Considering implementing this change in the future and looking for feedback.

Instead of having everyone on the same exp gain/loss/penalty scheme, I say we open it up for the individual to choose for themselves.

My three options are as follows (exact implementation open to discussion):
(exp gains being different to make a proper risk/reward ratio)

1) Carebear -> No/limited death penalties --> 75% exp earned for a kill (Or thereabouts)

2) Normal -> Current/slightly more harsh death penalties (100% exp earned for a kill)

3) Hardcore -> Permadeath --> 125% exp earned for a kill


You'd be able to downgrade, but never upgrade difficulties. 3 --> 2, 2 --> 1 for example. We'd also keep separate leader-boards for high achievers in each category.

As there's no upgrading, all hardcore characters would have to be created new when/if this change is put in.

Thoughts? Comments?

-Bane

I say we implement a "super hardcore" mode. If you die, your character is permanently deleted, and someone comes to your house and breaks your legs.

Personally, i think this is a great idea, including dom's idea of breaking legs for super hardcore lol.

But in all seriousness, for "super" hardcore..200 percent exp gain and perma death/character wipe at death lol. Shrug, maybe 200percent exp isnt enough for that but all of bane's ideas anyways sounded great. Though with the increased exp gain (say for hardcore) could there possibly be a bit lower gold requirement for leveling? Gold is probably the harder part of leveling, and if exp gain is boosted it'll just mean more time spent farming for gold. Unless you're huklebuc and have like 4000 million gold, albeit through years and years of perm killing lol.

I do like this idea, especially since "hardcode" mode is what we all enjoyed from the Oceancrest competition a while ago.

My only comment would be that it is much easier to avoid death once a higher character is leveled to collect better armor and fund new characters. At this point, one can easily deck out a hardcore character with appropriate gear, benefit from the 125% experience rate, and it really just becomes a route to level a character even faster.

To add to this point: when mobs are worth 20-30k experience after level 30, an extra 25% is a substantial amount. It is already too easy to level past 30 with how things are right now. Just something to consider.

Finally, it might be good to still allow pkill deaths for hardcore characters. I can see some major griefing tactics if pkilling can permanently destroy a hardcore character.

Arcen wrote:

Though with the increased exp gain (say for hardcore) could there possibly be a bit lower gold requirement for leveling? Gold is probably the harder part of leveling, and if exp gain is boosted it'll just mean more time spent farming for gold.

I don't know if I agree with this, simply because the more bonuses we add in, the more we are just trying provide equal playing grounds compared to a normal character, which defeats the purpose of even having a hardcore mode. I think your suggestion is made under the assumption that hardcore characters will be taking the same experience/gold grinding route as normal characters. This may not be the case since they don't have the option of dying and may choose to do other things to "play it safe". This should even out the experience gain vs gold gain problem.

It would follow, then, that the best route would be to level a carebear character to get gold for a hardcore character.

I vote yes for the changes and support harsher death penalty @ "normal".

I don't know what the goal is, but how about reducing total exp required across the board? I've seen this done in other aging online games. If your goal is bringing in new people, and getting more people to end game, then this type of overall game nerf seems ideal, despite how it will detract from all the elitist-ism. Anyways yeah, I like the proposed changes.

Nimh wrote:

despite how it will detract from all the elitist-ism.

We could always put in an "Elite" mode where you get 25% of normal exp, just to show how awesome you are :P

Ha not me. I'm the guy who's been playing off and on for 15 years and still can't get past level 15, who's coincidentally calling for overall xp reductions!

I'm still wondering what the goal of these changes are though.

Bane wrote:

Nimh wrote: despite how it will detract from all the elitist-ism. We could always put in an "Elite" mode where you get 25% of normal exp, just to show how awesome you are :P

I thought that was what multiclasses were for ...