IDEAS FOR RYZOM

(While I'm speaking mostly of the overseers in the Burning Desert, I think the situation is same everywhere else.)

Present situation: the overseers request a number of crafted items, with wildly varying requirements within the same batch. You are asked to create a long sword of quality 50, while at the same time create 5 daggers of quality 15, etc. One anklet of quality 25, but 3 bracelets of quality 10.

This doesn't make much sense. We could, of course, invent a roleplay reason for this madness (the long weapon is for a squad leader while the short ones for recruits). Still, it all looks random when first looking through the overseer missions, and feels so.

Instead, I propose a two-fold approach to these missions:

- an NPC requesting full sets of different armors. This meaning: he would want sets of light armor, all pieces being of the same quality; separate mission to deliver q30, separate mission to deliver q50, this can be as fine-grained as wanted. This NPC would want batches of weapons, all same quality and type. Call this NPC "Imperial army supplier" maybe.

- an NPC requesting random, disparate items. Call him "Army deposit manager", or something to suggest his stocks are always incomplete. His missions would be random if possible (chosen from a larger set), would be timed (omg 2 recruits broke their spears! needs urgent replacement!), and would pay much better than the regular supplier. If his demands could be tied to the player base volume .. but then again I feel this would require lots of new coding.

Ok, actually three-fold -

Maybe a third type of NPC, which would require items with certain stats: for instance, armors with good slashing protection for those poor guards who keep getting varinx dragged on them. Or items with high durability, since the guards act in a team anyway, so it doesn't matter if they get punched a few times. This could vary during a Jena Year, guards near Dyron would need durable armors when puckas spawn near stables, whereas they would want high damage weapons during kincher season.

I think the gist of this idea is clear by now.


** Imperial / dynastic / federal / royal army supplier, ofc

Fully agree with a slight twist: The lowest level missions (<=q30, and to some extent also the q50s) should be a bit more relaxed: These are for homins who've just left Silan and found their way to the mainland. They will likely only be able to craft one or two types of armor. So let there be some missions for parts of an armor set (boots and trousers, or gloves and sleeves) or just a pistol with the ammunition (or vice versa). The higher levels >=50 then could have the full sets (rifle plus ammunition, etc).

As in "real life" these level boundaries should not be black/white hard limits: Distribution of mission goals could gradually change: Below q50 90% could be one or two item missions, with a few missions asking for more. Above q150 it could be 90% complete sets.

I especially like the idea of having a few more "real life" missions such as asking for special slashing protection armor. It's not going to replace sandbox missions but it will lead to more reasonable items being sold at the merchants. Makes the whole crafting leveling more appealing, too.

This is a lot of work because the mission writers have to go into all overseer settlements and tribes and wandering journeymans.

+1 from me I like this idea
Khandoma

I love this. If we are going to go mission based, let's have some variety to the missions as well as an RP reason for them.

I wouldn't say we're going mission based. Those missions are there for as long as I can remember (sadly, that's less than three years only). This is cleaning up an obvious mess.

Well, the new NPCs could at first co-exist with the current overseers, maybe phasing those out could even be done with an event - aggro invasion so the army has to be better prepared, then the overseers would "step down" once their old way are proven ineffective, and so on. No reason to change everything in one big step.

Good notice on the low-level crafters being only able to do partial sets. You're right, the low quality requests should not be that complex, 1-3 items will suffice.

Why phase the old ones out just add to there menu

I also would keep the old overseers, just rewrite their missions.

Now this is slightly offtopic and might hijack the thread, still:
If the rewrite of such missions would be possible in one go, then I'd have an idea for a roleplay event: There could be a huge fair e.g. in Fairhaven. All the overseers would be wanting to go there for exchanging crafting ideas and recipes. The fair introduces a new fashion style, a new way of thinking, and thus the overseers would rethink their needs. When they return home, they'd have their missions changed. - Or change them over time after that fair. Homins might be required to protect individual overseers coming from faraway places. During the fair homins might be able to trade stuff in Fairhaven for special prices. Or they might be asked to help setup tents, or just help to pile up stuff for the overseers to do some demo crafting (e.g. digging requests).

Nice roleplay idea Irfidel

+1 to the original idea too :o)

I support this idea of Miollren's. Cleaning up missions will improve usability of the game and ensure a smoother development path for the player. Uniformity in the craft requests will encourage their use.

i like what i read, and good thinking on the lower q missions (50 and below), another thing to think about is the pay out, remember new toons will use alot more tp's and NH alot more, so a way to make quick dappers for them to spend will keep them playing longer.