Public Libraries ?!

[Ocius]

Ok, so i just posted an idea about putting Hero Legends into the game. Lets take this a step further shall we.

Get this. You like writing little stories and stuff about the games your playing. It makes you feel good inside and you then go post them on websites for people to read. Awesome feeling right knowing that someone got to read something you wrote. Well, what if we put these books into the game in libraries accross the world. That way you could actually read what they wrote while in game, for a higher emersion effect. Hell, lets even allow people to check out copies of the books for ingame money, and then give that money to the player like they are actual writers.

BY THE WAY! This idea will soon be patented due to its great importance to me and the feelings my coworkers showed towards it.

 

[volund]

It'd be awesome to have something like this, especially if the authors actually start to get recognition from people in the game who have read their works. The money idea might be nice too, but I think npcs should give players a sum of money for their books (or better yet highly motivated GMs), then the books should be in a public library. A lot of people will refuse to read books if they get charged for them.

I do think that some sort of patron system should be allowed though. If you like someone's work you can pay them and get a copy of the book in your inventory or maybe to keep at your house (supposing ingame housing is cool enough). To take it a step further, some patrons may like a person's style of writing so much that they pay the author to write a book on a topic of the patron's choice - most likely an embellished biography of the patron themselves.

 

[Ocius]

Exactly what i was thinking. See if the author gets famous enough, people could even pay him for personalized copies like with the authors signature or something. This idea could really help shape the game because it could be a way to implement guides into the game via a library system so that you dont have to minimize the game just to see the guide. You could even have the makers of the game writes some books for people when they first come in so that there is something to base their ideas and books on. I do believe you should have to buy the book or atleast pay a renters fee. And i do believe there should be late fees for not returning it. There should also be an infinite copy of every book cause it is just silly to put a number on something like that. Its very similar to checking out an electronic resource. But def pay them for their books or pay them some part of the rent fee just so that it gives a motivation to make books.

Also, the gms or people who wish to be employed as a librarian or something, can sit there and read through some of the latest entered works so that they can be viewed for censory and accuracy. NO sorts of hate posts or spam felgercarb should be able to be added.

 

[tasoli]

I love being a member of forum communities pre-beta because there's always content like this bounced around and it excites me. Sometimes I wish I were a dev so I could implement some of this stuff myself, but then I realize how much they work and I remember why I like reading and dreaming about these sorts of things instead of working 14 hours a day, lol.

This sounds like a really good idea to me. I don't know how important things like this will be to the devs (since, as far as we know, they're still finishing the basic class layouts) but I'm sure this could be something they add in a content-patch or even an addon to the game.

 

[Ocius]

Yeah i understand what you mean man. My ideas are always expressed like this in beta and afterwards, but thats partially due to me wanting to end up working for a game company throwing ideas around to help push the game into the market. It has always been something ive enjoyed. The only thing that makes a game fun to me is expanding upon it and findng ways to improve what is already there.

 

[tasoli]

Originally posted by Ocius@Apr 20 2006, 07:59 AM
Yeah i understand what you mean man. My ideas are always expressed like this in beta and afterwards, but thats partially due to me wanting to end up working for a game company throwing ideas around to help push the game into the market. It has always been something ive enjoyed. The only thing that makes a game fun to me is expanding upon it and findng ways to improve what is already there.

Then you've definatly found the right MMORPG to play. Unlike WoW where the company (Blizzard) won't listen to you, Simutronics has always kept a close bond with their community. Take their other games, for exmple. DragonRealms had a player-run Dwarf clan that ended up being involved in a war. It was pretty sweet, but also was recorded into history and talked about in later quest-like situations (not really quests, but for anyone who hasn't played a MUD it's difficult to comprehend).

 

[Ocius]

Yeah, i think the game companies need to bring it all back home. Right now it seems all of them are just out there doing their own thing and hoping that the player base will enjoy what ever they throw out. WoW's success is shortlived so far but I know they are trying pretty hard to make it a great game. The thing with WOW is i think they just havent really fucked up yet to it seems like they are just doing the most awesome job ever and developing a game. All it takes is one slip and you can lose a lot of customers.

Simutronics seems to be very devoted to the community player base and that is extremely impressive to someone who likes giving ideas back to the developers. I am willing to help them anyway i possibly can, and i hope some day i might can do this for a living.

 

[tasoli]

Originally posted by Ocius@Apr 20 2006, 08:05 AM
The thing with WOW is i think they just havent really fucked up yet to it seems like they are just doing the most awesome job ever and developing a game.

Well, 2 things really.

1) PvP was added as an afterthought to WoW, and at least with HJ they're taking all these aspects of gameplay into consideration.

2) WoW was Blizzard's first venture into the online realm (other than Battle.net, which isn't really MMO). Simu has been in this (online multiplayer) business for 15 years.

 

[Ocius]

This is extremely true. Simutronics previous works and experiences will definately help them out when finalizing this game. The fact that pvp was around for the get go for this game is another very important aspect to the future success of hero's journey.

 

[tasoli]

Originally posted by Ocius@Apr 20 2006, 08:10 AM
The fact that pvp was around for the get go for this game is another very important aspect to the future success of hero's journey.

Also, they (Simu) supposedly have some sort of a ground-breaking PVP system. When the Open Beta starts I suppose the world will know!

 

[Ocius]

I just hope it is something that i can go, wow ive never seen this before, instead of something i have and know it isnt ground breaking.

 

[tasoli]

Originally posted by Ocius@Apr 20 2006, 08:15 AM
I just hope it is something that i can go, wow ive never seen this before, instead of something i have and know it isnt ground breaking.

That's what this game's about!

 

[Ocius]

That is why I have fallen in love with Simutronics because of that very fact. I hope they seriously consider something like this because it is a kind of revolutionary idea that they would be looking for i would think.

 

[volund]

Erm, sorry, but I couldn't help but bring this thread back on topic (I'm not scolding anyone, I just genuinely interested in the topic. I'd be praising HJ and Simu as well if I didn't have something to add).

Anyway, I still think borrowing books should be free - though I like the idea of late fees. To People won't take the chance of wasting money on bad books. I do see one way that renting books instead of borrowing books could work out though. This would be the ability to browse books. Even when you grab books from a bookstore in real life, they always allow you to pick it off the shelf and leaf through it. As long as you could do this in game, I wouldn't mind renting books. But if its a blind gamble and you have to pay before you read it, then you'll get extremely deterred to buy/rent another book. I don't think motivation is too much of a problem even if a free library is created. People might not get currency, but if their works or popular enough then they can gain recognition. Just because PCs won't pay to borrow books, doesn't mean something else can be worked out with the libraries. NPCs or GMs who control the library can always pay the author a fee to buy the book to put in their library. I'm not saying to take out the ability to purchase books, I'd just like to see a free borrowing system as well.

 

[Ocius]

Oh dude, of course there would be the ability to browse in the library. That would kind of not be a library but more like a nazi rationed book wholesaler if it was like what you were mentioning. I think it should be as close to a real library as possible, just so the rules would be easily accepted in the game without much forthought.

 

[volund]

Okay, now thats out of the way I have nothing to worry about. Sorry for the maybe misunderstanding. I warn you though, chances are I'll just lurk around browsing rather than paying money for anything. I'm a major mooch when it comes to that, even in real life :lol:

 

[Ocius]

Well libraries dont exactly make tons of profit, and they are sort of open for the public. They were originally to house important documents but then public libraries were brought in and people of poor upbringing could go in and actually learn something instead of having to go to a school. So i think you should be able to browse.

 

[tasoli]

I like the idea that Ocius had about having personal copies of the books. I do agree the library should be free, but if you get a personal copy you should have to pay a bit to the author for it.

 

[frostydf2]

Great idea! Maybe even take it a step further, and add in-game lore to the game that a GM writes daily of the adventures of some traveler. Or a great person who destroyed a dragon, and his encounters.

I think an idea like this would go through the roof, and would really have a lot of people in the library, and getting more invovled with the game becuase of the lore. All in all, wins for everyone!

 

[Ocius]

Im glad you enjoyed my idea, by all means present it in honor our guild and myself