Difference between revisions of "Suggestions:Classes"

Latest revision as of 05:34, 31 October 2008

Suggestions

Items | Skills | Classes | Game mechanics | Miscellaneous

Class suggestions are made here. See Suggestions for a list of other suggestion categories.

Suggestions for Shartak are not often implemented but are always welcome. Comments on and improvements to existing suggestions are appreciated. Please don't remove suggestions you don't like.

Before adding a suggestion, please take the time to view the guidelines for advice on what suggestions are feasable, and please check existing suggestions to ensure that yours (or a very similar one) has not already been made. Please add new suggestions to the bottom of the page.

Implemented suggestions are moved to Suggestions:Implemented. Bug reports should be added to the Bugs page.

Example

To use the template, enter the following at the bottom of the page, but replace emboldened text with text appropriate to your suggestion:

===Suggestion Name===
{{suggestion|
suggest_type=Skill, balance change, improvement, etc|
suggest_scope=Who or what it applies to|
suggest_description=Full description. Check spelling and be descriptive.|
suggest_time=~~~~~|
suggest_author=~~~|
suggest_comments=
<!-- COMMENT **BELOW** THIS LINE - DO NOT DELETE THIS LINE -->
Comment here
<!-- COMMENT **ABOVE** THIS LINE - DO NOT DELETE THIS LINE -->
}}

Classes

Priest

Starts off with a "Holy Scripture" and the "Religious Devotion Skill". --One of many doctors 23:22, 16 February 2006 (GMT)

Comments

None of the other classes start with a skill. I think they should just have access to the skill, and maybe stuff like scientists don't (I'm not saying all scientists are unreligious, just that there probably aren't any THAT religious!). MorkaisChosen 11:06, 17 February 2006 (GMT)

"Missionary" might be a better term, I think, than priest. It carries a better message for the whole colonial thing. I like the idea of having religious figures in the game. Makes it a tad more realistic.--Wifey 06:40, 28 March 2006 (BST)

The Missionary / Priest would be a better counter class to the Shaman, which are the religious type of the Natives, rather than the technological. In addition, A better counter class to the scientist would also have to be made. Perhaps spy? As in the Native spy had been spying on / stealing technology from the scientists?--Zydd Soral 17:02 25 July 2006

Scientist (Rename)

Author	Timestamp	Type	Scope
Lint	21:48, 23 February 2006 (GMT)	Class, rename	Scientist

This is a suggestion to change the name of the Scientist class to Professor. From Tarzan to Gilligan's Island, the science-type in has been regarded as Professor rather than Scientist.

Comments

I like! --One of many doctors 03:38, 1 March 2006 (GMT)

I don't. If someone wants to roleplay as a scholarly Prof, more power to them. As it is, the term "Scientist" suggests a broader archetype, inviting players to make of their character what they will. which I favor. --Jackel 23:56, 3 March 2006 (GMT)

I thought would be closer to anthropologists as, well those are the scientists who explore the jungle. I don't think there would be many astrophysicists or chemists(maybe a few chemists but they wouldn't be with the exploring group-they would come after). You might see one or two medical doctors, but all anthropologists who go into the field have first-aid training(and they don't bring medical doctors when working in hostile landscapes). On top of that the term anthropologist has so many subdisciplines that it is almost as broad as saying scientists. --Daylan 00:36, 7 March 2006 (GMT)

I vote we change the name to doctor because it would be more historically accurate given the chronological context of the game, as most merchant/exploration vessels had doctors, and the majority of doctors during the era where highly educated, trained and scientific. --A for anarchy 00:42, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

With the recent skill changes for scientists, it certainly makes sense for them to be renamed doctors. Arminius 00:21, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

The broadest term I can think of for this is Academic. That covers doctors, scientists, professors, priests, artists, missionaries, whatever. In the early colonial era, pretty much if it can read, it's an Academic. --Nosimplehiway--Nosimplehiway 14:19, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Oppose. "Doctor" suggests that the character does nothing but heal while "scientist" suggests that a player's options are more open (as they are). The new name would be a constraint (if only an artificial one) on a scientist's play style. Classes should be different, in my opinion, but they should not be narrow. — Elembis (talk) 04:37, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

Animal

It would be interesting to play as an animal. They wouldn't be able to use some items or learn certain skills, but they could smell the trails of humans and other animals. Some could eat vegetation, an action similar to choping, and restore HP. --Darkferret 18:24, 4 March 2006 (GMT)

Comments

(Obligatory thinly-disguised anti-griefing suggestion) I'd expect that a playable animal would never be able to see humans' names. --Berry 12:38, 7 March 2006 (GMT)

How would the existing human skill Animal Affinity affect playable animals? --Berry 12:38, 7 March 2006 (GMT)

You go to attack Dr. J but he scratches you under your chin so you decide not to

Haha, okay, I guess that's sorted after all :) --Berry 14:26, 7 March 2006 (GMT)

I actually don't think this would be very fun. Animals couldn't use ANY items (ok, maybe monkeys could use the GPS ;), communicate with anyone other than others of their kind (except for out-of-game), couldn't "level" unless whole new sets of skills for each animal class were created and tested. They would essentially exist to eat, and avoid being eaten; not unlike real animals, but not very fun compared to the other classes.--Jackel 19:17, 8 March 2006 (GMT)

Not very fun? Elephants would be the only characters capable of swinging trees for great damage, monkeys get to swing in trees to avoid attacks and better chances of plucking fruit from the trees, crocs get drowning capability, parrots get all the talking capabilities plus faster movements, tigers get uber-stealth plus throat-bite, wild boars have charging damage, and the deer get to prance about looking pretty. But yeah, would require a lot of new sets of skills. Maybe polymorph should be a skill. --Frisco 03:44, 10 March 2006 (GMT)

The general idea of playing a sentient animal strikes me as a little too silly.--Wifey 07:01, 28 March 2006 (BST)

Make "Shark" a playable race and let it dive under the water, and NPC animals would never attack an animal of their kind unless attacked (though sharks, tigers, crogodiles and so on might). Maybe animals would not be a starting class but an "animal form" skill could be added which gives you the ability to chose one type of animal (choices would be by class, for instance the warrior could chose from tiger, crocodile, and shark) and outsiders could buy it only if they have native knowledge. It would actually be multiple skills, "animal form", "second animal form", and possibly "third animal form". outsiders could not buy the last animal form skill. --AlexanderRM 20:30, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

Native Pirate

Natives should have a pirate equivalent. Natives from nearby islands perhaps? They would have canoes in the water like the pirate ship but they would be more like huts as there would be more than one of them with less stuff in each. Native pirates would have 65 HP and start with a fish and a spear.--Darkferret 04:19, 1 April 2006 (BST)

Not every Outsider class has to have a Native equivalent nad vice versa

Mountain Men

i dont know if there are any mountains in the game, as i havent played for long, but there should be a new group of units known as the "mountains men" they would have their own breed of warriors, shamans, etc... they could climb on the mountains (as others could not, atleeast not without a new skill know as "mountain climbing") this could totally change the game and expand the map, as these new "mountain men" would have their own technical "world" seeing as they just ventured past the mountains and found life so they would have certain items only attainable up in the mountains, like ice, which could act as an "anti" wound where it heals you 1 hp every 3 turns or so and would melt after several days. this could also open up an entirely new class, know as:

trader, they can be played from any view point, mountain trader, native trader, etc... and they would start out with several items (maybe gold too) and they would be like shamans, when you attack them it says "they skillfully dodge you" but instead of never hitting, chances are just extremely low, traders could not attack other players unless they are defending (ie, someone attacks them first) they would have their own skill tree that would include:

+Mountain Climbing

+Veteran Climber (uses only 1 AP traversing mountains)

+Camper (can make wooden huts, but for 60 AP and several required items, huts can be perishable, or collapsable, maybe even just one hut per trader that can be moved)

+Salesman (can set up shop and act like the trading post NPCS)

+Bargain Hunter (better chance of finding things, maybe 25%)

all traders (could) start out with al knowledge, as in, outsider knowledge, native, etc... thus letting them communicate better)

traders would be seen differently, as in, they could be yellow, where mountain men would be brown.

Items would follow (my ideas):

Club: like machete, can cut through trees and has 20% chance to hit Rock: easiest projectile, acts like blowpipe, single use, button added "find rock" in-game Rope: can tie people up until they spend 10AP getting out Log: acts like greatsword, dealing 8 damage (geez, what, a log swung at you wont do big damage?)

CAVES: could also be implemented, they would act like huts, can only be carved on with a machete or club (as in, a man beats a meessage into the soft rock.. i dont know how though...) GREAT CAVE: would act like an exclusive mountain man power-up, it is basically a great hall, when searching, there is a 20% better chance of finding food and rocks, also where shaman is, and trading post.

MOUNTAIN TOP: several of these would be implemented, once at the top, players could see the island, getting to the top would be like entering a hut, except it would look like this

(down) (empty spot) (up)

moving onto a down, or up, would move players up or down a floor, mountains would usually be 10-15 floors, sometimes "creatures" could be found, heres my "creature" list:

Bat, 1dmg 8hp (basically, a mountain parrot) Dire Wolf, 4dmg 25hp (a strong tiger) Gremlins, 5 dmg 50hp (they are like, disgruntled mountain people)

other creatures could be added. once at the top of the mountain, players could see the island in DETAIL, as in, the island would be viewed in blocks, like urbandead, except players could be seen, no names, justthe number of people.

suggestions would be appreciated

Comments:

Honestly... I don't like it. I don't mean to be rude or harsh. I can see that you've put a lot of work into this. Still, it seems like it would be a lot of work for poor Simon with very little gain. I mean, what really distinguishes them from the natives and outsiders? They go up mountains? They get a special and highly complex area of the map only available to them? Again... I don't like it.--Wifey 06:49, 28 March 2006 (BST)

Mysterious Beings

Ok, so, in several survivor movies, there are aliens on the island, (thinking of lord of the flies) and sometimes the aliens just turn out to be people or sumtin, anyway, aliens could decieve players by disguising themselves as either outsiders, or natives, a button could be placed that would function like an attack button:

Disguise:| outsider| native| Mountain Man|

and etc. if a disguised alien is killed, the player recieves a small exp bonus, as they just killed someone acting fishy and saved their village etc...

I can already see the rampant spying and problems this would cause. Why would anyone want to play as just an Outsider or Native anymore? These super beings would enjoy all the benefits of both without any of the drawbacks. Anyways, I doubt Shartak will ever support extraterrestrial life. --One of many doctors 16:45, 8 April 2006 (BST)

Ghosts

when ghosts die they should have the option of going to the "necropolis" which would be where there are no plants or trees, and special "ghostly" items could be found. if one so unlucky outsider or native were to step into the "necropolis" they could be:| A. turned instantly into a ghost because of miasmas in the air| B. able to be attacked by ghosts, but not attack back| have something unlucky happen, like an item is taken away at random, or 25 hp is taken away| the necropolis could also have a "ghost" trader that would act like a normal trader, but would have items for cheap. now, when i say "cheap" i mean at the cost of no items, bear with me now, items in necropolis would not cost items, yet cost EXPERIENCE to "buy" from the trader, thus balancing the "necropolis" several abilities could be introduced making entirely new classes for ghosts:|

ghostly charm ghosts cannot be seen by outsiders unless attacking
- ghostly weaponry allows ghosts to hurt the living, but can also be attacked.

ghost bag allows ghosts to search and find items like normal players
- ghost hands allows ghosts to use items

ghost glyphs allows ghosts to "bless" players and ghosts (as ghosts will be MUCH weaker than players, like, only 15-25 hp)
- ghostly whisper blesses a LIVING player and allows them to funtion as a ghost for 50AP per blessing
- angry aura +1 attack strength, -5% to hit lasts 50AP (blessing)
  - sad aura -2 attack strengh (no negatives) +40% to hit, lasts 50AP(blessing)
- disipated aura can move like a ghost, 1AP for every move, lasts 50AP(blessing)
  - observant aura can explore squares around location without visiting them, 50AP(blessing)
    - godly aura +2 attack strength +30% to hit, lasts 100AP,(blessing)

godly aura requires atleast 3 blessings to be bought. special weapons that are available only to ghosts with "ghost hands" and arent shown in inventory if revived, but are still there:| ghost sword same stats as machete, except +10% to hit ghostly fluid: acts like first aid kit sacrificial ectoplasm: acts like poisonous berries|

the entire ghost tree (aside from blessings) will look like this:|

living knowledge (acts like outsider knowledge and native
- ghostly Commune allows ghosts to talk to humans
ancient knowledge +1 to attack damage +10% to hit
- ancient plethora of knowledge +15% to hit, does stack.
lost and found outsiders and natives often lose things, this skill allows ghosts to "search" for items "lost" by them
wraith form allows ghosts to be seen but can only talk and move, no other actions
- polterghiest form uses energy (10-20AP) to swing objects around, 40% chance of hurting everyone in block with 1-2 damage|

| POLITICS| | ghosts can purchase "politics of the gods" as a skill and can run for "office" in the "necropolis" one single ghost will be elected and can demand sacrifices from villages who will have a "pot" in the center of town that players can "donate" items and dead bodies, if the "uber ghost" is not please, said persons can send "plague down on towns" such as 10 elephants rushing in, or the trader and shaman to leave for a short time.| uber ghosts can also reward villages that "donate" a nice amount by sending prizes and so on to the shamans, anyone in the same block as a shaman will be told:| "the shaman bows his head and hands you __________ because the village has pleased the gods"| and so on... ghosts can be impeached by ghosts and villages combined, players go to a shaman and click the button "i dont like our ruler" -or- "i like our ruler" and ghosts do the same while in the "necropolis" players can only vote once every election and impeachment and ghost political power lasts for 3 months at most. on the last day of said impeachment, any players (regardless of where they are) are shown buttons saying "keep our ruler" or "dont keep our ruler" impeachments can be started if several players (50) complain that the ruler is bad by clicking the button "i dont likee our ruler" at thee shaman or necropolis, these players have already voted if the impeachment starts

Comments:

I'm having a similar reaction to this as I did to the Mountain Men. You're not proposing a new class; you're proposing a new faction. I see a whole lot of suggestions, all quite complitcated and required to fit together in some intricate network that will supposedly improve gameplay for everyone. Really, what I see it doing, though, is adding a new faction to a game that has yet to grow into its two-faction system. Ghosts are supposed to be scary and all (and there's a skill that lets you scare people), but now they're attacking people? I think that, if anything, the first new ghost-related thing that should be added is a shaman-only skill for bringing back the dead.--Wifey 06:59, 28 March 2006 (BST)

- I agree that this is far too complicated, but I don't think reviving should be shaman-only. That gives the natives a big fat advantage. It'd be fine if it was open to the Outsiders as well (probably as a scientist skill: Scientists have basically the same skill tree as the Shaman, including the rest of the spirit skills that are already in).

Suggestion Name

Author	Timestamp	Type	Scope
Michael edwards	23:28, 7 September 2006 (UTC)	A Nomad Class	To help spice up native relations

Outsiders Have Pirates to help spice up their game. However Natives have been thrown to the side and are just being Raided on. I think that the Natives need a sub-class to help spice up their game.I think having Nomadic Hunters/Warriors could be just that, they were once a full fledged village but other natives attacked and dwindled their Power. The Nomads from their small camp east of the mountain now hunt game and people with Spears. They still resent the other natives for what they did. .

Comments
Comment here

Different Pirates

How about different classes of Pirate, making them a completely separate group from the Outsiders? There would still be Pirate/Outsider relations as there are Native/Outsider relations now, but the Pirates would have a completely new group (one of the features of this is a different text font, like natives are green)

Name: - Description: Starts with:

Bandit - Exiled natives, who join the pirates at the shipwreck. Machete + Knife

Bucaneer - Your average rating pirate, a blank slate to be worked on. Cutlass + Rum x3

Armsman - Battle hardened pirates who've seen many battles. Flintlock/Cutlass + 10gc

Privateer - Pirates who work for a country, when not proforming piracy. Flintlock/Rifle/Cutlass + Ammo/sharpening stone.

Privateer class should be more of a cross between soldier and pirate, being able to use a rifle. If the flintlocks suggestion is implemented, then they have flintlock and ammo, if not, then rifle and ammo and if they cant have rifles, then cutlass and stone.

I think these could realy separate the pirates from the other classes, giving them a more diverse feel. i'm not as much of a pirate player as i was when i first wrote this suggestion, but i still think that the island would be more even between the powers (eg, privateers are more likely to drift into outsider towns and bandits into native ones, while the others are more likely to be wreck-dwelling.) and the flintlocks suggestion! i'd like to see some more suggestions for it people! Rozen

Rozen

Suggestions please!

How about Armsman starting with Flintlock and Bullets and a Privateer class? Darkferret 20:37, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Sorry i was an age replying, i didn't check back here until now, and i was actualy coming to delete the suggestion. I'll make a privateer class, and revise some of the things, and try to make it look more like a table, but i suck at wiki programing so it'll just be dashes unless Che saves my ass again. and the flintlocks suggestion hasn't been aproved, but i'll still put it in. thanks for the feedback! [User:Rozen|Rozen]]

Medic/Witch Doctor

Author	Timestamp	Type	Scope
Darkferret	01:31, 21 September 2006 (UTC)	Medical class	Healing characters

With scientists searching the island for all things new and shamans defending their villages from the dead, noone really has the time to really help the injured. Medics and Witch Doctors have the skills needed to effectively restore their patients health. Starting with 50HP and a FAK/herb they can learn to make FAKs/herbs and use less AP collecting supplies and healing. I don't think it would be practical to the game, but a zombie skill would make it really fun.--Darkferret 01:31, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

Comments
Scientists are now serving as the Outsiders' medics. I would be interested in seeing natives get a healer class, and in seeing Outsiders get an anti-spirit class, though. Maybe medicine-man and priest? Incidentally, the FAK production skill has already been suggested (which isn't to say that I dislike the idea). Black Joe

I suggested that scientists should be the antispirit class with the Camera suggestion. Advanced triage and Emergency first aid are not out of place for a scientist, but scientists are really supposed to be more investigative than healing. Medics may share these skills with scientists, making them similar, but they would have a few more medical skills while scientist have more scientific skills. These extra skills don't have to be exactly the same as the ones I suggested. Darkferret 13:58, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

Hunter

Alright, well, I think the natives should have a class devoted to hunting animals. They would start out with a poison blowdart gun, and a knife. The class would have a special skill tree specially for hunting animals, and here it goes....

Snipe- Be able to shoot an animal from a square away. Must be using either a blowdart gun or a rifle to be able to do this. Consumes 2 AP.

Camoflage- Be able to use the enviroment to be able to hide yourself. 1/2 a chance that the animal you are attacking will not be able to see you/attack you.

Maim- The ability to cripple or critically injure an animal. 20 percent chance that the animal will have the status 'Blood loss.' Can only be inflicted with a machete, knife, dagger, or heavy sword. Perhaps a rifle.

Animal call- Use a special animal call to lure animals. Affects a certain amount of squares, and works only on cetain animals. (I doubt a squid could be called.)

Dart manafacturing- With this skill, a hunter could spend maybe....5 AP to make a poison dart. This would be great because the hunter would be using the blowdart gun a lot, and it'd put more use to the blowdart gun.

Aim for vitals- 40% chance to inflict bonus on an animal, if using a ranged weapon.

(Yes, I know this sucks. I would just really love to see a class like this for the natives, and there would need to be a class for the outsider's, like the hunter. Comments?)

We need to wikify this, but i couldn't even do it to my own suggestion. I think that this is essentialy a good idea, I love the dart manufacture thingy but Aim for Vitals seems a little extreme, but I dont think the outsiders need a class for the hunter. If you look at the game stats you'll see that the number of outsiders to natives is very off balance. I think this would encourage more people to be natives. Rozen

It makes no sense that this would works on animals and not people. Even worse, with camoflauge how could they not see you if you're attacking them?--AlexanderRM 22:10, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

I was thinking about suggesting an inventor class for the outsiders. -Keiichi

Settler/Villager Expansion

Author	Timestamp	Type	Scope
Nosimplehiway	17:18, 20 December 2006 (UTC)	Class Enhancement	Settlers and Villagers

Currently the Settler/Villager class has little flavor, other than foraging. Logically, the settler/villager should be a very numerous group on this island. The Outsiders have come to colonize, and the Natives have managed to survive here. So, how do we encourage players to run settlers/villagers? By giving them abilities no one else has access to, abilities that focus on what settler/villagers do in most cultures: the simple basic work of extractive industry (farming, fishing, etc), business, personal service and construction.

I propose that a new skill tree open up available only to settler/villagers. It will be the same for both Outsiders and Natives. Many of the skills here have appeared previously on the suggestions page; I have just combined and refined them.

Pirates do not currently have an analog to settler/villager. They are here to rape, burn, pillage and leave, not to build a farm and a town.

(An essential part of the class is a new item called "Work Tools", a blanket term used to describe such things as saws, nails, hoes, shovels, brooms, seeds, mortar, cookpots and the like. These can be found in Simon created villages with a 5% search. They have the same chance of breaking as a machete, representing that they have been used up. No settler/villager skill can be used without them.)

...Settler/Villager Only Skills

Pioneer - This villager/settler gains additional XP by clearing the land. When XP is awarded for chopping jungle, the bonus is 2 XP instead of 1XP.

Clear the Land - This villager/settler can convert jungle land at density 0 to a new terrain called "Cleared Land", so that jungle does not regrow there. The effect lasts for 7 days (ie 7 resets of the server). Repeated uses of this skill resets the date. No natural items (herbs, mangoes, etc) can be foraged on this land during that period, except as provided by further use of settler/villager skills. Use of this skill costs a single 10 AP action and consumes a set of Work Tools. The description of the area is changed to something like, "Someone has cleared and leveled this land. There are few weeds and rocks."

Sow the Field - On cleared land, this villager/settler can plant crops. This costs 5 AP and consumes one set of Work Tools. There is a base 10% chance of a plant springing up the next time the server resets. There are equal odds of it being a banana tree, a mango tree, a berry bush, a plot of herbs or a bush of poisonous berries. If the planting is successful, anyone in the square has a 10% chance of finding a fruit, herb or berry of the appropriate sort. If the planting fails, the decriptor appears: "Here lies a fallow field, full of nasty weeds and hungry insect pests." For search purposes, it is now grassland.

Green Thumb - Instead of a 10% chance of a successful use of Sow the Field, this villager/settler has a 20% chance of a plant appearing.

Reap the Harvest - This settler/villager search percentage for planted trees, etc, increases to 20%.

Fishing - This villager has double the chance of finding a crab on a beach, and a 5% chance of finding a fish in water, either fresh or salt. Mechanically, fish are the same as a mango or banana.

Trader - This settler/ villager works as a merchant, selling items on the open market. They may transfer items directly from their inventory to the inventory of others. This transfer cannot occur between characters with the same IP address, the number of transfers is limited to five per day per IP address, and costs 1 AP. Payment for this item (gold, a heal, whatever) may be arranged through roleplaying. If the receiving character does not have room in their inventory for the item, the AP is lost, but the item safely remains with the merchant.

Man Friday - Some servants might be a cook, a butler, a tailor or even a common prostitute, but whatever they are the services they provide (good food, a clean hut, mended clothes or, ahem, comfort) make life more comfortable for the upper classes or tribal chiefs. At the cost of 5 AP and a set of Work Tools, which are consumed, they may give another character 3 AP. This transfer cannot occur between characters with the same IP address. If this transfer raises the receiver above their maximum AP, the AP are simply lost.

Construction - On land already cleared using Clear the Land, this settler/villager can build a hut. This hut costs 25 AP and consumes a set of Work Tools. It may be entered just like any hut in the established towns. However, when the Jungle reasserts itself, ending Clear the Land, the hut collapses, dumping its inhabitants outside. A hut cannot exist on the same square as a tree, berry bush or any other item. As usual, a sign can be hung from the door. A hut cannot be built on beach or mountain. If built in a swamp or grassland, it is not susceptible to collapse from the jungle reasserting itself and will exist until purposefully destroyed.

::Build Wall - The settler/villager can build a heavy barricade. This costs 50 AP and consumes two sets of work tools, but effectively converts Cleared Land to a Wall, mechanically identical to impassable Mountain. The Cleared Land on which it is built will not revert back to jungle on it's own. Rather, Demolition must be used to turn it into Jungle density 0, with the description: "A large pile of rubble is strewn about the ground" remaining until the server has reset twice.

Fire Pit - The settler/villager spends 5 AP and expends a set of work tools building a large bonfire on Cleared Land that does not contain anything else, such as huts, trees, walls, etc. Any PC can sit next to the fire for warmth. No animal may enter a square with a fire. The fire has a 10% chance of burning out each hour, and burns out automatically when the server resets. A message appears within ten squares: "A fire burns nearby."

...Available to All Classes

...but especially beloved of right jolly pirates! Yargh!

Demolition - The character can demolish existing buildings and walls. Use of this skill costs 25 AP and consumes a set of Work Tools. When used, the character has a 50% chance of destroying a hut or a section of wall. A message will alert anyone present that "Character X has burnt the hut to the ground! Nothing remains but a few nails and smoking embers." If the attempt failed the message would read: "Character X is attempting to destroy this hut. He managed to pry loose one piece of decorative woodwork and kick a soffit, ineffectively." Either of these messages are visible to anyone in the same square, inside or out. Structures built by Simon are unaffected.

Burn the Fields - A farm field can be ruined by a a character using this skill. This will be necessary, on occasion, to get rid of poisonous berry bushes. This costs 10 AP and consumes a set of work tools. It returns the field to Jungle at density 0, undoing the effects of Clear the Land. A message will alert anyone present that "Character X has burnt the fields and destroyed the crops!"

Comments
Comment here, please:

I, and it seems several other people on the suggestions page, would like the opportunity to actually build something on this island. Currently the game is setup like Doom. With these additions, it will gain the ability to be played like an interactive SimCity, without losing the combat aspects. I don't think there is a danger of the island being overrun and essentially paving paradise to build a parking lot, since the new settlements require constant maintenance to prevent the jungle from re-asserting itself. (Besides, what does Haiti look like today?) Also, it will encourage movement around the island, as settlers/villagers need to return to established villages on occasion to search for Work Tools or for a revive. --Nosimplehiway 17:18, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

I think there's a lot here and would be a load to program and a big weight on the server. It seems to be a massive adaptation to the mechanics of the game too, compared to a lot of the other suggestions like new weapons or FAK edits Rozen

You're right, it is a lot, but doesn't need to be implemented all at once to be effective. In fact, it would probably be more effective to sort of trickle it into the game, skill by skill. Each time folks seem to be getting bored, and user hits are down, introduce a new one.

Server load I know almost nothing about, except that currently terrain is managed (I think) using the RNG. There is a certain chance each day that jungle density will increase. Is this condition "rolled" and instituted daily? Cleared land on the other hand doesn't need to be dynamically managed all the time. If it is not maintained by a player and no one interacts with it, it reverts to Jungle 0 in seven server resets. A tree is really just a tag that says "When a player is in coordinates (xx.xxx, yy.yyy) change their screen to provide a button. If the player selects this button there is X% chance of adding a particular item to their inventory list." I suppose you could simple up farming by changing it from a permanent tree givignt he same fruit all the time to a new terrain type called orchard or farm field, with a high chance of finding fruit, berries or herbs of a random type each time. Having more huts to enter is probably the biggest server hog, but then certain other games involving highly intelligent zombies (ahem) have a truly vast number of interior spaces. Oh, also, I intentionally had the building and demolition skills operate on a high AP, high chance single action instead of a HP system to save server load.

As far as programming issues, maybe yes, maybe no. I consciously designed it so most of the skills either are changes in degree, rather than type, such as Pioneer, or they are player driven ways to introduce objects which already exist, albeit with new names. Most of the objects are just adaptations of existing objects: a fish is a mango found in water, work tools use the same basic mechanic as a knife (it is a necessary item before an action is available) and most changes are actually just allowing players to place objects which Simon already has and places himself (huts, fruit trees, terrain editing). Trader and Man Friday transfer points from one character record to another, a straight forward mathematical formula similar to using a FAK. The only thing that seems as if it would need an altogether new template would be Fire Pit, which requires a new, slowly expendable item and limiting the range of NPCs. Are there any slowly expendable items in the game? I suppose a low jungle density behaves like that, in a programming sense. Limiting an animal's range is already done. Ever see a monkey in the ocean, or a shark in the middle of Wiksik?

LOL - not sure about monkeys in the ocean, but there's apparently a giant squid in the jungle! -- Simon 19:59, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

Mmmm, Calamari.--Nosimplehiway 17:28, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

No, I think the main fear expressed over building on the suggestions page has not been programming difficulty or server load, but the chance of the island getting overrun with development which never goes away. I doubt that will be a problem since the jungle reasserts itself after 7 days of no upkeep and, especially, since pirates and others can take Demolition and Burn the Fields. This does change the game, from one of jungle exploration to one of building settlements and fighting over teritory. But then, how exciting is it to say, "Look, I have discovered a block of dark green jungle I have never seen before, just like the last 100 blocks of jungle"? The temple complex and caves can only stay fresh for so long, and require constant work on Simon's part to upgrade. These suggestions are a sort of delegating on Simon's part. They will ensure that the map is always shifting, always changing, always providing new things to look at, interact with and do. Heck, with these changes even Simon can explore the island and be surprised.

Gertrude Stein once famously wrote that the problem with Oakland is that "there is no there there". On Shartak, I want there to always be a there there. --Nosimplehiway 16:15, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

Well then...if the server can hold it without me having to download a package (not that i dont trust Simon not to pollute me with viruses) then i can see no real problem. you'd get bunches of people going around burning huts anyway (HKers) so the jungle wouldn't realy need to assert itself much. BUT what about walls? impasable seems implausable, but i cant think of anything better. Rozen

I struggled with walls, I did, and there is a logical flaw with walls. And it's a biggie. Early colonial settlements and many tribal societies made use of walled barricades and fortresses, so I wanted to include them. The most realistic way to represent them would probably be through a hit point system, similar mechanically to chopping the jungles, except that it would be impassable until at 0 and not regenerate on it's own. I used the mountain as a sort of placeholder to suggest the existing mechanic closer to what I was looking for (an object with a binary, rather than linear condition).

Today, though, I realized the problem with the whole wall thing: "how do you Demolish something you can't touch?" (An impassable wall can't be stood upon to be attacked, and the game does not currently support interacting with objects outside of the square occupied.) Possibly the wall simply falls down after a certain number of days, requiring constant maintenance, leaving Jungle 0 behind? Maybe implement some wallbusting object (a cannon? siege engine?) or skill (Wall-icide?) that allows a charatcer to enter the square and thereby destroy the wall, similar to how entering Jungle 10 with a machete automatically reduces it to density 9? Maybe the act of trying to enter the wall reduces it's strength (like jungle density) and eventually causes destruction. This one is a stumper for me, frankly, and walls may have to go.

But that's the thing with my suggestion, because it is really a compilation and distillation of several other suggestions, it can be implemented piecemeal and work fine. The only things really dependent on one another are the opposed skills of Construction and Demolition, and the agricultural skills and Burn the Fields. Implemementing the former without the latter would quickly have Shartak looking like a vast shanty town or the corn fields of Iowa. --Nosimplehiway 17:28, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, if the ability to build things is implemented I really think it should be available to all classes at least to some degree. I am a soldier and would like to be able to set myself a small hut in the jungle where I could maintain land. I think i'm not theo nly one that would like to see construction and be diosappointed to see it limited to a single class. --Dracul

If this was implemented the only people who aren't settelers and villagers would be A: people who joined before this update, and B: idiot newbs who didn't actually notice this. Everyone who knew about this when they joined would be settler/villager. That's 10-11 skills available ONLY TO THEM. warrior and soldier, for instance, now have 6-7 different skills and all but 0-1 of those are almost the same. --AlexanderRM 20:49, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

Swordsman

Author	Timestamp	Type	Scope
Odysseus	21:13, 18 February 2007 (UTC)	Class	Outsiders (not pirates)

New outsider Class that has the following Skill Tree:

Fencing: +10% to hit with sword weapon (not other weapons, including machete and cutlass)

Expert fencing/Riposte: Doubles the percentage of Balanced Stance making it 30%
Grace: Halves chances of breakage with swords
Parry: Reduces opponent's chance to hit with a melee weapon by 5%. Ranged weapons are unaffected.

Comments
eh yeah, but is it all that diffrent than the Soldier? It'd be better to add these onto the soldier's skill tree than make a whole new class. -Che, slayer of Arminius. 13:37, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Re: That would make the soldier way too powerful. They already have nasty rifle skills, they don't need to power up their melee as well. --Odysseus 21:04, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Policy Discussion

Author	Timestamp	Type	Scope
Nosimplehiway	13:07, 3 March 2007 (UTC)	Discussion of policy	Suggestions page

http://wiki.shartak.com/index.php/The_Shartak_Wiki_talk:Policies_and_guidelines

Comments
This is a policy suggestion which will impact the suggestion pages. Your input is needed. Please comment on the proposed policy there, not here. Thanks!

A Revision Of The Priest

Author	Timestamp	Type	Scope
Etherdrifter	19:34, 1 October 2007 (UTC)	Class and Skill	Outsiders

Ok well here goes. The priest starts with the same stats as the Scientist (same hp and max ap). They start with a bible and 5 coins. They can learn Holy Symbol and Exorcise.

Now for the new skill

Holy Symbol
A subskill of exorcise it allows the priest to use 2 pieces of driftwood to form a holy symbol in a location that exorcises all spirits in that location and prevents spirits from entering that location till the symbol is destroyed.

The new item next

Bible
Can be used for 1ap to give a general religeous quote and prevent possession for 4 hours.

So what do you think?

Comments
I'm not in favour of this suggestion. Outsiders already outnumber natives significantly and they have an extra class that has no native counterpart (the Pirate). The Priest would seem to be an outsider counterpart to the Shaman and would make that one unique native class obsolete. Furthermore it has more powerful abilities than the Shaman. Definitely not, no, no, no. I do, however, like the general idea of the Holy Symbol even though it is way overpowered as presented here. If you rework this skill into a Spirit Fetish that the Shaman can utilise (of less power / reliability such that spirits can overcome it in some way) I'd be happy to give it some support. --Skull Face 20:58, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Starting Items Increase

Author	Timestamp	Type	Scope
Mark D. Stroyer	20:30, 11 November 2007 (UTC)	Improvement	All new players

When any player starts, they have a pitifully small inventory, most of which are near-useless. After all, how much value does 2 HP of healing warrant? With the exception of the pirate's cutlass, no one starts with any sort of lasting weapon. A lot of new players, not quite understanding the game yet, may charge straight into the jungle, not having anything but their fists, perhaps three rifle shots, and one 2 HP healing item. Some classes, such as the Scientist and the Shaman, start with absolutely nothing of use. I propose that, in addition to the current items, each player is given a machete and four FAKs. Then, the player actually has some sort of chance on the island.

Some of you may say, "The player can just search the med. hut and get those," or "The tourital handles that." Please remember, we haven't had any rise in new players. At all. We've been stuck around 1000 players for HOW long, now? If we give new players a bit more to survive with at the start, they may stick around long enough to level up and actually start really playing. Plus, some players may completely ignore the tourital and charge out into the jungle. We should give new players every bit of extra push we can. Plus, one machete and four FAKs really isn't all that much, but to a new player it means so much more. How are they going to enjoy the game if they don't have anything to do anything in the game with?

Comments

NO WAY. The tutorial teaches the player enough. This isn't needed. Your suggestion won't make a permanent rise in any players because if it could, then we would have seen some rise from the tutorial installation. Since the tutorial didn't, neither will your meager suggestion.-- Edwardel 20:35 24 November 2007 (UTC)

Implemented although not quite the same starting items. See forum thread here. --Simon 10:07, 1 December 2007 (UTC)

Skills for Scientists

Author	Timestamp	Type	Scope
First Amongst Daves	14:30, 31 October 2008 (UTC)	Improvement	scientists

No more boredom for scientists

Comments
From http://forum.shartak.com/index.php?topic=1680.15

A brilliant idea from Etherdrifter, with minor midifications by me. Scientists are the drab brown option in setting up a character. So, new skills for scientists:

Zoology - Can see the hp of animals / Does 1 more damage to animals

Botany - Can see when a jungle tile will grow next OR can tell if jungle tiles are under the influence of water/salt water OR (easiest too implement) an increased ability to find healing herbs

Chemistry - Can brew alcohol from juices

Archaeology - http://forum.shartak.com/index.php?topic=1447.0

Astronomy - Acts as a permanent GPS (maybe jungle density dependent?)

Geology - Gains a bonus to finding gems OR Add several 'named gems' into the game (ruby, emerald etc) and give them set values. Only scientsits can "identify" gems which transforms a "gem" in the scientists inventory into one of the named games (either increasing or decreasing its value depending on the resulting gem) when used.

Physics - Changes a rifle into a "sighted rifle" (a rifle with an extra 5% to hit and an increased chance to break)

Metallurgy - the ability to sharpen machetes and cutlasses without the need for a sharpening stone. Scientists would then have a small advantage as road clearers OR increased ability to find gold coins