8 replies to this topic

[Jergis]

-Riffing on a previous post of mine, i had something i wanted to ask the community.

Would players want to see a *minor* boost in non-combat skills based on the deity you follow? By minor, i really mean useful at low levels but negligible as you advance your avatar?

For instance, i can see the deity with the big forehead and mechanical limbs adding a slight boost to Library study and scrying, the giant apartment complex wielding the hammer gives followers a boost to smithing, the plant lady to alchemy or farming, etc.

Does this force players to play a certain follower type? I don't think so if done right. Other games have successfully introduced minor boosts to stats, skills, etc and not completely thrown off balance or population numbers. How much of a boost would be both rewarding yet scaling to power level, i'm not sure.

So what do you say, dear reader? Would you like to see something like this in-game or have you seen other games take this idea and do it better? Or are you fearful that you will overload one deity with more followers than the rest?

Jergis

[Dificeman]

Well not knowing exactly how the scaling system will work here is hard to say, however, in most I have played that give small boosts it is normally something like +5 or +10 in some areas. then again alot of them also had a negative effect to counter it as well + 5 in one area - 5 in another. I have never really had much of an issue with this. Long as people know upfront what boost and penalties they will be taking.

[Syndic]

I would like to see some bonus from your choice of Deity. Although I would see these bonuses come into effect onyl while in a territory controlled by your deity. No Bonus if in a an area of a Deity from the same organisation, and a negative if in the area of an opposite. Or something like that. Would really make claiming a new area an uphill battle. Maybe the negative would scale different to the positive.

I'm sure that Deities could also be in control of both an adventurer and crafter aspect that way Argon could maybe boost both Strength and Smithing, so even a pure crafter would have a reason for choosing 1 Deity over another.

As for all soldiers choosing the Deity that will benefit them best, isn't this the way it happens anyway. Would a soldier not choose a Warlord type of Deity over that of a Hippy styled Deity?

[Jergis]

-You're right about the geographic location, i think it'd be well-done to tie it this way as well as combat bonuses. Perhaps in one of those fancy Community Q&As we'll get more info.

Jergis

[mercero]

What about a devotion-based scaling buff? Picture as a reputation-like reward with your preferred otherworldly embodiment of goodness and smiting?

Character A has done many faith-specific quests for the all-powerful Forehead of Doom. He gets a scaled and impressive buff, regardless of basic level.

Character B has done far fewer tasks on behalf of the Great Smiting Condominium of Mightniness. He gets little or no buff, and must content himself with his secular talents.

This game was initially called Crusade, which to me evokes the struggle to advance the causes/fortunes of your faith for worldly and otherworldly rewards. Soldiers on both sides of the Crusades bore the symbol of their faith proudly, and attested to the power and protection if afforded them in battle.

Eh?

[Syndic]

I get worried though Mercero when a buff/bonus is given based on how much effort a player puts into something. It's not the bonus itself that worries me but that perception from some players that turns that option into a mandatory process.

I guess I look at this devotion in terms of faction as we see it now in games like WoW and EQ2. I hate grinding and when you find yourself doing the same thing over and over becuase your devotion marker needs to get from point A to point B it becomes something I hope the devs stay well clear of. You don't want the devotion to come too easily either, and too often devs see grinding as being the same as hard, and that just gets very annoying very fast.

Maybe if you used the dynamic quest system to give out deity quests, so players would not know when or where they would get one, and then reward them based on performance and time taken, it wouldn't be such a grind or abusable. I mean if I was one of these beings and I asked someone to do something for me, how quickly they dropped everything and helped me out would count for something.

[Razurescens]

I would like to see some bonus from your choice of Deity. Although I would see these bonuses come into effect onyl while in a territory controlled by your deity. No Bonus if in a an area of a Deity from the same organisation, and a negative if in the area of an opposite. Or something like that. Would really make claiming a new area an uphill battle. Maybe the negative would scale different to the positive.

I'm sure that Deities could also be in control of both an adventurer and crafter aspect that way Argon could maybe boost both Strength and Smithing, so even a pure crafter would have a reason for choosing 1 Deity over another.

As for all soldiers choosing the Deity that will benefit them best, isn't this the way it happens anyway. Would a soldier not choose a Warlord type of Deity over that of a Hippy styled Deity?

Hi,

I'm not sure that most soldiers would end up worshipping the warlord type. For exemple: a soldier that specs in tactics can maybe worship Xukiss (the great seeker of knowledge) if that gives a good bonus (maybe for cc). When specd in weaponry u can choose Ghazmok. That way the classes will be more equally spread.

The combinations of the race bonus with the deity bonus can maybe create a huge diversity, extra possibility for dual spec or so.

Razurescens

[mercero]

Great point Syndic. Quests that are conflicts of choice and timing are wonderful additions to any game. Unfortunately the proliferation of help sites out there will guarantee that the most efficient path to maxxing out your faith-quests will be learned before the game even goes live.

The best way to view it is to err on the side of fun. Perhaps your chosen deity's bonus/penalty depends on his or her mood... the devs did say that the gods are sometimes fickle, and their chosen representatives (in the form of the high priests) are even more so. What if we looked upon this as an opportunity and a blessing: you gain a certain level of faith/reputation, and the high priests send you out on quests in their own (often fanatic) interpretation of their god's will. During faith-based quests, the bonus is higher for the penitent than normal.

For events like those hinted at eslewhere (the gods war upon one another openly) perhaps all those quests you completed for your chosen power suddenly add up to a temporary but large bonus when you form a battalion with your fellow crusaders? One that is specifically tailored to the quest at hand?

Any thoughts?

[Vanpry]

I think some non combat bonuses would be a nice addition (special teleports, mounts, run boost) or even a xp bonus for controlled area. I would worry about giving combat or crafting bonus based on deity. I don't think it would force people to one deity over another but I think it would pressure people so then can get that bonus. Then you have to worry about balancing all the different deity bonuses.