I see where you're going with it. The lore of each race maybe your window of opportunity here.
Similar to the racial rings in eq2 for example, each race had a short set of quests if they wanted a ring/spell with cosmetic effects. No race would have the same cosmetic effects.
Perhaps it could be more fitted when it's poored into a ranking design of sorts? Where one can invest in the racial-bound lore and work their way up to some fluff things to show off.
That seems quite ok for those that want to invest in such a thing. Some repetition might not be avoidable, but then again, those players might not object to that (in these settings).
With each culture there is something that doesn't require killing or crafting, namely games. This could be designed so that you have to seek out other players of the same race, or look for npc of that race that are willing to 'spend time' playing that game with you. Perhaps some form of racial mini game can be set up? Two options; a reaction game and a strategic game for each race. This way at least two styles of players might get attracted to this concept.
With the npc's of all races being spread all across Terminus, this could hold some merit. Because you're not restricted to stay around your hometown for those racial games. Then again, there is no harm in keeping the hometowns a busy place with veterans and new players running around.
Ingame leaderboards or as mentioned earlier, 'status' linked cosmetics might inform others of your investment.
The main thing would be, not to design something that a player can do ones and have it over with. As it might feel empty and not well thoughtout.
I understand what you're doing, but during my game play sessions I don't want to be forced to do something that I don't want to do. However, if you like it enough, join and RP server with a guild that has these requirements and then you're all set.
If I have to repair armor, it's because I was using that armor and it took a beating.
If I have to pay rent for my house, it's because I choose to have that house.
If I have to spend 10 mins running to a dungeon, thats my choice.
Being forced to do something or be hindered if I don't doesn't appeal to me.
Rich in lore, yes but the mechanics as described sound a bit like "daily's" (dailies?
If this was tied to a perception trigger and instead of time spent doing the thing like dueling or paying taxes; an acknowledgment or ignoring of the perception trigger was the mechanic- maybe as simple as checking a box, this could accomplish the same end. After so many multiple box checks then the impact would start to build.
Possible exploit would be an avatsar circling a shrine multiple times in a loop to get repeated perception triggers just to be able to ignore them to force an event sooner. Maybe the event could be what is needed for a deity change or some benefit from ostracism like faction with another race, if the humans hate you, the rogues guild is now indifferent. The only way to prevent this is to make the perception triggers unique to one area and once triggered, cannot be repeated, so one would have to travel to all the shrines scattered throughout terminus (like the Knights tour in chess, that was fleshed out a bit in Oblivion: Knights of the Nine expansion), but this would not be doable for duels or taxes.
I think the only way to go is uniqie racial abilities. But that sounds like some good RP stuff, like at the end of a hard battle when we are encumbered and have to go to town to sell, or are camped out front of town because some have faction and one goes into town to sell for us, and you take a moment to stare at the moon, take off your armor, challenge the human to a duel (like Fezik in princess bride) and lose before you get killed, then, yeah, more power to you!
Kittik said:I understand what you're doing, but during my game play sessions I don't want to be forced to do something that I don't want to do. However, if you like it enough, join and RP server with a guild that has these requirements and then you're all set.
If I have to repair armor, it's because I was using that armor and it took a beating.
If I have to pay rent for my house, it's because I choose to have that house.
If I have to spend 10 mins running to a dungeon, thats my choice.
Being forced to do something or be hindered if I don't doesn't appeal to me.
Agreed. When it is my choice, I will put up with and go through quite a bit. Force me to do something and I will despise it.
As long as these tasks aren't mandatory ,but as an option to get in touch with your race's habits..
I'd be down with it.
Rituals,certain dances,worship ,upkeep of race related magical items
customs under which race specific gestures might fall,race specific interactions with each other,before dinner,..
Fluffy said:As long as these tasks aren't mandatory ,but as an option to get in touch with your race's habits..
I'd be down with it.Rituals,certain dances,worship ,upkeep of race related magical items
customs under which race specific gestures might fall,race specific interactions with each other,before dinner,..
AHHHHH PINK FLUFFY UNICORNS DANCING ON RAINBOWS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-xWhG4UU_Y
I like the idea. The "penalties" you're sugesting don't seem to be very harsh, just a little flavor. No more intrusive than having to eat and drink.
What if after the actions were performed a minor racial buff was given as well? Such as the 10-second moon stare for the elf grants a small mana regen bonus.
So what does a player actually get out of it? It seems like an unnecessary system that only penalizes players. There's no benefit to doing any of this, only another time/resource sink that penalizes you if you don't participate. Sounds like the opposite of fun, especially considering every minute they spend on something like this, that doesn't seem to have an actual value, is a minute they aren't spending on something core to the game.
I might be misreading the OP but, it seems quite a few are missing the point here. It's not meant to be a groundbreaking game defining task for each race.
To my understanding it would just be something additional and totally optional for each to do outside of combat.
What would each race get out of it? We'll have to see what the race reveals offer.. but there is potential there since not all stats will be evenly divided amongst all races.
This in combination with your chosen class, it could be something fun to do and those that go for min max might find it rewarding to get that last bit of boost.
Even without actual use, this could be just to have fun and dive into the lore of the race and make yourself known within that race. Again this could be with cosmestic items or other fluff things...racial access or housing benefits, purchasable pets or what not. As long as it fits into the race itself.
It is clear so far, that many do not enjoy the idea of HAVING to do additional stuff, but this would (to my understanding) be just optional.
So the question might become; Would you explore this aspect of your racial lore...on occasion or at least ones? Or what would it really require for you to do so?
I like the heart of this concept. To me it harkens back to having the feeling of being a dwarf through and through. Hunting in butcherblock mountains, bringing the spoils of war back to the mountain city of Kaladim, and training with the elders in the temple. Once my adventures took me to distant lands I rarely took the time to return back home. While the spirit of my character started being a dwarf first and an adventurer second, that dynamic flipped over time. While I questioned my priorities, I am a mechanic-driven player and there was no incentive to return home except for the occasional quest drop-by. The dwarves were loyal and would never sour on me for spending all of my time and efforts in distant lands. This is how I relate to the mechanic you suggested abd hopefully it's not too far off the mark from your vision.
Getting back to your specific suggestions - a "task" to be performed. If we're being required to perform tasks there should be some choice involved as others have indicated. I wouldn't like to be told that upon logging in my character has decided they need to get in touch with their roots. That's the character making a decision rather than me. However, that doesn't mean the concept must be abandoned. I think you just need to adjust the mechanic that kicks it all off and base it on an action the player chooses to do.
I don't have a perfect answer by any means, but I'm going to run with your concept for a bit in a different direction...
Tied into the faction system is a maintenance concept. If you're a dwarf who ventures off into the world and works your way up the ranks of a human colony (via their faction system) then two things happen - you feel like less of a dwarf and the dwarves see you as less of one also. This is manifested as a nonpermanent faction hit to the dwarves. You can take a pilgrimage back home, do some mining based quests, pray at and financially support the temples, or whatever else to get back in the good graces of your dwarven brethren, restoring the faction hit... But maybe you actually don't care what the dwarves back home think. Maybe you're fine with letting them forget you. Unless you take actions that actively yield negative faction hits (killing dwarves and their allies), they will never become aggressive to you when you return, you just won't be welcomed with open arms.
This would provide an ever-increasing (linear, exponential, or whatever depending on implementation) time cost associated with maintaining your list of high faction standings. If you want to be in the highest graces of the dwarves, humans, dark myr, ogres, dragons, cultists, etc., then you are going to have to put in some real time showing that you care. If you just care about one or two factions at a time, then you won't have as tough a time of it. Maybe a progeny mechanic could play well with such a concept.
Hope you all keep suggesting new concepts to brainstorm and consider. It's always fun to think creatively :).
Barin999 said:To my understanding it would just be something additional and totally optional for each to do outside of combat.
I might be misreading the OP
You are. If it's totally optional, why are there consequences if you don't do it? How is being required to pay a tax a fun idea?
Alexander said: This could add to immersion or simply be too unfun. What if -some- races were expected to regularly do certain things beside adventure? For example, what if Ogres were expected by their city to /duel someone once a week?Easy and fun to think of things for each race.
These sorts of things might simply be not fun, or maybe the chuckle out of being forced to duel as an Ogre could draw us a little more deeply into Terminus and add another dimension to the RP of MMORPG. Consequences could be different for each race.
I suppose that's what Im really after - to minimize the "re-skinned" quality of playing as different races.
Faction differences are huge and help a lot, but here's just a random little idea also in service to immersion. This sort of thing would have to be very creative to not just be downright unfun.
@Keno Monster I see what you're saying there. Perhaps I was tuning into the broader idea.
As I mentioned before, if it's a obligation with detrimental effect if you don't do it.. I'd pass on that designchoice as well. However, I do see some foundation there to create something new. And it's that aspect of the OP that I went along with. The underlying suggestion being: find something fun and racial bound to do while out of combat. This to increase your connection towards your character and its race AND to really dig deeper when it comes to player difference when look at racial gameplay experience.
It was not the suggestion to design something to be tedious and "unfun". Consequences might be translated into, what possible ingame effects would you be missing out if you didn't do it? And what would be required to balance out; being fun to do and slightly beneficial versus obligatory routines or lose important things if you don't. That balance could transform the view from risking negative consequences into..well it's fun but I'm not harming my character if I don't do it. It's a nice addition and puts more flavour into the game's races but if you still have the choice to dismiss it and lose little to nothing.
So here is the OP calling out for remarks or further ideas to consider such content and work out some more suggestions to make it fun, keep it fun and immersive.
If the task I'm required to do by the race I want to play isn't something I want to do, that just means I have a choice between not playing what I want or completing a task repeatedly I don't want to do.
Unless you just make this a purely reward system (no detrimental effects) and the rewards are something like cosmetics that have no actual bearing on gameplay.
Manouk said:Rich in lore, yes but the mechanics as described sound a bit like "daily's" (dailies?
If this was tied to a perception trigger and instead of time spent doing the thing like dueling or paying taxes; an acknowledgment or ignoring of the perception trigger was the mechanic- maybe as simple as checking a box, this could accomplish the same end. After so many multiple box checks then the impact would start to build.
Possible exploit would be an avatsar circling a shrine multiple times in a loop to get repeated perception triggers just to be able to ignore them to force an event sooner. Maybe the event could be what is needed for a deity change or some benefit from ostracism like faction with another race, if the humans hate you, the rogues guild is now indifferent. The only way to prevent this is to make the perception triggers unique to one area and once triggered, cannot be repeated, so one would have to travel to all the shrines scattered throughout terminus (like the Knights tour in chess, that was fleshed out a bit in Oblivion: Knights of the Nine expansion), but this would not be doable for duels or taxes.
I think the only way to go is uniqie racial abilities. But that sounds like some good RP stuff, like at the end of a hard battle when we are encumbered and have to go to town to sell, or are camped out front of town because some have faction and one goes into town to sell for us, and you take a moment to stare at the moon, take off your armor, challenge the human to a duel (like Fezik in princess bride) and lose before you get killed, then, yeah, more power to you!
I am diametrically opposed to daily/weekly tasks as they pertain to acquiring gear/currency. They always feel like a chore and are usually cookie cutter tasks that require me to collect 20 bear asses once a day/week just to keep myself relevant. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TwentyBearAsses