Mystics

[Reken]

What will it take to get the Mystic cabal to be returned to the world?

[Davairus]

I dont think we have a single implementor who plans to introduce Mystics again. I have given the matter some thought in the past and the nearest thing I came to something like Mystics is creatng a magic based spin-off of the religion system (which we havent even implemented yet, so I haven't even considered this beyond a brief passing thought).

[Reken]

aye thank you davarius for your assistance, i just saw all of the cabals as a more physical base and the magic aspect seems to be lost in translation

[Kessor Natul]

I think a magic-only cabal would be so sweet. Why not make one?

[theobserver]

We only have a limited number of cabal players right now. An extra cabal will just stretch membership out even more. I would perfer two or three cabals full of active members than five or six cabals with one active member each.

[Davairus]

Actually I will disagree there ... it almost sounds logical but to be rational, if you can provide something which appeals to a unique demand, you're going to attract people who like that, including newbies, and maybe even people from other muds, most probably without siphoning members from the other cabals.

For example, in the early days of Mystics, where not having create food mastered would get you laughed at, you have people like Dulanor and Glorfindel, and other spammers focused on the mob-object-skill% achievement mechanic, with no interest in the other cabals period. But there, we had a cabal those people liked for some reason. And actually joined. These people weren't gonna join any other cabal anyway.

Later when the Mystics turned to combat-like you can see how the membership changed, examples Ug, Dhunpiel (maybe wrong?), Talavain, people who *would* have already joined other cabals, just joined mystics for the fresh air so to speak. That's a direct result of the changes.

We have a small-looking playerbase with four very full-looking cabals.. two years ago we were saying it was too small to support extra ones? The proof is in the pudding. Its half size and things are still nearly full. If we can come up with a gameplay purpose that appeals to a respectably skilled sect of the playerbase without leeching members from other cabals, then we will have a cabal worth introducing. I would disagree that the old Mystics would work nowadays because there aren't the people devoted to training that there used to be.

[formalism]

[Reken]

[Kessor Natul]

In other words, of what has been said, a whole new city would have to be introduced? If so, we are not just starting up a new cabal. This enters onto an entirely new sector of the game. Possibly (and probably) new equipment, weapons, new secrets, quests, new shops new NPC's....it continues almost forever. We are talking about alot of coding if I got this right....

[Reken]

[Kessor Natul]

[Reken]

yes, i know thus yet if the do return they need somthing to keep from hystory repeating

[Davairus]

Ok I think you mighta missed my points and that's probably my fault to some extent. I'm definitely not looking to introduce a Mystics cabal. Go here:

http://abandonedrealms.com/realms/

I'm interested in forming a group that would be responsible for organising and writing this (i.e. important history, not the gossip rag-style of "history" provided by Heralds). Mages are actually a natural fit.

An example of how this might play out in game play... lets keep in mind this is complete fantasy right now and nothing is even on the cards though:

1) The High Tower of Sorcery becomes a real mage tower that every high rank mage needs to enroll in to access their late spells (i.e. places rp constraint on high level spells to prevent power-levelled trash characters due to potent mage spells) - I'd be rewriting the area and stuffing it full of quests and neat little rares sorta like I did with Valour.

2) There are several sects to join, possibly based on the spheres of magic, but colours is also common themes, personally I think thats going a little too Wheel of Time, and this is a good place for us to do some AR-flavoured stuff.

3) Each sect would carry the threat of stripping those spells away, thus each sect has a behaviour code to follow (means mages have a much deeper rp than your average barbarian), some might require you to follow orders, some might offer complete freedom... all of them would want reports. Frequent ones. Especially of anything juicy. All of these would need to be saved "permanently" somewhere, so it'd probably be a new kind of note, like cabal applications, only it'd be to your sect instead.

4) Finally there is a small group of mages at the very top, that decides what gets to be recorded as history, and what doesnt. These are exempt from sect rules, as an added bonus, other than having to write. It'd be for really really old mages. (I guess this could seem like it would work out as a cabal, but it doesnt really make a whole lot of sense as one to me, because its completely non-combat focused, and the characters would have probably already been level 50 a long time before they get to dictate what's officially written. Maybe even an IMM.) What would happen here I think, is another note system that's public and published to, but with some change to prevent it from saying shit like "there are 10 new timeline entries waiting" every time you make a character.

Through this system of control, effectively, all the important rp gets recorded and posted about in the mud (and it isn't a big leap to make it auto-post to the forum too), thus our lore gets extended... Note that joining it is in fact mandatory for high level mages so all mages would be frequently writing notes - its those "bookish" lifestyles they're famous for.

So anyway that was a better description of the passing thought I'd had about it.. sorry if I led you astray into thinking I was considering a magic-cabal because I'm really not, and I dont think any implementor is. Organisation yes, cabal no.

[Noliperus_]

The big problem here is that neutral mages have nothing to belong too, which is one of the appeals of a cabal. Way back when mages could join Mystics and have that sense of belonging without needing to be bloodthirsty killers or disciplinarians. It gave them a bit of protection and some friendship. These days neutral mages, thieves, ninjas, and monks have nothing to join up with. They're kinda hung out to dry, having to depend on one cabal or another for protection without being able to contirbute anything worthwhile back.

[formalism]

Okay, I've got something of an idea for the Mystic organization that takes off on the "historical society" spin suggested. It obviously can't be a cabal, for reasons already addressed: there is no purpose for its pking that has not already been co-opted by another clan (law-Justice, personal combat/glory-Warlord), nor can it intervene in the "moral" struggle (Light vs. Dark) since that would tip the balance in the direction of either Knights or Legions, and finally the old conception of Mystics was pretty useless, since it simply had no function in Thera.

What we have left then is an organization.

I remember in the olden days there used to be quite a few expansive and truly interactive quests or storylines (like the Taekir Invasion) that required players to accept a "role" in the script and then proceed to further the plot (through RP or PK) to its conclusion. Unfortunately, I see a lot less of that these days. Of course, it's only been about 8 months since I've returned, but I think I've been here long enough to make such an assessment. Certainly RP standards have been raised and new RP elements introduced or consolidated (re: nobles, Heralds), but you don't see the large storylines anymore. The game isn't Dungeons and Dragons, obviously, but I wonder if that old DM-Players style of mutual script-collaboration wouldn't enhance the quality of the mud.

Which is where the Mystics come in. Dav mentioned that the Mystics would record the "serious" history, and not engage in the kind of tabloid gossip the Heralds are known for. This is a good idea, but wouldn't it be awesome if the Mystics didn't just record history but also create it? It's not completely fleshed out in my head at the moment, so I don't know how well I can articulate it, but I'm thinking that the Mystics would not only be a serious, academic historical society but also a group of arcane loremasters that are always looking out for new magic (which jives with the old Mystic conception) and worlds to explore, since only they have the commitment, obscure knowledge, and mystical power to actually open up channels to new worlds and streams of magic. Here's the crucial part: this would then lead to all sorts of trouble, since they'd be messing with the fabric of time-space (or whatever). One can either think of them as consciously messing with things (like a good or evil Mystic trying to promote the ends of his spiritual ideals), or just accidentally creating havoc (a neutral and generally harmless gnome that is nevertheless absentminded and sloppy). But however one thinks of this "reality troubling" aspect, the important part is that the Mystics organization would be implemented in order to produce storylines for the other players, cabals, and organizations to participate in -- storylines that could take days or even weeks, or be confined to the couple hours right after a popular surge time (it would probably depend on the level of the character and his rank within the Mystic organization). I'm not suggesting that the Mystics become pseudo-imms; hardly that. I'm suggesting that the players controlling the Mystics come up with interesting storylines that would eventually be approved by their IMM leader, who would then do the necessary building (temporary areas, monsters, and eq) to make the Mystic's conception a reality. The Mystic (or Mystics) who came up with the storyline, however, would have a significant role to play in the storyline. Not too significant that they become the heroes, of course. The hero role should be played by a player (or players), but the Mystic would be an invaluable and indispensable guiding force, a support structure (think about all those sci-fi shows where the heroes meet some crazy scientist that did some crazy thing and who now needs the heroes to help him make things right).

The in-game RP purpose and meta-game purpose would be separate, however, which would differentiate them from the other organizations/cabals, since there's nothing the conventional cabal members need out-of-game that s/he couldn't just take into the game. The Mystics, on the other hand, would have an RP front to the rest of the world (loremasters and explorers), but a meta-game purpose that they would discuss and promote amongst themselves. Obviously, the organization's guiding IMM would have the final say in all the matters, but the Mystics would have a lot of room to express their creative powers.

I'm thinking the Mystics organization would attract the kind of players not interested in cabal warfare or Herald self-indulgence, but players that like to take a more active role in producing inhabitable worlds, though who can't be trusted, for whatever reasons, with actually being allowed to hold an IMM position. And, of course, it would be a hell of a lot of fun for the other players.

If I think of anything else, I'll post it. Or not, if no one thinks the idea is worth a damn.

[Hrash]

[quote="Davairus"]Actually I will disagree there ... it almost sounds logical but to be rational, if you can provide something which appeals to a unique demand, you're going to attract people who like that, including newbies, and maybe even people from other muds, most probably without siphoning members from the other cabals.

For example, in the early days of Mystics, where not having create food mastered would get you laughed at, you have people like Dulanor and Glorfindel, and other spammers focused on the mob-object-skill% achievement mechanic, with no interest in the other cabals period. But there, we had a cabal those people liked for some reason. And actually joined. These people weren't gonna join any other cabal anyway.

Later when the Mystics turned to combat-like you can see how the membership changed, examples Ug, Dhunpiel (maybe wrong?), Talavain, people who *would* have already joined other cabals, just joined mystics for the fresh air so to speak. That's a direct result of the changes.

We have a small-looking playerbase with four very full-looking cabals.. two years ago we were saying it was too small to support extra ones? The proof is in the pudding. Its half size and things are still nearly full. If we can come up with a gameplay purpose that appeals to a respectably skilled sect of the playerbase without leeching members from other cabals, then we will have a cabal worth introducing. I would disagree that the old Mystics would work nowadays because there aren't the people devoted to training that there used to be.[/quote]

Yea Dhunpiel. Created right after I saw Vampire Hunter D. Was during the Fell age...sigh. Good times :P

[Kessor Natul]

[Reken]

[Isador]

I agree with reken on this subject the Mystic Cabal does have its uses and where as the Heralds are important for recording history it has been their penchant for some time. Speaking as a warrior in the process of becoming a Herald I must say that the newest idea presented seems logical and I will agree with Reken for I believe I know of the one of which he speaks. And the one of which he speaks would be a very good choice and very able to do such a job.

[Kessor Natul]

Shit. DAV!!!! OK! MAKE THIS PERFECTLY CLEAR TO ME!!!!
Two possible things.... which are you considering or thinking about or whatever?

A) Introduce Mystic cabal... erm.... organization.... to record the history of Thera as opposed to Heralds, who are mainly gossip....

B) Introduce Mystic ORGANIZATION to be dumb scientist bastards who bring in all kinds of crap from other worlds, dimensions, etc...

IF A:
Define history. Would history be classified as deaths, major events (such as Taekir Invasion), and.... what? Define history PLEASE!

IF B:
Define What they would do. Would they opan gates and portals for temporary access to other worlds? Or would they ship in all kinds of crap like monsters from there? Or what?

HELP!