Ending the alt meta: Study/Curio Rework

[Fierce_Deity]

Currently it makes more sense to create multiple characters for various jobs like crafting, fighting, and others because you can't level all stats equally and remain relevant in the world. Its safer to have multiple characters, and more efficient. I'm going to address the efficiency aspect with this post. Well the study aspect that is, maybe the satiation and food rework will tackle some of the attributes issues.

Split Them Up: One way to go about making it so characters can develop in combat and crafting simultaneously is to split the study window and curiosities into two categories. A study for combat, and a study for anything noncombat. This will require a new point, something like cp for combat points. Combat points will be used to increase any of the combat related abilities. In addition to this, combat points could also possibly open the door to being able to purchase combat moves. Learning points will remain as they are as the source of fueling authority, starting villages, buying skills, and increasing noncombat related abilities. I'm not solid on this next part, but I was thinking the combat study window could potentially use will and intelligence for its curios, or even just will.

Categorizing Curios: Curiosities will have to be split into two categories as well. Curiosities like tin soldiers, animal drops, bronze steed could apply to the cp study. Some curios could apply to both categories, but I definitely think that with this system a lot should be part of either the cp or lp study. Even where there is curio overlap, the rule of only one curio of a certain type will still apply. Study weight and maybe Will weight for curios may need increasing.

The study windows: I don't think that with this system it would make sense to just add another 4x4 study window. It'd be a massive pain to attempt to maintain two studies of that size. So to tackle this, the combat point study will have the lovely shape of a simple sword, and the learning point study will be trimmed a bit on the edges to make it a size of 12, and the cp study at size 8 or 10. Something along those lines might work. Some other shape might be more ideal. Here are a couple hack job pictures to show what I mean. Although now that I look at the sword, it wouldn't be very ideal for large curios, but its just to a visual aid, don't get hung up on them.


Dividing up combat and noncombat abilities should streamline the process of creating a balanced character, while also slowing down the development speed of current characters solely focused on one aspect or another. Now that the risk of death is a bit more reduced, its become a bit more viable to consider having fewer characters that are capable of doing more.

[Granger]

That won't work. Unless crafting and combat are fully interweaved (combat effects drawing from all and every attribute and ability) that there is no benefit of having two characters people will alt. Even then people will create multiple characters to have throwaway fighters to have their main crafters sit safe in their vault, to defeat the risk of death ending 'the race' for the current world. Should crafters get forced to do actual combat (or their product will be inferior as they don't know what they're producing) people will be setting up fake fights (controlling both sides of the conflict) to trigger the mechanics while keeping losses under control.

TL;DR: as long as we have numbers growing infinitely, setting the foundation for a rat race that can't be lead unless you start at the very first moment and never stop or stumble (as one drawback is enough to make it impossible to keep up) people will alt the shit out of this game.

[Fierce_Deity]

Thats true, and stat decay could potentially alleviate that. But I still think this could assist in slowing down stat growth a bit and letting those who only want one character to do so without lagging too far behind compared to today. The combat abilities of a hermit can more easily rival those with combat only characters under a system like this. I have another thought on a way to implement alting as an actual mechanic, might post it later after I give it more thought.

[DDDsDD999]

That won't work. Unless crafting and combat are fully interweaved (combat effects drawing from all and every attribute and ability) that there is no benefit of having two characters people will alt. Even then people will create multiple characters tso have throwaway fighters to have their main crafters sit safe in their vault, to defeat the risk of death ending 'the race' for the current world. Should crafters get forced to do actual combat (or their product will be inferior as they don't know what they're producing) people will be setting up fake fights (controlling both sides of the conflict) to trigger the mechanics while keeping losses under control.

TL;DR: as long as we have numbers growing infinitely, setting the foundation for a rat race that can't be lead unless you start at the very first moment and never stop or stumble (as one drawback is enough to make it impossible to keep up) people will alt the shit out of this game.

Crafter stats shouldn't be the influencing mechanic behind industry. If you know how to grind stats currently, raising your stats above the soft-cap is trivial.

It should be blatantly obvious the goal of conflict shouldn't be conflict for the sake of conflict. In the event it isn't: conflict should be over contesting points of interest: securing/challenging things (rare resources that raise crafting/combat relevant mechanics), not just who can make the most aggro scents.

[azrid]

I don't see the point of this.

[vatas]

I fought the alt meta and used my main to landscape. I was rewarded by random passerby who assaulted and mugged me. Will be using alt next time.

[stya]

Bad idea, waste of time for devs for nothing. This will not change the alt meta -1

[Peedor]

I actually like the idea of different combat moves that use other stat values, not just unarmed and melee.

anime-scythe aoe farmer-warrior please

[Fierce_Deity]

Yeah but that isn't really what the post is about. Its about making it more reasonable for players to have less characters by compartmentalizing the study system. But I used a bad angle for the idea I think, certainly didn't go over well. The idea was more about reducing the necessity to alt than much else.

[ctopolon3]

should be nice also not lose farming & dex in combat, like that idea