June Plan of Attack

Jeremy Saunders

Main Items:

1. Several RP events.
   
2. Release our massive area (an event by itself).
   
3. Tweak the merc system based on your feedback. Release battles and tournaments as well.
   
4. Cults, Sects, and Shrines
   
5. Garryn plans for world domination.
   

EVENTS

This is where Svorai, myself, and the other volunteers will mainly be focused. We have tentatively planned out events for the next 6 months. Specifically:

• We are going to put in a significant effort into running more RP events. The exact number will vary depending on how large an individual event grows. If an event runs long and is well received we will not start another one that will distract from that. Or, if an event is going well, we will pool resources to that, and save other ones for later.
  
• We have planned a storyline of events that should run through the end of the year.
  
• We have planned on several one off events that are not related to the main storyline (directly). 
  
• We are trying to create events that place encounters for players in which they can react to (or ignore) on a personal and organisational level. Hopefully this will create situations in which players must think and roleplay with other players to deal with the event. The goal is not to cause a fight every time (which is fine), but to stimulate player to player interaction within and across circles.
  
• The concept we are working on (especially for the smaller, one-off events), is to keep things simple and not 100% scripted. We will continue the event (or end it) based on player reactions. For example, we may try to release a controversial mob or area. We will watch how players react and then build, rp, code as quickly as possible based on that until the event runs its course.
  
• Releasing as much lore, history, and back story as possible with the events. This is especially true with the longer storyline.
  
• We have already started one of our first small events.
  

NEW END GAME AREA

We will finish and release the giant area we have been promising. Jesse will be working on the last two bosses this week, and then we will run a final test on the areas, mobs, bosses, and quests. If we take any longer on this, Svorai will kill us. (Update: She said she would not kill us, just pout a lot.)

MERCENARIES

Jesse is currently retooling some of the adventures for mercenaries based on the feedback on the forums. This process will continue on for the next few months. For a more detailed look at what is going on, check out this thread: http://forums.imperian.com/discussion/374/mercenary-system

This system will get attention over then next few months as we add more adventures and release the PvP side of things.

SECTS, CULTS, AND SHRINES

This will be our main project once the area is out. This is one of the things I am most excited to get going. I would like to be able to break this up into parts and release it in pieces, however the main bulk of it is the shrine and relic system. We could release the sanctum and temple parts seprately, but we will see. Shrines and their relics are a fairly large system. You can read more about it here: http://forums.imperian.com/discussion/292/cult-and-sect-expansion

I have started into the basic templates and code for this. However it will begin in earnest around the middle of the month.

GARRYN THE SLACKER

What is Garryn doing? As our IRE coder he is focused on the client. We are working on a new release for it that will continue to improve its stability and with helping streamline newbies into the game so they will stay longer. This has been met with very good success in our testing an Achaea is currently running a massive ad campaign so that we can take a close look at the numbers. Additionally, we are in the process of hiring an artist to reskin the client so that it looks amazing.

On the side, Garryn is finishing up classleads and then he will be starting work into a commodities revamp from he ground up. Don't get too excited. It is mostly planned, but it will take a while to get out as he in not 100% on Imperian.

Sarrius

Exactly what does this commodities revamp entail? How long do you estimate that will take? I know that some few people feel strongly about the notion of Trade, commodities, and crafting, but you do not sell your game as an economics simulator (if I wanted that, I'd play EVE Online, Civilization, etc). The reason I bring this up is because, for what little time Garryn has to spare to give to Imperian specifically (and I feel there should be more of that time), he should be doing something that will be accepted as a valuable usage of time for a larger portion of players. I don't really believe that revamping a commodities system, when only so few skills use commodities anyways (craft skills not withstanding), is really the kind of thing we want Garryn to be doing the next time he has a free moment to do something for Imperian specifically before you guys reel him back in and make him revamp your web client for the 100th damn time. Somebody else said this in another thread, but two thirds of our coders are sort of IRE-wide, not Imperian specific. You should be a little more careful where you allocate what little resources you have from those coders.  I feel like a web client revamp is not really in our (but maybe in your) best interests either - at least a web client revamp headed up by one of Imperian's coders. We need something that grows the game inside.

For the rest, I am enthused. I am pleased to know you intend to go full steam ahead on the sect/cult/shrines system, and a lot of roleplay events. That you want to work out the kinks in the mercenaries system, and that you are doing so based on our feedback, is something that makes my input feel valued.

EDIT: Full disclaimer, I am only speaking for myself here. Maybe I'm just out of touch, but the last time I heard complaints about the commodity system was some time in November.

Garryn

Someone's being optimistic, I see! My Imperian time isn't quite -that- bad, don't worry.

Anyway, just briefly, this is what the plan entails currently - and I should emphasise that any of these could still change, on account of being preliminary plans. I'll post more details once the plans are fully formed.

- getting rid of caravans in their current form, instead letting you simply inrift the raw materials
- splitting raw material generation between townes (the current method) and NPC caravans (see below)
- changing refining to give you much better control over what gets produced, as well as changing some costs
- various production number and item commodity cost changes
- replacing towne happiness with towne quests that will boost production - these will only need to be done infrequently, and are meant as a way for new players to contribute to their city/council
- periodic NPC (horde) caravans that you will be able to plunder for commodities and other items, including relics - this will operate in a way similar to shardfalls, and is intended as a conflict source
- a couple new shard researches

Iniar

I vote for Option 5. Oh wait, it's not a poll. :[ Glad to see an action plan. :]