Shattered Kingdoms

Taking advice from Gilgon would probably be the worst thing that could possibly happen to the mud as is

How many hours were devoted to finding scripted items that were deemed too powerful and giving them drawbacks? I would bet a larger number, considering there were "steps" in the process -> first, making it so the affect would disappear after you removed the item, and the second step a few years later in which a 'drawback' was added to each item. If builders were more responsible in the first place tihs wouldn't be necessitated.

The larger problem than scripted eq, which isn't the point of this thread, is the massive availability of high level scrolls, and to a lesser degree staves/wands. Instant scrolls should not be "barely" weaker than spells that take time to cast, and are cast by casters themselves rather than by rogues/bards.

The existence of offense staves/scrolls/wands only serves to vastly widen the gap between average players and veterans. If you think the gap is currently perfectly fine, even though one vet can ravage multiple average players easily via scrolls, that's fine. Still, I think the gap is too large currently and this is the best fix for it. Remove INSTANT pk abilities - this is one of the only muds anywhere that utilizes instant damage.


(Just to clarify, the only difference between a skill and a spell in SK is that skills have lag _after_ usage, whereas spells have lag _before_ usage. Barely any other mud that includes tactical pvp includes abilities that have lag _after_ usage, because it makes pvp instant.

It's small, simple change. It will make the game more fun for almost everyone. Please consider it.

I've no problem with instituting any game-wide change Dulrik decides to do with areacheck. I've done it repeatedly. This would actually not be very difficult of a change if he chose to do it. There would be tons of QQ.

I say do it.

On offensive things, I agree completely. It's a little absurd when you can run in with an OP'd sleep stave and drop half of a 9 PC group. I don't really see any problems with the defensive magical things, like say op'd Mirror Image/etc scrolls/staves/wands. It gives classes like shamans/priests/warlocks access to defensive things they really, really need to stand a chance in PvP.

That's their fault, it's "really easy" to get an enchanted suit that resists sleep staves.
[/sarcasm]

That said, I disagree with this thread's idea. Maybe some staves/scrolls in particular need to be nerfed (Sleep staves should only have 1 charge, maybe? And for the love of all that is good and holy remove the lesser enslavement scrolls, they're way too easy to get) but in general, defensive items especially, staves and found scrolls are not what's breaking the balance of PvP: There's an art limit on them for a reason.

I'm still telling you that making enchanting armor more approachable will both make the game more enjoyable, reduce seclusion, make PvP more balanced, and reduce the gap between newb and veteran: Right now enchanting armor is equivalent to taking a shotgun to a stained glass window and praying to god that you only hit certain colors.

Except a lot more boring.

Why does there need to be a reduced gap between newb and veteran? Doesn't that demean all the work the veteran has to put in to be a veteran?

Ardith only plays as Fox in Final Destination with no items apparently.

That's not true. A real pro can learn to adapt to stages outside of Final Destination.

I also tend to play 4 player games with that particular game.

I'm also quite fond of decking players that like to run with items.