Outposts are missing something...

[sidusar]

Yeah, something like that I was thinking of too, but I don't think it would work if those NPCs were at the outpost. It's quite a long walk to many outposts and I myself wouldn't take a weekly trip past all the outposts just to see if there might be a request somewhere that I'd be interested in. So then any request that you put up is likely to take very long to be furfilled by a random passerby. It'd work a lot better if these NPCs were simply located in the capitals.

Another idea you gave me though: How about a distributor NPC for the materials from the drill? The guild owning the outpost could set up stacks of elevation crystals or special materials for sale at a pre-designated price (doesn't have to be dapper, can be a specified item or stack of materials), and anyone can buy them. In the case of guild alliances, you could set the NPC to deliver 10% of whatever the drill harvests to an allied guild, and any high officer could come pick it up. This would allow some more options for the guilds that don't have an outpost to still obtain the materials.

Why not put it straight into their guild hall? Well, personally I think the guild owning the outpost should come pick their crystals up themselves at the outpost too, gives them a reason to visit. Unless they're willing to pay transport fees to have NPCs bring the materials to the guild hall ofcourse. More dapper sinks

[oldmess]

Yeah, something like that I was thinking of too, but I don't think it would work if those NPCs were at the outpost. It's quite a long walk to many outposts and I myself wouldn't take a weekly trip past all the outposts just to see if there might be a request somewhere that I'd be interested in. So then any request that you put up is likely to take very long to be furfilled by a random passerby. It'd work a lot better if these NPCs were simply located in the capitals.

One of the reasons in the original post seemed to be the issue of "why visit an outpost". So putting NPC's in towns for this purpose sort of defeats that that point.

One of the larger metagame issues that's been discussed in other threads is how to restrict your sales to those that won't use them against you (i.e. faction restrictions). I think this is probably better solved in that context instead of the outpost context.

We're probably better off keeping this simple and within the framework of existing code for now. i.e. just let the stable boy buy from people and maybe offer a simple "sell thru to guild" option. Items set to "sell thru to guild" can be "bought" by the guild leader/HO's from the OP or from their guild halls. If not bought within 7 days, they disappear just like regular sell thrus.

I see there being 2 main uses of a guild merchant:

1. Being able to harvest in the area and sell your grind items locally. (i.e. for me, Ballistic's OP is ideally located for that as it's within spittin' distance of a nice dig field I use. Of course, the Kinchers are within half-spittin' distance, but that's what speed and invul are for, right?) My guild would need to negotiate some level of alliance with BM for them to allow that; it's their OP after all.

2. Being able to facilitate private trades between guilds when play times don't make direct contact convenient. Maybe this too is a future WIBNI that needs to be addressed separately from outposts?

Creating a general wishlist wasn't really the main point. I was just trying to work out a way to facilitate these types of trades and create a reason to visit the OP.

Maybe if we could build a spa on the site?


* WIBNI = "Wouldn't it be nice if". Something I use to describe a feature someone wants in my software but really won't help us much in the market or solve a real life problem.

[marct]

Something I'd like to add to the ideas is that I think there should be more buildings available than there are building pads, so that we have to choose what we want from our outposts. Some things I'd like to see as build options: an altar, a stable, a marketplace, a guard tower, and a warehouse (extra storage space). I'm sure I could come up with more after thinking a while, but those are the obvious ideas.

BRAVO!!!

I think three times the buildings as spots. It would also be cool to have a certain type of building that is available on each of the specific name types. (eg. Maybe a border post can have a guard tower, but no others can, a farm can have some kind of material farm, etc.) I think the lore about the Outpost should have something to do with the buildings and bonuses also.

Also, I would love to see the lore that you can read at the outpost show who took it from the rogues, and when, and if they get kicked off, when that happened, etc. Kind of like in-game lore about the outposts. It could have info on each battle, give the year, season, cycle, etc.


Noin.

[sidusar]

One of the reasons in the original post seemed to be the issue of "why visit an outpost". So putting NPC's in towns for this purpose sort of defeats that that point.

Ah yes, good point. I concede.

for me, Ballistic's OP is ideally located for that as it's within spittin' distance of a nice dig field I use. Of course, the Kinchers are within half-spittin' distance.

New building idea: A huge karavan artillery canon that can be used to clear out any spawn within spitting distance of the outpost

It would also be cool to have a certain type of building that is available on each of the specific name types. (eg. Maybe a border post can have a guard tower, but no others can, a farm can have some kind of material farm, etc.)

That's an excellent idea. Allow me to make a list of all outpost types along with some possible suggestions for their unique building.

Strongholds would have military buildings like that guard tower or that artillery canon. Personally when I say "guard tower" I'm thinking that both players and NPCs can sit inside it and get a huge protection bonus while still being able to fire ranged weapons and spells out the windows, but there's other possibilities too.

Farms could have a foragers post that broadcasts a focus regeneration aura into the surrounding area, allows for the storage of a number of materials, and where you can hire forager NPCs to dig a number of mats for you on the nearest resource field.

Trade Posts could have the merchants we've been talking about. Or if we want those to be available to all outposts, then trade posts could have a special marketplace that offers guildmembers even better prices than would normal markets at 100 fame.

Workshops would give some bonus to crafters. A bonus to focus regeneration just like the farm for one thing. And then perhaps increased chances of succes while crafting inside the workshop, along with a chance of a random bonus much like the new crafting items give.

Diplomatic Outposts could have ambassadors from the 4 civilisations, the 2 factions and the nearby tribes (owning guild would decide which ones they want), that give out missions with a larger fame bonus than any normal mission givers. They also slowly increase guild fame just by being there.

Research Centers.... could have some kind of university building, broadcasting an aura that increases experience gain of guildmembers in the surrounding area, with trainers inside offering a few unique stanzas, and giving small amounts of experience over time to players sitting afk inside (like DP ticks off by itself slowly).

Magic Pole. I'm at a loss here, what's a magic pole supposed to be? Some building increasing the sap and spell power of guildmembers is all I can think of. And that would have to have it's effect everywhere in the world then, since if it only works near the outpost it wouldn't be nearly as usefull as my suggestions for the other outposts.

Border Posts kind of seem like the 'generic' outpost to me. A border post could have a lot of functions, from military to diplomatic to trade. So maybe they should simply have the option to be a little of everything?

Only problem with a system like this is that currently some outpost occur much more frequently than others. If I recall we have almost no magic poles or research centers. And with only 28 outposts available currently, there's no room for this much diversity anyway until we get a lot more.

Also, I would love to see the lore that you can read at the outpost show who took it from the rogues, and when, and if they get kicked off, when that happened, etc.

Yep, also a good way to add a little ambiance.

One other idea I'm throwing into the group for discussion: Every guild, no matter how many outposts they have, can only build one of every type of outpost building. This encourages guilds that have multiple outposts to use them for different purposes, and also discourages guilds from claiming too many outposts.

[kgrieve]

Excellent ideas. I was trying to think how some of them could be implemented within the current rules and with minor changes to the software.

It would be good to have merchants in each outpost who treated the guild owning the outpost as having 100% fame. This would allow the guild members to sell goods at more profit, to buy at lower prices and for visitors to purchase guild-made goods at lower cost. The guild would then have the opportunity to compete against other guilds in providing the best value goods and develop a reputation that would encourage people to visit and travel around Atys. The merchants would sell goods according to the level of the Outpost so a level 100 outpost would sell goods from Q50 to Q100. Any guild-made goods would still appear at the normal vendors, but at normal prices, so it wouldn't affect the current markets. The guilds shoud be able to purchase merchants (Jeweler, LA merchant, Materials Supplier etc.) and to have them in their outpost. Making sure that you can recover the cost of your merchants is all part of the fun.

Trainers - As the standard trainers except that everything costs one SP less for guild members. Individual trainers must be purchased (Fighter, Magic, Crafter and Harvest).

Buildings:
Stables - Similar to the current stables except that guild members get a bonus to crafting whilst standing beside it. Any Packers or mounts in the stables are fed automatically at a slow rate.
Hospital - Like the blessings of Ma-Duk and Jena, death penalty is reduced for guild members whilst you are standing beside it or have logged off beside it. Focus/HP/Sap or Stamina are regenerated at double rate whilst standing beside the building and 3x rate if sitting beside it.
Garrison - All squads that are generated during the defending guilds war phase get a bonus to attack and defence.
Bank - Interest is paid on the guild treasury at a small percentage, say 2% per Atys week.
Stores - Provides a store, similar to the Guild Stores except that any guild member can put items in, any guild member can take items out and they can craft directly from the stores. The storage would be two packers worth or less.
Prospectors Guild - Any guild member in the area of the Oupost gets +50 on focus.
Crafters Guild - Any guild member crafting beside this house gets a bonus to the durability of any crafted items.
Hunters Guild - The 3000 experience cap for killing a mob is raised to 3300 for guild members hunting around the outpost.

If, at the end of war, the guild does not own the outpost then all the buildings are cleared, the merchants leave and trainers leave. Packers are transported to the main cities stables. Anything left in Stores is destroyed.

[sidusar]

Ah yes, more good ideas I didn't think of yet. And seems to me they'd be a lot easier to implement than the drills were. Guards, shops, defense towers, and regeneration auras are all already in game.

A whole range of buildings with different benefits is a dream for the future. What I'd like to see put in right now is:

- Guards during peacetime to fight the mobs. This is the most important thing for me. It seems ridiculous that your own outpost isn't even a safe haven. And who's protecting the drill against wandering kinchers that decide it's ruining their view?

- Some other NPCs. Could be guild merchants. Or trainers. The welcomer I mentioned earlier. An overseer would also be nice, that you'd have to talk to to bring up the window for making changes to the outpost. Just some random NPCs wandering around serving no purpose already add to an ambiance of activity.

- Ability for guildmembers to teleport to the outpost and respawn there. (Only after having personally been there like with all altars and respawns ofcourse, otherwise it becomes an easy way to get new players around the world.) How will the outpost ever be a gathering place for the guild if you have to walk a kilometer through dangerous lands to get there?

It all comes down to that I'd like to see some interaction between the outpost and it's environment. Currently it's like the outpost isn't even there during peace times. Creatures freely walk through it, there's no reason for players to stop by, materials are directly delivered to the guildhall. The entire outpost could be relocated to the moon and there'd be no difference except for a change in scenery.

[sprite]

Creatures freely walk through it

Berello Gorge border post has a named Kipucka walk through it and spend most of its time "near" it

[hans1976]

Berello Gorge border post has a named Kipucka walk through it and spend most of its time "near" it

Dear diary,

Today I witnessed an Outpost Battle. Homins from all over Atys joined in and were having a lot of fun mutulating each other. The battle still rages on, I will sleep against the wall of the Guildhall here.

{next page}

Dear Diary,

I woke up in this loverly la......

AAARRRGGHHH
lszhdg;kjhdg;jksgdlgjkawefqsf
NONONOONONONOONOOOOOOOO......

*crunch*

...

*splatter*

...

*dripdrip*

...


*sound of wind blowing sand over odd forms*

[sumoman]

- Ability for guildmembers to teleport to the outpost and respawn there. (Only after having personally been there like with all altars and respawns ofcourse, otherwise it becomes an easy way to get new players around the world.) How will the outpost ever be a gathering place for the guild if you have to walk a kilometer through dangerous lands to get there?

Maybe a mission would b required for this to get the kami/karavan to come and give this ability that would require a minimum kami/karavan fame for the tp to remain active

[marct]

- Ability for guildmembers to teleport to the outpost and respawn there. (Only after having personally been there like with all altars and respawns ofcourse, otherwise it becomes an easy way to get new players around the world.) How will the outpost ever be a gathering place for the guild if you have to walk a kilometer through dangerous lands to get there?

Afraid this would give an unfair advantage to the defenders in a time of war. Which is most likely why it has been omitted.

Noin.