[CF-Devel] Future crossfire changes/projects

[Joel South]

     I am in favor of the unified outdoor scale,I like the totally unified
scale,but i'm just afraid it might take too much work. But,if the
developers say then can do it,i'm for it. The main continent is currently
too small,and I don't think blowing it up 4 or 5 times bigger will help a
great deal. Also,if the main continent is made larger,inns along the main
roads would be cool. 
    Also,night and day and weather would be nice. Perhaps certain weather
conditions would make it harder for players,besides adding effect.
Blizzards would hurt the player,rain would slow them down,sandstorms would
hurt also. Perhaps the player could even catch hypothermia from the
cold,or pneumonia from the rain. The nice thing about night and day is how
it could work with certain quests or map,such as a warehouse in scorn. The
one with the vikings versus the pirates. A sign says the arena(the
warehouse)opens at 6:00. 
   Moving areas are very nice as well. Cost is imparative traveling with
ships,especialy dragons. If the totaly unified scale were to be used,it
would be cool to see the ships sailing by as you stood somewhere on the
continent. 
   Alchemy could be improved as well. Potions should be improved also,as
stated before. Certain things are annoying,such as the sea or rivers being
treated as walls. Perhaps to swim through these,you should have to know a
skill swimming. Dipping a bottle in a stream or a fountain should create a
bottle of water. The problem of bottles being hard to find could be solved
by making a glassmaker's shop,or at least a table that creates glass
bottles. These bottles could be filled with different
liquids:water,poison,swamp lush,etc. Even have indestructable bottles that
can contain lava. There should be the option of dumping the bottles,if you
have no others on hand. I just really hate searching every city in
crossfire to find something as common as water,and this seems like a good
improvement.
   I think soundtrack should be things such as background sounds,like a
bustling town,a river running,the splash of waves against the shore. But
I guess there could be music,like certain ones in certain caves,or
fighting a powerful monster,etc. Its a pretty interesting thought,but
should be optional. 
  Short movies would be nice. Such as one when fighting a powerful end
boss,like Hanuk. This would be excellent for certain quests.
  Communicating with NPCs needs much improvement as well. Communicating
with other players is good as it is,but here's a suggestion for realism.
Perhaps certain characters would have better hearing ability,like they
could hear what someone says from 10 speaces,while another player can only
hear from 6 spaces. This would even fit in well with hiding,a thief could
be caught if a player heard him. This would be useful for a totaly unified
scale.
  Also many of the classes need to be given better benifits,the thief
skills should be worth more than they are now. I mean,i never use hiding
or stealing. What about singing and oratory,those skills are nearly
worthless,i never use them. Btw,is it possible to move around when
hiding,without being discovered? As for karate,i have suggested "karate
moves". People say this will be too hard to code,but i have made
suggestions. Why not make a command like this:perform lunge puch;side
kick;open hand block. I think karate moves would add a lot to the fun
element. Oh,and i thought of a useful thief skill,one that handles poison.
The player could make poison tipped bolts and arrows,weapons with poison
attacks,poisoned drinks,etc. But,the thief would have a chance of
poisoning himself,stabs finger with bolt,etc. The higher his level in that
field,the less chance of getting poisoned. 
  I think players should have reputation. A player could
be known for player killing,causing guards to attack him whenever he goes
to scorn. Bounty hunters might even be sent after him. Shopkeepers would
even refuse trade with him. But i think his reputation would be like that
in only certain areas,and would only get that reputation for repeatily
player killing. If he commited these crimes only in scorn,he would only be
known as a murderer in scorn. Also,attacking townspeople may give him a
bad rep as well. 
 Of course,with bad reps,comes good reps. Doing good deeds would earn you
a reputation as a hero. But becoming too popular can be bad. Perhaps the
local king may see you as a threat(depending on the local king's
personality),sending assasins on your trail. Gaining another rival king's
favor may result in you becoming a traitor in one city or country. Certain
reps would work differently with different people. Thieves might like
fellow thieves,troublemakers would fear or hate heroes. 
          
                                        Joel Southall