I thought there were already upgrades you could buy. At least one existed IIRC, but people didn't like it because of the power cost. The whole point was to add buffs if you were willing to pay the upkeep, and allow others to remove the buffs.

We do have a CTF type conflict, it's called Wild Nodes.

Sometimes I wonder if it's just a case of it happening at the wrong times. I did make a few suggestions that I want to share with Estarra because I've brought them up before, but the player base didn't seem keen on it.

1) Have an economic cost to conflict. To conduct conflict costs, since war is a negative-sum game. I suggested power costs to kill avatars/supernals, which would increase as it went along, thus, the more you do it, the more it costs. This would limit attacks and make them "special" again.

2) Have time-limits to conflict--maybe based on astrological signs or floating times.

I think the one of the problems is that again, players feel obligated to be in conflict all the time. I think this is a flaw based on peer pressure (from players) and based on a desire for conflict to "mean something". In other words, I notice certain people dislike the Hamster Hunts, Wargames, Figurines, etc., and they want to "be serious" about the conflict...yet, when things get that serious, it tends to be draining. Arena conflict seems rarer in this game than in other IRE games. But the system is not really setup for perma-conflict since there is not an end to it that's satisfying.

In some ways, this is the RP "interfering" with the game. I hate to come off "against the RP" mentality, but sportsmanship trumps all in these games--or it should. I think this is a case of "too much RP". I hate to say it like that, since RP is one of the key features why MUDs are still popular.

I did notice that people loved the individual conflict or PK-free "contests" during the Seals. Maybe there just needs to be a little more of that.

I often participate in wildnodes. It's a fun diversion, but I hate the insanity, so I rarely stay the full time. If you spend 90 minutes in wildnodes, you can't really play the game for about 3 hours afterwards. Still, it occurs once every 2 weeks... which leaves a very long period of time where there's little else to do but raid. Villages don't really count, because they're something which an organization and members feel OBLIGATED to be involved in.

I've been playing semi-constantly since the first Wildnodes game, and so far that's the only one I was able to participate in, again, chances are if it does come around when your on, one side dominates, and it's easier to bash and do other things instead of waste time, experiance, cures in trying to get a node.

The point of the BG's is to provide an absolutely free way to fight, with no concequences or cures or anything taken, which is entirely optional and doesn't impact in the game in any way what so ever. Arena's are fun and all, but they're not really big enough, I was thinking more like having a Grey Moors type area kind of as a battle ground, four 'villages' where your teams start, then a big area between, which are all linked as one area.

Killing demon lords/supernals IS special, because they're so goddamned hard.

I realy like the idea of battlegrounds combat. My brief try at combat was being told to help protect Nil, charging into a aqua demense, getting off one cosmic fire at Forren and dieing, praying, repeat 5 times then giving up. Was fun, but discoraging after a while. Without the dieing part I could have keept it up for hours

You may disregard my comments if you wish, because I'm the "rebel" of the group, not belonging anywhere but my own fantasyland, but...

I'd like to see conflict quests. I'd like to see them forwards, backwards, and inside out. Every org having a quest to be hurt by every other org and maybe even a neutral quest that just hurts them in general. Hate Hart, and you're from Celest? You don't have to do Glomdoring's quest, you can do the Celestian quest, or the neutral quest, to hurt them.

Nexus worlds. I know everyone's busy as usual, but we've got nexus worlds with very little up there. More options, more ways to help your org, more ways to hurt other orgs. Plus, it will encourage aether travel.

I like diversification of options. I hate the polar opposite thing, I like being able to do what you choose, ally with who you choose (though I admit that'd take a revamping of org ideals, rather than just creating more quests).

Aethership combat. Does anyone even do that?

I also suggested an idea a while ago, to have small 1-10 room areas scattered around the world, like "hideouts" almost, that could be claimed for a guild, clan, individual etc. They could be safe houses, but could be taken over. It'd create an interesting system of conflict.

I hear a lot that conflict is boring, and the same thing over and over again. Isn't there a way to shake it up more?

Yeah, I'd love to see places to fight that are neutral. Semterical maps, no obligation to defend, and you can bugger off it gets to much. Also, a Celest wide Celestia conglute for Celestian, a Nil wide Mag conglute for Mags, Etherwilde wide Seren conglute... this would prevent congluteless defenders from being screwed from no conglute. (Neutral/enemy zones wouldn't have this of course)

EDIT: Off-prime areas that are neutral. Maybe a plane full of aggro essence creatures would be nice? The Elemental plane of Lightning! Or some such.
EDIT2: I still love raiding in Seren as it is now. I had a Celest account. I HATED defending Celestia/Nil, especially when ONE person would do it for 5 hours straight. It killed combat, it killed my life. Although Celest military training programs kinda don't exists (Serenguard one is great)
EDIT3: A way to kill Hart/Crow with a big quest to revive either would be cool. No consequences for the commune, except maybe some power loss. Power != important, really. The loss of the spirit itself would be cool!
EDIT4: Conflict quests with random spawning/moving parts, like that village-hoppind dracnari would be uber cool. And yes, EVERY org needs a way to hurt every org. What would REALLY be cool would be a major quest (Supernal kill, break necromantate, poison the Ravenwood) type thing that is really hard and needs a small army, and then a secondary small quest (Fae to either Night or Moon, for instance)

Last thing, I also think Orgs need to step back and stop the pressure, but the lower frustrated people need to READ THE R#$@#$#@ NEWS AND NOT VOTE FOR THE WARMONGER for this to happen

I like the level of conflict currently.. and it can even go up more. I come back to Lusternia again and again specifically for the combat-aspect of the game.

The conflict level for me is okay. I love Lusternia combat...well except for demesnes. When I go to defend and the entire plane is melded it gets pretty boring. Same for when I go to raid as well.

Agree with what most people have said; a lot of the conflict seems to revolve around cosmic/ethereal plane raiding. Being able to harm, or even just alter, the status of the other org through quests and other (non-violent) means, like influencing events maybe (not village revolts, it'd be something new) may be neat. And I think there's supposed to be more things happening for nexus worlds sometime in the future?

I enjoy combat although I also really like the idea of special bashing areas.. maybe with raelly complicated quests or soemthing so people have more reason to go there.. a place where Avechna turns a cheek.

Yes we should have some low scale quests for conflict, (minor effects so other guys know it happened). But a valid effect nonetheless... suggestions to come.

Large scale conflict could use some work... Celest takes a ton of people (prolly seren too) and then attack when few of another palce are about. Magnagora while we do love our numbers often takes less people than Celest brings to defend. What we need is something to control things... maybe a champion of the city? A denizen that follows certain orders and can be told target orders, when to follow, when to run and has 'smart combat' he cant cure or take ails but he could afflict based on what type of champ.. like if Magnagora said Ur champ then it would be a hard hittin, wound giving, venom using, pain in the neck. Celest could get a paladin or something.. but if not matching skillsets (a Nihilist city champ would be awesome).. then something special at least knight skills and automatic decisions... maybe ignored parry/stance or something that way when someone was vastly outnumbered they could do something.. but with a balancing factor on it so that it wouldnt uber ail and fight then only be whackable/symbolable etc. This would cut down the huge difference in numbers and also giving a fun use.. like it may use power if it dies but but can only be used if you are outnumbered... maybe lesser denizens... like invasion if numbers are really off. Since they cant move where a player cant they cant stop all powerful raids or anything yet could still make a difference.. tide and stone lrods could use some buffing and new bilities to fight... and conflict quests without massive changes should be instated.

Yes please. Chocolate chip.

Anyway, I think the conflict climate is steady, save for, as You said, the raids on Ethereal. I don't really know what my side's doing, but I know that it seems like every five minutes Krellan is up in Etherglom slayin' the aspects. I actually tried raiding Etherwilde myself, but failed miserably. I got caught like ten seconds after I got up there. Really though...if it gets to the point where the killing is constant (like in Aetolia) I will leave, but I've not had any problems personally with being killed mindlessly like in Aet. Just my two sovereigns.

I think the conflict is a little too much, for my tastes. But really, the only conflict I get is getting copiously killed by Krellan. I'm definitely frustrated that it's always the same thing. Krellan/Sarrasri/Yini/Kalodan spore in, defile/kill aspects/champions, leave. I don't really participate in many offensives (Today not withstanding) but I think that Serenwilde gets hit by us a lot too. I don't know. It's just so..I don't know what I want to verbalize. Maybe I just want meaning. Like currently (And I really hate to bring this up, because how many times has it been brought up? A ton.) Faethorn is only used for power. There's little meaning to it other than see fae, get fae, lol at Seren. I don't know what to say about it though, it seems like everytime the admin tries to change it, someone isn't happy, and that's a sour pill to swallow. There's something else I have to say, but I'm not sure how to put it into words, as I only have a vague idea of it myself.

My problem with conflict quests is that although they're fun, it sort of blocks fluidity. Like..let's say (hypothetically, don't go crazy on me) Glomdoring and Serenwilde decide to get along. They're all happy, Shadowdancers giving Moon thumbs up, Moondancers helping fae to their tah'vrais, and then John P Nobody does the Seren-Glom conflict quest which causes I don't know. The Dark Spirits to ride on Crow's back while Mother Night sneezed evil shadows over Serenwilde. Now you can't just say "Oh don't mind that, that was just some newbie" Because the Great Spirits of Glomdoring just technically rampaged around Serenwilde. I loved the conflict quests when they were around, but that's the problem I see with them now. Is that just me being stupid, or is that a valid reason?

During my tenure in Lusternia, I came to the conclusion that there's not enough conflict. I have a few ideas for helping it improve, although they may no longer be relevant given the game's development in the last month or so:

1) Make cosmic entities matter more! Maybe all players in an organization can take damage every time they're attacked, or maybe they can suck more power when they die.

2) Limit the maximum power in a Nexus to 10 thousand.

3) Implement conflict quests that do direct damage when completed... maybe give all members in an organization random afflictions (Like the psionic parasite event! I think everyone really enjoyed that.) until a counter-quest is done.

4) Allow players to bombard with their aetherships, severing ties between cities and manses and causing damage to docked aetherships.

Uh... just FYI. Losing a Great Spirit == a consequence. You also are *forced* to do the "big quest" to revive them. Thus, that is a Bad Idea.

More conflict quests? Sure, but as long as they aren't boring and tedious like the sea battle use to be with a sucky consequence if you didn't commit a large chunk of your playing time doing it.

Aethership bombardment would be neat. Nexus being limited to 10k would be lame though. Limited, maaaaaybe, but not something that low.

That's pretty much all the conflict I get as well.

I'm not big into conflict, but I do know that we we do have is a tad bit boring. I like the idea of all the organizations being able to do quests that affect the other organizations, not just Glom doing things to hurt Seren and the same with Celest-Mag.

Please no. I think having the possibility for infinite power is cool. I wouldn't mind that each million your nexus hit, something happened. Not anything super relevant, but maybe the Great Spirits flew over the Forest and bragged or something, or maybe the Demon Lords/Supernals sent a parade of angels/demons to romp about. Something nifty RPwise.

QFT.

The other factor that always made conflicts feel unsustainable was how overwhelming numbers are in group fighting. I've tried to start some brainstorming about this in another thread.