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Author Topic: Points of Interest idea  (Read 1476 times)

Guardian 452

Points of Interest idea
« on: August 08, 2012, 07:21:31 pm »
Players of Layonara know of the Points of Interest spread out across the continents. But I admit even I have just now discovered some of them after several years of time here.

What about a way to drop clues about these P.O.I's? I was thinking like quick blurbs from the town criers, or even say a painting on the wall of a tavern that mentioned some locale etc...

thanks for considering this

G-452

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The following users thanked this post: miltonyorkcastle, Hellblazer

tom bombadill

Re: Points of Interest idea
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2012, 12:08:28 am »
I would like to second this. having recently started out unfamiliar with the server although many memories come surging back fast as i travel again, things are different...Better:) Here is an example, what i did:

-went through all the buildings in center,got gear, got quests
-went to catacombs, my cleric of Folian S'pea bashed with his wooden mace for 2 points damage. huh? str 14 is +2 and 1d6 is min 3 this went unnoticed for an hour while i became proficient with soul binding. I was getting frustrated....then i got a copper flail.

-I know better so i keep my chin up. next day i am approached OOC team up for mage daltons quest and come back to center an hour later have been to hlint was awed by the viciousness of the old red light clan. Met a witch and looted scorched lizardmen.

- went back stronger to catacombs and solo'd with tactics and enjoyed it

-now i am suffering death penalties and facing the soulmother is more
fearful.

-a player needs to get his class skills to lvl 3 before he can begin to survive long enough to evenly cautiously look around. RPing solves that as this server is meant to be, but it was difficult for me until i could survive getting hit by two mob long enough to drop one. I think this applies throughout the game as a rule of thumb but at lvl1 you have no option to look elsewhere and being held incapacitated for 8 minutes by rats requires faith and hope to stay logged in. I was praying the slicer beetle would finish me so i could respawn, rest and charge back in.
 

Dorganath

Re: Points of Interest idea
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2012, 08:55:39 am »
I get where you're going here, but it's worth saying that they're intended to be found through exploration, and in fact, the very scenario you (G-452) describe, about having been here for years and are just now discovering some.  It bet that was a pretty cool "Oh wow!" sort of moment, no?

The P.O.I's are basically free XP for no particular purpose other than simply finding them. Though there is a message that is generated when you get all of them in a series, there's no real "quest" or task associated with them, nor is there really any reward besides the free XP.

In this context, I'm kind of hesitant to place clues to any more than perhaps a couple on Mistone, just to introduce the new player/character to the concept (i.e. "Visit scenic Shifter's Tower! Sure, the tower is creepy, but the view is pretty with all the trees and such.").  An alternative would be to include references to a couple of the P.O.I.'s in a tutorial/walk-through.

I'd be fine with that, but the key point behind them is for them to be found through exploration, rather than going to a specific area or region looking for a freebie.
 

Guardian 452

Re: Points of Interest idea
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2012, 09:29:10 am »
Yeah at the very least an in game way of letting people know we have the P.O.I. system. To be clear I didnt want whatever method we used to be like... hey go to this exact location on this exact map and find "X", for every single P.O.I and besides noone could get to all of them solo anyway several are tucked away and plenty of baddies in the way. So many of them are hardly "free" you'll earn discovering them, IMO.

Something subtle, to use your Shifters Tower idea for example

*the crier says* Did you hear the tale about that creepy old tower out by Krandor? Sure it's spooky but wait till you see the view and snack on a few of the wild Raspberries. Almost enough to make you forget about the ominous smoke emanating from the old tower or the wild rumors about who used to live there.[/i]

That message mixed among the other crier messages. It doesnt say anywhere in the message either about go here and get FREE XP.

This might also be a method of giving more story to each P.O.I. I myself admit clicking several of them and not knowing a darn thing about WHY this is a P.O.I.

Exactly how many P.O.I.'s are there? a retorical question I dont think that is public knowledge If we had subtle hints to even half of them added to the town criers can you imagine how long it would take to hear the criers talk about each one, and all the other things they say at random? It isnt like Joe Roleplayer can just stop by the crier and get the info on how to find them in a matter of minutes, is it? I ask because I cant recall if I click on a crier... can I "force" him to tell me a bit of info?
 

Shiokara

Re: Points of Interest idea
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2012, 10:55:40 am »
Would it be possible to introduce the player to introduce the player OOCly to the PoI mechanic in that beginning tutorial zone, and then to reinforce that mechanic in the world by having a clue to only one flag?

Does everyone agree that this should be Krandor's tower? It's the closest to the starting point (even if it's not the lowest xp).
I'm guessing the PoI system hasn't been updated since Hlint was the starting point because the Silkwood Witch's hut is worth significantly less, though risk level seems just about the same.
 

Lance Stargazer

Re: Points of Interest idea
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2012, 11:06:22 am »
Or to make a new one that serves as part of the purpose to get to lvl 2 or 3 inside the very same tutorial .
 

Dorganath

Re: Points of Interest idea
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2012, 11:22:23 am »
Quote from: Guardian 452
Exactly how many P.O.I.'s are there? a retorical question I dont think that is public knowledge If we had subtle hints to even half of them added to the town criers can you imagine how long it would take to hear the criers talk about each one, and all the other things they say at random? It isnt like Joe Roleplayer can just stop by the crier and get the info on how to find them in a matter of minutes, is it? I ask because I cant recall if I click on a crier... can I "force" him to tell me a bit of info?

I believe there are 5 on all the major continents, those being Mistone, Alindor, Dregar, Belinara and Voltrex.  There are also a collection of "spelunker" P.O.I.'s that are all underground locations.

Again, I don't really want to give hints to any more than a few to introduce the system. You're supposed to find them. Some of them are really out of the way on purpose.

Also no, you cannot force anything out of the Town Criers.  If a GM or WL sets up an announcement in a specific way, Bardic characters can potentially draw a bit more from them. Bear in mind, there'd be almost no reason for a town crier to go publicly hinting about some far-flung destination with nothing really around it but danger. Forcing IC clues for something that's arguably a half-OOC system seems kind of weird to me.

So yeah, really don't mind hinting (somewhere) to introduce the system (and it probably belongs in a tutorial or walk-through), but I don't care for the idea of dropping hints for all or most or even many of the P.O.I.'s in game.
 

Guardian 452

Re: Points of Interest idea
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2012, 12:31:15 pm »
See were mostly in agreement then.  ;)
Setting it up in whatever manner so they understand the system is here... and to go out looking at your own risk.

I do think we should have more explaining why its a P.O.I. at least. Even if its a blurb written on the banner that people can read if they choose to.
 

Dorganath

Re: Points of Interest idea
« Reply #8 on: August 09, 2012, 12:47:09 pm »
Quote
I do think we should have more explaining why its a P.O.I. at least. Even if its a blurb written on the banner that people can read if they choose to.

Yeah, that's been suggested before, actually. I think part of the block there is that not all of the locations have anything officially written about them.

I suppose we could always say, "On this spot in 733....nothing happened." *winks*
 

 

anything