Tasks based on skill level, NPC/world lore, and World Events

[eextreme]

Right now tasks are limited to Guilds, and feels bland. It doesn't improve the players understanding of the Lore or NPC in the game. Thus, the following should make all task and NPCs better.

Skill rank based tasks
These tasks will be divided in to tiers based on your skill level
<100 amateur: tasks that familiarizes you with the features (and lore in the game). This will mainly involve crafts, foraging, and basic combat, and will reward some useful things such as beginner crafting tools, containers, weapons, and flat skill level increases (+1, +5, +10 to relevant skill)

<500 beginner: tasks that require more effort that rewards some riln, and skill levels when they are completed. These tasks should also introduce the background of the some of the trainers in various city (something like how they end up in the trade, city, position, or job which can be used to predict potential hidden and future tasks that the NPC would offer). These can only be done once per character and adds a flat boost to the relevant skills

>500 intermediate: task that require going deep into dangerous areas and either kill, collect, locate, escort, destroy, disable, retrieve, steal, hunt, capture, cleanse, release, disrupt, and/or assist an NPC in performing a task. Each task will present the NPCs current situation, grievances, desires, and mission. Also, some NPCs can have rivalries, hatred, love, competition, and/or debauchery between them which could give out conflicting task to different users in the area (fostering either some competition between players or even PvP moments). A simple example would be a guild task from Rooks vs Guild that detest the use of nether.

World/event tasks: end game-ish tasks when completed would introduce new abilities, crafts, locations, daily events, global buffs, global debuffs, terrain changes, legendary NPCs, new guilds, new monsters and mobs, wandering tribes that teaches special abilities. Some of these tasks can be accessed by following the instructions in a mail that is send to every player (which would update daily with stats and completion rate as well as honorable user mentions)

I don't think the <100 and <500 skill level tasks would not be too hard to implement and would make NPCs in the game more interactive and developed and give hints as to what kind of task that might appear in the future for the same NPC. It would also introduce new players to the world of CLOK and the freedom it offers.

For the >500 skill, mid-game tasks it will require some overhaul of the task system as well as implementing various scripts to enable certain objects in a location or area based on the task that an user or a group of users have.

For the World/event tasks it could be as easy as tracking the number of monsters a players kills during a week, and rewarding them based on that. Or as complex as chain of quests (with related NPCs) that slowly unlocks event areas which concludes in a Raid-like event for all users (e.g monster X will wander around the wilderness, kill them N number of times to reduce the stats or lock some abilities of Monster Y in event dungeon Z)

The above are also ideas for GM events. However, if some of them can be automated it would make the world much more interesting and engaging.

PS: At the moment, with my character, I feel that I'll be stuck in the cycle of completing similar but unrelated tasks, fighting mobs, and grinding skills endlessly in hope of unlocking the next set of fireworks for my character. I would have to create and raise a new character just to enjoy the different tasks of the other guilds.

[Dakhal]

Tasks are already based on skill level, so I don't get what you're coming from. If you feel that they're bland, it's because they are. They're generic tasKS your guild gives you to fill your role out withe them. It's basically your job.

Moving on, I don't like the idea of the whole world event business, if I wanted to play an MMO or a hack and slash MUD, I would go elsewhere.

I'm glad that you're making suggestions, because that's great, but..

I'll come out and say it as nobody else will. Please stop making suggestions if you're going to do so with absolutely no knowledge of the game. You've been around two weeks tops and have suggested several things that already exist or do not fit the MUD.

Please do continue to play, and submit suggestions... once you know what you're talking about.

Thanks,
Dakhal

[Jirato]

I think it can be helpful to have a brand new player's perspective of the game sometimes. Yes, none of these suggestions really fit the desired feel of the game. However, I think some good information can still be gleaned from ideas like this from time to time. Maybe they're too gamey and not really lore appropriate or in line with our vision, but they can still get us thinking about things.

[Kiyaani]

I'll just throw in a few things as well since I don't want you to feel discouraged.

I think some of the suggestions being offered have already been discussed on the boards either in identical or similar fashions. What might help is doing a quick search for keywords or phrases to see if there's already a thread with a similar topic. Some of those threads will be years old, but they might help give you some ideas of the kinds of things others have suggested and previous GM responses. And... if you like one of those older threads it's okay to bring up the topic again for review or bring a new angle to light. I don't think people much care if threads on these boards are necro'd, but you can also just reference older threads when suggesting new ideas.

For instance, there isn't a thread I can recall quite like this one, but there has been at least one about the potential for other task types than merely guild tasks. Things like cooperative tasks, town tasks or other types that fit with the lore of the game and the cooperative spirit of Clok. One of them can be found here:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4397&p=23251&hilit= ... sks#p23251

As you can see, all I entered in the search bar was "group tasks" for that to come up.

I'd say keep suggesting and bringing out ideas, but maybe try to do a little research first and see what else is out there already. Also, welcome to Clok.

[eextreme]

Tasks are already based on skill level, so I don't get what you're coming from. If you feel that they're bland, it's because they are. They're generic tasKS your guild gives you to fill your role out withe them. It's basically your job.

Moving on, I don't like the idea of the whole world event business, if I wanted to play an MMO or a hack and slash MUD, I would go elsewhere.

I'm glad that you're making suggestions, because that's great, but..

I'll come out and say it as nobody else will. Please stop making suggestions if you're going to do so with absolutely no knowledge of the game. You've been around two weeks tops and have suggested several things that already exist or do not fit the MUD.

Please do continue to play, and submit suggestions... once you know what you're talking about.

Thanks,
Dakhal

So you are saying that every NPC in the game has their background and character developed and not just someone to learn skills off, and everyone that starts playing CLOK knows how the world ended up this way right away (without having to read OOC help files?). Also, please give some examples of knowledge I don't know about the game instead of just calling someone an idiot and that all I wrote was BS.

Thanks,
Eextreme

[Dakhal]

What I am saying is that it is intended that you interact with the world and RP to learn more of the lore, simple as that. Going out and doing tasks, grinding, using such mechanics is the lowest form of participation of an RP MUD. And in any OOC environment, it is usually expected that you read OOC helpfiles to understand the basics of a world and then learn the rest through in-game experiences through RP.

As for examples? Very well.
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6686
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6682
(This thread itself.)

Bump...
User should be able to store their wagon with their horse (even if the price increases)

Also, nobody is calling you an idiot except yourself.

Thanks,
Dakhal

[Marauder]

I'm going to say a few things here, other than that this doesn't need to turn into a flame war or anything close.

So you are saying that every NPC in the game has their background

Many named NPCs do, but it's impossible to get enough help going for EVERY NPC to have their own wholly-developed and unique backstory. Especially since many NPCs are nameless because their role is very minor, but it's assumed if you're in the Shadgard Market during the afternoon on a busy day, it's packed full of people and the room description tells it you it is. However, just just because they're nameless doesn't mean they don't have some kind of story to tell. This is part of why the Event GMs exist, to make the game feel more alive.

Dakhal has not insulted you. Many of us have been trying to nicely tell you to ease off a bit on the large suggestions until you have some experience with the game and its lore, he was just more blunt with it than we were.

CLOK is a long haul game. There are specific guilds you can expect to wait months to join as your character undergoes multiple forms of evaluation specific to the guild, there are lore pieces you could work for months to get any grasp of too. You can't play for two weeks expecting to know a lot about the game.

My advice is the same as I have stated two before. Learn the game more before you make huge suggestions that would take weeks or more of work on the GM side. It's not fair to them to suggest such things when we have stuff extant already that's either similar or wouldn't work with it. You, yourself, could easily find out more about the game through just playing it. You don't need anyone feeding you information out of character, you could just have fun playing and experiencing the stuff we've said already exists, then coming up with ideas on how to make it better.

Additionally, there are tidbits of lore on the wiki that you could read over, as well as pages that cover gameplay mechanics.

[Rias]

Presentation really can make all the difference. Phrases like

Thus, the following should make all task and NPCs better.

are probably losing you sympathy points right from the start. Something like "Here are some suggestions that I think could help tasks and NPCs feel a little more interesting" would likely be more well-received.

[gralkik]

I'd like to comment on this a little, too. I've played for a while, myself. Many different characters, just for the feel of them. Many of which, are not in depth characters. (something I really need to work on.) Many of them do tasks for the Guilds they're in. Some, just do what they do, and have left the 'tasks' alone. It may be a suggestion for the Event GM's, but being able to do some sort of Event task, that's Lore based, is not a bad idea. (When I say an event task, I don't exactly mean a random event encounter. - There's been a couple escort event tasks, which have been a lot of fun. And other event tasks, at the start of a lot of in-game things, like the Coydog Militia. What I haven't seen are guild/non-guild based event tasks that are Lore related. (And that I'll ask for more of.)) And, I am sure would be very well loved by all. Though, that doesn't stop Players from creating.. formulating an RP-event, that might have some Lore in it, too. It's been said this Game is an RP game. You want a Lore-drenched task, talk with a GM and see what they're willing to formulate. (also, I'm being vague, when I say lore-based tasks, since there is much to the lore based on the guild or town.)

PS. Please be patient, good plans take time for planning. (Who can plan for PC's though?)