My View On 'progress'

[celticwitch]

Hello. Bonjour. Bonjourno. Hola.

Few know me but I will introduce myself here and now before I move any further with this thread discussion. I'm Celticwitch (Kel-Tic) and have been around this community for nearly 5 years on and off. I was away for just under two and a half years due to some health issues but that is no matter. I'm happy to be back and would love to get to know you all better.
Onto the thread...

I am here solely to give constructive scrutiny, my opinion and my perspective. I wish to talk about the 'progress' with the server and ultimately the decision to wipe out the magic system altogether to be replaced with another system. I want to highlight what I feel is the main issue on my own behalf that being 'strictness' of role-play. I also understand many of you will not support my perspective.

I will cut to the chase by saying I oppose the idea of moving forward with wiping the entirety of the magic system. I understand perfectly that it is to make the server better and improve the players enjoyment and pleasure. I also comprehend the need to rid Regalia of so many mages except at this moment I do not think that such a move is wise. There is the small minority of players whom power-game with magic, oui, yet there are plenty of other options that can be implemented in order to make being a warlock/sorceress less of a common thing.

One such idea is just implementing a 'permission' form so that all aspiring mage players must seek approval. In the meantime whilst said applications are being seen to, players will not have access to the 'magic' role play that used to be so readily available. Players have worked extremely hard on character applications and I find it unfair said 'expert' players should just bend backwards and have to restart once more with their applications. The Magic Rework should be done in stages. Not just taken away and expect all players to be happy with such an extreme move. It should be spread out over a period of time. First implementing the application system then working through each magic category to change them to become how one envisions them to be.

Thank you all for reading and I would prefer if I was not attacked by anyone. Including staff. I only wish for this to be read without rage and instead in a constructive light.

Your friend and local voice,
CelticWitch

 

[AtticCat]

I like this though I'm a bit glad it's happening all at once because if it happened in stages .. Well everyone (everyone = salty mages) would be angered again as the next stage starts and it would be a rather .. Unpleasant time. I think taking it all at once would be a smarter decision, get it over with.

 

[Beetletoes]

I like this though I'm a bit glad it's happening all at once because if it happened in stages .. Well everyone (everyone = salty mages) would be angered again as the next stage starts and it would be a rather .. Unpleasant time. I think taking it all at once would be a smarter decision, get it over with.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. When you're going into a cold pool, do you just gradually wade in and be cold for much longer, or jump right in off the deep end, and more rapidly adjust?

 

[BRBKing]

@Beetletoes is right, it's better to get it over with than worry about what'll happen in the future.
The only example I've got is like the Stormcloak at the beginning of Skyrim.
"Let's get this over with, I haven't got all morning."

 

[MonMarty]

Gradual stages is not a bad idea in itself, we are applying this to the sewer rework, but that doesn't affect gameplay. Magic changing does affect gameplay and I fear more-so that while stages would be more comfortable to players who are familiar with the server, a staged change mechanic would seriously confuse new players who jump onto the server while it's ongoing.

The rapid deployment was an active consideration made for a reason. I considered a staged deployment and much further delayed deployment, but eventually reasoned it would either just harm more players who would have had time to get invested into magical characters in the meantime, or just irritate new players with waves of changes that made no sense to them.

Alternatively, I'm also pretty convinced the loss of magic is often exaggerated except by those who relied solely on it for power gaming. Magic is a skill, it's not a character property. Magic role play is a magical experience, but most Mages exaggerate how often they actually made use of Magic, except again if it was used daily in sewer combat roleplay, which generally has the reputation of being so power gaming infested that hardly anyone gets invested in it.

 

[Parz1vol]

Magic was, as Marty put it, a skill. It wasn't built, as a system, to define a character. This can be seen in the way the wiki is set up. The language doesn't suggest a character crutch. That crutch that it became was never broken, which the new system intends to, from what I gather.

Magic is notoriously powergamey because... FIREBALL. People would just enter point blank range, do their hand gesture which is almost always something really slight and stupid, and then try and end you quickly. That's powergaming in that if you are to react to it, your character has to be paranoid to the point where he would actually hurt someone for pointing or gesturing. Most mages are in the sewers, the sewers are powergame infested. It's a natural series of events.

Everyone else has been pretty clear with things. You rip the bandaid off fast, not slow. And yeah. People complaining are generally being too juvenile and magic reliant to realize you can write a char app in a half hour now and that none of these changes will cripple them all that much. The Daily Creeper did a good job of satirical commentary on all those points.

 

[AtticCat]

The Daily Creeper

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Nearly killed me omg

 

[GoodDreamer]

Yeah. When you're going into a cold pool, do you just gradually wade in and be cold for much longer, or jump right in off the deep end, and more rapidly adjust?

Click to shrink...

Never once have I had the balls to jump into a cold pool. Why would you do that to yourself? It sounds so scary!

 

[celticwitch]

Let's stay on topic please! Thanks for the replies so far

 

[kianroo2]

Personally, I'm fine with the new changes and everything that's going on, but I feel as if everything came at a bad time for some people. As I said, this isn't true for me, but having both major changes, magic and the sewers, happen at the same time may be a bit too much for people, on top of many people leaving or taking breaks. I feel as if that it may have worked out better reaction wise if it had happened later, so some people didn't feel as if everything was changing. This is just me speculating, however, so I don't really know.

 

[Wumpatron]

Personally, I'm fine with the new changes and everything that's going on, but I feel as if everything came at a bad time for some people. As I said, this isn't true for me, but having both major changes, magic and the sewers, happen at the same time may be a bit too much for people, on top of many people leaving or taking breaks. I feel as if that it may have worked out better reaction wise if it had happened later, so some people didn't feel as if everything was changing. This is just me speculating, however, so I don't really know.

Click to shrink...

I would like to counteract your point as now is the perfect time to do it, if not earlier would have been. Reason being, it is the beginning of May and summer is just around the corner. This is the time where server activity will increase and possibly new individuals taking a go at Massive. By making this change occur before the busy season it allows everyone to learn it together, veterans and newcomers. It wouldn't be in the best interest to wait.
For my point, I feel that this comes at the same time with the sewer changes. Staff are seeing the issues which occurred in the sewers while they were unchecked and feel that changes are necessary. The changes in magic aren't meant to be a negative change, quite contrary. It makes magic what it was supposed to be in the lore and so that alone is a justifiable reason. Anywho liking this change.
Liked your point @kianroo2 but this change is better for the majority than the minority. In that sense it would always be a bad time so it's best just to make it happen before the server population is at a high.

 

[kianroo2]

I would like to counteract your point as now is the perfect time to do it, if not earlier would have been. Reason being, it is the beginning of May and summer is just around the corner. This is the time where server activity will increase and possibly new individuals taking a go at Massive. By making this change occur before the busy season it allows everyone to learn it together, veterans and newcomers. It wouldn't be in the best interest to wait.
For my point, I feel that this comes at the same time with the sewer changes. Staff are seeing the issues which occurred in the sewers while they were unchecked and feel that changes are necessary. The changes in magic aren't meant to be a negative change, quite contrary. It makes magic what it was supposed to be in the lore and so that alone is a justifiable reason. Anywho liking this change.
Liked your point @kianroo2 but this change is better for the majority than the minority. In that sense it would always be a bad time so it's best just to make it happen before the server population is at a high.

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I never really thought about it that way. Good point!

 

[RonnanMcA]

I understand where you are coming from, but so many people play with magic it is basically a toy everyone has from a dollar store.

 

[celticwitch]

I understand where you are coming from, but so many people play with magic it is basically a toy everyone has from a dollar store.

Click to shrink...

• I also comprehend the need to rid Regalia of so many mages except at this moment I do not think that such a move is wise

We can take away the magic now but it should be implemented back in stages in my honest opinion. Take it away fully, give it back in application form and introduce categories of magic as the lore is rewritten.

Thank you for your reply, I do appreciate others opinions on this 'controversial' topic

 

[Conflee]

Perhaps some minor level of stepped reintroduction. IE Maybe just having the simpler more common magics at first, the the more complex stuff shortly after? Most people would hold off until everything is out to pick what they want either way though.

 

[Thorjl]

Hopefully you're required to level your magic for the bigger spells and I also hope they need to consume materials from your inventory like the current fireball mechanic. There has to be limits. We'll see.

I'm also the only guy on planet Earth who thinks Star Wars would have been better without all the space wizard "Jedi" and such. So overpowered haha.

So generally have a pretty pesimistic outlook on magic. :/

 

[alpet]

Personally, while I feel the change is necessary, I also feel that this change is hurting some people. Yes, magic is infested with powergaming by what I've seen, though there are some people capable of actually roleplaying good wizards. I mean, I've personally lost all interest in playing on the server until the magic gets updated. Nevertheless, I personally see the change as necessary. People can easily defeat a full on 7'5 ORC by making an application and stamping 'expert' onto their name in Lightning Magic. And like previous posts before me, it's more common to see someone wield magic on the server than an actual mundane weapon such as a sword or axe. Mind you, Regalia is the biggest mage-hating nation in Aloria, rivaling the Orcs.

Though until the magic changes get release, I don't plan on playing on Massivecraft. Though that's just because Magic RP is my absolute favorite and I haven't been invested on the server as much as I have on others.

 

[Optimalfriskies]

I see the change as absolutely necessary. Magic has always been an iffy subject fir me, and I'll have to admit that I've barely dabbled my toes within it, never the less I feel like its over saturation is damaging roleplay as a whole. Having everyone be able to be a mage is like saying everyone can be superman. No, they can't. Superman is super, and he is super because there are few equal to him. If everyone's super special in the same way, then is anyone really that special?

 

[BRBKing]

No, they can't. Superman is super, and he is super because there are few equal to him. If everyone's super special in the same way, then is anyone really that special?

Click to shrink...

It's very much like the series of Spider Man Comics where everyone in New York had his powers.

 

[Gwyndo]

I personally love all things magic related, and plan to write up a mentor style character once the new lore's released.

Despite having about three mages, only one - my Saivalthar - really suffered from this change due to how reliant his backstory is upon magical influence. (That, and he was a string mage, so that kind of mucks him up a bit.)

I like your idea of implementing it in stages, but both paths arrive to the same eventual conclusion, I just hope it's not something I'll be locked out of.