Post by Kitsunenotsume on Apr 25, 2018 12:20:02 GMT -5
We’ve been using the clockwork detector since Beta, when it initially came out as a form of weak supplementary income, and the key to a particularly well hidden puzzle. However, I don’t think anyone has completed said puzzle, and somewhat doubt that any other puzzles have been implemented. This strikes me as a loss of what could otherwise be a very interesting mechanic both for quests or plot-lines and open world use. With A bit of brainstorming, I have come up with a possibility that would improve the Clockwork Detector’s narrative and functional use, while cutting down on “finding cash in the nooks-and-crannies” every 10 feet in every long-forgotten wilderness*.
What strikes me most about the Detector in its nature, is that it should guide towards a point-of-interest (POI) rather than just letting you know when you are on one. As such, I would have the Detector announce a vector towards the nearest/most important POI in range using Intensity and Direction (“The Detector indicates a weak anomaly to the northeast”, for example). Intensity could be a factor of both distance and importance. Quest cues could be weaker or stronger than loot nodes or caches, depending on the intent. Intensity could drop with every fixed distance from the origin, for example 15 meters, resulting in a Strong POI being detected from 45 meters (though as a Weak signal from that range), a Moderate from 30, and a Weak from 15.
Because the basic functionality of the Detector would be overridden by this indicator function, I would instead roll the money-mechanic into a system of randomly generated caches. At some regular interval, caches could be generated for a given map, and the Detector could guide a user onto the cache for a tileset appropriate payout: money for cities, perhaps herbs or generic ores for wilderness, etc. with the intent being to offer low value reward-for-effort rather than an extra source of loot-nodes. These caches could be generated on server restart, every hour, when a detector is first used on a given map and last for an hour thereafter, or so on. Rather than have fixed cache locations, I would advocate randomly generating coords and testing if it is pathable, since that would allow for the greatest variety of locations rather than memorizing a list. For however long the cache lasts, the Detector could thereafter direct towards the cache (when within range), but only allow for looting it once with the ‘You have recently searched’ message on the cache itself after.
Given that locating caches as a result would take longer then simply moving 10 meters and waiting 5 minutes, I would suggest significantly reducing the cooldown of the Clockwork Detector. The current 5 minute lockout prevents getting more than 12 payouts an hour, but if this suggestion were implemented, the primary choke-point would be the number of caches that can be located in that time period. I don’t think that more than two or three caches per map at any given time would be appropriate, which would thereby encourage travel if one is intent on using the Detector for profits. A reduction in cooldown to 30-seconds to a minute would make the gadget significantly more useful for locating clues or hidden loot-nodes instead.
Obviously, some areas would be naturally abhorrent to such a sensitive mechanism, either due to story/plot requirements, or because you are trying to use a delicate sensor in an inappropriate area. As such, having a means to provide one of two negative feedback options could be implemented: either “The Detector gauges lie limp and provide no reading” as though there were nothing in range, or the more notable “The Detector spins wildly, providing no meaningful reading”. The first tells you “Nothing here, try somewhere else”, while the second is “Nice try, buddy. Try something different”.
Overall, my suggestion would increase the complexity of the Detector, but make it a bit more functional and less spam-able as well as providing a better infrastructure for hidden puzzle mechanics, through the following alterations:
Change the Detector to indicate Distance and Direction to nearby Points-of-interest.
Remove the free money on-use.
Randomly generate POIs with Detector-unlocked generic rewards.
Lower Detector Cooldown
Map/DM support to create POIs.
Map/DM support to disable Detector use.
*: Honestly, it’s like a Diablo 3 treasure goblin happened to run over the entirety of Trivium with how frequently you can find tiny piles of cash with each use, regardless of if you are in a clean-room, city street, middle of the trackless wilderness, or giraffe-neck-deep in some eldritch horror.
What strikes me most about the Detector in its nature, is that it should guide towards a point-of-interest (POI) rather than just letting you know when you are on one. As such, I would have the Detector announce a vector towards the nearest/most important POI in range using Intensity and Direction (“The Detector indicates a weak anomaly to the northeast”, for example). Intensity could be a factor of both distance and importance. Quest cues could be weaker or stronger than loot nodes or caches, depending on the intent. Intensity could drop with every fixed distance from the origin, for example 15 meters, resulting in a Strong POI being detected from 45 meters (though as a Weak signal from that range), a Moderate from 30, and a Weak from 15.
Because the basic functionality of the Detector would be overridden by this indicator function, I would instead roll the money-mechanic into a system of randomly generated caches. At some regular interval, caches could be generated for a given map, and the Detector could guide a user onto the cache for a tileset appropriate payout: money for cities, perhaps herbs or generic ores for wilderness, etc. with the intent being to offer low value reward-for-effort rather than an extra source of loot-nodes. These caches could be generated on server restart, every hour, when a detector is first used on a given map and last for an hour thereafter, or so on. Rather than have fixed cache locations, I would advocate randomly generating coords and testing if it is pathable, since that would allow for the greatest variety of locations rather than memorizing a list. For however long the cache lasts, the Detector could thereafter direct towards the cache (when within range), but only allow for looting it once with the ‘You have recently searched’ message on the cache itself after.
Given that locating caches as a result would take longer then simply moving 10 meters and waiting 5 minutes, I would suggest significantly reducing the cooldown of the Clockwork Detector. The current 5 minute lockout prevents getting more than 12 payouts an hour, but if this suggestion were implemented, the primary choke-point would be the number of caches that can be located in that time period. I don’t think that more than two or three caches per map at any given time would be appropriate, which would thereby encourage travel if one is intent on using the Detector for profits. A reduction in cooldown to 30-seconds to a minute would make the gadget significantly more useful for locating clues or hidden loot-nodes instead.
Obviously, some areas would be naturally abhorrent to such a sensitive mechanism, either due to story/plot requirements, or because you are trying to use a delicate sensor in an inappropriate area. As such, having a means to provide one of two negative feedback options could be implemented: either “The Detector gauges lie limp and provide no reading” as though there were nothing in range, or the more notable “The Detector spins wildly, providing no meaningful reading”. The first tells you “Nothing here, try somewhere else”, while the second is “Nice try, buddy. Try something different”.
Overall, my suggestion would increase the complexity of the Detector, but make it a bit more functional and less spam-able as well as providing a better infrastructure for hidden puzzle mechanics, through the following alterations:
Change the Detector to indicate Distance and Direction to nearby Points-of-interest.
Remove the free money on-use.
Randomly generate POIs with Detector-unlocked generic rewards.
Lower Detector Cooldown
Map/DM support to create POIs.
Map/DM support to disable Detector use.
*: Honestly, it’s like a Diablo 3 treasure goblin happened to run over the entirety of Trivium with how frequently you can find tiny piles of cash with each use, regardless of if you are in a clean-room, city street, middle of the trackless wilderness, or giraffe-neck-deep in some eldritch horror.