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So maybe we should have new areas. Or at the very least, it might be useful for new wizards to have a heavy stock of ideas to pull from if they decide to program an area. To recap, this was the first area idea posted under the "Day-to-day, we're okay, but where are the events?" thread: Originally Posted By: Harold Goal: The unused troll area, if I recall, is 10 rooms long and contains between level 4 and 12 trolls, none of which fit current race schemes. A recode is in order! Premise: A solid society composed entirely rock-trolls is trapped deep in a cave, a massive lake being fed by an underground waterfall surrounds their "city" completely save for a single shaft that runs a long way before finally reaching the surface. At the top of the shaft is a deep, tangled jungle holding a coterie of forest-trolls with a single embattled, ancient seraph as surgeon-general. So entrenched and remote are these two warring factions that they have never had word reach them of the end of the Great War. Iconic Encounters: Light side... 1) Surgeon-General Seraph with elite band of Forest-Troll Nurse-Guards. b) Three to five forest-troll commanders as heads of individual guard patrols, raiding bands, scouting parties, and/or rescue squads, engineers. 3) Forest-troll child ghost in hidden cave-in area Dark Side... 1) Chained Demon Lord b) Rock-troll Warrior-King (pre-Chaotic-Lord variant) 3) Warrens mother 4) Water faerie Ideas: The Great War is ancient history, so something has to have kept this tiny battle running for so long. Apart from seclusion, the seraph surgeon-general should have (as all seraphs do) immortal longevity and be able to resurrect the fallen. This could be accomplished by forest-troll hospitaleers pulling dead bodies of allies out of the shaft and back to the deep forest where they could be returned to life (on some delay, obviously). Similarly, their foes should be able to keep in the fight somehow, but in the case of evil it could be that the Rock-troll warrens mother is exceptionally fertile, or that an imprisoned demon lord keeps the souls of the dead recycling through new bodies. The waters surrounding the underground city should have some magical properties too, perhaps repairing damaged weapons to former glory (an allusion toward another way of bringing the dead back, though it would be completely unused by rank-and-file warriors, a warren mother or the warrior-king himself could do the "dirty" work of going near the water). The whole city is probably completely agressive, in all likelihood. Goal: The enchanter guild is both irreplacable and integral to the mud as a whole. They have very undercelebrated spells in the fashion <golem> spells. This area is designed both as an origin for those spells, and an expansion of the use of enchanter runes. It's intended to be a low/mid level area that can support a single high-level player hunting it at a time. This is an extremely programming intensive area, requiring bot-level NPCs and planned routes of travel for different eventualities. Premise: A massive city of clockwork golems run by the first dragon engine ever assembled. The city is suspended above an impossibly deep, incredibly wide, strip mine by four ornately arched boernerine struts. The city as seen from afar is an awe-inspiring bundle of ever-building spires, reaching earnestly toward the sky. Its fluted towers glint brilliantly in the light, being entirely made of locally mined ore. Nothing in the place is organic or even non-metal - water is unknown, as the powerful magics of the sentient dragon-engine ruler keep even the rains at bay. The average denizen of Ekem is a clockwork golem, splitting its time between work in the mine and building in the city. The city itself is enormous in proportion, but perpetually unfinished - every building is a thin needle made of a single mineral, reaching higher and higher. Straight lines pervade everything, and although spires tend to end abruptly with rooms unfinished as ingots of the spire's type become less available, the rooms are always habitable. Iconic Encounters:
Other uniquely Ekem items, runes, and effects:
This sort of area doesn't lend itself much to hidden areas, but quests or other things to do abound. We haven't even begun to cover the mine portion, focusing mainly on the city proper. In the mine there could be a sudden shortage of some type of mineral - Mahr Kathos may need to be informed and brought to the mine. There could be a worker strike - each clockwork is alive in some very real way, but Pel-Mel may require players to find a source of something to placate the masses. A cave-in or agressive inhabitation by rampant creatures would be beneath Mahr Kathos' attention, but Kel-Brussel may not be able to take care of it on his own. |
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Temple of Blood Goal: The Order of the Blessed Return was once a strong guiding force in the polarization of Darke factions. While it was active, there were frequent sessions of what could be called RP if you favored it, or pseudo-sanctioned slaughter if you didn't. In either case the effect was the same; people took part on both sides and made an effort to engage each other over a single idea. This area is an homage to the fanatics of times long past who paid respects to the history and milieu (it's a word - look it up) of the Shadowlands. In the past, members of The Order of the Blessed Return have risen numerous fortresses and even taken over entire cities by force, occasionally coming close to its ultimate goal: returning Marghuul to reign over the Shadowlands. Premise: An obscure artifact known only as The Heart of Darkness had been found and used to create a permanent rift between the Shadowlands and the Outer Realms. As Marghuul strained to enter through this portal The Heart of Darkness was sucked in instead, fixing the rift at a size much too small to allow even some of his generals to slip in. In his characteristic rage, Marghuul unleashed all the demons he could into the Shadowlands. These goalless, unpredictable demons range in power from those not even a middling Chaotic-Lords would stoop to associate with to Demon-Lords who have so often assisted individual Chaotic-Lords that they are revered in story and have their own proper names. The Temple of Blood has arisen under the command of the Demon-Lord Sssla. While it is unusually peaceful currently, tendrils of power creeping out from its walls can occasionally be felt the world over. Iconic Encounters:
Ideas: A number of mini quests could be available here. We could save the abducted (these would replentish but the quest is only solvable once per individual), banish Sanc Oagulum (solvable every time a particularly unfortunate summon lesser demon spell fumble returned her to the Temple), help Vess build weapons from enemies (blacksmith skill required, solvable once with recurring ability to reach the weapon created), find out about The Heart of Darkness (solvable once ever, then becomes common knowledge through inscriptions or books - maybe open up further quests around this currently-non-existant artifact), build upon the Temple of Blood (on-going quest that must be first given by Sssla, but then allows players to add personal rooms on to The Temple of Blood via an account that tracks some number of pks of higher level players or Celebornians), or widen the rift. The Headless Smith should be able to smith any type of weapon constantly and at random, as long as he has victims available. These weapons might have some small chance of coming with an innate living weapon lock on them, and some amount of other bonuses - always made of random minerals based on the level of victim. Alternative, or in addition, he could take existing weapons as Okef does and bind living beings to them (mobs, unless there's a method of moving uncon players as was once proposed) to alter them in some way (preferably not usually beneficially). Like the forge in the canyon used to do, a tinker forging a weapon here should have some special effect (and the forge in the canyon should be reinstated). Sanc Oagulum should be as untargetable as a faerie guardian or shopkeeper is, and should cast low powered (*1 or 2) spells like cause bleeding, decrease metabolism, fear, instill poison, blindness, and the like. It should also have occasional emotes about tripping up whomever is her master at the time (these could be players or mobs alike. Other than Sssla, of course), tiring them out, and other extremely minor yet positively irritating effects. She should also switch owners at random times based on whoever is in the room, so if I happen to be afflicted with this particular pest I could drag her somewhere heavily frequented and see her make someone else miserable. I think the Temple of Blood should serve as a model for clan-esque castles, in that an individual should be able to pledge their allegiance to Marghuul and the Temple of Blood, then use currency and some bank of stored actions to build the Temple itself. Adding rooms initially, then perhaps doors or hidden passages, then eventually spending their stored actions to submit requests for the wizards to code in terms of mobs; items; or effects. This would obviously be limited to a certain number of rooms per person and would be save rooms that allowed description changes (though these description changes could require review, if it is determined that since they are in a public place they should be on-theme) just like castles or inn rooms. The mobs that would be available to populate this place are legion. Anything that reveled in death, demons, pain, suffering, or all that is evil could potentially be found here. Think of it as a holy pilgrimage site for all those who are evil. |
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Elm's Farm Goal: More lower level areas should be available to choose from when learning the ropes. Currently goblin village and the elves/orcs/sprites of Firnville are the only areas near a starting city that are in tune with what a newbie could use to gain experience. This area is designed as a twist on the commonplace notion of farming, and gives a nod to what I understand was at one point a prominent player (and/or demigod). Should I be wrong about that player, the name is always changeable while keeping the area's concept similiar. Premise: Farms are a common notion, but recently a follower of Nelea and Iislea has nutured a wild area into a producing farm. This follower happens to be an Ent, and the farm happens to grow woodland mammals for consumption by the nearby gnoll hovel, which provide the lands protection in exchange. The hovel is of middling size, providing a home for ten or so gnolls, the largest and most dangerous of which should be on a level with Gobbla the Squigg in goblin village. Occasionally one of the gnolls will exhibit potential with magic, but it's infrequent at best. The size of Elm's Farm is fairly vast, but not particularly easy to get lost in since the gnoll patrols use the same routes always. Iconic Encounters: Elm - An ent elementalist of some significant renown. Should be most practiced in wind, water, and earth elements and their kin, and shy away from fire and its kin entirely. He should spawn occasionally, and assist the gnolls in protection, but not get directly involved if any of the crops are attacked outside of their breeding areas, which should be clearly marked. Ideas: This low level area should allow for things like berry picking and actual hunting; both of which are painfully similiar in function. Some time is spent in the pursuit, and in the case of berry picking some amount of edible materials should be obtained, based on the season. In the case of hunting the time is spent and a mob is possibly spawned - grouse, rabbit, deer, or a wolf if you're unlucky. There should be a plentiful supply of low level mobs, and their corpses consumable by anyone after being prepared at a fire pit, which will be found just outside the gnoll's hovel. The gnolls are nonaggressive unless their patrol comes across someone fighting in a breeding area. The area is set as one of the few ideal places left, with a babbling brook running through it with drinkable water and friendly (if uncommunicative) denizens. |
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I remember, but didn't like Elm. If his mob is going to act like him it should just enter and mouth off a bit by tells, and then dissapear as soon as you enter the room it's in I do like the ideas though! |
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The Warp Goal: The warp has been a place of danger for as long as anyone can tell, but it is greatly lacking in the departments of history and continuity. To greater tie Darke's rich history and one of a character's real rites of passage together, the warp should reflect its position as the space between realities - the reality the Demiurge neglected to mold, the thread weaving the fabrics of realities together - in short, the warp should be unbelieveable. This is designed as a complete reexamination of the warp's foundations. Currently it exists as one room from which the only escape is through the death of a warp creature. This proposal would see it as an area in itself, one that is detrimental to exist in in keeping with the current version but also give alternate routes of survival and/or escape. Premise: When the Demiurge turned away from his creation, he left some rules unwritten. The Realms are tied together by these nebulous remains, which contain nothing native but are instead populated by the twisted reflections of numerous worlds. Travelers and scholars alike have made The Warp the focus of their lives; innumerable lifetimes have been spent in vain learning its endless secrets. Whenever an individual enters the warp, they are sent to a random place within it. Though it initially appears they've been flung to some location they are familiar with in their own world, it quickly becomes apparent that they are in no place they've ever known. The number and types of encounters one can have in this place are limitless. Travelers have stumbled across everything from indescribable beasts who seem to dabble in time itself to the realms of Gods as they survey their home plane. Iconic Encounters: Every encounter is iconic in The Warp. Every mob programmed on the mud should be available to spawn, though with a special property set - warp monster, or the like. The property would be checked for by the real exciting part - the place itself. Ideas: First off, each room that the mud has on it should be fair game to be reproduced in description only for The Warp. These would generally be the starting point for a person entering, so quite a few additional rooms would be required. In truth, any room could be added to the available list whether it was on theme, reachable from anywhere else on the mud ever, or anything else. In addition to every room having a strong chance of multiple warp creatures, they should all have some special feature. With an area like this, so wide open in terms of what could be possible, it's hard to list all the ideas that spring to mind. Room features alone should include, but not be limited to:
----------------------------- To be elaborated on later! |
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I like the idea of a "warped" warp. It could be a cakewalk to get out, or it could be a total nightmare. Another variable I guess should be if casting is allowed or not. The fact that casting isn't allowed in the current warp makes it much meaner than it would otherwise be. |
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"Color or WoRd curses" Colour curses should never be used, since colours are... technical, meta. Otherwise setenv TERM none, and B&W would not exist. I am also against wOrD curses, for a similar reason. It's meta. |
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I like word and colour curses. Although they technically aren't "part of the game" they add to the experience in a way and can convey confusion in a way that words can't. That said, they should be rare as they can be incredibly annoying |
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You should read the name of a forum's topic before posting in it. This is a place for ideas, not discussion on those ideas - should someone wish to code these, they should set up their own forum with which to debate finer points on whether or not certain things should be added, are fair, are annoying, etc. Please keep this topic as a place for people to post ideas for areas that could be changed, added, or upgraded only. Or, set up another topic in the forum and quote the ideas you're commenting on! |
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To be fair, thats the name of this thread, which folks can respect. The forum itself can have comments on threads, save that you requested they refrain in your thread |
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The Caves to Willow Deep Goal: The halfling village of Willow Downs has been around for give or take 10 years. In this time it has dead-ended into an interesting appearing gate, leading to "Willow Deep". As there are very few cities that are dedicated to any particular race, let alone guild or clan, the hope would be to give players more options for classically "dark" races to originate. Premise: The town of Willow Downs has flourished for as long as anyone can remember on the grain from their plentiful fields, and their trade with the mysterious neighbors underground. Since the Svirfnebli that surface only three times each year have never given their home a name, the town's citizens have taken to affectionately calling the tunnels beyond the gates "Willow Deep". None of the town's residents have ever entered their friendly neighbor's caves, as they are reputed to be guarded by powerful magic, and haunted by a full legion of Drow-Elves the Svirfnebli of Willow Deep defeated long ago. Iconic Encounters:
Ideas: This area isn't even the City of Willow Deep itself, just the entrance to it. As such, it should probably be fairly light on mobs, but those mobs should spawn randomly and span a large level set because anyone could be walking through. Most mobs should avoid Frippizt and Petri, and none should enter or exit from either end. The real crux of this area's interest comes from the maze, as I see it. A system by which there is never the same way through the place but a guide can show the way flawlessly every time is intriguing. In fact, it's something I believe The Warp (above) could use as well, so should probably be made to be used by any area. The city itself should have excellent dynamics and political intrigue, allowing for questing and involvement by players in the overall workings of the city. It would be fantastic to have this as an outpost for the underdark I hope we'll eventually mold. Currently all the areas of the world map exist as entrances above ground, but this one should move you onto the map below ground after entering from within the Willow Downs area. From there it may be of some merit to consider using the same sort of map we use for the World Map for the shifting caverns and tunnels... |
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A lot of very good, imaginative ideas, Harold. I like how interactive the concept of the journey to Willow Deep is. |
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Fantastic ideas. Where do you get all that energy from? Kudos to Harold I wish I had half his energy. |