Hauler, Guardian, Pirate Job System

[Astro]

I was inspired by a previous Chief Chat about the cargo hauler job role, and it reminded me of a job system from an MMO called Silkroad Online. The job system has changed a bit since I played, but the jist was this...

You could be something akin to a Trader who hauls the cargo via animals across the world, then you could be a Hunter who gets paid to protect the Trader while they move their cargo. Or you could be a Thief whose goal is to attack the cargo and steal the loot and sell it in the black market. Thieves would spawn as enemy AI, but often times would be real players.

Could do something similar in Em8er. Haulers move the resources (purchase initial cargo for a price and sell for more at destination, this adds a penalty and loss element for the hauler). Hauler can try on their own, but better suited to open a contract with a Guardian who can be an extra gun on the route. Guardian gets % of the profits.

You could opt to live the Pirate life and attack the haulers for own personal gain. Tricky part is adding a harsh pentalty for Pirates if they fail to hijack the cargo.. maybe every time you attack a new cargo your reputation sinks and you lose the ability to access certain functions of the game. The more you fail as a pirate the harsher the reputation drop. If successful maybe no drop at all even.. only when you fail.

Silkroad Online had long travel times however, so if you were killed hauling your cargo you could not race back to try and get your cargo back. The time it would take, the thief would be long gone. There'd need to be a similar balance found with Em8er.

Given there's no plans for PvP, you may be able to accomplish this with just the enemy AI system. Although it was quite fun playing the thief role.

 

[Pandagnome]

That would be fun more choice and challenges as you get better rep/rank at your chosen job

 

[Omnires]

In some MMOs I played there was things like faction rep / faction fame. I'll use the game Anarchy Online as example because there was only 3 main factions back when I played it, but it gives an good idea to the point I'm getting to.

The 3 main factions was Omni-Tek, Clan, and Neutral. Omni-Tek and Clan are always enemies so if a player of the opposed faction was go into an area controlled by the other factions the NPCs would not talk to them and even try to kill them on sight (unless you you was playing as something like spy class or adventurer because of their stealth abilities), But the Neutral faction had the ability to side with both them or nether in missions and quests. Meaning the Neutral players had the freedom to go anywhere without the faction NPCs attacking them as long as their faction rep with them didn't drop below a given amount, than they would be seen as enemies too. The thing is because the Neutrals are seen as outsiders they didn't always get the best prices when shopping in areas controlled by the other factions and they could be locked out of getting buffs from some things (this was not always a problem for people with high social ability to talk NPCs into giving them better deals, or high stealth, or high hacking and lock picking so they can just steal from the NPCs as long as you was found out you didn't lose any rep with them.). There was also a few abilities and gear that was locked to a given faction that you could only get and use if you had enough rep with that faction. The Neutral faction gear was not all that great because they was not part of the government nor antigovernment groups who control the planet. So to get the best possible combo of gear the Neutral players had to try and befriend both factions enough that they was allowed to buy or be given they gear. Meaning you had to make sure you never upset the other faction so much that they never talked to you again (this was a real option. NPCs had memories and could form personal relationships with players outside of their faction rules. But it also means they can personally hate you even if their faction liked you.). And it was always funny when you was in a team that was of mixed factions because as you go into different areas some people of your team would be targeted over others if the enemies in that area was of the other faction.

Because in that game, and in most other games I play, I was a Neutral. One of the ways I made money in the game was by being a taxi and shopper for other players. As I did have a flying car that could hold more than 1 person. Or If I was playing as an Adventurer I could turn them into bird so they can fly with me to areas. Or if I was Fixer or Engineer I could use the orbital satellite system to teleport people around. And if I was playing as the Trader or Fixer I could talk NPCs unto giving me discounts or hacking computers to get lower prices (if not for free.).

Part of the reason why I liked that game so much was because the classes was not just about your fight things. But also effected how you deal with NPCs, computers, and even how you moved around in the world. For example one of the classes in the game is the Bureaucrat, it is one of the pet classes able to summon 1 robot to help it fight and if you had high enough social skills you could mind-control enemies into you fighting for you. Because the Bureaucrat is also class that meant to be like an high standing government worker, they could use model of vehicles that other's couldn't use because of their diplomat status. Like the flying car version of limousine for example.

So if Em-8er does go the rout of having things like sub-classes or job system. I do hope they put a lot of thought into how those jobs would work outside of combat in relation to the world itself. And I also wish more games would give NPCs memories so they can form personal relationships with players that is not part of the game's storyline. Like how I befriended some of the NPCs who owned or ran shops (even the traveling salesman) and because my personal friendship with them was so good they often give me discounts on things when I buy from them and/or they let me buy things from them that they only sale to people they like. And the hidden shops / secret menus they had was great. Not counting the secret missions and questions some NPCs give only if they trusted you that give out even higher rewards than normal.

In some MMOs I've played having NPCs like you also meant that sometimes that NPC would randomly show up to help you in missions. Like when you HP is running low you'll hear over the coms that they are dropping in an air strike to cover you or they are dropping in resupply create for you. You know things people would do for a friend if they are in danger but can't be there to personally help them.

 

[zdoofop]

I was inspired by a previous Chief Chat about the cargo hauler job role, and it reminded me of a job system from an MMO called Silkroad Online. The job system has changed a bit since I played, but the jist was this...

You could be something akin to a Trader who hauls the cargo via animals across the world, then you could be a Hunter who gets paid to protect the Trader while they move their cargo. Or you could be a Thief whose goal is to attack the cargo and steal the loot and sell it in the black market. Thieves would spawn as enemy AI, but often times would be real players.

Could do something similar in Em8er. Haulers move the resources (purchase initial cargo for a price and sell for more at destination, this adds a penalty and loss element for the hauler). Hauler can try on their own, but better suited to open a contract with a Guardian who can be an extra gun on the route. Guardian gets % of the profits.

You could opt to live the Pirate life and attack the haulers for own personal gain. Tricky part is adding a harsh pentalty for Pirates if they fail to hijack the cargo.. maybe every time you attack a new cargo your reputation sinks and you lose the ability to access certain functions of the game. The more you fail as a pirate the harsher the reputation drop. If successful maybe no drop at all even.. only when you fail.

Silkroad Online had long travel times however, so if you were killed hauling your cargo you could not race back to try and get your cargo back. The time it would take, the thief would be long gone. There'd need to be a similar balance found with Em8er.

Given there's no plans for PvP, you may be able to accomplish this with just the enemy AI system. Although it was quite fun playing the thief role.

Perhaps the thief role could be filled by us hijacking Tsi-Hu cargo, in a dynamic event.

 

[Mahdi]

Star Wars Galaxies, THE best class/job system ever.

 

[Omnires]

Star Wars Galaxies, THE best class/job system ever.

I remember taking the force test years ago and they give me a orange-gold lightsaber. Given how the different colors of lightsabers have meaning and tell you about the user. If I remember right the person who give me the saber after the test said that the color meant that I was highly skilled balanced force user, as in a could use both the physical and mental/magical abilities of the equally well so I could masters all Jedi skills if I wanted too. But that was back when I was a kid long before Disney started to mess with the canon. Back when there was natural force users like Mace Windu and Raven who mastered both the light and dark sides of the force becoming almost immortal by doing so (Note Raven dies and is reborn on the opposed side of the force every few generations. And Mace Windu created most of the fighting styles that Jedi and Sith use. I can't remember if Mace also has the ability to be reborn every few generations or not.).

For the people who want to know a bit more about what the colors of the lightsabers mean.

 

[Pandagnome]

Star Wars Galaxies, THE best class/job system ever.

People still play this game, have never played it though does look fun

 

[Mahdi]

People still play this game, have never played it though does look fun

I played full time prospector and was happy as a clam. My guild built my house, defenses and did patrols to keep players away from business.

I also blew up the piloting (empire ftw) with my clan. But I was Bantha fodder in any ground combat scenario.

The way tiers worked and you didn't know what unlocked which profession (OG jedi tree...my God) is great. Not load up a huntard and know that's what you will be doing forever with that character.

Don't get me wrong, Vannila WoW and BC are my favorite days of any mmo (Firefall excluded) but SWG just set a tone you haven't seen since. Close at times, but the industry just didn't revisit any of it. Damn shame too.

I have a lot of hope riding on Em-8ER for the whole custom gaming. Like my prospector days, you'll find me in the fields thumping 92% of my time. Of course, when my heavy is needed, shoot a flare, I've got y'alls backs.

 

[Pandagnome]

I have a lot of hope riding on Em-8ER for the whole custom gaming. Like my prospector days, you'll find me in the fields thumping 92% of my time. Of course, when my heavy is needed, shoot a flare, I've got y'alls backs.

Many of us are for Em8er i have even held back on other games unless i get a birthday gift as a game thats a bonus.

Will be sure to cover each other i am looking forward to the crafting, repairing, defending, healing and riding my bike and dropping my pet in a crowd of other pets to see how they react.

Also the sneaky stuff and playing a spy i think there will be a lot of good interesting things to do in Em8er o.o