Someone was to post this idea up for evaluation, flaming and final rejection and ridicule a few days ago but they didn't. So I'm posting it up instead as I'm really curious of the quality and intensity of the aforementioned reactions.

Idea: upgrade/allow to upgrade the GM and GA artifacts to act like wands of illusions.

Restrictions:
- no upgrade for the GC artifact on the premise that they would be tempted to use it for combat (GMs and GAs are a lot lower risk!)
- make it take a -long- equilibrium / cost lots of willpower/endurance / power / have a cooldown to further thwart combat use
- make it require you to be at full hp/mana/ego (again a combat hindrance)

Possible additions:
- make said illusions immune to artistic evaluation. I wouldn't die if that failed to pass but it would be dreamy...
- allow it to do colourful and programmed tricks! (wishful thinking)

Reasoning:

I think the reason is self-explanatory really - give us more RP tools! The possibility of buying a wand of illusions is like null even should it go up for sale as it would reach astronomical prices so unless you are a bard/mage (which most of us are, well, not!) then your creative output is rather dull and tampered RP wise. I really loathe how the aforementioned classes have it just so easy for rites/sermons/lectures/gatherings whilst everyone else has to plow through a barren landscape.

There are illusions as an option to begin with so there is -some- trust with the players and this would be an awesome addition. Alternatively, cheaper and more restrictive wands of illusions pls? Anything!

I think this is a great idea. The aforementioned reasons are just the tip of the iceberg: A guild can really come alive with a good GM who can do illusions that fit well with their RP. It ties into ceremonies,rites, and just gives a huge amount of flavour that cannot be had with the standard "em chuckles and does some stuff". i'd be rather happy to see this implemeted

em 's lips twitch in what could have been as smile as her eyes skim through the bottom of a crisp-looking scroll, content evident on her face.

This one has been suggested and ignored many times before so it probably isn't going to anywhere this time either, I'm afraid.

I know, but after Gaudiguch and Hallifax come out and we are done with restoration of Ackleberry, I want us to have some goals. And when that time comes I want to be able to point my deft little finger at the vast amount of topics akin to this one and argue superiority of this idea basing on its insistent resurfacing.

Hmm. I'd restrict it to certain areas of your guildhall ( or cathedral/church) and give the Divine (any divine) a function to activate it at their discretion. For example you want to do a ritual on nil but for sake of balance divine would want to shut illusions off if a raid happened.

I think its a cool idea.

Alsooooooooo related. The Admin can customize certain npc's responses or events to happen upon activation by the leaders of the guild.
For example there is a couple of celestine and paladins rites where things happen in the cathedral or npcs talk. And its cool when novices don't know what is going on.

This costs money.

Use your bard guild's stage. Perfect, flexible, unlimited, undetectable illusions. Restricted by location only.

It is not always appropriate for ceremonies and rituals to take place in a theatre.

Not true about the Spiritsinger stage






PS I love our sundial.

At least it's an option, and as Shiri points out, it's hugely unlikely the original request in the thread will happen. Personally I think the "Your artistic eye" message is even more inappropriate for ritual and ceremony. Anyway, I can adapt a ritual to work in a particular spot a lot easier than I can adapt it to work solely with emotes, but your mileage may vary.

I'm more a fan of the plan repeated rituals out (if you're going to plan them anyway) and just purchase them to be activated wherever yu like.

im all for this idea, trying to do a ritual entirely with emotes sucks

paladin rites of transcendence as an example..at least with knighthood all of the effects of the light coming into the cathedral etcetera makes up for the amount you have to say and do to get to that point...with the rites, it is 100% emoting and it feels like a waste of time.

I gotta say, I like this idea, mainly for reasons Revan and Nariah already said: the obvious advantages over custom emotes.

I've tried to avoid scripted ritual just because I'm trying to carve a niche for my guild that is separate from the other Seren guilds -- both to respect what they already do and leave it to them to do it, and to help us have something different to offer -- so we focus on more improvisatory and participatory things where they never go the same way twice. Besides, I never really liked scripted ritual as much, where most of the people present are audience rather than participant -- a funny thing to admit for someone who's best known for writing plays, but there you have it. Even when I create rituals, I always have something in them where the participants are charged to create part of it anew each time it's done, so it's a creative act for everyone present.

I guess I'm veering off the original topic here, huh? Sorry. I guess to get back on topic: your local bard guild will probably also be willing to help with illusions. I know it makes it harder to get the timing right to add one more person, but it's an option. Feel free to ask me if I'll hide invisibly behind your cathedral and do your illusions for you; I will be very likely to do it for you (provided you're not in an enemy organization and all that).

I don't want to come across as negative and whiny so to begin with thank you all for the suggestions and kind words. They all have merit and are things I already know of/use if possible. To walk through it:

- theatre - no... not really for Nihilist rituals. I don't think I even have to begin to explain why. It is viable for some things but not for that.
- asking for help - also not really an option... hey, Geomancer, come 'ere pretend my offerings have some meaning will ya?
- paid upgrades - granted I did not know it is a 'common' option, only assumed it may be due to seeing things of that kind elsewhere, but it has merit only for big, scripted ceremonies. What I'm thinking of though is more creativity and flexibility

In summary... I still wish this got implemented at least in some way that gives us a little more freedom. I try to make rituals not boring and keep the emotes short, expand on the say options and involve others but an illusion here and there would really spice things up. I'll keep hoping whilst I try to incorporate some of the ideas here!

Also... oh come on! Can we PLEASE get a help file for all the cool secret upgrades one can get for their Guild? How the Nil are we supposed to know about all that awesome stuff (cool door in guilds, guild expansions, scripted illusions and stuff) without bugging our patrons a LOT. And I don't want to bug Morgfyre, he's insanely busy enough as is without my myriad of questions

I agree with this one without hesitation.


(There's also an option to get a guild artifact in your guildhall that does illusions, the Hartstone has one. I don't know if it was paid for, because we had it for so long before it was activated but you run into the limitation of being stuck in a single room.)

I have to agree with Lendren. For us bards that have improved illusions already...

... I'd feel left out of the cool, new power feeling.

Begone foul tricksters from this thread! You who have everything the lot of us dreams of at night. You who can make reality come alive with colour and sound at your whim!

Begone! Lest you wish to find thyself pounced on in a dark alley and dragged away against your will, writhing and whining. None shall hear thy pitiful cries whilst your vocal cords are severed with the strings of your own instrument. Begone! Lest you are taken in for an eerie ritual sucking thy skill out of you to satisfy our morbid curiosity, leaving you drained and barren, for dead.