A Blacksmith walks into an Armory…

ColdrenColdren Posts: 12
edited March 2018 in General Discussions

Thayn the Blacksmith: Good day, shopkeep! Do you have any special orders you might need help fulfilling?

Fred the Armorer: Well met, traveler! Yes! It just so happens I received this request from the royal guard for 20 suits of Shadow Platemail for their new recruits. They are insisting it be of exceptional quality – Nothing less than the best will do!

Thayn:
Very good, sir! I would happily fulfill that order for you. What are the wages?

Fred: I would be happy to extend to you a line of credit, good for the purchasing of up to 900 merchant credits worth of rare items here in my shop or any other armory’s special collection. We merchants agreed to only let those who fulfill such orders procure items from it, and only accept these credits, so it is a tremendous bargain!

Thayn: A fair and honorable wage! I shall work to fill it right away, good sir! Good day!

Fred: One moment, good sir! One cannot simply fulfill the request..

Thayn: Sorry? Begging your pardon?

Fred: Well, you see, you can’t fulfill that order until you have the 6 individual contracts for each piece!

Thayn: Oh.. I see. Well do you happen to have them?

Fred: Nay, I’m afraid not good sir. Come back in a few hours, and I may have one then.

[Over the course of the next 2 weeks, Thayn visits Fred, always asking about the sub-contracts needed to fulfill the large one. Fred frequently only has contracts that don’t meet the requirements. Finally, on the final day, Thayn receives the last contract and sets to work filling them all.]

Thayn: Hail again, Fred! It has been a long journey, but I am finally able to give to you this completed contract. Here are all of the suits, per your request. You’ll find none better in all of Sosaria!

Fred: Indeed good sir! I have never seen their likes before! I’ll happily accept these. The royal guard thanks you! Now, on to payment! 

[Fred walks Thayn to a special guilded case, housing items Thayn had never seen before.]

Now, your reward sir! What will you have?

Thayn: Truly wondrous! Hmmm.. I see you have a Shadow Iron Runic hammer! I could make some marvelous equipment with such a tool! And only 550 credits! A bargain! I would like that, please.

Fred: Very good, sir! A wise selection!

Thayn: .. And I’ll also take the Prospector’s Tool for 200 credits.

Fred: Oh no, good sir. I’m afraid you may not take that AND the hammer!

Thayn: But sir! You stated I had 900 credits, and I have only selected a 550 credit hammer!

Fred: And you may have that! But only that.. Only 1 item per contract..

Thayn: What?!

Fred: I am sorry sir, but those are the rules set down by the guild.

Thayn: That is insanity! What good is having more credits than you can spend?! Can I keep the difference?

Fred: No sir, you cannot. However, if you’d like, you can forgo making a selection now and instead save those credits to purchase something larger…..

Thayn: Well, certainly a Verite Runic Hammer would be…

Fred: .. At a rate of 2% for sub-contracts, and 20% for full contracts.

Thayn: WHAT??!! So you mean to tell me my hard work, my fine armor, of which we agreed would be worth 900 credits, is only worth 180 credits if I DON’T buy something RIGHT NOW??!

Fred: That is correct sir.

Thayn: That is madness! Ugh.. Fine. Then let me ask – If I should happen to save up 500 credits at a rate of 2% or 20%, if I then decide I want something that is LESS than 500 credits, do I keep the difference?

Fred: No sir – Once you make a selection, you forfeit any remaining credits..

Thayn: .... If I save up those 500 credits, fulfill another contract for 900 credits, can I purchase a 1400 credit item?

Fred: Oh, no sir! They do not stack..

Thayn: … Like everything else, it seems.

Fred: Come again sir?

Thayn:  [Thayn draws a sword] … Oh, nothing.. It won’t be a problem for you for long..



And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how the BOD system currently plays out in an immersive world.

Just an aside, I was going to make that an animated Youtube video, but I don’t think I’ll have the time for it. Maybe if there’s enough interest I would, but that’s unlikely.

Having said all that, what would I change, and why? From the perspective of immersion and balance, I submit the following for your consideration to the BOD system for ALL professions, but I’ll use Blacksmithing as the example:

1) Remove the constraint of small BODs to fill large ones. This makes no logical sense, as illustrated above. Small BODs of all types should be worth considerably less to compensate.

2) Change the bank rate of points dependent on quantity, quality, and material type (resource scarcity). I would suggest starting at 10% for small iron (Remember, all small BODs have been reduced) and up to 30-50% for Valorite. Larges should start at 20% for Iron, up to 50-70% for Valorite.

3) Allow turn in points to be combined with bank points to purchase one or more items, and the player keeps the difference, just like a currency. Again, it makes no immersive sense not to.

4) The distribution curve of item-to-points needs to be altered. I would make the cost of each item more along a parabolic curve for a more steady progression, not lumped in tiers within a range on a flat increase.

5) And this is the balance consideration – Certain tiers of items should have limited availability per day or week - No more infinite stacks of Valortie runic hammers waiting in the back to be cashed in on. The more useful the tool, the less frequent it should available. I should be able to buy all 10 dull copper runics in on purchase a week if I want, but never more than 1 Valorite. I’m not sure how those merchants get those runic hammers, but I’m sure it takes time..

I think this system would make more sense. It would be more immersive, provide a better sense of progression, without upsetting scarcity of these items.

Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading.




Comments

  • KHANKHAN Posts: 510
    I wouldn't worry about it too much. When EJ goes live, and all of the script miners/BOD collectors/Bod fillers get up and running, the price on the BOD reward items (hammers, PoF, etc...)  will drop so fast it will make your head spin. I have a BAD feeling (after seeing the LACK of restrictions) that EJ could very well be the "straw that broke the camels back". I hope I am wrong as I love the game. But, in my, and a lot of other's opinions) the scritpers/multiboxxers/cheaters/ RMT people have just about run it into the ground. The only silver lining is that, if the game DOES end, that the RMT people will have to go get a REAL job, if they can. 
    If you sell UO items for R.L. $$$, you need to quit playing UO , and get a BETTER R.L. JOB!
  • ColdrenColdren Posts: 12
    KHAN said:
    I wouldn't worry about it too much. When EJ goes live, and all of the script miners/BOD collectors/Bod fillers get up and running, the price on the BOD reward items (hammers, PoF, etc...)  will drop so fast it will make your head spin. I have a BAD feeling (after seeing the LACK of restrictions) that EJ could very well be the "straw that broke the camels back". I hope I am wrong as I love the game. But, in my, and a lot of other's opinions) the scritpers/multiboxxers/cheaters/ RMT people have just about run it into the ground. The only silver lining is that, if the game DOES end, that the RMT people will have to go get a REAL job, if they can. 
    Scripters and value are not the point of the post.

    Scripters will always be a problem, and will always work around it. Value always changes, due to population or rarity or exploits or what have you.

    I'm more interested in discussing the merits and design of the system as it is. And in fact, the final limitation would actually curtail scripters (Not outright prevent, but certainly slow them down). 1000 accounts would only get 1000 hammers a week, versus, however much they can script.

    I appreciate your concern and view in regards to EJ, but I'm not really discussing that here. What EJ does or doesn't do, we'll see :)
  • Dot_WarnerDot_Warner Posts: 234
    The original design of the new BOD point banking was far more draconian than what we have now, which still isn't good.

    A big chunk of the problem is the fact that not all BODs bribe properly, which leave gaps in the point spread. Then there is the fact that there are several BODs that require special resources, yet give pathetically few points.

    The system is far from ideal.
  • ColdrenColdren Posts: 12
    The original design of the new BOD point banking was far more draconian than what we have now, which still isn't good.

    A big chunk of the problem is the fact that not all BODs bribe properly, which leave gaps in the point spread. Then there is the fact that there are several BODs that require special resources, yet give pathetically few points.

    The system is far from ideal.
    Agreed, the system has come a long way, but I think there is room for improvement that makes more sense from an immersion and design standpoint.

    Far from ideal indeed.
  • IvenorIvenor Posts: 1,216
    edited March 2018
    KHAN said:
    (...) The only silver lining is that, if the game DOES end, that the RMT people will have to go get a REAL job, if they can. 
    Nope.
    They will simply migrate to another Game to take advantage of.
    Once double class Scripter/Cheater Vultures, forever double class Scripter/Cheater Vultures, being it BiRL, in UO or wherever... :/
  • I like this post. I wish there was a "like" button...
  • SunWolfSunWolf Posts: 1
    Very well written post Coldren
  • ButcherButcher Posts: 28
    Agree 100%.
  • PapaSmurfPapaSmurf Posts: 112
    I like  :|

  • MerusMerus Posts: 656
    Just another example of ridiculous restrictions to try and deter scripters that ultimately only help them.

    It would have made so much more sense to just make it like the clean up points.  Let people horde points instead of BODS.  Let people store the full point value and claim what they want without any penalty.

    I swear this team like unnecessary complexity just for complexity sake.
  • PapaSmurfPapaSmurf Posts: 112
    Merus said:
    Just another example of ridiculous restrictions to try and deter scripters that ultimately only help them.

    It would have made so much more sense to just make it like the clean up points.  Let people horde points instead of BODS.  Let people store the full point value and claim what they want without any penalty.

    I swear this team like unnecessary complexity just for complexity sake.
    I gave up doing bods a while back simply because I never had the time, making it like the turn in system imo is the best thing that could happen and I am positive it would encourage a lot of people to break out their crafters 

  • The_Higgs_1The_Higgs_1 Posts: 420
    I think the rewards you get vs the time spent doing it is why the BOD system is a failure.  Just look at all the Runics that can be gotten through it.  The time it takes to collect all the BODS needed and bribed up to get a verite or valorite hammer just to use it and get awful results compared to todays global loot.  Only low-mid level runics are being used for a specific reason like 100% elemental, or 150 luck and things like that.  The other one is POF which is cheap reward because even it isn't needed half the time due to everything being brittle and antique.  There is nothing good enough that's worth the grind, that's why BODs were always a scripted item in game even when they were useful.  Crafting just needs a overhaul to be relevant again in the game.
  • BilboBilbo Posts: 2,834
    There is nothing good enough that's worth the grind, that's why BODs were always a scripted item in game even when they were useful.
    Please do not say "ALL BODs WERE SCRIPTED" because they were not.  Yes at one time there was a lot of BOD Scripters running but that was long after BODs came out and now I haven't seen a BOD scripter in a long time but they may return with EJ.  Yes doing BODs can be very time consuming just like gathering resources and fishing but there are people out there playing that enjoy doing that stuff regardless what you believe.
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