Xavier's MMORPG Plan



Graphical Interface
Basically I am in the camp of the UO display. Not 3d, exactly, but a 3/4 view. Instead of making the guy as small as UO though, I feel he should be about 1 and 1/3 the size. Reason for this is because certain movements will need to be visable. The tiny little pixel guy who is your character in UO is a little too small to fully express movements. Also, the graphics should be bright and colorful like UO, with terrain and whatnot. Of course, the character is centered in the screen and everything else moves around him/her. Interaction Interface Now, as much as I love UO, I find the tedious mouse-clicking sucks. So I made a macro for damn near everything. I have to give OSI props for the initial addition of Macros (and off course a full moon in broad daylight for trying to police it's use). Macros are a great way to distribute use of skills and whatnot. So, the interface will be like UO, mostly mouse-driven allowing for macros to be created. Skill System Okay, this is where it gets tricky (and long). Skills are an integral part of any world. To be the best, you need to practice, however, I don't like OSI's "Skill Burst Hour" bullshit. Instead, skills should be gained based on two factors - training, and practice. I don't care when you log in or out, your skills will raise the same. Additionally, special skills can ONLY be taught, and not learned from scratch. With a basic understanding of a specific skill you can then apply it to use, like the "BackStab" ability (for the record, Skills is to Abilities as Abilities is to Skills. In other words, they are the same to me). Now, as far as skills are concerned, I agree there should be a skill cap, but not at 700 points. That REALLY limits a player's flexability. For example, my warrior on OSI servers is a pure warrior. GM archery, fencing, macing, healing, anatomy, and tactics. Unfortunately, because of the need for magic, I have 30 magery and because of the overuse of magic, I have to have resistance, so I have 70 resist. This leaves out Parrying, which is an important part of any meleers arsenal. I am seeing the effects of that now, when Orc Lords lay the smack down on me. Because of this, I feel a skill cap should be in place of maybe 1000 points, but the difference is that instead of putting a skill cap on individual skills of 100, I feel it should be open. If I want to devote all of my skills points to sword fighting and be the best damn swashbuckler the world have ever seen, so be it. It is up to my enemy to find my weakness. Now, in with skills are abilities that are derived from becoming a master of a specific skill. Each skill should have an assortment of abilities associated with it. OSI STARTED to get this right with Wrestling, and how a GM wrestler can unarm an opponent or stun them. But I cry out for more diversification. I will attempt to list the skills and subsequent abilities in a bit. Every ability should be doable via a macro, but you can only set macros for the abilities you know. Also, you should only gain a new ability, based on your current skill level. Kind of like skill points. Let's say I train really hard in macefighting and get it up to 60. I go to my local warriors guild and ask to be taught an ability. The Guild Master says "Based on your ability in macefighting, we can teach you block, sweep, or destroy shield." I say "Teach me destroy shield". The Guild Master responds "Ah, destroy shield is a difficult ability and will require training. It will cost 4000 gold to learn and will use 60 skill points." Now, you don't lose those 60 skill points. They are like a temporary stash. Every 24 hours your temporary skill points return. Let me slow down and try to explain this better. Consider the following example: I start a new character with 25 Macing. I work hard and get it up to 60, practicing with trainers in town, etc. I now have 60 Temp Skill Points, since I have not spent any. I take these skill points (not literally of course), and purchase training in the ability of Destroy Shield. I pay my money and my Temp Skill Points are now at zero. They will remain at zero until I gain another skill point in Macing. When that happens my Temp Skill Points will be 1. After one day (RL) time, my Temp Skill Points will return to match my Perm Skill Points. Let's say I worked my ass off and make another 10 points of Macing. Now I have 70 Perm Skill Points, as well as 70 Temp Skill Points. If I made those 10 points prior to 24 hours after I bought Destroy Shield, then I would only have had 10 Temp Skill Points. Basically, you train and better yourself in a skill and can then be taught more and more difficult abilities. I am figuring each ability is 20 Skill points higher than the last. So with 120 Macing skill I can, concievably, be a master of 6 abilities, which I will set macros for and use in combat. Let's move on to actual combat and then return to skills to give you a better understanding of what I am saying. Combat Combat in UO is a joke. I realized that unalteringly last night as I sat back reading a book and killing ettins. I just stood there whacking. Auto combat is gay, and redundant. Now, I know that it is the most efficient way to do things, but not fun. Not fun at all. Here's what I propose: Abilities (like discussed above) based on skills. Of course, you have your basic attack button (Tab as default for now), but in addition, you have abilities you have learned through training. Many different abilities with many different skills. Let's consider the following combat example: A Lord Master Macer (120 skill) challenges a Supreme Warrior (140 Swordsmanship). They engage, and each begin using their abilities. Bear in mind each ability has a different animation so that to the trained eye, an enemy can tell what you are doing. Of course, this is where human ability comes into play. Macer: Uses Detroy Shield ability Warrior: Sees the attack and uses Dodge ability, in conjunction with the Slash ability (notice a double macro here - "Shield Ability - Dodge, Sword Ability - Slash") Macer: Destroy Shield is a power blow, and the pause from it causes the macer to get slashed for 25 points of damage. Macer: Uses Sweep ability Warrior: (good PvP, recognizes the mace coming back, the macer crouching) Uses Acrobatic Ability of Jump in conjunction with the Stab ability. Macer: Takes the stab and suffers 15 points of damage. Drinks a healing potion. Warrior: Seizing an opportunity executes a power combo of Slash, Two Handed Chop, and Stab. He connects with the Slash. Macer: Seeing the combo coming, executes the Block ability. Blocks the Two Handed Chop attack, staggers back from the blow, and takes damage from a slight connection on the Slash blow. Etc. Does that makes sense? The use of abilities and combinations of abilities is what makes a player good or bad, not specifically the weapon they have or their stats (although stats have an key role). Let's throw a link to the skills I have in mind right here: Skills For now that is all I have, but I will update as I work more on this idea. Send me feedback!