Storymode Change

[Muratus del Mur]

I am about to make a major change to how story mode goes.
Dont hurry with the opinions untill its done and you take a look at it (yeah i am encouraging alts for this test, but when its done)

Plan on short:
- when you receive the cube, you will actualy get a customized cube item, with your name on it.
- you exit story mode right there and go into free roam
- cube can be activated later, and you enter it and see the entire spooky marind story


Issues that slow me down:
- what happens on the long run, 50k players means 50k new items, cube (as trade item) infaltion will be hight.
- what happens at mp4, mp5, will get an other cube, of course not, then how will it go.
- what will be the rewuirements and tasks to activate the cube to continue story mode. I am thinking of making it a puzzle based on the awsome device shadowseeker sent me


Why?
- story mode is way to long for new players
- the cube story should have more focus on it, so placing it later avoids impatient players that just hit next.
- usage of the cube items might make more sense later. They already exist in rp but not as items, so why not make them real.

[ladytwin]

cooooooooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllllllllll:D

[Pipstickz]

So what will happen with people who are already past story mode?

[cryxus]

We probably get to RP our cube... fine by me... just shows how awesome we are...

I expect it to go as follows...

"Oh where's your cube"
"It is one with the universe"
"oooohhh o_o" *bows to the awesomeness*

[Fenrir Greycloth]

I think a log in script would work well here for the mp5 players. Log in, and it activates a creation script for your cube. Happens only once.

As for the cube activating the story mode... That's awesome. Items are starting to become usable!

[Jubaris]

i think its a great idea

and i just love that "solving puzzle to unlock the story mode" its perfect

edit: spelling errors

Edited November 15, 2009 by Rhaegar Targaryen

[Rendril]

Would cubes have great value or be almost worthless?

[quote name='Muratus del Mur' date='15 November 2009 - 03:07 AM' timestamp='1258247237' post='47494']
Issues that slow me down:
- what happens on the long run, 50k players means 50k new items, cube (as trade item) infaltion will be hight.
- what happens at mp4, mp5, will get an other cube, of course not, then how will it go.
- what will be the rewuirements and tasks to activate the cube to continue story mode. I am thinking of making it a puzzle based on the awsome device shadowseeker sent me
[/quote]
Quite a few things spring to mind:
-Make them untradeable
-Getting another cube simply merges it into/replaces your current one

Alternatively:
-A player can assemble bigger cubes to perform some cool ability...maybe start with 9[sup]0[/sup], then 9[sup]1[/sup], 9[sup]2[/sup]...etc
-Allow a player to collect cubes and they can "relive" their story mode, see the other persons, or unlock new story paths?


Giving cubes value would lead to farming alts for accumulating cubes and a newbie could easily be ripped off for their cube.
But since the is that person's specific cube, it could have value only for them while none to others.
Equipment cannot be traded, and if it could it would only have limited value to those unable to get some piece of gear for lack of VP (apart from some equipment that isn't available, but there isn't enoguh of that for every one )
It only really holds value for the the person who buys it, maybe something similar could be done?

[Shadowseeker]

I'm liking that idea of yours rendril, perhaps something alike to your own cube, but having others can make you "level" up. The more cubes, the harder to combine..and build, but if you manage it would be insane from level 3 onwards (just like the one I sent Mur, since it can be taken apart into each side, so 6 pieces.)

Level two would be a 2x2 side cube, meaning you need 24 cube pieces, alas 6 other cubes, and is of course way harder then.

level 3 3x3 is 54 pieces, so 9 cubes.

Level 4 is 4x4, so 96 pieces..which means 16 cubes, and a big big big puzzle.

Would be funny if it would show which people's cubes are built in. That automatically will decrese the value of alts' cubes. Of course, also allow you to deconstruct it.

But, this kind of editor would probably take long to write up, since you need the drawings for the big cubes.

[Kafuuka]

@Fernrir: Why mp5 only? And instead of on log-in I think it makes sense to have something like the document dispatcher. It has the same benefit of not needing a 50k query and there could be requirements set before you can get it, plus it might be easier to use the clickies to program it.

@Rendril: I imagine having someone else's cube grants you power over that person, if you know how to use it. Power over alts isn't that desirable, but ripping off newbies who might become powerful will be a problem.

@Shadowseeker: I used to have a puzzle like that: a set of 1³ cubes in various colors, which you could take apart and put together again, or combine multiple cubes into a bigger structure, eg a cross, a 2³ cube... Now I'll have to go and search boxes of old toys to see if I still have them.

[Grido]

RE: other people having your cube / giving your cube away

Well, this ~should~ mean that the player who has your cube has power over you, Khalazdad's cube for instance (not exactly the same thing, i know), meant that Yrth has power over that part of his soul.

[Udgard]

If I'm not mistaken, Yrth has control over Khal's soul because the white part was once sealed there (although historically the white part has merged back with Khal and was no longer inside the cube..). Well, not that I'm an expert at cubes, so maybe possession over a cube does grant power over someone. At least the BC/CC was gathering cubes for a reason.. Nevertheless, I think cubes should be untradable except under special circumstances,or people might start farming alts just for the sake of increasing the level of their cube..

[Liberty4life]

increasing level of cube? O.o i dont get point in here, combining cubes to get some kewl abilities? ofc everyone would start abusing, and well afaik cube is your soul, give it away and you are slave

[Rendril]

Some people are soulbound, it makes sense to me that they might share eachother's cubes.

Shadowseeker, I think your idea is a good alt-combat mechanism.
Show and record whose cubes your cube is comprised of, similarly to how WP's show who gave them.


The issue that still presents itself is the incredible influx of cubes for each new player.
Is it a problem that every player might have a cube item?

[Fenrir Greycloth]

If you give your cube away, why not make the person have " life and death control over you..." If that phease doesn't trigger a memory... Let me help.

It has to do with your brain, it's unbelievable and comes after five.

These people already have control over you, or so they aresupposed to( it is pretty much the other way around).

Let's develop mp6 a bit more!

[Muratus del Mur]

i have comissioned a cube puzzle to someone based on shadowseekers device. This will save me some time while it will still come out as i wish it to be. The work is in progress and looks good so far.

Storymode rewards will change to percentage rewards , but i have a dark thought to change profiles entirely , by removing attack, defence, and other skills and implement a much simpler and more intuitive way. Dont get scared yet. Once all the things come into place for these changes to happen i will do them realy fast.

I will try to do these changes without reseting anything dont wory. It will probably be an automated fix when you login, converting your current profile to the new one. I am not sure what to do about storymode, one option is to move ALL players to mp3 without resetting their stats at all, letting them get overpowered ... this might go well with skill caps on mp levels, an other change i am planning.

[Shantu]

Make the cubes untradeable or put a big warning about avoiding the trading of your cube because of your soul or something like that. Life and death powers over you, like others said and things like that.

The cube could be taken away when advancing to the next Mind Power level, maybe some kind of story could be written for it.

[Liberty4life]

nice to hear about update... just dont reset libs to mp3... it took a lot of effort to get there

[Kyphis the Bard]

Haha, Reset everyone to MP3, but don't touch their stats like Experience

People will be able to go almost straight back to whatever MP level they were, as well as get the cubes.
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I think the idea of using a system like the paper dispenser is a good idea, and if having had a cube generated marks your account in some way then you can just make the requirement that you have never had a cube generated.

Hehe, what about making it so that having someone cubes allowed you to choose who they were the adept/Worshiper of, and removed that ability to choose from the person?

And how about the ability for higher level cubes to use the original owners Principles to fuel Inner Magic spells (when they turn up)?

Oooooh... Second level cubes having the ability to pull heat from the original owner!
Hehe, maybe even higher levels could pull stats like AP, EXP, VIT, and VP?

Hmmm... How about for every level above first (or whatever) the cube expansion acts as an additional Erolin slot? Or perhaps they increase the maximum amount of principles a player can have? (Haha, Fractal Expansion )
Shame that this idea would encourage Alt farming >.<

Hmm... Why not make cubes from higher MP players or players with higher days more valuable? Oh, now THERE's a thought... why not make it so that if you have someone's cube you gain access to whatever they have purchased in the WP Shop for as long as you have their cube? And why not add "Cube Return" to the WP shop? That would be funny, if someone was using your cube to level theirs up and your cube suddenly returned! xp
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Okay, yes... I clearly like this idea....

[Sharpwind]

I like the whole idea, the story mode must get shorter cause lots of new players are leaving before it's finished

Since story mode changes will be happening ...

[b]why not put the under construction signs on the choices that lead to under construction parts of the story mode so no one gets stuck in the story mode ?[/b]

[Grido]

because there's only one route that isnt under construction, so everyone would go for it.

I say ''because'', there's more reasons, but that's a good enough one

[North]

Ok you might be right Grido...If i knew that only one path is completed and all the other under construction i would surely choose that one so that i don't get stuck..But since story mode is essential (it is the introduction to the game) shouldn't Mur have that as a first priority instead of creating  factions or achievements for example? I fully understand that he is overloaded with tons of things but that "under construction sign is really sthg frustrating to see. It leaves a bad impression especially for new players. In the end, choosing alternatives routes in story mode as it is now should not be encouraged, if no one intends to complete the unfinished parts of the story..

I do agree with the ideas Mur proposed..I would also support a even more drastic change since we are in the process of changing storymode..I never truly understood why all mp levels should repeat the same story...That is a personal opinion and i guess that it would involve great effort and time from Mur but i would like to see a different story on each MP level..The community could contribute as well (story,artwork) if sthg like that was requested.

[Sharpwind]

Thank you North !!!

What's the point of being stuck in the game or having choices that lead nowhere? it is a reason for a new player to leave the game

If not put an under construction sign on the choices that lead to under construction parts, make them invisible or finish the story mode making them active choices

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Also North is right about the story mode it is a bit boring playing the same story over and over again

Why not make a new story fpr every mp level [b]or[/b]

cut this story in 3 parts in order to place each in every mp level

For example
in mp3 play until you receive the cube
in mp4 play until you exit the cube
in mp5 play until you exit the carnival

[Grido]

i;m not sure you understand the concept of how much work is involved in doing each of the story branches....

so what? in mp5 everyone gets funnelled into the only route which isnt under construction? and nobody gets access to Necrovion or Marind Bell story mode areas?

new players dont get put off by that, because the routes are only under construction at mp5, by the time they get to mp5, they are no longer new.

[Sharpwind]

Well if a player follows the rules and the announcements, keeps the balance, has a good overall activity and wants to find out what happens in the story next,
then he'll reach mp5 very very soon and will get stuck in the story mode (probably as there's only one route not under construction)

And alas he will not know that mp5 is a jungle where vet-osaurs prey on the newcomers out of boredom,
there is no chance what so ever to defeat most of them or win the HC

and will probably leave (if he's bored or unwilling to make a new character)
or make a new character and stay mp3-mp4 forever or the most he can, if he's an addict to the game like me

I still see this player as a new player and a player like me
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I really don't know how much work is needed for it to be implemented (that's one of the reasons I suggested splitting it to 3 pieces the other is making it shorter for new players not to get bored from it) but perhaps it's more vital than other changes

[Liberty4life]

i will say that real newb that puts enough effort in game can reach mp5 in 2 weeks, actually i think we have many examples in here, every player that has dedication and potential can reach it but they dont click that one button that will make them mp5 becoz.. they heard wots up there, but that isnt point, point is that every new player can hit requirements for mp5 pretty fast and if he chooses to go to mp5 becoz of story he will do it, so... dont rush with conclusions, after all its a shame to lose such a player