Best Of
Game Balance
It's bad, again. I know there's a back-and-forth that often happens with respect to the powerful orgs, but it doesn't shift very quickly. This means that regardless of who's on top, there are very few occasions when conflict and combat is "meaningful." If I show up to a conflict event with 0% expectation that my side will lose(regardless of what I do) - then there was no reason for me to show up. Nor for most of the people who did, on both sides. It isn't meaningful. Same as for being on the losing side, as I was there too at one point.
I don't believe this is good for the game. The lack of conflict is boring for me, as I know it is for many on the winning side, too. Seeking out more "pk" just means beating people down who already don't bother to defend their territories because they're tired of losing battles. Waiting for the balance of power to shift again is six months to a year or longer of real time. In the meantime, the game isn't much fun and some people leave, potentially forever.
There has to be some solution here. For those on team IHC, honestly: Is this fun? Why? I genuinely don't understand how it could be. Can anything be done about it, and if so, what?
Please be nice.
I don't believe this is good for the game. The lack of conflict is boring for me, as I know it is for many on the winning side, too. Seeking out more "pk" just means beating people down who already don't bother to defend their territories because they're tired of losing battles. Waiting for the balance of power to shift again is six months to a year or longer of real time. In the meantime, the game isn't much fun and some people leave, potentially forever.
There has to be some solution here. For those on team IHC, honestly: Is this fun? Why? I genuinely don't understand how it could be. Can anything be done about it, and if so, what?
Please be nice.
Kethaera
2
Re: Gurashi Draws: An Autobiography
Cel-shaded commission for one of my favorite couples in the game 
@Kreon and @Auriella! Slowly (but frantically) catching up on my commission work so I can start taking new stuff on!
@Kreon and @Auriella! Slowly (but frantically) catching up on my commission work so I can start taking new stuff on!
Gurashi
18
Re: Descriptions: From Divines to Mortals, and Beasts, and Items, and Mobs, and Places!
The Thief of Hidden Apogees
The air holds its breath surrounding the gargantuan feathered form of this enormous creature, aetheric energies sparking in hieroglyphs of saffron colour that guarantee He is a radiant immortal. Covering Him from head to claw is a vast field of inky black feathers, dusted along their tips with saffron dust that shimmers in light like the distant abyss of space as they cast shapes and flowing rivers before being cast into entirely new patterns with His movement. Two enormous wings are folded at His sides in place of arms, falling down to the ground before spilling out and behind Him like the train of a dress. Golden claws can be seen extending from His leathery grey, avian feet, spreading out further hieroglyphs along the surface of what it is He walks upon like oil spilling over water. Towering upwards to twelve feet in height, His head is rounded and His face distinctly owl-shaped, a viciously curved gold beak protruding from the bottom of a central ridge splitting His face in half. Wide and unblinking, His eyes are little more than voidstruck pools of absolute darkness that shimmer with swiftly-changing saffron constellations in unfathomable patterns.
The air holds its breath surrounding the gargantuan feathered form of this enormous creature, aetheric energies sparking in hieroglyphs of saffron colour that guarantee He is a radiant immortal. Covering Him from head to claw is a vast field of inky black feathers, dusted along their tips with saffron dust that shimmers in light like the distant abyss of space as they cast shapes and flowing rivers before being cast into entirely new patterns with His movement. Two enormous wings are folded at His sides in place of arms, falling down to the ground before spilling out and behind Him like the train of a dress. Golden claws can be seen extending from His leathery grey, avian feet, spreading out further hieroglyphs along the surface of what it is He walks upon like oil spilling over water. Towering upwards to twelve feet in height, His head is rounded and His face distinctly owl-shaped, a viciously curved gold beak protruding from the bottom of a central ridge splitting His face in half. Wide and unblinking, His eyes are little more than voidstruck pools of absolute darkness that shimmer with swiftly-changing saffron constellations in unfathomable patterns.
Gurashi
4
Re: Descriptions: From Divines to Mortals, and Beasts, and Items, and Mobs, and Places!
Thief of Hidden Apogees best aspectGurashi said:The Thief of Hidden Apogees
The air holds its breath surrounding the gargantuan feathered form of this enormous creature, aetheric energies sparking in hieroglyphs of saffron colour that guarantee He is a radiant immortal. Covering Him from head to claw is a vast field of inky black feathers, dusted along their tips with saffron dust that shimmers in light like the distant abyss of space as they cast shapes and flowing rivers before being cast into entirely new patterns with His movement. Two enormous wings are folded at His sides in place of arms, falling down to the ground before spilling out and behind Him like the train of a dress. Golden claws can be seen extending from His leathery grey, avian feet, spreading out further hieroglyphs along the surface of what it is He walks upon like oil spilling over water. Towering upwards to twelve feet in height, His head is rounded and His face distinctly owl-shaped, a viciously curved gold beak protruding from the bottom of a central ridge splitting His face in half. Wide and unblinking, His eyes are little more than voidstruck pools of absolute darkness that shimmer with swiftly-changing saffron constellations in unfathomable patterns.
Re: Lore Query: Ancient History, Ageless Planes, and the Myth of Saint Tresalyne
Jolanthe said:I think it's fair to say there is a lot of lost knowledge out there - we like to think of civilization as only ever advancing (even in the real world), but whenever powerful libraries and cities are burnt down and history is rewritten to look at them unfavourably, knowledge of some variety is always lost. It's very possible some things were relearned over and over, and each time, it was thought to be discovered for the "first time".
But I think it's also prudent to consider that different times and different eras called for different measures. In the wake of the Vernal Wars, mortals could just focus on surviving against the environment and lack of resources, rather than constant worry of being consumed. Mortal populations arguably moved around a lot less after the Vernal Wars - there was more time to contemplate exploration. We don't know the full differences between edifices of power and nexuses, but it seems safe to say that edifices of power were built primarily to be fonts of power first and foremost, while this wasn't quite the same pressing issue for new cities that didn't need to combat the soulless by raising vernal gods. I would imagine the modern nexii are far, far less efficient at maintaining and refining power than the old edifices, but that doesn't mean they are strictly inferior in every way.
I'd also like to point out that the Transcendent Ice Needle of Climanti still does exist in some capacity - and while there is no visible way to connects to any planes, it actually does possess the unusual ability to transport you to a past era prior to Climanti's ruin. This is something significant that no nexus can do, and is a rather significant component of the Icewynd quest chains.
I will also point out that the Great Trees of the Communes only intersect on Ethereal. They don't intersect on all planes. They have no reflections on astral at all, despite there being astralspheres that can align with the communes for the purpose of wild nodes. For a city nexus to be able to bypass intersections on adjacent planes and go directly to different layers is a very special property - one that might arguably have ripple effects. I doubt any of the nexus reflections on astral were actually built there - they seem to be more literal reflections that manifested on their own as the other lower planes were linked to the nexus and tuned to them, bent in a way that is not in the natural order. How or why? Well, that'd be more a matter that is anyone's guess.
For some reason, this reminded me of the Glacier Sea and Shattered Earth. Along with like Daeiv ma'Mornhai, the nature of cosmic planes, and etc we kinda know ICly that there's likely more to the known planes than what we can currently access.
We've primarily accessed the part of ethereal connected most directly to the basin through the forests, the parts of the elemental planes we primarily access are the ones connected to that part of ethereal, and, similarly, the cosmic creches we've accessed are connected to those parts of the elemental planes.
Flip that around a bit, it's possible that people from outside the basin have made similar discoveries but because they're in different parts of the world it could just be a different part of ethereal, maybe there are connections to different parts of the elemental planes or even just different elemental planes, etc. Maybe even really different ways of using the same concepts (for example, the reasons why woodchems were developed in that other timeline).
Wouldn't be surprised if it turned out nexii were adapted from edifices. An edifice had one job and did it, but it kinda seems like it was a massive amount of work and resources drawing on an entire org that is then ultimately channelled into one person.
A nexus is much more of a tool for an entire organisation's benefit. They connect to planes, help maintain defenses, they make temporary ascendants (relatively recent), all while being a reservoir of power that the entire org can fill and draw from which seems potentially reusable where edifices seem like they aren't.
Which again, necessity as a driver. The pool of stars came about after Aquamancers and Celestines became a thing meaning you had a large group of people who needed to be able to access power connected to the planes, an easier way to access those planes, etc.
Saran
3
Re: Lore Query: Ancient History, Ageless Planes, and the Myth of Saint Tresalyne
Or rather from fire to vortex? Like vortex was the destination, but astral was still slightly penetrated without anyone realising it - which is also why the city nexus reflections on astral are just these puny little things, and you can't even link to drain power from them or anything.Parhelion said:Its entirely possible that there's only a reflection of the Flame on Sag because when someone burrowed from vortex to astral, their travelling pushed a bit of the nexus into wherever it connected, like when you screw a screw into a board and splinters of wood crack outwards ever so slightly.
It's a simplistic view but viable.
Jolanthe
4
Re: Lore Query: Ancient History, Ageless Planes, and the Myth of Saint Tresalyne
I might poke at these as I feel like it, but I feel like this one is actually pretty approachable. None of this is necessarily canon, but what I think is logical to consider.Mlaan said:Query: Why does Celest (New and Old) have such a strong fascination with seafaring?
Context: Merians can breathe underwater, rendering boats useless except as little more than cargo transport, and traditionally they have not much cared to make considerations for non-merians. There is no tract of water connecting the (then) Crystal Sea with the Inner Sea, and the only settlements accessible via the Crystal Sea to our knowledge were Magnagora and the Balach Swamp. Why did an Empire of aquatic, water-breathing people with no seafaring opponents and only one significant trading partner develop such a strong culture surrounding shipbuilding and seafaring?
We know what Spectre Isle is like now, but what exactly was the Isle the originally housed the first Celest like? We can infer it had at least some arable land due to the gardener, but it looks like it got rather heavily built up. Was there ever enough trees and marble/stone to account for all that building? Highly unlikely. The merians would have needed to develop some means of getting lots of building material to their Isle, and/or food that they couldn't necessarily grow there in sufficient quantities. You can see this mirrored in Bondero Bay questing - you don't need to get a boat to get Aloldyne to Vesucia, but you sure do need a boat to help the merian swineherd get pigs from Vesucia. Even if they had zero trade partners, there might still be plenty of need for boats.
In the event of external conflict, it would be more difficult for most races to approach/invade such a island, except by boat. Merians being in a better position to shipbuild would also keep them at the advantage in a potential warfaring situation.
Jolanthe
3
Re: Lore Query: Ancient History, Ageless Planes, and the Myth of Saint Tresalyne
We love it when people have lore questions! But the forums isn't always the best place for us (the admin) to answer them, especially for very wide-reaching questions like this. There is a Lore Questions thread for specific questions where you want to get clarification, which we do sometimes respond to when we feel it is appropriate.
For the mostpart, though, lore is delivered by us through IG means. Quests, visions, statements made by NPCs, etc. It sounds like you're engaging with those already, and I encourage you to continue. Look over what you've not yet found, and revisit the things you've already seen. Sometimes a second glance at a vision, dialogue response or text will reveal insights that you missed reading the first time around.
Your fellow players are also a great source of information, as they may have done quests or experienced events that you haven't yet uncovered, which can offer clarification and correction where needed. You'll see that in the Lore Questions thread, where a lot of the answers come from the playerbase - and in the answers you're getting here!
For the mostpart, though, lore is delivered by us through IG means. Quests, visions, statements made by NPCs, etc. It sounds like you're engaging with those already, and I encourage you to continue. Look over what you've not yet found, and revisit the things you've already seen. Sometimes a second glance at a vision, dialogue response or text will reveal insights that you missed reading the first time around.
Your fellow players are also a great source of information, as they may have done quests or experienced events that you haven't yet uncovered, which can offer clarification and correction where needed. You'll see that in the Lore Questions thread, where a lot of the answers come from the playerbase - and in the answers you're getting here!
Aonia
5
Re: Thanks for the RP (Version 1.0 Alpha)
Kethaera said:
Can absolutely vouch for this. Terentia has this astounding way of jumping on every single chance of RP with me, even throwing random emotes and thoughts at me while I'm roleplaying with myself. She's really fleshing out her order in so many ways, and I look forward to seeing more of it.
(c) Iron Realms Entertainment 2012.