Feature Update (0.1.12)
Learn about the skill progression system and our XP pool!
This week, our main focus has been on progression through skilling.
We have made a system which allows you to pool XP with the hope that this regulates skill grind to reasonable levels.
Each skill can pool experience. When it reaches the maximum amount pooled, it will no longer accumulate XP. Here is how it looks:
As you can see, I pooled 5 XP in mining. I could pool XP in other skills as well, and they all add to the total queue.
The queue will progress your experience at a slow dripping rate every 15 minutes. If you are logged in, the 'drip rate' will be faster than when logged out.
It will be rare to reach the queues maximum capacity, given it's ample size. For instance, in our test build, you would need to type mine 960 times before you hit the queue ceiling, which would be almost three real hours of constant mining.
As we explained in the previous blog posts, every skill will have a default. However, every level on top of that is where you will level up. So if you started at mining 8, you will find it very easier to be better than someone who started with mining 6. The one with mining 6 will need to put a lot more effort before they can match you.
The first level will cost 200 XP. The next one will cost more, and so on and so forth. The latter levels will be almost impossible to get without a lot of effort; the goal is that everyone will be within competitively realistic ranges, but that if you want to be the best you need to really focus on the goal.
One reason we are embracing this system, is that it should mean that someone can be fairly competitive straight out of char gen, if their concept supports that skill. Lets consider a new character, created as a studious bookworm. If they later decide to train in combat and have been at it a few months, they're still likely to be beaten by a new character, created as a combatant.
Here is how it looks after some of that XP has dripped:
And here is me putting some of those chunks we mined in a bag!
While the IDs that you can see are the admin vision, the stats sheet is the player one; normally an RPI does not show those numbers transparently, but we believe in a lack of obfuscation of mechanics, hoping that this information helps communicate what is going on without detracting from roleplay.
I managed to achieve the first level rather quick, because that is the game design. The next levels start to rise in difficulty, and the very latter ones should be quite hard if not nearly impossible to get for most character concepts.
Here's a screenshot of the team testing this! We really enjoyed competing to hit the next level!
What's Next?
We will be more than likely working on vending machines which will purchase the find based on weight and material.
If you enjoy our vision and progress and would like to help us field the costs of our growing list of services, please consider becoming our Patreon. It helps us infinitely to be able to develop this project without worrying about server costs!
Untold Dawn