Aging

[zanzibar]

Originally posted by goland
It would be kind of funny seeing different generations running around.  When you get old you could yell at the young whippersnappers to get off your lawn (whenever we get around to being able to own houses).

Which is why I think you should be able to select age at character creation...

Child, Young adult (teenager or early 20\'s), adult, elder (old fogie).  That way, you can choose the age which is right for you instead of having it forced on you.

[Waylander]

I think some of us are overcomplicating this.

Ageing has been discussed thousands of times whether in these forums or not and never have we come to a conclusion that everybody liked.

The problem is people do not want to lose their character or have his stats change change.  If somebody chooses to become a warrior he shouldn\'t have to think that later on he may need to become a wizard or such.

And then, others believe that if you stay the same age for a while then...well that is slightly against Roleplaying now isn\'t it.

The best solution would be to be able to change your age, maybe we can have it that you do age but you can buy potions to couteract or even reverse the process.

I think that too many people already have backstories that they want to keep to, and that ageing may interfere with many of these.

[zanzibar]

Originally posted by goland
Your character\'s personality might change but your OOC personality doesn\'t have to.

Irrelevant, since in Planeshift you\'re supposed to be in character at all times.

[Ecolem]

No no and no. Why should players hard earned time go to waist and have to start over again? I know i would leave after i die the first time.

If you don\'t think its fair that oldbies are stronger then newbies then leave the oldbies alone. Remember that there\'s so many skills it would take years for a player to master them all, no matter how much he spends online. There\'s always a weakness to a player even though he seems invincible.

People seriously enough with the \"realism\" cause this is going over the top.

[Shadowcast]

Wait! Did everyone forget about the Death Realm?! Seriously, just because you \'die\' doesnt mean youre character is gone. They go to the Death Realm, the only difference is that you cant go to the upper world. SO WHAT! When the DR is complete I picture it being extremly huge and almost another world. There still is the fact that we could add resurecting spells to the game. This is gone to far into \'I dont want to lose my character,\' but those who say that must forget about the DR. And if youre gonna say that \'unrealistic\', many religions believe in an \'afterlife\' of some sort. Thats what the DR could potitially be, an \'afterlife.\'

And those of you who keep saying stuff like its never been done before,...umm WHAT ABOUT MOST GREAT GAMES! Its hard to think of a great game that hasnt tried something new and daring, THATS WHAT MAKES THEM GREAT! Civilazation series did something new and daring by letting you control a nation through all history, using diplomacy to win, and using the TBS. The original Final Fantasy was a new and daring move. Heck Square put their whole company at risk by making it. They were bankrupt. But look now, its one of the best selling RPG series ever. Creating a new genre took major risks. Basically, if you want to make a great game, it has to be different. Of course people are gonna complain, because they want what theyre used to. They dont realize how great a new thing could be until they actually see it in effect. So if youre gonna continue to say thats it to risky or whatever, youre a fool.

Also 6 months IS too short, but 6 years Is too long. Id say about 3 or 4 years. You have to understand, people will want to see the effects and not every one plays that long, but nobody plays often enough to create a good character and have fun in 6 months.

[defender43]

Originally posted by zanzibar

Originally posted by DaveG It\'s simply better to make skills deteriorate over time if left unused.

Wasn\'t that MY idea? Anyways, I don\'t play this game just to level! I love to role-play, and it takes my a LONG time to get a feel for my character, and I don\'t want him to just die on me! And I don\'t like that \"stuck in the DR\" idea either, because it DEFINATELY favors mages, who can resurrect themselves. Warriors, we got NOTHIN\'.

Shadowcast, you forget Civilization is NOT A ROLEPLAYING GAME. You are allowed to save your game, and mindlessly blow stuff up. PlaneShift is not about whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. Also, aging is a constant DETERIORATION, not an improvement, like Civilization\'s progression through history.

Okay, I\'m done.

[Shadowcast]

Originally posted by defender43
 And I don\'t like that \"stuck in the DR\" idea either, because it DEFINATELY favors mages, who can resurrect themselves. Warriors, we got NOTHIN\'.

Of course you shouldnt be able to use it if you are dead, because youre right would be unfair advantages to Mages. I know how you feel, Im a Ranger, I couldnt resurect myself.

Shadowcast, you forget Civilization is NOT A ROLEPLAYING GAME. You are allowed to save your game, and mindlessly blow stuff up. PlaneShift is not about whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. Also, aging is a constant DETERIORATION, not an improvement, like Civilization\'s progression through history.

I wasnt using RP games alone, but was showing some of the greatest series/games being risks. And just because you can save it doesnt mean its not an equal risk. You still have to have people to play it, and something new may attract only a few people at first but it then becomes more popular and spreads. If you dont want to \'risk\' new theings, fine, but then well have just another MMORPG that isnt any more special than the other ones. Thats, IMO, whats wrong with todays games, they dont want to change and thats getting boring.


EDIT: I am gonna propose an idea. It should please most people. 1) We come up with a good system (should be short lifespan so we could get a good grasp on it) 2) Devs code this system 3) Devs put it in a future \'pre-game\' relesase 4) We play with it 5) We discuss it and how everyone liked/disliked it 6)Remove or keep it
With this we will be able to expience and test it. Peoples views may change. Depending on how people liked it we could decide to rmove it or keep it. Game Devs due this all the time, either in a pre-game release or in a games ansestors, heck somethimes even in a different series.

[Karyuu]

Aging, if ever to occur, will occur far far far in the future, as DaveG mentioned ;) It\'s as far away as, if not farther than, player-owned housing. Mainly this is for the simple reason that for aging to be interesting, characters have to have a wide variety of things to experience, learn, go through, and own. Right now, aging would suck because so many things aren\'t yet implemented. I\'m quite sure that aging would also suck if implemented a few releases down the way. Perhaps when the majority of other wishlist items or setting features are made available in-game, this discussion will apply more.

Until then, it\'s just a discussion to pass the time ;)

[Shadowcast]

I realize that its way down the road. But its the fact that we will start to repeat ourselves soon if this keeps up. (I still remember the discussion about the Guilds being charged to create). I wasnt trying to say put it in soon. I meant by a future \'pre-game\' release to be on of the last one, when things are just being perfected, not added. I understand the rest of the stuff should probably be put in first. O well it was just an idea.

[Karyuu]

Originally posted by Shadowcast
I meant by a future \'pre-game\' release to be on of the last one, when things are just being perfected, not added.

Well, that\'s the bit I didn\'t quite understand :> There will never be a \"final\" version of PlaneShift, since it will always continuously continue to grow and evolve and expand - so as someone mentioned in another thread some time ago, you can expect a version 100 in several decades (centuries?) :P I presume you just meant something closer to an actual working game though, when you typed \"pre-game release\". But things will always be added, again. Thus this wishlist item, as it will take much of the devs time and concentration, should indeed be years and years in the future :)

In general, discussing aging without even having a working in-game calendar is rather useless.

[defender43]

I\'m sorry guys, but I\'m at it again...

There aren\'t that many free MMORPG\'s. The only ones I know of are:

Planeshift
Jagex\'s
Artix\'s
And another text-based one.

Artix Entertainment\'s game is not Massively and it\'s certainly not Multiplayer. And it\'s 2D.

The text-based game was the kind of game I admire. The text-basis in a way forces you to roleplay or leave.

Jagex\'s game is 3D, but not nearly as good as PlaneShift.

Origionally posted by ShadowCast:
Its hard to think of a great game that hasnt tried something new and daring, THATS WHAT MAKES THEM GREAT!

PlaneShift is already a new and daring project. Creating a fully 3D world that puts Jagex\'s RPG to SHAME. In their free time.

Reasons it\'s new and daring:

1: The only other \"hobby project\" MMOs is that text-based game I mentioned.

2: The graphics already put Runescape to shame.

3: Without funds, they risk losing their motivation, risking forgetting about PlaneShift and leaving it to rot as they carry on with their daily lives.

4: The world they plan to create is unparallelled in size.

5: No other free MMO allows you to choose your race.

PlaneShift is a new and daring thing. It doesn\'t NEED aging to become great. It IS great. Already. Just think how good it will be when it\'s finished!

(no, I\'m not just being a teacher\'s pet to the staff.   )

[Gripen]

I thought we were reincarnated every time we came back from death realm, where we are a dead soul--so how could we age, as long as we die before we get old? We get a new body everytime--right?

[Waylander]

Dear god just let the topic die!  


That is true, Gripen, but all the same if you don\'t die in a long time you age... problem unsolved

[Alphi]

Ageing encourages diversity and role play...

when your young and fiesty all you care about is the big adventure, bashing monsters for gold,completing quests etc..

As you get older you get slower.. weaker but also Wiser.

Agility and Strength decrease but Skills Wisdom and Craft Increase.

this is an excellent way to shift players into a new paradigm.. from the Fiesty warior to the wise old wizard / alchemist.

as for building up a character only to lose it... that what we do every single day of our lives..

its no greate loss when we realise that we have something to pass on that wisdom and accumulated wealth...

If planeshift really does strive to be realistic providing for marriage and non voilent past times. then we should work towards a system of rebirth.

when a character dies his possessions are passed on to his family...

think of this as an interesting idea..

When you get married you can have children...
you can either marry another character or an NPC..
the children from that marriage..
when you die the player can choose to play one of those children.. with all the inherited possesions + some inherited skills.

if your player gets too old and crusty for your liking you can retire him/her and play as one of their children..

the retired players can be turned into NPCs...

other players may challange these NPCs and duel for experience..
or train from their skills.


It really would add a new dimension of reality to the game

[Karyuu]

This is a seven-page thread. Please tell me you read the entire thing before posting ;P

So far you haven't added anything new, instead reviving something made nearly two months ago with repeated statements. This is not recommended.