Author Topic: Rejected: Legendary NPC Travelling Experts  (Read 2713 times)

JeVondair

  • Mighty Duke
  • ****
  • Posts: 1525
    • View Profile
    • SWTOR Reapers Guild
Rejected: Legendary NPC Travelling Experts
« Topic Start: May 23, 2017, 05:40:42 PM »


Summary: So a thought occurred to me. What if, once your character maxes out a particular skill - which would be legendary- a new class option becomes available where you can chose for your character to become a wandering NPC that other characters can pay gold to learn from in much the same way mystic/sages work?


Details: So what I envision is that say your character gets to 100 in spellcasting. An option becomes available under the Change Class menu where, if you select it, your character retires and becomes an NPC, the character is no longer usable by the player and now operates on the same movement rules as Sages/Mystics and are granted a sagename by the devs, like Machiavel the Orator or somesuch. Unlike an Academy, if your character finds one of these experts and pays the fee for their teachings, your skill is guaranteed to go up. I think it would be really cool if there was a feature where the gold these Experts collect are sent directly to your family wealth. It would be interesting if only advy's could track these NPC's, same as they do sages, and then report on them to their noble benefactors, who will then try to reach the sage and learn from them before they vanish again. Maybe the Advy's can generate a report which they can then sell to nobles. We can either start fresh or players can volunteer past/current family members who have a 100 skill in something for consideration. Titan's could approve any such class-change request.


Benefits: Fresh idea provides another way for players to leave their mark on the game. Additional way to earn family wealth. Add's additional depth to Advy's and their interactions with nobility. In addition to adding this additional player goal, realms and characters will work together to find these rare experts and learn from them. I can't think of another game that allows you to, over the course of years, create a lasting, purposeful NPC.


Possible Downsides or Exploits: It is possible that the game could be flooded with these NPCs, but Titan's having the final determination should cinch it. There would be a whole lot of coding involved, as with all my ideas it seems. I'm bad at thinking of downsides.
« Last Edit: May 23, 2017, 08:36:53 PM by Vita »
"Behavior that's admired is the path to power among people everywhere"

Wimpie

  • Developer
  • Mighty Duke
  • ****
  • Posts: 1777
    • View Profile
Re: Legendary NPC: Travelling Experts
« Reply #1: May 23, 2017, 06:52:59 PM »
Sounds like a fun idea.

But I think the amount of coding on this would prevent this from going live anytime soon.
Osgar (Thalmarkin, BT), Jeames (Perleone, EC)
PAUSED: Nasgar (Avernus, DWI), Jari (Outer Tilog, COL)

Vita`

  • BM Dev Team
  • Honourable King
  • *
  • Posts: 2558
    • View Profile
Re: Legendary NPC: Travelling Experts
« Reply #2: May 23, 2017, 06:56:05 PM »
No. Too much work for the gain. It's not that hard to get 100% in some skills, especially with unique item bonuses.

JeVondair

  • Mighty Duke
  • ****
  • Posts: 1525
    • View Profile
    • SWTOR Reapers Guild
Re: Legendary NPC: Travelling Experts
« Reply #3: May 23, 2017, 07:56:17 PM »
No. Too much work for the gain. It's not that hard to get 100% in some skills, especially with unique item bonuses.


Then perhaps only make the option available for certain skills? Take spell casting for example. I don't know how easy scrolls are to come by, but in my experience they are not and in 5 years of play I've cast very few. I've never even met anyone who had 100. Swordsmanship is a bit different, I've met characters who have hit it, but only 2 or 3. Not sure about the other skills, but I think the potential gain in terms of gameplay should not be underestimated.


One of the coolest things about this game is how almost everything is player generated. 'Almost.' I see this as a contribution toward that end.
"Behavior that's admired is the path to power among people everywhere"

Vita`

  • BM Dev Team
  • Honourable King
  • *
  • Posts: 2558
    • View Profile
Re: Legendary NPC: Travelling Experts
« Reply #4: May 23, 2017, 08:18:54 PM »
There's too much here to make it worth approving.

BM is not meant to be too heavily based on spellcasting and magic. Some changes recently (over months/years, not weeks) increased that game aspect, but we've also implemented changes to reduce it some too.

I also don't see a benefit towards encouraging over 100% skills. It is possible to happen with unique items, but it should be rare. Oratory and bureaucracy are probably the easiest skills to gain. I'd be surprised if there were any more than 5 or 10 characters that reached 100% swordskill in BM's entire history (especially if you dont count unique item skill bonuses); maybe 90%-95% tops for most elite swordsmen through BM history.

Guarantees of skill improvement smack of imbalance. All skill improvement is based on a chance, at some level, often multiple levels.

Having the gold go to family wealth introduces potential abuses. Also, I think BM is still rather gold-heavy so I'm more interested in things that spend gold into black holes than increase gold on hand.

Also, for a feature focused on player-generated content, this feature seems to encourage maxing stats rather than interacting with fellows.

Positively, this feature request seems like it could have some creative ideas for GM portal stone roleplays.

JeVondair

  • Mighty Duke
  • ****
  • Posts: 1525
    • View Profile
    • SWTOR Reapers Guild
Re: Legendary NPC: Travelling Experts
« Reply #5: May 23, 2017, 08:39:12 PM »
Thanks for giving this so much of your time/attention, Vita. I understand it would be a lot of work, but man what a goal to have!

Also, I have a toon with 100 swordsmanship...although I suspect it may somehow be a fluke. Is their a roll of honor somewhere I should add the name to?
"Behavior that's admired is the path to power among people everywhere"

Vita`

  • BM Dev Team
  • Honourable King
  • *
  • Posts: 2558
    • View Profile
Re: Legendary NPC: Travelling Experts
« Reply #6: May 23, 2017, 09:09:52 PM »
Also, I have a toon with 100 swordsmanship...although I suspect it may somehow be a fluke. Is their a roll of honor somewhere I should add the name to?
My estimate based on anecdotal experiences (even if behind-the-scenes) could well be off, I 'spose. But also, having just checked your character skills now, I don't think you *do* have a character with 100 swordsmanship. Just one with the reputation of 100% skill apparently? ;)

If you were going by 100% swordfighting fame, then that is relative to others on the continent. In which case you *are* the most skilled on the island (or share the most-skilled with others of same skill)

JeVondair

  • Mighty Duke
  • ****
  • Posts: 1525
    • View Profile
    • SWTOR Reapers Guild
Re: Legendary NPC: Travelling Experts
« Reply #7: May 23, 2017, 09:11:10 PM »
My estimate based on anecdotal experiences (even if behind-the-scenes) could well be off, I 'spose. But also, having just checked your character skills now, I don't think you *do* have a character with 100 swordsmanship. Just one with the reputation of 100% skill apparently? ;)


Always bursting all of my bubbles...
"Behavior that's admired is the path to power among people everywhere"

Gordy77

  • Noble Lord
  • ***
  • Posts: 142
    • View Profile
Re: Rejected: Legendary NPC Travelling Experts
« Reply #8: November 06, 2017, 12:46:29 PM »
I've often considered retiring an adventurer by requesting they be made into a wandering sage or wizard. But I never had the stones (or a character I wanted to discard in that way). It would be as simple as replacing an existing unique person with your own name and attribute.