Building and maintenance fee

[Entropy]

As explained in a previous post, I want to make an NPC where the whole game population will be able to donate some money in order for an "Global Advanced Invasion Warning System" to be built.

The system will be a small network of space probes made by the Gnomes which will scan the area for possible invasions, and will report them globally 2 minutes before they happen.

 

There will be a build cost, and once the project is built there will be an operational cost, which will be 10% of the construction gold per month (real life month).

If the players do not pay for the operational cost, the system will be inactive.

 

Without such a warning system, the invasions will happen without any warning, prior or during the invasion, so the possibility of VOTD to be invaded will be quite high.

As I explained in that previous post, the invasions will start in the gold mine cave, then if the monsters are not eliminated ina few minutes a whole bunch of new monsters will spawn in the gold cave, then if they are still not eliminated, they will finally spawn in VOTD.

So if I were you, I'd pay for that system.

 

The polls are just for my information only, reflecting how many resources people are going to collectively spend. That doesn't mean that the final result will match with what you vote, but my oppinion will be somewhat influenced by it.

[ttlanhil]

as an alternative, could we have it so that the better the system is maintained (the more resources are donated) the more warning there is / the more reliable it is?

then it's not as much an all-or-nothing thing, and you may drain even more from the world

[hplowe]

Global.... max it out!

[Jinxx]

An early warning system is great, and I would contribute, in the spirit of community, but as a low level fighter, I have always felt that the invasions benefitted the fighter class only. And also those who enjoy bagjumping in the ensuing chaos, I usually log out when there's an invasion, so an early warning system would let me know when to hit alt-x.

[Entropy]

as an alternative, could we have it so that the better the system is maintained (the more resources are donated) the more warning there is / the more reliable it is?

then it's not as much an all-or-nothing thing, and you may drain even more from the world

 

That is a good idea. There can be 3 levels of warning:

1. 2 minutes before it happens.

2. 1 Minute before it happens.

3. Right when it happens.

[Acelon]

Curious, will these invasions ONLY happen in votd?

 

Also, how many of these new NPCs are going to be added, and where are they located?

[Entropy]

Curious, will these invasions ONLY happen in votd?

 

Also, how many of these new NPCs are going to be added, and where are they located?

 

For the time being yes, but with time I will add various other locations. One NPC will be enough, and for your convenience it will be located in an accessible spot (I have some ideas in mind).

[0ctane]

as an alternative, could we have it so that the better the system is maintained (the more resources are donated) the more warning there is / the more reliable it is?

then it's not as much an all-or-nothing thing, and you may drain even more from the world

That is a good idea. There can be 3 levels of warning:

1. 2 minutes before it happens.

2. 1 Minute before it happens.

3. Right when it happens.

And there could be false alarms too.

[Entropy]

And there could be false alarms too.

 

LOL

Excellent idea.

[Ikaris]

Will there be a running total available at the NPC so people would know if the current month is payed up?

 

Perhaps the false alarms could come into play if the community only payed 80% of the monthly fee and the gnome force had to lay a few watchers off ... thus overworking the remaining ones... leaving them jumpy from lack of sleep?

[ttlanhil]

That is a good idea. There can be 3 levels of warning:

actually, I was thinking more like 5... lowest would be a warning as they leave the cave, or even a bit after, so people at storage can leave, that'd only take resources to upkeep the alert, not to track them though. so as long as a few people chuck a few things in you'd have that. and also a higher than 2min warning, that has really extreme costs

 

plus there could also be a quality of the system, which reduces false alarms, late warnings, and gives better accuracy in what sort of threat there is, based on how even the mix of resources is (get a log of sulfur but no hydro? you might not get a warning as early as usual)

[ferngale]

One thought as brought up by others.... This NPC should be able to Ignore the anti-social perk. Many of us best able to contribute to this are anti. Fair yes?

 

Ferny

[love42]

I think this is a horrible idea. Having to pay our hard earned gcs or whatever just to have warning of an invasion?!?! WTF are you thinking I work hard for the gc and everything else I have in this game and have better things to spend it on. As if noobs which I am not, have a hard enough time this would just make it harder on them and all lower lvl players by making them cough up thier hard earned gc/stuff. I work hard enough in real life to pay taxes. I dont wanna have to worry about the equal thing in a game that I play to escape real life and have fun. This is just too pathetic, and the fact that u did not include a none choice as a vote is even worse. Wake up and realize that most of us work hard all day and come home to play this game as a way of reliving stress or having fun. This would just add one more pain in the rear to the already too many in the game. Come on give us a break and let us have our fun instead of trying to find yet another way to punish us and make this game more like work and less like fun. If things like this keep being added I will quit playing and I just started playing this May. This is a pathetic idea. and a willing to pay nothing option should be a part of the vote. I am willing to pay nothing!!!! Ya get that???? Ya I said nothing for a stupid feature like this. If that means that I may die in an invasion then I'll just have to live with it. But I will not be blackmailed in any way in real life or in a pretend game life such as EL is. Plain and simple.

 

I have said my peace and I'm sure that I MAY be banned for this but if I am banned for speaking my mind then I will be at peace with it. If speaking my mind gets me banned from this game then I dont want to be a part of it anymore. Because any game that limits my free speach or anyones free speach is wrong and I dont want to play it. So only tommorrow will tell whats in store for me. Hopefully I will see you all.

[Entropy]

One thought as brought up by others.... This NPC should be able to Ignore the anti-social perk. Many of us best able to contribute to this are anti. Fair yes?

 

Ferny

Yes, of course. It will.

 

stuff

 

We are very bitter today, aren't we?

You do realize that no one is forcing you, or anyone else to pay for that system, right?

 

And BTW, lov42, do yu realize how much time is put by me to implement this system? Do you think I move my magic want and it happens?

It takes hundreds of lines of code, plus time to test it, post in the forums, reply to ungrateful people, etc.

And when you think that you get all this development time for free.

[bkc56]

There can be 3 levels of warning:

1. 2 minutes before it happens.

2. 1 Minute before it happens.

3. Right when it happens.

 

I don't think 2 minutes is enough for the highest level of warning. If you're in the middle of something (and don't have rings/portal-room with you) it can take more like 5-10 minutes to stop what you're doing, get to storage, suit up, get to the VotD mine to prepare a defense.

 

The idea of a warning system would be to give fighters time to get there and stop the invasion (protect the people and lands of VotD). The warning needs to be long enough to allow that.

 

 

Also, I believe the specified costs are way to high. I'm not sure there will ever be that much Hydro donated for example. And while the system may be fun the first few months, if the maintanence fees are to high I think people will get tired of it and stop donating. You mentioned how much work this is to code to another poster. I don't think you'd want that work to go to "waste" from lack of use.

 

I'd suggest a lower startup cost, and lower monthly fees. If you find that it's getting maxed out every month, then the fees can be raised (increased maintanence costs over time) until a nice balance is reached.

 

 

This is one of those ideas that seems really cool, but I wonder about the long-term viability of it. I'd suggest lower limits to get things started, then raise them as needed. See how the first one goes. When you add a second invasion location there can be a new building cost (to expand the system) and monthly cost with the amounts set based on what you learned from this first one.

[Entropy]

I think you totally missed the point. Please read my intial post again.

[The_Piper]

Another money/item sink, that should be fine.

 

Dont make the invasions too hard and dont make the amount of items the NPC wants, too expensive, and it should be fine.

 

And if ppl dont fill up the NPC, they will get their warning the hard way, when the creatures attack in VOTD. Not that bad imo, when the invaded creatures are not too high leveled, so that all ppl who train on wolves in VOTD have a chance to beat them. Invading an arctic chimmie in VOTD wouldnt be a good idea imo.

 

Well, just go for it or we will never find out, how good or bad this idea is. The chance, that its a good one, is high imo.

 

Piper

[WildIce]

I love the idea

 

Cant wait for first invasion (with or without warning ).

 

edit : There should also be a way to continous remind ppl of paying for this system ingame, cause not all players read forums...

Edited September 6, 2006 by WildIce

[BloodSucker]

There can be 3 levels of warning:

1. 2 minutes before it happens.

2. 1 Minute before it happens.

3. Right when it happens.

 

 

Maybe those mesages should contain informations about monsters and exact location?

 

Something like that:

 

Level 1: Message shows 3min before invasion, it includes warning + info about amount/kind of monsters + location

Level 2: 1 min before, includes warning + location

Level 3: Right when it happens, includes warning only

 

 

More money we spend = better info we get.

Edited September 6, 2006 by BloodSucker

[MagpieLee]

Will the people who have logged in say 40seconds before it happens can you make it so that it warns you at log in? (much like #day where if its a special day you are told when you log in)

[darkguy]

or you can make a new command named #alert which you can check it once you log in.

[simon]

the #alert command sounds nice... maybe add some more information to that command if the early warning system is unmaintained and needs some more items/gc to be operational. That way you will know if you get warnings and if you can help by donating some items/gc.

 

Nook1e

[xand]

I chose the cheapest option. I'm not the "get all the extras available" type if its for an eye in orbit.

 

A bit offtopic, what if we just organise one or two players who look out for invasions, and warn the rest?

[Entropy]

I chose the cheapest option. I'm not the "get all the extras available" type if its for an eye in orbit.

 

A bit offtopic, what if we just organise one or two players who look out for invasions, and warn the rest?

That is, of course, an option.

[Tempest]

TOTAL EDIT: stupid post, my fault sry.

Edited September 6, 2006 by AngelFaceJo