Re: [CF-maps] Alfalfa Quest

[Mark W. <mw...@so...>]

On 05/15/10 06:04 PM, Brendan Lally wrote:
<snip>
> I have moved the old alfalfa's house across a square, and called it
> Eric's house, Eric is in jail for graffiti-ing, so I have removed the
> gate pass and added a guaranteed spellbook of marking rune instead.
>
> I'm not seeking to unilaterally impose these changes, I've commited
> them all to SVN now because I've not seen much response to maps on the
> tracker in the past, this has been done with a view to being able to
> easily remove sections of this quest easily should any objections be
> raised.

  I think as a general note, it is fine to make changes without getting 
consensus, or in fact much input at all, for many areas.  If every change 
required discussion/approval, nothing would get done.

  Very big changes are a different matter.  If scorn was completely redone, then 
I would thing some discussion is in place.  But adding/making changes to a few 
maps - just go ahead.

  If there are issues, people can raise them later and discussion take place at 
that time.

>
> I would be particularly interested in any thoughts around balance
> particularly with respect to the rune of marking, it is after all a
> guaranteed free spellbook on a low-level map. On the other hand, it is
> one of the least powerful spells in the game.

  Rune of marking is arguably a spell with no power, since it all does is leave 
a message.

  Static/known rewards as a general point does raise the issue of balancing - 
eg, if it was fireball, it is a trickier decision.

  I personally don't think that reward is excessive.

  However, a general issue with static rewards is their value to the person 
receiving it.  Eg, if I'm not a spellcaster, that reward is pretty pointless (I 
might not even have the skill to learn the spell).  If I'm a fighter, I might 
prefer a +2 sword for example.

  Random rewards don't really fix this - the reward it generates may not be 
suitable, but there is at least a chance it would be.

  I think in this case, not a big deal - if nothing else, the character can 
always sell it for some money.  My thought is more along the line that if too 
many quests are set up with static rewards, you may very well get lists of 
quests that fighters do and mages don't (due to the focus of the item), and vice 
versa, eg, why do a quest if the reward isn't of any value.

  I do realize there are a fair number of quests/maps like that now, and in most 
cases character do them because the rewards are good enough.

  I wonder if there is some way to give a choice of rewards (maybe a special 
chest or something), which a character can only remove one item from.  Maybe the 
chest is tied to quest state, so only characters that have completed the chest 
can use it, and they can only use it once (unless they repeat the entire quest 
if the quest is in fact repeatable).  Thoughts?