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Next Big Thing: Engagement!
Hi folks!
We wanted to make you aware of the "next big project" that we're working on, as well as invite you to get involved in helping design some of the specifics (and even naming the system)!
Allow me to introduce Engagement tasks! (This name is very much a placeholder, but I'll get to that).
Essentially this will work similarly to a daily / weekly / bimonthly task system which will bring with it its own rewards and incentives.
Our goal here is to provide a strong incentive for you guys to go out into the world and engage with all the various content that Achaea has to offer which might or might not feature in your every day play. These might be as simple as writing a newspost, or as convoluted as bringing about one of the (MANY) rare events scattered out in the game world's villages and towns.
Think of it as experiencing more of what the world has to offer - on any possible scale.
While we are in the early stages of setting up and designing this system, your input is highly valued! What we'd most like to hear are suggestions for these tasks - again, they can be as simple or as involved as you want, and cover absolutely anything in the world that might happen (e.g maybe witnessing someone get absolved would be an interesting experience, or participating in a chorale and so on - the sky's the limit).
Most importantly is the type of engagement we want to encourage. We're not interested in adding a daily login and grind for x minutes, then qq to repeat on an alt in order to get a reward, we want to encourage and reward people for playing a character in Achaea, to engage with the game world and the other people playing, rather than an automated daily quest.
So for part 1, this thread will be open to accept and discuss all of your task ideas and suggestions!
Part 2 is just as important, the system needs a great name!
It's important that we state our intentions clearly: we are not attempting to recreate the daily grind or mindless repetition that you find in MMOs, and so "Dailies" or anything similar won't be accepted.
Put your name suggestions in this thread and whoever supplies the best name will win 100 credits!
Timeline going forward:
This thread will stay open for the next two weeks, it is an important topic for us so derailing, distracting, and non-constructive posts will simply be deleted. Don't be that person.
When the thread is closed we'll announce the system name and the winning player will get their 100 credits.
We'll also go through all of the task suggestions and announce a date when you can expect this system to be live!
Then implementation will begin!
"If you build it, they will come."
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This discussion has been closed.
Comments
No idea how you'd do it, but if you want a way to involve people in house/city/official player-run thing then give the elect/autocrat/ministries involved the ability to "tick off" completion of tasks. Attend a yearly city festival, take part in a house goat sacrifice, watching a hard-coded ritual only means we'll end up doing MARKET LOOKING FOR SERPENT TO MILK THEIR TEATS, this way not only are we involved in new experiences, we're in charge of running those experiences, the experiences that only a MUD can really bring to the table in my personal experience.
Any worry about abuse has to be mitigated by just ruining our lives for abusing that and/or the merit of having a system that encourages activity from new and older players, and older players to newer players.
Haven't thought about any of above, might all be terrible. Please don't call it Walk of Nicator.
EDIT: Specific example: People watching the old rite of devotion initially because its free experience and benefits the player then because its an interesting event, then getting involved in the story itself. Tasks that get people involved for a mechanical benefit that also have a RP/Organisational point are your hook to both encourage attendance but participation.
noun
Maybe it's too simplistic, but I'm fond of one word systems.
Dictionary result for exploit
How about when players help others ink tattoos, sketch runes, empower, cast a reflection, etc.
Or when someone immolates a corpse.
In part because it involves exploration of the game, and in part because it's an initiative to reduce the number of statues in said game.
I'm familiar with setting people discoveries to teach and learn the world, something I fondly call adventuring, or indivual adventures.
if I am on track with this, I think hints to what people can find is a good opportunity. Riding the elevator in Creville, assembling the telescope in Valho. jumping off the duckie wheel in Delos, starting a snowball fight in a blizzard. These are low end ideas though I fear the enormity of having to commit to constantly expanding such a system, good luck at the very least!
I'd like to see a shift more towards content based promos than just variations on credit sales. I understand that the business model is one that favors microtransactions but there are plenty of games that self sustain on their own merits without having to dangle an ever larger shinier stick of wtfpwnery to coax out the almighty visa.
A frame of reference for this would be a game like Guild Wars 2 which their World V World game mode tracks faction contribution towards competitive goals over the course of a season. This could be expanded within world based themes including ongoing or rotating world events, factional conflict (nature vs red fog for example). One of the attractive things about Achaea is the immersion of the world and feeling like there is some lasting impact. Artefacts are a mostly purchase based rewards system. Many other games have found ways to encourage gameplay and not just card swiping for their promos that should be the basis for gameplay.
I think one great example of this from Achaea's history was landmarking and the icon systems , and to a lesser extend the crusade system. I'm sure there were reasons to do away with these, but I for one would love a shot for exterminations and vivifications to have more impact and would love to see this system expanded upon.
If you do go through with this, though, I think using a custom emote might be an ok engagement task. But please, please, don't reward writing newsposts. Public news is already at the point where I keep wishing for a spam filter.
The soul of Ashmond says, "Always with the sniping."
(Clan): Ictinus says, "Stop it Jiraishin, you're making me like you."
I love some of the ideas above, especially @Jinos and @Mindshell. There could be small, medium, and large tasks/goals, probably with better names with incentives for accomplishing a certain number of goals in a set period of time, and/or incentives for hitting milestones over time. Maybe a randomizing system for giving you goals so you can't just pick from the whole list all the time, or maybe different 'classes' of goals you can pick between--hunting, exploring, seafaring, questing, aiding, fighting. I feel like there would need to be admin commitment to updating those tasks often so they don't become stale. Maybe players could submit ideas for those tasks here or in a game setting.
I'm a sailing junkie so here are a few sailing related tasks I can think of --
Complete quests on Karbaz and Ilyrean in the same month
Sail from Tasur'ke to Suliel or Suliel to Tasur'ke in under half an Achaean day
Within one year, set foot on every island that currently exists (including Penwize's island and the other weird one on the way to Meropis)
Defeat a Leviathan
Defeat 50 sea spiders within one year
Defeat a level 4 seamonster in a seastrider with no other ship taking a shot
Complete six ship trades in one year
- play Paehe's game or help Jitaka write a story
- play a game of chess or one of the board games found in Thera
- ride a toboggan
- send a folded letter from Josie's shop
- make wine at the winery
- ducky wheel as Mindshell mentioned
- telescope in Cyrene
- candy shop in Tasur'ke
- diving off the board in Vundamere
- experience the universal membrane
- massage or acupuncture in Ashtan
- build a snowman
- seek out Rurin and ask him about crafting
- rps
- learn a new language
- dig for treasure on the wilderness map of islands or dive for treasure
and likely more I am just not thinking of right now.
The soul of Ashmond says, "Always with the sniping."
(Clan): Ictinus says, "Stop it Jiraishin, you're making me like you."
Star Wars COULD be boring...but it isn't. Here's why I don't tell people that I'm talking with an NPC. Oh, and I never actually met Ethaya, but her comics are absolutely amazing!!
Speaking of rare minerals: Defuperine - That candy coating that you find on the skin of overzealous adventurers who put on so many layers of defenses upon awakening that you wonder how they're able to move afterward.
And then get upset when they do so.
The Ashtani Culture ministry has been doing this IC since before I joined the city. CHELP WHEELEVENTS has often kept me engaged with both the city, and players that I don't usually participate with regularly in raids and skirmishes. They begin every other IG year, and are tailored to the different workings of chaos. For that, I'd shoutout to @Truax and @Lilas and the many other people who have been putting time and effort into that. I know for a fact that some novices and veteran adventurers have engaged with them and gotten pretty cool rewards (Unique items, Credit Rewards). It simply makes the city seem more active (as a whole) and offers those who don't like to raid, a way to engage with a group on a cool activity for some worthwhile.
For my advice on content to focus on, I would offer the following suggestions:
I'll be frank, while I like the many intricate features Achaea has, I don't think anything tops Events. I would have some sort of mini-event put into place, or chests/lootbox scavenging in certain areas, certain times of the year.
As for a name, I'd call them, "Objectives", and have some sort of reward for completion.
Just spitballing here. I honestly don't see static (non-changing, repeatable, set reward) Resolutions/Quests having the heavy impact that it sounds like you're looking for! Feel free to disagree, lots of good thoughts going around !
Aegis, God of War says, "You are dismissed from My demense, Astarod. Go forth and fight well. Bleed fiercely, and climb the purpose you have sought to chase for."
Sign me up.
I think avoiding "fetch quests" and similar mmo norms would keep the new system alive much longer. I also agree that npc interaction would be very exciting and would add a lot of depth to the world if done right. For example, some of the tasks may involve a particular npc bringing up an event in history that they remember, which new players may find interesting while those that were a part of the event might enjoy hearing about and reminiscing. Achaea is about living a different life in a fantasy world for many players. The more you can immerse them in the world the better.
Another thing I would like to see with this is a physical way to receive the tasks. Perhaps implementing an adventurer's guild where tasks can be given by an NPC in Thera based on the players level. Or even weave this system into the current taverns that already exist in the world. Let the Barkeeps tell players about "rumors" and let the task start there. This would allow for city specific tasks as well as non-city specific ones based on where you choose to go.
The more RP and npc interaction the better imo.
The soul of Ashmond says, "Always with the sniping."
(Clan): Ictinus says, "Stop it Jiraishin, you're making me like you."