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[2019 Q1] How about some immersion updates?

 
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Vertas



Joined: 17 Jan 2004
Posts: 1168
Location: Ewa Beach, HI

PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 8:01 am    Post subject: [2019 Q1] How about some immersion updates?

Now I realize that this is just a text game, but to me what I love about it is the richness of depth that comes from RP. There are a few things though that are unrealistic and to me could be changed.

Food goes bad and it just disappears, why not have it decompose into something unedible?

Spellcasters can somehow aim their spells while blinded but yet it affects the ability to attack? Give spells a chance to miss while blinded, bring back protective shield protecting from dirt kicking, or give it a chance of blocking it.

The quest for Thalos is awesome, it adds lore and a reason for why stuff is the way it is. Can we get more like that? I'll have more ideas that are probably more aesthetic than anything else, but if it costs nothing and "makes sense" to everyone it can't hurt.

Also there are a couple of skills that are only really useful in specific circumstances. Continual light, etc. Can they be toggled to modify existing lights that are in the inventory and make them rot_death? Just the name of them, nothing like adding damage or anything that makes it OP.
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Vevier
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Joined: 23 Jul 2008
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:27 pm    Post subject:

Thanks for the suggestion! Go ahead and post some specific ideas and we can see whats easy to implement. I'm against filling peoples sacks with rot, though.

Davairus put a lot of work into the Thalos quest, so I'm glad you are enjoying it. Coming up with meaningful quests for an area is one of the hardest parts of writing it, so I look forward to seeing what ideas you players have.
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Davairus
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Joined: 16 Jan 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 10:14 pm    Post subject:

I'd like to respond specifically to the quest part.

Vertas, my goal for the quest system is two-fold. First, that you can pick up a simple grind quest that amounts to basically getting double exp for those mobs you kill (because the quest exp reward is equal to the amount of exp you got killing the stuff). Secondary is having an actual good story to go with that.

So what I am actually looking for at this moment is kind of, where to target. I targetted Thalos because I felt the level range could use the boost. Other than that, we have a series of simple grind quests ranging from mudschool, goblin task force, graveyard, and I think old thalos. I am not sure if we did oozes, but I know there is a grinder for the drkshyre wood spiders.

I am looking to make this a continuous available stream and I am honestly not sure where the track ends and resumes at this point. It seems like people are just grinding the same spiders through four levels or longer because we ran out of unique stuff to do. In that same area there is a marsh, ogres, forest five, etc.

So Vertas the question is what exactly should we really be trying to do next, because we can work on quests and lore and stuff, but it may be more important to address running out of steam in those levels first?
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hamsandwich



Joined: 08 Jan 2019
Posts: 241

PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 10:52 pm    Post subject:

I don't really have any meaningful input, but I still wanted to chime in and say that I have really enjoyed the quests in this game. I try to do them all. But by far, hands down, the absolute most fun and interesting one is the Thalos one you've all mentioned. I'm retarded tho and died at the end lol.

But if you're thinking of adding more quests I'm definitely on board for that. I'll try to contribute if I can!
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Davairus
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:09 am    Post subject:

Well I agree for sure, I'd like to build more quests.

Honestly, I'm thinking of just looking at how to calm my life the fuck down and just chill working on AR. Its not an expensive hobby. I'm annoyed that I didn't spend more time on that quest system. And I don't have much time to sort out where to build more quests to populate those barren <30 levelling ranges. I think we have a good run up to level 15, maybe? Let me know. I'm sure you guys level up all the time and can identify where you ran out of quests to do while levelling. I pretty much just need a level and an area and I can just get going.
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Vevier
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:07 am    Post subject:

In my recent leveling experience, the grind quests + the core threads like guild and shards can get you pretty far if you have a pet and merc. So those levels tend to fly by and you dont get much of a chance to savor the areas. Right now thats probably ok because the areas could use some love. That's where I think you are missing the immersion. Its not in the missing quest lines, its in the meta narrative of the area. For a good example we have farmers: most folks have a name and a hothead has a terrible poem to a redhead, it makes sense. Armageddon Sanctuary is another good example. On the other hand you have emerald, which has a couple of mysteries and arcane creatures but no mystery to uncover while you slay your way up the food chain.

Adding quests is intensive, but adding timely greets and emotes is cake. Keep in mind that we have had a lot of work put into building lore for areas from our mystics. If you havent tried to LORE a creature, you may be missing out. Other than that, I'm interested in thoughts about what's really going on in an area.
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beia



Joined: 18 Mar 2006
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Location: Texas

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2019 3:45 pm    Post subject:

I had thought of this a while ago, a pinnacle quest. A quest you have to do that is unique per class at level 49 before you can gain that last xp for level 50. I know that is pretty vague but I’m sure we could all get pretty creative and help with ideas per class.

Religion quests, I had a thread about this before but can’t seem to find it. It would be great if our religions were a bit more in depth as far as requiring some sort of quest line to get higher ranks in the religions. Perhaps unique religious specific armor would be the reward if someone in that religion has not already done it that cycle.
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Vertas



Joined: 17 Jan 2004
Posts: 1168
Location: Ewa Beach, HI

PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 4:30 am    Post subject:

I'll shoot the abandonedrealms email with some of the ideas I have, I do like the idea of more quests and feel like that's a great way to utilize the existing lore. Then again maybe it's better for quests and secrets to be completed by having to know the lore?
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Davairus
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:46 am    Post subject:

I don't really care to write religion quests so I won't be contributing there. A lack of enthusiasm will definitely detract from the result. Though I support having more, if it were my character I'm sure I would like doing them.

For me its really always been about Zaikkra. I introduced that and the summoning stones (representing the deadly sins) that unlock it into the game. That was the pinnacle quest as far as I am concerned.

I would therefore say the way I would probably like to go is just to look at each summoning stone and write lore quests that reinforce that.

I think one reason why Thalos quest works well is because it gives characters an interactive development so you understand them better. Gorylon was just sitting in keep of d'al kaddar, waiting to be whacked for eq before, and its like, who cares. You guys all know who Zaikkra is (I think) because I literally created a character and roleplayed it over weeks and weeks. The whole fell/abyssal crap we once did. A similar thing with our underworld demon bosses. It might have been nice to meet Vlad as a helpless noob paladin before he becomes the hoarding vampire badass we know. I dont really know what vlad is at all. Probably a solid general turned corrupted or somethin.

Not that I am feeling myself a prolific writer anymore but it really seems to give life to the game, at least for me, when the named mobs have a lot of shit to show you about them. Yeah we can do greet triggers. But for me its not the same as meeting Sorbus acting like a reclusive guy hanging out in the hood (victimhood), drawing your sympathy and motivating you to actually do his quest, despite his acting like an asshole, then he suddenly reveals villainy, and you're like " i fuckin knew it all along". Its even a teaching experience as much as it is meeting a lifelike NPC.

I guess what I am trying to say is I'd like to write more shit for low levels with mobs that arent currently well utilized. Like probably Arachnos or something. That area is a huge skippable wasteland, but actually should be the following area after oozes (because its RIGHT FUCKIN there). First thing you should meet is some lonely hermit obsessed with banging her (the sin of lust). Progress through the area and find him dead drained of blood at her feet. That could be a decent bread crumb on the way out to the mansion of malevolance. And spiders are such a common phobia that the area is naturally creepy without even needing to write much.

I fleshed out a very nice backstory for Vlad which we haven't fully built yet, so I will hit Kedaleam to see if we can finish that as well. But that was really targetted at higher levels, because there's not much point giving out Vlad quests to people who can't kill him anyway.

Stream of conciousness, sorry, but does this sound like what you guys are looking for? A solid Arachnos quest and a viable leveling area right there? Also would it be cool if you could align change yourself along the way on that quest as long as you were an eligible ambiguous race/class and no do-overs?
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Kedaleam
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Joined: 25 Mar 2006
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:52 pm    Post subject:

Just pick an active deity and maybe they will show you love religion-wise... Kedaleam is always taking followers.
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Vertas



Joined: 17 Jan 2004
Posts: 1168
Location: Ewa Beach, HI

PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2019 1:58 am    Post subject:

Are we at all opposed to using past HOE characters as mobs for quests? I think it’s a good way to honor them but also feel like we are assuming personality and intents if they have a script, I mean yeah there are backgrounds but I have some ideas for say the Mansion and can think of a few paladins or vampires like Nyemea/Luthir that really stood out. Does it break immersion if these characters existed after the creation of the mansion?

Just some examples. I have a few things jotted down that I’m going to send off in an email
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Nycticora



Joined: 09 Feb 2013
Posts: 2277

PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2019 9:32 am    Post subject:

I use dead chars as npcs, they don't need to be hoe
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