Tatertoad's page

I looked at the inn picture really close -- thought I saw a potato somewhere.

Great job guys!

Any way we could get a full scale potato? Perhaps in a stew.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the blog post. I have two concerns:

1) I hope we don't experience inflation a year or two down the road with hitpoint counts doubling or tripling again, damage numbers doubling or tripling, etc. Somehow it cheapens the experience to me to see a floating -5,900 hit from a fireball as opposed to a -59 hit. I realize this is personal preference, but it's just that -- what I prefer. Numbers are a tool we're forced to use in order to quantify things. The more we use them, the less they mean.

2) I may have missed a discussion on this somewhere, but I also hope that hitpoints don't immediately regenerate to full a'la GW2. I would much prefer a slow over time natural regen rate (when out of combat, maybe) similar to DAoC. This does a couple of things, not the least of which are: create interdependence between characters, make for more meaningful cost-benefit choices when deciding when to enter into combat (and thus potentially lose hitpoints), create interesting cost-benefit choices when choosing player skillsets, plus it's a convenience excuse to create a campfire, create a little downtime and have a chat.

Plus, it's hard to cook potatoes without a heat source.

Kryzbyn wrote:

Let the community police itself.

What is it called when you keep trying the same thing over and over, but expect different results?

Insanity, by definition.

That said, I have questions and reservations about the reputation + alignment system myself. Specifically, I agree with the OP that it creates the opportunity (or necessity, maybe) to metagame or otherwise do things to artificially influence these statistics in order to achieve a desired result, i.e. kill 1,000 zombies so you can enter your friend's LG settlement, or better yet: kill 1,000 zombies so you can raise your chaos/evil rating after defending/avenging your friend in a situation where flags didn't work/time ran out/whatever.

...they didn't say anything about potatoes.

AGAIN!

Looks pretty good in general. I like the idea of limited skill training slots, that adds another level of incentive to work together, foster community, etc.

It's the pointy ears. They make him look smart!

Golarion also has spaceships, werewolves, pirates, furries and slimies of all sorts, bird men, pirates, plane-touched player characters, ninjas, and pirates.

I'm just sayin'. Every other fantasy itch seems to be scratched.

In all seriousness I love the world and respect the creator's decisions, this is just something that has stuck with me since reading the LOTR trilogy when I was a kid. Immortal elves? pretty much. Hairy footed halflings? check. Nasty, mean orcses? Indeed. Wizards, undead, scary forests, powerful magic, ale, dragons, exiled kings, YES!

But not a hair on her chinny chin chin? Really? :)

I'm concerned that adding mounts will cause more problems than the benefit that having them will add. For instance: combat mechanics? will it become a virtual arms race, requiring everyone to train mounts in order to be on a level playing field. I can certainly understand why a cavalier or plains barbarian type character would want a mount from a RP perspective.

I also hope that fast travel is limited and in no way similar to hearthstones or any twice/hour town recall where you can then have access to all major cities just by running through a portal. I realize this may be an unpopular stance, but I liked the feeling of the "vastness" of games by having to deal with distance the old fashion way.

Evil is valuable to the gaming experience -- but it should have a cost.

For instance, you should have to wipe the blood off your dagger after every kill. Wait..

Don't let your elven sensitivities cloud your mind Ni. That quote clearly leaves wide open the potential for dwarven femmestaches or ladygoaties. Porkchop sideburns? only if they're braided.

I like the idea -- a building specialist, like the builder in Pillars of the Earth!

Using diplomacy sounds great. Although I do in a way enjoy not knowing how tough a mob is.

A hint would be nice though!

Three headed ettin? watch out.

I'm not a dwarf, and never have been. But I support dwarves. Icons of fantasy, bearers of axes and hammers and horns full of ale.

And bearded womenfolk.

Will PFO embrace dwarfishness, and put whiskers on the ladies (as is only proper?).

Great post, I too want to know the answer!

The difference in a politician and a bandit is that the bandit is actually honest about his occupation.

The thief would be flagged for stealing anyhow, and thus attackable by at least the victim if not everyone.

I like the idea of the investigator, just wondering how it would benefit anyone since they can already attack the thief (maybe only for a short time). Also, I'd think the bounty would need to be player driven unless the thief stole something from an NPC.

Great concept though! :)

Looks like evil will have a 'target rich environment', as my main man Tom Cruise would say. Good luck evildoers!

Orcses, filthy orcses.

*gollum*

It would be nice if the devs added to the flag system, a "Bot Flag", which would be permanent. This would allow us to freely attack a bot, at all times, even after respawn.

That might work if they were resource gatherers perhaps, but if there is a way to manage trades or engage in arbitrage without leaving the safety of say, a tavern (see: spreadsheets from a station in EVE), then it wouldn't be an effective way of dealing with them.

I like the idea though!

The idea is to make it cost something for an attacker to engage someone, whether it's alignment, flagging, and the likelihood of retaliation for doing so.

It's not a FFA gank fest, or at least it shouldn't be if these systems are well thought out and executed.

I played EVE for a year or so, hardly ever leaving high security space and I enjoyed it. I would imagine that folks who choose not to engage in pvp (either by direct engagement or by entering an area in which they are not protected) would have the choice to spend their time in NPC-protected areas. Again, another cost-benefit; the benefit being guaranteed protection from other players, and the cost likely being limited access to crafting materials, high level structures, etc.

This also creates the perfect opportunity to pay someone to take dangerous tasks on for you.

I like the idea of different types of buildings based on terrain or location, like: waterwheels, water-driven mills, docks for river towns (as mentioned above). Large harbors and docks for coastal towns, fisheries maybe. Interior towns would have tanneries, smelters, lumber mills, etc. based on what resources were in plentiful supply nearby.

Sorry I don't really care for the idea.. <snip>

Fair enough -- as you say, it will likely require a lot of time and player coordination to make the more powerful buildings. If that is the case, I will be satisfied.

As a roguish entity myself, I have to admit that I support the idea of traps -- both player created and possibly environmental (dungeons).

I also like the idea of being able to pick locks, and think that flagging should be long term for doing so. It would also be neat to be able to sabotage crafting stations, buildings, etc. although I have no expectation that this will be part of the game.

That said, I think it's fair to expect some measure of safety for one's belongings to a certain degree. NPC guards at settlements, fortifications, defensive bonuses, sufficient length of time to call for reinforcements during a siege, etc. should hopefully give settlement owners some security. More importantly, fostering inter-company/settlement trade and allowing both cooperation and competition will hopefully make battles and sieges meaningful and not something done "just because".

I sincerely hope they stick to their guns and don't cave to the pressure of limiting dangerous player encounters. To me, this is a core pillar of what will make this both enjoyable and different than the other offerings in the MMO market. The systems in place for alignment, companies, settlements, etc. create a latticework in which the players will hopefully fill gaps and have meaningful interaction.

I'm hopeful that they make the super powerful, fantastical buildings difficult to obtain or require specialization to get: i.e. only one deity's temple can reach max level, high level wizard/sorceror/druid buildings would be mutually exclusive (just saying this for example's sake), etc.

My rationale is that if every building is accessible by every settlement (or most settlements in the case of evil/good), then it makes for a bland setting. Think of the possibilities of a merchant-themed city becoming a hub for trade, but relying on militaristic friends to keep the peace.

Ah, bandits. Where would we be without them!

Good luck out there Bluddwolf & Co.!

Lifedragn wrote:

As for becoming a target to your fellow evil players... that is how evil rolls. Evil very frequently turns in upon itself and feeds on itself. That is the very nature of the harmful and selfish actions that lead someone to be considered evil. To imagine that evil would only want to victimize good is missing out on a very critical aspect of the psychology that makes someone evil. Good versus Evil has never been about Team A vs. Team B. There is no Team Evil, but only groups of people who might logically decide to stop attacking each other and work together long enough to put down a larger threat.

No, no, no. I understand that evil is full a backstabbing and betrayal but we are not discussing those things. I don't have a problem with that. If someone wants to hire an assassin to take me out fine but they need to suffer the consequences of their actions. Lawful Evil societies work and thrive because of peoples fear of the penalties for breaking the law.

For example: Me being a Priestess of Asmodeus has just finished a ritual where I summon a devil and make a deal with it and then I decide to go to the market. But uh-oh I am flagged with the heinous flag. Now I have to deal with the possibility of being attacked by a group of coward pkers who would not attempt to attack me for fear of being labeled criminals in their own town and having the full wrath of the city guards come down on them. But hey I have the Heinous flag, which as far as we know now is a universal flag to every character in the game, so they give it a go and succeed killing me and they are not flagged as criminals becasue the heinous flag acts as a free pass for them.

This is the crux of my argument, this situation. If the heinous flag does not show for evil aligned players then fine. I just want the developers to be aware of the possibilty of stupid scenarios that punish role-playing that a universal flag would make possible.

I agree, summoning undead or infernals in an area that is controlled by evil shouldn't flag someone for FFA pk'ing (aside from the normal anything goes).

Tatertoad wrote:

New here, but I really like the concept of "The Seventh Veil". I didn't read all 9 pages but the best I could tell recruitment isn't open yet -- I do look forward to applying once it is. Good job guys!

Well, let's clear that up!

The Seventh Veil is definitely openly recruiting. Thanks for letting us know that's not clear.

Please feel free to apply here: Member Applications

Thanks, Nihimon. It was either late, or I misread something, or the alcohol... At any rate, I'll be checking out the website!

New here, but I really like the concept of "The Seventh Veil". I didn't read all 9 pages but the best I could tell recruitment isn't open yet -- I do look forward to applying once it is. Good job guys!

Sounds great to me. I hope there is a way to queue up skill training for a few days in case folks go outa town, or a way to manage it from a mobile device so you don't loose training time due to RL. I think this is justified by the requirement to "actually do something" to earn the merit badge.

I like the format as laid out by the OP. Everyone starts out equal, save for racial flavor, and has the opportunity to increase stats suited for what the intend to do.

Great workaround from the EVE model, as you discussed! cheers!

I think there's a way to add sex appeal to armor without necessarily making it 'chainmail bikini'. Frogs for example need to feel the sun's warmth on their skin, maybe a trapdoor breastplate to let the sexy out is in order.

New to the forums here, but as a long time gamer I would love to see 'real' darkness make a comeback to MMO's, for several reasons. I think it helps with immersion, creating a sense of danger and whatnot -- but also it creates a need for for torches, light spells, magic items, etc. all of which add flavor and complexity to a game when the trend for the past 10+ years is to dumb it down and make everything easily accessible.

Some of the most fun (and frustration!) I've had gaming was running through or retrieving my corpse in Kithicor Forest.

I've read in this topic about the technical limitations and whatnot -- but i have to ask: if the dev's can't stop light patching/hacking, how will they prevent radar, LOS hacking, etc. You have to draw the line somewhere.