Proficiency System Review, Ailor Ability Rework

[MonMarty]

Small changes in practice, big changes in reality, and some far reaching consequences. In preparations to the racial ability updates (some major reworks for Yanar, Varran, Avanthar, etc.), we decided to do a wide creative revision of the Proficiency System, immediately following the Ailor rework. When the Ailor rework was done, and for the sake of simplicity, we reduced the Proficiency boosts to simple choice mechanics as opposed to a long list of 20+ cultures with different limits. Then when looking at the other races, we noticed that the other races were all way too limited now in comparison to the Ailor, shoehorned into niches they might not want to be in. So, for the sake of increased creativity with non-Ailor Proficiency limits, we expanded the new choice limits to all races.

Affected Articles

• https://wiki.massivecraft.com/Proficiency
  
• https://wiki.massivecraft.com/Ailor
  
• https://wiki.massivecraft.com/Union_Blessings

The following changes were made:

• Ailor Will of Faith was removed and replaced with Ailor Lineages, which sort of changes the entire setup of the Ailor Race, but does not undermine the Cultures that have been built over the years.
• Ailor Proficiency Limits have all been moved away from Culture, and onto Lineages, while these are now also choice Limits, meaning more creative freedom.
• A new Primal Sorcery Category called Union Blessings for one special type of Ailor Lineage that caters into the Holy Paladin niche. Unionist Sanktist Ritualism has been removed from lore, but many of the abilities were folded into Union Blessings.
• All other races have been given choice Proficiency Limits as well, while some races and their subraces have been split up and given unique sets of Proficiency Limits catering to cultural differences.
• All Physical Stat limits have been revised, most remain in place, but there is more variety among the sub races and some of the weaker races have been pulled upwards.

Overall, we hope the players enjoy the "final call" on Ailor ability rewrite, as we are very happy where it finally led us, and suspect this will have been their final revision to create a sensible list of "normal guy" abilities that aren't really abilities but more like societal inclinations. Additionally, we hope the players enjoy the expanded Proficiency freedom, where prior for example all Avanthar had to be axe wielding bow shooting horsemen, they now have the choice for any weapon types to play with, thus greatly expanding the aesthetic choices of characters.

What players have to do

• All Ailor Character Apps should be check over. While the changes seem severe, they actually are not, since lineages are written in such a way that they do not interfere with culture or backstory. All Ailor players have to do is write what type of Lineage they are on their app under Race in Basic Information, and modify any potential Proficiency changes, then ask for a quick check-over.
• All non-Ailor Character Apps will in most cases remain unaffected since the limits aren't all that changed. If you changed more than a total of 10 Proficiency Points, ask for a re-review. If you changed 10 points or less, ask for your last reviewer to just re-tag your thread as approved, and if the last reviewer is no longer staff, just bump the thread for re-tagging.
• Any questions? Please use the ticket bot on Discord.

 

[Luxus07]

Will be passing a more critical comment on the Ailor implementation because I feel like the core idea is good - but it's off the mark with certain details.

Spoiler

1. Some of the abilities feel as "cool aesthetics", others are "cool useful aesthetics" while some are "simple game boosts" with little roleplay value. There is a disbalance between lineages in how the three abilities fit into these categories. Some even have "game boosts" applied to abilities that could have been simple aesthetics. The main issue I have is that there exists only one "scholar archetype" lineage which also happens to be the most limiting of all, and contribute no aesthetics or roleplay value other than elven aging. Here we go to #2:

2. It'd be an interesting poll but I think many scholar RPers would actually prefer something more mundane / simpler over the aging change + limits. Like an additional language, a free history pack, some photographic memory, ability to conjure a notepad or read twice as fast. It's a weird reflection that scholars consider Nautilaan lineage as far more viable for our niche due to the memory part + the not-starving part (we've been students after all). Then again, the memory is limited to star charts and maps it seems.

3. I disagree with the idea that these are "aesthetics" only (this was remarked in discord change proposal chat). Some of the boosts are very powerful and even abuse-able with the right conditions / right character. I fear we will only see these in the coming weeks & then patches will have to be applied. EG, fennh ability to dodge seems very powerful and abuse-able. And "reasonable amount" for Spotless Smuggler just calls for OOC chat debates in Greygate. Though it finally explains Marlo's war drums from his naked orc's "pockets".

4. I feel like there is too much of a risk in losing the aesthetics of Ailor being "mundane" and turning them to anime powers. Ailors already carry one great racial advantage, which is being "privileged". I know it's a meme but it's still an "advantage" to consider.

5. Both Fennh and Lexxon build on Slizzar-like abilities that beg to be abused from both sides. I have been told of scaretales to what these were used for; and have seen them used and OOCly ignored by victims first-hand. I don't think the manipulation niche is much reliable in RP as it requires all too much co-operation from both sides. I do think the many slizzar reworks have been a result of this core issue - extending the ability to two Ailor lineages calls for the same issues to arise with them too.

Here's my suggestions in another spoiler:

Spoiler

1. Fennh and Bolven height differences should not be so comically extreme. Fennh would be much more viable and open if its height was a simple 5-10 inches reduction. Right now it feels like the return of the dreaded Kleinfolk. So the suggestion is to make both of them a simple +- couple inches instead of the extremes they are now. That'd open up Bolven for other abilities, not just a "I am much taller but I can become normal so that I'm not much taller".

2. I don't see much reason for Drahl bird general bonus; it just feels a "New Regalians go choose this" nudge. The falconing aesthetics is fine on its own, the perception bonus is already beneficial. Those are what differentiate it from the "regular falconers" after all.

3. Nautilaan is bae. Think it hits the right balance between RP, mechanics and background additions.

4. Lexxon is deeply troubled by possible Slizzar issues. My suggestion would be a more oratory/charisma based lineage? The ability to project one's voice. Reinvigorate morale. Stuff like that; avoid mechanics that proved troublesome before.

5. Norean's breeding rule is pretty much incompatible with noble marriages and it seems out of place compared to other lineages (and also feels very precise and limiting to the current Reinard-Fristadvlom situation). Its combat limit is also the only other "big limit" placed on a lineage. It feels like someone sought to add the aging, but found it so powerful they tried to counter-balance it as much as they could. My suggestion is to be done with the aging in general and add some more aesthetic scholarly abilities / traits. Temporarily understand all Ailor languages. Free Ailor history pack. And all the above-mentioned suggestions too.

6. Woaden is bae.

7. Archan is bae, though I have yet to read through the blessings in detail.

8. Olean is fine apart from the "definition" issues. Really have to define what they can hide. Also, perhaps it'd be worth to combine the 1st and 2nd abilities as they are both re-rolls and give them a combat or sneaking related one.

 

[ThePear]

I have a fun recommendation for the Drahl Lineage
I don't think it would be a stretch for the owner to be able to use the bird to send people small items, like a letter.