Terraforming Updates - August 2013

TectonTecton The Garden of the Gods
It's been a few months since my last update on various development projects, so here is a quick round-up of a few things you can expect in the coming weeks:

Newbie experience overhaul
  • A completely new, streamlined intro is well underway. The aim of this is to get players into the "real" game sooner, while still providing a fun and immersive experience.
  • A massive overhaul of newbie tasks, a tiered system that unlocks as new players learn the basics of Achaean life.
  • Redone character creation is coming soon, allowing the proper amount of time/information to make an informed choice about their character. Phase 1 of this is already in, with the new graphical portion in the HTML5 client, but this will go even deeper as we release the new intro/task systems above.
Classleads
  • Priest and Paladin classleads are underway! Similar to the Occultist report, there will be some exciting new changes (especially for Priests) that add some more depth and potency to the class, while still retaining the established lore and focus.
Bashing rewards overhaul
  • The team has been hard at work on developing a new system to expand bashing rewards beyond gold and experience. That's all I'm going to say on this one, you'll have to wait and see this system in action in the very near future.
City Destruction / war changes
  • We've got some tweaks in the "design" stage here, aimed at making the system a little more fun and balanced for attackers and defenders alike! The ACC is currently mulling it over, but I'm going to post the discussion in a more public forum soon, allowing everyone to comment and help shape the overhaul.

Of course, this isn't all that's happening, with many fun and exciting RP situations occurring across Sapience and beyond at any given time.

I'm going to leave this thread open for a few days, feel free to ask any questions you may have about the above, or anything Achaea-related at all, and I'll do my best to answer them.

Comments

  • When are you all looking into extraction?
    meh


  • TectonTecton The Garden of the Gods
    edited August 2013
    Trilliana said:
    When are you all looking into extraction?
    Once we've gone through all of the outstanding classleads, we'll come back and pick up some of the other class changes that have come up during this process. 
  • Awesome, thanks!
    meh


  • AchillesAchilles Los Angeles
    Tecton said:

    City Destruction / war changes
    • We've got some tweaks in the "design" stage here, aimed at making the system a little more fun and balanced for attackers and defenders alike! The ACC is currently mulling it over, but I'm going to post the discussion in a more public forum soon, allowing everyone to comment and help shape the overhaul.

    I meant to write a long post about some changes but been too swamped the past month to elaborate.  My thoughts were to treat the "Soldiers" of a city more like a High School or College treats one of their sports programs.  Create a more party duel type format so the numbers are even (thus more fun).  This has a side benefit of balancing out the combat in each city.  What can't make the Varsity team of Ashtan?  Maybe you'll move to Hashan if you love combat enough.  Class composition itself will also balance itself out, the Minister of War is going to pick a balanced roster that gives them the best chance of victory.  The largest cities will still have an inherent advantage (their top 5% is the top 20% in a much smaller city for example) but at least its not a complete effort in futility.
    image
  • ShirszaeShirszae Santo Domingo
    How much down the line is serpent classlead?

    And you won't understand the cause of your grief...


    ...But you'll always follow the voices beneath.

  • TectonTecton The Garden of the Gods
    Shirszae said:
    How much down the line is serpent classlead?
    Paladin, Priest, Runewarden, Sentinel, Serpent, Shaman, Sylvan (alphabetical order)
  • TectonTecton The Garden of the Gods
    Tirac said:
    Is multiclass still on the way?
    Yes, some time in the future.
  • Out of curiosity, is the Shop of Wonders going to be updated any time soon?
    If you need me, you can find me sporadically on the Achaea Discord as Yae. 
    Do not DM on forums unless you're ok with waiting a couple months!
  • TectonTecton The Garden of the Gods
    Yae said:
    Out of curiosity, is the Shop of Wonders going to be updated any time soon?
    Next time we do a crown sale, yes.
  • MelodieMelodie Port Saint Lucie, Florida
    edited August 2013
    Eeeeeee I'm so excited for the changes! Especially classleads for priests - I can't wait to see what they bring in. :D

    For the war system changes, is that discussion going to be on the leaders board, or somewhere on the general forums? For all the tasks changes, will older adventurers be able to do all of those again, as well?

    Edit: Smily needed to express excitement.
    And I love too                                                                          Be still, my indelible friend
    That love soon might end                                                         You are unbreaking
    And be known in its aching                                                      Though quaking
    Shown in this shaking                                                             Though crazy
    Lately of my wasteland, baby                                                 That's just wasteland, baby
  • I'm glad to see the continued push for improvement in all areas.  I'd given up hope for awhile but this past year has proved a very strong upturn.
  • TectonTecton The Garden of the Gods
    Melodie said:
    Eeeeeee I'm so excited for the changes! Especially classleads for priests - I can't wait to see what they bring in. :D For the war system changes, is that discussion going to be on the leaders board, or somewhere on the general forums? For all the tasks changes, will older adventurers be able to do all of those again, as well? Edit: Smily needed to express excitement.
    - General forums for the War system changes
    - Older adventurers will be able to do the newbie tasks, yes.
  • Omg! Multiclass! Whee! I am excited
    Commission List: Aesi, Kenway, Shimi, Kythra, Trey, Sholen .... 5/5 CLOSED
    I will not draw them in the order that they are requested... rather in the order that I get inspiration/artist block.
  • Tecton said:

    Bashing rewards overhaul
    • The team has been hard at work on developing a new system to expand bashing rewards beyond gold and experience. That's all I'm going to say on this one, you'll have to wait and see this system in action in the very near future.
    ...!

    Yay! Anyways, is this intended to be a change for dragon-level people, or will the rewards overhaul encompass things for players of all levels?

  • Ahh, to clarify, eventually it will be something for players of all levels. Initially it will be area-specific, and so only for people who bash those areas.
  • Sarapis said:
    Ahh, to clarify, eventually it will be something for players of all levels. Initially it will be area-specific, and so only for people who bash those areas.
    Aetolia style hunting grounds would be interesting.
  • I'm excited to see the Paladin changes and find out how close my guesses for what will be changed are.

    Are there any plans to do an artefact discount sale before the end of the year?
  • I'm as excited about multiclass as the next person, but it was previously listed as "distant future", and since it's taken over a year for this "round" of classleads, I can't see it being enough of a priority to make it in before like next March.

    1) We could already use another classlead round
    2) The implications of multiclass will change the nature of the House system for starters. A lot to take into consideration IC before  it happens.

    I am excited though.
    It'll mean more lesson spending, more artefact purchases, less artefact trade-in... good things for IRE.
    It will mean less alting, and less class rp... good for us.
    I like my steak like I like my Magic cards: mythic rare.
  • ShirszaeShirszae Santo Domingo

    @Xith Multiclass does and will probably not change much or anythin about class rp. Not like people bother to roleplay their class for the most part, sadly. I expect things will continue very much how they are. Those who care will find a way to roleplay it, those who don't will continue to talk about resetting legs and mechanics on city channel and will only care about the combat aspect of things.


    And you won't understand the cause of your grief...


    ...But you'll always follow the voices beneath.

  • Primarily I meant the compulsive need to act a certain way because of a person's profession. e.g.
    jester = silly
    occultist = snooty
    serpent = grintoomuch
    druid = hug trees/people
    shaman = do rituals
    monk/bm/runie = anyexcusetokillstuff
    etc.

    After multiclass, we can all be all of those things :D
    I like my steak like I like my Magic cards: mythic rare.
  • ShirszaeShirszae Santo Domingo
    Xith said:
    Primarily I meant the compulsive need to act a certain way because of a person's profession. e.g.
    jester = silly
    occultist = snooty
    serpent = grintoomuch
    druid = hug trees/people
    shaman = do rituals
    monk/bm/runie = anyexcusetokillstuff
    etc.

    After multiclass, we can all be all of those things :D
    Ah, I partly understand what you mean now. The problem is people pay too much attention to cliches. 

    And you won't understand the cause of your grief...


    ...But you'll always follow the voices beneath.

  • edited August 2013
    @xith

    Totally agree! And titles such as bard-priest/knight/monk would make more sense.   I can cease the making of alts and have actually started considering if alll my characters are necessary!

    My druid does not hug trees though. She is a tree. :D
    Commission List: Aesi, Kenway, Shimi, Kythra, Trey, Sholen .... 5/5 CLOSED
    I will not draw them in the order that they are requested... rather in the order that I get inspiration/artist block.
  • FitzFitz Fire and Spice
    Arditi said:
    Primarily I meant the compulsive need to act a certain way because of a person's profession. e.g.
    jester = silly
    occultist = snooty, alcoholic
    serpent = snipesnipeevadesnipesnipe
    druid = hug trees/people
    shaman = do rituals
    monk/bm/runie = anyexcusetokillstuff
    etc.

    After multiclass, we can all be all of those things :D
    Fixed this for you.
    I don't drink....


    anymore.





This discussion has been closed.