IDEAS FOR RYZOM

I suggest we be allowed to "rebuild" various scientific outposts spead across Atys. Each outpost would be dedicated to researching a specific area of the lore of the game, for instance: Goo, Kitin, Flora, Deities, Flora and Fauna, Astronomy, etc (and would be located near a source of the topic of research).

Each station would require x mats to build, and only becomes usable once it is built. Once built, the station would have material collection missions based upon the topic of interest. As sufficient mats are collected the researchers offer hints or bits of knowledge about the lore of Atys. We could even set up mini-governments (or committees) for players very active at particular outposts and propose research questions or more specific topics (approved by the event team of course).

To make this more difficult, the outpost could have a set upkeep cost for defense and repairs. This would require players to collect mats on a weekly/monthly basis even before collecting research mats. This upkeep could even be cumulative (which would make falling behind a very negative thing).

This would offer the devs a continuous manner to release lore in a way that makes the players feel as if they are actively part of the world and shaping it.

There are players who are interested in exploring the story of the game...especially over other choices such as PvP. If supported, NS (my guild) would probably become neutral and pursue a hominist/theist agenda of neutral scientific research (which atm would include focusing on PvE such as rites and fame with all of the races/tribes to get their lore). The research of Goo for instance, would definitely be high on our list of priorities since it appears to be a direct threat to our home, Atys. However, since much of this approach is not available atm (such as tribe knowledge and much of the encyclopdia/rites), and since only event team events can shape the history of Atys (including what homin know), we are stuck just going with the flow and watching as we are spoon fed whatever information "they" see fit to feed us. The result is a feeling that it is not really necessary to log in because the story will progrees with or without the players.

The way to change this is to offer situations which enable players to empower themselves; knowledge is a great empowerment.

I like this idea, though I do see one glaring issue (other than me becoming a Theist): the Karavan actively discourage, and would perhaps even hinder, research into topics they don't deem that homins should know about, particularly about themselves or the past, or anything in the prime roots, or the dragon mythology. And if you don't include those things, it's somewhat a half-hearted attempt.

I do really like the idea though, yet I'm torn between the first option, and the last. Focus interest, or lamentations... *sigh* choices are hard.

and so do the Kami, who very actively persecute anyone trying to gain knowledge about the goo, sap, and indeed the Dragon (the existence of whom they want to hide, therefore any research into the Dragon has to be suppressed as it would inevitably lead to knowledge that the Dragon indeed does exist).

The Karavan do not prohibit studying the Prime Roots, though they do discourage digging deep (but literally!) as doing so may disturb the Dragon and bring about his awakening.

Well I am in favor of simply giving the players *any* way to uncover lore, it doesn't really need to be research outposts though that does fit nicely.

The enthusiasm with which players are currently hunting down all the (!) NPCs and sharing the snippets of info clearly suggests to me this has potential.

What's more, new lore is going to be regularly released *anyways*, and it's really a huge miss of opportunity when it's just dumped on us instead of being offered as something we can earn. Same for content, actually. Like those occupations, they just suddenly appeared out of the blue, we could've been allowed to discover those.

To destroy a thing, you have to have knowledge of that thing.

Could you point me toward any objective evidence to substantiate your claims, as in, claims made by the Kami about themselves or information presented in Chronicles as fact and not accusations? I would be very interested in reading that material. Remember, this is an OOC forum, by necessity, so please keep that in mind.


You are correct here, Prime Roots isn't completely off-limits, so I was indeed mistaken: "The homins are forbidden to descend underground in quest of the dragon's lair for fear of stirring its wrath." It is only forbidden, apparently, to search for their dragon. I don't know what the writings at the temples say, as I have no Karavan-aligned characters.

I want to note that the Karavan also discourage attamps to uncover the past (one of if not the main reason I suspect they forbid their follows to explore PR). They say homins might uncover information that might make them believe Karavan are not divine. Let me find the quote and I will shoot it back.

I agree Erizon...about the Karavan, and hence why I suggested this would be a theist endeavor, by homin who are not bound by Karavan law. I have never seen any objection to homin gaining any knowledge by the Kami, but I being theist allows us to neutrally investigate their claims about the nature of the universe too.

As a theist and soon to be hominist, who firmly believes that scientific endevours should be free of faction and racial politics, I consider that providing an environment for furthering these studies is an excellent idea.

My vote was for a single "outpost" -- since I see this as something best done in a "university" setting. I would add that having one in each continent would be ideal, and putting it in or near the capital would allow newbs to begin to be able to think about such things.

Contrariwise, it could be put far out on the grounds that only advanced players would have the ability to study such things. Either way works for me

-- Bitty

Heh, reminds me of when as a newb I spent quite some time trying to sneak to Jen-Laï research center, because it's name and position made me think I'd find a Goo research center there. I was dissapointed :P

The old lore does specifically say the Karavan forbid homins from gaining certain knowledge while the Kami had no such restrictions, but judging from recent events they're mostly letting go of that in favor of equal faction opportunities.

You've got to remember, the old lore clearly had the Karavan as the evil faction, and over time they've tried to move away from the good vs evil faction towards two equally morally ambiguous factions.

This sounds like a great way to add lots of things into the game, common outposts that everyone can use and get something out of whether it is lore, missions, etc. Atys already has 'research stations' spread all round Atys and the lore already is there to support them being developed. It all seems to fit very nicely.

They don't have to be aligned with any particular faction but if a faction is really interested in a topic they could back it more fully, maybe even be official backers of it. You have to remember that what one faction says on the surface may not be what it actually believes behind the scenes.

I think though that this sounds like more of a hominist furthering of our settlement on Atys. The factions tend to be more controlling and careful in nature, while homins are the curious ones.

People should work together to build/rebuild whatever they want