Continent Theme

kiri · Post by **kiri** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 7:19 pm

What theme should the new "expert" continent have? If a story, what kind? About what? If something else, please tell us.

Brodgar · Post by **Brodgar** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 12:58 pm

Preface: This suggestion isn't going to make anybody happy...

This belongs more in the other continent thread, but I have more faith it'll get read here, so..

If it wouldn't be too hard to code, since the entire point of this new continent is for it to be difficult and this means as Expressly as possible NO bots. No getting past the hard stuff and logging in and out to collect the treasure etc. The new continent should have !quit rooms. I'm tempted to say it should all be !quit, so that people have to travel to it each time they leave the game (thus helping to support keeping the community in Calathar) but that depends on how much of the continent would be !recall for one, and I also have an inkling people would throw fits if it was all !quit. (I'd say if you don't like it don't play in the hard parts, its for the MEN, WOMEN, and ITS, not the boys, girls, and its. But that's just me

)

We have lots and lots of areas for basic play now, so making it harder to twink should be a priority, and in the end will lead to less treasure nerfing.

Divebomb · Post by **Divebomb** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 1:13 pm

If we set a specific range of vnums (30,000 and up for instance) then we can do a check on quit that

Code: Select all

if player quits
{
   if  vnum of room you are in is > 30000
   {
       player's location = 28300 (recall)
   }
}

player quits

That makes it quittable but doesn't allow you to quit on the continent. It would be a way around no-recall rooms, though. I think this will depend on other code. (like keys that disappear on your quitting)[/code]

xorex · Post by **xorex** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 1:24 pm

This would be harder to enforce probably, but while we're at it can we throw in no alts?

RadicalEd · Post by **RadicalEd** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 9:20 pm

I'm happy there Brod

But also where did this idea of an "expert" continent come from? Granted I'm not disagreeing with the thought, it seems nice. Another thing is if its going to be an expert continent, it needs to be full proof of all the little tricks us (yes including myself) try and play, ie hp stacking. Therefore actually making it a challenge instead of another mob to run around and flay.

Stars · Post by **Stars** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 9:42 pm

Ok, for those of us who do not know what you are talking about, !quit means a "no quit" room? I'm all for it.

Everybody · Post by **Everybody** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 1:46 am

It's a code shorthand... ! is equivalent to "no" or "not" in a fair percentage of coding languages (i.e. != is "not equal to")... lots of those crop up when discussing code changes.
As far as I'm concerned, I'd actually rather have Dive's suggestion (quittable, but wind up at recall), if possible, even if it creates a way around !recall rooms. Regardless of whether or not that's a finalized implementation, I agree with the principle behind it... making it difficult to obtain the eq that's designed to be difficult to obtain (and, thus, usually imbalancing in one way or another).
The "expert" part of the continent came from the old thread, where, in the course of throwing ideas around, we suggested that, since we could (in ways) limit who could get there, and it would be difficult to get there anyways, we could create a subsection of the realms for those of us who're interested in more than pure hack 'n slash... i.e. puzzle areas, and areas where strategy and forethought become more important than they are generally now.

Divebomb · Post by **Divebomb** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 6:33 am

It is important to note that continent areas will be designed around puzzles and hard fights. They will not be meant for XP'ing. While it's undoubtable that people will gain experience, it will not be designed for the intent of mass slayings to gain levels.

If people want to XP there, they can, but it'd probably be more frustrating than profitable.

To address Rad's comment about restricting the cheap tactics, we may consider level restrictions in areas. This can be accomplished in more than one way, but certain areas, instead of just ranging a certain level, could literally only be accessible to certain level players.

As far as I know, the continent is meant for mortals only. Any code implemented in the continent is fair game in hero land and so heros get their own "continent" mixed in with the rest of the areas. This would also prevent "scouting" of the areas by AVATARs and other heros who do resort to said "cheap tactics".

RadicalEd · Post by **RadicalEd** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 12:05 pm

*applause* I love it! It will make me play a mort again

But i believe this idea is the best i've seen yet, and as I said in the weather post, if there's anything for me to do, i'm all for it, i need something more to do than idle at hr all day

Lairian · Post by **Lairian** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 12:52 am

Oh, and in case this wasn't accepted as a given...

All humanoids fully armed and armored, possably with inventory flags to keep cash flow down.

I mean, seriously, how many player character warriors are level 15+ without having all their slots filled?

*breaks out a picket sign, waves it about chanting*
Mob rights! Mob rights!

Divebomb · Post by **Divebomb** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 6:06 am

If illusion forced inventory-flagged equipment to go "poof", that would probably be implemented. Instead, it'll probably just be equipment that you wouldn't use. (Unless that bug gets fixed, of course)

Lairian · Post by **Lairian** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 1:17 pm

That's a nasty bug...

Joysinger · Post by **Joysinger** » Wed May 28, 2003 4:23 am

back to the original question: why not use an avalon theme? connection between worlds, etc. violet had this idea when the continent discussion came up first, i liked it. (i don't think she posts here, so i will)

please note that i don't want to have a strictly king arthur theme, but if we took avalon we could use it as the 'gateway' and would also have the option to enter our new 'continents' connected to areas br already possesses.

for example: you can enter camelot by coming from the seas of pirate lords (you didn't know this?

well you do now). to get to avalon you'd have to walk the way backwards maybe. (from seas of pirate lords to camelot = ok, from camelot to seas of pirate lords impossible, would lead to avalon instead with the possibility to get back to camelot from avalon same way). hardly anyone ever uses the path along the seas to get to camelot anyways. so it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to use this connection.

just vio's and my thoughts on this.

Lairian · Post by **Lairian** » Wed May 28, 2003 11:26 am

Things I would have never known without Joy. ^_^

On a side note, within most lore I've seen, the Astral plane is the plane of knowledge and intellect. It's also one of the few planes that touches upon all the others.

It could make sense to add an exit onto the Astral Plane area that leads to a hall of eldrich portals from which the player could step out into uncharted lands.

Or we could just makes more Jennys, give them names such as "Tylor the Irresponsible" and have them drive ships over a string of ocean rooms to a dock on foreign shores.

Everybody · Post by **Everybody** » Thu May 29, 2003 1:48 pm

So we can be stealing from original D&D instead of Dragonlance, eh, Stars?

Any case, I'd prefer the other continent to be just that - separate from what we already have, with specific ways built in to get there, sailing across boundless seas and whatnot. Personally, if you can just walk there from recall, it's not really much of a separate continent, more an extension of the existing one.