There have been numerous suggestions for improvements to TEC over the last few months that have come up in the Discord and during streams. I have decided to list below the ones with most agreement and the least argument. Hopefully if not implemented exactly, they might provide some insight into things that the community as a whole (veterans and newbies alike) think could benefit the game world.
Suggestions:
- Adding suggested hunting areas to Ludus NPs and weapons’ trainers:
Currently, newer arrivals rely on PC’s to help tell them where to hunt or on outside resources, such as the Wiki. I think if there was a way for the NPC to look at the CM and Weapons skills of the PC, they could tell them a suggested area to hunt in that reflects their current status. Especially the guy just inside the Ludus that greets you. Perhaps when moving through there he could occasionally “check” the person and offer a suggested hunting area based on their current ranks. For weapons trainers, as well as ludus personnel, I would make it a dialogue option when asking them keyword “hunt.” They could then tell you where they think you should try based on current skill levels. I am against just doing TCR check because some skill sets are vastly different in the TCR they need. So looking solely at CM ranks and single weapon ranks (highest weapon for Ludus, trainer would look at highest level of weapon they teach) may be more beneficial to the character in question.
- Expanding NPC Dialogue options.
I really think NPCs should have more dialogue options. Tell me about <location> for some NPCs should yield some type of history or Lore associated with the area. It should make sense, and not every NPC should know everything. Some items, such as history of the Republic, past wars, etc. should be known by “most” NPCs, but asking Constantine “Tell me about Undertown” would probably return a shrug and “I don’t know much about that.” However, asking the RV Drover about Undertown should reveal some information about the place.
Some of the history and lore should be available for some of the NPCs as well. Asking Mel or Iskara at the Hospice about the Cult or the Healers should give you some dialogue about those aspects of the game world.
Asking the soldiers at the Phoenix Gate certain keywords should get them to tell you in-game about the Legio, wars, past events that involved them (like cineran invasions, red hand entering the city, etc).
These are just some examples of helping to not only maintain the history of events inside the game, but also making it accessible to players and adding a bit more organic feeling to the game world. I am against barking NPCs (unless it makes sense like the Boardwalk barker), but in this case it is the player choosing to interact, so it’s not unnecessary room spam and it is entirely up to the PC to interact or not.
- Markets and NPS
The vendors that buy leather and metal should give you some indication of how well the market is doing when you ask them “How is the market?” For instance, if the market is high for that vendor, they could say “I am paying top denar for leather|bronze|iron|etc right now” and then have their response change based on where the market sits. So from top amount to lowest, it might be:
- I am paying top denar! / The market is great right now!
- The market is stable. / Prices are average.
- Prices have fallen a bit. / Prices are lower than usual
- I don’t really need anymore <type of good>. / Prices are as low as they get.
This wouldn’t give away any mechanics, but it would quickly let people know where things stand and they can decide whether to sell or hold. The gem buyers though, considering some speculate gem prices move independent of each other, that may not be an option for them because there is no overall market to discuss. However, if you asked about individual gems or when you “show” the gem to them, they return a phrase about how that particular gem market is, that could work.
- Customization Vendor (Thanks to Nya for the suggestion)
For an in-game money sink, there should be a set of vendors (whether in Iridine or spread out across the Republic) who can customize items, armor, weapons, and basic changeable characteristics for PCs. While the customization would not change anything mechanical about the item, it would just change the short/long description of it.
I would imagine for an item, you could change color and one adjective about the item. For something like a gladius, you would be able to change hilt color and the option of shape of the blade (curved, straight, serrated, thin, thick, etc.)
For armor, you could change color and markings. Maybe add tassels. Just 1 adjective change. And vendors in different areas would have different options. A vendor in the Nehal might be able to add more barbaric symbols and have more rustic colors. Monlon’s vendor might have more religious symbols and more pure colors. They don’t all have to be cookie cutter.
For the PC customization vendor, I think it should include basic changes like hair style, hair color, beard/shave options (for men), make-up options for women.
This would really provide an in-game option for characters to take care of basic changes to things, while still needing GM involvement for big changes to items. And its perfectly fine to have both an in-game cost and an RP cost associated with the changes to keep in line with the “Spend RPs” menu. I just think lessening the need for GM involvement for cosmetic changes to things would free up more time and provide a money sink for folks in-game currency.
- Items which have a “side” should have that in the short description (thanks Raaz for your troubles)
Currently, items such as greaves and manica sold in a few shops have a definite side they go on, but that is not part of the short name for the items. This leads to 2 items appearing in the “Stock” list with no real distinction to allow you to ensure you are purchasing the correct one. I feel like an item that is specifically made for one side of the body should state that. So instead of 2 “a midnight black bronze manica” for sale, there should be “a midnight black left bronze manica” and “a midnight black right bronze manica”.
This also occurs with jewelry and garments sometimes where the names for items show the same thing until the very end, but because of the number of characters the “Stock” option will show the same text even though the items are different. Example:
a flowing green tunica with a beautifully hemmed
a flowing green tunica with a beautifully hemmed
That is what the stock shows, but having the vendor show it to you they would be “a flowing green tunica with a beautifully hemmed pattern of roses” and “a flowing green tunica with a beautifully hemmed pattern of squares.” Maybe there could be a way to either expand reorder the descriptions or make it so the “stock” option and vendor recognition is the entire item name?
Check out the JagerBtFM Twitch Stream's Discord at: https://discord.gg/zKcSsrTp
1.what's wrong with having to talk to other players in a multiplayer game?
2.see point one, also, why would a drover know anything about undertown, when his job is to transport goods between iridine and rock valley?
3.Sounds like you just want to eliminate the market, or the use of brokers.
4.there's already those things in the game, like the barber, and stylist, and the makeup. Customizing items would be an event, or rp purchase.
5.Don't they already? Pretty sure that they do, if they don't, you should report that specific shop, so it gets fixed. Most shops show the side.
1. Nothing, but it should not be the only source of information either.
2. See point 1. I am sure a drover has heard rumors about the town he takes people to. The point is the NPCs are lifeless bots. Give them some interaction.
3. Complete opposite. No need to bother a broker if the NPC can tell you prices are in the trash. But if they tell you they are great, now you aren't wasting the broker's time. And I don't want to eliminate the market at all, please don't assume.
4. Why would customizing items be an event? If its a cosmetic change and not mechanical, why not let it be an automated system? Specialty customization, got it. Make it an event. But dying a piece of leather armor blue or branding an eagle onto it should not require GM intervention. Its a waste of time and energy
5. Pretty sure they don't except for the basic ones sold in the Colosseum. The specialty ones don't have it listed in the stock display so you can't pick a right or left when buying. Same with most greaves, they don't list a side in the display name.
Check out the JagerBtFM Twitch Stream's Discord at: https://discord.gg/zKcSsrTp
Minor dialog conversations with NPCs would go a long way. Thirteen year old me didn’t get hooked on this game cause I was super excited about testing empathy mechanics…it was the rich lore and background the GMs were breathing into the game.
The issue with putting this responsibility on players are as follows:
1. Most of the original characters from the good ol’ days are dead or gone. There is not a realistic expectation that 90% of the characters IG now would know what their players might.
-I- could tell you all about Aeran’s, Veilwalkers, ravanites, and Lucifalism. My characters cannot because the ones that could are dead.
2. Continuity:
The staff doesn’t provide a lore based wiki to players. I’ve heard rumors that they have their own with lore and notes on NPCs but we’ll never see that. Asking players to be content creators when you’re grabbing at straws that may or may not be right is just disinformation. I could play a Aestavian scholar who writes tomes on the art of Aestiva engineering but a GM could come in and easily discredit that if they chose. (I actually did this in an @request and was told they didn’t want to decide the entirety of Aesitvan lore at the moment) Major lore such as gods, nations, etc. should be explained by the game.
3. FOIG - Some topics are of course FOIG. But not knowing who or how to get that information cause you’re not in a niche can be frustrating. Small hints from NPCs could nudge you towards the lore/RP you want. Asking Constantine about the Thieves guild might get you a cautious answer but nudge you towards the harbor where so robe else might be willing to say more for example.
4. Backstory- A new player or even an old player starting a character might find Tuchea very interesting. They’d like to know all about Tuchea so they can mold their character around that nations traditions, traits, and physical features. How are they supposed to do that without any information if they have to go ask a character first? How will they know that character is Tuchea? How will they know that character has the information they want?
4. Backstory- A new player or even an old player starting a character might find Tuchea very interesting. They’d like to know all about Tuchea so they can mold their character around that nations traditions, traits, and physical features. How are they supposed to do that without any information if they have to go ask a character first? How will they know that character is Tuchea? How will they know that character has the information they want?
the help files on nations are pretty good, if you read all the links for them.
I'm not expecting simulacrum-level detail for things. But it'd be great if we could expand further on nations, peoples, notable figures around the city, hunting grounds, gods, etc.
If the staff is willing to accept write-ups as canon, I'd happily write some up. This is one I wrote just for a newbie area on a game I was working on.
The Beetle Caves
In search of ore and precious stones, a group of prospectors made their home in these cave for some time. Work was steady, the gemstones were pouring money in, life was good. But all things must come to an end...As the miners began to dig deeper, they began to hear scratching beyond the freshly dug halls of their mine. What started faint, a low chirping noise grew louder and louder, intensifying as you ventured further into the depths of the mine. Chirp. The sound was maddening...the miners complained. Chirp. However, the foreman knew the money was flowing and urged the more steadfast of his crew to dig deeper. Chirp. Chirp. They dug. They dug deeper and deeper, raking in rubies, emeralds, gold, and silver. What luck they had! With full bellies and riches on their mind, they pressed further. CHIRP.As time pressed on and the mine grew thin of resources, even the most stubborn of the lot began to become worrisome. They hadn't found the source of the noise, yet it droned on incessantly still. CHIRP CHIRP CHIRPThe noise had finally taken a toll. The miners demanded the foreman do something or they would strike. Chirp. No amount of gold or silver could quell the piercing symphony of that sound on a man's ears. Chirp. "Fine! To hell with the lot of ye.", the foreman shouted. Chirp Chirp Chirp. He grabbed a pickaxe from one of the men standing at the end of the shaft. Chirp Chirp Chirp Chirp! As the foreman lifted the pickaxe with a giant swing, he turned to the men and said, "Your shares are getting cut for this. It's just ro...". CHIRRRRRRRRRRRRP! The wall gave way to a massive tunnel, outpouring beetles larger than the men. The foreman was first to go, being devoured mid-sentence. It was too late.Fire burst forth from one dark red beetle's mouth, setting the closest ablaze. Another man was impaled by a black beetle with a giant horn. The rest...well nothing remained of rest of the miners as a massive green beetle emerged from the nest and melted them to nothingness with its acid spit.This was the -beetles- cave all this time...
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