If that was the route taken I don't think costs should be as high as 15 million essence. You want your casual players to be able to enjoy it and play as well, and it's not fair to punish them because they chose going to work (so they can pay for important things like rent and credits) over being on lusternia 24/7.

a comment on the essence shop. Mutually exclusive abilities might make things slightly more interesting rather than I need x million essence to get everything. Is it... Alianna that has the very winter based theme can't remember sorry. But it would be interesting(maybe not so much to her) if she could make purchases that emphasised this but maybe left her a little weak on other fronts. (purchasing say... cold defense buffs would prevent you from taking fire defense, or even weakening you if you could buy multiple levels of it)

The essence shop could be a great opportunity to make the demigod you want emphasised by the fact that you have some slight mechanical differences tailored to you. Just seems more interesting to make it an investment no just in time, but in careful planning and another level of customisation.

Gregori is Kalin, CL of Gaudi, so this does not compute?

Even if your rationale held up, it's all on Gaudi, not Glom. To be honest, you've been the only person who's been repeatedly waving this flag, so I'm not sure your logic is even something many people resonate with.

The only person actually calling them overpowered is me, though I make enough noise to make that a little less obvious, sometimes. I've already stated multiple times why I think so, though. Here is my take on your idea, because I like it:

What if you had a set amount of divine 'motes' or essence or whatever to allocate to a handful of benefits, with each benefit being weighted depending on how strong it is (weigh INT and STR heavier than other stats, possibly, or weigh stats by archetype of the Demigod in question) - essentially allowing for Xiel's essence shop to purchase things like tradeslots, the Auras, etc, while also providing your idea as a way to make a 'tailored' Demigod status. Give the Demigod enough motes to pick up a handful of things, but not enough to get EVERYTHING they currently have. Figure out what would and would not be a special power, perhaps throw in some new neat ones later from ideas you got here. It sounds like talent points, though, and I dunno if you wanna go that far.

This way, essence could be used as a currency in the shop and secondary 'mana' for mote-purchased stuff, Demigod powers could be relegated, and Ascendants could even use the same system perhaps (providing them with extra motes, perhaps, after the system works to limit the amount of Vernals in play). To play on the Immortal Spark theme, call them power sparks or something? Perhaps have Demigods start out with 0 motes/spark, make each mote/spark cost essence, scaling upwards, until they reach a mote/spark cap. First few a cheap, last few are expensive to drain that pool out a little.

Just an idea.

edit: This system also opens up the idea of Nexii providing specific powers for Demigods to evoke, or Ascendants. I dunno.

I don't get why it's okay to throw an idea out just because the people from one org are more likely to work to achieve the targets. It's like saying villages/domoths/org conflict shouldn't exist because one org is doing particularly well.

I never said it was on glom. I said, practically speaking, glom is a different game than everyone else, and to pretend its an even field is silly. Which is undeniably true. And I work hard for Gaudi. I'd go aetherbashing, but, who do we have on regularly? Me... Kalin... Aliod... Anyania on a good night.

I don't think Estarra's throwing ideas out just because one org is doing well at it.

I'll go aetherbashing!

I'm not talking about Estarra, just anyone who is trying to use that as a reason for saying no to something.

And that's not the only reason, its just the one people have chosen to keep harping on.

Ultimately?

I work hard at this game in my own ways, for what I want to do. I buy credits, I work for my org, I help people, I do what I can within the limits of my abilities. Especially since I moved, for whatever reason. It's often emotionally draining, and its a lot of work. Its also emotionally rewarding at times. But, I'm not the most prolific basher by any means. Anything I lose after my personally frustrating road to get demi, and have to re-earn it just to get back to the same place?

And for what? A temporary balancing act that will get right back to the current status quo as merely a function of time?

Just, no.

Yeah, limited-time offers are a bad idea.

EDIT: As in, making demi-abilities available for a limited time, and then having to be re-purchased.

I am one who actually supports divinefire being done away with. I would get alot more kills that way. However I don't support these continued attempts to divert the issue away from the fact that Ascendant needs to be narrowed to 2-4 per org tops. I love the essence shop idea it all though, but the whole 'Demigod is the real issue' is a red herring. Ascendants have and will remain the issue because they will always be Demigod ++. If Demigod is the issue and its not the Ascendency mechanics that are the problem, why is everyone in such a big fit to part with the skills/mechanics. If its just 'cool' to be ascendant for RP purposes with the title only, I don't see what the fuss is. keep your title, get your essence back. RP all you want being called cool guy ascendant, I could care less. The skills break the game and the fact the entire Ascendantclique bands together to badmouth a change doesn't really show a fair view in my mind.

Would you be less adverse to the variation I presented where you have everything you invest in permanently, but you cannot gain everything via investment (due to weighted costs, etc), but can custom change it at virtual will?

You can't base balancing off where are more of the players living. By that logic Gaudiguch should never suffer a nerf to any skills because they have a low top tier fighter population and they need to be OP to compete (not saying they are OP so let's not turn this into an "omg burns need to be nerfed"). Anyways, balancing doesn't work that way. Especially since players can move and have moved at any given time.

Incidentally, I find Rodgnar/Eventru's ideas also interesting, though it doesn't address what to do about VA besides a sentence or two.

I am not so sure how I feel about the time based buffs. If you make the cost to low you are solving nothing and if you make the cost to high you are punishing those that can't be on every day to get essence.

I am leaving VA to the people who feel passionately about it. My concern with VA links to my concern with Demigod - if we fix Demigod, all problems with VA are also instantly fixed.. when it comes to personal issues. I know that fearaura will get a nerfing and divinefire, aegis, etc with it - so I'm putting my effort toward something nobody else is bringing up. The line I included about VAs was that, assuming they became more 'precious' in terms of rarity, we could give them extra sparks/motes or extra investable powers to aid in the leading of their people - but once again, we need to make sure we don't walk in to a trap of fearaura/aegis/whatever. I actually have misgiving about even including combat-related perks in the sparks/motes selection, but they OBVIOUSLY are not going away, so I'm trying to propose a system that mitigates them. My proposed system, optimistically, would make it so Demigods have to put some thought in to what they honestly want and think about what they give up in the process.


EDIT: Unlike Eventru's system, my investable mote/spark idea would bestow permanent buffs would be adjustable for an essence cost or just every IRL day to change your benefits/utility/etc what you are investing in.

If there are going to be ways to spend essence then the penalty of death or possibility of reverting to titan might be too harsh. I imagine borderline demigods without much of a buffer will cower in fear and be wary of even defending against raids which is not befitting of their mighty stature.

This might already happen but if there are incentives to save up your essence then there will be even greater reluctance to take risks. (for all demigods period)

I've suddenly stopped caring about any of this save for the last point here. That would be such epic win.

Don't complain if you used too much of your essence on boons?