Author Topic: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards  (Read 3336 times)

PolarRaven

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Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Topic Start: March 15, 2019, 04:49:03 AM »
Title:  Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards

Summary:  Currently Sages and Wizards only move on turn changes.  As most of the advy game is NOT turn based, it would be nice to have this feature less reliant on turn changes as well.

Details:  Have sages/wizards move at random intervals (non-turn reliant).  Where X can be a randomly generated number, have sages and wizards move every X hours to a new location.  If the sages/wizards are "used up" by advies, they can move X-Y (a smaller, but also random number) hours after use. 

Benefits:  This should make sages/wizards more random in being found.  It would also prevent any "click race" at turn change.  The advy game is not meant to be played on a turn basis as they steadily accumulate hours and most of their actions are immediate.  The current movement of sages/wizards hinders this "play any time" ability for advy characters.  Random movements of sages and wizards should make them less easy to track as well.

Possible Downsides/Exploits:  They will be harder for advies to track, but I believe that is a benefit for the game.  So long as there is a randomness to the hours between movements, I do not see how this can be exploited.

Zakky

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Re: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Reply #1: March 15, 2019, 06:22:05 AM »
I am against this since sages and wizards are already hard to track.

PolarRaven

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Re: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Reply #2: March 15, 2019, 10:27:47 AM »
They are currently harder to find as the Devs have been "tweaking" them so that they are not so readily available.
As they are now, it is a click race at turn change to take advantage of them.

And quite honestly, they should NOT be trackable. 
My suggestion would likely allow less "downtime" of sages/wizards and actually make them more available, just not as trackable. 
The current system has them used by advies early in the turn, then they sit around for a turn or two before they show up somewhere else directly after a turn change.  If they do not show up the first turn change, they are guaranteed to not show up before the next turn change if they even show up then.  So currently they can only show up in 12 hour intervals (at turn change), but there is no guarantee that they will show up at any given turn change.

The advy game was never meant to be hindered by turn change, but this feature forces turn change "click races" for any advy wanting to repair an item or find some scrolls. 

When the turns run, I would prefer to check in on my noble characters first.  I prefer to play my advies in my down-time which is not at turn change. 

There is NO other feature ACTIONS/QUESTS/ITEMS, etc that requires the advy to wait for turn change.
Hours are gained steady at 1/hour, Questing happens right away and uses available hours, resting is immediate useing hours and providing benefits right away, items are found right away, sold right away, bought right away, used right away.

Nothing else an advy does requires waiting for the turn to change. 
Why should they have to wait for turn change and then participate in a "click race" to access the sage/wizard options?


Medron Pryde

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Re: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Reply #3: March 15, 2019, 12:07:32 PM »
I would like to see the sages made more common again as I think they are too rare right now.  Or make them not walk away as quickly as they do now.

But I do like this idea and think it would be an improvement.

Anaris

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Re: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Reply #4: March 15, 2019, 01:09:15 PM »
They should be trackable. They should probably be trackable from further back on their trail. What they shouldn't be is trivial to find every time you need one.

If, on average, it takes a given adventurer a day and a half or so to find a sage when they're looking for one, I wouldn't consider that excessive.

If that's becoming a serious frustration because you spend most of your time looking for them, that suggests to me that something's off about the balance of options in the game, as I don't think finding sages should be the main thing adventurers are doing most of the time.
Timothy Collett

"The only thing you can't trade for your heart's desire...is your heart." "You are what you do.  Choose again, and change." "One of these days, someone's gonna plug you, and you're going to die saying, 'What did I say? What did I say?'"  ~ Miles Naismith Vorkosigan

Zakky

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Re: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Reply #5: March 15, 2019, 02:41:10 PM »
They should be trackable. They should probably be trackable from further back on their trail. What they shouldn't be is trivial to find every time you need one.

If, on average, it takes a given adventurer a day and a half or so to find a sage when they're looking for one, I wouldn't consider that excessive.

If that's becoming a serious frustration because you spend most of your time looking for them, that suggests to me that something's off about the balance of options in the game, as I don't think finding sages should be the main thing adventurers are doing most of the time.

Well for at least half a year or so, you will be focusing on getting your gears up. Once that is done, you start amassing lots of common items. I usually look for sages once I get to the point I have lots of items and have little to do. Isn't that the end game for advies?

Anaris

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Re: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Reply #6: March 15, 2019, 04:41:59 PM »
Well for at least half a year or so, you will be focusing on getting your gears up. Once that is done, you start amassing lots of common items. I usually look for sages once I get to the point I have lots of items and have little to do. Isn't that the end game for advies?

Why does there need to be an "end game"?

Is there an "end game" for nobles?

In a game you can't win, how can you even say there is an "end game"?
Timothy Collett

"The only thing you can't trade for your heart's desire...is your heart." "You are what you do.  Choose again, and change." "One of these days, someone's gonna plug you, and you're going to die saying, 'What did I say? What did I say?'"  ~ Miles Naismith Vorkosigan

Zakky

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Re: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Reply #7: March 15, 2019, 05:38:22 PM »
Why does there need to be an "end game"?

Is there an "end game" for nobles?

In a game you can't win, how can you even say there is an "end game"?

There is an end game for nobles too. Just not the same end game you'd have in the traditional sense.

For me at least, my nobles usually either become a hero at the end or get deleted once they have finished their story they sat out to tell. My characters go through knight->lord->gov position->do something with influence->either die in battle or get deleted steps. So for me, the end game for my nobles would be doing something with the influence they built up which may lead to their demise or closure.

As for advies, I just apply the same thing. But unlike nobles, they can only do limited things. Creating items and scrolls I feel are their ultimate late game goal. They can't do much with gold so gold isn't that useful after amassing 100 gold or so. Most of the time you won't be running around with full 100 gold either.

PolarRaven

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Re: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Reply #8: March 15, 2019, 08:41:14 PM »
But there IS an "end game" for advies.
To become a noble.

Not all players decide to progress their advies to this last step, but it is an "end game" that is entirely possible.
I currently play two nobles that started their careers as advies. (with another advy ready to step up when I feel the need to replace one of my nobles)

From a commoner to a KING. 
Now that is a well played character and a story to be told. :)

Tourmaline

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Re: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Reply #9: March 16, 2019, 12:15:34 AM »
Except that most players have a noble on every island and you can't go from advy to get a second noble...

I've done advy to Duke before, was cool.

Zakky

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Re: Randomizing movement of Sages and Wizards
« Reply #10: March 16, 2019, 12:54:00 AM »
Oh right. Completely forgot about becoming a noble part. I've never actually done it myself so I forgot.