Madwands

[Ilrahil]

From what I have been told there used to be a few players back in the day that were able to contribute minorly to code, or to fix bugs in their guild as they found them. They were known as madwands. For someone like me, I enjoy the aspect of a player far to much to even consider giving up playing a character to be a wizard. I know many that I have talked to feel the same way about it.

I think that the concept of this should be reimplemented. It would of course have to have its limits. But it could really help game development in the sense of fixing typos and updating room descriptions that are kind of useless or just repetitive. I know that we have a typo or idea command and while some wizards look at them often, I am sure over the years there has been a ton of those accumulated. All work done would have to go through a wizard in order to approve it but it could also open up wizard/mortal communications which as of recently have improved, but for any of you old farts out there ... you know in the past how crappy wizard/mortal relations used to be.

[Onton]

Hear, hear!

[Cherek]

Would it not be be weird to have a mortal walking around coding as he plays? Seems very odd to me. I'd rather see you could have a wizard _second_ instead. That was how I wanted to be a wizard. Play a mortal char primarly and a wiz secondary, help out with small things etc.

That was unthinkable some years ago and I gave up wizzing since I didnt want to be "a wizard first and a mortal second" as was the current policy. I dont know if that has changed since then, and perhaps there is a good reason for the policy? I dont know.

I do like the idea of getting more people to help out "part-time".

[Alorrana]

**

[petros]

That was unthinkable some years ago and I gave up wizzing since I didnt want to be "a wizard first and a mortal second" as was the current policy. I dont know if that has changed since then, and perhaps there is a good reason for the policy? I dont know.

I do like the idea of getting more people to help out "part-time".

The policy to allow wizzing a second was implemented a few years ago. Finding a balance between wizzing and playing has proven to be difficult for most though.

[Cherek]

Petros: Hm yes I know seconds were allowed to wiz awhile ago. But where they allowed to actally play their wiz char as a "second"?

I know I was told I cant play my mortal MORE than my wizard char, which I think is what many want to do. Myself included. But yes, the balance is probably hard to find. I found myself constantly playing my new mortal more than my old wizard char and felt bad about it... But eventually I'd get a little tired of playing and code a little for awhile. Is that really so bad? Having part time wizards? Better than having none at all?

Hm I dont know. Just like Ilrahil I get the urge to fix things, typos, bugs, maybe even bigger things, when I play the game. If part time wizard seconds was allowed I could. Might not be so bad? Considering access for a normal wizard is pretty limited I doubt abuse risks are very high.

[Onton]

Also it would help to be able to have one char linkdead while the other is active.. You might want to log in as your wiz to fix a small bug or typo.. but if it means your play character has to deposit items before and recover them afterwards, etc, it might not be worth bothering..
Of course, even better would be to allow both to be active at once.
Just because something could feasibly be used to cheat in some way, doesn't mean it automatically would be.

[Ilrahil]

IF the system was implemented in the proper way it would prevent abuse and cheating. Many wizards I speak to have told me on multiple occasions that they were slowed down by doing descriptions and tedious work. If players are willing to contribute and a system is set up where players that are approved, can access projects, that wizards put in a file for them to work on, and then approval for game implementation is pended by the liege or arch that the project is for, it would work out fine. I've asked for them before though.... so I won't give my hopes up just an idea to be tossed around.

[petros]

I know I was told I cant play my mortal MORE than my wizard char, which I think is what many want to do...
Hm I dont know. Just like Ilrahil I get the urge to fix things, typos, bugs, maybe even bigger things, when I play the game. If part time wizard seconds was allowed I could. Might not be so bad? Considering access for a normal wizard is pretty limited I doubt abuse risks are very high.

There have been plenty of wizards who have played their mortal characters far more than their wizard characters in the past. Your mileage may vary, however, depending on which Liege you work with. Rules about playing a wizard character more than a mortal one typically revolve around the fact that certain players wiz just to get an advantage over other players. They look up quest solutions, check other's stats, look at enemy files (or even their own guild files). These types of wizards are not looking to contribute and rules such as these try to weed thees types of wizards out.

That being said, if anyone truly wants to contribute in minor ways via a wiz character, post a wiz application and state this in your application. It doesn't hurt to set the expectations correctly from the get-go for what you're willing to do.

[Ilrahil]

Is it not also true Petros that one can play their mortal character quite often and a lot under most circumstances provided their output as a wizard is decent and they are not using it to cheat?