Illusion Masquerade

[Brulant]

I'm splitting this from [url="http://magicduel.invisionzone.com/topic/11486-connections-to-the-realm/"]this[/url] because I really do think it's an interesting idea and want to see if there's any discussion to be had about it.


[quote name='Brulant' timestamp='1327121612' post='101562']
I think it would be interesting to have a period of time that acts as a Masquerade.
Everyone could be put into an illusion that, say, changes their name, hides their papers and inventory, removes their creatures, and otherwise "resets" their profile. No one would know who each other are after the reset takes place. Then, for that period of time, the game could be played as if everyone had started at the same time.
When the illusion ends, everyone would return exactly to normal (as has been demonstrated recently) and the Masquerade would be over.
Of course, there would probably be a few spoilsports who immediately tell everyone who they are, but, overall, I think that could be fun. Or at least interesting.
[/quote]

The opinion has been expressed that if you want the effect of starting fresh, you could just make an alt, but to that I have this to say.

[quote]

[b]Player X: [/b]It's interesting but I think I'm with whoever said "Just get an alt"
[url="http://magicduel.com/dlg/dlg.userdetails_arena.php?eid=9Ddr5Q7p3rciYB2mlzfMWA,,"][b]Brulant[/b][/url][b]: [/b]See, the problem with "getting an alt" is that everyone else hasn't changed.
[url="http://magicduel.com/dlg/dlg.userdetails_arena.php?eid=9Ddr5Q7p3rciYB2mlzfMWA,,"][b]Brulant[/b][/url][b]: [/b]You're still operating in a world with characters that are already defined.
[url="http://magicduel.com/dlg/dlg.userdetails_arena.php?eid=9Ddr5Q7p3rciYB2mlzfMWA,,"][b]Brulant[/b][/url][b]: [/b]There's something to be said for the fresh-slate-for-everyone approach, I think.
[url="http://magicduel.com/dlg/dlg.userdetails_arena.php?eid=9Ddr5Q7p3rciYB2mlzfMWA,,"][b]Brulant[/b][/url][b]: [/b]Because, let's say that I make an alt right now and walk over here.
[url="http://magicduel.com/dlg/dlg.userdetails_arena.php?eid=9Ddr5Q7p3rciYB2mlzfMWA,,"][b]Brulant[/b][/url][b]: [/b]I see you, and I know you're you, because I ([i]as a player[/i]) know who Player X is.
[url="http://magicduel.com/dlg/dlg.userdetails_arena.php?eid=9Ddr5Q7p3rciYB2mlzfMWA,,"][b]Brulant[/b][/url][b]: [/b]I won't be able to not treat you like Player X, unless I'm consciously trying really hard to do so.
[b]Player X: [/b]*[i]mumbles[/i]* not the first time that's happened this week
[url="http://magicduel.com/dlg/dlg.userdetails_arena.php?eid=9Ddr5Q7p3rciYB2mlzfMWA,,"][b]Brulant[/b][/url][b]: [/b]That's what makes playing an true "alt" so hard.
[url="http://magicduel.com/dlg/dlg.userdetails_arena.php?eid=9Ddr5Q7p3rciYB2mlzfMWA,,"][b]Brulant[/b][/url][b]: [/b]It'd be fun to see if the same people became friends, if the same enemies hated one another, or if the die would roll differently.
[/quote]

Is the type of mass illusion I talk about mechanically possible right now? Would it be interesting? Thoughts?

Edit: Disclaimer: This is a suggestion for an event that would last for something like a week, NOT a suggestion for a new type of illusion. Think of it like a Masquerade Carnival, I'm just piggybacking on the system that's already in place to see if we can make this work.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Brulant

[Dragual]

What would the names be?

[Brulant]

Well, there's the always boring "Mask ###", OR we could have everyone suggest two or three names which would them be assigned to everyone randomly when the illusion is activated. Something like that?

Edit: I don't think we should be able to chose our own names, because I know I probably wouldn't be able to resist doing something clever that links back to Brulant somehow. And it'd be interesting to see how we adapt our temporary roles to the names we get. Feel free to disagree.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Brulant

[Dragual]

What if we had some names that are less common? I.e. You would have a name like Bubble Buster ### as a common name (complete random name. ) and then you would have a more rare name like Twisted Guy ## Just for a little added.... Umph.

[Brulant]

See, I still feel as if that's too impersonal though. We could just go completely numeric and be 1, 2, 3, and so on. But that's no fun, is it?

[Dragual]

Ehh.... I don't really like that idea... Maybe... You get to choose a name, then it give you a random number?

[Mallos]

Or everyones names get jumbled up. Dragual might be named Brulant for the time being, Brulant might be named Falronn, and so on. Basically you only know who the person isn't and even then who knows? What if Brulant was still Brulant but decided to act differently? Just an idea I had but probably not the best way to handle it.

How long would the illusion last? How often could it be used? *Edit: How large of an area would it affect?

Edited January 22, 2012 by Falronn

[Brulant]

[quote name='Dragual' timestamp='1327218474' post='101769']
Ehh.... I don't really like that idea... Maybe... You get to choose a name, then it give you a random number?
[/quote]

No, that was my point. I don't want to have anything to do with numbers. If everyone in MD suggests two names, we should have a pretty large pool to choose from. Say I suggest Aprins and Ardente, and you suggest Mragual Donarth and Maul, and someone else suggests… etc etc, and then all of the names are randomly assigned to people.

[quote name='Falronn' timestamp='1327218669' post='101770']
Or everyones names get jumbled up. Dragual might be named Brulant for the time being, Brulant might be named Falronn, and so on. Basically you only know who the person isn't and even then who knows? What if Brulant was still Brulant but decided to act differently? Just an idea I had but probably not the best way to handle it.
[/quote]

I actually kind of like that idea, although I'd like to shake the connotations that are already associated with our already existing characters.


[quote name='Falronn' timestamp='1327218669' post='101770']
How long would the illusion last? How often could it be used?
[/quote]

I was thinking a week, and it would be applied to everybody all at once. It'd be an event, not really a typical illusion spell. I suggested illusions because that seems the best mechanic we have for making it happen.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Brulant

[Mallos]

[quote name='Brulant' timestamp='1327218845' post='101771']
I was thinking a week, and it would be applied to everybody all at once. It'd be an event, not really a typical illusion spell. I suggested illusions because that seems the best mechanic we have for making it happen.
[/quote]

That sounds pretty good in my opinion, and I like the idea in general.

[Peace]

How about papers, inventories, bestiaries, achievements, public logs? Would those be visible to others or not?

The set of actual current illusions, people can still recognise you from all the above. Should those be hidden during this 'event'?

[Brulant]

[quote name='Brulant' timestamp='1327121612' post='101562']
Everyone could be put into an illusion that, say, changes their name, hides their papers and inventory, removes their creatures, and otherwise "resets" their profile.
[/quote]

Everything hidden.

[ChildOfTheSoul]

Could you potentially add public logs to other players, and papers to your "temporary" self? Would you be able to hold new items? Would it be like having a "fresh" account, or drastically different?

[Atrumist]

I thing that this illusion is missing the point of the originial idea.

Making an illusion has nothing with starting again from scratch, it is some kind of 'safe' forgetting about our exterior. Making an alt is also wortheless, only the change of the original character can do any change on its development.

I don't support this useless illusion, but if a group decides to dive into an MD ascetism I maybe will consider such an action. For inner good.

[Grido]

Mechanic wise (from what I know of the code) it'd be easiest with numbers at the end of each name.

I suspect it could be possible to shuffle the playernames to mix them all up (easier than typing in several hundred new names into the db).

The "main" issue with this idea, which generally speaking people seem to like, is that currently if you have an illusory name, that is then the name you have to use to log in. People, if they use their name to log in (you can also use email or ID), they will be prone to get confused I suspect, thinking they're unable to log in for some bug or something.

[Brulant]

[quote name='ChildOfTheSoul' timestamp='1327222932' post='101781']
Could you potentially add public logs to other players, and papers to your "temporary" self? Would you be able to hold new items? Would it be like having a "fresh" account, or drastically different?
[/quote]

I was hoping that it'd be like having a "fresh" account, but I'm not sure how much extra strain that would place on the database.


[quote name='Atrumist' timestamp='1327250629' post='101846']
I thing that this illusion is missing the point of the originial idea.

Making an illusion has nothing with starting again from scratch, it is some kind of 'safe' forgetting about our exterior. Making an alt is also wortheless, only the change of the original character can do any change on its development.

I don't support this useless illusion, but if a group decides to dive into an MD asceticism I maybe will consider such an action. For inner good.
[/quote]

This is an event suggestion, not a suggestion for a new illusion to be added. I'm saying use the preexisting mechanics of the illusion system, because it's a tool that already exists, to accomplish the effect, not that this idea really fits in with the theory of illusions or should be a permanent thing. Think of it like an Italian Carnival.


[quote name='Grido' timestamp='1327252155' post='101852']
The "main" issue with this idea, which generally speaking people seem to like, is that currently if you have an illusory name, that is then the name you have to use to log in. People, if they use their name to log in (you can also use email or ID), they will be prone to get confused I suspect, thinking they're unable to log in for some bug or something.
[/quote]

I had forgotten about that. Could everyone be sent an automated email that has their temporary username in it? Or an announcement placed on the login page to use your ID/email to log in? Or could the mechanic be tweaked slightly? Or, we could just have no one log off for a week

[Laphers]

Perhaps it could be location based. So when you enter the location where the illusion was cast the identity is erased and the illusion is created. If you log out while in the illusion location it restores the account as if you left the location, when you log in and you were in a location that now/still has an illusion it treats it as if you entered the scene and applies the illusion. (I can foresee people logging out and logging back in to change their illusion names)

As for the names perhaps a dictionary file of names can be created for general use. (There could still be 2 or 3 digits to to allow small lists to work with large groups) Spell holders could create their own list of names to use so that you can "theme" their illusions.

If the spell holder has significant control over the illusion, perhaps they could control which creatures each account has and it could be used for "equal" fight competitions or something like that. (or random creatures, etc)

Edited January 22, 2012 by Laphers

[Kyphis the Bard]

I'd also like to suggest that, since new players would still be coming in to MD, it have a specific start date and only effect accounts that already have a specific number of active days (say 30)

[Pipstickz]

For the login problem, just having a notice in the login page saying please use your email to log in or something would help.

[Ensetym]

Well this is pretty much what I was talking about. A chance to show who you really are instead of showcasing items and medals. Cool idea, Brulant.

[Mallos]

At the risk of necroposting so hard I get tempbanned or something, I had an idea a while back and this is a good place to post it.

: test

: test

Chewett: Chat is working again

: test

 

Basically the idea would be a certain scene where names don't show up in chat, and possibly also the  "Players online here:" list. I think the prospect of chat not showing who it is from is interesting enough, I also know we have those masquerade masks now and those can be rather fun, but a limitation I observe is that you can still somewhat easily determine who is who in smaller areas judging on badges among a few other details. So the point would be to make sure it is indiscernible who is who at least from a chat perspective.

Similarly this could be a spell to cast to grant the scene these attributes for a period of time, like the voice spell, instead of a specific location (off the top of my head I can't think of where such a location would be appropriate). I prefer this idea, spells are fun, a set location permanently attracting people for the novelty is similar to GGG or a recent suggestion by Ivorak. I'm not so sure attracting attention to specific areas is a good thing when it is done by the system as opposed to by the people, think about how most system activities like mining allow you to gather in multiple areas, sacrifice in different altars, sit in various sanctuaries etc, allowing you to choose where to be . In my opinion things that attract a crowd are best left to the players to control so that they can reap the benefits of the interactions while they last, rather than siphoning all of the activity from various lands into a point that has no guarantee of player to player interaction. Bit of a tangent sorry

Edited July 5, 2018 by Mallos

[MRWander]

OP's idea reminds me of a book (one of the dresden files) seeing a spin off on that would tickle my fancy

Spoiler

on halloween immortals come out of slumber or hiding and its the one day a year they can ass to their own power by stealing from others and the whole masks and disguises thing developed to possible trick them into attack others more powerful then themselves for perma gains.