02-16-2020, 02:35 AM
I've been ruminating recently, and these are just random thoughts I wanted to have written down.
1.
Organized conflict needs to have a beginning and an end, rather than fizzling out - previously, it has done so because the other side was perceived as being too weak and that felt unfair in the moment, but this isn't good storytelling. Defeating another faction should have direct consequences and a set number of battles that are hosted regardless of circumstances, unless the war is called off ICly. Never stop short.
Map changes / removal of spawns, or in Osrona's case, the destruction of districts and/or heavy damage to them. Visible change and player impact is important and it needs to show, because that's half of the fun in a game like this. Gathering the group and the momentum to make that change should be the only challenging part, other than the IC resistance. I think we have struggled a little with factions not going all the way or slowing down half-way through, but it does need to be made clear that end-game goals are possible (because they're quite literally the most memorable moments from Eternia / Spires) and that any plot armor is minor at best.
2.
The map, as is, is much too large. Half of it is giant forest filler. A smaller map with iconic, recognisable areas would be good (& a return of Spires' region descriptions). To accomplish this, we really need more people than just Milly helping with mapping, and maybe we need to do some things to encourage people to mess with the tools (a guide on mapping? A contest?). The map editor is better than it's ever been and it's very easy for someone to add a headquarters for their group, spruce up their house, etc etc. It's a bit of a shame to not see it be taken advantage of.
3.
Refunding openers shouldn't be an event reward, since I've seen a lot of these requests pass through and they feel a little menial / chore-like. If someone takes a different path IC, such as holy magic/occultism, then they can have the option to re-spec a tree. If someone has royally screwed up their build (and this is plainly obvious) then an admin needs to give them that option. The same extends to stat points. Flexibility is fine so long as the reasoning is good enough.
4.
More dynamic, sandbox-y features wouldn't be terrible. Custom in-game building, crafting stations, camp fires, tents, chicken coops / barns, etc. I think things feel a little more organic when you have this, but it needs to be done in a way that meshes well with the map. Maybe not a super big deal, though.
5.
More leaders, less followers. If someone is: Making posts in the IC forums, causing visible impact, has a group of followers or is a part of a group, and is active on most days, empower them. This can be done with hidden spells or even just direct communication/guidance, but it does more good than harm to lift someone up (within reason) who is ticking all the boxes. Also, encourage people to DM / speak to an admin about their goals some way, since that line of communication really does help and experienced advice and suggestions go the distance.
1.
Organized conflict needs to have a beginning and an end, rather than fizzling out - previously, it has done so because the other side was perceived as being too weak and that felt unfair in the moment, but this isn't good storytelling. Defeating another faction should have direct consequences and a set number of battles that are hosted regardless of circumstances, unless the war is called off ICly. Never stop short.
Map changes / removal of spawns, or in Osrona's case, the destruction of districts and/or heavy damage to them. Visible change and player impact is important and it needs to show, because that's half of the fun in a game like this. Gathering the group and the momentum to make that change should be the only challenging part, other than the IC resistance. I think we have struggled a little with factions not going all the way or slowing down half-way through, but it does need to be made clear that end-game goals are possible (because they're quite literally the most memorable moments from Eternia / Spires) and that any plot armor is minor at best.
2.
The map, as is, is much too large. Half of it is giant forest filler. A smaller map with iconic, recognisable areas would be good (& a return of Spires' region descriptions). To accomplish this, we really need more people than just Milly helping with mapping, and maybe we need to do some things to encourage people to mess with the tools (a guide on mapping? A contest?). The map editor is better than it's ever been and it's very easy for someone to add a headquarters for their group, spruce up their house, etc etc. It's a bit of a shame to not see it be taken advantage of.
3.
Refunding openers shouldn't be an event reward, since I've seen a lot of these requests pass through and they feel a little menial / chore-like. If someone takes a different path IC, such as holy magic/occultism, then they can have the option to re-spec a tree. If someone has royally screwed up their build (and this is plainly obvious) then an admin needs to give them that option. The same extends to stat points. Flexibility is fine so long as the reasoning is good enough.
4.
More dynamic, sandbox-y features wouldn't be terrible. Custom in-game building, crafting stations, camp fires, tents, chicken coops / barns, etc. I think things feel a little more organic when you have this, but it needs to be done in a way that meshes well with the map. Maybe not a super big deal, though.
5.
More leaders, less followers. If someone is: Making posts in the IC forums, causing visible impact, has a group of followers or is a part of a group, and is active on most days, empower them. This can be done with hidden spells or even just direct communication/guidance, but it does more good than harm to lift someone up (within reason) who is ticking all the boxes. Also, encourage people to DM / speak to an admin about their goals some way, since that line of communication really does help and experienced advice and suggestions go the distance.