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The illusion of not being lonely

*Ayjona* Edgerunners Darkwind Guru Renegade Group: Marshals + Contributors Posts: 515 Joined: Dec 6, 2006 I have a confession. There is something about Darkwind that I don't like. Phew, that felt good. For months I've carried this awful truth around inside my head, unwilling, nay, unable to voice it, for fear of the ostracization and banishment that inevitably must follow as the reaction of the Darkwind community. But now that the truth is out, I shall at least do my best to explain my only Darkwind gripe, so that in many years form now, when people ask "who was Ayjona?", you will respond "A no-good scoundrel and rogue, with stupid ideas and perverse pleasures. We cast him out of the city, and shut the gates, and watched with sadistic pleasure as he walked into the wilds. But he could argue well for his stupid ideas, I'll give him that..." What I don't like about Darkwind is the loneliness. More specifically, the loneliness of logging on and either being alone, or unable to persuade any other players to go scouting with you. For some, this is never a problem, since you are happy to just race and deathrace and arena fight until next time someone wants to join you. For me, this has become much less of a problem since I learned the art of sometimes surviving my solo scouts. But while solo scouts are profitable and usually extremely fun, they are risky, and can sometimes be very unrewarding, not only economically, but also emotionally, and most importantly: fun-ically. So, here is my suggestion that will help us scout on our own, but never alone, even if we don't have several powerful cars (and the patience to control several cars at once, unlike me) that we can bring out: Let us bring NPCs along. Think about it. There must be many NPC gangs, racing, deathracing, arena combat or trader, who would like to live the life of a player, and to go out there and combat the undesirables in the wastelands (people who are either too dangerous, criminal, different, gothic, fat, intelligent or female to live in the towns). So let us go on scout missions together with NPCs, who act just like other player gangs. The scouts would be regular scouts, with the exception of an automated loot process, that makes sure the NPCs get their fair percentage share. This would ensure that these scouts are not as profitable as successful solo runs, but safer. Safer, and a little less lonely. Quote: "I've spoken my piece now. No need to force me. I've already collected all my meager possessions in a pathetically small bag, and will start walking towards the city gates in five minutes. Just let me say goodbye to my gang and my first car bef... Ok, I won't even say goodbye. If that is how it must be, that's how it must be. Will you at least say farewell to from me to my... Ok, sorry. I won't push it. Not even for a last farewell to the only person who has ever shown me kindness and love. I'm walking now. The city gates loom huge before me, once the symbol of safety. Now, the sign of ultimate desolation and loneliness. Perhaps my noble sacrifice today will ensure others will never have to be lonely again, not even when scouting the wastelands. Wait, before you shut the gates, will you grant me one request? One small favour? Tell them Ayjona went into the wilds with much fear, but with head held high, and eyes set on the distant horizon. Tell them Ayjona died alone, so that others might live... together." - Ayjona the Banished ......................... vet marshal wv Posted Oct 19, 2007, 2:31 am

CptHowdy Twisted Sisters Racer Renegade Group: Members Posts: 103 Joined: Jul 28, 2007 while it might be good if no one else is logged in it would just be another reason to not invite a real person. plus the AI isnt very smart, i dont need it shooting me or getting in my way or driving off a 100ft cliff. it would only add to your CR and most likely leave ya hanging when ya need em the most. scouting solo is very profitable, i can bring home 1-3 cars per run using only 1 car. i can get 1 maybe 2 if im scouting in a group. unless there is some sort of bonus for grouping then the only reason to group is for the witty banter or to help new players. ......................... vet Posted Oct 19, 2007, 3:30 am Last edited Oct 19, 2007, 3:32 am by CptHowdy

*Ayjona* Edgerunners Darkwind Guru Renegade Group: Marshals + Contributors Posts: 515 Joined: Dec 6, 2006 This function would, of course, be optional. As for the advantages to grouping with other players, well, you listed them yourself: CptHowdy said: plus the AI isnt very smart, i dont need it shooting me or getting in my way or driving off a 100ft cliff. it would only add to your CR and most likely leave ya hanging when ya need em the most. If yer right, which I believe you are, there are plenty of reasons for scouting together with other players. CptHowdy said: scouting solo is very profitable, i can bring home 1-3 cars per run using only 1 car. Yep, agreed. I did say so in my post. In fact, my suggestion was to make these NPC scouts less profitable than solo scouting (but inherently safer). It was never an indirect way of saying that solo scouts aren't profitable enough. Quite on the contrary. ......................... vet marshal wv Posted Oct 19, 2007, 3:50 am Last edited Oct 19, 2007, 3:52 am by Ayjona

Quill Bionic CRSR Sunday Driver Renegade Group: Members Posts: 47 Joined: Jul 6, 2007 I agree wholeheartedly that there are some serious loneliness issues, but not that this is the solution. In Guild Wars, you can fill out your party with NPCs to run missions. They play pretty well, don't go AFK, don't screw up, and don't socialize. For the time I played GW, I used them almost to the exclusion of other players since they were so convenient. Not good. But I have some other ideas! First, let us take non-subscribers scouting with us. The subscriber would provide a vehicle of limited status (I think we can all afford a couple of buggies or alphas), and the non-subscriber could sell their loot to the garage, or keep it for when they subscribe. Second, let's have scheduled scouting events. They'd need to have some advantage over normal scouts, perhaps just predictability. After all, I'm sure that there's rumors floating around about what trade convoys are going where when, and whether pirates are planning to hit them. ......................... vet wv Posted Oct 19, 2007, 7:22 pm

Tazlo Damage Inc. Sunday Driver Renegade Group: Members Posts: 25 Joined: Oct 15, 2007 I like Quill's idea. 1. I think it would serve as an especially good "hook" to convert free-players to subscribers. Imagine having a partially destroyed vehicle in your garage, and all the parts and cash to fix it, if only you were a subscriber... 2. It encourages even more veterans to take newbies under their wing and explain how to play. I think this game has a much higher learning curve for people who never played CW or similar games. (Not that I'm complaining... lots of really good folks here have helped me in many ways!) 3. Ayjona, I'll group with ya if I see you! Im fairly new myself, but ready and roaring to go on a gate run, at least Maybe there's a not-too-difficult-to-code flagging system much like other MMOs "Looking for group" flags. Edit: There is I guess... its called a message board! ......................... vet Posted Oct 19, 2007, 8:37 pm Last edited Oct 19, 2007, 8:44 pm by Tazlo

*Ayjona* Edgerunners Darkwind Guru Renegade Group: Marshals + Contributors Posts: 515 Joined: Dec 6, 2006 Yes, Quill, your ideas are brilliant. I'd really like to see your suggestions implemented. I still would like to implement mine as well After all, I would *never* choose NPCs over players, when players are an option. Anyone who does, probably prefers to fight with NPCs, and gets his wish. Happiness all around. Tazlo, I might not be new around here, but I'll gladly group with you regardless. Bring something heavy, so that I can get my daily Phoenix skirmish fix ......................... vet marshal wv Posted Oct 19, 2007, 9:13 pm

CptHowdy Twisted Sisters Racer Renegade Group: Members Posts: 103 Joined: Jul 28, 2007 well other mmo have content that requires a group such as that big bad dragon that takes 40 people to kill. the content in darkwind is scaled to whatever your combat rating is, there is no big bad dragon that requires a group. as i said earlier the only reason to group is either you just enjoy the company of others or you are helping a new player learn the ropes of wilderness combat ......................... vet Posted Oct 19, 2007, 9:18 pm

*Ayjona* Edgerunners Darkwind Guru Renegade Group: Marshals + Contributors Posts: 515 Joined: Dec 6, 2006 CptHowdy said: the content in darkwind is scaled to whatever your combat rating is, there is no big bad dragon that requires a group. as i said earlier the only reason to group is either you just enjoy the company of others or you are helping a new player learn the ropes of wilderness combat It doesn't quite seem to work like that. While the CR of your squad definitively affects the number and strength of your opponents, it does not do so proportionally. Large scouts with several players are considerably safer than solo scouts. Not that that's important to me. The company of others, as you out it above, is more than enough for me to always chose players over NPCs. But for those who need motivation, scouting with others is far more safe than going out alone, even if you bring several cars. This is partly thanks to the CR system that does not increase resistance proportionally to your CR (and the fact that good scouts yield lesser number of enemies), but also thanks to the fact that controlling fewer cars is usually easier than controlling a larger number, and thus the scouting team becomes more effective in combat if the cars involved are distributed between players (such as four players controlling one car each, instead of one player controlling four). ......................... vet marshal wv Posted Oct 20, 2007, 3:39 am

ISHOULDCOCO COCO and the BURPERS Darkwind Guru Civs Faction Group: Storytellers Posts: 1,440 Joined: Jul 5, 2007 Quill said: I used them almost to the exclusion of other players since they were so convenient. Not good. But I have some other ideas! 1. I don't want NPCs team mates for no reason (creepy/devicsive). 2. I do want NPCs team mates as part of a storyline/mission obj. (i.e.  the big bad dragon) Quill said: First, let us take non-subscribers scouting with us. The subscriber would provide a vehicle of limited status (I think we can all afford a couple of buggies or alphas), and the non-subscriber could sell their loot to the garage, or keep it for when they subscribe. Love this - reminiscent of Vikk's idea to allow non-subs into wilderness - but this makes great sense.The non-sub must have done his ten events etc. We could have hire cars from JAKES that auto subtract repair cost from all loot sold. Vets provide a good scout and guidance ( and covering fire , of course) Quill said: Second, let's have scheduled scouting events. This , oddly enough, is my favourite suggestion of all. We are still some way off from affliations being practical ( we do all love little Darth , too much   ) - only need one or two event a night , but would have great atmosphere and increased tactics. Might need a randomizer for loot though  On another note - I feel that some racing events are diluted by their sheer frequency , opinions ? COCO ( I would give newbs a chomp with 2 front MMGs and a FOJ rear so they could harm them selves) ......................... vet wv Posted Oct 20, 2007, 11:20 am Last edited Oct 20, 2007, 11:22 am by ISHOULDCOCO

Quill Bionic CRSR Sunday Driver Renegade Group: Members Posts: 47 Joined: Jul 6, 2007 ISHOULDCOCO said: On another note - I feel that some racing events are diluted by their sheer frequency , opinions ? At the moment, the every-15-minutes frequently meshes perfectly with the way the leagues are set up and the stated goal of the game being convenient to play. I would wager that most of the players would have trouble making it to a scheduled event once a week even if they scheduled it themselves. In general, though, I agree. Too many NPCs, not enough humans. ISHOULDCOCO said: We could have hire cars from JAKES that auto subtract repair cost from all loot sold. Vets provide a good scout and guidance ( and covering fire , of course) I like it, but rather than Jake's, let's hire the cars from NPC traders / BHs. The sponsoring subscriber would be putting their rep on the line for the nonsub, but doing a good job would be rewarded by being able to rent better cars at less of a markup. I have a couple more ideas along these lines as well: Let subscribers hire and staff cars (plenty of scouts have fizzled because player X doesn't have cars somewhere right now), let players hire out their characters to gangs (you'd control the car as an ally of an NPC gang in a fight with other NPCs or PCs), and probably let players hire NPCs as well (Ayjona, your thoughts?). ......................... vet wv Posted Oct 20, 2007, 7:44 pm

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