Suggestions:Items

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Suggestions
Items | Skills | Classes | Game mechanics | Miscellaneous

Item 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 -->
}}

Items

Absinth

Could have a very low chance of being found, and would display as "Bottle of absinth" (in addition to the existing "Bottle of beer" and "Bottle of water"). Would result in a distortion of game display, showing some kind of living beings (native, outsiders or animals) as another kind (a native could be displayed as an outsider or an animal), causing the intoxicated character to attack people he wouldn't have attacked otherwise, or trying to role-play with an angry elephant. --Mad Robert 03:53, 19 March 2006 (GMT)

  • No reason to drink it then? --Grigoriy 23:37, 19 March 2006 (GMT)
    • I'm sure someone would drink it anyway. Could bring back some HP, of course... --Mad Robert 23:50, 19 March 2006 (GMT)
  • The whole "distortion of game display" thing sounds too complicated. If it's a powerful enough hallucinogen, it could work as a teleporter to a random nearby location ("As the effects of the See tabsinthe wear off, you realize that you have moved to a different part of the jungle."). But I think it'd be better theme-wise to introduce a plant native to the island with such an effect; also, these "strange herbs" would give outsiders something to confuse healing herbs with. — Elembis 13:24, 21 May 2006 (BST)

Spear

It could be the native warriors main weapon, give it a base damage of 3, same to hit as machete but it wouldn't cut through jungle -- Daylan 11:02, 17 February 2006 (GMT)

Comments

  • A spear for stabbing or a spear for throwing (i.e single use) ? --Simon 15:49, 25 February 2006 (GMT)
    • I like the idea of a spear for stabbing. We have enough single use weapons in the game, already. What would make it so different from a blowgun, if it is throwable? Which brings up another question: With a weapon that deals 3 damage and is reusable, who will bother with a blowgun?--Wifey 06:54, 29 March 2006 (BST)
  • The machete is already better than the blowpipe if you've got the three melee upgrades, and the spear would represent a third melee weapon warriors like me would need to carry around (along with a knife for writing and a machete for chopping). I don't see a point, unless it's to compete with the heavy sword, in which case I'd recommend that the heavy sword be toned down. — Elembis 13:32, 21 May 2006 (BST)
  • I like the idea of having the spear become the second “super” weapon in shartak, rather than increasing its damage potential its accuracy could be raised instead so that instead of 20 it could be 30 percent yet still have the same damage base of 2 like the cutlass/machete, while having other stats same or similar to the heavy sword. that would pretty much solve all the problems mentioned above--A for anarchy 04:29, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
  • Spears and bow-and-arrow should be implemented for natives, to give them some unique weapons besides the blowpipe. (why would all natives use the machete, an outsider item?) Natives should be able to make their own arrows from wood found the jungle. Also, to promote use by each class of 'their' weapon, maybe natives using spear should get 45% accuracy, using machete they should get get 40%... and outsiders using spear get 40%, but using machete get 45%? Arminius 00:08, 27 August 2006 (UTC)
  • I'd like to see the machete become more of a tool (ala the shovel) and be replaced (as a melee weapon) with two new melee weapons - swords for outsiders and spears for natives. Drop the damage to 2 in this suggestion and it would be fine. Johan Crichton 05:48, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

Head-shrinking powder

This could be either a melee or area weapon used by natives.

Comments

  • What are the effects of it? Causes X HP of damage? Loss of AP? Loss of XP? Instant death? - Snarf
    • Could be used on a body to create a totem of some sort. This can then be placed in a square. People from the same village or settlement as the now shrunken head take twice as many AP to move through because of fear. Disintergrates after x number of people have moved through the square. —unsigned by Hyper tyger 17:18, March 18, 2006 (BST)
      • Any mechanism that gets shrunken outsider heads added to my inventory will get my vote. --Skull Face 10:37, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

Meat and Pelts

Heals 2 HP. Used by both outsiders and tribals. It appears in your inventory when you kill a beastie. Bungalow Bill

Comments

  • But you can only carry 200 pounds of meat back to your wagon. </oregontrail> --Lint 01:15, 13 February 2006 (GMT)
  • Or you have to cook it, taking one AP and possibly a fire-lighting skill (who wants to eat raw monkey?).MorkaisChosen 20:12, 20 February 2006 (GMT)
    • Maybe you don't have to cook it but you get less HP and possibly lose HP to food poisoning. [DarkFerret]
  • Or, to make it more, hm, tribal, you could need to bring it back to specific places in the village where it could be (instantaneously) cooked and used as a replenished "health pool" any player could use. You would still have the occasional berries to eat in the forest, but real meal would occure at a settlement. It would also provide a more efficient healing system (as currently, you roughly get to spend 50 AP to recover 4 or 5 HP, which makes death the most efficient way to restore your HP). -- Leaf
    • There is a large pot of stew cooking, it appears to be half full.
      • You eat some and feel better. After a few spoonfuls you find your friend's pocket watch. [DarkFerret]
    • Make it 1 HP per kg of meat (basing carcass size loosely on the animal's starting HP), and make each HP of carried meat fill 1 inventory space (and pretend preservation isn't a problem). Put an ever-boiling pot in each village (in a boring oudoor place; we could use more points of interest), and give people experience points whenever they contribute meat to any pot (more meat gives you more XP, and putting meat in the pot of your home village gives you extra (double?) XP). Omnipresent spices and palate differences could make food at Outsider villages inedible for Natives, and vice-versa. (Pirates ought to be able to eat from any pot, but for half the health benefit. Maybe they should even be able to eat meat raw.) Any non-meat added to the pot would simply disappear (and poison from poison berries would be broken up by the heat). This system would (1) encourage community, (2) increase realism (there's currently no realistic reason for a non-warrior to kill a non-threatening animal), and (3) provide another theme-fitting non-combat XP path. — Elembis 15:41, 21 May 2006 (BST)
      • As per Elembis. For example, a meat item could be eaten raw for 1HP per 1 inventory space, or returned to a cooking pot (imho only in native camps...). Drinking from a cooking pot could restore 2HP, until "The pot is currently empty". Non-meat items could not be added to the cooking pot -- the game menu functionality would be limited by the user interface (for example, Add Meat to Cooking Pot doesn't appear or doesn't work until you have meat in inventory, and adds meat to the cooking pot when clicked). --Tycho44 21:37, 16 June 2006 (BST)
      • We should keep in mind that eating from a pot should heal faster than searching for and applying herbs and kits, or else players in need of healing won't bother. (6 searches per FAK/herb means 7 AP per 5/10 HP healed for non-scavengers, so 2 HP per bowl of food should be fine.) Also, I think that pots should treat pirates like normal outsiders, that all camps should have pots (since outsiders are surely capable of cooking meat), that the item should be "piece of meat", that the description for a square with a pot should read something like "There is a fire here with a large pot over it.", and that the button should read "Add Meat to Pot" (or perhaps that feature should just be linked to the "meat" button in the inventory list). — Elembis (talk) 22:20, 16 June 2006 (BST)
  • From the new forum: All this bloodthirsty killing of endangered animals is fun, but the carcasss goes to waste. When killing an animal, I propose:

1. we can take pelts. You'd need a knife or machete to do this though. A pelt can be sold at the trader's hut where it can be bought by others. "Trader Joe says, "Great, here's one gold coin for your large stag pelt."";

2. we take meat. Again, you'd need a knife or machete. You can consume the meat for HPs, or sell it at a trader's hut where it can be bought by others. "You cook and eat an elephant carcass and gain 2 HP." As for human meat: "You offer to trade one human carcass. The guard dog sniffs at it. Trader Sam recoils in horror. "Get that dead body out of my trading hut!" he yells."

The concerned environmentalist in me would not encourage a function by which we buy ansd sell tiger penises as aphrodisiacs, or elephant tusks for ivory. - FirstAmongstDaves

    • -Aww, but why can't we sell elephant tusks? we can use them as a weapon with major damage (maybe we could have a 5% or so chance of hitting with the pointed end on a succesful hit, doing extra damage) but low accuracy and/or especially high break chance. ("your elephant tusk shatters, leaving you with the end which you throw away.")--AlexanderRM 20:11, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

Radio beacon/receiver

A radio beacon/receiver for outsiders to pinpoint specific locations of interest.

Comments

  • What's wrong with using the GPS co-ordinates of a specific location? - Snarf
  • Perhaps a way to have GPS waypoints or markers IN one own's GPS? --Wcervantes 19:39, 16 February 2006 (GMT)

Holy Scriptures

Used to convert Natives into Ousiders. Requires "Religious Devotion". Most likely found around Outsider settlements --One of many doctors 23:22, 16 February 2006 (GMT)

Comments

  • Nobody wants to have a class change againt their will. -Grigoriy
  • Noone wants to die against their will either, but it does happen ;-) Might be irritating, but also might be quite interesting. It would have to be possible both ways of course, natives to outsiders and outsiders to natives. Perhaps the outsiders can convert natives to outsiders with holy scriptures using the religious devotion skill and natives can convert outsiders to natives with a bottle of beer using the seduction skill! ;-) --Murk 12:28, 4 March 2006 (GMT)
  • Class conversion gets awfully mucky, when you consider available skills. I would say that a better idea would be for use of Holy Scriptures on a native to prompt the natives with an invitation to change sides--without changing class. This would make them see outsiders by name, make natives anonymous, and cause them to show up on the map as "1 convert" to outsiders (as opposed to "1 native") and as "1 traitor" to natives. Converting back would require a shaman with an equivalent skill (which can, of course, offer outsiders an opportunity to be accepted into native communities).
Note, though, that I have no idea how difficult that would be to write in, given the existing code.--Wifey 07:01, 29 March 2006 (BST)
  • Such a feature would allow anyone to change class bath and forth at will by just using another of their characters of the appropriate class to effect the conversion, which makes classes virtually pointless.
  • Class conversion sounds bad. Religion might be interesting, but this seems like a messy and unpleasant way to include it. — Elembis 15:41, 21 May 2006 (BST)
  • Historically, natives did occasonally convert to outsider ways, whether by force or by choice. And outsiders did occasionally "go native". Rather than coercing someone to change, maybe make it a voluntary change. The change would go into effect upon purchasing a skill, at the usual cost for the next skill. For a native to become an outsider, he would have to take the skill "Convert", with the prerequisites of Outsider Knowledge and Expert Language. For an outsider to become a native, he would have to buy the skill "Gone Native", with the prerequisites of Native Knowledge and Expert Language. The character would then convert to the new matching class. A Villager becomes a Settler, and a Soldier becomes a Warrior, for example. Nosimplehiway--Nosimplehiway 23:23, 28 November 2006 (UTC)
  • You know, I wholeheartedly despise "permanent" class choices of any kind, and shartak is especially bed, because of the +25 XP skill cost per level makeing creating a new character and bringing it to the level of your old one very difficult. If I made this game, you could shift not only from native to outsider and back, you could switch from, say, warrior to shaman, or any other this-class-to-that thing. Anyway, you people really haven't though out the possibilities of a class choice against your will- shartak would be something other than people fighting or healing each other or exorcizing spirits for the rest of eternity. but the question is: is that good or bad?--AlexanderRM 23:44, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
    • Not everyone agrees, friend. A lot of us like the fact that each class is unique. Still, I'm always interested in hearing other opinions. Consider joining the official forum. This discussion is moving away from the topic of a new item and towards a discussion of what direction we'd like Shartak to go. Thus, we should probably move our discussion elsewhere. Regards.--Black Joe 00:20, 28 April 2007 (UTC)
    • Yes, and my idea keeps each class unique- but it allows you to change your mind on what class you are. For instance, right now both the scout/explorer and villager/settler are better than the warrior/soldier due to the heavy sword, because one has a better chance of finding one and the other has extra AP. My idea is to allow people who wanted to fight to go back and change that decision without haveing to start all over again. --AlexanderRM 01:06, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

GPS Unit (Redesign)

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Lint 21:48, 23 February 2006 (GMT) Item, modification GPS unit

This is a suggestion to change the gps unit into an object that presumably fits better with the game setting. We currently have no other modern item available for use (anachronism - VOCABULARY WORD!). Perhaps we should use a sextant? And rather than reveal the position all of the time, it requires a 1 AP use in non-dense, non-enclosed area.

Comments
Yes, GPS units are indeed malapropos (another vocabulary word :D)--Grigoriy 00:33, 27 February 2006 (GMT)

Y'know, the "GPS Unit" item has stuck out like a sore thumb to me too. I'd be very much in favor of a lower-tech replacement, if only because it makes the game more timeless. But what tools did explorers of earlier eras use to measure latitude and longitude while traveling by land, anyway? And how accurate were they? Alternatively phrased: if you were trapped on a desert island without a GPS Unit, how would you estimate where you were? Lint's suggestion for a lower-tech replacement item, requiring AP and suitable terrain conditions for proper use, appeals to me. --Berry 14:03, 7 March 2006 (GMT)

I've done some research into this and as Lint said, a sextant is what was used. Unfortunately though, a sextant doesn't do both longitude and latitude very quickly, you need charts/tables and several hours. See http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/longitude/secrets.html for info. --Simon 14:55, 7 March 2006 (GMT)

Ahh; yeah, I had just been checking out http://www.lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=1268 myself. If I'm reading it right, it sounds like the bulk of the hours of calculation involved were due to being at sea and having to figure out what time zone you're in first as part of the equation. (Both pages mention a "chronometer" which was finally invented to try to solve that problem.) On land, though -- and especially on an island of Shartak's size -- you pretty much know where you are, and you're not likely to be crossing time zones. A quote from the Lewis & Clark page: "If time can be fixed along any meridian of longitude, then longitudinal distance can be determined by comparing time at that meridian with local time, usually based on the point at which the sun reaches its zenith." So. I wonder if we could fudge a bit with this sextant business by assuming that everyone on the island is able to determine what time it is on Shartak -- after all, we do get timestamped event messages! ;) -- and therefore we can apply that bit of knowledge to help determine longitude, overcoming the sextant's weakness. That could even go in the FAQ. I'm not really all that scientifically inclined, so please do feel welcome to correct me if if my thoughts are way off base. In closing, I still like Lint's ideas about making it cost AP and require suitable terrain. The former would represent the investment of time in setting up the equipment and doing the calculations. The latter would give players a reason to clear a square of jungle. --Berry 16:07, 7 March 2006 (GMT)
That all sounds good. I think there is a skill in there as well - I don't suppose a sextant is as accurate as GPS, so why not have it not produce the same result all of the time? Someone with the "Skillful Sextant Supervisor" skill gets more accurate results. --Dr. J 16:17, 7 March 2006 (GMT)
The AP cost of a sextant or other device could easily be added to the GPS unit by requiring that you 'use gps' to get the reading rather than it being on all the time. Whilst redesigning the GPS unit, how about thinking of something for natives to find out where they are - obviously not as accurate as a sextant, but something to guide them around or to specific locations. --Simon 16:30, 7 March 2006 (GMT)
Just consider it a redesigned sextant that some mythical character dropped around the island and call it "Professor Inglewood's Speedy Sextant And Nano Tables" or some other such nonesense and leave it working the same, just with a different name. As for natives, maybe they could see/read totems at different points in the jungle, indicating where resources/towns are. --Frisco 17:06, 7 March 2006 (GMT)
Natives divine their position with animal feces. It can be a new skill ;) Actually, in all seriousness, perhaps something involving animal bones? It would need to be something mystical, as there just isn't a more primitive method than the sextant. That way, it sort of balances; you use animal bone dice for a few minutes to divine your position accurately, and outsiders sit dow nand use a sextant.--Wifey 07:08, 29 March 2006 (BST)
I'm currently of the opinion that the Natives don't need a version of the GPS. It helps a little with the mapping projects and location scripts. But my Shaman was just as lost than my gps-using Settler when I was traipsing through the Jungle. --Lint 23:10, 30 March 2006 (BST)
So natives need a sensing skill that gives them direction and distance to the nearest village. Natives seem to flail at the beginning compared to outsiders: every outsider counterpart item/skill is stronger (especially gps, blowpipe vs rifle, and the lack of bottled water). --Tycho44 05:43, 10 May 2006 (BST)
How about giving Natives a 'always on' ability (like the GPS is now). They have been born and raised here, they _always_ know where they are (or perhaps it should be modified so that they always know where they are in relation to their village - ie, (201N, 34E of Wiksik). Make the GPS a sextant and require an AP to take a reading and perform the calculations. I would go so far as to suggest that it be tied to the Cartography skill or possibly an additional skill in the Cartography tree.Anothertwilight 06:20, 10 May 2006 (BST)
I like this idea as well as Frisco's. Rename the GPS unit a sextant, keep its 0 AP use cost, and give all natives the ability to "Sense Position" for 1 AP and be told the direction and rough distance of the nearest village. ("After several minutes of attentive communion with the spirits, you sense that Raktam is about a day's journey north of here.") Maybe even take the GPS away; the natives should know their way around better than the outsiders. — Elembis 15:41, 21 May 2006 (BST)

How about we just get ride of the gps unit in general and in its place have item called "a map and compass" and rather then being a 0AP cost item, it cost 1AP to tell the coordinates (exactly like an gps unit would) anywhere and gives no experience. --A for anarchy 04:41, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

Making a map an item would require the skills of exploration and cartography to be changed or eliminated, which I'd rather not do. Also, the grid-like map already gives us a compass of sorts, so a compass as an item, while interesting, wouldn't really do anything. And finally, a 1 AP use cost for the GPS unit / map and compass / sextant would probably result in the creation of a Greasemonkey script that would store one's coordinates in a cookie, modify them for each movement based on which "move" buttons was pressed, and show the resulting coordinates all the time (at no AP cost). I suppose this could be done already for players without a GPS unit (that is, you could anchor your coordinate system by finding a known hut or landmark and inputting its coordinates), but the GPS unit makes it a lot easier. — Elembis (talk) 16:54, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
You all need a Antikythera mechanism - see

http://www.xsorbit1.com/users/incandescent/index.cgi?board=M&action=display&num=1167260766 - FirstAmongstDaves

Remove uber sword of doom(aka heavy sword)

I don't even have a heavy sword yet but I can already tell(from the item page) that it makes a lot of things utterly useless.Just for reference the heavy sword is(when maxed attack skills) 45% hit, 5dam= 2.25dam/ap. What does it make useless, well let me begin.

1.Rifle skills- reason: the ap you spent getting the xp for those skills was better used searching for a heavy sword.

2.Rifle- reason: the dam/ap for the rifle is lower than a the heavy sword before factoring in the search for ammo part. The math: the rifle is 5 dam,60% hit,1.5 ap/shot( 3ap per 2 shots i think)= (5*.6)/1.5 =3/1.5 = 2ap/dam NOT FACTORING IN SEARCHING FOR AMMO.

3. The blowpipe- reason: the blowpipe sucks as it is, the machete makes it pointless(unless they actually poison) and the heavy sword just makes it absolute garbage(even if they poisoned). The math: 4 dam, 20% hit, 2ap/shot(assuming you have to reload after every shot i don't use the blowpipe so I wouldn't know)= (4*.2)/2=.8/2= .4 dam/ap NOT FACTORING IN SEARCHING FOR AMMO.

Conclusion- I realize there are problems with the blowpipe but as far as I can tell with the rifle there are none. The knowledge of there even being a heavy sword is enough to discourage those that would take rifles training as a skill. The sword is just too powerful to balance in game as the only way to balance it would be to add another item that is just as crazy powerful, making it rare does nothing to the balance as people can still find it and it makes those few ,whom the RNG loves, ridiculosly overpowered. If the RNG loves somebody they should get multipul hits in a row not the ability to destroy everybody who can't/doesn't want to waste the ap to gain that ability. And after all just because it is rare doesn't mean we all can't find it, I know eventually we would all find one and there would be no variaty whatsoever in battle. Take urban dead for example they balanced the shotguns,pistols, and fireaxe evenly so there is no superior choice its about how you want to play. With the heavy sword it makes all other items pale in comparison BEFORE search rates are keyed into calculations, in urban dead it is AFTER that they are about even. This suggestion to remove something doesn't punish anybody because as of right now we do not know where to find the heavy sword, the only ones were stumbled across randomly so nobody would really have "wasted" the ap to find it(unless they have but I know after reading a bit I didn't for the fun reducing factor everybody having one would bring). Also don't bring up things about how I don't know how it works ingame because unless it takes 6ap to attack the math shows it is unbalanced. Please Simon fix this unbalanced weapon by removing it, not by making everything else oh so much better. ANybody who is with me sign in the comments please.

Comments

  • The math looks sound. And I agree that having everyone run around with Heavy Swords would make for a plain game. However, I don't see why it needs to be removed completely. Is there anything we can do to the sword mechanics to make it more even with the existing weapons? --Lint 01:04, 10 March 2006 (GMT)
  • I agree. The machete with maxed out melee skils is arguably better than any other weapon, and the heavy sword makes that look like a butter knife. Yank it or make it so rare it would be like winning the lottery twice. --Jackel 01:49, 10 March 2006 (GMT)
  • I disagree with some of the logic in this argument. If the heavy sword were a common weapon, then I could understand the concern; however, the "über sword of doom" is hardly of such availability. As far as I know, only one player has the sword. Having rare items like it add a new dimension to the game - a sort of treasure hunting aspect. I would even propose that even more superior weapons are "hidden" around the island, possibly protected by superior animals. --Gandhi 00:34, 22 March 2006 (GMT)
    • One player on the Game design page has commented on how he has acquired 3 Heavy Swords. Don't get me wrong, some weapons should be better than others to allow for diversity (that's why there's knives, daggers, and whatnot). However, as it stands, the Heavy Sword to our knowledge is the single best weapon available. Everyone is going to be running around with it and if you don't have one, you won't be able to compete. It'd be like playing Rock-Paper-Scissors-Nuclear Bomb and Nuclear Bomb always wins. --Lint 00:52, 22 March 2006 (GMT)
  • Are these even real? I mean, how many people claim to have gotten them? one? This almost looks like a pretty funny joke. Also, Simon has stayed silent on this, implying some sort of uber sword conspiracy, so perhaps we shouldn't rock the boat. (Cue up suspenseful music) -BananaBear 06:02, 22 March 2006 (GMT)
    • i have 3 swords ,but i'm reading it's really rare. I feel really lucky :). Oh , and i think it's too powerful compared to other weapons. Maybe there must be other rare ranged weapons (like some 6 or 7 o 8 damage rifle) or something like this --JonesDye 09:38, 27 March 2006 (BST)
    • I thought I'd made them fairly rare (after the initial burst of finding them) but I think I made them too rare perhaps. There are still only 4 people with them, looks like the same 4 who had them originally. --Simon 00:01, 8 April 2006 (BST)
    • Do you even have one Simon? --Grigoriy 00:17, 8 April 2006 (BST)
    • Nope. No heavy sword for any of my characters. --Simon 11:18, 8 April 2006 (BST)
  • The original poster is correct about rifles/blowpipes being too weak. The rifle's AP/damage ratio is actually much lower than even the machete's, let alone the mysterious heavy sword. The rifle's accuracy is its edge, but 60% maximum accuracy really isn't *that* high or that much of an advantage over the 45% machete accuracy. The introduction of two new skills to the firearms skill tree, "Marksmanship" and "Expert Marksmanship", each of which would add 10 or 15% to rifle/blowpipe accuracy, would help to solve this problem I would say (I dont know if anything like this has been proposed before). Dont remove the heavy sword, just make rifles more powerful. -Arminius 01:29, 8 April 2006 (BST)
  • With the addition of the forgotten blowpipe skills, that should help the blowpipe ratio, and I'd say ignore the heavy sword since it seems so rare that you'll be lucky to get one unless someone trades one in for some essential supplies. Not sure about 80% accuracy with either of the ranged weapons - would those skills be available to all or just as an extension to firearms/blowpipe training? What happens to the blowpipe damage if the poisoning suggestion is implemented and the poison effect is added that takes away 1-5 HP over the next 5 AP unless you use serum or first aid kit (damage numbers not definite, just a rough figure)? --Simon 11:18, 8 April 2006 (BST)
    • I was thinking that the new skill(s) would be part of the ranged weapon skill tree (how can one be a marksman if he does not have firearms training). I like the idea of making a ranged skill available to all though. A maximum accuracy of 20% for all non-soldier/warrior characters seems very low. Maybe the first skill in the tree should be available to all, but the next 2 or 3 skills only for soldiers/warriors? Just an idea. -Arminius 02:50, 12 April 2006 (BST)
  • I think adding one skills for rifle and one for blowpipe is really cool. Marksmanship is a nice name , but not to add accuracy, but to add +2 to damage. Poisoning for blowpipe go well too. Oh, and one of my swords is gone ç__ç. And about trading, i tried to trade one of them , but the trader didn't have 49 gold coins..and i think you can add some powerful and rare rifle--JonesDye 08:42, 10 April 2006 (BST)
  • Currently the rifle (w/both skills) gets only 0.75 damage/AP total (searching, loading, and shooting) based on my calculation, and 3 damage/AP in combat (only shooting). The machete (w/all three skills) gets 1.35 damage/AP and obviously requires no searching or loading. I think that new skill(s) for the rifle/blowpipe to get their damage/AP ratio closer to (but not equal to or past) the 1.35 machete ratio would be the best way to go. If a new skill or two increases ranged damage by 2 as JonesDye suggested, the result would be a ratio of 1.05 total damage/AP, and 4.2 damage/AP in combat. (If skills are added to increase maximum accuracy to 80%, the result would be 1 total damage/AP and 4 damage/AP in combat.) This, I think, would be a better balance. Ranged weapons should be superior to the machete in combat, and they are, but currently they are only 2.2 times better (3 vs. 1.35). The proposed new combat ratio of ~4 damage/AP would be three times better than the machete in combat, although still inferior in total damage/AP ratio. (Note that the combat ratios mentioned above are exact, but the total damage/AP ratios are not exact because I do not know the % chance to find ammunition. The total damage/AP numbers used above assume that a total of 5 bullets can be found in 10 searches on average, which may be a liberal estimate but seemed accurate based on my experience.) -Arminius 02:50, 12 April 2006 (BST)
    • Still, 3 damage per AP isn't that bad. You can track someone down, kill someone outright in ~25 AP with a rack of rifles, and run far away -- whereas a machete might take 60 AP to cause ~81 damage. The blowpipe needs a lot of help: you can only carry half as many loaded pipes, and so you have to waste time in combat reloading. I believe that blowdart poison could cause another 1 dmg/turn for 4 turns (8 damage total if they don't heal) and it still wouldn't be overpowered. 20% to hit is totally useless, though. I would suggest something like a 20% -> 35% marksman upgrade for all classes, then 35% -> 50% -> 65% for soldier/warrior. Unless a non-soldier can attain a 35% or 40% to-hit rate with a rifle (higher with a blowpipe), the weapon serves absolutely no purpose -- it is just a glorified 1/3-gem. And if the heavy sword has the same break rate as other blades in the game, then there is no problem with a 1/3000 find rate or whatever. --Tycho44 05:59, 10 May 2006 (BST)
  • As long as the heavy sword is extremely rare and quite powerful, why not replace it with a single "elephant sword", or something with a similarly grand title. There would only be one on the island (or one per village: "The Elephant Sword of York", etc.), its carrier would not be able to drop it (or, if dropped, it would be given to the next player revived by that village's shaman), players would get a special message upon being attacked by it, and it would change possession to the player who would kill its carrier. Also, its carrier should get a movement penalty so they'll be easier to catch. (And perhaps every person should have a sixth sense to divine the location of their village's Elephant Sword.) In short, if the sword is going to be rare, make it special. — Elembis 15:41, 21 May 2006 (BST)
  • I personally like the idea of having super weapons in shartak but rather than just being able to find it lying around, you should only be able to get by doing something specific (as reward for quests perhaps). Personally I like the idea a secret shop(s) (see my secret shop suggestion) where you could purchase a heavy sword and/or other hard to get items at hyper-inflated prices in the range of 100 to 1000 gold coins for one.----
  • The only problem with this is that there probebly are people out there who have spent loads of AP looking for a heavy sword, and if those of them that found it suddenly have it deleted, =bad. How about either A: The heavy sword cannot be found by searching and those in people's inventorys randomly transform into their value in gold, or B: the heavy sword becomes more common and we add several more "uber" items (also more common than the current heavy sword):

The spear: this was what gave me the origional idea for other uber weapons. The heavy sword would become the outsider-only weapon and the spear would become the native weapon. All heavy sword belonging to natives would turn into spears. The spear should be more accurate and do less damage.

The heavy gun: Ammo is rare but no too rare. Basically an upped version of the rifle.

The poisoned bow+arrows: basically an upped blowpipe.

Anyway, just one more note:

"Take urban dead for example they balanced the shotguns,pistols, and fireaxe evenly so there is no superior choice its about how you want to play."

  • Mmh*
  • Mmmh*

BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

studded leather & war gear

both items have the same effect, except one is for outsiders and one is for natives, upon looking at the names, i cant really tell which would be for who, but that doesnt matter. theese items could act likee flak jackets, but could (possibly) have the chance of inflicting damage upon being hit, as per, a guy with tons of knives on him being punched would probably cut up his assailant's hands. —unsigned by Richard Rose 04:59, March 29, 2006 (BST)

  • Hm. I don't like the idea of inflicting damage on the assailant. I think that's a bit of a stretch. I could see outsiders coming over with breastplates and whatnot (a la John Smith, be it the noble stud from Pocahontas or the weaselly entrapeneur from history). Natives, though, would be unlikely to have that much. Perhaps, though, a wooden, oblong, leaf-shaped shield. Perhaps it would give a small (10%?) chance of blocking a melee attack. Thus, both sides would have a form of protection, but they would be different forms of protection, serving to distinguish the two sides.--Wifey 08:31, 10 April 2006 (BST)
* We were talking about this at the old forum: armour for new players, like a leather cuirass. Once you hit level 2 it decomposes. It prevents new players from suffering an early death and being put off the game. - FirstAmongstDaves

Messenger Pigeons

Author Timestamp Type Scope
One of many doctors 22:23, 9 April 2006 (BST) New item All outsiders

Allows Outsiders to send messages over long distances. Just type up the message and enter the recepient's name and the bird flies off. You watch your pigeon fly off and hope it doesn't get intercepted.
Pigeons must be captured with an unamed skill and may be intercepted with a separate skill.

Comments

  • How would you handle said "interception?" Would you be notified of pigeons sent off within a certain number of squares, and offered a chance to stop it? Would it show up as an actual animal that one could kill? I would say that the idea of sending a messenger pigeon along as a new, low-hp NPC with a specific destination is neat, but I don't know how hard it would be on the server.--Wifey 08:35, 10 April 2006 (BST)
  • Moving an npc pigeon wouldn't be difficult as long as there were only a limited number of them in play at any one time. How would you specify the destination though - pigeons need to know the destination don't they (not sure how homing pigeons work)? --Simon 14:38, 10 April 2006 (BST)
    • Mmm. Maybe one would need to specify a GPS coordinate? Actually, I'm fairly certain that birds have been taught to find specific people that they are familiar with. Perhaps once we have a contacts list (do we? If so, I haven't been able to add anyone) we can send it to those listed on it? Then it would be rather like the mobile phone of UD... except that it takes time to travel, and could be killed for EXP by other players :) What kind of limit would you have in mind, by the way? I mean, I can't imagine a whole lot of people using this often enough for it to really be a problem, but as the game grows... You never know.--Wifey 01:12, 11 April 2006 (BST)
    • I would say that you would have to have a the person on a contact list before you can send them a messenger pigeon. The pigeon would move like 1 square per 5 mins and would appear as an attackable animal. The limit is that there are only so many pigeons in Shartak. You would have to have a skill to capture one without killing it. This skill could also be used to capture a messenger pigeon without killing it in order to "intercept" the message. Or perhaps tehy are different skills? Pigeons would be reusable. --One of many doctors 01:27, 11 April 2006 (BST)
  • Capturing and intercepting pigeons seems quite unrealistic. Instead, maybe you could give each village a communications hut with infinite pigeons, available to people from that village. Pigeons in inventory could be sent up with a message, and after some time they'd appear in their home villages and their messages would be held for their recipients. I like the drum idea better, though. — Elembis 15:41, 21 May 2006 (BST)
  • What about a parrot cage in the pirate trader's hut? Rozen

Drum

Author Timestamp Type Scope
One of many doctors 22:35, 9 April 2006 (BST) New item All Natives

Allows all Natives within a specified area to hear the senders message. Any Outsiders hear random drum beats unless they have the Expert Language skill. You hear random drumming in the distance.
Requires a drum beating skill to utilize.

Comments
A drum language? Neat. I would make it a native-only skill, though (how difficult would it be for an outsider to learn of the language, let alone the language itself?), and only one skill. Also, to show the difficulty of true articulation in such a language, it would be good to lower the character limit on drum messages. This way, long messages will be broken up, and will require a bit more AP.--Wifey 08:40, 10 April 2006 (BST)

Awesome. A great idea to help underpowered natives (no bottles of water in native villages, terrible blowpipe, no gps, outnumbered, etc.) and also a cool new rare item. Doesn't appear abusable. --Tycho44 22:27, 20 May 2006 (BST)
I like this idea and think it should be open to Natives only, for the reasons Tycho44 gave. Also, it stands to reason that Natives should have some kind of communication advantage, being Natives on the island and everything. Messages should have to be extremely short, or else there should be increasing AP costs for longer messages (1 AP per character, perhaps?). Think of Morse code. — Elembis 15:41, 21 May 2006 (BST)
I'm thinking that drums could be to natives what GPS units are to outsiders in terms of cost, usefulness, and skill requirements. Here's how it works in my mind:
  1. All natives, and outsiders with Native Knowledge, can drum a message for 1 AP per character. Outsiders without Native Knowledge either (1) have their beats carry a shorter distance or (2) have a 20% chance of breaking their drum. (I prefer the second option, assuming drums would be expensive items. I'd rather have drums be completely off-limits for such outsiders, but I can't think of a realistic reason for them to be unable to bang on a drum.)
  2. Only natives, and outsiders with Native Knowledge, can determine the direction of a beat. (Bass noises are the hardest to pinpoint.)
  3. Only players on the same side as the drummer, and players on the other side with language skills, can interpret beats, as with all other communication in the game. (Unskilled listeners hear "random drumming" instead of "<garbled message>", since extremely short messages will be quite common and language obfuscation doesn't touch the first letter of a word. Basic Language gives a 33% chance to interpret the message, Advanced Language 66%, and Expert Language 100%.)
  4. Every beat is audible to everyone in the 13 by 13 square with the drummer at its center. (13 by 13 is just large enough to cover an entire camp, and camps should be communication hubs, after all.)
In general, this item would benefit natives about as much as GPS units benefit outsiders. The hearing radii and AP costs of messages could be changed easily if drums became too powerful, annoying, or ineffective. And yes, I've played Urban Dead. =)
— Elembis (talk) 22:54, 9 June 2006 (BST)

Hammer

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Throgonuts 06:18, 1 May 2006 (BST) New Item Available to all characters

A basic hammer. This item seems necessary for potential future building skills such as roads or huts or hut fortifications. Hammers could also be used as offensive weapons. They could also be subject to random breaking like machetes.

Comments
I don't think we need another weapon until there's an actual niche for it to fill. I think hut-building would be great — require that all 8 surrounding jungle squares be cleared before one can be built, make huts destructable by melee weapons or by growing jungle in the immediate area, and turn standard medical/ammunition/trading huts into indestructable stone structures — but we don't need a hammer now. — Elembis 15:41, 21 May 2006 (BST) I think the hammer would be part of the right tools to build a boat. The driftwood source on unity island (new tortuga) has the following message: A large sandy expanse of beach with so much driftwood scattered around that you could probably build a boat from it if you had the right tools. .... so is a hammer the right tool? or is a tool kit the right tool? because pirates need boats. and i have so much driftwood i am throwing away rum and cutlasses and first aid kits!!! i require tools!!!! --Badhammer 02:27, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

303

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Riddick 15,25, 17 June, 2006 (EST) new item availible to only outsiders

a 303's nickname is actually: elepahant rifle,[in real life],a 303 is able to blow a elephants head of 1 shot in the neck i am suggesting this for the further success of the CP against the reefer terror cell,though it could turn against us if lord paul reefer get's his hands on it or one of his group members!.

Damage: 15, special dmg: 16.

Comments
No. Hell, I can scarcely understand what you're trying to suggest here. I can see that it's ridiculously powerful, though.--Wifey 01:01, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

No. I can't understand what you're saying, but that's a very unfair idea for Natives. Plus .303 is too small for an elephant gun. Are you saying that it can blow an elephant's head off?
Uh, I have a Lee-Enfield. It uses the .303 British that you're talking about. That gun can't blow an elephant's head completely off. It's about the same as a standard .308 round. Besides, are you kidding on the damage? That's hugely overpowered. And only for outsiders? Unbalance at its best. This would get Spammed into oblivion in the UD wiki. -Mark D. Stroyer 02:05, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

I disagree totally with this idea. I think it should be 300 damage and a 99.8% chance of hitting something, and when you do, you get 1,000 XP, 100 AP, 10,000 gold coins, and $50 in real life. No, no, a .303 (as said above) is the standard round for a Lee-Enfield rifle. A .308 is the standart round in the M60, M14, and M16 rifles/machine guns. In reality, if you where shooting an elephant, you'd use a .375 H&H Magnum round, which is what pro ivroy-hunters use, although you could use a XM107 Barrett w/.50 cal. ammo. Take a look at [1] photo. The first one on the left is a .50 BMG, used in XM107 Barretts. The 3rd from the left is a .308, used in M-60/14/16's. Anyway, enough of the gun-talk and onto the suggestion-talk. I do like the idea of a Heavy Sword-esque rifle, but I don't think it should 'lyk du 10000000000000 dmage!`!!!!1one' or whatever he said. -Che 20:07, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Che, the .308 isn't used by the M16. The M16 uses 5.56 mil, or essentially a .22 sporting round. -Mark D. Stroyer 19:14, 28 April 2007 (UTC)

Berries to Increase AP

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Arminius 00:47, 21 June 2006 (UTC) Change item's effect Tasty berries (or similiar item)

There are so many HP-healing items in the game, most of which heal only 1 or 2 HP so are not cost-effective to use (In terms of AP-spent-per-HP-healed), therefore are not used at all by wise players. To make some of these items more valuable and add an interesting dynamic to the game, I suggest that the effect of eating berries should be to increase your AP level rather than you HP level. Eat some tasty berries, they invigorate you and you gain 2 AP (you spent one AP eating them, net gain of 1 AP). All of the long-time players have been in the situation I'm sure (and most newer players too), where we are about to kill an elephant or tiger or an enemy player for that matter, but we run out of AP just as the target is at 3 HP, then we have to go off-line and cant wait about for 20 minutes to finish the target off, as we have real-life obligations (while we are gone the target invariably escapes, is killed by someone else, or kills you!). So carrying around 5 bunches of tasty berries could give you 5 free AP when you really need them. Thus berries would become a very valuable item in the game too, rather than a superfluous item

Comments
Comment here

I like the idea! You're probably going to end up with a net loss of APs on them anyway, but it's kinda like storing APs... This could work well. -MorkaisChosen 10:54, 21 June 2006

Exactly, you would definitely have a net loss of AP finding them. There would also be net loss of AP buying them in the trading hut, and once people catch on to how valuable they are they would become tremendously expensive (demand would overwhelm supply), making for an even bigger net loss of AP buying them. Arminius 00:40, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

I could certainly see it getting out of hand. You'd need to cut it off at a certain point. Maybe 5 is about right.--Wifey 01:03, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

Why would there need to be a cut-off? Even if someone is carrying 50 bunches of berries (which they will have spent many days worth of AP searching for on berry-bush squares), they will get their 50 extra AP and then it's all gone. With a full 75 AP and with 50 bunches of berries, a person could use 125 AP within a few minutes. If theoretically two 80-HP enemies are standing on the person's same exact square, odds are he can kill both with 5 AP to spare, but now all his berries are gone. I would agree that carrying 50 bunches of berries is pretty ridiculous, but again the person will have spent many days searching for them, a tremendous net loss of possible damage inflicted if he had just used all those hundreds of AP he spent searching, attacking. And even in that extreme example all he can do is inflict 160 damage and then his berry supply is used up, So I dont think it is necessarily "out of hand". Besides, anyone who does such a thing (spends days finding 50 berries and goes and uses them all at once) is an idiot and a very poor player, the berries would be valuable to be used when you really desperatrely need them, when you are out of AP about to get a kill or maybe in some other limited way (as MorkaisChosen said, it is a way to store AP), not in that way. If you are worried about people camping berry bushes to get lots of AP-boosting berries, see below (and remember that some people do the same for first aid kits anyway). Arminius 00:40, 27 June 2006 (UTC)
The above remarks would be accurate if the AP-booster item was "invigorating herbs" found with an 8% rate in the Grasslands or something. However, berries have a 55% find rate (perhaps higher for villager), so 50 berries take at most two days to collect. Unless your character is a PKer who can attack anything that moves, the berry-buff would become very valuable for increasing combat efficiency. --Tycho44 17:37, 30 June 2006 (UTC)
Since this would be a radical change for berries, yes the find rates should be changed. The AP-giving item doesnt even have to be berries, my original sugegstion was "berries or similiar item". I think it should be berries because there are berry bushes all over the island, rather than gerasslands which are only in one part of the island(?). Arminius 23:55, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

A comment I have is that this would make berry bushes genuinely valuable, but it is probably not desirable to have everyone camp the berry bushes, that's boring. Fortunately this problem is already solved by something Simon implemented very early on--berry bushes dry up and new ones are discovered all the time (it might be advisable to increase the rate at which they dry up and new ones pop up for this). Arminius 00:40, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

Not sure where you got this idea from, bushes are static.. for now! --Simon 01:00, 27 June 2006 (UTC)
I could've sworn I've seen writings in the jungle making references to trees which are not there anymore, e.g. "this mango tree is claimed by John Doe", but there is no tree in the square. Arminius 23:55, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, as pointed out, it would take two days of camping a berry bush to get 70 berries, the maxiumum that can be stored (unless the idiot's walking around with no weapons). However, you'd only get one day of extra combat from it. You're actually losing time that way. If you're really worried, make bushes drop two types of berries, HP restorers and AP restorers. Lower the find rates for both to match the current find rate. I assume this wouldn't be hard. Huts already drop multiple varieties of items. I'd also like to point out that this system is already in place in KoL. They just set a maximum you can eat before you get full to keep the system from being abused. Would that be hard to code? --Black Joe 14:18, 13 July 2006
it's not worth it,eating a berry costs one action point(s),and every berry gives you 1 AP so really you would just be left on the same AP you were on before you ate the berry! Eminem1 01:03, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

It would give 2 AP, you would spend 1 AP to eat it, so you would gain 1 AP. Arminius 23:55, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

Personally i like the idea getting free XP item so how about this; have one and only one item (say buncha berries) gives 1XP costs 1AP, but you can eat it whenever you want. this would pretty much reduce the number of people who are going to farm (as the chance of getting that one item consistently is comparatively low), it would make a welcome change to searches.--A for anarchy 05:14, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

I think you are confused here, the topic at hand is not gaining free XP, but "storing AP" as MorkaisChosen put it. Arminius 23:55, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

Camera/Spirit box

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Darkferret 04:11, 23 July 2006 (UTC) Ranged weapon Those plagued by banshees and those interested in scaring natives

In just about every meeting of natives and cameras it is believed that the cameras are able to steal some of their spirit. On Shartak this is for sure and it also works on the dead. The camera is able to capture some of a person's spirit causing 3 points of damage. If the shot kills them they are trapped in the camera until they revive for X extra AP. If the user has Sixth Sense they may capture a spirit in the same way. The camera uses rolls of film with 5 shots each. Scientists have special photography skills increasing their chance of capture. Natives must have Outsider knowledge to use the camera. Otherwise it will appear as Spirit box in their inventory. (Possible native equivelent could be something like a voodoo doll)

Comments
I like this! It rally does fit in for me... Plus it allows my clan to do some REAL research on Spirits by taking pictures. And, of course... Who you gonna call? MorkaisChosen 10:58, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

I don't want to seem impolite, and I don't want to discourage people from making creative suggestions, which this certainly is. However, I'm not so sure about this. After all, cameras don't REALLY hurt people. Also, cameras, to me, don't fit with the time period in Shartak, like GPS units. There are already suggestions to change the GPS unit to something else. I don't think adding another piece of relatively advanced technology will help. Cameras have been around maybe 100 years? Shartak seems to take place in the 1700's or so, a little too early. Long story short, I don't think it fits. That's just my opinion, however. Black Joe

Just to remind you that this is a fictional game not set anywhere or anytime in paticular and what may not fit in reality may fit great in a game(Shartak ghosts? Urban Dead zombies?). In fact sometimes doing the impossible is what makes these games fun. (The Royal Expedition claims that it is 1906) --Darkferret 21:16, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

i agree with idea that we should do something about ghosts, but the idea of trapping "ghosts" in cameras not so much, cause ghosts are players too and costing them extra AP for escape compounded with the AP cost of reviving, would seriously affect their gameplay.--A for anarchy 03:40, 25 July 2006 (UTC)

I really like this idea, although it shouldn't be used for hurting live players, instead capturing spirits who are farming xp in a resource hut. Then, rather than spending AP to escape, they should only have the option to revive (Perhaps at an increased cost)--Zydd Soral 16:55, 25 July, 2006

Compared to exorcism, capturing spirits in a camera seems really silly and would make the game seem the same way. Maybe it'd be like introducing soap as an item that could deal damage to pirates: funny, but absurd and out of place in a role-playing game. Some elements of fantasy are acceptable in such games, but others, like this one, are too hard to swallow. But it's a clever idea. — Elembis (talk) 17:27, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Exorcism sounds like a really silly thing to me (holding up a symbol and saying some silly words is going to repel a ghost?). Plus it is very cliche and I don't think a scientist would be the kind of person who would do it. We don't have an outsider religious class in this game dispite the suggestions for it. The true equivelent of your antipirate soap would be a vacuum cleaner like in ghost busters.--Darkferret 21:16, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
I have to disagree with you, Darkferret. If you're going to accept spirits, then you might as well accept exorcism. After all, practically every culture I've heard of that believes in spirits also believes in having some way to banish them. Additionally, there IS a religious class on the native side: the shaman. I agree the scientist is ill-suited for exorcism, but something can undoubtedly be worked out.Black Joe 19:38, 28 July 2006
Repeling a player counts as movement that does not use their AP which defies the Free Lunch Principle. Capture and captive player escape via revival is Free Lunch complient. Besides the outsiders already have too many classes and scientists need unique science related skills.--Darkferret 21:25, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

A Spirit Box could work as a kind of special wooden box with charms or religious symbols on it, but maybe not as a camera. MorkaisChosen 10:38, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

What would the roll of film equivalent be?--Darkferret 21:16, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

For several hundred years the island of Shartak has been populated by three native tribes from the villages Dalpok, Raktam and Wiksik. More frequently in recent weeks, strangers known to the natives as "outsiders" are appearing on their island wearing odd looking clothes and carrying flashing boxes and loud sticks. Is that not a camera?

No, just bad wording. Supposed to be a reference to the gps units! --Simon 21:09, 2 October 2006 (UTC)
Infantry did not use double barrel rifles at this scale until the mid 19th century, by then the daguerreotype and the calotype had been invented.

Subitems

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Darkferret 22:28, 12 August 2006 (UTC) Divisable items FAKs and Healing herbs

When someone uses a FAK they usually don't use all of it. They may need a bandage but not the antitoxin. Instead of dumping it we could keep the unused parts much like we keep our containers. I suggest we divide the kit into 3-4 parts that separate when a kit is not completely used: Bandage for HP (possibly small[2-4HP] & large[3-6HP]), Antitoxin for Poisonous snake bites and Poison darts (possibly HP from Bunch of poisonous berries and Salt water if balanceable), and Stitching kit for Shark bite. I am not sure about the names of Healing herbs' subitems.

Comments
This seems to be a realy good idea, i'm sure it would be a royal bitch to program, but maybe no more so than blunting a cutlass or breaking a machette. Rozen

The Bone Whistle

I was screwing around with an idea on the Scurvy Crew page, and the more I thought about this one the more I liked it. Basically a bone whistle that'll function like the radio does in urban dead permitting long range communication within the game. This is more necessary in Shartak because of the greater distances involved with the game. It could be set to play certain notes so that only certain clans, villages, or classes could hear it like the radio is tuned to certain frequencies. Understanding and playing the bone whistle would require new skills that'll give senior players something new to spend their exp on.

It might also only be played from certain locations such as in villages, on the mountain, on the beach, etc. The explanation being that sound doesn't travel in the deep jungle. It'd be especially helpful to players who aren't knee-deep in the forums or wiki coordinate. There's this dying language in Spain around the Pyrrenes (sp?) of whistling to communicate across the mountains so that could serve as a weak justification for it within the game's setting. What do you think? Tyler Whitney 21:29, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

Just reviewed past posts and it seems similar to the drums/pigeons proposed earlier. I think any of these could be made to work. Tyler Whitney 21:32, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

the birds for outsiders, the whistle for pirates and the drums for natives? or a parrot for pirates maybe? Rozen

Smoke signals were another suggestion on the old forum. FirstAmongstDaves

---

Flintlock Pistols

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Rozen 02:36, 12 November 2006 (UTC) New Item and Set of Skill to go along with it Whoever can shoot a gun

Mechanics

  • Half the inventory space of the rifle
  • 1 shot loading
  • .5 AP to load. (or skill to make it so)
  • 4 damage
  • Find in the Shipwreck's Armoury and (with less chance) the Large Cabin.
  • Also find in outsider camp's ammo hut with the same chance as in the Large Cabin.
  • Ammo is more likely to be found in 'purses' of three. eg, 'Looking around you find a purse of three flintlock balls'

Roleplay and realism

  • Soldiers who roleplay would prefer to carry them instead of the dozen rifles they now cary. In real life, you can realisticly carry eight flintlocks and a rifle. (Two in the boots, two on the shins, two on the thighs, and two under the arms with a rifle in hand).
  • Pirates have always been seen with cutalss and one-shot pistol in hand.

Skills

  • No Skill- 5% chance of hitting your target
  • Pistol Marksmanship(Soldiers and Pirates)- Plus 20% chance to hit your target with a Flintlock Pistol
  • Advanced Pistol Marksmanship- Plus another 20% chance to hit your targetwith a Flintlock Pistol
  • Hunter Marksman (Scouts with outsider knowledge and Explorers)- Plus another 20% chance to hit your target with a Flintlock.
  • Flintlock Mastery- Plus 15% chance to hit your target with Flintlock Pistol
  • Quickshot- Loading costs .5 AP

Comments
Original idea by Rozen. Wiki-fied by Che

I'd like to get some fresh comments about this. I have the old comments saved in case anyone wants to look...I just want to see what Shartak: The Next Generation thinks of this, you know :P --Rozen 22:59, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

Meat Weapons

Author Timestamp Type Scope
LadyOfTheNight 11:29, 29 November 2006 (UTC) Items All

Hi, I would like to consider the introduction of a range of meat weapons into the game. I have a full arsenal ready to go, these would include a pork sword, a luncheon meat truncheon, a bacon torpedo, a spam javelin, a mutton dagger and a beef spear. If anyone wants the stats for these weapons, please let me know.

Comments
Oh come on these are just plain silly - bacon and pork could come from wild boar, but mutton and beef? There aren't any sheep or cattle on the island! --Frisco 18:53, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm worried for what the little ones may interprit pork sword as. I understand the US meaning is quite different to the Halo meaning. Rozen

Canteen/Water Pouch

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Darkferret 09:23, 5 December 2006 (UTC) Container Anyone looking for an extra sip

Bottles and gourds of water may be cheap and attractive, but they are quite bulky worn on person. The canteen/water pouch is flatter/easier to carry taking 2 inventory spaces to carry 5 or 6 HP worth of water (or 1 space for 3 or 4 HP I'm not sure.)

Comments
Canteen? To be a little more in the setting, how about "flask"? And were you going to suggest that it hold more than one drink? --Lantz 03:15, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Feasible.. I would imagine something like a flask that gives 3 drinks of 2HP each but occupies 2 inventory spaces might make it a desired item compared to a bottle. Obviously it'd have to be refillable just like bottles and that's where it starts to get complicated. --Simon 18:54, 24 December 2006 (UTC)
is it possible to have it as three bottles in programing, but when it appears in GUI it's only one object? I know NOTHING about programing, so i probably just made a fool of myself saying that. Rozen
A rifle can be loaded with two bullets, so there is presumably code that can be reused to create something similar that holds a certain number of uses? --Johan Crichton 01:28, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
I...*hic*...never leaves the camps...*hic*...with out a flask of that bourbon here's. Hmm... pretending to be a drunkard has make me think of a new idea... anyway, this flask/canteen thing is a pretty good idea. -Che 06:39, 31 December 2006 (UTC)


Fire

How about fire for torches? Fire could also:

1. be used on the jungle ("You set fire to the surrounding jungle, causing smoke to billow into the sky." The square could turn orange and then red as it was burned, then finally brown once it burned out),

2. be used as campfires for villages and the wreck,

3. light caves, for increased search rates ("You light a torch and it illuminates the cave. Shadows cast from flying bats give the cave an eery appearance.")

4. burn opponents, ("You hit Long Fin Killie in the face with a torch for 3HP damage.") or huts (""You set the hut on fire and the inhabitants each suffer 1HP loss from smoke inhalation.")

5. scare away wild animals like tigers, which might not approach a torch.

I also like the idea of driftwood being set ablaze with a flint of some description - a sharpening stone is a good idea - and also putting out fire with water. Perhaps you could not step into a river or the water with a lit torch - the torch would fizzle out (which would also prevent some smartie from setting fire to the shipwreck).

Fire might also be visible from a distance. "You see a column of smoke to the north east."

And, as a gag, if you drink rum while holding a torch then you breath fire.

FirstAmongstDaves

"You take a swig of rum and put your face up to the torch. You exale the rum into the fire, and a large jet of flame comes out of the other side of the torch." or even, "You take a swig of rum and put your face up to the torch. You exale the rum into the fire, and a large jet of flame comes out of the other side of the torch. However, you did not do it right and the flame singes your face for X hit points!" -A Cow

That would be amusing, if pointless, like the coin-toss. - FirstAmongstDaves
To be realistic, huts, jungle, or similar things should burn down and spread. burning areas would turn orange, then red, and would turn normal when there was nothing left to burn. Every AP recharge or so, the jungle would go down one level, a signpost if there was any would burn away, all people and animals would take X damage from various reasons (most animals would flee though), and huts or similar things would go down in levels ("slightly charred/ rather burned/ badly burned/collapsing/burnt ruins/nothing left but the foundation) which would have gradually decreasing search odds, and the last two would have the huts not be entered/exited areas, there would be no difference between inside and outside. The fire would have an X% chance of spreading into a touching square that wasn't burning or completely burnt down. There would have to be some way to put out or contain the fire to prevent the entire island from having all vegetation going to 0, all huts burning down (maybe a "hut repair" skill?), and all people and NPCs dying and having to wait for a shaman to come back before they can every time some guy sets something on fire. Maybe spreading from square to square would have a low chance and fuel consumption happens fast, so a fire will often burn down before it spreads. Or you could have player-imposed limitations by keeping a circle or part of one around an area totally clear of jungle and, if people comply with policy, players and signs. If you put it right at the edge and on the inside, animals wouldn't go in for whatever reason, so... a maniac trying to burn down the island would need a second torch if they used the first one on the village and the other villages still wouldn't be destroyed. Okay, by itself that wouldn't help much, but with the low spread/high burn and make it easy to put out with water and we've got some vague balance. --AlexanderRM 01:04, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Falconry

Introduction: Falcons and falconry could be another item/skill combination like the shooting skills. Falconry is an ancient sport. It was practiced in China before the year 2000 BC: falconry is also the subject of some of the oldest Egyptian wall paintings. English playwright William Shakespeare was a falconry fan who introduced falconry terms into popular speech: the word "Hag" or "Haggard" is the term for a mature wild hawk or falcon. Bedouins also have engaged in falconry for centuries. Peregrine falcons hunt and eat other birds and are famed for their speed (stooping, or diving, peregrines have been clocked at speeds of up to 220mph) and aerial prowess.

Item: The scenario would run like this: Near the mountains, "You find an egg in a large nest in a rocky outcrop. The egg is slightly smaller than a chicken egg, and is mottled with a dark, reddish-brown pigment." This description is that of a falcon egg. The eggs could only be found by searching / scavenging. As falcons like the thermals of mountains and have nests in rocky crevaces, it makes sense that the eggs could only be found near the mountain.

First skill level: In order for you to do anything with the egg, you acquire a skill: "Hatching and rearing" of the falcon chick. Once you acquire that skill, the egg hatches. Perhaps some of the eggs would fail - say, 50%. In the player item list, the "one falcon egg" is replaced by "one falcon chick" or "one falcon eyase" (an eyase is a falcon chick) when the first skill level of "Hatching and rearing" is acquired.

Second skill level: The next skill you need to acquire is "Training your falcon". With the "Training your falcon" skill, the "falcon chick" becomes a "young falcon", and the young falcon can be used as a weapon. "You command your young falcon to rake Player Y's face, for 1 HP damage." As a young falcon, it delivers only one HP hit, and has a low probability rate of striking. The keywords are "young falcon", to indicate to players that the bird is immature and not yet capable fo use at full strength.

In addition, as a young and inexperienced bird, it might also be prone to crashing and dying. "Your young falcon loses balance mid-flight and plummets into a tree, dying instantly." While potentially heartbreaking for a proud falconeer who has raised the young falcon from an egg, the idea would be to discourage the falconeer from using the bird in combat until he or she has the next skill level.

Third skill level: With "falconry mastery", the falcon can be used as a weapon like a rifle, with the same probability strike rate and damage for HPs. The advantage of having a falcon would be not having to worry about bullets. The text would read, "You command your falcon to rake Player Y's face, for 5HP damage."

Killing falcons: It should be possible to kill falcons. In attacking another player with a falcon, there would be a low probability rate (say 1%) that "You attack Player Y and kill their falcon." This could be listed in the kills stats. It would also no doubt fuel some enmity between players if one player kills another player's pet falcon. No one likes a pet murderer.

Other ancillary issues: Falcon eggs would be relatively rare, like heavy swords. "Falcon eggs", "falcon chicks", "young falcons" and "falcons" could have trading values, which would mean that the skill must affects a trading item (which I don't think we've seen yet). Any class of player could have a falcon egg, just like a heavy sword, and again like a heavy sword it would be possible to have more than one falcon. In announcing falconry as a new skill/item, you would only need to introduce the new skill in the Skills page and the kills stats: let players work out where the eggs might be. - FirstAmongstDaves
Comments
Comments here. A comprehensive pet system, allowing characters to have pet dogs, trained birds of prey (falcons are an example, but I don't know if there are Caribbean falcons?), pet parrots, pet monkeys etc might be one way to accomplish something like this? --Johan Crichton 21:00, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

I looked at the pet suggestion, and we discussed domesticating elephants at the old forum. Animals in the game are NPCs, and so controlling them plus your character becomes problematic unless by domesticating them they lose their NPC status. I would have thought this was hard to code. The falconry system I'm suggesting only needs some modification of the existing shooting skill: falcons would be items, rather than NPCs. - FirstAmongstDaves

Tent

Hello all, It seems to me that having the only shelter in villages seems silly. Why not have tents which can be used in the jungle. They could be deployed and then used for hiding. It would also make sense for a tent to make it impossible for an animal to attack you wihile you are in it. GusMcRae

Yeah, I seem to have trouble surviving overnight in the jungle, which makes it really hard to get places. Maybe it could have high inventory space and AP cost to set up/take down, but some animals won't attack you in there and some item, like a controlled torch or something, repels the rest but makes the tent always noticeable to people who can see your square. Or course players could go in there but... well, you can't have everything. The inventory space and the placing/removing costs would make travel slow and attacking difficult to balance the safety.--AlexanderRM 01:26, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Trade Items

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Nosimplehiway 04:50, 15 February 2007 (UTC) a series of items which will encourage trade the economic structure of Shartak

Few people bother to travel far afield from their home camps on Shartak. It is simply easier to do what you want to do right at home, and not take the risk of travel. If movement between the various camps, and general movement around the island is desirable, a good way to encourage that would be to foster trade. Historically, trade has been a major driver of exploration, communication and colonization. Trade is a result of basic market forces. When a seller has supply and a buyer has demand, a trade will likely occur. Currently the supply and demand are both readily available within each camp, and there is little need to travel. However, constructed items requiring multiple components, each part of which is only available in one camp would encourage this trade.

For Outsiders, I propose the creation of three new items, which when combined would allow the creation of a more efficient, highly desirable weapon. The three items are steel ore (found in Derby, with a 1% search percentage), smithy tools (found in the Durham, with a 1% search percentage), and coal (found in York, with a 1% search percentage). When all three items are in one character's inventory and the character possesses Outsider Knowledge, or is an Outsider, the action "Forge Weapon" becomes available. This action costs 10 AP, but produces a "Scimitar"[2], with a base hit percentage of 20% and a base damage of 3. Each Scimitar created consumes one unit of coal, steel and smithy tools.

The Native analog to this is the "Macuahuitl" [3], a giant, bladed war club. It has the same game stats as a Scimitar, and is contructed using obsidian from Dalpok, cured leather from Raktam, and ironwood from Wiksik.

By implementing materials available only in one camp, which are necessary for the manufacture of goods which would be in high demand, an artifical economy can be created... trade, travel and adventure will be the natural outcomes of this. Presumably some individuals will make a career of searching materials local to their home camp and selling them to traders in other camps. Other individuals may specialize in the manufacture of these weapons. Still others may decide to drive off the outisders from their home camps, as a way of cornering the market.

Comments
Comment here

  • Actualy, thats' not a bad idea. I wouldn't mind seeing this on Shartak. When i saw the name of the thread i was ready to go on about idem trading between players and zerging. But no, this looks pretty cool. Would scimitars be affected by body building and melee skills? that'd make the weapon 45% 4 damage, which is a worthy bonus for rounding up all the items. - Rozen
    • Yep, my idea is that it would include those bonuses, but it is not integral to the suggestion. This basic concept (rounding up trade items to get something cool and thereby indirectly creating an economy) has nothing to do with the item you get as an outcome, the item is only there to provide a big reward. The resultant item could be the tools to build a hut, the herbs needed for a super first aid kit, or any other big bonus. My goal is to create an economy, not the reward, per se. --Nosimplehiway 19:57, 19 February 2007 (UTC)
  • Sounds good, but for RP purposes I'd rather the weapon be named 'Fine Sword', a more generic weapon. It'd be bad for me that I want a longsword and some other guy who wants a schiavona to be stuck with a scimitar. --Odysseus 18:45, 18 February 2007 (UTC)
    • Good idea! Calling it a "fine sword" definitely opens up more RP possibilities. I am sticking to my guns on the macuahuitl, though; the idea of a warclub covered with razor sharp obsidian is just too cool to ignore. lol --Nosimplehiway 19:57, 19 February 2007 (UTC)
      • Actually, many people almost never use the "contact roaming shaman" option, and so they stay near their home camps because they always get sent there when they die. I've only gone to another camp (wilsik) once and after dying a day or two in, got sent home and never returned. Maybe if we made it so that if people met a shaman from another camp, from then on they have the option the contact them, for different AP costs. (maybe natives/native shamans and outsiders outsider shamans would be 40AP, and anything else would be the same 50AP as contact roaming shaman...) Of course, other people being able to come back to life into the very center of an enemy village or settlement, lie there to get full AP, then stand up and massacre the people, and when they got killed just do it again might be bad... maybe some exorcism skill or innate power amulet, that someone you kill who isn't in an allied camp to their side can't re-spawn their for awhile or until they re-spawn and die again...--AlexanderRM 01:38, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

10 Melee Weapons

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Odysseus 22:13, 18 February 2007 (UTC) Weapons All

It's about time we've had a host of new weapons! Here's what I'm suggesting. I've added all the current weapons for comparison plus the suggested Swordsman class (assuming you've maxed out CQB first incl. Balanced Stance), a suggested Pirate skill that ups Cutlass accuracy, and also their modified values for Body Building. Note that these weapons are superior in one way or another than cutlasses and machetes, BUT only these two can cut through jungle, and cutlasses can become better in the hands of pirates. Axes can cut through jungle but they're in the same league pretty much.

1)Axe: A powerful but somewhat heavy weapon, the axe is also good at clearing jungle. It does only 0,05 damage more per AP if two non-swordsmen or non-pirates max out, compared to a machete or cutlass, so it's pretty much as good.

Base Damage 3, Accuracy 10% (->20%->35%)

  • Average Damage, untrained: 0,3 -> 0,4
  • Average Damage, CQB: 0,6 -> 0,8
  • Average Damage, ACQB: 1,05 -> 1,4
  • Average Damage, BS: 1,2 -> 1,55

2)Rapier: A slender sword, not particularly damaging but very easy to use. Common among many outsiders. Note that if you are a swordsman with maxed out skills, there's ALWAYS a chance to cause at least 1 point of damage, making it the best weapon for use against low HP enemies. Since it relies on thrusting, sharpening should be unnecessary.

Base Damage 1, Accuracy 40% (->50%->65%->75%)

  • Average Damage, untrained: 0.4 -> 0,8
  • Average Damage, CQB: 0,5 -> 1
  • Average Damage, ACQB: 0,65 -> 1,3
  • Average Damage, BS: 0,8 -> 1,45
  • Average Damage, Fencing: 0,9 -> 1,65
  • Average Damage, Exp. Fenc.: 1,05 -> 1,8

3)Saber: Favored by the navy, a saber looks like a slimmer and longer cutlass- or a cutlass looks like a short and wide saber. It's easier to use than a cutlass

Base Damage 2, Accuracy 25% (->35%->50%->60%)

  • Average Damage, untrained: 0,5 -> 0,75
  • Average Damage, CQB: 0,7 -> 1,05
  • Average Damage, ACQB: 1 -> 1,5
  • Average Damage, BS: 1,15 -> 1,65
  • Average Damage, Fencing: 1,35 -> 1,95
  • Average Damage, Exp. Fenc.: 1,5 -> 2,1

4)Spear: Used by the natives mostly but sometimes by the outsiders, the spear is a very effective weapon, its long reach giving the user a great advantage. Since it relies on thrusting, sharpening should be unnecessary.

Base Damage 2, Accuracy 25% (->35%->50%)

  • Average Damage, untrained: 0,5 -> 0,75
  • Average Damage, CQB: 0,7 -> 1,05
  • Average Damage, ACQB: 1 -> 1,5
  • Average Damage, BS: 1,15 -> 1,65

5)Halberd: A heavy polearm used by some outsiders, this unwieldy weapon is tremendously powerful. It consists of a two to two and a half meter long shaft, topped by an axe blade and spear tip. (Actually the original idea was to have a 10% accuracy, but it would make it way too powerful and everyone would have a halberd. This would be realistic since polearms were often the most effective weapons... but not fun at all).

Base Damage 4, Accuracy 5% (->15%->30%)

  • Average Damage, untrained: 0,2 -> 0,25
  • Average Damage, CQB: 0,6 -> 0,75
  • Average Damage, ACQB: 1,2 -> 1,5
  • Average Damage, BS: 1,35 -> 1,65

6)Hammer: More of a tool than a weapon, it can still be used in that capacity. Includes clubs and other such blunt instruments.

Base Damage 2, Accuracy 20% (->30%->45%)

  • Average Damage, untrained: 0,4 -> 0,6
  • Average Damage, CQB: 0,6 -> 0,9
  • Average Damage, ACQB: 0,9 -> 1,35
  • Average Damage, BS: 1,05 -> 1,5

7)Fine sword: As the above suggestion (Can only be manufactured). A fine sword would be something like a very balanced weapon with tremendous capabilities, such as a bastard sword, longsword or heck, even a katana- it would certainly be two-handed. It should dull easily with use (like real swords), requiring constant care to even out its power.

Base Damage 3, Accuracy 25% (->35%->50%->60%)

  • Average Damage, untrained: 0.75 -> 1
  • Average Damage, CQB: 1,05 -> 1,4
  • Average Damage, ACQB: 1,5 -> 2
  • Average Damage, BS: 1,65 -> 2,15
  • Average Damage, Fencing: 1,95 -> 2,55
  • Average Damage, Exp. Fenc.: 2,1 -> 2,8

8)Heavy Sword: Including the legendary sword for comparison. You can see it's unbelievably powerful.

Base Damage 4, Accuracy 20% (>30%->45%->55%)

  • Average Damage, untrained: 0,8 -> 1
  • Average Damage, CQB: 1,2 -> 1,5
  • Average Damage, ACQB: 1,8 -> 2,25
  • Average Damage, BS: 1,95 -> 2,4
  • Average Damage, Fencing: 2,35 -> 2,9
  • Average Damage, Exp. Fenc.: 2,5 -> 3,05

9)Knife: Including it for sake of completeness.

Base Damage 1, Accuracy 20% (->30%->45%)

  • Average Damage, untrained: 0,2 -> 0,4
  • Average Damage, CQB: 0,3 -> 0,6
  • Average Damage, ACQB: 0,45 -> 0,9
  • Average Damage, BS: 0,6 -> 1,05

10)Machete/Cutlass: The same weapon, in essence. The Fencing entry also covers a maxed-out pirate. These are the only ones that can chop through jungle. These and the axe, which is the same thing.

Base Damage 2, Accuracy 20% (->30%->45%->55%)

  • Average Damage, untrained: 0,4 -> 0,6
  • Average Damage, CQB: 0,6 -> 0,9
  • Average Damage, ACQB: 0,9 -> 1,35
  • Average Damage, BS: 1,05 -> 1,5
  • Average Damage, Fencing: 1,25 -> 1,8
  • Average Damage, Exp. Fenc.: 1,4 -> 1,95

Comments
I'd love nothing more than to see more variety of weapons on Shartak. So to help you with your ideas, I vie you this link, its similar to what your suggesting, but doesn't require new classes or skills to add variety. http://forum.shartak.com/index.php/topic,193.0.html - rozen

  • It looks like a great idea. I wouldn't mind having either yours or mine up, as long as we get more weapons! --Odysseus 23:46, 18 February 2007 (UTC)
    • More melee weapons are a nice idea. If nothing else it leads to some variety in a character's panoply and adds to interest, as opposed to simply having 5 cutlasses or 5 machetes.-FirstAmongstDaves

Big Stick and Cudgel

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Black Joe 02:29, 10 March 2007 (UTC) 2 new, related items All players

1. Big stick: Or "There are trees all around me. Why's it so hard to find driftwood?"

The big stick would be found in jungle squares. The thicker the jungle, the more likely it is that you'll find a big stick. The big stick would take up two inventory spaces. By itself, it's useless. However, it can be made into a couple other things.

A. If you have a blade, you can chop the big stick in half for 5 AP (without a blade, it costs 10AP). This gives you two pieces of driftwood. Why do I propose this? Because it makes no sense that, on a jungle covered island, treeless beaches are the only place you get driftwood! There are lots and lots of trees out in the jungle! Surely I can find pieces of wood out there! I apparently also like to use exclamation marks!

B. For 5 AP with blade (10 AP without), you can trim the big stick down to a cudgel. See below.

Suggestion 2: The Cudgel: Or "Hitting each other with sticks."

The cudgel also takes 2 inventory spaces. It does 1 HP damage without body building and 2HP damage with it. Its base percentage to hit is 30%, giving it a maxed-out hit chance of 55%. Why does it have a higher chance to hit? Because it's a really big stick! People have been hitting each other with sticks for ages! Now, even with that, it's still inferior to the machete. So why's it useful?

1. Higher chance to hit than daggers, knives, and fists. 2. It can be manufactured out in the jungle, so if your knives and machetes break (don't laugh, this happened to me once), you can keep on hunting.

Essentially, the cudgel is supposed to be an emergency weapon when your machetes run out. Plus, I really like the idea of player-crafted items, and this is a non-unbalancing way to do that.

Comments
I like this! It has no problem that I can see with game balance, and makes a lot of sense! I do have one question about it, though! Can it be found at all in the jungle squares which have been completely cleared or have very low density?!?--Nosimplehiway 14:48, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

In answer to your question, I would say "no" to completely cleared and "very low chance" to very low density. Does this help?--Black Joe 02:00, 14 March 2007 (UTC)
The only problem I have with this suggestion is that there's nothing to restrict items found to certain densities.. but that might be something I can add. --Simon 19:12, 29 May 2007 (UTC)

Hate to break it to 'ya, but the only reason there's only driftwood at the beaches and not in the forrest is simple. It's driftwood... as in it drifted from the sea onto land. -el Che 23:42, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

This is technically true, but the point is missed. On a jungle island, one should be able to find sign post material where trees can be found. That is not the case at the moment.--Black Joe 02:00, 14 March 2007 (UTC)
The term "driftwood" is just a placeholder for any item which fills a similar role. Besides, I've lived in south Florida, hurricane country, and believe me, in a wilderness area you can find driftwood in some of the weirdest places.--Nosimplehiway 13:56, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

Tranquiliser/Paralyzing Dart

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Darkferret 17:05, 6 April 2007 (UTC) Ammunition Hunters who don't like to be bitten back

Many hunters don't like FAKs taking up space that could be used for ammo and thus go without them. The animals don't go down without a fight however and the bush doesn't have the tools for a last minute tusk wound patch up before bed. If only the animals could be passified. Firing a tranquiliser from a rifle like a regular bullet or a paralyzing dart from a blowpipe, one can stun an animal, preventing automatic and retalitory attacks for awhile. In humans it reduces attack strength and/or accuracy and increases AP usage.

Comments
I disagree with your base claim - I'd imagine that as many, if not more hunters travel with a lot of first aid kits since it allows them to spend longer in the jungle. This suggestion just seems to remove the challenge of fighting something that will fight back, and reduce the need to go into the jungle properly equipped. It would also seem easy to abuse against other player characters. --Johan Crichton 21:56, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Ivory

Author Timestamp Type Scope
kenny rogers1 15:16 03 May 2007 improvement Everyone

Back then the jungles were full of ivory poachers. What I'm proposing is the ability to harvest ivory from the dead elephants in the game. With each elephant you harvest you receive 2 units of ivory. To keep it simple you can harvest the ivory using a machete or a cutlass. Each unit of ivory would be worth 2 gold coins.

Comments
Cool, maybe something like this could be added to tigers. --Wulla-mullung

What would the ivory do? We could use it to make handles for the weapons, or ornaments for rifles. or chess pieces! -Elegost 02:16, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

This would go along with the meat suggestion elsewhere in the wiki. Perhaps when an animal dies, there are certain items that can be harvested from their corpse including meat x (number depends on size of animal), ivory from elephants, skin from bear or tiger, feathers from parrot. Once you've recovered as much as you can from the corpse, you'll just search the surrounding area instead. --Simon 07:26, 26 June 2007 (UTC)

Shartak Laser

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Elegost 13:12, 22 May 2007 (UTC) Super weapon anyone

This is the super (edited) Shartak version of the most awesome Spartan Laser from the Halo 3. It deals 10 dmg and is 50% accurate (since it does take a lot of effort to aim the thing). It cannot be found anywhere, but you need to make it. You'd need two pieces of driftwood, a mango, a gem, a dead parrot in the same square and a gps unit. It has four shots and has a 30% chance of breaking after firing. when out of ammo, it becomes useless baggage. you cannot sell a used or partially used shartak laser to traders. The pic of the Shartak laser is here. http://derby.jconserv.net/viewtopic.php?t=14&start=105

Comments
(Pssst, Simon, just say you've implemented it! Where are you going to get a headless parrot from anyway?) --Rozen 16:04, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

  • This has been added, it's in a secret location and you'll have to journey through shark infested water and back to the mainland to find it. ;) --Simon 22:32, 25 June 2007 (UTC)
seriously?!?!? why can't i have a free one?:D -Elegost 02:17, 26 June 2007 (UTC)
Ya, umm sorry I kinda took it. How about you give me 500 gold and it'll be at the Dalpok trader. --Wulla-mullung 02:41, 26 June 2007 (UTC)
LOL. No, not seriously. I regret to inform you that this will never be implemented. Perhaps if you could come up with some less outrageous and powerful things that could be manufactured you might be luckier. --Simon 07:22, 26 June 2007 (UTC)
okay. you got me there. hahaha wait, i'll edit it. -Elegost 10:42, 26 June 2007 (UTC)
How about having it burn out once all shots are fired?--Johan Crichton 21:28, 26 June 2007 (UTC)
sounds good. but i personally like the idea of it being disposable, just like the spartan laser. and you can't sell the empty one to the trader! -Elegost 10:30, 27 June 2007 (UTC)
The above is a lie, I really do have the Shartak Laser. Simon just thought better of letting everyone know one exsisted. --Wulla-mullung 02:33, 29 June 2007 (UTC)
If you really do, you'll only be able to fire four shots. Also, if you could get a light bulb and run an electric current from the GPS to it and use the gem like a magnifying glass, you might just be able to do this. but make it need a scientist-only skill and have a 75% chance of being done wrong breaking the GPS and the light bulb. When it runs out of charges it leaves the light bulb and the gem intact, but if it breaks you just keep the gem.--AlexanderRM 01:45, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Bottle of Water

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Elegost 11:12, 6 June 2007 (UTC) improvement everyone who can drink bottles of water

I just realized i carry more bottles of water than FAKS. So, maybe we can use bottles of water on other people, you know, help them drink and restore health. like a fak :)

Comments
I fully agree - hence this suggestion: Suggestions:Miscellaneous#UI:_Heal_Patient_as_possible_action --Johan Crichton 04:43, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

Melee Weapon Breaking tweak

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Elegost 09:00, 2 July 2007 (UTC) weapon tweak everyone

the rate of breaking machetes could be altered a bit. I haven't had much luck breaking machetes these days. Shouldn't they break a lot too? Cutlasses seem to break a lot. And the non-breaking quality of the machete makes it a not-so-good item to trade at the traders. And perhaps writing materials could be blunted when writing too. and maybe the sharpening stones can wear out after a while, like around ten sharpenings, it'll crumble to dust. And that'll stimulate players to buy or sell sharpening stones.

Comments
I've had the opposite with machetes of late - if you use them for combat, they seem to break reasonably often. --Johan Crichton 22:18, 3 July 2007 (UTC) Ooh, I know- have the sharpening stones turn blunt, so you can keep two sharpening stones, and use one to sharpen the other. --AlexanderRM 01:47, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Pit Trap

Author Timestamp Type Scope
GreyA2 10:04, 2 July 2007 (EST) Item/Skill Everyone

Once a hole has been dug with the digging skill/shovel, driftwood can be used to conceal the hole, creating a pit trap. The next individual/animal to enter the hex will fall into the pit, taking 6 points of damage. This naturally destroys the driftwood covering for the pit and thus the pit would need to be 'reset' with more driftwood.

If it would also cost a point of movement to get out of the pit as well, that would be interesting.

Comments
Similar suggestions already exist - Suggestions:Skills#Jungle_Skills has a mention of a 'Make/Detect Traps' skill, and Suggestions:Skills#Trap_Laying. --Johan Crichton 04:42, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

It should have an x% of falling in per action, including entering and leaving, and it's a square, not a hex.--AlexanderRM 01:49, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Hunting-Skinning-Trading

Author Timestamp Type Scope
RobZombie 00:11 am, Thurdsay 30th Aug new ways of income Everyone

When you kill an animal, you get exp, but no gold. When you trade, you get gold and experience if it's inter-settlement. In reality, peope make food and skins from hunting, in reality, people set into each other with cutlasses. Or did...anyway. I'm suggesting that when you kill a creature, great or small, you get a body part of that creature, pelt, leather, ivory, eyeball...that kind of thing. You can then sell it at the trader for some gold, bigger or rarer the beast, the more gold. Squid eyes being worth the most, parrot feathers the least. It's also been suggested that you get meat from the animal, which you can eat to recover some HP. This is a suggestion made with new players in mind, as my newest character realised he got more of a reward going safely from town to town and gtting hsi gold and exp than he did traveling into dangerous jungle and killing stuff.

Comments
Dupe of something near the top of the page. or maybe that's a dupe of this... don't think so.--AlexanderRM 01:50, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

The Most-Awesome-Titanium Sword

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Elegost 07:54, 4 September 2007 (UTC) replacement to the heavy sword everyone

Since someone was kind enough to spoil the locations of heavy swords, I hereby present you with this. The Most-Awesome-Titanium Sword! or the MATS.
Since Simon wouldn't implement the Shartak Laser, we'll have this.
MATS stats
Damage- 5
Accuracy- 50% (cause its made of titanium, its easier to wield in theory)
Chances for Critical- 18%

Critical Hit- 10dmg to target
Critical Miss- you break it, and you get hit for 5 damage by the broken blade


Search Odds- 10% at only ONE place, or certain coordinate

Comments
You scare me sometimes Ele ;P -Cthulhu

1: "no, I didn't use earth elementals- I used titanium elementals"

2: Someone spoiled the locations of heavy swords? Where?--AlexanderRM 01:52, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Forums. Simon is cooking something up, don't worry. --Wulla-mullung 03:14, 13 September 2007 (UTC)


Bottle/Gourd Of Healing Salve

Made by juicing healing herbs with an empty bottle or gourd in your inventory. It would take 3 herbs to make 1 batch of salve and you must have the "Natural Medicine" skill to do so. Salve heals 15hp when used. That about covers it really. The pro is its lighter then herbs, the con is it takes time to prepare. Perhaps a small exp reward for preparing it (say 2 exp) would encourage players to make use of it, that is open to debate however. --Etherdrifter 00:25, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Edit

Ousiders without "Native knowledge" would see it as gourd/bottle of green paste.--Etherdrifter 22:10, 29 September 2007 (UTC)


Comments

I like. I would suggest allowing pirates to use this skill too, maybe, it would give them the little balancing edge they need. - Rincewind.

  • Perhaps put in place a different skill for pirates to use it? It would probably need to be a subskill of Native Knowledge. Not too sure of a name for it though. Also what do you think of the idea for a small exp reward?--Etherdrifter 12:14, 10 September 2007 (UTC)
    • Small exps are aaaalways good. - Rincewind.
      • Keep chronological order plz. This seems to apply to natives. What about outsiders? Them too? Outsiders would then have a choice of FAKs for 10 HP heals and herb salve for 15 HP heals? Whilst natives would have only herbs or herb salves? Seems oddly balanced. Dislike XP for making the stuff as you will gain XP when using it.--Skull Face 17:14, 20 September 2007 (UTC)
        • Sorry about the mix up there with the time ordering. Anyways I thought about a small exp reward as a native who just uses the herbs already gains much more exp as they would do from making and using the salve, 7.5 exp per ap against 10 exp per ap,. The exp is an encouragment to make this and keep it stocked in the traders hut (Where anyone could use it) or use it outside of town. 2 exp seemed about right as it would take it to 9.5exp per ap making it slightly less useful when it used for healing in villages but much more useful for use outside of the village where healing herbs are not so plentiful.--Etherdrifter 22:10, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Oysters

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Skull Face 12:47, 14 September 2007 (UTC) Item All classes

Oysters would be a new item found only in oyster beds. Oysters in the inventory (1 slot per oyster) would have a button to 'Open' (similar to fruit having an 'Eat' button). They would have a 24 hour shelf life (similar to shargle eggs) after which they would have no food value. Once opened, in the inventory an oyster becomes an oyster shell. These shells have no value and traders will not accept them as trade items.

Oysters would come in two varieties, edible and pearl-bearing, but cannot be identified until opened. When an edible oyster is opened (requiring a knife or dagger) the character would eat it immediately and gain +1 HP if below maximum HP with the following flavour text...

You open the oyster and consume the contents, gaining 1 HP.

If the edible oyster is past its shelf life when opened the character gains nothing and sees flavour text such as...

You open the oyster but the contents are inedible.

When a pearl-bearing oyster is opened a pearl is added to the inventory (see suggestion on item Pearls) with flavour text such as...

You open the oyster and inside is a small black/white pearl!

Characters who do not have one free inventory slot will still be permitted to open an oyster. In the event that it contains a pearl which cannot be added to their inventory they will see this flavour text...

You open the oyster and inside is a small black/white pearl which slips through your fingers and is lost!

Comments
Support! it also applies to the suggestion below, you could merge those two. --Lama 21:19, 27 September 2007 (UTC)

Ok I like the idea and the one below but I take it that this option is available to both outsiders and natives?--Etherdrifter 22:13, 29 September 2007 (UTC)
All classes, all ethnic backgrounds ;) --Skull Face 22:44, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Pearls

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Skull Face 13:37, 14 September 2007 (UTC) Item All classes

A pearl would be a new item that takes up 1 inventory space. Pearls would only be found inside pearl-bearing oysters. Pearls would come in two flavours, white (19 out of 20) and black (1 out of 20). Traders would value white pearls at 1 times the cost of a gem and black pearls at approx 5 times the cost of a gem.

Comments
Comment here


Compass

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Skull Face Skull Face 12:26, 20 September 2007 (UTC) New Item All classes

This suggestion is for a new item, the humble compass. It would be found in the Weapons Hut and would occupy 1 inventory slot. If clicked (for 1 AP) the compass would report the approximate direction to Shartak Mountain provided that the jungle density does not block line-of-sight.

Comments
So... how exactly does this work? The compass is used to detect the direction of north. Last I checked, Shartak mountain was not right smack on the north pole. --AlexanderRM 23:51, 15 October 2007 (UTC)

I suggest you learn a wee bit about the use of a compass and compass bearings ;) --Skull Face 10:18, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

Theodolite

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Skull Face Skull Face 12:26, 20 September 2007 (UTC) Item All classes

This suggestion is for a new item, the theodolite, to replace the GPS unit and provide a handwaving explanation for accurate surveying of Shartak by outsiders and pirates. It is a steampunk variant of the 18th/19th century surveyors' theodolite and would be used to calculate vertical angles and aid in positional triangulation.

In locations that do not block line-of-sight to the peak of Shartak Mountain, the vertical inclination angle to the peak and the approximate known height of the peak would permit a rough calculation of the horizontal distance from the peak. This calculation would be refined by use of a barometer reading giving approximate current height above sea level. The distance from the peak alone is not sufficient to calculate location. The missing element would be the angular direction of the peak with respect to true N, obtained from a compass reading vs the angular scale on the theodolite. Thus the angular direction of the peak would be obtained. With this second item of information the approximate location on the island would be calculable.

Unlike the automatic always-on GPS unit the standard theodolite must be clicked (for 1 AP) to give an approximate GPS locational reading. The theodolite would occupy 3 inventory slots (similar to a rifle) due to the need for the lens array, supporting tripod and chart. The theodolite would require solid ground and line-of-sight for accurate use and thus could not be used in Deep Water, higher density jungle or indoors. It would also be fragile and have a small (XX%) chance of being destroyed in a hostile attack.

As an optional extra the location information provided by the theodolite may be subjected to error of 1 or 2 location squares. This error would be removed for the classes Explorer/Scout and Scientist. Multiple readings / APs may be needed if strict accuracy is required.

Comments
First, the GPS isn't really that useful anyway if you have either exploration or the ubermap. It's still worth the inventory space even if you have both (though the ubermap may tottally nerf it, I'm not sure...), though the gold is... debatable. But at 1AP, 3 inventory, increased area-restriction in use, chance to break when attacked and to be slightly off in location? Heck no. Just plain useless. On top of that, I actually think the GPS should stay- it gives the idea of a "lost island" rather than just "Hispaniola under a different name". So, uh, I'm thinking maybe not? --AlexanderRM 23:50, 15 October 2007 (UTC)

If you had been following the discussions you'd know that Simon has asked for suggestions on how to rework the GPS into something that fits the Imperial time period - an island cannot be lost if it still receives satellite telemetry. I consider GPS to be a freebie that is overpowered and in need of adjustment both to suit the period feel and to balance it somewhat. The biggest argument against changing GPS in this fashion is that it would break the existing Greasemonkey scripts (although the Ubermap really kills the lost island feel). OTOH your arguments seem illogical. If, as you suggest, the existing GPS isn't useful then perhaps you shouldn't be voting against a change, hmmm?

fire and science

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Zeek 22:40, 29 September 2007 (UTC) new items, and the skills to support them everyone, but mainly scientists

new items:

  • charcoal (found in abandoned huts @ 10% chance):
    • can be combined with other ingredients to produce black powder.
  • saltpeter (found in swamp squares @ 10% chance):
    • can be combined with other ingredients to produce black powder.
  • sulfur (found in mountain caves @ 10% chance):
    • can be combined with other ingredients to produce black powder.
  • bottle/gourd of black powder (found in shipwreck armory @1% chance):
    • can be used to attack groups of players by way of area-of-effect damage.
      • base = 30% chance of 6dmg to target character + 15% chance of 2dmg to each of 10 random characters + 20% chance of 4dmg to user.

new skills:

  • basic chemistry (scientists):
    • allows a character possessing the proper ingredients to produce 'black powder'.
  • basic munitions (soldiers, pirates, warriors with outsider knowledge):
    • reduces risk to user to 10% chance of 2dmg & alters aoe to affect only characters matching the target's affiliation (eg. natives, outsiders, pirates).
  • advanced munitions (pirates):
    • reduces risk to user to 5% chance of 2dmg & alters aoe to include 15 characters & to exclude members of the user's clan.

notes:

  • player with 'basic chemistry' can only produce 'black powder' provided that character's inventory contains at least one each of 'charcoal', 'saltpeter', and 'sulfur' as well as one empty gourd or bottle.
  • character can only find 'black powder' in the shipwreck armory provided that inventory contains at least one empty gourd or bottle. otherwise, a message will occur indicating that 'black powder' was found, but lacking any means of containing it, the character was forced to leave it.
  • any use of 'black powder' triggers a message indicating said use to all players present, regardless of whether or not they fall within the area-of-effect.
  • when used in jungle squares, 'black powder' has a 1% chance of reducing jungle density by 1.

Comments
I would suggest a small exp reward for making the powder but otherwise I like the general idea.--Etherdrifter 19:23, 1 October 2007 (UTC)


Flintlock

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Skull Face Skull Face 12:22, 9 November 2007 (UTC) New Item All classes

This suggestion is for a new item, the flintlock pistol, a black powder weapon from the pirate era, found only at the shipwreck, the ruined armoury NE of Durham and the tower on Midway Island.

The flintlock would take up 2 inventory slots. Base hit chance for all classes would be 20% (45% with Black Powder Proficiency) delivering 4 HP damage on a successful attack. The flintlock would be a 1 shot weapon requiring 2 APs to prime with a powder charge (1 AP with Black Powder Proficiency), 1 AP to load with 1 lead balls and 1 AP to fire. When loaded and carried through a water square each flintlock would have a 50% chance of being soaked and the powder ruined - the item description would change to a useless flintlock. Such a weapon would have to cleaned using 2 APs (1 AP with Black Powder Proficiency) and the ammo added back to the user's inventory before the flintlock could be primed again. When used there is a small chance that a misfire (e.g. 95%-100%) would destroy the weapon and cause 4 HP damage to the user c.f. breaking machetes.

Comments
Comment here

Blunderbuss

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Skull Face Skull Face 12:22, 9 November 2007 (UTC) New Item All classes

This suggestion is for a new item, the blunderbuss, a black powder weapon from the pirate era, found only at unspecified locations c.f. heavy swords.

The blunderbuss would take up 3 inventory slots. Base hit chance for all classes would be 30% (55% with Black Powder Proficiency) delivering 8 HP damage on a successful attack. The blunderbuss would be a 1 shot weapon requiring 3 AP to prime with a powder charge (2 APs with Black Powder Proficiency), 3 AP to load with 3 lead balls and 1 AP to fire. When loaded and carried through a water square each blunderbuss would have a 50% chance of being soaked and the powder ruined - the item description would change to a useless blunderbuss. Such a weapon would have to cleaned using 3 APs (2 APs with Black Powder Proficiency) and the ammo added back to the user's inventory before the blunderbuss could be primed again. When used there is a small chance that a misfire (e.g. 95%-100%) would destroy the weapon and cause 8 HP damage to the user c.f. breaking machetes.

Comments
Comment here


Powder Flask

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Skull Face Skull Face 12:22, 9 November 2007 (UTC) New Item All classes

This suggestion is for a new item, a flask of black powder, found only at the shipwreck, the ruined armoury NE of Durham and the tower on Midway Island.

A powder flask would take up 2 inventory slots. A powder flask would be used to prime a black powder weapon. After each use has a powder flask would have a 20% chance of running out (guaranteeing at least one use). When carried through a water square each powder flask would have a 20% chance of being soaked and rendered useless. Useless or empty flasks would show as 'Empty Flask' in the inventory.

Comments
Comment here


Lead Ball

Author Timestamp Type Scope
Skull Face Skull Face 12:22, 9 November 2007 (UTC) New Item All classes

This suggestion is for a new item, a lead ammo ball for black powder weapons, found only at the shipwreck, the ruined armoury NE of Durham and the tower on Midway Island.

A lead ball would take up 1 inventory slot per ball. A lead ball would be used to load a black powder weapon.

Comments
Comment here

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