The Newest Podcast

[LordLeopold]

Hello everyone - after a long hiatus we have a new Althanas podcast. (http://www.4shared.com/file/56576488/7c4701b2/Althanas_podcast_72508.html?) This is a new file storage site where you can either stream or download the mp3 file! In this podcast we talk about the EXP system and continent writing. Please check it out and give us your feedback and discussion!

[Arsène]

Am I the only one who downloaded it and found it to be almost unbearably quiet? Adam sounded like a ghostly whisper.

[Slayer of the Rot]

I had to crank my speakers up to the max volume and I could still barely hear it.

[Saxon]

Same as above.

[Zook Murnig]

Same here, plus when tried streaming it's quiet and I get chipmunk voices.

[Skie and Avery]

I did find Adam to be really quiet.

As far as the EXP system, I'd like to see it stay, but changed to reflect the talent of the writer such as a reputation system. If a person gains a certain score or higher, they gain certain points towards a reputation modifier that would be use in the battle equation. I don't really see much wrong with the current quest exp. I really don't like the idea of putting in post length modifiers, because different writing styles will make a big difference. Especially considering the importance of a scene and whether or not it's a solo quest. From the moment I first registered, I loved the EXP system and points. It makes it feel more like a game, and finally reaching a new level is exciting. But I'm just generally set in my ways, I guess.

[Winterhair]

Frank I could hear fine, was harder to hear Adam. Much easier to hear with headphones.

[Zook Murnig]

Headphones didn't work at all for me, but mine might be damaged.

EDIT: Nevermind, it's just the headphones port. Had to hang onto it for the duration, but I heard it fine with the headphones.

[LordLeopold]

Yeah, I'm sorry about the volume, in one way or another it's always been a problem, but I could hear it on my laptop so I didn't think it would be a huge issue. Oh well, live and learn.

[Mithra Reborn]

Well, I heard it fine after I cranked up my stereo, and I personally LIKE a lot of what I heard. I think that the EXP system actually isn't the best way to go. The problem that I see with it is that this one person is grading people and may have biases towards not liking their style of writing(I.e, someone getting marked down for having their writing be "too flowery" because the grading moderator isn't really a fan of dressed up writing, whereas with another moderator it would be a plus, etc) so the feedback could be a little inconsistent in some areas with that.

(okay, I have an idea about reforms I'm just going to put out here. whether you agree with it/use it is not my concern, but I just think its better to throw ideas out there and see what happens than to be a silent sister and think "what if" later. Also note, this idea came together within five minutes and I know its flawed, but the basic concept can be seen, which is all that really needs to be seen.)

I think that the EXP/leveling itself is fine. However, I don't think that this one person should be grading a collaborative writing like a science project when writing in and above itself is an art. I think that a number of people should read over the RP in question, mod or no, and instead of filling out this strict chart just saying plainly what went well in the RP, what didn't, and then rate it on a scale of 1 to 10(or some other number scale. Just a number scale of some sort). That way, there are numerous and varying opinions so that you can take the median of the ratings and use the median to determine the exp/gp giving.

And I am also in favor of things being more loose with the continents.

*prepares for someone to bite the ass out of the idea*

[Zook Murnig]

I like the way EXP is done now for the most part, though I think the reputation score would be a good addition. However, if we're going to change the EXP system as a whole, we may try getting rid of levels and just having people use their earned EXP to "buy" abilities and upgrades in the Realm of Greeting.

For example, Bob the Below Average Swordsman wants to become a better swordsman. He has a hundred and fifty EXP from a recent battle he lost. He goes to the RoG and says "hey, I want to be Legendary in my Swordsmanship skill." The RoG mod comes in and says "you don't have enough EXP for that, but for all of your EXP I can let you be above average." Haggling from there and so on. There'd have to be equivalencies set up in writing for most things, but from there RoG mods can wing it with unique abilities.

[Letho]

I'm not a big fan of that idea. If anything, it makes Althanas look more like a game and less like a writing forum. And I don't think that's the direction we want to take.

I personally think that the current EXP system is rather good, though obviously not perfect. As said in the podcast, it seems especially unfair in battles, where even if you score high (which means you wrote well), you get significantly less EXP if you lose. But I guess that's the point of battles. You take a chance and if you win, you get the rewards and if you don't, you get the consolation prize. And the consolation prize sucks compared to what the winner got, but then again that's the point of consolation prizes. Quest rewards seem fine. The suggested system where the score points would be used instead of EXP seems a bit redundant. The current formula uses the score modifier together with other modifiers as well, so I think it would be a step back.

[Winterhair]

Personally, I've loved the EXP system ever since I first came to Althanas 'round December. The introduction of it made not only the writing worthwhile, but also of the fact that it coerces you to become a better writer. The better you write, the greater your rewards. I was discussing Althanas with a friend or two of mine and we agreed that it is, essentially, the greatest MMORPG in existence. You can create almost any character you want, customize everything you want, fight anything you want, become anything you want. There are no restrictions by graphics, no limits as to where your character can go...the only limits you set yourself are by your level, which motivates me at least to continue writing, and your imagination.
So I think its fine the way it is. I agree with Letho on battles: that's the point. In relation to MMORPG's, its the PvP of Althanas, and even in regular games if you lose against another player you either get significantly less or even in some games you lose exp. When you lose, you also learn more, and hopefully you do better the next time around. Those that persevere are the ones that eventually hit the top.

[Christoph]

For the most part, I’m a fan of how the current EXP system works. If nothing else, I can’t see much blatantly wrong with it, so we might as well leave the core mechanics of it the same.

That said, I am and always have been a huge proponent of putting in place an official post-length modifier. It makes a whole lot of sense because, regardless of personal writing styles or anything else, it takes more time and effort on average to write a 2,000-word post than it does to write a 300-word post. Trust me, I’ve done plenty of both. I believe it makes sense to award the actual quantity of writing instead of just relying on post count. It’s not as though it would hurt anyone.

[Cyrus the virus]

The EXP system is fine. Moreover, it's much better now (unless it's changed again in the last few months) than it ever was in the past. It's one of those things that, FINALLY, we don't need to rethink.

Yes, one moderator reads your quest and gives their opinion on it. Yes, the EXP will be slightly different from what judge B might award you, but the difference is not great enough for us to seriously have to look at the system. We should focus on Althanas' more glaring issues, like Featured Quests that lose their guidance or whatever.