Shattered Kingdoms

Here are a few of my thoughts on the transportation system.

Firstly in order for vehicles to become a reasonable expense, wilderness travel will have to become vastly more costly. As it is, a single merc can walk across almost all of Pyrathia's main continent in less than one day, without a steed. This would need to be changed so that travel would be more lucrative with steeds and vehicles. This would mean that taking a vehicle (even one that is scripted, such as the caravan to Nerina) would need to be both fast and somewhat cheap. Otherwise, they would never get any use. If this means slowing down wilderness travel (increasing the delay between each move) or making it cost more PE, or some other third thing,.. well, it has to be done. Portal stones would have to open less often, like previously, perhaps only once every in-game day.

Second, one set method of vehicular transportation would have to be decided on. The caravan is an amazing script. I would like to see more like it. I have played on several MUDs that had vehicles which were scripted, and followed their own schedules. Whichever way it is done, one set method is needed, and many area changes would have to be done to set up caravans or nomadic trails, or what have you.

Finally, some way to assault or besiege caravans would be needed. Otherwise, players would use and abuse them as a means to avoid PK. This might mean making them into a traveling room of sorts with a door and a window(so that PC's/NPC's inside can fire outwards).

Constructive Comments or Suggestions?

Well RP wise this is a good idea. And as we have seen it has already been implemented here and there but nothing solid yet.

Slowing the move in wilderness does not sound like an awfully good idea for more than enough reasons. With area familiarity and the need of players to walk fly ride from one place to another to train, walk back and train level, walk back into the area again to train and so forth....

Furthermore there are various other ways of traveling, IE Gate-Rift-Fly-Teleport-Recall. I don't want to see those wimped over a caravan or two.

In classic medieval ages, people would take caravans and such, for the sake of safety in traveling in numbers, comfort and lack of knowledge as to the traveling routes. Here in the fantasy world of SK, we see powerful wizards who can instantly teleport from one area to another, legendary priests who can send whole groups from point A to point B with a gate, Dark Knights who bend the time and space through Rifts, magical portal stones that provide quick traveling..

I like the idea of more scripted ways to travel, that would add flavor to the game. Some more caravans, a ship or two maybe sailing from and to Empire and so forth but in no way, would I consider it prudent to do so, in the cost of the everyday travel on SK as we know it.

I dont think we need to go that far, I think adding ships would be nice, but that could also come with some crafting, example:

People could cut wood and eventualy build ships, or there could be more ports and you can buy a ship and <sail> from one port to another, having places like Teron, that already has a dock and such, that would not be hard to add, this could provide more roleplay, Also, prehaps you can use your ships for storeing things, and if someone happins to board your ship, prehaps a messanger would come and tell you that <Someone> Has boarded your ship, also you could hire ship mates and such to protect your ship, but the downside, people could take all the good Items in the game and store them in a ship and you would have to attack the ship to get what you want.



Also I think that a speedwalker would be fine, not taking into consideration the travle lag, It would just find the shortest route and walk follow it. It should only be when you are flying, for not every one can climb or swim. you would still experence the fatigue from walking great distances.

Vehicles I like.

Adroan's idea sounds like CRS.

On a bit of a side note, I always thought it would be cool if people could dual mount on a horse (or other mounts of appropriate size). The lead rider would still be in control and perhaps the mount would loose mp twice as quickly (or whatever ratio would make sense.)

As for the caravans, I like the idea. There was another mud I played that implemented a similar idea... only it was open cart... you could see who rode it as it wheeled on by. The idea of it being a room with doors and windows sounds better... if there is a way it could be accomplished well.

-G

CRS? What is CRS? I like my ideas..

It's "cool," but given the existence of portal stones, fly, gate, rift, etc., it just seems like that... a novelty rather than something practical.

Perhaps if the caravans reached areas that are actually difficult to discover, like any of the various random villages and cities scattered through the world (Mortoon, Elisair, Craeftilin, Chibunei, etc. etc.) It might help in creating a more cohesive and connected world, especially for newer players who have no idea that many of those places exist.

Stands for the cabal relic system. If you go through some cabal's guarded fortress and steal their relic, it hurts them and helps you. Relevant here only in that automated guards are problematic and dull.

I think there should be jeeps in SKs. And planes, like spitfires and zeroes and stuff.

We need rifles first. Aha! an RP event! Make it so.