[Origin Cave]

Magic Levels Poll

So, it has come to the staff's attention that some characters appear to be speeding through their magic levels without actually taking the time to get better. While it's great to have a diverse range of levels in characters, realistically we shouldn't have Masters popping up at 1-2 cycles of age. It should be taking a lot longer for characters to transfer from Pupil to Master, so the staff have decided to implement a new restriction that will hopefully see characters slowing down in their progression. This isn't meant to hinder or punish you guys in any way - it's just that we feel characters should simply be taking a little longer to move up in level! The staff came up with three methods, but we can't decide which one you guys would like best, so we're opening up a poll to get your opinions!

One Month Waiting Period
There will be a one month period after transitioning to Pupil that characters have to wait before they can transition to Master. This will be a full, IRL month, and not a cycle - meaning that it could be 28, 30 or 31 days depending on the month. Your character will not be able to ascend to the next level until exactly a month later. We'll know when that is by looking at that entry in a character's activity log. This restriction can not be voted on and will be implemented alongside the restriction that is voted on.

VOTE: Magicka Bars
These will be bars located under the character's avatar in posts. The magicka bar will begin at 100% and will decrease with each attempt used. It will decrease by the roll amount of the attempt - meaning that if you keep rolling low rolls, you have the chance to roll more, but if you roll higher rolls, you can roll less. The magicka bar will recover 20% or 25% every day so as to allow more rolling. This is intended to prevent people from spamming magic attempts over the course of a single day. It will only decrease from magic casting. While this would be a neat automatic feature, the downside would be that it not only restricts spamming in selfie threads, it also restricts attempts in spree threads with other users.

VOTE: Reply Limit
This will place a time limit on posting to selfie threads. Characters that belong to the same user will not be able to reply to themselves (as a single character, or multiple characters from the same user) within a time span of 3-4 hours. This means that, while you can still selfie thread, you can only make a post once every 3-4 hours. This will significantly decrease the amount of attempt spamming that goes on, but might make selfie threading a pain in the butt, especially if you aren't intending to use magic casting attempts.

VOTE: GM Interference
This option will be manually implemented with varying outcomes. If a user makes 5+ attempts per page, then a GM will automatically be alerted and be required to interfere. While the outcome is dependent on the GM, results could include your character exhausting themselves to the point of being unable to use magic for the rest of the thread, or attracting golems or other NPCs. This option is the most versatile with regards to what is allowed and what isn't, however as GM interference depends on the involvement of the GM's, may be taxing on the staff.

The poll closes on July 15th.

You can vote for ONE option, using ONE account only. Please do not vote with multiple characters - we'll know! If you have any opinions or suggestions, please post them below!

I'm going to go with magicka bars--I think the one month limit may actually be enough of a thing, really, and allow freedom in selfie threads to tell a story over a long time-span (in a short one) without restrictions. But if there has to be a secondary cap, a magicka bar does provide a nice fantasy-esque additional piece of theme.

I actually love the GM idea, but I can see it getting too hard on the staff very quickly--and might even prompt more spell-spamming in order to see GM fun. Maybe if there were a way to automate a GM post (randomized for over-magicka-use), but otherwise, I'm going with month clock, or if a secondary system is necessary, magicka bars.

Actually a randomized GM post would be pretty cool. I don't think it would be too hard to implement!

Agree, I don't want the reply limit so much but the other two ideas are great, esp randomized gm posts!!

I actually really really love the idea of a Magicka bar, probably because I play way too many video game RPGs where Magicka/Magic bars are implemented. And since this RP has some elements of like table-top RPGs, the Magicka Bar would fit right in! :D

EDIT: Although... I just realized that if people happen to be in multiple threads, set at different times, the Magicka bar might get in the way of those other threads...

Also, I feel like the % amount or w/e of the bar should go up by some amount with each Magicka Level Increase. Like... Fledglings have 100 Magicka, Pupils have 120, and Masters have 150 or something like that.

I’m for the magicka bars with a difference between fledglings, pupils and masters. Not in support of the reply limit as selfie threads are good for character development and I’ve highly enjoyed engaging in selfie threads when I’m done with thread replies and still have lots of muse! An alternative way of controlling selfie threads so that people do not spam and “abuse” the system to rack up points could be an implementation of a minimum word count of 200-250 per post perhaps? I like the GM post idea but have one concern which is, would the administrators be burdened keeping up with the thread and posting promptly? There’s already a ton to do e.g. update Magicka regularly etc. so … :l

I'm voting GM interference, but on that note;

Maybe instead of a User-specific mana bar, there could be a user-specific-per-thread bar. Something that limits their magicka use in one particular thread instead of an entire day? Have it refill instead by non-attempt posts;

Example::

- Bob starts a thread in Cetus. He doesn't attempt in the first post. He has 100 points to use as a basic user.

- Bob rolls a 15 in his next post. 100 - 15 = 85 left to use.

- Bob rolls a 20 in his next post. 85 - 20 = 65 left to use.

- Bob rolls a 10. 65 - 10 = 55 left to use.

- Bob doesn't attempt anything this round. +5 is regained, now at 60.

- Bob doesn't attempt anything this round. Another +5, bringing him up to 65.

- Bob attempts Other / Physical Combat, no change.

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I can imagine something like that would have to be manually implemented and watched.
The amount you start with depends on your magic level; say, 100 for beginner. 150 for pupil. 200 for master.

Basically, this would be an IC Magicka-per-day limit, geared towards a specific thread.
It would probably also help regulate things by limiting one selfie thread at a time per player? Meaning you'd have to end the one on Character A to start one on Character B- this seems to be what people do anyway atm.

Edit: Also on that note; perhaps an extra moderator specifically in charge of this sort of thing could be hired on to handle the extra load, be it different mana system, or gm moderation?

I just read Alm's idea and I really have to agree, as I was trying to think of something similar earlier. Since a lot of people post in multiple threads per day, that take place at different times, having the Magicka Bar go down per day OOCly would hinder people from doing Magic attempts in multiple threads. Which, if they're occurring one right after the other, would be good, but... most of the time threads are occurring some amount of time away from one another... If that make sense. So having a Magicka Bar PER THREAD makes a lot more sense to me...

^^^ If it were possible to do the PER THEAD magic bar thing that'd be neat, otherwise... Yea, threads occur in liquid time.

Maybe just have the user keep track of their own thing. 100 points per thread, subtract every time magic is used in that thread. Then if someone abuses it anyone can report them or w/e. I don't know if it'd be possible to automate it, but ya'know. x) I like it the best, so that's what I'll vote for!

Here's a thought I just had as a variation on the magicka bars, based on some suggestions:

Magicka Bar per Thread
Each thread, each character starts with 100 in their magicka bar. Each spell cast roll deducts that roll's amount from the bar. The bar only applies to spell casts in THAT thread, so yes, we can liquid time and magicka won't be affected by use in other threads. However, your magicka bar will be restored (by 10 points maybe?) every time somebody who isn't you posts in the thread (ie. a character that doesn't share your ooc name). That way, you can still spree some fights and stuff, but if you consistently use spell casts, your magicka will run out faster in that thread. Does this make sense?