Logoff Tasks

[Vazbol]

So full disclosure before I get started. This idea came from a game in development called Secrets of Aelandris that did some recent playtesting. I do have to give credit to where ideas came from or were inspired by. This one was inspired by their plan system, which let you setup some things your character would be doing while logged off, which included doing jobs. Results depended on how long you were logged off (up to a point), and your skill level in related skills.



This idea popped up again while some bit of discussion produced tasks. Right now, the only thing a character can do when planning to log off is go to their room and rest. However, sometimes that doesn't make sense if we just got up and would rather be doing something else in the day. but real life, such as actual work, must be done. There's a lot that needs to be done around each of the settlements, but not a lot that makes sense for the current task system for quick easy jobs.

So, a mix of the current logoff system for morale resting bonuses and tasks. These would be jobs that one can sign up a shift for when logging off. Your character would agree to work for the next number of bells, and have that character locked in that amount of time. Your character would need to travel to the relevant location to take and log out to start their shift, so no long-distance guard work from the other side of the map.

The benefits for this system? Skill gain and riln. Unlike with tasks, you're spending several bells straight working on something. It would make sense up to a point that you would be getting practice from something you're repeating multiple times in a shift. As well, obviously there are people better at performing tasks than others. And this economy is based off total productivity output! So, some employees might have more to learn during their shift, while others will find the work easy and perform better. So, someone new to the position (and minimum skill requirement) might be getting a chunk of skillgain from this but lacking when it comes to their pay. The inverse is true for someone who finds this work easy. They learn nothing but get far more riln (up to a cap).

however, three things of note. I did have an idea that there might be some jobs that would have a minimum skill requirement to meet that can provide better practice for the skills involved, and better rate of riln gains. First two examples might demonstrate this. however, these jobs come at a cost of your ability to sit down and rest. Now, I did mention these jobs were in exchange for your usual resting morale bonus. Logging back in after a shift should come with a variation of the sluggishness debuff, making your character tired after a hard shift at work. For a time, your character will be just too tired to do much for a few chimes, until they rest up by relaxing with other people or keeping to themselves doing something soft in that time. You won't be able to take a new job until the next day, and if you do another shift, the debuff starts to stack in duration. Also, three times a week will be the limit for balance purposes, and the fact other people would be taking shifts at other points in the week as an in-game reason. Best thing to do would be taking a job at 3 different points of the week to not endure the heavier downtime debuffs. Focus on roleplay or doing some manual practice in between those days.


now, I'm just putting this post up as an idea, or an attempt to unleash a swarm of butterflies. I am not equipped with the tools to determine a good return for skill gains and riln at what threshold, and what the cap should be for certain jobs that do not return skill gain or stop giving increases in riln. But I can provide some example jobs.


* Inn Attendant Cooking Skill 0 - You are not at a level where you're needed all the time at the kitchen. In between making simple parts of a meal or cutting vegetables, you do move around to clean up the inn, replace firewood and make beds and all the other duties that need to be managed. provides skill gain for cooking.

* Cooking Staff - Cooking 100 - you know your way around the basics and can spend most of your time in the kitchen. You can make several meals for the inn, meeting the demands of the customers making their orders. However, you're still not familiar with more difficult recipes or managing multiple dishes at once just yet. Skill gain in Cooking.

* Seasoned Cooking Staff - Cooking 500+ - You have plenty of practice in doing this. You can manage all the meals served at the kitchen and keep track of multiple different orders. Skill gain for cooking up to a point, and the best riln gain for the time invested for cooking.

* Guard Duty - Melee/ranged at 25 - Now this one will have two versions. One you can sign up at the gatehouse itself, and one on the battlements/platforms for ranged users. As well, this one would also have the requirement of being registered to a settlement. Duties require standing watch near the gate or elevated platform to keep a watch on anyone approaching. However, as you are new to this, you'll mostly hang back with the main group. most of your learning will be with whatever discussion or pointers you might learn from your fellow guards. Skill gains will be for melee, your equipped weapon and dodge/shield if you have a shield equipped or not.

* Patrols - Melee/Ranged 20 - Not being so green, you now can set yourself patrolling the towns, keeping the peace, and dealing with some troublemakers that might be aggressive. Skill gains are melee/ranged from when registered, the weapon equipped and dodge/shield depending on if a shield is equipped or not.

* Advanced Guard Duty - 500 melee/ranged - Sometimes guards are needed to be dispatched further out to investigate (or watch over groups investigating) potential threats or problems outside of the canyon. Anything could be out there, whether it be a group of resen, nethrem, or some downright filthy Corvite/Outrider. This position is far more dangerous, and the more experienced warriors are sent out to investigate these. Skill gain depends on which position for melee/ranged, weapon equipped and dodge/shield if a shield is equipped or not.


* Combat Instructor - 1000+ in chosen skill - There are a lot of militias/semi-intelligent nethrem to train around this city. Since you prove capable at having some mastery of a skill, you can whip these men, women and/or ghoul into fighting shape. And hey, maybe you can learn something while doing so. Minor skill gain in combat skill chosen, a massive amount of riln (This might shore up some issues combat focused chars have with earning riln). Have you seen the riln we pay to people for skill training after this point?

* Stable hand - 100 riding - The stables always need someone to keep all the horses well fed and comfortable. As well, people to train the horses to keep them in decent shape to be sold. Skill gains in riding.



There's a lot more I can list here. But why not let everyone else chime in with job ideas throughout both towns? Heck, this can even extend into options for guilds, which could provide better oppertunities for offline time that can also grant merit, or skill gain in more occult practices that might not give riln, or even cost it (Think of it like extended tutoring sessions).

Also, for those people who say they spend time working at some establishment, that can now be true.

[ydia]

I do really like this idea.
There could also be certain jobs helping the town more, like repairing items around town etc.

[jerc]

I also like this as an alternative to the old "study" system in COGG, which was the only way to realistically practice certain skills. For example, it could be a non-combat way for sorcerers to improve their sorcery skill, which currently doesn't exist as far as I'm aware.

[Zeldryn]

Something about this really resonates with me, too.

As long as it's properly balanced for the rate of skillgain/riln generation that it could offer, and it has realistic tradeoffs, drawbacks, and consequences for choosing it? I'm like just.. All game.

I'm similarly game for something that gives no absolute chance for benefit. Stuff like scavenging, just taking a long walk-- looking at the stars, working out. I don't know.

Like I said. This just.. I like the way this feels. Definitely interested to hear others' thoughts, as well.

[Kismet]

What about some no skill/just cash jobs for low skill or poor people? The idea cane to me when I was thinking about Barmaid for Kis, but there's also Bank Teller, Warehouse Laborer, Street Sweeper, Suspiciously Hairy Trash Pickup Associate. You could also make it like Pose where you can fill in the blank and create your own flavor.

[Vazbol]

the jobs that you would max out skill wise would be the cash only jobs. There would be a low skill cap for the inn attendant one that you could reasonably said was you being a barmaid. It wouldn't take that much cooking skill to make sure you're an expert at doing the small bit of drink mixing or minor food prep, and just mostly being a server. Ultimately, all the jobs would end up just being cash only jobs, as the intention as well isn't to allow any of these to take you to the skill cap. but as with real life, the more you can do and the better you can do it, the more you'll get paid. However, there's also a limit how much people think your job is worth (And the one hiring you still needs to be making money) so there is also an eventual cap on how much you can make.

So I wasn't sure if I should of brought up skill only gains for stuff to do offline. I know the mud I borrowed this idea from did actually have an option for this. But if we were to implement it, this should come with a morale loss and riln cost depending on where you are at. And probably tire you out for even longer. One of the things I wanted to poke at more is more potential downsides. And probably having the better paying/higher skill requirement options coming with morale loss and longer bouts of sluggishness would be warranted. Let alone what Zeldryn posted about doing things that might result in a share of some randomly generated loot like scavenge.

[Rias]

Feel free to keep discussing the idea, but I'll say right off the bat I'm not a fan of systems that grant progression (whether that's skill or wealth) for being offline, especially in what is supposed to be a highly social game with a sense of active and engaging community. Rewarding players for being offline and locking them out from logging back in for a time goes against what this type of game is supposed to be.

We already don't allow AFK scripting. This seems like it would fall under the same principle: If you're not actually present and attentive as your character, you shouldn't be earning or experiencing progression.

[ydia]

I think that is where the suggestion of three times a week comes in, but if not offline. Could these be cool task/job ideas to further enhance roleplay?

[verel]

I love the idea. But yeah, I don't think Rias was gonna agree with that one though as soon as I heard it.

I definitely get where you're coming from though in that we can't just be sleeping all the time. (I just woke up from like a 4 hour sleep in the middle of the day so that's probably just me feeling guilty.) But the idea sounds cool though certainly.