Herein you will find primarily information about the upcoming experience system change. (Note: Not an actual change to the experience system, but rather to the guild circling philosophy.)
State of Elanthia - Solomon Friday, 6/4/04, 4:30pm
Bubba brought the wrong CD from the office, so he kind of had to wing it. Melissa writes here State of Elanthia speech weeks in advance of SimuCon, while Bubba wrote his on Tuesday.
Things we will not talk about
Fight Club
Fight Club
The War
Staffing Changes
Fight Club
Necromancers
Rezz
Things we can talk about
Is Mikey really the mastermind behind American Chopper?
The socioeconomic ramafications of...?
New experience and guild requirements system
The CD had music, but there are no speakers, anyway.
Shifting requirements and backtraining due to changing guild gurus are a bad thing, so something new has been developed. The way you get experience is by bits (as in, bits of data). There are slightly more bits going from 1 rank to 2 than from 0 to 1. And there are a lot more bits between rank 100 and 101. Each guild will have a small set of core skills that make sense for that guild. Three or four skills. Beyond that, we split from ranks into a hybrid experience system. Beyond 30th circle, as long as you meet your core requirements, you'll just need some total amount of bits of experience in a given set, regardless of which skills. (No more top eight survivals and top six lores, etc.) This will enable different paths within a guild without having to establish different reqs. This will make things much easier for well-rounded characters, like Empaths who like to pop boxes. It avoids problems with new skills being added to the game, which otherwise could have a negative impact on reqs and skillset averages. It will ease the upcoming introduction of creating skills, etc.
Q&A
Q: Will this eliminate primary, secondary, and tertiary skillsets? A: No.
Q: How is this different from Moon Mage total survival ranks requirements?
A: (Towint) It bases off of bits instead of ranks.
Q: What about skills that do not count towards reqs, such as stealing for Rangers?
A: They will probably count again. Any maybe you'll get special abilities based on ranks of skills.
This will happen "soon." It's waiting on DR1 working on the DR2 engine. It's all coming slow and steady.
Q: What about TDPs?
A: This will probably not affect them.
It is true that a character who spreads their advancement over many skills will prably be at a higher circle, but be less effective.
Q: What about commoners?
A: Solomon wants more development for them. He wants to fix the gweth for them, maybe a predominantly commoner channel.
Q: If my survival is ahead of my lore, it doesn't help my lore?
A: Right. The skill sets are still separate. You mihgt get rewards for highly trained primary skills. Like an Empath with way more First Aid than she'll ever need to circle.
Q: What about overtrained tertiary skills?
A: You will probably not see similar benefits.
Q: How will I know I'm ready to circle?
A: The guildleader will tell you what you need more of. EXP will produce a new line of info about bits.
Q: Will extra ranks in a requird skill count towards the overall skill set?
A: We don't know yet. The bits will not count until you roll over a rank.
Q: What aobut ranks in skills that you can't learn anymore (like trading for non-Traders), or that you can learn only from classes (like TM)?
A: Those will probably count in their skillset.
Q: What about Paladins and stealing?
A: Solomon pulls the following out of the air: There could be some rogue guildleader that would let you circle.
Q: As a Warrior Mage, can I learn all my weapon ranks from one weapon?
A: Primary, secondary, and tertiary weapon reqs will probably stick around.
Q: How will the total number of bits requried by each guild compare?
A: It would be great if they were equal, but maybe they don't have to be. Remember, there are different numbers of skills in each set.
The GMs are currently working on "mission statements" for each guild.
Q: Mech lore split was announced two years ago. Now this. Are they on the same time frame?
A: Yeah, they're both waiting on DR2. This will come before the mech lore split. "Very soon."
Q: Before DR2?
A: No. Also, DR2 will still be called DR.
Q: Will there be less lag?
A: Yeah, it's really streamlined, already.
Q: When will Stormfront be available?
A: As soon as the new game engine comes out. The second level of testing begins next week for Premium and Plat. Also, Premium time will become cumulative for LTBs.
Q: Something with Clerics?
A: Rezz is out, you just haven't found it yet. Kidding! Actually, the countdown on the Forums has been the number of QCs until Ressurection is ready. It's down to 6.
All the GMs were called up, and they introduced themselves. Skiori acted as if his wrists were glued to his forehead, and he had to hit himself while he talked, and then spoke like Scooby Doo, and like a vampire, and with a falsetto, and with his lips clenched, and with his tongue between his teeth. You kind of had to be there.
Q: Animal lore?
A: Opening up for everyoe. It will be learned at the primary skillset rate for Rangers. It allows you to do things like skin an animal for multiple parts.
Q: Will other guilds get special primary skills?
A: Just Rangers. We hate you all. Actually, undecided.
(Jeremael) If we see something that fits, it may be. Case by case.
Q: What's larger, a war mammoth or a mumak?
A: It depends on the size of your font vs the size of your TV screen.
Q: When will the Premium time be adjusted?
A: Solomon needs to find out more about what it will entail.
Q: When can Plat get LTBs?
A: Never, you suck.
Q: Bloodlust and dual wielding?
A: Solomon has played with dual wielding. Bloodlust was having trouble with systems, and had the same code in DR and GS. It will be possible in DR2.
Q: P5?
A: Yeah.
Q: When are we going to see it.
A: The amount of work being relayed as complete was not entirely accurate. It needs a lot of work, but Lorien has the ball rolling.
(Lorien) Real soon now. Some time between tomorrow and the heat death of the Universe.
Q: Forced shift in Plat?
A: Dartanian took a vote. No.
Q: Plant Lore?
A: (the audience) It's called Foraging.
Q: Samatak?
A: It's a drug, and people had hissyfits. Solomon wants to put it into alchemy. You'll have to cook in a spoon.
Q: Will horse bugs be fixed?
A: Ceiswyn has it now, and it will be worked on.
Q: Can we have the Modus intoxication system?
A: A drunkenness system would touch every other system. To do it right, a lot of work is needed. Solomon would like to see it.
Solomon: Do you agree with the new experience system?
Audience: Yes!
Q: Boats?
A: Shipyards are almost ready.
Q: Smaller boats to be available?
A: Yes.
Solomon: Two more questions.
Q: Will careers still use TDPs?
A: No. They will use a non TDP form of points that don't exist yet.
Krinahd: I was over two thousand, you *******!
Q: Racial feats?
A: Under evaluation.
And that ended the session.
Sincerely,
David (Jolebin Swordstaff, Elemancer of Riverhaven)