First, everyone please note my biases. I -HATE- influencing. I think it's absolutly retarded, and I -do not- do it. I have some influencing skills, but I simply use them to test to see if an NPC is controlled by the enemy (killing them if they are of course)...that's it. I think the idea of it is cool, quite revolutionary, and I'm glad many people enjoy it. However, it's just not for me personally. I -DO- like combat. I'm not that great at it yet, but I have no qualms about dieing countless times to learn more and become better. I think combat is a blast, and I think Lusternia's level hostility is -perfect- for me.

I do realize that I am not the only person who plays this game. I understand that as much as I like fighting, there are probably those who tip the scale in the opposite direction and lean towards influencing. If there was a perma-basin-wide peace, or all villages were peaced when uninfluenced, I'd be miserable and pissed off to no end. However, the game in it's current state certainly rubs influence people the wrong way. I really like your idea, or at least the direction in which it appears to be heading.

I have no problems giving the influence people something that makes them happy, but please -do not- destroy what I love to do in the process. A good balance is key.

I think that's a fantastic idea, but -only- while villages are in play. One of the biggest complaints I see/hear about is losing xp. That seems to be one of the larger beefs about combat in villages. It seems to me like this would lift a lot of the stress some people apparently feel. WIthout knowing how things are implemented behind the scenes I couldn't say for sure, but this doesn't sound like a coding nightmare to me, simple adjustments at most.

I think villages should remain unconglutinatable while not in play because it's a reasonable deterrant from excessive raiding.

Aye, I just meant while being influenced.

I've been a knight or weapons-based class in every IRE game; Naga, Saboteur, Warden, Knight. Both my characters in Lusternia started out as Warriors; Razyx in the Ur'Guard and Druthalus in the Serenguard. Currently Razyx is a Geomancer, it's my first experience with something outside of my traditional preference. I've fallen in love the with the mage archtype, it's so much fun and gives me so much more to do outside of the standard hack'n'slash combat I'm used to.

I think the demesne wars are a lot of fun. There's some strategy and forward thinking involved. There's actually a reason to assign people to reconaissance to learn how the enemy is set up and dug in; giving dreamweavers or people who hate combat something to do that's truly beneficial to the overall cause. There are some stresses with demesnes in villages, but the majority of them I -do not- think fall on the demesnes themselves.

Demesne effects arn't -that- big of a deal. Before today the only thing I could cure without spending 20 minutes searching through help files was prone, sleeping, bound, and paraylysis. The first 30 minutes or so of the demesne wars in Stewartsville were rough going. The Aquamancer demesnes roughed me up good, and I was quite frustrated. However, after learning what afflictions to expect and how to cure them, it wasn't that bad.

The real problem with the demesne wars is due to sanctuary, and abuses of other such abilities. Erion's constant idea to not allow sanctuary to block forcetaint/taint/etc is a -good- idea.

Although I like the idea of large demesnes, I really don't like it when Revan demesnes 4 villages and half the world. I think it's rather dumb, and it usually leaves me with little to do I don't really like the idea of putting a size limit on demesnes though. Every demesne has a weak spot somewhere...granted it may be in a city or something but that just adds a little variety/flavor to the mix. There's fun to be had in sneaking behind enemy lines to try and break what they thought was an impregnable demesne. Stuff like that is fun and interesting.

I really liked Geb's idea, I believe it would solve a lot of issues with large demesnes. Having the effects slowly dwindle from where the mage declared their center to be. Perhaps after 30ish some rooms the effects are almost non-existant? That would allow the possibility for large demesnes, but make them more prone to be broken and less of a nuissance, without really damaging a mage's combat effectiveness in their demesne.

I -do not- like the idea of having a permanent grove somewhere. I like the idea of being able to dissolve my demesne and move it somewhere else.

And just to expand my post count once more, and let everyone know, I'm finished making long-winded posts in this thread for now. I think I've replied to all the stuff that I'd read and wanted to reply to

I know this is a little unoriginal.......but

Have a mage or druid be able to summon a tainted aura, and raincloud (for aquas) and a swirling cloud of leaves that follow the druid around, and their effects hit randomly while they are in the room, any room *and thusly doing away with the whole demesne idea where they become more like vibes)

Maybe put some sort of twist to make it original, having demesne wars and holding territory....its too heavy on the abiltiy to hold an area and shut it off

It'd give them much more flexibilty and make them much for fun to play, the skills may need to be adjusted

Agreed completely.

Murphy, I have to ask:

Why is your sig boasting about worldburning through sanctuary?

To lessen the importance of killing during village influence: for every person you kill that is not enemied to the village, your city loses a fraction of its influence. If this doesn't apply to all villages, make it apply to the more peaceful ones (Estelbar, Delport, etc.)

Ceres, because I thought it was rather funny from an OOC perspective, hilarious really, I just wish you'd been there to experience cause we all know how you can't stand to lose even the smallest battle and when you do its always "my system died" or "You're overpowered" or even better "Thats a bug"

It wasn't funny at all Murphy. People getting enemied just so you could worldburn them through sanctuary. Cheap.

At a side note, I'm pretty sure my sanc was in the influence area of the very first shrine you erected.. did you just forget to enemy me or was it on purpose?

I'll take my two deaths worth of experience back then please.

Seriously, its cheap stuff like this which makes people /not want to play/. People should stop being cheap on all sides.

Edit: we don't want this to devolve into shrine wars. Gods, please not. I envisage the map covered in Hajamin vs Fain shrines and massive worldburning occuring. Which begs the question: if I worldburn you on prime, who gets pk status?

I think that tells us all everything we need to know about you the player, Murphy.

Thanks.

Good on ya ceres, the funny part is the order chat from fain.

If you are really that upset about it you need to take a break and a reality check on life Ceres and shadow....because really, its a game, you lost some xp, and it most likely wont happen again

EDIT: I had nothing to do with worldburning, and in fact after we burned i stopped conflict, so from a 3rd party sure its worth a chuckle, and Ceres no need to be such a sore loser

I didn't lose.

I didn't die.

I wasn't effected.

This doesn't stop me from marvelling at your being amused by people losing hours of their work to something that arguably shouldn't be possible.

/

ceres youve causd so many people so much more than a few hours, you are being a hypocrite

Ah well. No complaints from you when Narsrim pooka force cannibalise/toadcurses you, or any such combination, then. After all, it's a game, you didn't even lose any experience because of lich...right?

This thread is about discussing "Conflict and Balance in Lusternia" now please take your disagreement elsewhere and get back on topic or I will start deleting your posts. There is a very nice thread all about Fain's antics just below here. Please keep on topic here as this thread is already increddibly long without hijacks and waverings.

Thank you

PK off prime would be nice if there were more interesting things off prime. Like, uninfluenceable villages. Or quests. Or, in general, something interesting. Take Ethereal. It's a nice, interesting little thing, that's why I take walks on it (And get raped regularly by Seren/Glommer friends).

Magnagora gets it all because we've determination and fighters. Take a look at Thorgal; he's done the right thing by the game (But not by Yrael, I need to find some way to manage to kill him) and given Celest another good fighter to add to the ranks.

I LOVE the Village Influencing system. Well, no, I'm a horrible liar. I like the IDEA of it, but in reality, it can be an utter bastard, such as the 8 hour Delport. Perhaps if they rebelled less often, or each city had a set amount of villages that did not revolt (Delport/Southgard for Celest, Angkrag/Acknor for Magnagora, Rockholm/Stewartsville for Glomdoring, and a new mining village/Estelbar for Serenwilde) and Stewartsville and a few other villages that randomly revolt, just less often. As well, perhaps, to stop raiding (Occuring as much) make villages able to have a militia. A bunch of mobs would, say, take up arms and attack the raiders, doing a percentage of their max health. As for nexus powers, perhaps something like a lightning storm that damages enemies in the village? The ability to enemy someone from a village, also, that then resets when the village revolts. That, and removing all statues/demesnes when one revolts, and then returning all guards, too, giving the nexus the power back.

Ramble done.