Upcoming Multiclass and Vampire Changes

Oleis

Hey there. I know I've been silent about content releases for a while. I'm now thrilled to show you why. I've just released to the liaisons a broad set of changes to the way Aetolia handles all of its classes and skills. This is likely one of the largest code changes ever to come to Aetolia, both in terms of sheer lines written/changed and in the depth and scope of what we've been doing. This is a complete rewrite of some of our ugliest, most difficult to maintain code with a HOST of new backend optimizations and features.

Some of these changes may frustrate you. Please remember that we don't do anything flippantly. Every change is aimed at improving some aspect of the game in a major way.

Here is a very brief, not-at-all-exclusive rundown of the changes:
- The TEACH and STUDY commands have been removed.
- You will no longer need to be a member of the class's guild in order to apprentice others in it. However, apprentices of masters outside the guild will need to pay either 40 credits or 250 lessons to secure the class. Other requirements remain the same.
- The Magi, Paladin, Infernal and Priest classes will be removed with full refunds.
- Anyone who still held the old, pre-revamp Druid, Teradrim and Sentinel classes will be updated to the new skills. This previously only happened at login.
- The above two points enabled a significant amount of code pruning to keep our codebase leaner and more manageable. Look at this list of previously-marooned commands, which I've pulled out of files belonging to unused class skills!


While I won't go into detail about them just yet, I've also put together an enormous package of vampire changes to help streamline that world for our newbies and experienced players alike. I've asked the liaisons to remain silent about these changes for now, as they're likely to provoke even more controversy than the ones above. There are some MAJOR surprises in store.

Please feel free to share your (constructive) feedback in this thread! I know there will be some righteous anger, but I'm here to talk it out with you.

Gwenith

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Ilyon

Oleis said:

There are some MAJOR surprises in store.

Having just seen in the list, let me say that he's not exagerrating in the slightest. Major surprises indeed.

Moirean

We now subsist on hugs and unicorn blood. /spoilers

Kerryn

They still sparkle though, right? Right?

Lim

Kerryn said:

They still sparkle though, right? Right?

I swear it wasn't me who leaked this.

Zsadist

Are these changes going to be good or bad, in the eyes of a vamp? Because for some reason, I'm not getting a warm and fuzzy from this thread

Oleis

Zsadist said:

Are these changes going to be good or bad, in the eyes of a vamp? Because for some reason, I'm not getting a warm and fuzzy from this thread

Indeed. I'm going to spend two weeks working and then another week hyping some really, really terrible vamp changes

I think most people are going to have a hard time hating what we have in store.

Teani

Seriously, these changes are awesome! It's been a long time coming with removing old skillsets when others have replaced them (no more raging about spiritshields and whatnot. Yay!) and it makes perfect sense to allow someone who is a master in a skillset to be able to apprentice someone even if they are not a member of a guild. It's not like the knowledge disappears upon leaving.

Good job in cleaning the code, @Oleis and helpers.

Rashar

@oleis, you'd be absolutely amazed at what @zsadist can manage to hate.

Or maybe not. Either way, I like it. I don't even play a Vampire, and I'm excited.

Edit: That was intended to be a tease. @zsadist understands, anyway! Sorry, I just woke up.

Ishin

@Oleis - I really like the multiclassing changes. That should help a great deal with taking pressure off the guilds and letting them have their own stances, while still letting the wider portion of the playerbase access the skills. +1000

(And because someone asked me when I stated that IG, I'm being serious, not trying to be a troll or a dick or anything like that.)

I do, however, remember that someone(either you or maybe @Razmael ? Can't remember who exactly) said that Sentaari and Syssin would get something to make up for it somehow, since we're untethered? I'm curious to hear if you guys already have ideas or plans for this, or if we'll be allowed some input.


...if I had to say one mean thing, I would curse you for a thousand years for getting rid of Infernal. All-time favorite class after Syssin, going bye-bye. *weeps*

Areka

While this will take some pressure off of things, I have a few questions.
- Will the limitation on how many people you can apprentice in a year remain?
- Will other attention be given to guilds? IE other small perks or boons to belonging to one (maybe things like moving the mentor web bashing bonus into guilds, IE if you're bashing with guild members they get the increased benefit).
- Will guild sanctioning and guild enemying be given some purpose? Enemying's good for keeping a visible list, but that's about it, and a project or help file can do the same thing.

Razmael

Ishin said:

I do, however, remember that someone(either you or maybe @Razmael ? Can't remember who exactly) said that Sentaari and Syssin would get something to make up for it somehow, since we're untethered? I'm curious to hear if you guys already have ideas or plans for this, or if we'll be allowed some input.

Areka said:

- Will other attention be given to guilds? IE other small perks or boons to belonging to one (maybe things like moving the mentor web bashing bonus into guilds, IE if you're bashing with guild members they get the increased benefit).
- Will guild sanctioning and guild enemying be given some purpose? Enemying's good for keeping a visible list, but that's about it, and a project or help file can do the same thing.

My answer will cover all of the quoted: I'm not going to reveal too much since it's Oleis' project, but all guilds are going to receive a couple of small perks, which sanctioning will allow people outside the guild to access.

Ishin

Hey, thanks a ton @Razmael! Now I'm really looking forward to it! lol. I wanna know what kinda perks we're gonna get! :O

Daegon

Okay, I'm the one in a billion. I -need- to know these vamp changes! Come on, I'm sure you can leak a few spoilers I'm a big BB player, if your changing things drastically then what's the sense in still coding my offense/defense the way I've been doing!?!?!?!

All joking aside, I do know that you won't say anything. But doesn't mean I can't rage

Oleis

As offensive rewrites go, your biggest thing will be implementing the changes laid out in liaison reports 1849 and 1850. Beyond that, our big secrets will only result in small tweaks.

Daegon

All I can say is.... I love you all. Specially @Ilyon for coming up with it, and @Oleis for being... Oleis

Oleis

Unless something horrible happens, we're under 48 hours to release!

Daegon

This day just keeps getting better XD

Gwenith

OMG EXCITED

Zsadist

Oleis

Zsadist said:

YOU'RE GOING TO HATE IT. I BAKED A LOAF OF CRUSTY BREAD FOR SOPPING UP YOUR TEARS.

(I still think you'll at least be surprised, even if you don't like it. But there's a lot to like.)

Trager

I have yet to meet -anyone- that doesn't like good, old Zsadist tears.

Zsadist

Ishin

Trager said:

I have yet to meet -anyone- that doesn't like good, old Zsadist tears.

They're my favorite. I feast upon them often.


...and then I helped him fix his offense script

Moirean

Have sanctions changed? I was under the impression that they let people use special entries and get access to your GH. If they still do that, can we get another GM command to give people access ONLY to the perks? I'm probably not going to hand any out otherwise.

Obyn

I could be incorrect, @Moirean, but I don't think sanction ever actually did that. For a long time sanction was a thing that you could do that literally had 0 mechanical impact.

Kerryn

Obyn said:

I could be incorrect, @Moirean, but I don't think sanction ever actually did that. For a long time sanction was a thing that you could do that literally had 0 mechanical impact.

No, it now allows people given sanction access to your GH.

Obyn

Ah, thanks for that. Must have been a change I was unaware of at some point.

Kerryn

Obyn said:

Ah, thanks for that. Must have been a change I was unaware of at some point.

Yupyup, recent change. Though it may take contacting the guilds patron to have them set the function on the guild door. Had to do that with Sentaari. But, then again, our door was borked for the longest time.. so... who knows!

Oleis

We will edit GH entry progs to remove that condition. If you're someone who would like to allow non-guilded into your GH, please message me at your convenience.