Goblin Squad Member
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After I read Hardin Steel's post, I began thinking about the physical landscape of PFO and its relationship to physical structures that can be built into that landscaspe. From various sources:
1) In the video fly-through it appears that there will be physically identifiable locations (footprints) for settlements (see just after 0:42) in the PFO landscape. Granted they may not be a easily recognized as in the video as the video elevation may be exaggerated.
2) We have been told that there will be PoI hexes where stand-alone structures can be built, in particular watchtowers, inns, and feudal manors. We know that PoI hexes will be different from settlement hexes.
3) We know that we can create hideouts in hexes which require special skills to detect.
This brings me to the following questions:
1) Will hideouts have a physical footprint in the landscape? If you can't see them, it seems logical that you can't see their footprint (if they have one). If they have a footprint, will this mean that there will only be one hideout per hex as there (apparently) will be only one PoI structure in a hex? Will an existing hideout be able to detect if another hideout (or any other structure for that matter) is being constructed within the hideout's hex (if building one is allowed)? Will you only be able to build hideouts in PoI hexes?
2) Will PoI structure footprints be fixed in the landscape as settlement footprints appear to be? Will a hex become a PoI hex if a structure is built in it, or can a structure be built in a hex only because it is a PoI hex?
3) Will resource nodes have a fixed footprint in the landscape? Or will only those nodes where a harvesting camp can be built have a footprint? If you can build a harvesting camp without having to have a predefined footprint in the landscape, will we be able to build other structures where there is no footprint? Will there be only one harvesting camp per hex, i.e., can you only build harvesting camps in a PoI hex?
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Goblin Squad Member
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Agree Hardin did a good job with all those possible skill paths: Surveyor, Explorer, Extracter etc.
"Skill Paths & Exploration":
1. Find resource nodes (point locations randomly generated from using said skill (periodic use availability?) on hex map.
2. Find more interesting/rarer types of resource node
3. Found suitable excavation sites for mining
4. Found suitable timber sites
5. Share map inforation with others grants them access?
6. Explorer has to be present for map icons until used by self or others?
7. Track mob types
8. Find plant species
9. Find dungeon ruins
All these could be randomly generated as point locations anywhere you can walk on the current hex. This way it mixes it up and makes discovery more constant process. I mean a bunch of trees might be a limit on "discover mahogany" but that's dependent on how forested the hex is. Big forests with more types of forest node tree type compared to smaller forests with less types and less nodes?
Success Rate might depend on how much other player's activity is already present on the hex, as well as skill level and of course variability of the hex itself.
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I thought one way to work with hideouts would be a point location created by a bandit as the "entry" to an instance with their hideout and surrounding land uses a similar "anywhere" on the hex. SO the entry information is the only relevant thing to find as per all the above?
Cartographer skill might allow your map info to be shared with others again the extent in relation to your skill level?
"Navigation Skill" as described by Hardin, perhaps improves rate of movement in the bush from 1/2 speed to normal or at least increments of change .0000 ?! Perhaps lowers risk of sudden mob attack? Maybe falling into instances that are mazey to get out of and then you are back "where you fell in" sort of time-sinks literally to travelling from A->B?!
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Goblin Squad Member
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Mm, coming back to this "Navigation" skill idea. I was cycling and thinking about this earlier, perhaps movement rate is very slow off-road? So with the navigation skill, a character basically creates a temporary road that bumps up speed to normal for all following for the duration of the "temporary road" ie TRAIL created for short duration. Literally got Pathfinders! :)
I think it could make the map feel more dense and sorta carving your way through the bush off-road in very high-vegetation areas? Less so in open plains...
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Goblin Squad Member
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In response to Harad’s questions:
1) As much as I would like to be able to find hideouts easily, I can’t imagine they have a footprint. Hideouts should be hidden, but that also means finding or building a hideout is a skill that can be learned, and then used by anyone. Having a “Build Hideout” skill, or “Find Hideout” skill, also means there should be a whole host of hideout skills such as “Detect Hidden Lair” and “Hide/Disguise Lair”.
2) I would suppose the location of PoIs are fixed within the hex. It seems once the map is created having non-fixed locations/footprints is illogical.
3) I would hope resource nodes could “move” to a new location after a particular resource node is depleted. Mines and quarries might be problematic, but I can see farms, timber, creatures and a few other resources change location.
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Goblin Squad Member
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As much as I would like to be able to find hideouts easily, I can’t imagine they have a footprint. Hideouts should be hidden, but that also means finding or building a hideout is a skill that can be learned, and then used by anyone. Having a “Build Hideout” skill, or “Find Hideout” skill, also means there should be a whole host of hideout skills such as “Detect Hidden Lair” and “Hide/Disguise Lair”
I can't believe they wouldn't have *some* footprint, though we might be using the word differently.
I'd think that the difficulty in detecting a hideout would depend on a number of factors, at least these three:
- Number of users. More users, more chance that someone gets drunk and talks. More chance that someone leaves tracks. More grog barrels going in. More chance that someone left his cigarette butts in the dirt outside.
- Discipline of users. Chaotic probably does not stand in for disciplined here; a chaotic can be quite wily. I'd let reputation stand in for disciple or perhaps the lowest stealth skill of all of the users. Either way, it's the undisciplined ones that give the game away. See the cigarette butts above.
- Activity. Some hideouts will be loot stashes, and will be visited rarely. Some will be launch pads for robberies. The more a hideout is used, the more tracks are left, coming and going. A hideout used to evade a pursuit might be even more likely to be detected if the owners were rushed when they went to cover; more chance that some clue was left out.