Kyphis the Bard

1) Ravenstrider is MP5. This means he has passed both the learning stages, and his first tick in the "Experienced Player" box. 2) Once you reach ~80 days you aren't really new anymore, unless all you do is log in and out to get the active days (and the only people who do that are alts, who themselves aren't new). Players who are younger than ~80 days are still inclined to leave at the drop of a hat, but players who have spent 2.5 months in MD are significantly less so (hence why they are no longer considered new). They are also highly capable of being well known amongst their peers, and will for the most part already have a reputation in the community. Now, Ravenstrider is well known, plays almost every day, and seems to know exactly what he is doing, so that is another tick in the "Experienced Player" box. 3) He is in an alliance, and has been for a long time. Only a negligent alliance allows new members to stay inexperienced, and unless you want to call the Sentinels a negligent alliance who doesn't do their job, its pretty hard to argue he wouldn't have been taught enough to be considered experienced. Yet another tick in the "Experienced Player" box (unless you feel like disputing that one and calling the Sentinels negligent?) So.... we have three ticks in a box that needs one... Yeah, sorry, he's experienced.

[quote name='Kafuuka' timestamp='1294010165' post='76670'] You can write down the principles in alphabetic order and put a 0 if you don't have it, a 1 if you do have it and you have the same setup as the DNA format, except the number of bits is lower and there's currently a limit on the number of ones a person can have. If you'd need a higher number of bits, you can easily double them by adding the sequence of bits with 1 if the principle has the highest number of points, 0 otherwise. Repeat for second highest etc... [/quote] That's... essential what I mean when I say a DNA type system, different to Player DNA >.> But thankyou for the suggestion of a way to generate such a DNA <.< (I'm now considering going through my posts and change it from DNA to RNA, to make sure people know I mean something similar, yet different to, Player DNA) Anyone have any other ideas for how a system like this might be used?

From some of the light reflections you can see around them, I would guess they are cutouts on a scanner. An interesting trick, which seems to have quite good results.

[quote name='Chewett' timestamp='1293989920' post='76646'] Also i think he wasnt nesscarily talking about if it matches, but if you have certain DNA parts. If it was based on matching dna then its prettymuch pointless [/quote] Aye, this is what I mean't when talking about "markers". For example, my Player DNA is: 10110111010011001101101111010101011 Say the marker A constituted the DNA from position 5 until position 8. That means anyone with the first 8 DNA of XXXX0111 would have a synergy with me. However, as I said before, while I use a similar name I am not talking about Player DNA, but "DNA" meaning something similar. For example, my "DNA" string might look like: 101C1011SR10100110F01101101Y11101010A1011; or it might look like 10110111010011001101101111010101011CSRFYA; or potentially just: CSRFYA. [quote name='Kafuuka' timestamp='1293994775' post='76653'] I don't get why you link adepts and worshippers. If you get up to 15 tiers, there's room to let adepts of mp5s get tier one, adepts of mp6 get tier 2+ depending on the mp6' level. Or you could leave it worshipper only. People to being adept and worshipper could be used to give a 'synergy' bonus or something. They all seem equally programmable options to me. [/quote] I'm not completely sure what you mean here, perhaps if you elucidate further? From what I understand, you mean why not just leave out adepts entirely and just have the bonus qualification to worshippers, however if a person is also the adept of someone increase the potency of their bonuses? The reason I elected to use adepts initially rather than worshippers is that it allows MP3 to participate, albiet at the minimum boost. However, your suggestion certainly has merit, in that: MP3 have no need for this as MP3 is mean't as a learning stage, and not being able to access it until MP4 would prove an incentive for people to advance. It's simpler and more elegant (And most likely, where it to ever be used, easier to code and less prone to bugs) This all said, do not forget this is not a topic trying to actually get something likes this implemented, just brainstorming the sort of uses and issues something like this may have. [quote name='Kafuuka' timestamp='1293994775' post='76653'] Instead of player DNA or a new DNA, I think principles are the natural choice for characteristics? You could even have funny effects like someone with high cyclicity score would have his boons cycle over time whereas someone with high entropy would see his boons diminish in effect (tier) but multiply in number. Let it be influenced by the characteristics of the worshippers too and you get a chaotic system. I vaguely remember some multi person combat influence principle proposal/idea being posted loooong ago, maybe this can be linked with that? [/quote] I have to agree here, that for the above example Principles would be a logical candidate for determining these sort of boosts. For example, tier 1 could be qualified for by having a single Principle Match, tier 2 by two, and so on. Considering the wide number of combinations available for principles, this would allow for a lot of different bonuses as well, and would allow players a fair bit more control over what they would receive. The reason that I didn't suggest Principles is that the DNA format is able to form the backbone of far more ideas than just the above. [quote name='Kafuuka' timestamp='1293994775' post='76653'] In your idea, more than 25% of an mp6's worshippers don't have any reason not to change to a newer protector. The sooner you can start praying, the more chance you'll reach the top 25% donors with better advantages albeit of a different nature. As such I don't think it changes much to the frequency of mp6 turnover. Of course the same % system favours people who don't have a life outside of MD. Not certain if that is a problem or intended. If you want to remedy it, impose a pray/day limit. [/quote] Aye, it was intended. While if it where implemented you would indeed find a lot of people competing for top worshiper status and boosts, the people on the bottom would always be looking for fresh MP6 that they might be able to become the top with. After a few months (about 8, by my estimation) the hype and excitement of the boosts will have worn off for almost everyone, and only a handful of players would still act as competitively for the top positions. However, in all likely hood, these players would be the same ones who already sacc insane amounts of heat. Another point to consider with this is that there is only so much competition worth pursuing, for example if you are already the top % and the next lowest person is 50K behind you, you can relax for a bit. Then of course, you may be the top of a highly advanced MP6 (say tier 6 for example) and wish to access the next tier up, you are going to spend as much time trying to get adepts for your protector as they might, carrying out a further sort of role for a "worshiper" Considering there is currently no such boost for worshiping, yet people still act competitively in it, I doubt that in the long term any change would be significant behavior wise. Although, the "pray/day" limit would be interesting, it would defeat the point of having the tiers accessible like that as you would always have the competitive group at identical heat values, and it would be extremely difficult to rank them for tiering. The only way I could think of to do it would be based on who reached the limit first each day, however this favors those in certain timezones and would result in people who have identical heat but not identical tier boosts, and would just cause far more hassle. Interesting observation about the way this suggestion would also not impact MP6 turn-over, I had not considered that aspect. It also means you will get intensely loyal worshipers who compete for the higher end heat values, and the newer worshipers who flit from place to place looking for one they are either comfortable with or able to compete within, de-stabilizing the top competers and causing them to join the lower ranks once more.

Over the last few days I have been considering some of the applications of player DNA. The following are just some of my thoughts from these museings, and I would like to see what you can add to them. Consider this a research document. [i][b]This is not a topic trying to change anything about the game, or add any functions or the such.[/b][/i] This is purely a thought experiment, and anything that is discussed here that gets implemented is a coincidence and should not be expected. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Firstly, we are not discussing the already implemented Player DNA, when "DNA" is used in this instance it is referring to a similar set of data which may or may not contain all the information that Player DNA gathers as well as additional data. As can be observed from the way Player DNA is gathered, the proposed applications may make this sort of "DNA" useless for the purposes that Player DNA is to be put. [b][u]Idea 1 - Patron Blessing[/u][/b] This was the idea that started this line of thought, and I posted it in the mood panel for those who saw. Essentially, the idea is that each player is capable of receiving bonuses ranging from heat multipliers, timer rates, regeneration rates, special aura's in combat (for example, 1% boost to VE), or similar things when they are an adept, and are also capable of giving the same set of bonuses when they are a protector. In addition to this, certain actions that a person takes may add markers that change the bonuses that they are of receiving, such as Jail time or spending excessive time at one of the learning MP levels (ie you have the DNA marker for a 2% boost to briskness, but spending more than 4 months at MP3 reduces this to 1%, and 6 months prevents you from receiving it at all even though you can still give this bonus when MP6) In this format, the bonus would be capable of applying regardless of who you where the adept of. [b]Idea 1.2 - Patrons Blessing[/b] ([i]Heat consideration[/i]) After a fair bit of musing on the previous thought, I began considering what role Heat sacrifice may play in this, and the following is the idea I came up with. Consider if each type of bonus has a place on a tier. For example, a straight 1% boost to a combat stats or a 3% boost to a non-combat stat is tier one; a 2% boost to combat stats or 5% boost to non-combat stats is tier 2; a combat enhancing Aura (creature type aura/token effect aura/whatever aura) is tier 3; and a timer adjusting boost (for example, faster combat or regeneration) or regeneration value adjustment is tier 4. (These tiers are preposterous values, they are purely for example to illustrate the idea and not to be treated as what I am actually suggesting. If this would be done them a combat aura would be more of a tier 15, for example.) In this system, the maximum tier available would be equal to the depth into MP6 that the protector has managed to reach. For example, if they are a new MP6 with only the minimum adepts and spells available, then only the first tier would be available as a bonus for their adepts. To determine what the maximum tier bonus you get would be, the amount of heat would be used to rank you. Taking the previous example of a tier one MP6, any adept they have that has tier 1 bonus matching their tier 1 bonus receives it, regardless of how much heat they have sacc. However, if the Protector is a tier 4 MP6, then based on how much heat they have sacced the top 25% would be able to receive the tier 1 through 4 bonuses for each bonus that their DNA allows them to receive; the adepts that have sacced enough to be in the top 50% but not the top 25% are capable of receiving whatever matches from tier 3 through tier one; the adepts that have sacced enough for the top 75% but not 50% receive upto tier 2, and the rest have access to tier 1. If you have not sacced any heat you are not included in the % cutoff calculations, and only receive tier 1 bonuses if applicable. In this format, adepts only receive bonuses if they are adepted to an MP6, are only be able to access the higher bonuses if you are also that MP6's worshiper, and also have to work for the better bonuses. The problem is that that means no-one will want to be the adept of any non-MP6 unless that person is trying to go MP6. [u][b]Problems and Solutions[/b][/u] This idea has a MAJOR flaw in that certain players who give very good bonuses would remain MP6 constantly, and there are not enough players to support very many MP6, preventing almost everyone from ever finding out what MP6 is like. The simplest way to combat this is to have a maximum time that you are able to remain MP6 (for example, 6 consecutive months) before you automatically drop, and when you drop from MP6 (through time up or loss of adepts) you have to wait half as long as you where last a protector before you are able to be one again (for example, if you where a protector for 7 days you would need to wait 3 days 12 hours, and if you where auto-dropped you would have to wait for 3 months). Personally, I think that is silly and defeats the point of MP6, since it is so hard to get those adepts in the first place loosing them like this so soon would make people less inclined to bother. A slightly more complex way to handle this would be to have the bonuses that are granted change every two weeks, at the same time spells are re-charged. For example, say there are 4 different tier 1 bonuses, and 4 markers associated (positively) with those bonuses. [b]Week 1/2[/b]======[b]Week 3/4[/b]======[b]Week 5/6[/b] [b]A - 1[/b]==========[b]A - 3[/b]==========[b]A - 1[/b] [b]B - 2[/b]==========[b]B - 2[/b]==========[b]B - 3[/b] [b]C - 3[/b]==========[b]C - 4[/b]==========[b]C - 4[/b] [b]D - 4[/b]==========[b]D - 1[/b]==========[b]D - 2[/b] And so on. The more bonuses or tiers you have the more combinations possible. Another thing to consider is multiple markers may be used for each bonus, meaning that you might need say markers ADE for bonus 1 while markers ABE give bonus 6. Using this method, it is possible to still have a low variety of bonuses and markers and still have an extremely high degree of combinations, preventing people from flocking to individual players for MP6 and having say 4 MP6 forever and no-one else able to try it. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ If you have any ideas for how a DNA system that factors in player choices may be used please leave a post, do not worry if it isn't as fleshed out as the above idea as this is a research document and anything that plants a thought seed is valuable. Please also leave any ideas for what sort of actions might be factored into such a DNA system, and if possible why, as that is likely to spark off more ideas. If doing so, remember that these would need to be factors that can apply to anyone (ie "[i]Spent 28 days in jail[/i]" would be valid, while "[i]Spent 28 days in jail for stealing creatures from Demo Account[/i]" would not, as it is too specific) If you can think of any aspect that might have been neglected in an idea, either a problem with it or something that it could also be applied to, please leave a comment. However, if illuminating an overlooked problem with an idea, please illustrate it clearly and try to suggest a possible solution if you are able to think of one.

[quote name='dwil018' timestamp='1293865444' post='76568'] How do these mp3's get 500k crit xp without capping on personal? [/quote] Uh... why did you quote me :? Anyway... there is a Wish Shop wish that resets your personal experience to 0. MOST who have more than 320K experience at MP3 use this, however as I can attest to its not the only method, just the simplest. It is also the most wasteful. The MP4 cap is far more than even ten times that, and the wish can only be used twice. If you feel you really MUST use that wish before going into the big pond of MP5 (where all the best fighting is, you can taste it via alliance if you are lucky), then this is when it will be the most useful as the effect of using the wish twice amounts to using it thirty times at MP3. However, this said, I personally don't recommend doing this at all. Wishpoints are hard to get in number, and there are far, far better things to spend your hard won Wish Points on such as spells, special abilities, secret access', and items (which can themselves hold spells and many other special abilities not able to be accessed easily by any other means). The Main aspect of this wish that makes it a waste is that at MP5, you can reduce your personal experience quite easily without worrying about the more wasteful and occasionaly risky methods required at lower levels.

50-65 US

If you are willing to sell, I may be willing to buy. I'd pay the shipping, of course (need to check with my Mel, as she has her own taste, but I like it and that is rare. Reminds me of a few favorite pieces, very simple yet meaningful)

Still no change in this issue.

[quote name='Shadowseeker' timestamp='1293706012' post='76353'] I doubt many would be able to find their way....if not for a map [/quote] I know my way by heart, but I have also made some of the best maps available of this realm More on topic, as Darigan said you are allowed to make maps, however sadly even a map of such a common place as the Underground is not allowed to be displayed anywhere public, hence why my stored maps are secreted in hard to find places and protected by passwords, with any areas not open to even the shrewdest of the public obliterated from their records. (and, sadly, due to my lack of scanner what maps I have posted are far more about function than form >.> Would that I could remedy this, but a new power supply is not exactly high on the list of expenses right now...) So yes, you may make them, but no, as stated, you can't post them in your papers.

1. Advance to MP5 before the end of January 2. Obtain a Windy (One more wishpoint ) 3. Take over the World (Sorry MB, but your time is up) [sub][i]PS: number 3 is a joke [/i][/sub]

[quote name='Chewett' timestamp='1293655663' post='76315'] Come come, Dont be foolish, You can clearly see that if Drachorns are only got by mp3's whome are alts. there are few/no real mp3's who have attained drachorns in this early age. Also, if they can only train it to a more limited level, they wil be weaker and more easily killed by normal creatures. It makes no difference to competeing alts BUT a large difference to the new mp3's. I TOTALLY diasagree with this point as it is a foolish point. [/quote] A) Obviously I am using Drachorns as an example, you can replace it with any creature you feel like imposing restrictions on, it amounts to the same thing B) I had 5, only one of which I got from the MD Shop. I have also had 2 GG on my permanent MP3 alt, both gained completely independent of any other account. I know I'm hardly normal, but if I can get two Drachorns in a month at MP3 it isn't as hard as you seem to think it is. [quote name='Burns' timestamp='1293664614' post='76324'] Other than that, no, Kyphis, restricting creatures doesn't make things worse. I have done serious combat for a long, long time, and there is very little in MD that can't be beaten with strategy. But some things, like big angiens or boosted drachorns, require advanced creatures and/or high stats i haven't yet seen on any normal mp4 accounts. [/quote] That's precisely my point when I say that it will cause more damage. Assume a situation where two combatants both use 0% influence, no tokens are involved, and no combat bugs influence the combat (In other words, a "clean" fight). In this instance, no matter the ritual of Combatant A, Combatant B can present a counter ritual, to which Combatant A can provide another counter ritual, and so on. Restricting the access to creature stages also restricts access to strategems. Unless devised like this from the begining or having some method that actively prevents people from staying at the early stages, to prevent rituals that have no "clean" counter existing would takes months, possibly even a year or more, to do. This leave us with two more considerations. Firstly, rituals without a "clean" counter may have a "standared" (High stat or Tokens influence) counter. The problem here is that you will either turn MD into a game where you MUST grind at early MP levels to prepare yourself properly for MP5, or you will constantly loose combat slowly accrueing useless experience and approaching stat damage from the few "big fish" who use these rituals, or into a game where you MUST buy from the MD shop (tokens) to survive (whether you have the patience to invest in free credits or just pay to play, either way more people will quite from this as well) Secondly, it is entirely likely that certain rituals will only be counterable with creatures that are a higher level than is available. Consider the variable abilities of Heretics, Trees, Medusa, and Minge de Foc across all their levels. Then you also have things like freeze aura, and the low availability of creatures with Anti-freeze aura (thankfully, the Hollow Warrior remedies this specific situation, but as before, these are examples for consideration and not the focus of what I am saying) ________ All of this said, while I don't like this idea because it will not fix anything, I do agree that something must be done to fix all of this. I just think this is the wrong way entirely since it will cause far more problems than it will fix (ie, none), and will take too much work to be effective (months to years). As you said Burns, and I agree, banning would be the best method (simplicity/effectiveness), however the amount of evidence required to be fair is currently highly prohibitive.

And where does this idea leave Alliance members? I'm not a fan of this idea. As most of you know, I have spent an exceptional amount of time at each of the MP levels (except two, that was about 3 days to try out illusions then hurry on), but I plan to be MP5 at the end of January so this plan wouldn't effect me. So why do I dislike this idea? Kafuuka. Tipu. Zleiphener. Many other people who are not causing any sort of problem, and are quite happy to play all the OTHER parts of MD as MP4. If this restriction had been in place from the day I had joined, I would not be an MP5 right now. I would, in fact not PLAY right now. That's nothing about combat, but that if the first thing I saw was that "Oh, the game is restricting my choices and being like every other linear game, I guess its not what it advertised then..." I just wouldn't care. Final point: THIS WON'T FIX ANYTHING IN THE LONG TERM. IT WILL MAKE THINGS WORSE. Currently, the ceiling is anything available. Alts who know how to train and get around alt checks have those anything availables. With this method, we find ourselves facing, surprise surprise, once again anything available, just a smaller selection. Everyone at each MP level has the same restriction, so the result is: A-i) "Oh, there is no point training this creature more since that's its level cap, lets train other devastating creatures now." A-ii) "Well, I might not be able to get a level 4 Drachorn, but neither can anyone else, so I'll still train mine to level 3 since it is effectively the same." B) You are restricting ritual diversity, meaning that you are re-introducing the problem you complained about with MP3/4 not knowing how to fight in preparation for the next MP level. "Oh look, water Daimon/Knator/Elemental/Bird/Angien is almost useless like this, so I might as well sacc it and never train one again"

I'd just like to say that if the strange fruit man with the top hat is what you did in paint you are quite an excellent pixel artist o.O Any time I want to do pixel art of that quality it takes me a good couple of hours/days

Aye, thankyou Mur. Had much enjoyment with my presents (as you saw)

I think someone posted a higher AP value than that in this thread, but I can't find it now (mean't to be at work >.>)

Way back when I was MP3 and participating in heads, I know that there was a very large group of philipino players that used the heads contest as a way to get their friends to join the MD community. I know, because I was myself formidable in the MP3 combat (haven't bothered re-learning it after all the changes though) and they would often ask for my assistance. I can say, that while they might be alts, from my personal experience they could also just as easily be just more people from that same circle of friends. And yes, the "co-ordinated sledgehammer" is their favourite strategy. "What is really [s]hard[/s]easy to belive is that they ALL attack one by one when THEY CAN attack all together, they are always there when one need" "But, it pretty obvious that THEY'RE [s]NOT[/s] FRIENDS"

[quote name='Blacknights' timestamp='1292628253' post='75651'] From dst RE:RE:RE:Help request Do I look like I care? RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:Help request Yes I CARE! I care so much that I will go and hide in the darkest corner of my house and I will cry until I will run out of tears! My life has no goal anymore cause you don't like me (((( ps:there's an ignore list for PMs. Be glad! You're the first on my ignore list no comment [/quote] I notice the complete lack of context in those quotes. It is useless to show an argument in such a one sided manner, and will only cause people to disagree with you more. If you want any chance of having anyone agree with you, you gotta supply the context as well (as in, what was the message she was replying to, and you can bet she will still have a copy if you try to misquote)

Bump. I want my stars back, without the annoying sorting cloud T_T

This issue is ongoing.

Happy Birthday, old one eye

So open it before you try to get the heat so it is in the buffer already o.O Not a fan of the idea. Too little benefit for the extra clutter.

While I can understand the sentiment of that idea, that would undermine the point of the day and would cause everyone who was interested in fighting to gather in that one spot, leaving the rest of the realm empty. That doesn't give the best impression to new players. Also, while you might not be all that interested in anything other than the combat, this does still allow you to work on friendships and get to know people, even if you don't want to RP. Consider it a day to be more sociable, rather than the normal combat day of hunting for a good fight.

You do realize that last post contained data that potentially tells us exactly what you where looking for, don't you Mur?

[quote name='Sasha Lilias' timestamp='1292005329' post='75068'] Firstly I will point out that it is impossible for any alt to take heads from another one of their accounts due to the restrictions that Mur has implimented within the game. [/quote] I don't know whether it was introduced into normal HC (from my understanding, it was), but I know in BHC you can RP heads to someone else, so in that way you could transfer heads between alts.