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Emergency Bail Button
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ViolaRose



Joined: 20 Apr 2015
Posts: 113

PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 2:42 am    Post subject: Emergency Bail Button Reply with quote

I'd really like to see the implementation of an Emergency Bail Button.

For example, you and your party are tromping around CT and suddenly the baby wakes up. Or the spouse demands ice cream. Or work calls with an emergency and you have to run. Or someone goes linkdead. Whatever the reason, you're required to screw over your party while simultaneously abandoning yourself in a really dangerous area. But, behold! A push of the bail button and everyone is returned to safety to die to Intruder another day.

Because let's face, we're an aging player base. Many of us have kids or spouses or obligations beyond SG that do not always permit for dungeon-diving for eight hours/day.

I know there is a great potential for abusing something like this (by those who find it necessary to cheat on a text-based role playing game (*cough* lame *cough*....), but I'd like to think many of us are trustworthy to an extent – especially once we've reached the level where extended parties in super dangerous areas happen. I also think those of us with a real life could greatly benefit from it a ton.

Thoughts?
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Nienne
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Joined: 17 Nov 2006
Posts: 2764
Location: Aussieland

PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mixed feelings - I know the frustrations first-hand, but the reason thus far that it hasn't gone in would be due to the potential abuse. And given that HM is no longer required to reach max level, it's no longer even really a true point that those who reach it would necessarily be trustworthy not to abuse it, sadly - I can think of several contenders straight off the top of my head.

I dunno if there's some kind of compromise we can figure out here that would be less prone to abuse, perhaps, and I'm definitely open to ideas. We've certainly tried to implement things to ease the frustration of actually getting stuck in such places, particularly for trusted players (soulbound items being the latest incarnation) but this would be a far bigger leap forward, in that category.
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ViolaRose



Joined: 20 Apr 2015
Posts: 113

PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 11:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for your response, Nienne! Smile

A couple possible compromises (which might discourage would-be cheaters but not prevent them entirely) could be -

1. An exp deduction equivalent to death - I'd be willing to risk this penalty just to have a -chance- at visiting some of the areas in question. (As is stands, with my rl as it is I simply couldnt risk venturing into certain places and it makes me sad)

2. Being locked out of the game for a couple hours - If you're bailing quickly it should be a given that you don't need to be playing anyway.

3. Case-by-case basis: Of course there won't always be someone available to aid a potential bailout but perhaps something could be implemented that we could appeal for on a case-by-case basis (like a special stone we can carry, linked to our persons). And then once we use our one chance, we'd have to appeal for another - might cut down on some abuse..

None of these offer a 100% solution - and it certainly doesn't help the party that you'd be leaving behind.
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Kossuth



Joined: 18 Nov 2013
Posts: 136

PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What about a gold sink item you can purchase before you go into a dungeon. Basically adventurers insurance. You can use it to be ported back to a certain place outside the dungeon for an exorbitant fee. We coud disallow its use in combat so it isn't used as a pk escape. This would also make it easier to take new people into dungeons that take hours and hours to finish. The can learn it bit by bit getting further each time without needing an 8 hour session which aggravates everyone.
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Nienne
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Joined: 17 Nov 2006
Posts: 2764
Location: Aussieland

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't mind the 'insurance' idea, along the lines of Kossuth's or Viola's (#1/3); eg/ you could make it worth gold and/or a lesser-than-death exp amount - giving you the chance to explore. Or the exp could be on using the item to get out, or something similar. That would be more of a legitimate in-game tool to get you out, without it being simply a free ticket out of what should be a locked zone.

If that were the case, the only other concern I would have is using such an item to hop into a dungeon, snag key items, and then get out without the risk of the end boss or whatever. And we actually do have a possible solution to that in the works anyway so it may be a non-issue - namely, being able to use the items in quest/locked zones only after completing said zones. So that would maintain the requirement of doing the zone properly to use the items, which would sit far more easily with me. It may take new players a few shots to get through, but at least then they would have the option!

Thing is, if a party takes through a newbie, and they can't find their way through, the newbie could easily use the stone (or whatever) to get out, and the rest of the party would likely know how to get out fairly quickly after that. So in most cases I'm guessing that may be enough of a solution for everyone involved, without everyone else having to cop the gold/exp loss of taking the 'insurance item' in to start with.

Does that seem like a compromise that may work? Can anyone see holes in it that we would need to plug up? It kinda feels like something I coulda used back in the day, with the likes of the big dungeons (CT, demongate, etc)...
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Trillet



Joined: 27 Oct 2013
Posts: 8
Location: i have a cat

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm partial to the "insurance" angle, myself. A stiff enough cost up front would deter abuse of the system, since one is required to make (and save up for) an investment if they want to use it. I'm not sure gold would be the best currency to use, though - this might actually be a good alternative use for tokens - or maybe have it cost both.

That being said, I think it might make some areas a little too "comfortable", or safe-feeling if every adventurer was walking around with a Get-Out-Of-Demongate-Free card stuffed in a sack. It might help if these items vanished, say, 24 hours after buying it - enough for a night of adventuring, but not a permanent safety net for your tool belt. The big, end-game areas are supposed to be gambles to enter (even if some of us who can walk through them blindfolded have forgotten it), and I worry you'd dampen that feeling by adding an IC layer of security.
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beshaba



Joined: 02 Aug 2011
Posts: 55

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would lean towards it being an xp hit as opposed to gold sink. Reason being that the players who need it most will be the ones who already have their PT severely limited, meaning they don't have the gold reserves of those who live in the mud.

If I had my choice, though, I'd just make it a time-limited item. You get one to use, and have to wait x RL days before you can nab another. Maybe it can be some kind of magical trinket that you need to purchase up front that requires time to fully charge. Just having it only work once a week or so could be a limiting factor in abuse as well.
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Kossuth



Joined: 18 Nov 2013
Posts: 136

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the long cooldown type thing. If you want to do it more often you live dangerously. If you have the patience to do it once a week you have some insurance.
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Kossuth



Joined: 18 Nov 2013
Posts: 136

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Though I still think gold should be involved. We need more gold sinks period.
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beshaba



Joined: 02 Aug 2011
Posts: 55

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree we need more gold sinks, I just don't think this is the right place. The get out of jail card here is intended for people who are new or have time limitations, neither of which usually have a problem with surplus gold.
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Nienne
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Joined: 17 Nov 2006
Posts: 2764
Location: Aussieland

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually, very valid point on the gold - as a player who had very limited time to play at many points in history, I never had much (time I had was spent roleplaying, not grinding out cash). We do need gold sinks, I know, and we're working on more than we have, but perhaps this isn't the best one for that. I'll mull other alternatives as well, but exp & time limitations seem like a good option - and both would probably be better suited to players that don't have hours-at-a-time to sit and play.

I can't promise this will be an immediate install, and there's a few more facets I'd like to mull over (specifics on cost, time limitations, etc) but it seems like it's an idea most are supportive to have installed as we're able Smile
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ViolaRose



Joined: 20 Apr 2015
Posts: 113

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 4:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

YAY! Thanks for everyone's input! So happy. Very Happy
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kellan



Joined: 27 Oct 2013
Posts: 39

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not for or against the idea as I do agree with Trillet's point about the feeling of dread, but also with Kossuth's about not having time for 8 hour adventures again.

I'm against the XP idea though and that is because everything requires xp and for those who don't have time to get gold, which is abundant then how do they have time for gold? Here is a list of things that require XP, just for a reminder.

Enchantment, Gems, Potions, Feats and Skills, leveling, etc. I'm of the opinion, which might mean little that we should find something else combined with time. What if we restrict the ability to level or move/switch feats for the same period of time that we have the item recharging. XP can still be gained, but you can't use it for anything.

It isn't a perfect idea or how about you can't gain xp until the half-way point of the recharge. I'd just like to see us not always turn to XP.

Alzar
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Raveena



Joined: 04 Oct 2013
Posts: 7
Location: green

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okay, so...when did it change that HM is no longer required to reach max level?? Are you actually saying that non HM's can be level 40? And I miss the days when you could level to like 50+. Anyway, I was confuzzled by this, but then I'm confuzzled by so many things on a daily basis.

*feeling much less special at my level now*
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ViolaRose



Joined: 20 Apr 2015
Posts: 113

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe if exp gained while 'insured' was a rather low % of what would normally be given? I think that might deter would-be abusers while not stifling those of us who have limited time to gain gold/exp, but would still permit for us to rp and explore areas, help others, get items, etc.

And a long cool down time, too.

Unfortunately no matter what you do it will detract from the element of danger. Maybe the 'insured' can also have a low % chance of random implosion.. heh.

Also, I had no idea about that either Raveena! I thought maybe she meant we all have hm accounts now so nobody is really required to get hm?
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