What would go into it? that’s the question that I’m wanting to answer, mainly because I want to make one myself. I’m getting together a team as we speak, but that’s a different topic. What would YOU want into a mmo, if lag, speed, etc. weren’t a problem? I’m gonna post what I currently have on this topic, so that you know what to suggest and what to not. If you see any holes, tell me! I’ll modify this as I go, with whatever ideas that you post which I like. Be warned, it’s a beast of a post!
The Start of the Game
Introduction
My idea of how to get the player into the game at the beginning is to start them out as a regular person in the “real world” as a sort of tutorial. This is the best place for them to pick names, looks, and element(s) (explained later), and give them a rundown of the controls (I’ll give a basic diagram of them later). I could conceivably use the school classes as a way of weeding out bots and giving people who don’t know any better a rundown of how to act. Later in the school day (the character’s a high school senior, if you must know), on your way home through a convenient route (an abandoned construction site, not very uncommon in today’s economy, I imagine :anxious: ) a gang of bullies/idiots decides that you look funny or something related to one of your previous decisions in the character making process (your reactions to npcs, players, your look, your element(s) (at this point, read: personality)). Obviously, this is where you learn how to fight.
Since this is likely some of the easiest fighting in the game, I don’t feel ashamed to tell you how it will basically run down. At first, one of the gang’s new recruits goes after you with a pulled knife. After you beat him, you get it yourself, for you to do with as you wish. In the immediate area, you can also pick up random debris and fight with that. if you pick up something that can be used in multiple ways (a long pipe could be a staff, a spear, a huge sword, etc.), you can pick how you want to fight with it. This is where you learn about fighting styles and weapon proficiencies.
After you beat the snot out of the newbie, and properly arm yourself, a couple (2 or 3) of the more experienced people in the gang decide it’s their time to shine. They’re obviously stronger and smarter than the previous person, and will use every dirty trick in the book. They will also try and corner you, as well as flank. They have, in a quirk of their gang, actual swords at their disposal for both looks and fighting. This is where you learn how to combo and fight against multiple opponents.
After that little exercise, the leader of the gang steps in. In an entirely unexpected manner, he materializes a specific element and throws it at you. Just as it hits you, it dissipates. Yeah, it’s the element you picked at the beginning. And, thanks to his hubris, you can now use some basic magic. The leader says something like, “But he said that only I could have it! Boys, let’s kill this little punk!” After that little bit of banter, the rest of the gang jumps on you. I’d say that this would comprise of 4 newbies (easily scared, will run if you beat 3 of the bigger dogs, the leader, or throw magic at them), 6 bigger guys (not as easily scared, have to beat the leader for them to run), 3 “generals” (not scared by anything), and the leader himself. The leader will start using buffs only after seeing you soak his initial shot. This is your first boss fight, as well as a lesson in tactics, magic, and using spells.
After you win (using your brains as well as your newly-acquired brawn), fog starts seeping into the area, and the leader starts bawling, “No, no, give me another chance…” A man in a dark gray cloak walks from the fog towards the leader, stepping around the unconscious members of the gang. He kneels down in front of the leader (who is on the verge of s#@!ing out his spinal column, by the looks of it), whispers something to him, then touches him on the forehead with a bony finger. The leader stops moving immediately. Something black starts moving around from the spot that the man touched him on, and slowly envelops the leader. After he is covered, he somehow sinks into the ground, disappearing. The black mass goes back to the man, and incorporates itself into his shadow.
After seeing all of this, you are obviously scared out of your mind, but are still holding your ground, with whatever weapon you were using in your hands. The man walks over to you, and whenever he’s in range of your weapon, you strike out of reflex. He catches it easily, and you can see his arm. It’s not just thin, it’s rotted. Something roots you in place, making sure you can’t escape. When you look down, his shadow is connected to your own. He then says in a voice that would most likely kill small animals within earshot, “You’re more trouble than you’re worth… Good-bye.” He then looks you in the eyes, and you find yourself looking into the depths of Hell itself. As you fall into unconsciousness, a beam of white light hits you and the “man”, doing two things; levitating you into some sort of portal, and catching the “man” on fire, who then turns into some sort of demon. As you finally fall asleep, he is laughing.
Beginnings
You wake up, initially not remembering recent events. As you wake up, you see that you’re in what appears to be a sort of medieval hospital room, with the addition of some obviously magical items (a floating crystal of the same color as your chosen element(s) being the most prominent). You are bandaged up, and are extremely sore from your (now remembered) activities. After verifying that this isn’t a dream, you go to inspect the centerpiece of your new abode. The crystal seems to be giving off something, so you investigate. You find that the closer you stand to it, the faster your wounds heal. If you choose to touch it, you are completely healed, and your bandages shred. In game terms, this would be something like a save point. The intricacies are explained later.
After you touch it, you hear something over what appears to be an intercom. “Attention. Attention. The patient in room 26-A is awake.” You can decide whether that is a good thing or bad, and act accordingly. For the purposes of sanity, we’ll assume you take the “wait and see” option. If you look around, you will find some books, which apparently are some sort of mix between a fantasy book and a history class textbook. This is where you learn a little about the history of the new world that you apparently were thrown into.
After a couple minutes of looking around, or if you selectively pick to wait on the bed, an attendant walks into the room. She’s kind of pretty, but obviously takes her job seriously. She asks you how you’re doing, and a menu of responses pops up. I’ll presume that you don’t make too much of an idiot of yourself by being belligerent, rude, or perverted. She tells you how you landed (no pun intended :anxious: ) in the hospital. Apparently, you fell from the sky, crash-landing into somewhere in the forest. The governor of the town you’re in (Drasla might be a good name) sends a squad of his army to go check it out. They find “A person barely out of childhood with the most peculiar clothing they’ve ever seen” (That means you, bub.XD) in the middle of a crater, 2 meters deep and 5 in diameter. Upon hearing some nasty noises coming from within the forest, they decide to carry your sorry butt to the local medic.
Apparently, you were banged up pretty badly, because section A of the hospital is top priority. Before she can go into details of what got broken, a person at least 7 feet tall walks into the room, clad in full body armor that wouldn’t look out of place one bit on a general. This behemoth of a dude takes off his helmet, which reveals the face of someone in his 50s, but still stronger than any normal man. Very light hints of grey streak his dark hair and beard. He introduces himself as the Governor of the city, Ulric Rommous the 12th (Yeah, it’s probably a crappy name, but it’s what I came up with. You got anything better that hasn’t been done 10 million times?).
The nurse that’s in the room says something like, “Dad, I think you’re intimidating the guest. Do you NEED your armor to pay a visit?” He laughs a little, and says in a voice that shows his strength of character, “Haha, you might be right. But it’s a special occasion. How often do people drop from the sky, leave a fairly large crater in the ground, and are up and about not 3 days after?” The girl thinks for a couple seconds, then says, “Good point. Still, it’s not the best of ideas for walking into this particular wing of the hospital. That thing makes an awful racket whenever you run in it, and you can STILL hear it quite clearly even if you walk.” He laughs a little, then says to you, “Anyway, now that we have the introductions out of the way, why don’t I show you around? After all, a host should always show a new guest around his home, and considering that this entire city is my home, what better person than me?” The girl laughs a little, rolls her eyes, and makes her exit.
After he removes his armor, he starts showing you around. The hospital is actually a wing of the main palace. Were the palace in the real world, it would take up an area similar to the Pentagon. This palace has the standard things that most palaces have, with the addition of a training hall and an academy of magic. Realizing that these 2 in particular have caught your attention, he goes into more detail.
The academy is a place where you can learn about almost every skill in existence (cooking, fletching, appraisal, etc.), as well as magic of all sorts (all the elements, buffs, curses, item manipulation, illusion, etc.). You can take classes at any time, but higher level ones require you to pay for them, or earn them, depending on the teacher. Payment can be in standard currency, specific items related to the class, or any number of things. If the teacher wants you to earn it, you will have to do something that proves your talent, be it cast a specific type of spell, properly make a specified item, or something entirely different. It will always be directly related to the skill, however.
The training hall is where you can learn to use any and all weapons (swords, halberds, staves, glaives, etc.), as well as practice in fights with anyone present, with any rules you wish. You need not worry about any damage whatsoever, thanks to enchantments placed on the area that repair all equipment and bodily harm done within the area. Even death is reversible if it occurs inside there. Tournaments are often held in this hall, with rewards of all kinds for the victorious. Bets can also be placed on the outcomes of any and all fights. (if you win the bet, you get the pot, if multiple people win a bet, the minimum they get is how much they put in, if nobody wins a bet, they all get their ante back)
After you’re done touring those areas, Ulric takes you to the Grand Hall. This is where parties held by him (or someone who receives permission) take place. Food is transported from the kitchen to plates on the tables, and a grand table at the far side is where the people running the party, as well as anyone of great importance sit. A stage is on the right for any bands or troupes who wish to entertain for the party. They are hand-picked, so they are always of the best quality. (This might be a good way of making money and fame for anyone who has a suitable level in a skill.) If necessary, the tables will disappear so that dancing is possible.
The upper levels of the palace are the living quarters of the government and some nobility of the city, and is understandably off-limits to anyone uninvited. As Ulric takes you outside, you get a proper view of the city. In real life terms, it would probably be about the same size as Las Vegas or Hollywood. After taking in the sight, he starts pointing out parts of the city. On a map, Drasla would be segmented into a couple different sections.
Right around the castle would be where the richer people of the city live. To the south, there is a large marketplace, roughly the size of the Mall of America (might be off, but meh. :P ). Chances are, if it’s not sold there, it either doesn’t exist or shouldn’t be sold (that means either untradable or evil items). To the east and west (right and left, for those who don’t know directions) are where the general populous of the city lives. This is what would be called Suburbia in real world terms, with a lot of the average people living there. It’s also where you can find places to work, and some minor shops.
The north section is the slums. This is where people who are somewhat less willing to work honestly for a living find themselves. It’s not quite in as good condition as the rest of the city, but that is only because repairmen (along with most other outsiders) are unwilling to enter too far into it, for good reason. The deeper you go into the slums, the nastier the people get. There are rumors that there might even be people who wish to open up a portal into Hell itself in the deepest parts of it, but they haven’t been proven yet. The military is called into that area at least once every 5 hours. Thankfully, the people that truly could cause problems generally mind their own business. It is also rumored that a black market of sorts is run in there, but they also haven’t been found.
On the outer edge of the city, the military holds barracks to help defend it. This is where you can find some of the strongest men and women in the land. They’re usually friendly, but they rarely like people who are moronic, obnoxious, or rude. Also, if there was any one place better suited to learning combat, this area would be it. It is also the home of an impromptu arena of similar style to the one in the training hall, but with increased difficulty of the combatants and some “interesting” field additions. I expect that this is where higher leveled players will have their contests, unless if they feel like showing off to the newbies or giving them some training themselves.
On the other side of the barracks, there is a large wall, at least 80 meters tall. It appears to be almost a solid rainbow, but closer inspection shows that the colors shift. It’s obviously not of normal construction, or is at least enchanted to the point of insanity. If you take notice, you’d find that the eight most prominent colors are also the same colors that represent the elements (explained later). Ulric explains that this wall also extends into a large dome under and over the city, with the main wall being the only visible part. It is almost impossible to penetrate this without the permission of the people running it.
After Ulric is done giving you an audio tour of the city, an attendant walks up and asks for his attention. The attendant whispers into his ear, and after thinking for a second excuses himself to get back to his job. After this, you are free to do whatever you wish. This is where the game really begins.
Lore
The continent that you find yourself on is called Uraki (Again, if you got anything better, say so.). It is roughly the size of all of the Earth’s continents combined. Drasla is one of 4 great nations, with a bunch of other smaller ones dotting the continent and some smaller areas around the continent. Currently, the main countries are observing a sort of cease-fire. For the previous couple decades, they have been in a state of almost constant war. This stemmed from moral issues, mostly.
Drasla could be considered the one that is most fervently good. If the Red Cross was a country, Drasla would be it. It has very little tolerance of evil, which some say started the war. The other good country, Belos, while equally good, hates war, and is willing to make arrangements with the “other side” to stop it. They hate the suffering that accompanies it.
Grauno is the next country. It is the most open one, but also the third strongest, even if by a long stretch. It generally doesn’t really care much about good or evil, mainly wanting to just live without either random people preaching to the choir about what they didn’t do today or a warlord causing his subjects’ lives to be Hell. They’re the main reason the war is not going on right now.
Raerin is another country. It is more on the evil side, but prefers to not throw soldiers away over endless war, no matter how fun it is. Surprisingly, they’re the main reason that area resurrection enchantments are so relatively easy to use, thanks to their love of combat. They’re also generally the people who bet the most over fights.
Deimos is the last country. If Lucifer himself had a country on Earth, Deimos would be it. They’re the most likely reason behind the war’s starting. As far as military might goes, they’re equal with Drasla, no matter how vehemently they deny it. Obviously, they hate Drasla with a passion that shouldn’t be possible for a human. It is often speculated that the governors of Deimos either have ties to demons, or are ones themselves.
It’s not really known precisely HOW the meeting to call the truce was made, but it is known that Raerin, Grauno and Belos said that they’d be forced to stop the fighting between Deimos and Drasla if it didn’t end soon. The combined forces of those three countries just barely dwarfed the combined power of Deimos and Drasla, so they agreed. That was about 5 years ago. Thus far, the truce is holding, but it’s on extremely shaky ground.
Player Interactions
Aside from things that are untradable or the recipient can’t use it, there is no restriction on trade. However, there will be a sort of Grand Exchange (with the changes being 1) you can offer as high as you wish, but can only sell as low as 5% under the average price, and 2) the rates at which each item is traded are shown) to not only make it convenient for players who don’t like to sit in one spot and wait forever, but also keep track of the average price of an item, which will be displayed when it is traded.
Chat can be done in a couple different modes, speak (everyone within the immediate area hears), shout (everyone that is within a diameter of the area that speak is heard x3), and link (only specified people can hear, whether it be one person or a group of specific people).You can use a mind crystal to link (best name that I could think of), or learn telepathy magic. Initiating a different kind of chat than the normal one brings up a new tab in the chat window, showing what it is. The obvious friend/ignore lists are present, but you can not only have an unlimited amount of friends, but also modify the order and sorting of your friends any way you wish.
Player vs. player can be done anywhere, but certain areas will cause the person who initiated to be thrown in jail, and if necessary, killed. If either of these happen, the victim’s items are returned or refunded, and the offending party takes temporary stat drain. If the person attacked is a relative newbie, they can request for some backup in case the attacker wants to finish it. How this is done, I’m not going to say. :wink: Certain areas, however, are open for everything, and this protection doesn’t extend that far. In these areas, it’s practically everybody versus everybody, but the npcs will react differently to the player(s) depending on where their alignment is.
If a player consistently attacks people inside a city that shouldn’t be (invaders should be, for example), they will be put up on a “Wanted” poster, and a bounty on their death be placed. Until this person properly atones for his crimes, players can attack him with impunity, and any npcs who would mind that way will either run from the person or attack. On a slightly different note, players with exceptionally good win/loss records in a specific city’s arenas will be noted on a leader board in that same city. Also, if official groups fight in contests enough, they will be noted as well.
In some specific story quests, players might be on differing factions. This is treated as if the opposing player was an npc, although any rewards will be ramped up accordingly. The losing party of the fight is treated as if the fight didn’t happen by npcs.
Groups of sufficient size can build a secret base in almost any area that is big enough to support it. The guild would need people with suitable levels and abilities to handle making and probably defending a work-in-progress like this. The local flora, fauna and culture might not be too keen on people messing up their land, so expect random attacks by the npcs of the region. Depending on your area, certain bonuses might be awarded, like infinite clean water if you’re situated nearby a spring, or readily available food supply if you’re in most forests. Keep in mind that, depending on your placement, you might be easier to find by hostile players wanting to mess with your gig. If a couple of your guild’s members are suitably proficient in displacement magic, they can hide the guild, making it only accessible to players who are allowed or a siege party who knows how to unlock portals long enough for them to get their band into the gate before it shuts, and can find the thing in the first place.
Geography
The continent and surrounding islands have any and all terrain types, ranging from the Crimson Sands of Deimos (so named for the peculiarly crimson-colored sand that is the desert more so than the blood-thirsty wildlife that lives in laces like that) to the Wing Mountains of Grauno (the mountain range looks like wings in bird’s-eye view) to the Dreamriver that flows through both Drasla and Belos (the water from the river is rumored to be magically laced with something that can give the so-inclined visions in their sleep), to any of a number of things. Almost every square meter of the continent has something to find, if you care to look, some say.
Skills/Professions/Levels
Oh, boy. Ohhhhh, boy. Okay, alright, the skills. This might be a bit long.
I think that a great deal can be said about all skills. Every single one of them is useful in some way, although some have more use than others. While some (like, say, Woodcutting) are obviously not for the so-inclined, they all tie into other skills in some fashion (if you try to hit the same spot each swing, you gain experience in Accuracy, while more vigorous chopping will boost Strength).
Also, if you feel like having some fun with it, you can turn the normal grind of watching the animation of you doing the activity into a sort of minigame by selecting the option in the Settings part of your game window. If you do this, whenever you start using a skill, a sort of minigame window opens up, where you personally control every little action you take in doing the task. While this takes a bit longer to get the job done, you’re rewarded by taking the extra time with more experience points and either more of or a better quality product than if you just let it run. The rewards are better depending on how well you do in the minigame, For example, let’s say that you’re making a sword. If you pay attention to the details (like an actual smithy), the sword can be of a much higher grade than if you were to let the animation do it, ranging all the way up to masterpiece level. Of course, it’s also possible to completely botch the sword. You still get some experience for the item, and can salvage the materials, if you want to take the time, which would give you Smithing experience, which starts this all over again.
The list of every single skill is probably longer than what other games have, and some are separated even further. The list of all the basic skills are as follows. Any skill marked with an @ is split further down.
Strength, Accuracy, Speed, Agility, Endurance, Weapon Proficiency@, Magic@, Cooking@, Mining, Smithery@, Fishing, Concentration, Tracking, Crafting@, Farming, Herblore@, Stealth@, Vitality@, First Aid@
The way that a split skill levels is different from a normal one. The actual skill you train (the one that isn’t segmented) gets normal experience from an action. The umbrella skill gets a portion of the exp related to how many other skills there are under the same category. For an example, if you were to gain 100 exp in Sword Proficiency, and there was only 10 other weapons in the Weapon Proficiency skill, then the umbrella skill would get 10 exp. If the Sword Proficiency skill were instead under Melee Weapon Proficiency (with 10 weapons being under that), and that was under Weapon Proficiency with 2 other skills, the Melee Weapon skill would get 10 exp, while the basic Weapon skill would actually get 3 1/3 exp. While levels in the actual skill help substantially more, levels in the umbrella skill make doing everything under it easier, even if it’s never been tried by the player.
The skills under the base umbrella skills, and (when applicable) the skills under that are as follows.
1.Weapon Proficiency
1A. Melee Weapons 1AA.- Crush 1AB.-Slash 1AC.-Stab
1B.-Ranged Weapons 1BA.-Throwing 1BB.-Shooting
1C.-Magic Weapons 1CA.-Distance 1CB.-Melee Range 1CC.-Area Effect 1CD.-Status Effect
2.Magic
2A.-Fire 2AA.-Status Effect 2AB.-Offensive
2B.-Ice 2BA.-Status Effect 2BB.-Defensive 2BC.-Offensive
2C.-Water 2CA.-Status Effect 2CB.-Defensive 2CC.-Offensive
2D.-Thunder 2DA.-Status Effect 2DB.-Offensive
2E.-Wind 2EA.-Status Effect 2EB.-Offensive
2F.-Earth 2FA.-Defensive 2FB.-Offensive
2G.-Light 2GA.-Healing 2GB.-Offensive 2GC.-Life
2H.-Darkness 2HA.-Stat Transfer 2HB.-Shadow 2HC.-Blood 2HD.-Death
2I.-Buff 2IA.-Status Effect 2IB.-Curse Removal 2IC.-Other
2J.-Curse 2JA.-Status Effect 2JB.-Other
2K.-Damage 2KA.-Initial Damage 2KB.-Damage over Time 2KC.-Area Damage
2L.-Space/Time 2LA.-Slow 2LB.-Rewind 2LC.-Fast-Forward 2LD.-Teleport
2M.-Alchemy (Elric Brothers kind, for those who want to know :P ) 2MA.-One Form to Another 2MB.-One Substance to Another 2MC.-Less to More (high level)
2N.-Illusion 2NA.- (Can’t see things that are real) 2NB.- (Sees things that are not real)
2O.-Materialization 2OA.-Copy 2OB.-Summon
3.Cooking 3A.-Fish 3B.-Vegetarian 3C.-Drinks 3D.-Meat
4.Smithery 4A.-Weapons 4B.-Armor 4C.-Metal Art (consider this a hybrid skill with crafting, an oddity) 4D.-Utility
5.Crafting 5A.-Cloth 5B.-Wood 5C.-Stone 5D.-Glass 5E.-Jewelry 5F.-Metal Art
6.Herblore 6A.-Identification 6B.-Potion-making
7.Vitality 7A.-Immunity 7B.-Base Health
8.Stealth 8A.-Thieving 8B.-Sneak
9.First Aid 9A.-Poisons 9B.-Diseases 9C.-Injuries 9D.-Magic
Yeah, that was a long list. What? I don’t like leaving holes where they shouldn’t be. :anxious:
Every single one of these is trainable by the user with only one restriction. The element(s) the player picked makes some magic both easier and harder to use than others, and in some cases, unusable at all. For example, if the player were to pick Fire as their element, while the magic from that element would be considerably easier to use (cost is halved, power is multiplied by 2), they can’t use Ice at all, and unless if they picked Water as their second element (you can only pick 2), all magic tied to that element would be harder (double cost, power is halved). This also affects how the damage is done to you. If you were to be hit by your main element, it would heal you instead of hurt. The only exeption to that rule is if a particularly strong person or npc of the opposite alignment were to be the one throwing it, and it would still be softened. However, if you’re hit by one of the elements you’re weak against, the power is magnified, depending on how opposed the element is. For example, if the same fire user were to be hit by a water spell, the power of the hit would be multiplied by 1.5. If it were an Ice spell, it would be by 2.
The list of all the elements in how they relate to each other are as follows. The top row shows the attacking element, while the left column shows the defending element.
Elements…..Fire…...Ice…....Water…..Thunder….Wind…Earth…....Light…...Darkness
Fire….......Heals…..2.5x…....1.5x…......1x….......1/2x…..1x….......1x….........1x
Ice….........2.5x….Heals…....1/2x….....1.5x….......1x…..1x…........1x….........1x
Water….....3/4x….1/2x…....Heals…......2.5x….....1x…...1.5x…......1x…........1x
Thunder…...1x…....1x…......1/2x…......Heals…....3/4x….3x….........1x…........1x
Wind….......1x…....1x….......1x…........1/2x….....Heals…2.5x…......1x….........1x
Earth…......1x….....1x…......2.5x…......1/4x…......1.5x..Heals…......1x….........1x
Light….......1x…....1x….......1x…........1/2x….......1x…1.25x…....Heals…........4x
Darkness….1x….....1x….......1x….......1.25x…......1x…..1/2x….....4x….........Heals
Obviously, the pairs of opposing elements are Fire-Ice, Water-Thunder, Wind-Earth, and Light-Darkness. If by some random thought of the gamer they choose two starting elements that are opposed, the strain will show, resulting in slightly stunted growth in those two elements. However, the rewards outweigh the costs. The two elements will be able to cover each other’s weaknesses (the character heals from both of those elements, and negative multipliers are evened out, while positive multipliers strengthen each other), and it might prove to open up some new options to them when they’re higher level. This, you’ll have to wait for to see, but I can guarantee that it will be interesting. If you need a teaser, then try and remember the Boss Digimon that the kids in Season 3 (I think, it’s the one where the kids are the digimon). That’s an example of what’s in store for people who can take the long road.
I am thinking of doing professions in a similar fashion as Fable, but with a slight tweak. Rather than in specific times used, the profession changes as your levels do. If you train with Ranged Weapons and Fire magic, for example, you’d be a Burning Bow (crappy name, yes, but it’s what I can come up with). Keep in mind that this is not just a title. For being that profession, your power in the skills involved is improved, and training is also slightly easier. If the Burning Bow were to train side-by-side in their skills with a novice of the same general level, for example, the Burning Bow would level up before the novice. This comes at a bit of a price, though. If the Burning Bow were to try training with melee weapons and/or Ice magic (considering that there’s no conflict with the Bow’s main element), the novice would level faster. Common sense is all the guide you’d need to figure that out, although there will be a brief description of the profession when you hover your mouse over the title in-game, the local Academy would be the best place to learn all you’d want.
For your basic level, I’m going to treat it as if it’s the umbrella skill of all the directly combat-related skills, that being Magic, Accuracy, Strength, and Weapon Proficiency. As your profession changes, the skills that affect your overall level will change, some being added, others removed. In the case of an umbrella skill, your effective levels in it is actually the covered skill in the umbrella. A Burning Bow wouldn’t count Melee or Magic Weapon Proficiency, but would count Ranged. If multiple skills under an umbrella count, then normal rules apply for those only.
With gaining basic levels, certain things become open to you. You are capable of using better quality items, you gain prestige from both npcs and players, and you can learn level-specific skills. The skill-tree you have open to you is crafted for your chosen elements and your profession. For example, the Burning Bow, if he picked Fire and Wind for his elements, would be able to imbue those elements in his arrows at first as an active skill, then a toggle skill (you can turn it on or off, you don’t have to keep selecting it). The skill’s power increases proportionally with your own (even more if you invest more skill points into it), and as your proficiency with the skill and it’s parent skills (Fire and Bow Proficiency in the example’s case) increase, the cost drops. While there will always be a cost, eventually the cost will be so little that you can basically keep it on forever, even in adverse conditions (Ice and/or Water related areas in the example’s case). If you choose to switch to a different profession, your skills in the previous one will still remain, but you won’t be able to put any more points into them, and their power won’t be as great as in the original profession. If the skill is present in the new profession’s skill tree, however, this doesn’t apply for that skill.
The Controls
I am having a hard time getting this one beat out, but that is mainly because I don’t have a proper demo working yet. The basic idea for the controls is as follows.
q,w,e,d,c,x,z,a- attack in that direction with your held melee weapon/block in that direction (if pressed in quick succession, a combo can be initiated (treat as an unsaid skill, unless noted))
Tab- Hold to block instead of attack in field, normal when chatting
Shift- bring up a small icon list of all skills, in order of strongest to weakest (things higher on the tree are stronger, but something with more skill points and better parent skill levels can catch up), normal when chatting
Enter- initiate chat/disengage chat
Ctrl- Jump, double-tap to double jump (when capable), tap again to glide (when capable), tap once again to fly (again, when capable)
/ or \- hold to cause held weapon to do a wide strike in held direction to the chosen direction (example: hold the / button and press w, the weapon will strike the a and q positions as well, causing 75% damage in the a section, normal damage in the q section, and 125% damage in the w section, counted as if the buttons were pressed in that order for combo purposes), normal when chatting
Space- Pick up item (stored automatically in inventory when applicable, held if not), tap to drop (will drop automatically if stamina falls to zero), hold to throw as a ranged weapon of an appropriet type, normal when chatting
T- Talk with an npc with the mouse hovered over them (brings up a menu if more than one npc is hovered over), normal when chatting
.- Brings up emote menu when held (press button shown next to the emote for quick use), normal when chatting
Right Click- brings up a menu of possible things to do with the character or item hovered over with the mouse (if multiple people are selected, their names are shown in a menu, and you can pick which one to interact with; possible choices are talking (if an npc), link (if a player), trade, follow (stealthily or normally), and examine (gives you a basic description of what the selected character/item looks like, and capabilities))
Left Click- move to that spot when on the ground, attack with a ranged weapon if s is held (if possible, can continue clicking to select multiple targets (weapon will fire when s is released); the cursor will slowly change from green to red if you attempt to attack farther, showing how much accuracy you sacrifice, if grey, can’t be shot that far), arrange items in your inventory, select/deselect things in menus
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 (num pad)- Move character
+ and – -affects movement speed (goes through 10 steps in either direction (speed increase directly related to Speed skill level), turning from one direction to another becomes harder as the speed goes up (turning difficulty directly related to Agility skill level))
Scroll Wheel- roll windows up and down like normal
Middle Click (press the Scroll Wheel)- affect camera angle by moving mouse while held down (+ and – affect zoom while this is active)
Graphics
Right now, unless if I get some serious help from a professional or get very lucky with recruitment, the best that I can hope for is Ragnarok level graphics. I’m fairly sure that I can get some people to help me out with composing music with little trouble, though.
I have some other little extras, but I’ll only air those out when I get enough positive feedback. Thanks for reading!
