Ideas for improving long term interest...

[GM_Chris]

Well I think this may have been said but let me tell you what the GM's are kinda thinking or maybe a better word would be leaning.

1) Perhaps give people hero points that refresh ever event.
2) Give out hero points that go away when used.
3) Create a skill tree where players can choose different bonus's their hero points can do. Such as "spend a hero point to add 2 damage to your weapon if it is a 2 handed or headed weapon" or maybe "spend a hero point to recieve 10 HP's" Or maybe "Spend a hero point to know the answer to your question" Basically we would add in a limited amount of dare I say "Times per event" things you could do. Basically more powerful things, but limited in scope.
4) Create prestege disciplines and maybe paths that Higher level characters could begin learning. Forexample at level 40 or 60 or what ever you can beginn learning a new path or discipline.
5) Maybe come up with a pool of low impact skills that you can simply "choose" from at certain levels.

[WayneO42]

I also really like the "Ascension" idea.

[dier_cire]

The hero point ideas are nice but don't really address long term boredom. Giving me a couple extra minor skills is the same as giving me a couple of magic items. I'd still be bored after 4 years. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of making them more useful as you level, but I don't think it addresses the long term issues, but is rather a neat (and promising) new idea outside of the original intention of this topic.

The prestige skills aren't really new. In fact, they already exist. They're called hidden disciplines. Sure, these ones may be more powerful and have different requirements but in the end, it's all the same. While I think it's a neat idea, balancing them while trying to make them more powerful/appealing will be a nightmare, cause breaks, and ultimately not accomplish any long term bored fix. I've changed my primary discipline I think 3 times and it hasn't really changed my outlook, why would doing it once more?

This is why I went with and still believe in the ascension idea. Adding skills over time and having the ability to play different characters (depending on circumstances) while doing so would make me retire Ka in a heartbeat.

[Torakhan]

Thats one of the things I always thought was silly about AD&D, that each character got individual points based on how much the DM thought they accomplished and advancement shouldn't be subjective.

Well it'd be nice if there was some subjectivity to the game too at times... I can play a Warrior who sits inside of the Inn and cowers and keep gaining the same abilities and skills as the warriors who jump outside and attack everything under the sun, or train every day. I think Hero Points are that "subjectivity" that puts some randomness into the mechanics since everything else mechanically is so static (one difference being what happens with trade-routs randomly, I think?) But GMs would need to be keeping an eye out for great roleplaying and encourge other players to write down who they nominate for Hero Points and WHY and use that for their judgements... and I think we're lucky if the GMs are aware of what is going on with their own plots, and players just checking out.

I'd like to see what effect "re-popping" Hero Points each game does for the game... I don't think it'd be game breaking, but it would be interesting to try it one event and see what happens (maybe at Winter Haven if not Final Haven?)

.... Ried and I are always in the middle of just about every really big plot and we don't even average a hero point between the two of us every 5 years.

That's because I don't think the FH GMs have given out any Hero Points for years. It's just myth. Go to WH for the Hero Points and use them in FH. *L*

I don't think the high point characters have as many magic items as you'd think. I don't even have 1 and Ka has been around since the beginning. A few people may have multiples and a few have some that I consider broken but I don't think that they are the exception more than the rule. Plus, I'm hoping some will get eaten between seasons.

I think it's more a matter of "influence" than levels. Those with better positions/stations seem to be "gathering point" of magical items, and non-magical items. "Here! I found this! Find someone who can use it?"

[Atrum Draconus]

On the hero point thing I was speaking strictly of advancement, nothing else.

[General Maximus]

Ideas for improvement

1. More rewards. A possible idea is to create new tags that can be handed out as rewards. An X numbers of these new tags will equal 1 resource tag. Example would be 4 meat tags would equal to 1 food tag.
2. Cut the cost/upkeep of commodities more people can have them. The ability they give are not game breaking and gives a group more of a reason to stay together because most if not all people in said group that brings in the commodity can benefit from it. If they leave, they lose the benefit. Can help keep groups together.
3. Have NPC places where one can spend extra resources to get stuff. Trade with NPC’s to get minor magic items, commodity items, weapons, armor, potions, spells, etc… there has to be groups will to trade and by now FH would know who has what and is willing to trade for.


Note: Need to be careful on the hero points. Hero points allow for easier PC killings because of the no charge times. If hero points are to repop, might want to allow for some resists to done with hero points to counter the 1 shot kills with hero point skills. Keep it balanced. Example would be the hero point empath magic sleep. If you do not have the resits (magic, sleep), your dead. So if an empath gets 3 repopable hero points, they can easly kill 3 people an event.

[dier_cire]

Also to note on hero points, if they were to become repopable, either their power needs to be toned down overall or they need to come less frequently (maybe 1 at 30, 50, and 80). Having anything more than 3 of these per event would be crazy. And having them as such will shift the base damage of the game higher. If I had 3 repopable, I'd swing 2 or 3 (depending on rage) for every major battle.

And as Aaron noted, repopable hero points make empaths and assassins much better pc killers.

[GM-Mike]

I posted this at some point in this thread, but I will repeat that yes, the counterpoint of the repoppable hero points would be the inclusion of fewer overall...

See, we're not as stupid as we look

I think in the end we will probably do a combination of a bunch of things so keep the ideas coming. We will strongly consider the good ones as subjectively viewed through the lens of a few GMs who simply know everything and can do no wrong...

Now if only we can find those people...

[dier_cire]

Don't all the GMs already view themselves in that light?

I know I have my faults but as proven by this forum, being wrong isn't one...

[Smitty19]

I know I am far from one to really add anything to the convorsation, but all this brainstorming has had a wee little effect on my brain.

I was thinking for High Level characters and the whole aspect of hitting the ceiling so to speak that the idea of unlockable skills would be awesome. One that got my attention would be done through either straight training, as in it take x number events to achieve with the help of said trainer. Say at like level 40 a Warrior now becomes honed with the ability to start learning Focused Rage.

Now this might be way off the mark, and could be overpowered, but in my eyes i thought it was worth asking about. Saying that the warrior has had so much time, and training that he is starting to be able to control his inner stepchild and knows now how to use it effectively as a battle tool. Instead of becoming a blood-thirsty maniac, he know knows how to channel his rage into an extention of himself. It would work just the same as rage, I.E. giving you an additional point of damage for your swing but you now have learned to use it effectively with out the need for dropping your shield, so instead of becoming a frothing madman you now know how to strike with percision and strength but at a cost to your body, meaning it could cost 2 lp to activate it. Just something I was thinking about, but it could be done as an incentive, meaning by no means making people overpowered, but giving the high levels something to still strive towards

So...go ahead and blast away (c:

[cole45]

Can i suggest a skill thread?


people could post new skills, brain storm like.

[Durgan]

Personally, I like the way that leveling goes right now. After just my first event I got to do a good deal of cool things, and I am now at Lvl 12 and it's just now stalling out.

I actually like the fact that even a level 40 Knight has to rely on help from other people to get things done, rather than just wading through the legions of bad guys alone. A bit of a cap is the fact that it makes it so that the game isn't filled with epic-level heros, just ones that are slightly better than the rest. Their character's actions are what make them epic after a point, not just their abilities.

As for the death thing, I have the biggest gripe because most of the character deaths (both perma- and otherwise) I've seen in my three events were from lack of teamwork, not a superior foe. It's because usually the instant combat starts, most of the PC pool begins doing whatever comes to mind, rather than acting cohesively. The only fear I have ever had is for for my beloved character being left to bleed to death and then probably pull a red chip (with my luck), simply because everyone else ran off to chase the monster without a thought of helping their fellows first.

As for Hero points, I would like to see them stay at the same power level, but be a good deal more frequent, and be given for other things than combat actions. I actually have a Hero Point already, at Level 12, from WinterHaven for going on the 4-mile 'treasure hike'. Everyone on the hike got one, and there was at least 6-7 of us there.

Right now, it just seems that they aren't powerful enough to be such rare items, and the best way to fix that is to make them easier to get, not more powerful.

[dier_cire]

A level 40 knight would still need help from others...

A level 12 character would be currently eqaul to a current level 8 under what I proposed.

[marduk]

Just wanted to revive this thread.

How do you keep long term interest?

LAND. you need Land.

That is my two bits. If I ever become fabulously wealthy, I will buy you guys some land. And we will build. You know what they say, if you build it....

[Torakhan]

That is my two bits. If I ever become fabulously wealthy, I will buy you guys some land. And we will build. You know what they say, if you build it....

By the sounds of it... there's plenty of folks willing to "create LARP Land" if they ever get rich. Now if six of you guys can just get 1/6th rich and pool your resources...