Combat group:

Just so we're clear the xp sharing only works if you're both in the group -and- are following (or some other requirement like same area only), right.

Cause otherwise, people will ingroup others, some guy goes away somewhere safe and passively gets experience.

No idea on a name, go look at a thesaurus. My vote is on posse.

Other groups:

I'm not particularly sure covens need anything else, you can already do a bunch of neat buffs while in a coven, and with altars, everyone can be inducted and partake in said buffs. so just the xp group sharing mechanic is what's needed for now. I'm not opposed to buffs, but I don't think it's needed.

Mindlinks could probably be thrown a bone, though. Give them all a mana/int buff or something. Make it like taurian enrage but for int, get creative.

Combat Grouping
name: Are you looking for a known english word like Posse, or Coalition, or are you looking for a Lusternian words like : Aethergroup, or a FateKnot?

Coven:
Give the benefit of increased xp gain if hunting at Night, or in a Forest of some kind.

Mindlink:
Give the benefit of increased xp gain if Influencing, or hunting in melded territory.

(Ooops, posted in wrong thread--moved here.)



Well, yeah, you have to be in the same room and elevation to get the xp (though not necessarily have to follow).

We were thinking of a 0 level combat skill called "squads" which lets players form squads and possibly have some a higher level skill or two in combat that works with squads, like a squadleader skill that prevents the squad leader from moving unless everyone can move (if the skill is turned on). These are just random thoughts, we may or may not do that.

Throwing a bone to mindlinks is a good idea, though int doesn't make sense. They use ego (i.e, charisma).

Coven channel should work cross plane.

And mindlinking does give a buff, it buffs the psionic power or something or other. I also think Estarra wanted covens to be more special than just regular grouping.

What would you give telepaths?

bah, I also posted in the wrong thread. my post is right above Estarra's reply to Sojiro

That would be so cool.

Also, just to clarify, would the way squads accrue xp to each member be different than how xp is divvied up now, with just following people?

Would it be possible, instead of having separate actual types of groups, to allow said skills to enhance an existing group in some way?

So:

Combat Grouping

• 0 level skill in combat (open to everyone).
• XP sharing ONLY if in group (not just following)
• Chat channel that only works on same plane
• Coven ability:
  • Some coven related bonus to the group.
• Mindlink ability:
  • Some mindlink related bonus to the group.
  • Chat channel extended to all planes.

Furthermore, this could be extended so that all basic archetypes have some small addition to a group. Knights (born tankers) can add to defensive skills or HP boost or something similar for example.

This way, everyone has access to a group, and people are actually encouraged to work together outside of raiding.

Squadleader is an awesome idea.

Another possible skill would be SqaudCollector (which automatically picks up all the drops from the mod)

I think it would make sense to allow mindlinking to be a special type of group for influencing. (extra xp gain, since you can't really influence in groups otherwise). Perhaps instead of being in the same room, you only have to be in the same area.

You would no longer get xp by following people, it would only be in squads.

I haven't really thought about how xp division. Does it need to change? If so, how and why?

Here's where design/rp butts heads with mechanics. Yes, that's a good idea mechanically, but covens are meant to be covens (groups of wiccans) and mindlinks are meant to be telepaths connected telepathically. Though I'm not adverse to skills that impact squads, I wouldn't want to lose the intent of covens and mindlinks (more so with covens).

Heh, a cha/ego buff doesn't really seem very useful for something that will probably be mostly used for bashing/pk. I just arbitrarily picked int because mindlink = mana = int, etc. I'd rather not have something that affects combat too much be put in though, cause then that'd probably cause more headaches.

Coven and mindlinks could probably stand be to work cross-plane, which serves to make them more special than 'squads' in one way. I still disagree that covens 'need' anything more. Though, on the other hand, covens are also limited to 13, so maybe that can be removed as well. If you still need more stuff, maybe some form of power buff that lets certain coven skills get more powerful somehow.

As far as the name goes, I also like playing on the idea about Threads of Fate woven together like those ancient beliefs of the red string of fate.

Nevermind, I was a bit confused since I read this in the other thread first.


@Sojiro: Spools!

Is there a real benefit to assign someone as SquadCollector? I'm just curious why assigning one person to do all the farming is something people want.

You're right that influencing isn't designed for groups. If I understand your idea, everyone in the same area influences and shares the xp (if in a mindlink)? I'll have to think on that.

Hmm, agreed. I admittedly have never played either archetype so I don't know a whole lot about them. I still like the idea for everyone else, then. I can think of a couple of group-boosts that would fit well with bards and knights.

Covens being limited to 13 is an rp thing, 13 being a 'full coven'. I wouldn't really want to see it removed just for convenience.

Actually an ability that lets the squadleader collect all the gold (not corpses) and split it amongst all members in the group automatically would be swell. So would an ability to quickly discern the hp/mp/ego of each member of the group.

And covens being limited to 13 is fine if you really want to keep it that way, makes it sound special, even.

well, sometimes people fight over who gets the spoils, and this would make it more obvious that it needs to be shared. This skill could also keep track of what gold actually gets collected from the hunt, so there is a nice easy to read total at the end. Perhaps it can also affect who is able to offer the corpses for the essence gain.



Yes, you understood the idea correctly. I can see the difficulty if someone just influences for everybody else who just sits and does nothing. But I think the idea can be worked on to work.

hmm, new mindlink idea.

Allow the mindlink to distribute esteem across all group members.

And we can go with "clique" instead of "squad," because really, doesn't everyone want to be in the clique?

In the histories, elder gods had "formations of power." If there was something more specific than the individual name of each formation, I did not see it in my quick glance.

So, here is my short list for What Do We Call It:
- formations
- cliques
- bands
- corps
- outfit

And if we have formations, we can keep in theme by letting the leader/founder/first person/whomever give it a name, a la Orlachmar's Beast or Shuyin's Leeches.

Now, am I misunderstanding this or are we talking about all of three of these things (combat groups, covens, mindlinks) receiving a sort of change? Would a person be able to join a combat group, a coven, and, depending on how it works, also a mindlink? Would this allow the cumulative benefit of each one's XP bonus for an individual?