Categories
OOG Announcements

Cast Shift Announcement – September 2017

Currently we have a group of players that generally perform their cast shift in the exact same slot each event.  This is a prior and ongoing arrangement that was made with this group of players, because during this shift, we allow them to run certain smaller plots.  They often stay past their end time to continue to do so.  We will be adding more lines to this time slot to accommodate additional people other than those already committed to the shift.

If there are any other groups of a maximum of 6 players who would like to have a similar arrangement with us (you MUST write and submit plots to run during this shift, prior to the event, no exceptions) please reach out to either Dave R or myself so we can make arrangements with you.  Please understand however, that an arrangement like this could very likely lead to you staying past the normal end time of your shift (although you WILL be compensated with service points if that is the case).

Categories
OOG Announcements

State of the Game – September 2017

Hello everyone.

I’m pleased to say we’ve had a great year so far.  We’ve more players than we’ve ever had, many of the new systems we’ve been talking about the last year or so have been making their way into the hands of players, teachers are out more frequently, and we’ve been getting great feedback from everyone involved.

I wanted to talk about some of that feedback we’ve been hearing:

Specifically, we’ve been hearing some negative feedback about scheduling in general and the alt system.  It’s often pointed out that while we are hitting more players more frequently with NPCs to teach them and roleplay with them, we’re not able to hit as many as there are or able to hit all of the alts as well as the mains.

We are of the firm belief that this is a problem largely caused by the fact that we are, let’s face it, severely understaffed.  We’ve had a couple cast members retire from the game this year, as well as gaining a few new ones, but unfortunately, it simply isn’t enough.  While our new cast members are doing exceptionally, there is still a limit as to what can be done with such few people.

More and more we hear feedback from other games about our Cast/Staff levels; and the general consensus seems to be a game with half our player base would consider themselves severely understaffed.  Honestly it is a testament to the abilities of the men and women we have been working with over the last year that we have been able to continue putting out quality events.

But as I said above though, I feel (and from what we’re gathering from PELs, many players feel as well) that we are not providing an adequate experience for alts in general currently.  Even the experience for mains has suffered somewhat as well.  There are a few reasons for this, but they ultimately are symptoms of the larger problem stated above: the amount of people on cast.

When one sits down and does the math, we’ve averaged around 60 players per event.  These are numbers nearly double from prior years.  At our current cast and staff levels (7 permacast by the end of this year) that puts us at 1 cast member per every 8.5 (let’s round to 9) players.  There are currently around 14 alts as well, which skew the ratio even further to 1 cast member per 10.5 characters.  I don’t need to go into detail to explain the amount of work that puts on the shoulders of us.

We had a few ideas as to how things could be fixed in order to make the experience better for everyone all around:

1)  Create a system that allows for a player to cast from Friday Game on Until Saturday Refresh -OR- from Saturday Refresh to Game Off with associated rewards. We haven’t been able to figure out what sort of incentives would be best here yet, and are certainly open to suggestions.

2)  Put the call out for those players who have been considering joining us to join us.  We want the game to get better, and we’re hoping that people will step up knowing the game could use their help.

3)  Modify the alt system to only allow full events or half events similar to the cast system above, with no exceptions. (We don’t want to do this.)

4)  Institute a player cap. (This is something we’re heavily against, but has worked for other games in the past.)

5)  We’re always willing to listen to other suggestions.

I’m writing this because we want this to become better for everyone involved.  I know anyone reading this would want to see the game become better as well.  Many of you have expressed a passing interest, or have mentioned to us that someday you want to make the transition to cast.  I’m asking for anyone that has considered it, and think they can commit to it, to do so now.  We need you more than ever.  The game needs you more than ever. I’m hoping some of you will step up and make the game proud.

Categories
WCATSP

Flowers of the Wayward Son (WCATSP Item 3, September 2017)

Flowers of the Wayward Son

Hello all! All who attend this upcoming event shall be eligible for a drawing in order to win a magic item. For our last WCATSP drawing this year, we will be having two drawings for two separate items!  These items will be auto-attuned, and ready to use for the next event you attend.

Flowers of the Wayward Son

A long time ago, a man named Aldin Einhard had a successful practice as a jeweler.   He specialized in crafting small, beautiful flowers made of gold that he painted into various colors.  He had a beautiful wife, Sabine, and a young son, Simon,  both of whom he loved dearly.

As the man watched Simon grow, he taught him the secrets of his trade.  He taught Simon everything about the process and craft; from the finesse required to work the metal into such small forms to the proper way to pitch to a prospective buyer.  Simon was a fast learner and took to the lessons easily.

All was not well, however. While Simon was adept at learning the skills his father taught him, he didn’t have the same passion that his father did for the craft.  Aldin loved seeing the look on a customer’s face when they had an item they truly loved.  He wasn’t concerned as much with making coin as he was with creating a finely crafted product and ensuring it went to the right owner.

Simon had an eye for coin that his father did not. So, as Simon grew into a man he and his father would fight often about what was right for the family business.  Aldin fought hard to keep his son away from what he thought would be a bad path, but Simon continued to focus only upon how much coin could be made from his work.

Eventually, this culminated in father and son going their separate ways.  Aldin continued his small business as Simon’s business grew and grew.  He stepped away from making the small flowers that his father was known for, and moved onto specialized, expensive pieces made for the rich and noble citizens of his city.

One day, rumors of his son’s disappearance came to Aldin.  Aldin was an older man now.  It had been 10 years now since he and his son had spoken, and it was near to his son’s 30th day of birth.  Aldin travelled across the city to where his son’s shop was, to find that its doors were shuttered, and the building seemed abandoned.

Aldin found a way into the building and found Simon’s journal in the living quarters above the shop.  The latest entries talked about wanting to break into the even more lucrative business of magic item creation.  Simon was always looking for an angle though, so he wanted to find someone who could assist him in the creation of items that would be the envy of the world over. He sought the tutelage of Yazil the Mad.  The last entry into the journal was made over 6 moons prior to Aldin finding it.

Despite all that they had been through, Aldin immediately set off to find his son.  It was summer at the time and the weather was the brutal sort of hot that one talks about for years after the fact.  Aldin soldiered through the beautiful weather and harsh terrain until finally reaching the edge of a thick forest, the center of which was rumored to contain Yazdil’s Tower.  Aldin would travel to hell for his son, like any good parent would.  Aldin stepped into the forest without hesitation, not looking back.

For days Aldin wandered the thick forest, noticing to his dismay that there wasn’t a single sound to be heard from any animal life.  All that he could hear were his steps crunching along the path. As his supplies began to dwindle, he came upon a clearing in the forest.

There was a body lying in the center of the clearing.  As Aldin approached, it became undeniable to his eyes that it was the body of Simon.  He was certainly dead, but there didn’t seem to be any evidence of wounds on the body.  There was no sign of decomposition either.

Aldin searched his son’s belongings, at first finding a small amount of coin.  When he searched his son’s satchel thoroughly, however, what he found made him weep.

Two Flowers, beautifully crafted just the way his father had taught him, with a small note attached that read as an apology to his mother and father for becoming distant.  One was meant for his mother, and the other, his father.

Aldin couldn’t bring his son’s body back with him through the woods over such a long distance, so he did the best he could to bury his son, as no father should ever have to, and journeyed home.

The Purple Flower grants you the following abilities:

Weep (x2/period): (“I cause you to weep uncontrollably 1 minute.”)

– Cure Disease (x1/period): (“I cure you/myself of disease.)

– At 4PM the Saturday of an event, irresistibly fall to the ground crying for 30 seconds, after which, gain 10 magical armor (or +4 Magical Armor stackable to your current if you have 10 or more magical armor).

– This item is Soulbound.

The Orange Flower grants you the following abilities:

Laugh (x2/period): (“I cause you to laugh uncontrollably 1 minute.”)

Cause Disease (x1/period): (“I cause you disease until cured.”)

– At 4 PM the Saturday of an event, you are irresistibly overcome with anger and unable to attack or cast spells for 30 seconds, after which you gain 10 magical health (or +4 Magical Health stackable to your current if you have 6 or more magical health).

– This item is Soulbound.

Categories
Rules Changes

Scholar Update: A New Skill and a Clarification

The Newest Scholar Skill: Eureka

 

We’ve been working on the scholar class, and with feedback from players, we’ve decided to give Scholars a unique edge in the form of a new scholar-only skill:

 

Eureka (Scholar Only): Single Purchase, Per Event. 10 Points:

This skill represents the Scholar’s ability to learn on their own based on their own independent studies.  If a player has not been taught from a specific area of study WITHIN THE SCHOLAR CLASS ONLY (Ex: Alchemy, Mundane Healing, Crafting:Chef etc.) for two events that they have attended, they may use this skill between games to automatically advance.  For spells and crafting skills, this would be the next Spell or Recipe in progression. For skills, this would be knowledge of the next skill in progression along with pre-reqs and cost. (So a person would be able to purchase it in their coming update.) This skill may not be used for additional school of magic, and may not be used to progress in any hidden schools of magic.  Any recipe points or character points must still be spent to purchase the skill/recipe/etc.

 

We hope that the above skill will add an interesting way to progress as well as add an interesting dynamic to roleplay for scholars in general.

EDIT:

 

Here are the clarifications we’ve been asked so far:
So Eureka looks good but I have a few clarify questions about it. 1) Can it only work on one area of study per two event? 2) If I get a lesson in area 1 does the skill trigger for area b? 3)If we have multiple area’s of study, engineering, alchemy, mundane healing, and we have not gotten a lesson in any do we choose which one we get the eureka in? 4) How do you find out what the next skill in progression for the chosen area is? Especially if no one is around to tell you ig? 5) does this teach languages.

1) Yes, it can only be used on one area of study per two events. 2) Yes, if you get a lesson in area 1, you could still Eureka in area 2, provided area 2 wasn’t taught to you for 2 events, 3) Yes, you choose which skill to get the Eureka in 4) You are told what the cost is for the skill prior to your update, along with its point cost. 5) It may NOT be used to learn languages per Literacy: Other

For clarification: how does this work with arcane scrollcraft scholar? Does it allow for the learning of spells, and would these spells get around the one spell per event limit of multi classed scholars?

Eureka allows the learning of a spell (specifically arcane because scholar only has access to arcane) provided you have not been taught ANY spell from any school or class by a teacher in two events. Learning from a Scroll of Knowledge will not reset this timer, or prevent you from using Eureka.

 

 

Library Clarifications

Many scholars have already found themselves granted access to special in-game libraries to increase the sorts of things they can find out with their research skill.  There has however been some amount of confusion and mis-clarification (completely our fault here) about the means with which scholars gain access to some of those libraries.

 

Certain specific libraries are automatically unlocked for a player’s use when they reach the pre-requisites, such as the Mages’ Guild Archives. (A character having 3xResearch and being a member of the guild), or the Dunford Bay Baronial Archives (Judge, Bailiff, Magistrate with 3xResearch.).

 

Other libraries require specific access granted by either a relevant NPC or a player with the appropriate position to do so.  And in many cases, that access would be temporary.  For example, the magistrate may grant temporary access to the Baronial archives for special situations, if need be.   

 

It is not always the case that reaching a specific milestone automatically grants access to a library, or the ability to grant access to that library, there must be some amount of in-game connection made.  Sending a letter to the library for example, would constitute the correct initial step in gaining access to that library.

 

Edit: Per the stance we’ve taken on clarifications made in the past that may conflict with newer clarifications, anyone who has gained access to a library prior to this announcement shall continue to have access to that library. If research has been re-submitted to reflect the initial clarification, consider it invalid and the initial research submission re-validated.

It has and continues to be our stance that we will generally lean towards not removing something someone already has.