[Cspace]

Keep in mind that the whole scale is going to be different for this new system. Current DS players (especially those who are extraordinarily powerful) will probably twitch spasmodically while reading this, but hear me out.

This is what I think will work best for DS2 (yeah, I just coined it )...

*********************************

Everyone can have three characters, each with 8000 class points and a certain undetermined number of stat points.

Devotion would be reworked to be directly linked to post count. It would affect all of a player's characters equally, and would be significant for those with an extraordinarily high post count. It would involve a set number of abilities that use post count as a multiplier, so one doesn't need to update his/her characters' profiles all the time. Class abilities could also pull from Devotion, which basically means that they would also use post count as a condition or multiplier.

Understanding would be linked to roleplaying ability according to the GMs. These points would accumulate over time for skilled roleplayers.

Equipment would naturally get better over time, either through quests, trade classes, or merchants.

---------------------------

Why make this change?

• Tactics and activity in DS will be what benefits a player... Not post count. Being a longterm member will mean that you have higher devotion, and being a longterm DS player will mean that you probably have higher understanding and better equipment. This will provide an advantage, but one won't be able to rest on those factors alone.
• It will make it significantly easier to gain interest from other places, as well as from current members. It would be possible for one to join with the purpose of playing DS, which wouldn't really happen if everything is as directly tied to post count as it currently is.
• It will make it significantly easier to manage a character. You create your character, fiddle with the points, update the equipment, but won't need to constantly make and keep track of re-calculations. That shouldn't be what DS is all about... It's a roleplaying game, not a math exercise.
• In the grand scheme of things, it's odd for so much to rest on one's post count in a game like DS. Should post count be the deciding factor in a battle? Should points overshadow roleplaying?
• Quests can be balanced much more easily. As things currently are, if a quest involves a fight, the enemy will need to be balanced for the highest players (otherwise those players would tend to come in and take over). That shouldn't be how they are conducted, because it's seriously unfair to new players.
• Balancing the classes will be significantly easier, because I won't need to worry about extraordinary cases of characters that just plain break the class system by mastering too many trees.
• The fun of DS2 would be in the customization of everyone's characters. Being able to create the character you want would be a big deal for new players. They could focus on the customization and roleplaying, and not worry about incrementing points.

Discuss?

[Neraphym]

As much as it hurts me and benefits all the n00bs, I'm going to have to agree. Getting more people here and using strategy is much more important than having a character based off of post count. Although, I'd also like you to consider making the one character set at 8k change to a character that can either be 8k or your post count.

[Cspace]

The thing is, Devotion would become somewhat significant. The change I'm thinking of would just make it so Devotion equals post count. You can consider it another word for post count so we don't need to refer to forum terms in roleplaying. Depending on Deity, a character would receive a number of abilities that use Devotion as a multiplier or condition.

The idea of tier-4 still makes me a little uneasy when it comes to balancing, but now that I think about it... What if the 14000-point option is removed (so everyone gets three 8000-point characters), and the abilities planned for tier-4 are introduced as the deity's Devotion abilities? Each deity gets one super-powerful ability related to who the being actually is. So anyone who follows Nemorok with a certain level of Devotion (like 6000) could use Dimensional Storm, but it would be significantly more powerful for those with a higher post count.

I won't say that this is how it would work, but think of Dimensional Storm doing damage equal to [Devotion - 6000] with a four-turn wait. With a post count of 10000, that would do 4000 damage.

In actuality, Dimensional Storm probably makes more sense as a Chaos attack... Regardless, these abilities could easily be very significant, but not an "I win" ability since each would have limitations or weaknesses that could potentially be exploited. Tactics would still be more important, but these abilities would be a significant bonus for those with a higher post count. Especially when one thinks about three characters using these abilities.

Also, other class abilities (particularly those for light and dark trees), as well as equipment, could use Devotion as a multiplier.

[Neraphym]

Well, in that case, devotion sounds like a good place to put post count into. I think three same-point characters is a good idea, but we should probably reconsider where the limit goes. The 8000 limit isn't bad, but we should probably have it at a spot that makes sense, rather than an arbitrarily decided number. Once we get more classes up, we can analyze the costs of the classes and calculate the best point limit.

[Cspace]

Well, in that case, devotion sounds like a good place to put post count into. I think three same-point characters is a good idea, but we should probably reconsider where the limit goes. The 8000 limit isn't bad, but we should probably have it at a spot that makes sense, rather than an arbitrarily decided number. Once we get more classes up, we can analyze the costs of the classes and calculate the best point limit.

Well, somewhere around 8000 will probably work the best if post count is taken out of the picture for class abilities. With three characters at that number, one can have a lot of freedom but will still need to make choices, since the number of trees will still be much greater than what would be mastered.

8000 probably wouldn't be the number, but I'd think that it should be somewhere around there.

[Neraphym]

Also, keep post count requirements for the starships.

[Cspace]

Also, keep post count requirements for the starships.

Indeed

[MA-53]

Wait, I hear something...

It's the sound of cheering! People all over are coming to cheer on Cspace while he makes this glorious overhaul! Bravo!!

Seriously though, I love it.

One thing though, why not have one point pool that someone can split into a maximum of three characters? That way you can have one really good character, or three OK characters. There would be ups and downs to both: the really good character is really good, very powerful, but can only attack once a round, whereas with three characters you can hit three times a round and have multiple characters doing multiple things.

Mebbehpossibleh?

[Cspace]

Wait, I hear something...

It's the sound of cheering! People all over are coming to cheer on Cspace while he makes this glorious overhaul! Bravo!!

Seriously though, I love it.

Thanks

One thing though, why not have one point pool that someone can split into a maximum of three characters? That way you can have one really good character, or three OK characters. There would be ups and downs to both: the really good character is really good, very powerful, but can only attack once a round, whereas with three characters you can hit three times a round and have multiple characters doing multiple things.

Mebbehpossibleh?

I'll think about it, but there are some concerns when it comes to balancing that will probably get in the way. Just because of how the abilities are laid out, there are some things that could be exploited with a character that powerful. The main concern would be the vast number of abilities that would incorporate the stats, which could go way off the edge of reason with that many points.

It's a great idea to give options like that, but this is just a technicality with DS that may get in the way. We'll see though.

[MA-53]

So mayhaps have sets of points allotted for different character configurations.

like, 1000, 1000, 1000, or 2000 on one. So the amount of overall points is reduced to balance, but the character becomes proportionally more powerful?

[Cspace]

So mayhaps have sets of points allotted for different character configurations.

like, 1000, 1000, 1000, or 2000 on one. So the amount of overall points is reduced to balance, but the character becomes proportionally more powerful?

Perhaps, we'll see

[Dragonman]

Hehe, it was so simple. -smacks head-

Thank you Cspace, I don't like out-of-school math exercises much, either.