Forums » Suggestions
First off, any suggestions for shortening the subject?
Second: Give established players (essentially anyone who has passed a certain point of grinding) the option to create new characters at a certain percentage of their highest characters achievements instead of always having to start out from the absolute bottom.
For instance, and to be clear, I'm not worrying to much about numbers at this point, it's the concept I'm trying to clarify:
1. John's most achieved character has levels of 10/10/10/10. If and when he decides to create a new character, and as long as he is not replacing this, his most achieved character, he is given the option of creating this new character at the levels 3/3/3/3 (or 4/4/4/4, or 5/5...etc).
2. John's most achieved character has levels of 10/10/10/10. These add up to a grand total of 40 "level point" which he can distribute 30% of (or 40, blah blah blah) to whichever levels he chooses. For instance, 4/4/2/3.
So why? Well, for a number of reasons:
1. I think it would foster a greater willingness to experiment with different character types. This will enable people who have already put in some time (considerable or not is to be debated) the ability to play around. One of the reasons I've brought this up is because for me, the game largely revolves around the Pirate role. Mostly because it's what I enjoy most of the game mechanics, but also because the payoff just simply isn't there for me to bother bringing up a new alt to RP some nationalistic role. I loathe having to shoot at Oruns with HX's. It's horrible, and feels like a complete and utter waste of time to me, making it hard for me to re-engage with the game if and when I've become bored of my pre-established characters.
2. It would entice players who have taken leaves of absences to re-experience the game. I know for sure that if I had this opportunity available to me after I took two years off, I would have most likely started out a completely fresh character in order to take full advantage of the new gameplay mechanics that had been put in place in my absence. Sure I would have used my main characters, but most of them I wouldn't put through the entirety of new missions and such (no way I'm gonna get Gavan's Itani standing high enough to take full advantage of many of the PCC's new missions for instance, it would ruin the effect).
Anyhow, numbers, exploits, drawbacks... debatable. Please have a go at it.
Second: Give established players (essentially anyone who has passed a certain point of grinding) the option to create new characters at a certain percentage of their highest characters achievements instead of always having to start out from the absolute bottom.
For instance, and to be clear, I'm not worrying to much about numbers at this point, it's the concept I'm trying to clarify:
1. John's most achieved character has levels of 10/10/10/10. If and when he decides to create a new character, and as long as he is not replacing this, his most achieved character, he is given the option of creating this new character at the levels 3/3/3/3 (or 4/4/4/4, or 5/5...etc).
2. John's most achieved character has levels of 10/10/10/10. These add up to a grand total of 40 "level point" which he can distribute 30% of (or 40, blah blah blah) to whichever levels he chooses. For instance, 4/4/2/3.
So why? Well, for a number of reasons:
1. I think it would foster a greater willingness to experiment with different character types. This will enable people who have already put in some time (considerable or not is to be debated) the ability to play around. One of the reasons I've brought this up is because for me, the game largely revolves around the Pirate role. Mostly because it's what I enjoy most of the game mechanics, but also because the payoff just simply isn't there for me to bother bringing up a new alt to RP some nationalistic role. I loathe having to shoot at Oruns with HX's. It's horrible, and feels like a complete and utter waste of time to me, making it hard for me to re-engage with the game if and when I've become bored of my pre-established characters.
2. It would entice players who have taken leaves of absences to re-experience the game. I know for sure that if I had this opportunity available to me after I took two years off, I would have most likely started out a completely fresh character in order to take full advantage of the new gameplay mechanics that had been put in place in my absence. Sure I would have used my main characters, but most of them I wouldn't put through the entirety of new missions and such (no way I'm gonna get Gavan's Itani standing high enough to take full advantage of many of the PCC's new missions for instance, it would ruin the effect).
Anyhow, numbers, exploits, drawbacks... debatable. Please have a go at it.
I like the idea! Especially considering how many times Inc has said "We don't want grinding"
I have a few more suggestions, but would like to get your opinion on them first. Please shoot me an email, my name @ gmail.com
I have a few more suggestions, but would like to get your opinion on them first. Please shoot me an email, my name @ gmail.com
Snax_28: Nice idea. But you made 1 mistake it should be 10/10/10/10/10. There are 5 license levels not 4.
I think you should be able to transfer combat, heavy and light weapons. Not trade or mining though. Those are to easy to get. But you need to grind the 1st 2.
I think you should be able to transfer combat, heavy and light weapons. Not trade or mining though. Those are to easy to get. But you need to grind the 1st 2.
I prefer Inc's idea of license exams; instead of amassing points to get your next license level, you have to pass an exam. This only makes sense for the combat licenses, though, but, as Jes said, trade and mining are easy to level.
The idea of an exam for higher combat/weapon levels is a joke. Stamp of approval for Gav's idea here.
I'm against it just because I don't think we should have any alts. One character per account. If you want another character, please deposit another $10.
I'm well aware that nobody agrees with me. So nyah.
I'm well aware that nobody agrees with me. So nyah.
I think that its a good idea, primarily because getting to Combat 3 is the biggest obstacle an alt or new person faces. Its hell. Its also why I don't use my alt too often.
How do you get that stamp of approval pic on a post? I would put it here:
(use imagination...)
(use imagination...)
What if the license system was simply scrapped? I'm serious.
To me the first levels are the easiest to gain...I dont really see the point of it. Gaining those fist levels is a lot faster once you know VO mechanics...
True, but going out and gaining them is still annoying as all Hell.
[quoted] What if the license system was simply scrapped? I'm serious.[/quoted]
no. The license system does a decent job of giving the newbies a chance to learn about things and hear 100 chatter before they go off and die immediately. We can't just scrap it without providing a viable alternative.
no. The license system does a decent job of giving the newbies a chance to learn about things and hear 100 chatter before they go off and die immediately. We can't just scrap it without providing a viable alternative.
Hmm, I don't like this, partially because I think that VO's license system is more than an analog of character levels in other MMOs. Otherwise I'd say this makes sense.
...I think that VO's license system is more than an analog of character levels in other MMOs.
Fair enough, but why does that make you oppose this idea? Do you think that there is an RP element to the initial licenses that would suffer if something like this were implemented?
There are also quite a few other analogies from other games that do something similar, allowing the player to pick up from any point along the path to completion (up to where they've travelled so far) if and when they decide to have another go from the start.
Also, and this may be an obvious point, but the player wouldn't HAVE to do this. They could still of course start from the very bottom of the pile if they wanted to for some reason, be it RP or something else.
Fair enough, but why does that make you oppose this idea? Do you think that there is an RP element to the initial licenses that would suffer if something like this were implemented?
There are also quite a few other analogies from other games that do something similar, allowing the player to pick up from any point along the path to completion (up to where they've travelled so far) if and when they decide to have another go from the start.
Also, and this may be an obvious point, but the player wouldn't HAVE to do this. They could still of course start from the very bottom of the pile if they wanted to for some reason, be it RP or something else.
I would prefer that faster level advancement for vets be addressed with difficult missions, that only highly skilled vets can complete quickly.
Bingo, Roda.
Let's say that the Serco nation develops a cool gun that only they can manufacture/purchase at HW 4. Itani nationalist player with HW 10 creates a Serco alt starting with HW 4, buys a few dozen mothloads of the cool serco gun, and distributes them within easy reach of Itani space for the rest of his guild to pick up.
Here's another one:
A UIT mission is developed which *must* be taken before the player reaches Trade 3 and represents a career choice which will affect the availability of high level missions later on in the player's career. A Serco player creates a UIT alt starting with Trade 4 and misses that mission entirely.
These examples probably aren't the best, but perhaps you can see what I'm getting at. In other MMOs increased levels mean your character has better abilities, here increased licenses mean your character has access to better equipment, career choices, etc... I'd be very careful with allowing a player to skip the initial levels as these may (eventually) represent critical formative stages for *any* PC.
Here's another one:
A UIT mission is developed which *must* be taken before the player reaches Trade 3 and represents a career choice which will affect the availability of high level missions later on in the player's career. A Serco player creates a UIT alt starting with Trade 4 and misses that mission entirely.
These examples probably aren't the best, but perhaps you can see what I'm getting at. In other MMOs increased levels mean your character has better abilities, here increased licenses mean your character has access to better equipment, career choices, etc... I'd be very careful with allowing a player to skip the initial levels as these may (eventually) represent critical formative stages for *any* PC.
Let's say that the Serco nation develops a cool gun that only they can manufacture/purchase at HW 4. Itani nationalist player with HW 10 creates a Serco alt starting with HW 4, buys a few dozen mothloads of the cool serco gun, and distributes them within easy reach of Itani space for the rest of his guild to pick up.
First off, I can't see why this is really a big deal. In your example it may expedite the process for sure, but if it's really that valuable of a commodity, then people will enable this workaround anyway, it might just take a couple hours instead.
A UIT mission is developed which *must* be taken before the player reaches Trade 3 and represents a career choice which will affect the availability of high level missions later on in the player's career. A Serco player creates a UIT alt starting with Trade 4 and misses that mission entirely.
See my point about players having the choice to start at the bottom. I don't think the existance of such a fork in the road should force people to start at the bottom. Give them the choice to play it out, or just choose those traits upon creation.
Roda:
I would prefer that faster level advancement for vets be addressed with difficult missions, that only highly skilled vets can complete quickly.
This is a neat idea, but I think it's slightly off topic. First I think there are some fundamental problems involving access to these missions. They would need to be only available to players who have other highly ranked characters, else beginners would take them and become frustrated. How would you position them in an RP sense, explaining that they should only be taken by players who are going through the motions a second time around, but in reality have the same levels as a proper noob? It would come across as a bit of a break in the experience.
Also, if you could rationalize this idea, I think it would probably work well together with this idea, for instance in the context of Phaser's second issue. If a player wanted to start from the beginning because of some career or moral choice they wanted to play through, again this would expidite the process.
First off, I can't see why this is really a big deal. In your example it may expedite the process for sure, but if it's really that valuable of a commodity, then people will enable this workaround anyway, it might just take a couple hours instead.
A UIT mission is developed which *must* be taken before the player reaches Trade 3 and represents a career choice which will affect the availability of high level missions later on in the player's career. A Serco player creates a UIT alt starting with Trade 4 and misses that mission entirely.
See my point about players having the choice to start at the bottom. I don't think the existance of such a fork in the road should force people to start at the bottom. Give them the choice to play it out, or just choose those traits upon creation.
Roda:
I would prefer that faster level advancement for vets be addressed with difficult missions, that only highly skilled vets can complete quickly.
This is a neat idea, but I think it's slightly off topic. First I think there are some fundamental problems involving access to these missions. They would need to be only available to players who have other highly ranked characters, else beginners would take them and become frustrated. How would you position them in an RP sense, explaining that they should only be taken by players who are going through the motions a second time around, but in reality have the same levels as a proper noob? It would come across as a bit of a break in the experience.
Also, if you could rationalize this idea, I think it would probably work well together with this idea, for instance in the context of Phaser's second issue. If a player wanted to start from the beginning because of some career or moral choice they wanted to play through, again this would expidite the process.
I think this could be worthwhile. It encourages the creation of alts which can be good or bad depending how you look at it. But many other games have a similar function such as "skipping the intro" and they seem to work alright. Gav's suggestion might become even more viable once the devs put in the new and improved newbie sectors. Why should we need to go through training again and again? Even giving us a start at combat 5 would be nice.
I really like this idea, but I should say that starting any higher than combat 3 seems a little extreme. Combat 3 is the big hurdle, the rest comes with a little HS. And it may be that assigning those points would work out better than just getting a baseline, it is as said very "worthwhile".