Bring the stat cap

[Cherek]

I am with you Alorrana. The new titles was something people asked for, but in the end it kinda backfired. Even I, who doesnt like grinding, still feel I should do it as long as there is one more title to strive for. But I agree, the only thing now is simply not to add more titles, or more bigger foes. There are some myths that would need even bigger foes now, but I dont think its a good idea to add more content for them. Then even with the soft cap they would continue to grow, even quicker. Back in the days it was harder to grow this huge as there were no terel or mithas trolls, no qualinost, no ice wall etc. In a way I think it was better. You could still grow, but at some point it started getting extremely hard and time consuming and even the biggest focused more on other things.

If something I would like the soft cap a bit harder, so making XP after myth is even harder. But whatever we do, no more myth-sized content, no more trolls making it easy for even huge myths to keep growing. (many by scripts).

[Rhaegar]

Cherek, what I proposed was adding special attacks to the sought-after NPCs that would deal damage based on the % of your total hitpoints, making them equally challenging for big and the small. The big would still have the advantage of higher dex and str though so they wouldn't be left hanging.

[Alorrana]

Seriously, Tyberus and Sandibar the Dragon army Npcs can hit me once with their special, and i go from feeling very well to rather hurt, In one special... I wouldnt want to have them gaining any other specials. Im at supreme con. and he just cuts me up like butter, A titan with a green heavy battleaxe..

So no thanks to the special attacks to npc, the caps to stats.. I struggle enough. And my special is like placing a bottle one yard away from you in a hurricane, then trying to fill it with your pee.. thats how much we miss with our current smash..and the damage.. please dont let me getting started there.. My horns is what saves my ass, not my smash. So please do not Encurrage the wizards to make it even harder to get around fight..

[Johnny]

That would just mean it would be easier for smaller players to kill boss NPCs if I understand correctly.

[Greneth]

I was all for stat caps at one point in time but like its been said, just wouldn't work changing it now. Maybe if the game got a complete wipe but it would do nothing but drive people away now.

[Cherek]

Cherek, what I proposed was adding special attacks to the sought-after NPCs that would deal damage based on the % of your total hitpoints, making them equally challenging for big and the small. The big would still have the advantage of higher dex and str though so they wouldn't be left hanging.

And the purpose of this would be?

Slow down growth even more by making NPCs hit harder the bigger you get? Without them providing more XP?

If thats what you mean, perhaps it could work. It seems like a big risky change though. And what about those who already grew super-huge? Then they get a benefit verus those who is trying to catch up who now have to deal with much more dangeorus NPCs?

I fear this may be one of those "genie out of the bottle" things too...?

And yes, I was very much for a stat cap before, but I also suppose it is too late now. Unless we do it when we can afford to lose a bunch of players. Then I am for it again.

Your idea about just dividing everyone's XP seems good at first thought but....

Say we have myth that has 1.000.000 XP versus the titan with 1.000 XP.

It is a difference of 999.000 XP.

Divide by 100 to make them both smaller, like we wanted.

Now the myth has 10.000 XP and the titan 10 XP.

A difference of 9.990 XP

So thats the problem I think. So yes, the big ones will still be bigger but the gap will be alot smaller. So much of what they worked for is gone in the blink of an eye. I believe that would get alot of people to quit, and right now we cant afford that...

But in general I agree that the players grew too big for the world. Most things are too easy.

[Greywolf]

Sorry, Rhaegar ...

The genie is out of the bottle on this one, and to fix it as you suggest would be to throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak. I predict following your advice would cost us most of our myths, and many of the future players once they hit the cap.

There is something compelling about the ability to grow ad nauseum, and the "soft cap" we have in place makes it sufficiently difficult to grow to sizes beyond reason.

G.

Although there is something to be said for pragmatism, I think you are overestimating the importance of retaining players indefinitely and underestimating what Genesis has to offer beyond growth. I also think this is a mistake which will seriously hinder any long term player base growth that might be possible. However, I also sincerely hope I am wrong and Genesis grows and flourishes.

[gorboth]

Sorry, Rhaegar ...

The genie is out of the bottle on this one, and to fix it as you suggest would be to throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak. I predict following your advice would cost us most of our myths, and many of the future players once they hit the cap.

There is something compelling about the ability to grow ad nauseum, and the "soft cap" we have in place makes it sufficiently difficult to grow to sizes beyond reason.

G.

Although there is something to be said for pragmatism, I think you are overestimating the importance of retaining players indefinitely and underestimating what Genesis has to offer beyond growth. I also think this is a mistake which will seriously hinder any long term player base growth that might be possible. However, I also sincerely hope I am wrong and Genesis grows and flourishes.

I prefer optimism, but pragmatism is the path that doesn't lead quite so close to the cliff most of the time.

In this case, there is absolutely no question in my mind that right now Genesis can not stand to lose many more of its community members. Experimentation and radical strategies is a luxury to be enjoyed by entities which are populated by enough users to survive calculated loss. When I first came on as Keeper, I did quite a lot more "radical" work, and the needle did indeed swing wildly as a result, both up at first, and then down. Are we in a worse place than we were before I started trying radical things? In terms of playerbase, yes - much much worse! But I feel we are ahead in terms of the groundwork being solid and a foundation built for a future that we are soon to embark on in earnest.

But to do something so painful to players as what this thread called for initially is to do something that Genesis can no longer survive. The radical changes we can safely embark on right now need to be things that players generally understand, agree are necessary, and will benefit from in a way that they buy in to. Imbuements will change the game in a big way, but in a way that is only a positive, with no "taking away" or "nerfing" involved.

The idea of a more potent "soft-cap" is the only thing that makes sense to me as even an option right now. But even that, I do not feel is going to solve the most pressing issues that we face, and therefore is not worth the cost in player happiness.

G.

[Amberlee]

Genesis can not stand to lose many more of its community members.

Remember you said this Gorboth
If you dont.. I will remind you

And know it stands as true for players as for wizards..
Something i've been trying to tell the community for years.
Sure.. the mortals need the wizards to push the donut forwards.
Then again the wizards NEED the mortals to have a reason to do so..

Been saying this since way before you were Keeper.
Good to know we have atleast someone up there that realizes this.

[Makfly]

I prefer optimism, but pragmatism is the path that doesn't lead quite so close to the cliff most of the time.

In this case, there is absolutely no question in my mind that right now Genesis can not stand to lose many more of its community members. Experimentation and radical strategies is a luxury to be enjoyed by entities which are populated by enough users to survive calculated loss. When I first came on as Keeper, I did quite a lot more "radical" work, and the needle did indeed swing wildly as a result, both up at first, and then down. Are we in a worse place than we were before I started trying radical things? In terms of playerbase, yes - much much worse! But I feel we are ahead in terms of the groundwork being solid and a foundation built for a future that we are soon to embark on in earnest.

But to do something so painful to players as what this thread called for initially is to do something that Genesis can no longer survive. The radical changes we can safely embark on right now need to be things that players generally understand, agree are necessary, and will benefit from in a way that they buy in to. Imbuements will change the game in a big way, but in a way that is only a positive, with no "taking away" or "nerfing" involved.

The idea of a more potent "soft-cap" is the only thing that makes sense to me as even an option right now. But even that, I do not feel is going to solve the most pressing issues that we face, and therefore is not worth the cost in player happiness.

G.

I must admit that I disagree fundamentally with your basic premise.
When standing on a burning platform, then that is exactly the time for innovation, not playing it safe.

Many fundamental problems of this game, that have been identified many times over, cannot be solved in a win-win situation, when the future potential and wellbeing points in an opposite direction than the stakeholders who have benefit from the very same problems for years.
It is understandable and commendable that you want to please everyone while fixing the holes to make the boat seaworthy, I just don't think you'll be able to solve many fundamental holes in the hull, if you're only willing to work on win-win situations.

Never the less, it's nice to see some concrete thoughts from the Admin on the issue of the direction that Genesis is going to take for the future. I do wish though, that you compiled those thoughts into a more substantial post and used the Keepers Korner more, so that visitors to the forum doesn't have to trawl through various threads to find such crucial/interesting Admin-information.