I think the xp decay thing is a really dumb idea

Way back when, I remember Chris saying that skill decay would apply on death OR on skill up. As many others stated, this current system doesn't prevent anyone from GM'ing every skill in the game - they just need to avoid death. Applying the decay each time you die or improve a skill would have the desired effect, but would very unpopular.

I'd prefer if they let us GM every skill in the game. With active skills, we wouldn't put all of them in a deck at the same time. It would just allow us to play different roles by switching decks. Passive skills would make for some godly characters, so some limitation would have to apply. I suggest that they get split them up into "Always On" skills like Healthy, Train Strength, etc and then "Equipped" passives (like critical hit %) which only apply if they're part of the deck. The deck would have a limit of say 10 equipped passives. Something similar to what Secret World did.

 

This exactly.

I am waiting for an answer in the other thread about how a decay on death mechanic actually achieves the stated goal of limiting player development. There is currently no reason that a player cant GM every skill if they simply play safe and only die rarely or never.

 

Mine was over here:
https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f...worst-mechanic-ever.42017/page-20#post-469553
It adds a multiplier for every >60 >80 and >100 skill you have. Making it exponentially harder for each GM. So still a goal to hardcore grind for, while not being a blocker for casuals.


Although some of the game design have changed after that. Which does make the decay system even more defunct since it doesn't come close to fixing the thing it was designed for while still hitting casuals and multi-facet players much much harder.

So I'd take my system any day. It's much easier to explain in a manual as well and doesn't induce rage in the same manner.

 

i think the exp decay is a cool idea

 

Bump.... Still dislike exp decay.

 

i still like the idea of decay AFTER gm status, that will give the hardcore reason to keep rinsing and repeating and the casuals can play casually and not feel like they have to log in and do a job like in RL.

 

Except the "hardcore" would just keep everything at 99 and harness god power.

 

no they wouldnt, they are not doing that now. Everyone would be doing the 99 except the hardcore. The hardcore would be pressing the top to find the pinnacle.

 

They are not doing that now because there is no incentive to do so since skill decay already being computed against the total xp. Should there be exemption until a skill reach gm. People would be dropping skills to 99 and work on 200 X 99 skills before moving next to GM+.

 

key word, "right now"...

 

Sure. I just pointed out that restricting skill decay to be after GM would beat the point of having skill decay in the first place. There isn't much different between skill level 99 and 100.

Right now, people will start to ponder what skills are worth keeping high level because the skill decay essentially a soft cap for character progress until there are new content introduce that will increase their regular XP gain rate.

If the skill decay only computes on the skills that are 100 or higher. Then people can go all full blown on all skills until they reach level 99, then cherry pick a few to go beyond GM until higher level zones are being added.

 

Right, thats why I want skill caps. and by skill caps I mean a total number of skill points available. that way they have to pick and choose what skills they want, instead of what now is everyone can be everything up until a certain level, and the few people that can play more can be god mode.

 

That would be a valid point if the design intent is to prevent people from progress any further regardless of how much effort they are willing to put into their character progression.

 

can you point me to that plan design, and if its in the past then its a DLMB moment. Seems like to me that everything is in flux at the moment an nothing is actually solid. Just ask the persistence not release notes in which change with community input but not the forum community input or there would be a "paper trail." So can you point me to a paper trail that I can read? Also, is not what i quoted the exact same thing as preventing progress no matter how much effort?

 

Because you don't gain xp from PVP, why then would you lose it?

 

Yes!

 

I don't know what's their definite final goal is either. This is probably as latest as we can get regarding the skill decay soft cap vs hard cap: https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/game-system-changes-for-r35.68930/

Anyway, I merely pointed out that having the hard cap would only make sense if the goal was to prevent people from progress their character any further after certain point. I mean... let's say if the hard cap is to have up to 700 levels for any skills. It wouldn't matter if you have 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 hours per day to play because once you hit 700 skill levels combined, then that's it. Your character skills can't progress any further. Did I misunderstand how skill hard cap work?

 

Then everyone would just lock at 99, the power gain for that last level is negible. But no decay would invite massive min-maxing.

 

ya, I understand that, but my point is just what I said earlier, by you just posting things does not change my opinion of what I feel, regardless of the mission to drive this game into the dirt for people like me. It seems to me that your mission is to bury any dissent in a shitload of posts that will never be read, but I am used to it. The future will be what it will be without me or you.

 

worked for UO for 17+ yrs and people are still paying subscription.