The West 3.0 special skills (return to unique characters)

Huscarle.

Well-Known Member
What is the goal of this idea?
The goal is simple: we, the players, embody a resident of the Wild West, that we all know. We engage in duels, fort battles, gather resources, work, become artisans, etc. - nothing out of the ordinary so far. But, what if we provide players with certain additional tools (in this case, traits that benefit them in the game) to offer a more personalized experience.

Where does this idea come from?
There are two main points. First, the urgent need to rebalance the advantages provided by character classes, as they have remained static for several years, and in some cases, certain characteristics have become obsolete. The second point is that in the earlier versions of the game, the player's gameplay varied based on the chosen character class, or even, the classes were tailored to how players planned to spend their time in the game. For example, in the past, someone interested in city construction would hardly choose the duelist class.

What am I proposing, then? Simply put, that players can choose certain unique bonuses throughout the game, in addition to those they already have by belonging to a certain class. The principles to consider are as follows:

  • Only a limited number of points can be obtained.
  • These points can only be obtained after reaching a certain number of levels (for example, 1 point will be granted every 50 levels).
  • These points must be resettable, costing nuggets or dollars. Let's be honest; this system should have some return. Moreover, it could be further incentivized by the premium option of the "Character Bonus" (which would give another reason to spend nuggets on this bonus). There could even be a cooldown when resetting points to prevent abuse.
  • Some of these traits should be excluded based on the character class.
  • Some of these traits should have a minimum requirement of skill and/or attribute points to be "unlocked" and obtained WHITHOUTE any kind of bonification of clothes, weapos, buffs, etc, they must be "natural skills".
  • Some of these traits can be additive, while others should not be to prevent abuse.
  • Some traits may have "undesirable effects."
Naturally, those who want to contribute more principles to regulate and adapt this suggestion to the game are welcome. For example (i only gonna put a few, but i got in another document):

Perk Name​
Requirement​
Bonus​
Work Nightmare​
-​
After a non-honorable duel, you get 10% more money and experience. However, a wanted poster offering a good reward for you (1500 $ for a victorious result) will be automatically created.​
Bounty Hunter​
-​
You receive a 20% bonus in money and experience after capturing someone with a "Wanted" poster.​
Steady Hand​
Dexterity: 40​
You gain a permanent 10% bonus in aiming​
Terrifying​
Charisma: 40​
You receive a 10% bonus in the following skill: presence.​
Hunter​
Dexterity: 20
Trap setting : 40​
You receive a 50% bonus in experience, money, and chances of finding items in all hunting-related jobs.​
Extended Warranty​
-​
After being knocked out in a duel, your protection period increases by an additional 24 hours.​
Nomad​
Not being a member of any city​
Your restless spirit prevents you from settling in any sedentary society. You can sleep anywhere on the map (equivalent to a level 2 hotel), and tent purchases in the shop will only cost you 5 bonds.​
City Dweller​
Being member of any city​
You are fond of the comforts that any urban settlement offers. You receive a 20% regeneration bonus as a member of a city.​
Motivated worker​
-​
+15% work regeneration speed.​

Clearly, there are many more ideas to be explored within this skills framework. I've only mentioned a few of them as the list for discussion would be extensive, and I believe that if the entire community supports the motion, this idea could have unlimited possibilities.

In some aspects, we should think about how both the community members and the game developers can contribute to providing greater variety to the game and breaking away from monotony. Let's collectively consider the benefits that this could bring.
 

Bomba Voyager

Active Member
Hey Huscarle,

I really liked the idea man! Sounds amazing. I was thinking a "job based profession progress" system which might be compatible with the system you are proposing.

Maybe you can try to open a thread on beta forum too.
 

Huscarle.

Well-Known Member
Hey Huscarle,

I really liked the idea man! Sounds amazing. I was thinking a "job based profession progress" system which might be compatible with the system you are proposing.

Maybe you can try to open a thread on beta forum too.
I have more than 30 or 40 additional perks to contribute, and yes, the idea is that the player has at their disposal certain special characteristics that adapt to their playstyle, and on the day they voluntarily want to choose something else, well, they can do so freely.
job based profession progress
job based profession progress? can you tellme more about that?
 

corgiscarab

The West Team
Event Manager
@Huscarle. I have been ruminating on a similar idea for awhile.

Tell me what you think about this: Use your table of traits but turn them into trait trees (as any modern MMO does). Then, eliminate classes altogether as the original game was like. Then, players custom build their characters. Each level of experience give more points to use in the skill trees. Naturally you'd combine the skills you posses with the gear you collect to try and create the best build for the game experience you want.

"Re-trait" potions can be bought anytime to reconstruct your build and/or we could expand the Shaman function to redo Attributes, Skills and Trait points.

We'd have to take your traits and expand them into tiers basically. The bonuses would work just like special event bonuses.
For instance for the "Motivated Worker" Trait:

1 point+5% to all Work Motivation
3 points+10% to all Work Motivation
5 points+15% to all Work Motivation
7 points+20% to all Work Motivation

Then you could have co-requisite traits to get even better bonuses.

Motivated WorkerProduct Seeker
1 point+5% to all Work Motivation1 point+5% Improved Product Drop rate
3 points+10% to all Work Motivation3 points+10% Improved Product Drop rate
5 points+15% to all Work Motivation5 points+15% Improved Product Drop rate
7 points*+20% to all Work Motivation7 points*+20% Improved Product Drop rate

*7 points in Motivated Worker and Product Seeker = Mighty Prospector - +25% to all Work Motivation and Improved Product Drop rate

This could make all the possible abilities in the game newly scalable and take away the imbalance of classes since there won't be any. You can retool the fort battles, duels, etc.
 

Huscarle.

Well-Known Member
@Huscarle. I have been ruminating on a similar idea for awhile.

Tell me what you think about this: Use your table of traits but turn them into trait trees (as any modern MMO does). Then, eliminate classes altogether as the original game was like. Then, players custom build their characters. Each level of experience give more points to use in the skill trees. Naturally you'd combine the skills you posses with the gear you collect to try and create the best build for the game experience you want.

"Re-trait" potions can be bought anytime to reconstruct your build and/or we could expand the Shaman function to redo Attributes, Skills and Trait points.

We'd have to take your traits and expand them into tiers basically. The bonuses would work just like special event bonuses.
For instance for the "Motivated Worker" Trait:

1 point+5% to all Work Motivation
3 points+10% to all Work Motivation
5 points+15% to all Work Motivation
7 points+20% to all Work Motivation

Then you could have co-requisite traits to get even better bonuses.

Motivated WorkerProduct Seeker
1 point+5% to all Work Motivation1 point+5% Improved Product Drop rate
3 points+10% to all Work Motivation3 points+10% Improved Product Drop rate
5 points+15% to all Work Motivation5 points+15% Improved Product Drop rate
7 points*+20% to all Work Motivation7 points*+20% Improved Product Drop rate

*7 points in Motivated Worker and Product Seeker = Mighty Prospector - +25% to all Work Motivation and Improved Product Drop rate

This could make all the possible abilities in the game newly scalable and take away the imbalance of classes since there won't be any. You can retool the fort battles, duels, e
Thank you very much for your contribution, dear. I find the idea you have in mind quite interesting. In fact, I appreciate that discussions are already starting about making the game have a more flexible system when each player begins to create their own Wild West character.

It's true that in the early versions of the game, character classes didn't exist. In a way, the player unlocked certain avatars based on their specific skills and attributes. Therefore, the idea you propose would (to a greater or lesser extent, that's how I interpret it) involve eliminating character classes, returning to the game's roots but using mechanics from modern MMOs. Consequently, this would bring a novelty to the game and address the differences between character classes. Naturally, this would give a fantastic twist to the game. The only thing I wonder is what the community and users' opinions will be regarding this initiative.
I believe it would be essential to consult with the users first to see what they think about this. Continuing with the quote, the idea of "tiers" seems appropriate. In fact, many of the games I usually play already have that mechanic (such as 7 Days to Die), which not only provides a more personalized experience but also adapts to the player's style.

I think we should also consider how often we would grant skill points and traits to prevent the system from becoming unbalanced in the medium and long term. Moreover, the fact that some traits can be recombined seems even more interesting. We just need to discuss with players what other traits or perk trees could be added. After all, we are talking about a character embodying the Wild West.

Another idea I was also thinking about (not long ago) was to give more roles, benefits, and responsibilities to the ownership of cities and forts. Furthermore, even more amazing (Roadmap 2027, regarding cities), I would explore the possibility of "lifestyles" (city dweller, farmer, nomad, settler).

Returning to the topic of skills and character classes, it is possible that some essential features can be retained. However, it would be up for debate what percentage of the old system could be adaptable to the new one (in practical terms, thesis vs. antithesis = synthesis). Clearly, it would be very beneficial for the game to provide surveys and discussions on this matter, and the feedback will play a crucial role in the development of this idea. Best regards.
 

Huscarle.

Well-Known Member
Use your table of traits but turn them into trait trees (as any modern MMO does). Then, eliminate classes altogether as the original game was like. Then, players custom build their characters.
Now that I'm reflecting (I have more free time; I finished my final exams), your idea is quite good. It would be like giving the player a 'blank' character, and then, based on their interests, they can shape their character as they see fit. This contrasts with the current system where, although we have our characters as 'Greenhorns,' only with character classes do we provide certain advantages that may or may not fit the player. Well, this doesn't guarantee a completely genuine experience. What if we put a "Character Class" at the final stage?
 

Caerdwyn

Well-Known Member
You could keep classes, but use them as directional entries into the trait trees. Depending on what class you pick, you would get more traits that are thematically in-line, but still have the option to bee-line toward a cross-class feature that interests you.
 

Huscarle.

Well-Known Member
You could keep classes, but use them as directional entries into the trait trees. Depending on what class you pick, you would get more traits that are thematically in-line, but still have the option to bee-line toward a cross-class feature that interests you.
In fact, the idea of character classes is not a bad concept either; it could even be expanded. For instance, I love being an adventurer and will always be happy to do so. The underlying theme in this suggestion is to update the system to a more flexible one.
 
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