Starting inventory determined by skill set.

[zanzibar]

There's been talk from time to time about characters starting with items and trias to make starting the game easier.  I'm not necessarily in favour or opposed to that idea, BUT if characters do eventually get items from the get go, I think that the items you get should change depending on the skills you start off with.

What I mean by that is that if your character has a significant level in a certain skill, the item or items you get will be relevant to that skill.  For mining, you would get a pickaxe and maybe a sample of ore.  For weapons, you would get a basic weapon of the appropriate class.  For ways, you would get a single low level glyph.  Alchemy, you would start off with a couple of potions.  And so on.  There are plenty of ways to get creative about it.

I don't think there would be a significant chance of abuse.  The worst you could do is create and delete characters high in crystal way over and over again, and accumulate the glyphs as you go along.  However, that would be a time consuming process - and you still wouldn't be making nearly as much money as people make by fighting in the arena.  It's my opinion though that basic glyphs are already overpriced, so maybe things will change in the future.

[Karyuu]

That's precisely the plan. And a good way to prevent abuse is to make starter items untradeable, and unsellable. The only way to get rid of them would be to click some "destroy" button.

[Goldir]

That "Destroy" button was the one feature that I noticed was conspicuously absent.  It would make getting rid of things like piles of dust much easier.

[Ishtar2]

I don't know, "destroy" isn't very realistic.  I mean, no one I know walks around with a black hole into which they can just throw their carp.  Getting kind of off-topic though, sorry.

[Bartholin]

I don't know, "destroy" isn't very realistic.  I mean, no one I know walks around with a black hole into which they can just throw their carp.  Getting kind of off-topic though, sorry.

hehe.. who do YOU know  . you dont need a black hole do destroy dust.. just toss it to the wind. umm.. a thing we could do would be to have a specail 'no way" spell that uses no stats and everyone knows.. and that could serve as the "black hole" aka "destroy" that way.. its plausable and game wise realisitc

[Jeraphon]

And a good way to prevent abuse is to make starter items untradeable, and unsellable. The only way to get rid of them would be to click some "destroy" button.

I don't know about "destroy."

I do agree they should be untradeable, but rather than unsaleable, you can sell them to NPCs for 0 tria. It's neat, it's clean, it eliminates the need for extra coding. Same deal piles of dust. Harnquist and Trasok can take them off your hands for 0 tria.

[bilbous]

I don't see why you couldn't have a tinker npc that buys all kinds of odds and ends for 1 or 2 tria a bunch. He might even recycle it into various semi useful thingamajigs depending on what he has to work with.

[Gharan]

A set amount of tria would be the best option allowing them to buy what they wanted, fair enough they might be highly skilled in "musical instruments" and recieve a musical instrument but might never want to be a musician.When i created character i flew through it not knowing that it had affects on ur starting skill so starting with a musical instrument wouldn't of been any help.

I hope you know what I mean..

[Pizzasgood]

Or you could just smash it into little pieces, then have an inventory item called "rubbish" that you could dump somewhere.  To match the weight, the rubbish would be one unit of weight, and you'd get as many of them as the weight of the item.  Any decimals could be discarded (when you smash stuff, a couple small bits usually go flying, so that would be realistic).

[zanzibar]

I don't know, "destroy" isn't very realistic.  I mean, no one I know walks around with a black hole into which they can just throw their carp.  Getting kind of off-topic though, sorry.

Not realistic, but too convenient to do without.

[emeraldfool]

That "Destroy" button was the one feature that I noticed was conspicuously absent.  It would make getting rid of things like piles of dust much easier.

What's not easy about throwing your dust at newbies? If not easier, it's at least a LOT more fun, especially when they start panicking about armies of dwarves taking over.

Personally I think Barty's glyph idea would be okay. But really, since when have we worried about the realism of inventory mechanics? I've never heard of someone storing 15 claymores on their person without even using a backpack (Or without it effecting their ability to run and jump and fight... or breathe, for that matter)

[bilbous]

You could just make it so that anything left on the ground vanishes after a set period of time. What happens to all those apples now?

That said I have never really understood why things turn to dust in the first place unless there is eventually going to be a use for it. Also it would seem that if indeed things turn to dust the only way to get at it would be when the forge was cold and you were cleaning the flue.

[Zan]

I actually liked UtM's idea more ... let players choose a profession in character creation and give them the equipment and some basic skill to perform said profession when they enter the game. Miners would get a mining pick and maybe a map to one of the mines when cartography is implemented. Farmers would get a shovel and some seeds to grow crops. Lumberjacks would get an axe and a saw to chop wood. Hunters would get a weapon, perhaps a bow when those are around. Thieves would get a dagger and cloak. Etc.

[zanzibar]

Picking skills makes more sense than picking professions.  "Profession" implies a certain place within society, but you can have the skills of a theif and yet try to find work as a cook etcetera.

[Bartholin]

Personally I think Barty's glyph idea would be okay.

not a glyph... just a basic spell that EVERYONE knows from the start that uses no ways, no mana, and needs no stats.. just a known spell