Jester

[quote name='apophys' date='20 February 2010 - 11:04 PM' timestamp='1266732262' post='54873'] Why all this animosity? Can't people just get along? Anyway, all I see are mp5s responding, about their own level, projecting their conclusions on ALL of MD. The poll in this thread refers to the ENTIRE GGG, with almost entirely mp5s deciding. Mp3/4s don't go to the GGG for the same reason as mp5. Ah, yes, the good old days, eh? I remember as a fresh mp4 being so afraid of passing through Willow's to Wind's (it was so active) that I started using the Press as my heal space, and after a while I got bored. This lasted until Awiiya invited me to the Cellar Door, the predecessor of the GGG. This "secret" revitalized my interest in MD. I only stayed there to get the required wins on my creatures, and then I went on rampages around MD (dojo idlers especially) for XP. This became a cycle. Soon I could hold my ground at Willow's, and even at the GoE around last Christmas. The GGG does temporarily take people away from other parts of MD, but it allows for harder fights at mp3/4 with stronger, more upgraded creatures. For mp4, the GGG is priceless. The honor system is so easy to work around, it's laughable. Just set some trees and farm losses, then spam victories, and your honor is max. I've never had any unwanted loss of honor, except, oddly, at the GGG. But maybe this is due to my low mp level. For your information, I idle most of the time I'm online. I either have a single tree or a nearly unbeatable (to mp4) tokenless defense. If you're having problems at mp5, try playing an alt at a lower MP, and see how truly nice it is. I don't know how the situation looks like at mp5, but down here, it's pretty good (except for tokens, which are kind of rare here). The problem is that MD's OVERALL population seems to be stagnating or shrinking, even at mp4. They're definitely not leaving because they can take advantage of the wondrous GGG. I would even venture to say that the only mp4s who quit are those unaware of the GGG. Speaking for all the mp3s and mp4s who don't use the forum: Don't fix what isn't broken. Incidentally, if the GGG were to move from its current location, closer to the rest of activity, it would only be even MORE popular. Which would probably be a good thing... alright, now I'm incoherent. [/quote] GGG was much different back when it was a secret. The way it is now with everyone using it, it lost all of its meaning to me. It was fun before because it was a secret training center, and getting to train there was like a privilege, instead of being mandatory (like it is now, without it you probably won't be able to fight well). I admire the effort the MRs put into the training center, but I do agree that its bad for MD overall (no offense MRs). People use to complain about stat farmers, and now all of MD seem to be win farmers. Its kind of funny, really. The problem is that there is no feasible alternative I can think of, so destroying it seems pointless to me, at least the way its happening. If it were to be destroyed it would need to be taken out all at once. The people who violate GGG rules accomplish nothing, and simply make the game more annoying to others.

[quote name='Pipstickz' date='20 February 2010 - 08:48 PM' timestamp='1266724101' post='54868'] More war, accomplished by kings who actually want to see each other lose power/be humiliated/etc. [/quote] That was similar to my original idea for the last war, but it fell short of what I wanted. Back in the Shade Ballance there were spies, intel to gather, plotting new moves, finding out the opponents moves, etc, and people were interested in it. It mattered. What happened next would change MD as we knew it. What I want is a way to recreate that somehow, but do more. Tie in roles with the war. Instead of people randomly making up back stories that have nothing to do with MD, have their roles come from what they've done. If you are a spy master, then that is your role. If you are a general, that is your role. Those are very vague, but more detailed roles could emerge based on the one playing them. The roles need to be built within MD for them to matter. The problem with having a war where the Kings actually want the other to by humiliated is that they would cause a lot of conflict outside of MD with the people behind the characters. If the war was over something neither had yet, instead of to force one to lose something, that would be better in my mind.

[quote name='Udgard' date='19 February 2010 - 11:24 PM' timestamp='1266647071' post='54816'] +1 to what cutler said. Yes, MD has problems, at a quick glance it might be boring blah blah blah. But remember, what made MD so interesting is how the players inside can contribute to the game. Have you seen what cutler has done? He is one person, but look at how many things he has added to MD with 'just' the astral plane alone. If everyone tries to do what they can by [b]CREATING [/b]something instead of finding ways to [b]TAKE DOWN[/b] something, MD will be too full of interesting things that you won't have enough time to enjoy all of it. edit: fixed typo [/quote] I could be mistaken, but if MD was that full of interesting things there wouldn't be enough people to play games with. If each person in MD made a few additions to MD there would soon be more things to do than players to do them, causing MD to be more divided than ever. Feel free to prove me wrong. EDIT: I read over Firs post and this seems to relate to it. MD has nothing that draws crowds, but instead people form their own groups and rarely interact except to complain. Its like high school all over again... EDIT AGAIN: I keep remembering new things to say. Each area in MD doesn't seem to relate to any of the others. The only way I can see things improving from where they are is by tying everything together. A way for fighting to influence roles, which influence politics (alliances) and so on. I have seen a few ideas, such as people role playing the outcome of fights, but that doesn't seem to work. The only way I can see for this to change is for Mur to do something about it, but I'm not holding my breath. Anyone else see a way to tie everything together involving only the players?

Those same things have been said over and over and over and over... Veterans come in and say "oh, the players have all the power, lets make the game better!". Obviously this has not worked, or we wouldn't see these threads keep popping up. Something new has to be tried. This is my idea: People keep complaining about tokens. How about starting now, people just stop using tokens? Not everyone will of course, but if enough people go and find creatures without tokens, preferably aged, we could start an area where tokens are simply not allowed. People would keep their tokened creatures, but use creatures that do not have tokens. Any thoughts? This could also apply to a story event created by players where combat is involved, such as a showdown between two groups, winner determines the next stage of the event.

[quote name='awiiya' date='18 February 2010 - 01:40 PM' timestamp='1266525651' post='54697'] "Without Mur, I wouldn't play MD." I think that is true for most of us. However, would you play if there were no others in the realm? My inclination is that Mur is important, but all the rest of us combined are equally (if not more) important. To tell an individual that they cannot do nothing, however, is unproductive at best, and cruel at worst. The truth is something far more cheerful and positive: individuals can and do revitalize Mur, and hijacking your own point, by revitalizing Mur they revitalize the world. I recall a direct quote from Mur about BigC - "He got me to code all of outer magic in one day." (or something along those lines) I think we could say the same about others: Khalazdad, Renavoid, and perhaps others. All of these people have been able to inspire not only Mur but also us. So, to say that one person cannot revitalize the realm is, in my opinion, more pessimistic than realistic. There are great dynamic people in the realm and outside of it, and my faith tells me that someone could potentially have a great enough impact to smack some color into the cheeks of MD. By telling others that they can or will not do something has one of two effects: either they become angry and more determined to prove you wrong, or they buy into your suggestion and achieve nothing, wallowing in their self-induced helplessness. If it is the first you inspire, I could consider you a force for good. But in this case, it is my intuition that the helpless feeling is all you will impose, and that is not quite beneficial to anybody. To sum it all up I would just like to say the following: Anybody CAN make a difference, of that I have no doubt. Mur isn't the only one playing this game, even if he does hold all the strings. Perhaps it's time for Pinnochio to look up, give a wave, and tell that puppet master to move his hands about? Anything is possible in a world that doesn't exist. Awi PS. It is a strong King that opens his doors to friends and enemies as equals. [/quote] I said people cannot REVIVE MD, do you guys read the posts you quote? Revive implies bringing the dead back to life. Revitalize implies restore strength. The people in MD can revitalize MD, and it is important. Something as simple as helping a new player or as complex as the Tainted scenario with Granos and Ailith help out the community. Do they REVIVE it? No. But they make MD more fun, which is what is important.

(Sorry Kamisha, I didn't mean to hijack your thread, problem fixed now) My point was this: without Mur, I wouldn't play MD. Mur is the only person who could actually revive MD. A bunch of random players could make the game more fun, sure. I'm in favor of that. What annoys me is the language used. Talking about reviving MD is like saying "MD is dead, but I can bring it back!" And Malaikat, you have been inactive in game so I considered you an ex-Sentinel. If you're going to hugely over react even to that, then I do not want you in Necrovion, so you are hereby banished from Necrovion in game.

[quote name='Malaikat Maut' date='18 February 2010 - 06:42 AM' timestamp='1266500537' post='54673'] I'd expect more wisdom from a king...and less somber from a clown. This game [b]IS[/b] its community of players. They create their own excitement through creative quests and roleplay, and, while Mur and the AL provide a focused outlet, neither are entirely necessary for the society to peaceably operate. Player involvement and player motivation are lacking as much if not more so than the same from Mur. [/quote] I would expect more wisdom from an EX-Sentinel, but this would be better discussed in another thread.

A player trying to revive MD is like trying to revive a person who is drowning by throwing a bucket of water at their face. EDIT: To expand on that, I didn't mean players shouldn't try to make the game more fun. I simply meant that MD wouldn't be MD without Mur, and only Mur could "revive" the game.

I see a new project. What happened to item abilities? Having no motivation is one thing, but just never finishing a project is another.

[quote name='Redd' date='16 February 2010 - 12:20 PM' timestamp='1266348033' post='54602'] I'll emphasize that what is annoying is that someone can actually do this. Doesn't it bother anyone else that an MP3 can give away 70k-ish exp in a non-damage fight? Probably not, because it happened to me. But what if it happened/starts happening to newbies? I bet the issue won't get the same reaction. Since it appears impossible to trace who did it anymore, this is what I want to know right now. If this thing demands attention or not. ... BTW, it appears that I was a scum to train in the GGG, therefore the vigilante who kicked my arse can avoid prosecution. Or it is simply stated out that my fault can actually motivate someone to do this. I don't see anyone opposing this statement, but it is being neg repped. That is not helping anything. at all. I agree with this statement(but the neg reps confuses me because that means that others see this as wrong and I don't know why). I won't push it in my case, because now there is no way to find the perpetrator. As I said, this isn't only about my case. I would like to hear insights on this(if the person deserves a punishment being a GGG offense, etc) But more than that about MP3 in general. It would be better if this can be prevented, though I doubt that. [/quote] It wasn't necessarily an MP3. I've done much worse as an MP5 or MP6 to a few MP3s for annoying me. The question I have is whether or not you did something to make someone mad and that's why it happened, or if it was just random. The only thing left for you to do is to work with what happened, you can still easily do anything you could before, just not on MP3. This doesn't seem to be a common occurrence, so I see no need for a full scale investigation.

[quote name='Elthen Airis' date='17 November 2009 - 02:06 PM' timestamp='1258492003' post='47730'] The new idea is truly great. The drain ability will balance it out indeed and bring some new research material and a lot of fresh fights and rituals. Thus, everyone will be happy for keeping their archers, or sacrificing them and not losing their $ in the MD shop for the ones with tokens. Now having a reimburse for all the tokens is rather not even considerable. That will take loads of time of Mur and practically less time will be consumed for creating a new creature. So, the drain ability simply doesn't connect with an archer. The archer is supposed to use a bow, or whatever range weapon, and deal damage. The weaken defense is also acceptable, as if they hit someone's leg, so he is wounded, he would be an easier target, or however you could see that happen. But drain? I reckon there should be a new creature for the drain ability. And probably some kind of spell caster too. [/quote] Making a creature that can drain principles will not balance things out, it will simply make people even more afraid of going idle. First they have to worry about stat damage, now they have to worry about principle damage? If the amount of principles drained was enough to worry the full tokened veterans, it would be devastating to the newer players, not to mention the lower MP levels not being able to farm principles as easily as the older players can.

[quote name='Assurancetourix' date='09 February 2010 - 05:52 AM' timestamp='1265719979' post='54153'] great! this means I'll be the mp5 pinata in the next... couple of years... my stats suck... [/quote] The stats given from story mode wouldn't help you with that. They aren't enough to make a big difference.

Mur - The mysteries within MD still hold my attention, so in a way Mur has taught me more than anyone in MD. Khalazdad - The main reason I stuck with MD. I still look through his words when I need inspiration. Granos - Taught me a lot when I was new. Dragoonus - My first teacher within the Sentinels, back when I was an acolyte. AqlBeast - The person I became adept of first, helped me out with a lot of the basics.

[quote name='Udgard' date='08 February 2010 - 12:06 AM' timestamp='1265612768' post='54060'] Actually, I don't mind if organizers make a profit for themselves, as long as the amount and methods are made clear beforehand. I think the problem with the last one is that some people feel 'cheated' because they did not know before that some of the profits will be taken as profit for the organizers. A bit of advice, it will help much if you make all info clear to the public instead of just the volunteers, it will make it much less likely that there'll be a fuss. [/quote] Kragel said beforehand he would take some of the profits, which I assumed would be a reasonable amount. Instead he ended up taking 50% for himself, which was completely unreasonable in every way. Like I said, more information is needed.

[quote name='Grido' date='07 February 2010 - 06:07 PM' timestamp='1265591248' post='54036'] last year they got a cut of the money Jester, same principle applies [/quote] Last year it was like 10% of what the bid was for them, if I remember correctly. That is entirely different then 100%. I think it could be a good idea, but I also think more information is needed.

So... the people who volunteer to be in the auction will get paid? Isn't that against what it means to be a volunteer? Your concept confuses me.

You seem to have forgotten to mention where the profits will go. Last year they went to an MD market, which doesn't seem to have worked at all, and to the person running the auction. A waste of money in my opinion.

I could take the bar of iron, then find someone with a Katana and whack them in the head with the bar of iron until they give me that Katana. Then I would use the Katana I stole to force someone else to forge a Katana from the bar of iron. If they ask for a Wish Point I'll slit their throat.

[quote name='Udgard' date='04 February 2010 - 07:30 PM' timestamp='1265337021' post='53851'] Well, just make it so the battle gives you no wins/xp. Just a place to see your creatures fight? =\ [/quote] Seems like far too much trouble to go to just to get a bunch of fights on your log that people won't even read after the first few.

[quote name='Kafuuka' date='04 February 2010 - 04:19 PM' timestamp='1265325588' post='53846'] Perhaps a large set of items which would interact nicely: Signet Rings 1. Create official documents 2. Seal an envelope [i]- consumes official document[/i] (I have an item called "Kafuuka's signet ring:", I thought kings have rings too now and perhaps it would make sense for alliance leaders and everybody else who pays a WP to get this functionality too.) Writing Utensils 1. Create official documents (I remember a fountain pen, most likely a quill exists too already?) Official document 1. Read 2. Burn/destroy [i]- consumes official document[/i] 3. Separate seal [i]- consumes official document & loyalty?, yields unbroken seal[/i] (it would be nice if those made with a signet ring have a picture of the personal seal in the item description and those with 'ordinary writing utensils' to have the playername in a different font, as a signature?) Sealed envelope 1. Break seal [i]- consumes sealed envelope, yields previously 'consumed' official document[/i] 2. Separate seal [i]- consumes sealed envelope & loyalty?, yields previously 'consumed' official document & unbroken seal[/i] Forging Tools 1. Duplicate official documents [i]- consumes unbroken seal, creates a new official document with hidden boolean 'forged'=true[/i] 2. Forge official documents [i]- changes the text, sets a hidden boolean 'forged'=true[/i] 3. Forge pass papers? [i]- consumes unbroken seal of associated land leader, sets a hidden boolean 'forged'=true[/i] Magnifying glass etc 1. Detect forgery (I think a magnifying glass item exists or has been requested before?) Remarks: A signet ring would theoretically allow players to spawn infinite amounts of items (official documents) but the only possible reason for that is getting n°1 on the item owner list, which is a list I don't like anyway. Separating seals instead of breaking them, should require some sort of skill check, forgery and detection should probably be linked to the transposition principle. It would of course be awesome if restoring the original document is possible too, but I guess it is complicated enough already. Forging pass papers essentially implies creating a usable item from nothing. (The seal comes from an envelope or document, which is generated from nothing.) Hard to tell if this is overpowered. Obviously getting caught with forged papers equals making an enemy out of an entire country. And somehow the forgeries should be seized and destroyed upon discovery (by a player associated with the country the forgeries grant access to), which keeps them from multiplying infinitely. Reducing loyalty makes sense if you attempt to get an unbroken seal of your own country, guild or someone on your friend list. (not that defriending is penalized heavily I guess.) [/quote] What would the purpose of official documents be? I don't see any reason for them. In addition, due to the low number of active players it would be extremely easy to find false documents if any existed.

[quote name='wizard of heaven' date='03 February 2010 - 01:42 AM' timestamp='1265186536' post='53769'] why him??? >_> anyway I suppose i dont know him good enough ...(I hope i dont...) ~~the new era of sadness...~~ jester is dead?.hmm...rest in PEACE...-es... [/quote] New targets just keep showing up!

Jester is dead. Long live the King, indeed. Now holding audiences at scenic Gazebo of Chaos.

“Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur” - Anon “Remember the world is a big place. Even if you're one in a million, that means 1000 people in China look exactly like you.” - Anon "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." - Douglas Adams "I wish I could think of a positive point to leave you with. Will you take two negative points?" - Woody Allen "I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg Nostalgia ain't what it used to be. - John Kim. “They all laughed when I said I wanted to be a comedian. Well, they’re not laughing now.” - Bob Monkhouse “It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.” -Jack Handey “I’m lost but I’m making good time.” –Yogi Berra And some random analogies, authors unknown: "Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m.traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m.at a speed of 35 mph." "He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something." "He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it."

Once you get to certain level combat becomes mostly luck based, which is annoying to say the least. The aura's in MD are too messed up for there to be much strategy to it. If you really think about it though, is there any reason to go MP5? Torches is based on MP level and doesn't have rewards yet, not to mention hardly any people to fight. You can quest on MP3 and get WP just as easily as MP5, you can role play just the same and if you're strong (or even if you aren't) you can join an alliance. I personally don't see there being much motivation at all.

Forum and Youtube links not only show up as black text, but aren't links anymore. If you click them nothing happens. They still show up like this though: [Video link]