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Hello everyone.
It's time!
Time to launch the brand new Genesis racial system!
The new system will go live after next Armageddon, which will happen sometime
just before midnight Tuesday March 14 GT (Game Time).
Here is a summary of what will happen:
- All races will get the so-called racial modifiers set to the same value for
all stats.
- To make the races unique, all races will get six different racial abilities,
and you may select two of them.
- All existing players will get a prompt shortly after they login, asking them
to select their racial abilities.
- Stats you focus on when meditating will grow quicker than before, and the
stats you don't focus on will grow slower than before. So, if you want
"goblin strength" or "elf mentals", you'll still be able to get that, the
difference now is that all races can get those kind of stats.
- All players will get a free body change AND a free stat redistrubution at
the Thaumaturgist in Palanthas. You can of course also use your free body
change to re-select your racial abilities (with or without changing race)
if you do not like the ones you pick on your first attempt. If you still
aren't happy with your selection, the Sparkle giants will be able to assist
you, as always.
- The Thaumaturgist will be a safe room from now on (permanently).
- The selection prompt for abilities and the free race change / stat
redistribution will last indefinitely. So, you don't have to rush to "fix"
all your alts immediately, and you don't have to call all your old Genesis
friends and push them to login so they don't miss out on this (but feel
free to do that anyway).
- The character creation sequence will be updated, since new players will
of course select their racial abilities when creating their character.
- Death will be updated so you can change your racial abilities if you
enter the portal and select a new body.
- The tutorial library (where you can freely change body) will be updated
so it uses the new system.
- A number of help files will be updated, and several new help files will
be added. (More about that below).
For more information about why we are making this change, and our reasoning
for selecting this particular idea, please check out the previous common board
posts about this.
Finally, I would like to send a BIG thank you to Zizuph for doing basically
all coding for this major change. Many of you know I have talked about this
idea of mine for many years, and I am really excited it's finally happening,
and it couldn't have happened without Zizuph's awesome programming skills and
determination to finish this massive project.
So, what I really want to say is, if everything is buggy, please blame
Zizuph :) Just kidding. But if you do encounter bugs, please send a mail to
me (Cherek) and Zizuph. It's a big change, and while we of course have done a
lot of testing, there are bound to be some things we haven't thought of. So,
please help us out by pointing out any problems. Same goes for typos, there
is a lot of new text and there is bound to be some typo somewhere that we
have missed. So, mail us if you see one.
Now, if you don't like the idea and design of the new system at all, blame
me, not Zizuph. If you feel like rage-quitting the game because this sucks,
please at least visit the Thaumturgist to fix your stats first, and please
give the new racial abilities a chance before you dismiss them.
Also, thanks to Varian for helping out with brainstorming, proofreading,
and editing of the various texts and messages found in this new system. And
thanks Cotillion for helping out with some of the needed Mudlib changes.
THE NEW ABILITIES
But what are those new abilities?!?!? Yes, yes, I know many of you are
dying to know what the abilities will be. So, below you will find all the
updated/new help files that will go live after the next Armageddon.
And, before you start reading, please note that the abilities are NOT meant to
be amazingly powerful. The whole idea with this project is to give the races
some distinct differences - without the risk of it becoming imbalanced again,
which has been the problem with the current system for so many years.
The abilities are meant to be fun and race-thematc while also providing some
minor benefits.
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NAME
Races
SYNOPSIS
This is not a command, simply information.
DESCRIPTION
Core Races
Genesis has six so-called core races, meaning these are the races
that can be selected when a new character is created. The six
races are human, elf, dwarf, hobbit, gnome, and goblin. All races
are equally strong in terms of stats, however, their different
racial abilities set them apart.
Each race has six different racial abilities and you may select
any two of them. Some abilities are unique while others are
shared between some races. For example, both elves and hobbits
can be 'fleet-footed' while only gnomes can be 'well-connected'.
To learn more about the abilities of the different races, please
see <help race 'race name'>. For example <help race-human>, <help
race-elf>, etc.
To see which racial abilities you currently have, simply use the
command <rabilities> or <ra>.
Sub-races
In addition to the core races it is possible to be transformed
into many different sub-races by joining specific guilds. For
example, a hobbit can be transformed into a halfling or a kender
by joining the appropriate guild, however, doing so will NOT
change the core race. So, a hobbit that has become a halfling will
look like a halfling but will keep their hobbit abilities. There
are two exceptions to this, namely the ogre and undead sub-races.
These two sub-races completely transform a character so that
nothing of the old race remains. Please see <help race-ogre> and
<help race-undead> to learn more about these unique sub-races.
Changing race
Changing sub-race is usually as simple as leaving the guild that
transformed you in the first place. Changing core race can only
be done by selecting a new body when you die, and also comes with
the additional cost of losing half of your skills. However,
changing your core race does not come with a penalty in the
tutorial area. If you are in the tutorial area you can simply
visit the library to change your race without penalty.
Changing racial abilities
If you want to keep your core race but change your racial
abilities you can do so by selecting a new body when you die.
Simply select the same race and you will get to reselect your
abilities. Since you are selecting a new body you will of course
still suffer the additional penalty of losing half of your
skills. Changing abilities is, just like race change, without
penalty in the tutorial area.
SEE ALSO
rabilities, race-human, race-elf, race-dwarf, race-hobbit, race-gnome,
race-goblin, race-ogre, race-undead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME
rabilities - see your racial abilities
ra - a global alias for 'rabilities'
SYNOPSIS
rabilities
ra
DESCRIPTION
With this command you can see which special abilities your race is
granting you.
SEE ALSO
races, race-human, race-elf, race-dwarf, race-hobbit, race-gnome,
race-goblin, race-ogre, race-undead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME
Race-human
SYNOPSIS
This is not a command, simply information.
DESCRIPTION
As a human you may select two of the following six racial abilities:
Good memory
You will be able to remember twenty-five percent more names
compared to other people.
Eye for detail
You will get a twenty skill level bonus (up to superior guru) in
trading, appraise object, and appraise value.
Light-fingered
You will get a twenty skill level bonus (up to superior guru) in
pick pocket.
Tenacious
You will recover lost experience (from death, leaving guilds,
etc.) faster than other people.
Scavenger
You will occasionally find more coins on fallen enemies compared
to other people.
Apothecary
The cooldown time between using herbs will be slightly reduced
for you.
SEE ALSO
races, rabilities, race-elf, race-dwarf, race-hobbit, race-gnome,
race-goblin, race-ogre, race-undead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME
Race-elf
SYNOPSIS
This is not a command, simply information.
DESCRIPTION
As an elf you may select two of the following six racial abilities:
Fleet-footed
If you are not in combat, you will be able to recover your energy
quicker after you get tired.
Scotopic vision
You will be able to see inside many areas covered in non-magical
darkness.
Apothecary
The cooldown time between using herbs will be slightly reduced
for you.
Explorer
You will get a ten skill level bonus (up to superior guru) in
herbalism, awareness, location sense, and tracking.
Stealthy
You will get a ten skill level bonus (up to superior guru) in
sneak and hide.
Light-footed
There will be a ten percent chance that you will not leave any
tracks behind when moving.
SEE ALSO
races, rabilities, race-human, race-dwarf, race-hobbit, race-gnome,
race-goblin, race-ogre, race-undead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME
Race-dwarf
SYNOPSIS
This is not a command, simply information.
DESCRIPTION
As a dwarf you may select two of the following six racial abilities:
Stalwart
You will be able to carry heavier loads than other people before
becoming encumbered by it.
Good memory
You will be able to remember twenty-five percent more names
compared to other people.
Resilient
Your resistance to magic, and especially poison, will be stronger
than other people.
Strong liver
You will heal slightly faster due to your ability to consume
more alcohol than other people.
Insatiable
You will be able to eat more food than other people, meaning you
will not tire as easily.
Eye for detail
You will get a twenty skill level bonus (up to superior guru) in
trading, appraise object, and appraise value.
SEE ALSO
races, rabilities, race-human, race-elf, race-hobbit, race-gnome,
race-goblin, race-ogre, race-undead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME
Race-hobbit
SYNOPSIS
This is not a command, simply information.
DESCRIPTION
As a hobbit you may select two of the following six racial abilities:
Stealthy
You will get a ten skill level bonus (up to superior guru) in
sneak and hide.
Fleet-footed
If you are not in combat, you will be able to recover your energy
quicker after you get tired.
Insatiable
You will be able to eat more food than other people, meaning you
will not tire as easily.
Tenacious
You will recover lost experience (from death, leaving guilds,
etc.) faster than other people.
Opportunistic
You will have a slightly higher chance of scoring a critical hit
(additional damage) on your enemy.
Explorer
You will get a ten skill level bonus in herbalism, awareness,
location sense, and tracking.
SEE ALSO
races, rabilities, race-human, race-elf, race-dwarf, race-gnome,
race-goblin, race-ogre, race-undead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME
Race-gnome
SYNOPSIS
This is not a command, simply information.
DESCRIPTION
As a gnome you may select two of the following six racial abilities:
Resilient
Your resistance to magic, and especially poison, will be stronger
than other people.
Scotopic vision
You will be able to see inside many areas covered in non-magical
darkness.
Eye for detail
You will get a twenty skill level bonus (up to superior guru) in
trading, appraise object, and appraise value.
Stealthy
You will get a ten skill level bonus (up to superior guru) in
sneak and hide.
Good memory
You will be able to remember twenty-five percent more names
compared to other people.
Well-connected
You will get a twenty-five percent discount when exchanging coins
at all Gnomes of Genesis (GoG) banks.
SEE ALSO
races, rabilities, race-human, race-elf, race-dwarf, race-hobbit,
race-goblin, race-ogre, race-undead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME
Race-goblin
SYNOPSIS
This is not a command, simply information.
DESCRIPTION
As a goblin you may select two of the following six racial abilities:
Stalwart
You will be able to carry heavier loads than other people before
becoming encumbered by it.
Scavenger
You will occasionally find more coins on fallen enemies compared
to other people.
Opportunistic
You will have a slightly higher chance of scoring a critical hit
(additional damage) on your enemy.
Light-fingered
You will get a twenty skill level bonus (up to superior guru) in
pick pocket.
Stealthy
You will get a ten skill level bonus (up to superior guru) in
sneak and hide.
Resilient
Your resistance to magic, and especially poison, will be stronger
than other people.
SEE ALSO
races, rabilities, race-human, race-elf, race-dwarf, race-hobbit,
race-gnome, race-ogre, race-undead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME
Race-ogre
SYNOPSIS
This is not a command, simply information.
DESCRIPTION
Since becoming an ogre is a complete transformation of your mind and
body you will remember nothing of your old racial abilities. As an
ogre you will be granted the following preset racial abilities
instead:
Insatiable
You will be able to eat more food than other people, meaning you
will not tire as easily.
Resilient
Your resistance to magic, and especially poison, will be stronger
than other people.
Being an ogre also means you will have other ogre-specific benefits
and drawbacks.
Ogre benefits
- You will receive a considerable strength and constitution boost.
- You will be able to wield two-handed weapons in one hand.
- Your thick hide will act as a natural armour.
Ogre drawbacks
- Your intelligence and wisdom will be extremely low.
- You will not be able to wield one-handed weapons.
- You will not be able to wear shields.
- You will not be able to wear armours other than special
ogre-sized armours found in the Army of Darkness guild.
- You will not be able to sneak or hide.
- You will not be able to whisper without being overheard.
If you stop being an ogre you will return to your old race and the
benefits and drawbacks of being an ogre goes away. You will also get
your old racial abilities back.
SEE ALSO
races, rabilities, race-human, race-elf, race-dwarf, race-hobbit,
race-gnome, race-goblin, race-undead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME
Race-undead
SYNOPSIS
This is not a command, simply information.
DESCRIPTION
Since becoming undead is a complete transformation of your mind and
body you will remember nothing of your old racial abilities. As an
undead you will be granted the following preset racial abilities
instead:
Stalwart
You will be able to carry heavier loads than other people before
becoming encumbered by it.
Good memory
You will be able to remember twenty-five percent more names
compared to other people.
Being undead also means you will have other undead-specific benefits
and drawbacks.
Undead benefits
- You will be immune to poison.
- You will have natural darkvision.
- You cannot drown.
- You will have increased fatigue regeneration.
- All forms of death magic will heal you instead of damage you.
- You cannot be stunned. Note that this generally only applies
to effects that prevent you from fighting. It usually does not
apply to effects that paralyze you completely or stop you from
moving.
Undead drawbacks
- Your undead body cannot process any food or herbs. This means
that you will not be able to eat anything at all and you will
not be able to consume herbs in other ways either, for example
by smearing, chewing, etc.
- You will not be able to drink, which means you will not get any
benefit from alcohol or other drinks. The only exception is
magical potions that can be quaffed.
- You will be harmed by all kinds of healing spells (except the
ones that use death magic).
- You will be extra vulnerable to life magic.
If you stop being undead you will return to your old race and the
benefits and drawbacks of being undead goes away. You will also get
your old racial abilities back.
SEE ALSO
races, rabilities, race-human, race-elf, race-dwarf, race-hobbit,
race-gnome, race-goblin, race-ogre.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME
stats - see vital statistics
SYNOPSIS
stats
stats reset
stats <player>
DESCRIPTION
With this command you can see your vital statistics. If you are a
wizard you can see the stats of other players as well.
Statistics or stats are used to determine how successful you are at
many different things. Below is a short summary of what the six stats
mainly affect:
Strength
How hard you hit and how much you can carry.
Dexterity
How easily you score and avoid hits in combat.
Constitution
How much damage you can take before you die (hitpoints). Also
determines how much you can eat and drink.
Intelligence
How potent your spells are and how big your mana pool is
(spellpoints).
Wisdom
How potent your spells are and how quickly you regenerate mana.
Discipline
How good you are at hitting with and avoiding spells. Also
determines which enemies you dare attack.
For information about the possible stat descriptions, please use the
<levels> command.
OPTIONS
[none] - see your own stats
reset - reset your progress counter (as if you just logged in).
<player> - see the stats of <player> when logged in (wizards only).
SEE ALSO
compare, levels, meditate, vitals
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's it!
Cherek - Keeper of Genesis