Solace MUD Official Forum

What do we do now?  PK (Fun but seldom), Exploring (Interesting but seldom again!), slaying mermaids or something like it to gather books (boring), grow up (often boring to but necessarily)

The idea is to remove current system of gathering books and replace it with more RP and interesting one.
The current system is often a reason of bad RP and even cheating... I think it is well known...
Sure there is no need to write what exactly methods do we use to read new books.
Well.  Closer to sbj....
Firstly:  i have heared from Habbakuk about new quests system... please, if it is possible, include in it books and manuals as one of rewards!!! (you can do some hardest quests for this purpose depending on power in the book)
Second part of idea is to stop cheating by simple thing:
Just make so, that each class could become as reward only such books he can read!!!
This way the transfering books from one of your character to another will be simple impossible!
And the game will bring more fun for all!

Hmm, never thinks about it actually, but thats is fresh idea, probably some manuals might become quest rewards.


Chemosh

Already thought about it :)

Actually, I had some ideas of that kind,
 - make books spawn randomly _after_ death of mobs
 - make books rewards (with some chances) for some quests

Just some ideas.

I can see some problems about this idea.

1) Popping only after the death of mobs. It means you cannot see a book before you start attacking the mobs. So the only thing you can do is to clean mermaids, which is rather boring. No more exciting adventures into tough areas hoping to find, perhaps, a book there (and you cannot just clean these areas of course). IMHO it was a good part of the game that you can just travel and sometimes find a book on a mob all others just passed by, not even looking at.

The other point about this idea is that some classes cannot clean mermaids fast enough, so in general they'll get books much slower. Changing the probabilities of book respawns for different classes will surely lead to some cheating.

2) Popping of the books according to class of player. The class of player who has slain a creature? Imagine a group of a fighter and a priest, looking for the books. The chance that it'll be the fighter who scores the last blow is rather high compared to the chance of a cleric.

3) The books as the rewards for quests.. I won't like if there'll be a guaranteed way to get a book. Arrange a bunch of friends to assist you and fulfill the 'tough' quests fast, win the book race first..

It is the main point about them, that their appearance is unpredictable, and thus even very powerful characters sometimes lack a useful book, looking for it desperately...

Slaying zombies and mermaids is also guaranteed way to get a book, but its boring.
I do not pretend to make higher chance of geting of a book - just change the system to quest one and all. I see no such problems here...
BTW as i know current quest system other people can not assist you directly in slaying quest mobiles. Anyway, those so called problems aren't real problems. The only problem is to code it  all accurately.

It may be two books in two sweeps, and may be 40 sweeps without anything, that's what I mean. In the quest case, it will be 'Go there, kill a Huge Mob, and the book is yours.'. Though, if the chance of getting a book this way will be very low, it'll balance it. Just instead of mermaids you'll have to run all around the world, slaying tons of Huge Mobs.


Good answer. The problems aren't the problems, for they are certainly not the problems.

Idea is good. Now let's see how it will be implemented.  ;D

so will it be implemented?

I think the current manuals system is pretty good, but needs to be a little bit more random so we don't just have these guaranteed book popping areas that we slay mobs in for hours at a time(though I do like the idea that it's included more in areas that we grow in, so as to make the monotony a little more bearable). I also think there is a little bit of imbalance with WHICH books pop (I've found the stupid manual of moonstone like 6 times, found many other rare manuals a couple, yet there dozens of books which I haven't seen even ONCE)-- so I would definitely suggest changing the code on that.

I totally disagree with making books a quest reward. The randomness of finding these ancient tomes of lost knowledge is the great equalizer, adds to they're mystique, and even some noob who knows nothing about the game could find an incredibly powerful book (it shouldn't be reserved for those who can complete complicated quests).

I do have another idea for quests though. Bear with me, because it requires a lot of imagination and dedication on the immortals' part. What if we could be awarded with certain special relics for completing difficult quests that can be gotten no other way? Some items with high saves or even auto-casting eq could be obtained for ridiculously difficult ones. The immortal conducting the quest could invent the item himself, it could have a special name making reference to the player's accomplishment and/or dedication to the immortal, and it could vanish on said player's death so no one could loot it. It's more like obtaining a medal for completing the quest instead of a generic book or some coins. Sound cool to anyone else?

As far as I know, Kohrot, Kelvar, Leyerlain,  Nimli got such items for the quest. And the list isnt full. 8) So, your idea is nice, we already know about it ;)

Well, hold on to the moonstone book for me then, please? I only seem to find necromancer and outcast manuals...

Actually, I dont believe I personally have ever found a book that I could use, and any books I have ever used I received from others.  Seems odd in that manner, almost intentional.

no problem
let book poping according to group, not only one who did last strike


may be i'm mistaken, but friends can harm quest target, flee and let you to finish it?



roll necro or out and you will found moonstone  :)

may be i'm mistaken, but friends can harm quest target, flee and let you to finish it?

you're mistaken, only the one person who asked for the quest may harm the mob (I think that's why they have the special phrase you must say)

Manuals as quest reward is so stupid idea, because everyone will be able to solve the quest in some time and everyone will know skill.
Maybe it could work in this way: Mobs are holding manuals, but you dont see which one (you see only golden, silver etc) When you kill mob, manual becomes some of manuals for your class. After receiving the first manual, chances for the second must be set to much much lesser value (about 1/50 chances to get 1st manual), and for third and for fourth, etc. The less manuals are there for one class, chances for the next manual should be smaller. (cleric have 3 manuals, so chances for the second could be maybe 1/100 chance to find first)

And a little advice. You should look in pitch black tunnels... That area is for outcasts.
I was botting there with my fighter and i have found render life  after 6 reborns.

PS Hmm, this should be another topic from Joron.
As i remember Morticar was fine outcast too. All you need as an outcast to be superb is something that gives you blink, potions of haste, Honor face, shimmering potion, mastered cleave, bloody vambraces, 2 manuals and you are in good way  to become outcast ;)

And one more comment for Lizzy, Imms and manuals. I think imms are too harsh regarding manual transfer. I agree it is unfair to transfer manual to you second char if your first char finds it, but i think we can all agree that chances to find manual for your class you are botting with are much much small. From my experience when i bot with outcast, i find manuals undead legions for necros and  something for mages, and when i bot with fighter i find render life for outcast, when i bot with outcast i find iron grip >:(. And when after every transfer you get caught and superbly frustrated, then what can man do except to become insane, crazy and to look for something else on  mudlist in order to heal nerves and brain by forgetting everything crappy.   

Or simply if i find manual for another class, why i cant read it and just get exp? Maybe one third of rank when i read any of manuals? Or to make someone in Palanthas who will buy it for 10000 gold?

I've been with Gurd everywhere: Edges, Nether, ToHS, Enclaves, beholders, Lava, rock, and ice island, bla,bla,bla... Not to mention that zombies in maus and tunnels hate my guts! 8) In all those places, I have found next to no manual at all, and my teammates and me would always clean out the area...
So, what manuals are you talkning about? They are virtually nonexistent! ;)

I am against manuals becomming quest rewards. Although, I am fond of the idea of coding them to be class specific. In the 6 years i've been playing solace, I have not once, not even once, found a manual that i can use. I always find druid manuals on my necros, and fighter and outcast manuals with my assassins and knights. I never find a manual for the class that I am playing. Its rediculous. So i'm all for that idea.

Seems it's used to stimulate IC relationship as you can propose a manual for druid and he later can find something for you - but it does not as few people is playing now.
So I think this idea is sane.

Heh... are you speaking specifically about manuals with spellbooks not included? Well, for the record I have experienced visiting the mausoleum, and in my first 4 trips from logging in I found 4 books: 2 manuals (neither for myself of course), and 2 spellbooks (one for myself.... yeehaw). It sounds weird and superstitious, but you almost get a feel for finding books after a while. I would also like to point out that although 95% of the time I do find books for other people, I have found several for my own char.

I wholeheartedly agree with Quino, and those who know who my char is (try not to blurt it out here) know that I have a dozen or more people who are basically at my service because I provide them with knowledge. If you find a book for another class, there's no telling what they will offer you for it.

I've probably found about 1/3 of Gnirbli's books on her own. Rest are from random people and it usually goes like this.

Someone tells you "Greetings magi"
You tell Someone "Greetings"
Someone tells you "I've found a spellbook, would you like to look at it?"
You tell Someone "Truly?"
Someone tells you "Aye, meet me <insert place>"
You tell Someone "Ok! I'm on my way at once!"