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Re-structuring the Trade Deal Buffs

Bianca_CoD

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
@Kyronix @Mesanna @Bleak and team:

I feel the buffs of SSI, FC and SDI that are so popular should be moved to the PvP system (not my idea, someone else suggested it, but I agree). Like the controlling Virtue/Vice would have access to a "choice" of those three buffs in return for silver/gold/points (whatever).

Then what I would like to see the buffs be is actually reference the trade they are associated with for skill gains or other bonuses that help new players build loyalty to their cities, for example:

  • Guild of Arcane Arts: +5% Increase to Arcane Skill Gains (Magery, Necromancy, Spellweaving, Mysticism, Resisting Spells)
  • Society of Clothiers: +5% Increase to Tailoring Skill Gains and %5 Increase to Skinning Resources
  • Bardic Collegium: +5% Increase to Bardic Skill Gains (Musicianship, Peacemaking, Provocation, Discordance)
  • Order of Engineers: +5% Increase to Tinkering, Carpentry, Lumberjacking, Alchemy, & Imbuing Skill Gains as well as %5 Increase to Wood Resources
  • Guild of Healers: 5% Increase to Healing, Veterinary, & Anatomy Skill Gains
  • Maritime Guild: +1 Increase to Boating Speed as well as a %5 Reduction in Repair Costs
  • Merchant’s Association: +%5 Reduction to Vendor Fees
  • Mining Cooperative: +5% Increase in Mining, Blacksmithing, & Arms Lore Skill Gains as well as %5 Increase to Ore Resources
  • League of Rangers: +5% Increase to Archery & Tactics Skill Gains
  • Guild of Assassins: +5% Increase to Assassin Skill Gains (Stealth, Hiding, Stealing, Snooping)
  • Warrior’s Guild: +5% Increase to Melee & Tactics Skill Gains (Swordsmanship, Mace Fighting, Fencing, Throwing, Wrestling)

Some that I would add myself:

  • Guild of Tokonuse Arts: +5% Increase to Melee Arcane Skill Gains (Chivalry, Ninjitsu, Bushido)
  • Tamer's of Sosaria Guild: +5% Increase to Animal Taming and Animal Lore Skill Gains

I also feel it would be nice to have a "chat system" for each of the cities that is hard pressed into the game's code that is independent from the current chat channels. If you are a citizen of Minoc, you should automatically be added to "Minoc Chat" but you should also be able to move from General Chat etc.

P.S. Some more feedback is available on this post.

~ Sue.
 
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TandaBSK

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I really like this, not sure if it's possible, but there are a lot of perks for those still working skills which is awesome. As well as some that would give those of us who GM'd or better our skills years ago, even those of us that are merchants or mules. I think we need to be wary of this % stacking on any other specialty item that could be bought say on the Origin site so as not unbalance anything. I don't think that this would create too much of a boost with say an alacrity(blue scroll), just another means, and I think as they are now you'd have to go re-click the stone to utilize this once every 24 hours.

Players would be able to use both buff systems, and with a low buy in on PVM/PVP buffs even newer players could manage a couple training days utilizing the fighting buffs. I do favor a NO trial account filter.

I also think we need to add some sort of bonus in there for T-Hunters and Inscription/Scribes which is what the MR currently (I use it for) . I don't myself see any other class that didn't get anything. Perhaps a small % increase for the duration of the buff for pvm fighters to healing like a smaller % increase to healing than enhanced bandages. (or a small % to some other area, I've never been a melee fighter)

If the other SSI, FC, and SDI also have perhaps a tram option but perhaps not through a trade deal stone in a city, but in one "neutral location" that trammel friendly. Perhaps a separate stone in either Jhelom or another warrior based city, just one stone for all of trammel, each player pays for that buff, limit 1 per 24 real time hours, per character. Therefore this buff/stone wouldn't be connected to any Governor but to the King more or less as it's related more or less to defense of the realm. If say you can gather 100,000* gold in the course of 24 hours hunting and looting mobs then the fee should be a small 3% to 5% of that figure. (*Now I'm talking legitimate player activity and the number is hypothetical)

Payment for trade deals, I think could come through an collaborative effort between a shard's Governors with a little help from our Devs or EMs. If admission or a gate fee could be collected and shared between all Governor's Cities for an joint event shard wide. It would require a mechanics fix that require purchase of a "ticket"
If the idea is to promote shard activity and interaction then we all succeed or fail together. I do think though it would require broadening our Governor's requests to 1 per Governor per election term, and 1 say shardal/global request for all combined. The buffs for the following Governor's terms would be the cities portion of the gate for that event. (Minoc, Britain, Vesper,Yew, Skara Brae, Moonglow, New Magincia, Jhelom, Trinsic = 9 so 1/9th of the gate) I know unfilled Governor's seats would/could throw a wrench in this. But if the "gate" worked like the New Haven arena you could log your city into the venue gate and then it would know if only 6 of 9 seats are filled. Or if only 6 seats are filled so be it, you still only get 1/9th and any remaining funds stay in the gate or go to the King's Coffers.

I'd also like to challenge all those who are live auction holders like Majestic Oaks on Great Lakes to be supportive if you collect a % commission give back some of that to your player base. I know MOA trivia helps fund a lot of the Governor's on Great Lakes, either because their Governor's are great Trivia buffs or other players sometimes gift them gold at these events.
 
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Aurelius

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Not sure how the exact percentages for gain would work out, but on the general concept, the idea of accelerated training available to citizens is an excellent path to getting new players involved in the city governor and by extension RP-related aspects of the game from the start of their UO life - which would also mean keeping the 'costs' down is more important than ever for the users of the buffs....
 

Vivian Fellows

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
I have to say I strongly disagree with any attempt to separate certain play styles off from being involved in the governor system. While SSI, SDI, and FC is popular with the PvPrs, it is also heavily popular with the RPrs and PvMrs. To rid them in hope that it will discourage PvPr interaction in the governor system is also a folly. The only way to really make this game seem viable enough to new players so that it makes it worth their $$$$ to stay is to have vibrant shards. With as small as we are, all groups working together is the only way that is every going to be accomplished. So far the two I have had the pleasure of closely observing, Atlantic and Great Lakes, seem to be going in the correct direction of embracing that. That doesn't mean both don't have problems, I've seen the zaniness that has occurred during elections on both.

My personal opinion is that hardly any of the suggested updates to trade deals listed above would get selected, except for the resource bonus ones. Most players that are going to be concerned with voting are going to be veterans and their characters are going to be mostly set. They are going to want bonuses that affect their finished characters. If you want to add the skill gain percentage or whatever as a bonus to each trade deal as they currently are to benefit new players, then that is not a bad idea.
 

Aurelius

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
So, how about the 'trade deal' the Governor funds includes both a skill gaining and a direct buff, and the citizen can choose which is more appropriate to them?
 

Bianca_CoD

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I have to say I strongly disagree with any attempt to separate certain play styles off from being involved in the governor system. While SSI, SDI, and FC is popular with the PvPrs, it is also heavily popular with the RPrs and PvMrs. To rid them in hope that it will discourage PvPr interaction in the governor system is also a folly. The only way to really make this game seem viable enough to new players so that it makes it worth their $$$$ to stay is to have vibrant shards. With as small as we are, all groups working together is the only way that is every going to be accomplished. So far the two I have had the pleasure of closely observing, Atlantic and Great Lakes, seem to be going in the correct direction of embracing that. That doesn't mean both don't have problems, I've seen the zaniness that has occurred during elections on both.

My personal opinion is that hardly any of the suggested updates to trade deals listed above would get selected, except for the resource bonus ones. Most players that are going to be concerned with voting are going to be veterans and their characters are going to be mostly set. They are going to want bonuses that affect their finished characters. If you want to add the skill gain percentage or whatever as a bonus to each trade deal as they currently are to benefit new players, then that is not a bad idea.
I think folks are seeing this as a segregation of the player groups, but its actually a balance. You guys are tying one type of play style to a certain land but really what we want is more interaction with both lands based on what you are looking to attain. Like I feel Trammel should get more Champ Spawns, different than the ones in Felucca but a bit more... and I feel Felucca should have a governor/dictator system similar to this system, and I also feel the buffs should reflect that balance as well. Why do we deny reds entrance to Trammel (where they cannot kill anyone regardless) yet PvM'ers and RP'ers can freely go anywhere? The risk vs. reward is heavily favored to Trammelites. Making them go to Felucca for is a good thing.... not a bad one.

But another solution would be to offer these "skill gain" buffs as secondary buff options and the player can choose between the stat buff or the skill gain buff?

~ Sue.
 

TandaBSK

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I do see some of your issues with it Vivian, but I also think that having certain training buffs in certain cities might help build community loyalty. Minoc is founded on the corners of it being a mining and tinkers town. There hasn't been much gravitation toward npc towns since we had to have our armor repaired by a player at an npc smithy shop. Most training if worked in a town happens in Luna for mule skills such as carpentry, tailoring, smithy as the proximity to the bank is so much easier. Other than lumberjacking and mining which do require some excursions. Or folks train in their homes.

I know this suggestion isn't without issues, and think I addressed trammies being able to get the SSI etc buffs but separate of the Governor's program. I at least don't want to segregate anyone, I want them to find a reason to have a "home town". Great Lakes is a great shard, we as a group work well together. I still certain the system can be improved.

I do agree we as a whole, players, Dev's and EMs have to find a way to keep folks engaged in playing. There has to be a reason to spend your money on this game as a diversion as opposed to the many other options available. I myself have been here since 1999 and what's kept me through the less thrilling moments is the friendship and connection with players. Sure each new adventure in game brings a level of intrigue for a time, but soon enough the shine wears off that new penny. It's the loyalty, friendship and ties to those on the other side of the keyboard that have kept me here. Makes me sound a little like a 60's era flower child (and NO I'm NOT quite old enough) The human imagination is far more capable of adapting and generating spontaneous and planned events and connections than any program can be. We don't necessarily need someone to code our thoughts into a useable interface. It's because we adore our little pixel world we put up with the frustrations that come with it.
 

Bianca_CoD

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
So, how about the 'trade deal' the Governor funds includes both a skill gaining and a direct buff, and the citizen can choose which is more appropriate to them?
This to me is the best way to implement usefulness for the city buffs and tailor it to what the user needs, which welcomes and aids the new players as well as those that like to re-roll or re-train their characters.

@Mesanna @Kyronix ... could you possible see about adding a "secondary" buff to the stones and allow the citizens to choose?


~ Sue
 

Pandora_CoD

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I am wondering if the dev team is thinking about this. This is an amazing idea and on the other thread too, amazing ideas. We should have a secondary or tertiary buff option. I just do not see how this could hurt, only help!
 
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