’t see that when they pick ’em up. But they get heavier with time.”
How can you forget about the citizens of Whoville with all that noise, noise, noise!? All those shrieks and squeals from racing round on their wheels, the dancing around with jing-tinglers on their heels? The blowing of floo-floovers, the banging of tar-tinkers, the spinning trum-tookas and beaten blum-blookers? The noisy games of zar-zivver-car-zay, that damned noisy mix of lacrosse and croquet? The rabble and babble of their great feast, when they all sit down to rare Who roast-beast? Roast beast is a feast I can't stand in the least! And then comes the part most hateful of all! All the Whos gather, the tall and the small, they stand close together and set the bells ringing, they stand side by side and then they start singing! And they sing and they sing and they sing sing sing sing!
I really just don't see how you can possibly forget them.
"On the battlefield I am a god. I love war. The steel, the smell, the corpses. I wish there were more. On the first day I drove the Northmen back alone at the ford. Alone! On the second I carried the bridge! Me! Yesterday I climbed the Heroes! I love war! I… I wish it wasn’t over."
"On the battlefield I am a god. I love war. The steel, the smell, the corpses. I wish there were more. On the first day I drove the Northmen back alone at the ford. Alone! On the second I carried the bridge! Me! Yesterday I climbed the Heroes! I love war! I… I wish it wasn’t over."
I'd honestly go far as to include some some of introduction to the novice that clears up: "Why people will dislike you from day 1, regardless of how nice you are."
There needs to be some background explanation why the circles dislike each other. Then, once they pick a profession and a city, the novice system should be like.
**YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE A MALIGNIST (haha, joke's on you) you need to avoid: X, Y, Z or Kliko will kill you.***
It would be good to get that mindset going from level 5. "This zealot wants to burn me. I don't want to be burned."
Like, it'd be really super awesome to play a big rock Xiur race while being a Bard! Until they have to choose between their guild/city or their race. Game mechanics still won't let a Xiur join Kinsarmar. Or I've had newbie try to return slaves for a quest that winds up in a city they're not allowed to get close to without dying.
With a steady hand, Aosoth batters you with an orb sigil. You say, "Ow." You say to Aosoth, "Bitch." Aosoth blinks. You exclaim, "That hurt!" Lord Aosoth, of the Thirst says to Caelya, "I bring out the best in people."
There's another option I'd like to see for stable/kennels: STABLE TRANSFER (PET). This would let to transfer pets from one stable to another by paying the upkeep cost (or free with paw print badge). You would have to be in the stable that you are transferring to, and it might have a time delay to be realistic, but it would prevent that: hey, dude in charge, can you ally me for like 20 mins while i get my pets out?
There's another option I'd like to see for stable/kennels: STABLE TRANSFER (PET). This would let to transfer pets from one stable to another by paying the upkeep cost (or free with paw print badge). You would have to be in the stable that you are transferring to, and it might have a time delay to be realistic, but it would prevent that: hey, dude in charge, can you ally me for like 20 mins while i get my pets out?
Okay, next week sometime I am going to go through this thread and pull a few thing that we are going to add or change in the game. Nothing big like a new profession, but as many small functional things that will make MUD life more enjoyable.
No big promises. But feel free to post all those little things that bug you.
Okay, next week sometime I am going to go through this thread and pull a few thing that we are going to add or change in the game. Nothing big like a new profession, but as many small functional things that will make MUD life more enjoyable.
No big promises. But feel free to post all those little things that bug you.
If you bring Phylacteries back I'll fling the money I would've otherwise spent on knives at you guys. Please?
Can any skill that requires a direction to be included, but doesn't cost balance/eq when the target is not in that direction, be instead changed such that the direction is optional?
Example:
throw axe <direction> at <person>
right now my alias is:
throw axe n at @tar throw axe ne at @tar throw axe e at @tar throw axe se at @tar throw axe s at @tar throw axe sw at @tar throw axe w at @tar throw axe nw at @tar throw axe u at @tar throw axe d at @tar throw axe in at @tar throw axe out at @tar throw axe at @tar
When I use it, I get something like:
I don't see any such player in that direction.
There is no exit in that direction, I'm afraid.
There is no exit in that direction, I'm afraid.
There is no exit in that direction, I'm afraid.
You rub some ciguatoxin on a throwing axe.
bal:2.37
You cock back your arm and throw a throwing axe south at Septus.
The axe swiftly returns to your hand.
You must regain balance first.
You must regain balance first.
You must regain balance first.
You must regain balance first.
You must regain balance first.
You must regain balance first.
You must regain balance first.
You must regain balance first.
You detect nothing here by that name.
That could be condensed into just 1 command, or maybe 2 if you want to strictly separate in-room and ranged attacks – maybe THROW AXE AT <person> for in room and THROW AXE AT <person> LONG for out of room, or something. Many, many skills like throwing axes, glaivetoss, soulspear, all the bow skills except longshot, shortshot and pinshot, I'm sure I missed several others. For things like traps, maybe if a direction isn't given, then just go clockwise (like the way my alias is set up now, for example).
I'd actually rather have the skills still fire when you key in the wrong direction and it just hits nothing, still costing you balance/eq (i.e. so the point would be "to know which direction your target is"), but it seems lately they are moving more towards making quality-of-life changes rather than making the game... I don't know... require more planning? So in this way, the current game mechanics don't really change, and everything is less spammy.
I imagine having me (and other people) sending 1 command at a time instead of 13 would be better for both client and server anyway.
After a learning session, display any learned skills/abilities below, much like when you reach a new skill level.
Example:
Niccolo bows to you and the lesson in X is at an end.
You have learned: Something
Something else
I think this would be great for genuine newbies, or just people who are new to a class or skillset. One wouldn't have to spam AB <skill> just to see what's new. For relearning or people who would rather not see these updates, it could be toggled off with a new config option.
Comments
Suggested statpacks for AA profession:
X - Reason
Y- Reason
Z- Reason
Suggest statpacks for for BB profession
A1- Reason
A2 - Reason
etc. Maybe include some unartifact DPs numbers, prospective health/mana numbers at key levels.
After that, there's need to be a more advanced series of helpfiles that you can call "Things that no one told you that will affect your life and/or ruin it."
Things like:
Why does my statpack suck? (aka. Why is Khizan yelling at me)
How my armor work?
What's the difference between resist and armor?
How do I determine my weapon speed?
Can I figure out how much damage my sword will do? (yes. it will make you very sad)
How bad is a level 1 sip malus?
How awesome is a level 1 racial balance?
How must resist is blunt/cut racial?
What damage types does str have an effect? And why is it a dump stat (it totally is, sup intelligent?)
What is multiplicative and why will it make me sadface?
What abilities are multiplicative?
How does limb armor work?
Does health pool help this?
There needs to be some background explanation why the circles dislike each other. Then, once they pick a profession and a city, the novice system should be like.
**YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE A MALIGNIST (haha, joke's on you) you need to avoid: X, Y, Z or Kliko will kill you.***
It would be good to get that mindset going from level 5. "This zealot wants to burn me. I don't want to be burned."
‘Every sword’s a weight to carry. Men don’t see that when they pick ’em up. But they get heavier with time.”
I'd agree and would add that pointing out not just what resists are but how they actually help/hinder would be a good idea as well - for example, Athletic gets a bunch of resists. Well what does poison resistance mean, functionally, if you're bashing? If you're in PvP? What does "+1" mean in the statpack listing when you're level 15 and haven't learned "Resists" yet?
How hard would it be to have room names display information and color. (Assume this is Ahkan, the Khandavan).
The in game mapper would start to display (area name), instead of mudbot.
Monarch Square. (Khandava Council.) <-- ally
Antioch Shuk (City of Antioch) <-- bad
An ogre garbage heap. (Vorrak Mines.) <-- neutral
Selthis should get an assist for this idea.
Choosing a useful statpack can entirely make or break your experience in Aetherius. Some professions are dependent on high survivability, quick assaults or some combination of the two. What follows is an entirely practical and somewhat out of character rundown on some of the more useful statpacks you'll encounter while utilizing Ithaquan and Antiochian professions.
ASTUTE - In the early stages of the game, the astute statpack provides a level two experience bonus which simply allows you to level up more quickly. It features a stat score of 12 across the board making it ideal for lower level individuals who wish to focus on gaining experience. You will have, unless you've already used it, one free reincarnation after level 21. It's not an awful idea to begin your time in Aetherius in astute if you know you're going to be making a quick dash at 80 or 100. In combat however, astute will put you at a severe disadvantage.
CLEVER - There are few professions we possess that make good use of the clever statpack. It features a high intelligence score and most of our professions utilize strength. However, for Templars who are focusing on burst damage via the devotion ability flare, clever can be devastating in conjunction with a high damage claymore, axe or broadsword. Be sure to talk to an accomplished Templar before making this decision however. Clever will make your standard doubleslash subpar and will make you a lot less durable than you want to be. Monks can find situational use in this, but without a gem or the change aspect ability reincarnate it's not worth trying. All other professions should absolutely avoid it.
FAST - For a number of our professions, fast is the highest ceiling for player versus player combat. It is by far the least durable, but allows for window classes to quickly bring down opponents with a level two balance bonus. Fast should not be considered until -at least- level 100, and, even at level 100, without protective artifacts it is still not ideal. It comes with a level one sip malus, which makes healing worse. It suffers a low strength and constitution score, but has acceptable intelligence and dexterity. It has a level one bonus against poison damage which won't matter often. The level one asphyxiation damage malus will matter against Assassins, Renegades and some creatures in popular hunting areas.
STURDY - This statpack is a great one for hunting and basic survival. Sturdy benefits from a high constitution statpacks, as well as a level one bonus against blunt and cutting damage. The strength score is a bit above average, and while the dexterity and intelligence scores are lower, those won't matter much until you learn evasion or face classes that drain intelligent for instant kills. There's no balance advantage to the statpack, which means that you'll have a far harder time in man to man combat, but if that's not a priority than sturdy will treat you well. The level one malus against electric damage is not really a factor.
ATHLETIC - Athletic is another solid statpack choice for hunting, but also has viability in man to man combat. The strength and constitution scores are good, and this statpack also features bonuses against cutting, blunt, fire and poison damage, as well as an important level one bonus to balance. For these perks it suffers a level one sipping malus, as well as a malus against cold damage. Most physical damage classes will find this statpack to be incredibly useful, especially if augmented by skills like trailblazing, which feature a built in buff to sipping.
STRONG - When it comes to strong, most classes can benefit. It features a high constitution score of 16, making it very survivable. It also comes with a strength score of 15. This is an ideal setup for someone looking to do high physical damage and survive burst damage. Intelligence and dexterity scores take a beating as a result, but most of the classes that would choose this statpack do not benefit as much from either stat. Ideal candidates for this statpack are: Knights, Monks (not using any telepathy and not going for limb breaks, but rather raw combo burst damage), Rangers, Wardancers (burst damage Wardancers) and Amazons.
DEXTEROUS - If you possess transcendent evasion, dexterous can be a good statpack. The high dexterity score allows for high physical mitigation, alongside a middling constitution of twelve. It also possesses a level one balance bonus, and, more importantly, essentially no penalties. This is another statpack that should not be tinkered with until reaching aspect and possessing full evasion.
CAPABLE - A niche statpack for Clerics who also possess an artifact diadem. Otherwise, avoid.
POWERFUL - A less useful version of the strong statpack.
INTELLIGENT - None of the Anti-Magick classes gain enough benefit to justify using this.
NORMAL - Astute but with a lower experience bonus and a slight bit more health and strength.
‘Every sword’s a weight to carry. Men don’t see that when they pick ’em up. But they get heavier with time.”
Suggested for:
Outriders
Cats in Hats
Lorax
Citzens of Whoville
Edit: Or just do like
Strong -
Pros: High health, high strength. Physical powerhouse.
Cons: Dumb as rocks. Low Dex
Suggested for:
Ranger
Amazon
Etc
‘Every sword’s a weight to carry. Men don’t see that when they pick ’em up. But they get heavier with time.”
the claims are stated - it's the world I've created
How can you forget about the citizens of Whoville with all that noise, noise, noise!? All those shrieks and squeals from racing round on their wheels, the dancing around with jing-tinglers on their heels? The blowing of floo-floovers, the banging of tar-tinkers, the spinning trum-tookas and beaten blum-blookers? The noisy games of zar-zivver-car-zay, that damned noisy mix of lacrosse and croquet? The rabble and babble of their great feast, when they all sit down to rare Who roast-beast? Roast beast is a feast I can't stand in the least! And then comes the part most hateful of all! All the Whos gather, the tall and the small, they stand close together and set the bells ringing, they stand side by side and then they start singing! And they sing and they sing and they sing sing sing sing!
I really just don't see how you can possibly forget them.
"On the battlefield I am a god. I love war. The steel, the smell, the corpses. I wish there were more. On the first day I drove the Northmen back alone at the ford. Alone! On the second I carried the bridge! Me! Yesterday I climbed the Heroes! I love war! I… I wish it wasn’t over."
"On the battlefield I am a god. I love war. The steel, the smell, the corpses. I wish there were more. On the first day I drove the Northmen back alone at the ford. Alone! On the second I carried the bridge! Me! Yesterday I climbed the Heroes! I love war! I… I wish it wasn’t over."
You say, "Ow."
You say to Aosoth, "Bitch."
Aosoth blinks.
You exclaim, "That hurt!"
Lord Aosoth, of the Thirst says to Caelya, "I bring out the best in people."
throw axe n at @tar
throw axe ne at @tar
throw axe e at @tar
throw axe se at @tar
throw axe s at @tar
throw axe sw at @tar
throw axe w at @tar
throw axe nw at @tar
throw axe u at @tar
throw axe d at @tar
throw axe in at @tar
throw axe out at @tar
throw axe at @tar
That's not passive.