Client discussion, blue-sky thinking welcome

[squire]

I think it's great you are working on this.

An interesting dynamic would be player influence on the faction that controls a region. This is probably a combination of server and client changes, but since you said the sky's the limit, so to speak. Imagine the fun of having a true struggle within the game to where your character can actually liberate or oppress a region. That would add a whole new side of PvP battles.

Customized Spell effects. One person has a funnel for a wind related spell where someone else may have a simple gust of wind.

That's all I got at the moment. If something else strikes me, I'll drop it in here.

[bufferofnewbies]

Having the possibility of all effects run by a 'Rules' type system we have here would be nice, but might be extremely hard to code in without alot of excess processing.

I, myself, have always wanted the ability to turn on AA advancement from level 1. That way if your friends start to level behind you, you dont have to stop playing/ turn off exp (allowable on some servers)/ etc. This would allow exp gain of some sort, even if it wouldnt be much. (Imagine trying to get run1 at level 1 exp gains when the exp check is for level 50, but still.. the option would be there)

Perhaps a way to limit aa paths. (ie: lock this path if you have chosen this other one). This could provide the players with a way to diversify classes (read as: create subclasses based on new aa abilities agined at level xx), while still keeping the core classes available to the majority of the community without having to code new classes themselves.

Of course, we would have the ability to modify the aa gained also, so perhaps it would be viable to set some aa's to be used at earlier levels then. Perhaps a level 20 set, a level 40 set, etc. I have always favored the ability to diversify PC abilities as well as provide more flavor.

I am not sure how hard on the system the rules system is as far as the processing it needs to read sets of them, but if that was possible then I would really like to see that type of setup. Where any condition can be changed by the Admins. Even better would be the option to allow such changes to only take effect in 'designated' locations. Not just zones, but perhaps areas within zones. (IE: you can fight here, but NOT at the bank. You can bind here, but NOT deeper in the zone.)

Perhaps a way to share exp gained across a group of people (so the people who play less still gain just as much as the ones who play more) (IE: 2 players are 'tagged' together: player 1 kills a mob and would get 100xp. That player now gets 50xp, and the other player he is 'tagged' with gains 50xp also.) Ok, that one was stolen blatently from SoD, but only because I really like the intent of the system.

As I have stated many times, I don't really know much about the Coding part of the Emu. And atm, I really am not contributing much to the emu itself due to some outside commitments I am in need of focusing upon. But I do like the work you have done so far with this. It has all looked great and any ability to do what we like to do without the use of the current client would be a godsend. This would also enable us to create login servers for the communities, althought I see that really as a bad thing overall since it would seperate the community apart instead of it being a cohesive unit like now.

[Windcatcher]

I could possibly alter the architecture to support DLL plug-ins so that other people could add support for more kinds of packets, but one issue is cheating. Does anyone have any thoughts? It looks like the bulk of the client will have to be closed-source to prevent cheaters but I'm open to suggestions. I'd like to open as much of it as possible if I can.

[bufferofnewbies]

Possible to add a server side check of allowed plugins?
anything not on the list is ignored by the system, to prevent hack plugins (unless the Admin says its ok and adds it to their list)

[Windcatcher]

I'm definitely open to suggestions (and as it turns out, I need them as I'm not up on how to prevent tampering with software). It's ironic that we find ourselves in a similar boat as SOE but I suppose it's inevitable.

As a side note, I'm just about at the point where I have a basic set of item icons that's barely enough to field a playable game. I make them by building crude models in Anim8or and rendering them--some look pretty similar to live icons and some don't look anything like them (and there's a vast continuum in between). I'm prepared to make my Anim8or files available for people to make more, but I've decided that my time is better spent doing something other than building a set of 1200-1500 icons. I've made around 260 so far, though I have greater variation in some areas than the live set and so the overlap isn't that high. Like I said, it's barely enough, and we can add more over time.

[Dr Zauis]

It would be really awesome if there were buttons on a separate panel or something to create npcs say..even by the dozens and then be able to click on one and drag it to a new location..Hit points and AC could be calculated in a selection of formulas..I would be using the Program everyday just for those tools!

EDIT>>Also to create and place doors/ect..Maybe a way to indicate waypoints..Say cubes(or arrows) with numbers or something..

[techguy84]

It is to my understand that you are talking about a totally different game correct. If thats the case, my personal opinion is that you should try to stick as much to the current rule set, gameplay, whatever you want ot call it, as all the other mmorpg's do. I know some people are like, "why the hell would you clone something", and my reply is that it is time tested and true. WoW copied, EQ2, EQ2 copied EQ1 and WoW, they're all pretty much alike as far as the basics go, then you add in your own little features that will entice people to play yours vs the competiors. I would start by looking at the most popular as of today, and that hands down is WoW, as stupid as it is, it is the most popular.

I speak out of thought though. I personal think that by creating a all new game, using eqemu as the server behind it, you could have a project that will take all the hardwork that everyone has put into this project over the years and make it profitable. That may not be the goal of this, but I was think of something along the lines of Guildwars. Buy the game, never have to worry about subscription fees to play. Any of you that played Unreal knows of the red orchestra mod that floated around. Now look at them, they took their great idea and developed it, essentialy make a brand new game for the shelves. It does go against the open source Idea, but eventually if you have made something of this magnitude, you kinda have to break away from open source, because a good idea that is just given away for nothing is not a good idea at all. Someone else will come along and steal it away and do it anyhow.

I know that I am just rambling on, but I know I would spend $39.95 easliy for something that is great like EQ, but with-out the subscription fee. I did it with GW, and that wasnt even near as great as the orignal EQ.

Anyhow, OpenZone ftw.