Aetherspace is better than ships because it feels isolated. If we had regular ships people could do tells, teleport, summon "da killin' moon", etc.

I was weirded out by Achaea's "Wilderness Map", which kinda took areas and turned them into little blocks. Sort of like being in the game but not being in the game.

I wouldn't mind regular sailing or airships, but have them as rooms that move rather than use the ASCII map. There's already precedent, the two ships from the two cities and the raft "moves". I could see us doing something like that.

They do that because there's no need for deviation, and no need for people to be able to interact while it's happening. It's a direct form of transport. If that system was used, precisely that way, you'd never actually see anyone else, accidentally run into them, or have to worry about attacking or defending yourself because you'd all be in your own little rooms, on a direct route somewhere. You get room-emotes about the waves crashing, maybe a crab washing up on deck, the sound of the seagulls, etc. but you can't go anywhere until the trip is over.

I was surprised by the amount of "DEAR GOD NO NOT SHIPS" responses from people, as well as the amount of people who either don't think we have oceans, don't know about the "new area/islands" concept, or don't see how we could use the same system we use for aetherspace, for ocean travel.

Ah well, the creatrix has spoken.

I think another thing is that they don't want to go about stealing what glory Achaea might have left. I mean, if they weren't owned by the same company that would be okay, but financial cannibalization is not good. It would sort of be like if we started integrating vampires as a playable race. That would be taking what makes Aetolia unique.

I'm pretty sure Estarra has said repeatedly that they're trying to make Lusternia the best game ever.

I'm sorry, but the above statement demonstrates no understanding of how business works. You don't purposefully handicap one product in fear people would stop using another of your products of the same type and price. You make them both as awesome as possible, to steal people from the competition.

Yet we can pretty much guarantee that no IRE game other than Aetolia will ever have vampires.

There are just certain trademarks that make each of the games unique. Achaea doesn't really -have- one that I can think of, but if they ever get ships that will be their big new thing.

A larger company with smaller retailers want their retailers to be as different as possible, to prevent the cannibalization of their other subsidiaries. You want to be better than the competition, yes, but you also want each retailer to be better for different reasons, this way you can appeal to the largest group possible.

Unless ships would be an entirely different form of system than aetherships, I can't see it happening. If the only real difference is flavor, it's going to come off as very bland.

I'm totally reminded of the commercials where the Classic Coke guys want to sue the Coke Zero guys for stealing their flavor and the lawyer is like "But... it's one company?" and the Classic Coke guys are like "But we work on different floors."

OK, so this is only ever going to happen once, so savor it while it's here.

Noola,

But. We don't need Vampires. Archlich Viscanti >>> Vampires.

What is that smiley waving around?

I dunno, but when I read your question, the possibilities that popped into my mind nearly made me choke on my gum.

That makes 2 of us.

*My metaphorical gum, of course. There is no gum chewing in the desert, it wastes water.

So, you're saying that game needs to have a unique selling point? You're also saying Achaea should get ships?

I'm again utterly confused by what you're posting.

Achaea's already going to get ships Real Soon Now. It's been announced.

I'm not saying they should, I'm saying they are, and that its going to be a big help for the game. It really doesn't have much else going for it. There are tons of overpowered dragons running around, role play is dead, the majority of its gameplay is outdated when compared to Lusternia or Imperian. The only thing that really keeps it going is that it's the flagship game, and people tend to get drawn into it first.

And yes, I'm saying that each game needs to have a unique selling point. I'm not saying there can't be similarities (there already are huge ones), but each game needs something that appeals to a different crowd of people.

On a completely different note, keep in mind that Aetolia has also made their flagship product, Vampires, insane. Think of a cross between Shadowdancer ents and Ur'guard damage with the healing skill. Pretty much accurate. Any other flagship idea, like dragons, is going to be obscene too. I mean, really, when did Achaea ever contain roleplay?

Achaea has been getting ships Real Soon Now for like four years. I'll believe it when it happens, not before.

Indeed, each game strives for its own theme. Achaea is the "traditional" fantasy game (originally meant to have an Ancient Greece atmosphere). Imperian has the magic vs. anti-magick theme (faith vs. reason?). Aetolia has the dark gothic theme.

The aim for Lusternia is to be a high-magic, other planar high fantasy. Though we aren't steam punk, there is a strong magic-as-technology vein that we try to incorporate. Thinking of that, one wonders why ocean going vessels would ever develop beyond anything more than "quaint" once aetherships have been discovered.