Ideas

[Ilessa]

The hammers were quest items for a few temporary quests. They have now been removed from the game.

[David]

Ah, well I can see your point about how adding NPCs giving coin would certainly be a balance issue.

The hammers were to me always a mystery, thank you for clearing that up!

[Bult]

There are certain npcs that will accept corpses and for a large fraction of those, they reward you with gold. A few examples I can name offhand are Soran, Arkad and Songaar. To make an npc that accepts all corpses, regardless of if they are villagers, mordikhan or squirrels would take quite a feat of imagination on why the man wants them in the first place.

Insane taxidermist, morbid biologist, necromancer, gravedigger, Kennel-master of hellhounds

Our imagination opens doors, it never provides limitations.

[Silas]

The hammers were for the building of the first boats or some such nonsense.

[Rhyndar]

I stated that it would take a feat of imagination to come up with a reason. This can be reworded as "It would take a lot of imagination to come up with a reason." I did not say that imagination provides limitations.

While I do applaud your impressive imagination, the reasoning still stands that it would only create more problems.

[David]

I stated that it would take a feat of imagination to come up with a reason. This can be reworded as "It would take a lot of imagination to come up with a reason." I did not say that imagination provides limitations.

While I do applaud your impressive imagination, the reasoning still stands that it would only create more problems.

I suppose the question(s) that should be asked is....(at least to me)....

What can the players do that'll benefit the lands?

I've played Akanbar now approaching three years and have taken little if any breaks from it, even invested money into the realm from time to time when my real life allows a bit of extra money to be spent. The conflict aspect is nearly complete gone with maxium city locations upped to twenty and the tower respawns of 12 hours. Mix this in with the economy standpoint from cities struggling due to army costs, armies that are not going anywhere due to the 12 hour respawn not being able to harm the barracks whatsoever. Most cities can recruit it seems 10-15 a day, but if you raid you only face 12 guards per tower every 12 hours....the chances of just one of those guards dying is slim. As many of you may or may not know, magical NPCs (Shaman, Pyromancer, and Wardens) don't have any chance of dying when killed unlike guards.

Even for those people that don't inspire to be a great fighter, what is being offered to them currently? Many can sit around and argue that conflict ruins the game and many people leave due to the stress of dealing with it. I can understand, being a capable fighter and leader of a city is very stressful and for some Akanbar is an escape from their everyday lives. (I am about to be a father, so I can understand that at times I just log on to Akanbar to relax and enjoy my character). I guess when my life is stressful, I enjoy a good bash or raid to get whatever is bothering me out of my system. When I am bashing or raiding, it's like a mind cleanser as I am not even thinking about all my rl worries. For those brief periods of time, I am able to focus on keeping alive and seeing if any defenders are coming, as if all my real life worries are gone.

So if we as the players are meant to accept the fact that conflict in Akanbar is nearly depleted in the sense of player versus player combat via raid on towers and/or cities....well let's focus our attention elsewhere for a moment.

Again, I play Akanbar because I've found myself found of many of the people within it, even those that hate me I can get a decent conversation in. We're faced with a very difficult time right now, in a sense that there are many games out there like WOW or Guildwars....even console games take away many new players that may not normally be interested in a text game. There has to be a driving force or plot that calls people to Akanbar. I as the player want to know what I can do to help....I've quested....bashed.....and now helped Elysium with help of many others try to regain many villages lost through the years. For what purpose though? I feel like even though I and many others working hard, we are not seeing any results. I went from level 54 to 98 in a course of a week, but yet I have a feeling of emptiness.

I truly believe the population of Akanbar can help with whatever task is thrown our way, any type of roleplay the players usually jump at it. We as players sometimes aren't capable of such and need a little help. Tell us what we can do.....or at least tell us that there will be nothing new so we can stop expecting things.

I guess this is a request that all players, old....new....or even those that don't play anymore, please post whatever you feel can better Akanbar here. Give ideas, so that perhaps they can be implented or even considered. Let's stop sitting around discussing how things used to be, and go out there and work hard to better the realm.

I mean this post with the upmost respect towards the administration of Akanbar and hopefully it isn't seen in a bad light. I truly appreciate as a player the world of Akanbar, but lately it just doesn't seem like there is "substance" to it.
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1.) Village economy/City economy....if there were a way to reset them somehow I think it'd truly be appreciated on all ends. Almost like starting over.

2.) Fix tower raids to go back to 6 hours from 12 hours. Also, making it so the setup is more meaningful to raid (4 guards/1 magic NPC) instead of the (2 guards/3 magic NPCS) we see nowadays. Or at least make it so Magical NPCs face the chance of expiring.

3.) A new bashing area, I can help fund the ideals or concepts behind it and can work with whatever is given to me. I just think it'll give a spark to those that have lost a bit of interest in bashing the same things over and over.

4.) A new comm? Steel! Imagine the ability to work with the properties of steel? A good smith could craft a steel weapon that could have the same stats of a kryllian blade, but if it goes wrong it could be terrible as a gold weapon.

5.) Fixing a few villages? Welsbury and Haddam come to mind......they just seem so incomplete as the NPCs don't even engage conversations for the most part.

6.) Removing merchant classes entirely and giving one profession choice to each in a fighting based guild. I really think this would cut down on the fact of people claiming others to be alts or even the need to make an alt character.

Again...these are just a few ideas in the big picture. I know that it's been stated that there is a chart with todos on it.....but I think given the circumstances.... a poll has been created so people could vote on what they feel Akanbar is lacking.

[Rhyndar]

In posting this, I may sound a touch like a broken record, but I would like to emphasize a point I have made to several people. You may not have been one of them, so I will make this a general statement to every player.

In the paragraphs to follow, I will provide examples as well as reword things in various ways so as to help people understand the statement I am trying to make. If I give an example of something, you should realize that if you come to me with that idea or one almost identical, I will not take you seriously. In my post, if you find I come off as abrasive, I do not mean to be.
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I will answer your concerns in chronological order, starting first with raiding of towers. Right now, when you raid an enemy’s tower, you are only able to do it every twelve hours. In the span of that raid, one side will almost always win.

Let’s say both cities are boxers. Both boxers have a match every twelve days. In those twelve days, the boxers are given time to heal, build up more muscle and train their techniques. Assuming one boxer is stronger than the other, as such is the case in the fight between Elysium and Golgonath, the other boxer loses. Twelve hours later, the boxer loses again. Twelve hours later- you got it- the boxer loses again. In these twelve hours, the opposing boxer, Golgonath, tries to work on their defense and heals his wounds. If you were to increase the rate to a fight every six days, the losing boxer would have less time to heal and would have less time to work on getting stronger. He’ll enter the ring weaker than he was before. It would become a hulk of a man beating an exhausted pile of flesh and bones. Why would the boxer even bother to enter the ring anymore? His morale would be gone, he wouldn’t be able to heal any. There would be no point anymore.

In short, tower raids, while being an important feature of war, are configured right now to give cities time to recuperate. To increase the frequency would only lower the morale of the enemy city further. While that is the point in-game, I don’t want players quitting because of feelings of hopelessness. As you said, people log on to Akanbar to escape their lives. Negative things will always happen to them, but I would prefer for it to not be so frequent that they give up on their characters.

Now for the main point your post focuses around: What can players do?

I took up the role of Rhyndar to, as Zycandos’s post about me states, progress the storyline. In doing such, my job is to take your efforts and turn them from emotes and role-play to substantial things. The first few events I hosted were held not only to break the unnerving tranquility of the mud, but also to show that things can happen if you take the initiative to do them. However, it was not known that these things could happen, so I took it upon myself to initiate them. That phase is over.

Now we progress to players taking the initiative to spark things. There will still be events initiated by non-mortals, but I expect the majority of events to be started from players.

Let us get back to your question: What can players do?

An easier question might be “What can’t players do?”. If you come to me with an idea, I will most likely consider it. For example, if Dimetrius approached me and said “Hello, Rhyndar. I would like to create a catapult to launch flaming piles of manure into the city of Elysium”, I would say “Okay, how will you be doing it?”. His response, no doubt, would be that he would speak to Kargoth, who would draw up schematics for these catapults. “After that,” Dimetrius states, “I would gather manure, load it onto the catapults and light the manure on fire moments before firing.” My response: “Good plan. Have at it.”

Dimetrius then goes to Kargoth and there is a discussion. After receiving the shopping list and giving Kargoth the materials, Golgonath now has a fleet of catapults. Two years worth of flaming manure later, Elysium is on fire and several (yes, non-player) houses have burned down.

Moving onward to my question: What can’t players do?

1. You cannot use that example or an example strikingly similar to that.
2. You cannot destroy a city, summon imperial dragons or anything else absurdly impossible.
3. You cannot continuously cause excess grievance to a faction, such as “I would like to make a monster that flies over Ysallyra, periodically killing all the citizens within the city.” Creating an “event” that harms a faction is OK, but excess harm is unacceptable. Yes, there is always a way to destroy something that isn’t immortal, but if the only solution involves “if Ysallyra swears to become our loyal servants and gives us 200 gold, we’ll call it off”, it’s not happening.
4. You cannot create a huge imbalance in the realm. “I would like to rob Elysium’s bank, depleting their gold supply to 0” won’t happen.

I’m certain I’ve forgotten a few, so if I say no and the reason isn’t one of these four, spend your time trying to improve your idea instead of trying to argue with me.

With that transition, I bring you my latest point. A happy DM is a DM that will give you things. Make us happy and we’ll reward you. Make us unhappy and you get nothing. Things that make us happy: Role-playing, not talking OOCly in public, not insulting us, firstborns, but mostly role-playing.

Please feel free to ask me questions, though I request you ask them here rather than in tells, simply because if you have that question, chances are others will have it as well.

[Bult]

I do have a few questions, mostly to gauge the limitations that the game mechanics and your power and free time will have on any ideas I/we come up with.

You stated that game objects can be created, like catapults in your example. I'll make the assumption that this means 'tangible' objects can be created, things we can pick up, examine, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong about that. My real question would be: Is it possible to create objects that can perform functions? For example a primative blunderbuss that could be fired to injure someone, a magic wand that could be used to copy an existing spell effect, a large and heavy but portable box that could be entered and exited like a room, an umbrella that stops you from getting rained on.

Are new npc factions able to be created? For example: Bugbear factions, or Orc factions. They would have no villages or reachable territory, but have diplomatic status. The concept being a unaligned power that would be able to support a army and even conduct military operations in the world of Akanbar.

Can new npc monsters be created, specifically ones that would have special attacks or defences? Examples are like Mordikhans aoe fire breathing, metal titans that are almost immune to melee attacks, attacks that mimic toxins.

Are we able to request unique and perhaps admin controlled individuals, such as heroes or leaders that may end up being re-occuring antagonists in future events?

Are we able to request events that doesn't involve ourselves? If we have a really great idea that would be specifically aimed at a faction, city or guild that isn't our own, would you be willing to consider it?


I'll understand if I get a lot of "no" type answers to these questions, I like to aim high.

P.S. Ysallyra would have to pay more than 200 gold for people to put up with them as servants. Just kidding.

[Rhyndar]

I am tempted to respond with "yes" and let it be that. Unfortunately, almost nothing is that easy.

Yes, in theory, all of those could happen. I would be irresponsible to not explain the "limitations", however.

To create something custom, be it a catapult, a fire-breathing dragon or hoards of orcs, takes time. Depending on the subject, it could take days to weeks to create something. This should not make you feel as if I am saying you cannot have any of these items. I am stating this because if what you're asking to be made takes weeks to create and they will be used for two hours, you can almost guarantee your idea will be changed so that the item in question will not be involved. As a disclaimer, don't take this as your cue to ask to become a coder to speed this up.

Logically following that, the more reasonable an object is, the higher chance it will happen. While Golgonath creating creatures that drain the health of those in the room, shoot fire from their ears and swap the genders of those who attack it probably won't be approved, Golgonath creating a creature that does only one of these three skills would have a higher chance. Think big, but realize the bigger you think, the more headaches you will cause.

Another point- You won't get big event after big event. This is for the exact same reasons stated above. Gods are not locked in closets and forced to code for Akanbar nonstop, however tempted Zycandos might be to do that. Each of them have lives they try to make the occasional appearance in.

Lastly, you should keep in mind not to break my four rules mentioned in my previous post.

In short, yes to those all, but don't create more headaches than an event of that size should have.

Added on:

To quickly add on as an afterthought, please don't plan out the beginning, middle and end of the thing you want to do. A goal is one thing, but to compose a story about how you'll ultimately get betrayed by the group of ogres you're helping and they kill you all is another. Explain what you want to do, how you'll do it and leave deciding what actually happens to me.

[Rhyndar]

I am sorry you feel as if your voice is not being heard, though I should say I am mildly confused as I am clearly responding to it in a way that reflects I have read and comprehend it. There is a difference between someone hearing your opinion and accepting it or someone hearing your opinion and disagreeing with it. In both cases, your opinion is heard.

In addition, please don't copy and paste definitions in your post. I am well aware what the word "war" means. I assure you, being passive aggressive will not encourage me, let alone the admin, to agree with you.

[Dimetrius]

Edit: Rantings removed for your convenience.

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Anyways, ideas.

I'd really love some more furniture options. And yes, by that I mean I've already taken the liberty of writing
a few descriptions up. But, as always, I'm looking for more ideas. Who's for more furniture, or similar aesthetic
bits to flesh out our homes?

[Ilessa]

This thread is for ideas only. Take complaints and discussions elsewhere, please.

[Ilshara]

David had a very valid and good point and I don't see a reason why his post was deleted. I understand politely moving us to take that discussion elsewhere... but I see no reason to delete his well thought out, very very very valid points.

[Rhyndar]

I'd really love some more furniture options. And yes, by that I mean I've already taken the liberty of writing
a few descriptions up. But, as always, I'm looking for more ideas. Who's for more furniture, or similar aesthetic
bits to flesh out our homes?

That would be an interesting addition to Akanbar that certainly adds to an underdeveloped area of the game!

[Ilessa]

David had a very valid and good point and I don't see a reason why his post was deleted. I understand politely moving us to take that discussion elsewhere... but I see no reason to delete his well thought out, very very very valid points.

He is free to re-post it in the appropriate place.