Forums » Suggestions
This is why it's OPTIONAL. I mean.. obviously this wouldn't be popular. But it's like three lines of code, and one of those is a closing bracket. All it does is put an added level of tension in the game for those who are looking for it.
Leber: What? How would it destroy anything? I'm the only damn one who would use it, apparently. Remember, there are NO distinctions between character types, with the POSSIBLE exception of a newspaper report for a life mode guy. It's OPTIONAL.
Is everyone missing something here? The part in the first post where I said, "You can check this flag if you want?"
Leber: What? How would it destroy anything? I'm the only damn one who would use it, apparently. Remember, there are NO distinctions between character types, with the POSSIBLE exception of a newspaper report for a life mode guy. It's OPTIONAL.
Is everyone missing something here? The part in the first post where I said, "You can check this flag if you want?"
I have no objection, but "three lines of code" ?!?!? I wish things were that simple.
You can roleplay without "life mode". Some people roleplay very well, most people don't roleplay. A few just use the excuse of "no death" to be jerks.
Since # Deaths is clearly shown in your player stats, why don't just announce you are on "life mode", and then play until you die? (You can always post it in the forums as an announcement...)
Since # Deaths is clearly shown in your player stats, why don't just announce you are on "life mode", and then play until you die? (You can always post it in the forums as an announcement...)
I would welcome a mmorpg with permanent death. I see the possibility of permanent death as an important dramatic component for roleplay. With mortal characters you have to do away with things like (lisence) level grinding, stupid accidental or otherwise meaningless deaths etc. Essentially making a very different game. Two VO-games in one universe? Maybe, some day. I don't really see the need for just adding permanent death feature without supporting desing changes.
Wow, I'm starting to see some flamebait undertones here. Let's try to stay on topic and avoid ruining this thread with such garbage, okay? Thanks.
Anyway, as the Forum Moderator pointed out it's not that simple. As insignificant and easy as it may seem to just slap it into the game, it's actually much harder than that. You also run the possibility of breaking other parts of the code in the process. Any new feature added to the game has that potential. Even if it's a simple checkbox. And I don't think the devs can afford to lose time by taking risks like that for something so minor.
I mean I don't see anyone really objecting to this idea. Options are always good. But given the already huge list of things to do in the medium and long term, I wouldn't hold my breath on seeing this idea take off anytime soon. But I'm glad at least someone mentioned it. Death really does need to have more of an impact in the game.
Anyway, as the Forum Moderator pointed out it's not that simple. As insignificant and easy as it may seem to just slap it into the game, it's actually much harder than that. You also run the possibility of breaking other parts of the code in the process. Any new feature added to the game has that potential. Even if it's a simple checkbox. And I don't think the devs can afford to lose time by taking risks like that for something so minor.
I mean I don't see anyone really objecting to this idea. Options are always good. But given the already huge list of things to do in the medium and long term, I wouldn't hold my breath on seeing this idea take off anytime soon. But I'm glad at least someone mentioned it. Death really does need to have more of an impact in the game.
If the "delete character" button works, this will work.
When a player dies, it must go through a series of methods or functions to deal with that situation and state. You stick a simple if statement in once the character has been removed from the sector, etc, that calls the "delete character" function if they have this flag set. You bump them out to the menu.
That's all the suggestion asks for. The other newspaper stuff would obviously take more development time, but that's extra. Perma killing a character would not be hard to do unless the devs have some sort of insanely convoluted design structure.
As a computer science major with a year of industry development under my belt, I'm usually the firt to cry, "Too long to implement! Focus on something else!" That's why I made this as simple as possible - it's a new flag in the character file and an if statement in the "death" sequence that calls "erase" and "Back to menu". Let's not get dogmatic about assuming everything new is going to take weeks or months to implement, here. This is very simple. Stick it on the test server for a month, if you want, and I'll test it in every which way I can. I might as well volunteer my time if I'm going to ask for time spent on my idea.
The point is, this isn't something like changing the economy or nerfing a ship. It has no impact on how the game is played or anyone who chooses to remain unaffected by it. It's about as low impact as you can get with an addition, and there may be a few people that would like to take advantage of it. Given that 1 person using life mode would make up some 3% of the online player base at any given time, it's not a totally insignificant feature, just one that isn't massive in scope.
When a player dies, it must go through a series of methods or functions to deal with that situation and state. You stick a simple if statement in once the character has been removed from the sector, etc, that calls the "delete character" function if they have this flag set. You bump them out to the menu.
That's all the suggestion asks for. The other newspaper stuff would obviously take more development time, but that's extra. Perma killing a character would not be hard to do unless the devs have some sort of insanely convoluted design structure.
As a computer science major with a year of industry development under my belt, I'm usually the firt to cry, "Too long to implement! Focus on something else!" That's why I made this as simple as possible - it's a new flag in the character file and an if statement in the "death" sequence that calls "erase" and "Back to menu". Let's not get dogmatic about assuming everything new is going to take weeks or months to implement, here. This is very simple. Stick it on the test server for a month, if you want, and I'll test it in every which way I can. I might as well volunteer my time if I'm going to ask for time spent on my idea.
The point is, this isn't something like changing the economy or nerfing a ship. It has no impact on how the game is played or anyone who chooses to remain unaffected by it. It's about as low impact as you can get with an addition, and there may be a few people that would like to take advantage of it. Given that 1 person using life mode would make up some 3% of the online player base at any given time, it's not a totally insignificant feature, just one that isn't massive in scope.
How about an heir system?
when you die, one of your heirs (grooming heirs might be an interesting little sidegame) takes over for you.
In "Life Mode" you'd have a limited amount of family, given enough time (and enough resources), that can increase.
Additionally, your family history could be tracked. The family as a whole might have 500 kills, but certain members would have gained special note for their actions.
It would also allow players to gain a certain amount of faction based on the character itself. If perhaps, one family member was a notorious pirate, they might have certain temporary problems. But another family member (if they stayed the straight and narrow) might be able to build a good rep (to an extent, people never quite forget the sins of the family)
when you die, one of your heirs (grooming heirs might be an interesting little sidegame) takes over for you.
In "Life Mode" you'd have a limited amount of family, given enough time (and enough resources), that can increase.
Additionally, your family history could be tracked. The family as a whole might have 500 kills, but certain members would have gained special note for their actions.
It would also allow players to gain a certain amount of faction based on the character itself. If perhaps, one family member was a notorious pirate, they might have certain temporary problems. But another family member (if they stayed the straight and narrow) might be able to build a good rep (to an extent, people never quite forget the sins of the family)
The Magpie,
i may have missed the intent of your post but to me it sounds like you are supporting the "my new character is the identicle twin of my last character" model of roleplaying.
Starfisher,
I work for a game testing company and i can tell you that games are esily broken. Just because it is easy to program doesn't mean that it will work as expected the first time. An entire game can be mae unplayable, because one goto command has a mispelled label, and the only way to finde out if something is amis is to run the program and see what hapens. You can chenck your code over and over again, but eventualy you just have to run the program. And anything that involves the delet character function has serious enough consequences to the existing player base if it doesn't work, to be a problem. But i agree with you, run it on the test server for a while to make sure it all works before putting it on the main server and everything should be ok.
Anyway,
I think a life mode tag would be an interesting addition to the game, but my concern is that it's too easy to die when you are gaining lisences. I would like to see some provisions made on that end. perhaps as was sugested life mode characters get XP faster, or perhaps life mode charcters get to begin the game with a strate across level 2 and some pocket cash (2,000cr should be enough). Personaly i like the faster XP option, because it makes life mode charcters more fun in my opinion. You advance more quickely but one screw up and you are back to the beginning making a new character. Also it lessens the blow if your charc ter gets killed by something like, lag or an ion storm, but without removing the sence of acomplishment on leveling. Also it allows more life mode charcters to get to the criticle level 4-9 area where the get access to the uper level stuff that is generaly standard equipment in any majur PVP type event.
i may have missed the intent of your post but to me it sounds like you are supporting the "my new character is the identicle twin of my last character" model of roleplaying.
Starfisher,
I work for a game testing company and i can tell you that games are esily broken. Just because it is easy to program doesn't mean that it will work as expected the first time. An entire game can be mae unplayable, because one goto command has a mispelled label, and the only way to finde out if something is amis is to run the program and see what hapens. You can chenck your code over and over again, but eventualy you just have to run the program. And anything that involves the delet character function has serious enough consequences to the existing player base if it doesn't work, to be a problem. But i agree with you, run it on the test server for a while to make sure it all works before putting it on the main server and everything should be ok.
Anyway,
I think a life mode tag would be an interesting addition to the game, but my concern is that it's too easy to die when you are gaining lisences. I would like to see some provisions made on that end. perhaps as was sugested life mode characters get XP faster, or perhaps life mode charcters get to begin the game with a strate across level 2 and some pocket cash (2,000cr should be enough). Personaly i like the faster XP option, because it makes life mode charcters more fun in my opinion. You advance more quickely but one screw up and you are back to the beginning making a new character. Also it lessens the blow if your charc ter gets killed by something like, lag or an ion storm, but without removing the sence of acomplishment on leveling. Also it allows more life mode charcters to get to the criticle level 4-9 area where the get access to the uper level stuff that is generaly standard equipment in any majur PVP type event.
Haiku
The Hidden Guilty,
sees nought but silent fingers,
pointing at himself.
The Hidden Guilty,
sees nought but silent fingers,
pointing at himself.
What if you had to unlock the ability to play "life mode" by leveling one character to 13/13/13/13/13? Then each "life mode" character you started would automatically have maxed out levels, so you wouldn't have to worry about leveling... only making a name for yourself in the universe and not dying.
While we're dreaming, a life mode character should also carry a special badge ;p
While we're dreaming, a life mode character should also carry a special badge ;p
Well, no. Not maxed out levels. It should really just be Vendetta with maybe a death notification in the newspaper. If you are really going for an incentive, you could make a lifemode character have a 1.5x modifier on all experience gained, but I wouldn't change anything other than that.