[crossfire] The future of Crossfire

[mail-lists+cfdev at dogphilosophy.net]

On Thursday 07 June 2007, Mark Wedel wrote:
[...]
>   I'm not sure if this would solve the problem being asked, but I wonder if
> just allowing save locations to be persistent (not reset to last savebed)
> anyplace outdoor on the big world would basically fix the problem?

Actually, it would, at least in terms of what *I* was thinking about (not sure 
about the others who've brought up similar topics).

[...]
> > That also opens up some possibilities for plotlines - what happens when
> > someone joins the assassin's guild and then changes their mind and joins
> > some other class organization?  From then on, they're hunted by NPC
> > members of the assassin's guild...("But if you deliver a ransom of 10000
> > platinum to so-and-so in such-and-such a room, you will be forgiven.")
>
>   Maybe if actual class guilds are added to the game.  Right now, there
> really are not any class guilds - there are general guild houses, but those
> just require some number of characters to start a guild.  The dragons
> effectively have a guild, but no one else does.

That is actually what I had in mind (of course that goes right back to the 
problem of people needing to make maps for it...)

>   And unless these in game/class guild have various special benefits, you
> may get a case where there just isn't a reason to join them.  If you
> already have the fighter skills, and have joined the mage guild for more
> spells/skills, you could just be a member there even though you are
> effectively a fighter.  So unless the guild grants some bonus or special
> training, may not add a whole bunch.

That, also, is what I had in mind.  In essence, the "hall of selection" right 
at the beginning ends up only equipping the character with a few basic, 
comparatively generic skills to get started.  To differentiate more and gain 
particular special abilities, the player goes and finds one of the more 
specialized "guilds" to join.  Each one might conceivably have a variety of 
specialized and unique abilities or skills that it grants.

To prevent abuse - each guild might cost the character a flat percentage of 
their experience (and joining one would typically invalidate membership at 
another), so it's not hard to "dabble" at low levels, but by the time you 
reach high levels it becomes a serious penalty to switch.  

Basically, the idea would be to give another way to provide major differences 
between the characters besides "race" - and one that can occur during play 
rather than prior to it - which would also add more color and background to 
the world setting at the same time.

You could even have some "guild" classes that are allowed only to particular 
diety-worshippers, some perhaps only switchable to from others (so some of 
the current 'mixed-skill' classes in the hall of selection e.g. Paladins 
might only allow fighters or priests to join [they give up being a 'mere' 
fighter or priest to become a 'paladin']).

Basic, simple "guilds" could either be pre-existing in the hall of selection 
("Figher, Priest, Thief, Sorceror" - a nice, simple set of selections) or 
immediately accessible near the starting point in Scorn or Navar, while the 
more esoteric ones are placed in harder to find areas.

>   I think the past it has been discussed that the different classes
> determine what skills you start with, as well as major/minor skills - major
> skills gain exp faster, etc, and there is no way to get a minor skill to a
> major skill (skill scrolls would only give minor skills, etc).

Each guild/class could have a table of skill experience modifiers (skills not 
listed in the table default to "100%" i.e. character gets normal experience 
for that skill).  Essentially "forbidden" skills are set to 0% - the 
character MIGHT have some points left over after paying the "join the class 
guild" experience penalty, but would not advance any further.  Especially 
favored skills might be set to %200 or something of the sort.

Yeah, I know, more hardcoding, but at least it would be applicable to all 
characters...I wouldn't EXPECT this to be too hard to add (would it?), but 
then, I'm a minimally-competent C programmer and haven't actually looked at 
the experience-awarding code directly...

>   I'd also perhaps be nice for most skills to grant special abilities at
> certain points - maybe bonus hp or mana, bonus spell, etc.  That could
> certainly come later, but that could also be used as a balancing point to
> some degree.

Agreed - this could also be a mechanic of the class/guild itself.

I'm going to have to try to learn map-making...