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I wanted to clarify several points once again as reallocation is looming very near. This is lengthy, but should clear up rumor and assumptions fairly accurately.
1) The reason for reallocation.
The reason for reallocation is not to destroy your characters. Reallocation is here because we can not adequately balance systems against each other to provide adequate playability and enjoyment without it.
2) The reason for doing away with professions.
Since we had to rewrite many of the basic game systems in order to allow for reallocation, we have updated the original concept of the game. In the beginning, this game was designed for novice text-based RP gamers and every system was designed for ease of use over sticking to conventional methods of developing a text-based RP game.
The game wound up drawing in far more experienced, talented, (dare I say intelligent?) and hard-core gamers than ever anticipated, and these players now make up our core of subscribers.
A less restrictive, more open training system is being adopted as a result. We are now assuming that our players are talented enough to train themselves with less guidance, allowing them to decide in greater detail thier characters abilities, strengths and weaknesses.
What is in store for the future?
We will not stop developing the game when reallocation rolls in. Nay, this is only the beginning of our new, fresh outlook as game developers. With reallocation, we can stop with the excuses and start turning out new systems, skills, abilities, and fixing the broken ones.
There are many illogical things in game which range in scope from just not seeming right to destroying some peoples ability to stay focussed on playing the game. These things will begin to change in order to enhance gameplay rather than detract from it.
The campy atmosphere will remain in tact whenever possible, but greater width and breadth will be added to the gaming environment.
Our approach to balance.
Our goal as far as game mechanics is to balance skills logically. There will be no "best" weapon type, no "best" method of training, and no "best" tactic for using any combat based system. If you find a "best" anything, expect us to treat it as a bug, or unintentional side effect to be squashed.
This is not to say that all methods of training, and all tactics will allow you to progress, there are many ways to train which are completely illogical, and which will eventually cripple your character. For this reason, there will be methods of re-reallocating your character if you ever find that you are in this boat.
A special note on warriors.
In other games, warriors, and those of who choose the path of physical training always end up being terrible characters in the long run. Spells, special abilities, and effects granted to other professions and trades wind up being far more potent after a time. High level area effects, attacks which do multiple damage types, magical armors, healing, etc... are examples of these in most games.
We are taking special care and will be granting non-traditional skills and abilities to those who train in the physical realms so that they may continue to play without winding up as the "warrior waterboy" to the mystical and magically inclined players.
The game is constantly under development.
Just because things or conditions exist today, does not mean they will still be that way tomorrow. Unlike a "boxed set" or "pre-packaged" game you might purchase off of a store shelf, our game is being developed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Those who train to take advantage of present conditions, and who do not consider that the game is constantly being developed will likely get really mad about this fact at different points in thier stay here. If web is overpowered, and you train solely to get web, develop all your tactics around web, and come to rely too heavilly on web, and then web is changed... yer gonna be mad.
This phenomenon has happened many times in many games. In this game folks trained to take advantage of a ranged weapons bug, web, brawling, alchemy, magic, storytelling, balancing, and many other things that have popped up from time to time.
For this is why I am strongly stating that if you find a "best" method of hunting, consider it a bug that will be squashed. If you train to take advantage of that "best" method only to find that it no longer exists, after reading this warning, then you can not say you were not warned.
What does skill "X" do, and what good will it be after reallocation?
Once again, the game is constantly under development. A skill which seems mostly useless today may become more important in the future. A skill which seems very potent compared to other skills may change at some point in the future. They will balance out eventually to provide for greater game playability.
If as of today, someone were to discount training in tumbling, dodge, armor, BC or adrenals based on thier present state of being underdeveloped systems, I would consider it a mistake. We will be offering methods for retraining your character after reallocation ends, so that if at any point in the future you wish to try something different, you may do so.
If a great enough change happens in game mechanics, we may offer reduced penalties for reallocating in game when these systems are released. Lats say you simply hate how slowly Adrenals is being developed, and really wish you had picked something else. There will be options, quests, and methofds for you to change how you wish to train. You will NOT be stuck with how you train after reallocation! I can not state that strongly enough. Your character will NOT be permenantly locked into your training choices!
That's all I can think of to say at this time, and I hope it reminds those who are feeling the "reallocation fear" set in that things are not as permenant, or as dire as they seem.
GM Melatha
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