Goblin Squad Member
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Being a bandit, I've been thinking one of our most powerful tools is intimidation. But, how can intimidation work against PCs in an MMO?
Intimidation could be a fairly simple concept of increasing the visual threat level of the character trying to use that skill.
When the merchant looks at me, he does not see me as "White" which typically means "equal level" in an MMO, he would see me as "Orange" or a major threat.
This when integrated with the use of ambush, a hideout and SAD, or any combination of the three would add a variety of skill needed to becoming a highly skilled and effective bandit.
The reverse is also true. Merchant guards could use intimidate to send the wrong impression to bandits that are evaluating the caravan for possible attack.
Mechanics of Intimidation:
Intimidation could also have a mechanic affect of debuffing the initiative roll of the victim. This would be the representation of the victim being hesitant. This debuff would apply to both PCs and NPCs. If PC guards are using intimidate their affective debuff might actually nullify any advantage bandits gain from ambush skill.
Intimidation vs. NPCs:
When I think of all of the different things that a PC bandit company can bring to the table, I really don't see how an NPC caravan would stand a chance. Other than the caravan being a much higher level than the bandit company that is thinking of attacking it, a human group will always have an advantage.
PC intimidation directed at an NPC group would have the advantages I mentioned above. Added to those, a mechanic of auto flight, fight or surrender will probably be used.
Failed Intimidation = Fight
Moderate Success = Flight
High or Critial Success = Surrender
Thoughts?
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Goblin Squad Member
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I think the idea of showing yourself to be stronger than you are might be difficult to pull off as you would have to get the intimidate off before the merchants are generally aware of your presence.
This is all dependent on how player tags are going to work though i guess. If you could use your intimidate skill beforehand, and it gives you a temporary buff that makes EVERYONE view you as that much stronger, until they examine you and/or pass a passive check.
I like the idea of it reducing the initiative check, but to make it useful to normal soldiers I would suggest you would need to add a -ve attack debuff.
On the note, I wonder how the old activateable skills are going to work with the action bar (intimidate, bluff, diplomacy), whether they are class trainable only or everyone has access to them at some point.
Were I trying to avoid a fight I would wish to be overestimated, but if I knew I had to fight I'd rather be underestimated.
What about an Entice ability that would make you seem weaker then you were? It would be useful for bandit hunters I would think?
How would they know if a mod is in effect? Sure if they know the player, but being as there's no "level" by anyone's name...?
Intimidate: look tougher than you are in comparison to target. "Tougher" being level, skill, equipment, overall threat rating, whatever.
Bluff: look weaker in comparison to target.
Diplomacy: look friendlier to target. Closer to alignment, higher rep, something like that. Maybe scales with your actual reputation or gives you a boost to the rate you gain reputation/alignment at.
Disguise: appear as different race, class, alignment (?), or as an NPC.
Sense Motive: gain better, more accurate, and/or more specific information on target. Counter to intimidate, disguise, bluff, and diplomacy.
The idea is that players have the perception versus stealth dichotomy, and this is it's social equivalent. They shouldn't overlap much.
I'm unsure about reputation modifications using these since that might function more of a meta indicator of a player's, as opposed to character's, overall trustworthiness and reliability. But, on the other hand, that would make Sense Motive more valuable in the skill economy for both PvP and PvE. And reputation modifications would make the "aggressor" skills valuable. A character who has worked on their diplomacy skill will look like they have a higher reputation and thus gain access to places, people, or things they otherwise wouldn't (not too much of a stretch from how diplomacy is used in the tabletop).
As mentioned before, Intimidate would be a deterrent to keep people around your level from preying on you, where Bluff would be good for baiting people around your level or making you look too weak to be worthwhile for higher level people.
Disguise should be self-explanatory. Obviously, disguises farther from what you are would be harder to pull off, and I imagine looking like an NPC would be, like, one of the capstones or something.
Considering the high emphasis on player to player interaction, I think it would be a mistake to leave the social skills to PvE content.
It would also make sense if the alignment flags gave appropriate bonuses to the relevant social skills. Or at least give you a choice.
Enforcer - Sense Motive
Outlaw - Intimidate
Champion - Diplomacy
Assassin - Disguise
Traveler - Bluff
I'd also imagine SAD interactions would be modified by the relevant skills of the players or parties involved, and that parties add up their skills or use the highest player's score with "aid another" bonuses from others who have the same skill at a high enough rank.
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Goblin Squad Member
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@ Kwizzy
That is good stuff! Exactly what I would like to see, because it adds another layer of complexity to the system, but it can still remain passive (just a modifier).
As I have written here and elsewhere, I hope to see our "professions" come from a combination of skills and the use of tactics, rather then just something any low skilled character can do.
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Goblin Squad Member
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It would also make sense if the alignment flags gave appropriate bonuses to the relevant social skills. Or at least give you a choice.
Enforcer - Sense Motive
Outlaw - Intimidate
Champion - Diplomacy
Assassin - Disguise
Traveler - BluffI'd also imagine SAD interactions would be modified by the relevant skills of the players or parties involved, and that parties add up their skills or use the highest player's score with "aid another" bonuses from others who have the same skill at a high enough rank.
Perfect.