Suggestions:Classes

Suggestions for Shartak are always welcome, although there's no guarantee that anything will be added. Comments on or modifications for any of the suggestions below can be added by editing this page. Please be considerate and don't just remove ideas that you don't like.

Begin a new item with a * and "sign" your suggestions using -- ~~~~ so we know who to blame ;)

Bug reports should go on the Bugs page.

This is the suggestions page for Character_Classes. See also the Suggestions page for other suggestions.

Classes

Priest

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

Comments

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

"Missionary" might be a better term, I think, than priest. It carries a better message for the whole colonial thing.--Wifey 06:40, 28 March 2006 (BST)

Scientist (Rename)

This is a suggestion to change the name of the Scientist class to Professor. From Tarzan to Gilligan's Island, the science-type in has been regarded as Professor rather than Scientist. --Lint 21:48, 23 February 2006 (GMT)

Comments

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

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

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

Villager/Settler

Lint recently made a very salient point with respect to Class Balance. Namely, there are very few players (4% currently) choosing to be (Outsider) Settlers or (Native) Villagers. Realistically, these should be the most abundant classes, so clearly (aside from trival starting inventory) these classes clearly lack any definable appeal. I propose that these 2 classes (due to their years of plying and scavenging their surroundings) are more adept at searching then their peers. As such, they have a +20% bonus in base search percentage. There is precedent for this in UD, with the "consumer" class getting an immediate advantage in searching, and though the nature of that game (i.e. constant heavy barricading of Malls) makes it difficult for consumers to realize their advantage, this would not be the case in Shartak. This change will undoubtedly make these overlooked classes more attractive to new players.--Jackel 00:25, 4 March 2006 (GMT)

Comments

I wouldn't say that it's completely a bad thing that the Settler and Villager populations are low. (Wouldn't you say that the Consumer population is the lowest in "that other game"?) However, I do agree that this class doesn't appear to be getting the same respect as the others. The search bonus or perhaps the Agriculture suggestion might be justifiable. --Lint 08:40, 5 March 2006 (GMT)

Animal

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

Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mountain Men

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

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

+Mountain Climbing

+Veteran Climber (uses only 1 AP traversing mountains)
  

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

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

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

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

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

Items would follow (my ideas):

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

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

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

(down) (empty spot) (up)

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

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

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

suggestions would be appreciated

Comments:

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

Mysterious Beings

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

Disguise:| outsider| native| Mountain Man|

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

Ghosts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comments:

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