Goblin Squad Member
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You can be a member of up to three venture companies, but only one of them can be a settlement-sponsored venture company (in other words, all the members belong to the same settlement). If a second venture company becomes sponsored, you'll have to choose to leave one or the other. This is a change from how they were originally pitched, and we have an upcoming blog post that will go more in depth on how venture companies work.
Wow. My curiosity is piqued :)
Something tells me there's going to be a corresponding change to what happens when a company loses its sponsorship, too...
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Goblin Squad Member
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If this is up in the air, I suggest having one or more of the staff try AoC to see the way character collision is handled there (unless some of you already have experience from that game). I think it works beautifully and I never once through all my time playing that game found myself wishing it worked any other way.Q. Will the game have character collision, or not?
We anticipate that formations in war will have collision. We're still investigating the technical and gameplay impact of using it for individual characters. We've read the threads on the subject, and are seriously considering our crowdforgers' arguments as we examine the pros and cons.
- character collision is always on
- when out of combat you can toggle "crouch mode" to be able to pass through other players blocking chokepoints in quest hubs etc.
It really makes a big difference not to have people running through each other left and right. Also prevents players from stacking up in a big pile during combat, which is just great.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I like the distinction between serving in "the church of Iomedae is different from aligning with the church of Asmodeus" aka a true servant can't serve two different masters and expect to be rewarded by both: Instead serving one may mean being flagged "enemy" to the other and/or having different 'divine powers'.
I like hearing what potential upcoming blogs will be: On the interactions between groups and more extensively on looting.
We have additional ideas for systems to support social conflict and enhance roleplaying that will become more fully developed later if prioritized by crowdforging.
I have one: "Geas"? Does already have a place in the pathfinder game? I always remember it from D&D when I played that game-system a long time ago: A promise is made and the terrible repercussions of not attempting to fulfill said promise are part of the binding, magical agreement. I'm sure Harry Potter has a geas in it at one point in those stories which works very well as a story element (won't spoil with specifics).
Good confirmation on some of the other questions.
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A "venture company" (sometimes also referred to as a chartered company; we'll get the terminology settled soon) is a social construct designed to cover the small-to-mid-sized guilds popular in other MMOs... You can be a member of up to three venture companies, but only one of them can be a settlement-sponsored venture company (in other words, all the members belong to the same settlement).
Huh. Sounds like the title "Chartered Company" should be used for the ones that are Chartered/Sponsored by a Settlement, and "Venture Company" used for the rest (with Charted Company essentially meaning a Chartered Venture Company), with the designation of Settlement Charter changing the status of each group between the two categories.
Q. Will flight be possible?
Hey, at least one of my questions was answered! ;-) (thanks!)
Hopefully the rest see some future exploration in blogs, or just provoke thoughts about the issues.
Goblinworks Founder
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My curiosity is with healing spells. Are they like Darkfall where you aim and hope it hits them, the automatic route but with-in a certain distance (click the spell and target them) with the ranges of cure spells or is there another guidance system used for healing in the thick of battle (concentration checks trying to heal while being hit)?
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Goblin Squad Member
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Q. How well will I be able to solo?
Content for Pathfinder Online is being designed with groups in mind. Our goal is to make finding a compatible group as easy as possible for players, and for content to primarily make sense as a group member, not an individual. We believe a lot of players tend to solo in other MMOs just because it's less stressful than finding a worthwhile group, and content design makes your goals frequently divergent from your group's; we hope to make grouping easy and provide strong common goals.
In my experience grouping always is a frustrating process I would rather just forego sometimes, especially when working with a limited amount of time, with a single exception. Guild Wars 2.
In Guild Wars 2 most quests are offered to everyone in the area rather than an individual. The group works together to accomplish the objective, and at the end each player is rewarded based on their contribution to the group effort.
I find this format simple, fun, and more immersive.
I think if PFO made most quests follow that format, and offered quick/simple ways to party up with the people you are questing with that it could be a very fun and non-frustrating format.
I would make it so during random group quests you can bring up a menu that shows everyone else on the quest. If they are in a party you can click join party (as a solo player), invite to party (to invite them to join yours), merge parties (to join your whole party into theirs), or invite to merge (to invite their whole party into your).
Whenever you complete a quest it should bring up a similar menu in the box showing quest completion and rewards.
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Goblin Squad Member
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A "venture company" (sometimes also referred to as a chartered company; we'll get the terminology settled soon) is a social construct designed to cover the small-to-mid-sized guilds popular in other MMOs... You can be a member of up to three venture companies, but only one of them can be a settlement-sponsored venture company (in other words, all the members belong to the same settlement).Huh. Sounds like the title "Chartered Company" should be used for the ones that are Chartered/Sponsored by a Settlement, and "Venture Company" used for the rest (with Charted Company essentially meaning a Chartered Venture Company), with the designation of Settlement Charter changing the status of each group between the two categories.
Agreed. I also really like the term Venture Company.
And being able to belong to multiple companies opens up some interesting possibilities and a lot of flexibility.
In Guild Wars 2 most quests are offered to everyone in the area rather than an individual. The group works together to accomplish the objective, and at the end each player is rewarded based on their contribution to the group effort.
I believe GW has already posted about how many/most quests will be associated with NPC factions that either large numbers of players will individually be aligned with (or opposed to), or settlements/kingdoms will be aligned with. In both cases, there is a large number of people "in the same boat" as you in regards to quest eligibility, while simultaneously not being EVERYBODY IN THE GAME (and it sounds like many NPC factions will be opposed to each other, so every PC/Settlement "chooses sides" and that will affectt which quests they do).
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Goblin Squad Member
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In Guild Wars 2 most quests are offered to everyone in the area rather than an individual. The group works together to accomplish the objective, and at the end each player is rewarded based on their contribution to the group effort.I believe GW has already posted about how many/most quests will be associated with NPC factions that either large numbers of players will individually be aligned with (or opposed to), or settlements/kingdoms will be aligned with. In both cases, there is a large number of people "in the same boat" as you in regards to quest eligibility, while simultaneously not being EVERYBODY IN THE GAME (and it sounds like many NPC factions will be opposed to each other, so every PC/Settlement "chooses sides" and that will affectt which quests they do).
That gives me a metal picture of in Runescape where there is a huge battlefield full of gnomes and humans fighting each other except there are objectives players are trying to complete for each side, and the players can kill each other.
Excuse me... I need to go... clean up...
It's been emphasized that PVP will be more prominent than PVE, and given that PVE needs more tailored development effort there's alot of sense in that... So along with that, I could see why 'NPC faction quests' might very well involve objectives dealing with PVP against PCs/groups aligned to opposing NPC factions.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Mmm, that's what I'm thinking with groups: You can't do all the content on one character (because of the vast array of choices I hope) so it's not a "I can do all of it" game but a "I know someone who can" game and I'll skill-up if it's useful for me to do so/I enjoy that a lot type of response.
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Goblin Squad Member
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One thing i would like to say about the solo. I dont mind having group content, in fact I think the game should support many things that require groups of people working together to get something done.
Please do not forget about solo players who play solo not by choice but because of circumstance. One good example Ill use is me. Im a shift worker, as a result of that I tend to play when everyone else is sleeping. I basically have to play solo often because there simply is not that many people on when I play.
for larger games it is not that bad, as I can sometimes play with people in other parts of the world, but for a game which will have a smaller player base, playing in off times might be difficult.
So if you could make sure to include SOME solo content I would love that. Not everything, and heck not even most, but some.
Leperkhaun you will find that as the game is a single server that there should be no really quiet times, merely some times quieter than others. There should be a guild suitable for you even if it means joining a group of europeans or australians (assuming you are american) or american if you are not. Many organisations will be looking indeed to recruit people so they have a constant prescence and can widen their settlement pvp window.
By there very nature sandboxes do though tend to favour group play over solo. Having said that if you are determined to solo I am sure there will be opportunities but you will find you will be less efficient at many things.
Usually though there are some "careers" which favour the smaller group or solo player. Exploration is often one of these. Espionage another
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Goblin Squad Member
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you misunderstand me. Im find with great wyrms requiring groups to kill and settlements requiring large number of people to build.
What I am saying is to have some stuff avalible at all difficulties for people to solo. Not bunches, but an option for when someone doesnt want to play with a group or cannot they can do something by themselves.
I understand that the solo person wont be able to solo craft all uber gear and all of that or go get all the best materials or fight wars, and that is actually how it should be. But some content for people playing by themselves is also fine.
It might be a orc or gnoll village or a bunch of young dragons..etc.
not spending big bucks on PVE content, especially for a marginal part of the audience, is the entire basis of GW's gameplan.
if PVP is not compatable with how you see playing the game, i'm not sure why you think this is the game for you.
that said, as mentioned, you should be able to solo content meant for groups of lower level chars.
i don't see any restriction on crafting solo beyond your wealth, i believe markets will work without both parties online at the same time (i.e. goods held in storage until bought) so that isn't an issue there. as mentioned, there should be plenty of stuff to do at all times and people from over the world should be playing the game from the get-go, but i don't expect much if anything specifically aimed for solo players (perhaps beyond the lowest level intro stuff).
if anything you should be thinking how to exploit playing at times with less players online, it should make it much easier to transit thru bandit prone areas, avoid tolls/exclusions of strict settlements, that sort of thing.
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Goblin Squad Member
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@quandary
there is going to be PvE and PvP. Im find with PvP in fact I will be making a character who specializes in group pvp combat.
What I am saying is that there will be PvE, hello escalation cycles and the other NPCs you need to kill in order to get raw materials for items.
They do need to include some solo things to do. Not everything, not bunches, but some. There are players who play at odd times when not many people play, there are times when even people who like to group with other just might want to do something alone for a bit.
Lordy im not asking them to create a single player game, but they can make different parts of the escalation cycle or a couple parts of the world where its designed to be solo friendly.
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Goblin Squad Member
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So, from the blog it seems that if I want to build a stand-alone monastery, I'll most likely need to form a venture company of monks to build a watchtower at the very least. My hope would be to enhance that to a fort so a group of individuals could not take it down (i.e., they would need siege engines). Still no word on the format of characters training other characters, what facilities are required, or what support structures (e.g., does the training facility need to be in a settlement) are required.
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Goblin Squad Member
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New question arise......
Venture Company:
What kind of tools will this type of company have available to it?
What advantages are there to being a member of multiple venture companies?
Why would a persistent venture company want its members to be a part of other venture companies?
Can members of a venture company also be part of a chartered company?
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Goblin Squad Member
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I believe a chartered company and venture company are the same thing-they just haven't decided which name to use yet. Like they say 'merit badges' but are looking for a better name (why not just feats?). I'd assume the advantage of being a part of two or three unsponsored venture companies would be an expanded number of allies/team members/defenders you could rely on until or if you want to join a settlement.
+1 to use 'feats', maybe it's not exactly like the tabletop version of feats, but it still establishes continuity.
since you can apparently only be member of one settlement (?), i expect the non-chartered venture companies will also exist to enable more cohesive/persistent grouping outside of the bounds of the settlement, while the chartered settlement will represent your more cohesive 'crew' within the larger settlement. venture companies could also be used by settlements for more directed tasks, e.g. convoy escort or even specific combat groups within large scale combat, mainly for the convenience of charter company specific chat/loot options/etc.
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Goblinworks Game Designer
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I believe a chartered company and venture company are the same thing-they just haven't decided which name to use yet.
Correct. We noticed we were using the prefixes "venture," "chartered," and "sponsored" in sort of overlapping and not totally consistent ways in various places. We'll get it sorted soon.
Like they say 'merit badges' but are looking for a better name (why not just feats?).
We're using the term "feats" for "traits that you purchase that do things." Clearly our problem is that there are so many good words for things, that we can't choose just one :) .
I'd assume the advantage of being a part of two or three unsponsored venture companies would be an expanded number of allies/team members/defenders you could rely on until or if you want to join a settlement.
Indeed. Or just your "I have friends outside of you guys" crew to give you people to hang with when your primary company isn't around. It'll probably be pretty common to have one for your real life friends who aren't in your primary company. They might also form for cross-game reasons (a social group for merchants to organize transport, a group centered around an alliance, a diplomatic UN-style group, a council of thieves, etc.).
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Goblin Squad Member
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I believe a chartered company and venture company are the same thing-they just haven't decided which name to use yet.Correct. We noticed we were using the prefixes "venture," "chartered," and "sponsored" in sort of overlapping and not totally consistent ways in various places. We'll get it sorted soon.
Like they say 'merit badges' but are looking for a better name (why not just feats?).We're using the term "feats" for "traits that you purchase that do things." Clearly our problem is that there are so many good words for things, that we can't choose just one :) .
I'd assume the advantage of being a part of two or three unsponsored venture companies would be an expanded number of allies/team members/defenders you could rely on until or if you want to join a settlement.Indeed. Or just your "I have friends outside of you guys" crew to give you people to hang with when your primary company isn't around. It'll probably be pretty common to have one for your real life friends who aren't in your primary company. They might also form for cross-game reasons (a social group for merchants to organize transport, a group centered around an alliance, a diplomatic UN-style group, a council of thieves, etc.).
Oh, Stephen. Now you're gonna have a bunch of bozos (including me) thinking of synonyms for 'merit badge.' Is this what you wanted, sir?!
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Goblin Squad Member
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1. what does "engage in meaningful inter-organization diplomacy" mean?
Do you mean between player settlements, between npc organizations, or between player- and npc organizations?
Can you give your whole company/settlement/nation bonuses by negotiating deals with npc organizations? Does diplomacy skills open up new treaty types between player organizations?
2. pve content does not adapt to your level. Will there be ways (knowledge skills?) to assess the challenge rating of a monster, and will distribution of 'monster challenges' make sense? If a new character can be killed by rats but after 3 hours worth of xp can slay ogres and dragon hatchlings, there needs to be a good lorehack to explain why.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Oh, Stephen. Now you're gonna have a bunch of bozos (including me) thinking of synonyms for 'merit badge.' Is this what you wanted, sir?!
<squeaks large red rubber nose> Wooo-o-ah! Thrills!
Join the expectant crowd gathering now as we stop here on <dutch elm street>!
It appears pretty much the whole busload of us prefers 'Deeds'.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Oh, Stephen. Now you're gonna have a bunch of bozos (including me) thinking of synonyms for 'merit badge.' Is this what you wanted, sir?!<squeaks large red rubber nose> Wooo-o-ah! Thrills!
Join the expectant crowd gathering now as we stop here on <dutch elm street>!
It appears pretty much the whole busload of us prefers 'Deeds'.
Yep. Seems to be the word.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I like the ability to join more than one company.
For me personally that means i can be in the company with the folks I plan on being with, however I can also join a company with folks who play on the same time zone as me.
So I can act as a midnight guard for one company and mess around doing things with another.
Another possibility I see is several companies who want to get together to make a settlement but cant decide who will run it, can make a seperate company, invite all the other companys' leadership, then use that company to run the settlement.
That gives me a metal picture of in Runescape where there is a huge battlefield full of gnomes and humans fighting each other except there are objectives players are trying to complete for each side, and the players can kill each other.
Excuse me... I need to go... clean up...
Ah, the Battlefield. I sure hope those gnomes breed more wartortoises soon.
I'm wondering if GW's stance on adventuring parties has changed, though. It sort of sounds like they're merging everything into the Venture Company system, which has me very concerned. We gotta have our Belkars and Jaynes, right?
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Goblin Squad Member
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We have additional ideas for systems to support social conflict and enhance roleplaying that will become more fully developed later if prioritized by crowdforging.
Ok now this line right here actually gave me sexual urges. How excited should I be by this?
There is nothing I want more in this game than for the political landscape to be roleplayed. I plan to dedicate my play to this above all else.
Could there actually be systems to foment it? I'd love to hear at least vague idea that's on the table, no expectations for it I promise, just want to know what's going on in your noggins.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I'm uncertain what game systems are needed for politics, or what would be useful. EVE is staggeringly *rife* with politics...occasionally to the exclusion of everything else, but I've not heard of systems to support the political discussions, brinksmanship, threats, and such. Folks just use mail, chat, out-of-game comms, etc.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I'm uncertain what game systems are needed for politics, or what would be useful. EVE is staggeringly *rife* with politics...occasionally to the exclusion of everything else, but I've not heard of systems to support the political discussions, brinksmanship, threats, and such. Folks just use mail, chat, out-of-game comms, etc.
Since it will be starting out small, we could have interactions with the larger organizations like the Hellknights.
Something like Band of Brothers did in Eve. CCP created an NPC group that moved into their space (Bloods). BoB sent a message to CCP in character role playing it out. In return BoB had +10 standings with Blood.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Q. Will flight be possible?
We won't have flight for players until some point after Open Enrollment begins, and possibly never. We don't have any graphical limitations that would prevent adding flight capability for characters at a later date, but flying imposes lots of balance questions for PvE combat, PvP combat, wars, and transporting goods. We'll need to have lots of data on how players approach all of these activities when subject to gravity, and then consider carefully whether and how we add the ability to fly.
Ah sweet so it really is a design choice as opposed to a technical limitation: Very good.
The idea I like is the "eye-in-the-sky" one where a Druid can use a "warg" ability to possess or at least co-habit the mind of a eg Raven or Hawk and use said beastie to fly around scouting and spying the land. Perhaps only possibly over natural areas or some limitation: But I like the idea of this voyeuristic way of putting up "CCTV security" variously around the world (as well as perhaps a time and distance limitation from the Druid's actual body).
This gives flying but without flying! *feel like my forum avatar finally animated itself and did a few experimental wing flaps*.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I'm uncertain what game systems are needed for politics, or what would be useful. EVE is staggeringly *rife* with politics...occasionally to the exclusion of everything else, but I've not heard of systems to support the political discussions, brinksmanship, threats, and such. Folks just use mail, chat, out-of-game comms, etc.Since it will be starting out small, we could have interactions with the larger organizations like the Hellknights.
Something like Band of Brothers did in Eve. CCP created an NPC group that moved into their space (Bloods). BoB sent a message to CCP in character role playing it out. In return BoB had +10 standings with Blood.
Oh my god. Just had a nerdgasm.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Oh my god. Just had a nerdgasm.I'm uncertain what game systems are needed for politics, or what would be useful. EVE is staggeringly *rife* with politics...occasionally to the exclusion of everything else, but I've not heard of systems to support the political discussions, brinksmanship, threats, and such. Folks just use mail, chat, out-of-game comms, etc.Since it will be starting out small, we could have interactions with the larger organizations like the Hellknights.
Something like Band of Brothers did in Eve. CCP created an NPC group that moved into their space (Bloods). BoB sent a message to CCP in character role playing it out. In return BoB had +10 standings with Blood.
Hold it in buddy, hold it in.