Feedback talk:User/Axis/The Mastery System

Other thoughts:

Level downscaling analysis/implementation - Obviously, people will still be able to rush people to get Mastery points, the idea with the downscaling being to further discourage this. Being level 15 instead of level 20 and trying to Shadow Form tank for a level 10 will be much more difficult. Armor reduction, attribute reduction, and/or etc based on percentage. The idea here is to ensure that you're actually having to help the other person learn how to play the game instead of doing it mostly for them. There are already mechanics in place for reduction of attributes, and I assume the hero armor variable could be used also in this. The trigger for the adjustment could just be having a ghost quest active. A level 20 helping a level 20 would not be changed, so the system does not break there either.


 * Ghost quest analysis/implementation - This is a rather keystone aspect of the whole system, and I would love to see this implemented even if it's by itself. We already have quests that automatically update into quest logs, such as dungeons. The helper would only gain credit for the quest s/he had selected when it was completed. The trigger for choices appears to be ingame also, as for Bogroot Growths, so when the quest is chosen on the helpee's log, it could trigger the update into the helper's log. The helper then chooses the quest, the team completes the quest, and the helper gets Mastery points. Helpee selects next/new quest, and it continues. One could perhaps argue that you're not a master if you've not memorized the quest and shouldn't need a marker anymore. I disagree wholeheartedly, since I memorized the quests with the markers in place. Also, ghost quests would increase the ability to not feel pressured to have quick access to the wiki at all times. Heck, you might even decrease server load with less people having to check quest maps on the wiki all the time.

Title length - For something to count for GWAMM, it should take a good amount of time. It does not need to take as long as opening 10,000 chests, but if it's an account wide title, which this should be, it cannot also be something that people should be able to gain from two weeks of play. Helping does not have to be difficult, but it should take a fair amount of time to show that you are indeed a good helper, one committed to that end. I leave this up to you, base it on length of campaigns and stuff like that would be the way I would do it.


 * No heroes - Simply because heroes mean that you are not really helping so much as lending your heroes to the other player. You may still help them in this manner, of course, but you will not gain the completion for Mastery. You may argue that you’re lending your high level and wisdom, but that’s a little different from letting your heroes do the work and calling yourself a Master.

Repetition - Being unable to repeat something for Mastery Points/Orbs more than once a week will disallow farming of Mastery Points/Orbs for repeating/running missions. In conjunction with level downscaling, this could severely decrease the ability for any kind of running, outside of dungeons. The idea here is to get the high level to help out with knowledge and tactics, not to do something for them. And this is appealing because it doesn’t mess too heavily with other meta, such as dungeon runners. Outpost/Town runners would also still exist, because there does not need to be a quest involved. Quests should only be able to be completed for points if it is the helpee's first time on each quest. Thus it may be easier to just exclude all repeatable quests.


 * Main Storyline - The main storyline is the most important as its completion in any campaign is often the limiting factor when a player cannot come along for high end content (barring skills). Mastery Points/Orbs could only apply to these, or they could apply to all quests, with some exceptions. Those that help others can also use their mastery Orbs to help with reputations for the aforementioned skill ranks, so this could become a cyclical thing (people who have been helped will want to help to work on their reputation titles by gaining Orbs), depending on how heavily incentivized it becomes.

Solo quests and helping – So in the past, I’ve had people who have had trouble with things such as Polymock and the quest “As Cold as Ice” ask me to sign into their accounts and do those quests for them. I find this problematic and based on the above system, can see a potential avenue for remedy. Most of the time I wish I could just see what they were doing to give them pointers. So I propose an observer mode with only one participant for solo quests. A bit like being dead and watching your teammate, it is an exemplary way to help point out flaws in their tactics, etc. Mastery could be awarded based on a successful completion of the quest the first time while you are observing. Same rules as ghost quests apply as above.


 * PvP – Some skins are available only to PvP characters, except with the strange /bonus upgrade system. Making these available for Orbs could be an alternative also.

Gear – Helping people out with max weapons and armor does help, but I don’t think this is quite in the spirit of what I have laid out here. Plus this is likely to happen anyway if you're helping somebody try to get through stuff.


 * Name – I thought of Mastery because I believe you need a certain mastery of the game in order to really help those less experienced than yourself. You are therefore a Master of Guild Wars (PvE anyway) if you have this title/armor/weapon. A theme based on how generous you are could also work. Dwayna’s Gift, Righteous, Helpful, Generous, A Pleasure to Have Around, Martyr, could all be ranks for that theme. Mastery titles could be more of a simple titling, but I’ll leave them up to you, have to leave a little room for your creative minds here!

Orbs vs. Points – I’d much rather have points than Orbs if I had to choose, just because there’s already so many items hogging up storage space!


 * Jade Wind Orbs - Are a beautiful inventory icon, you could just rename them, make them untradeable (so people would not try to bring back the JWO, if they still exist), and/or recolor them.

Rewards - Should be based on a relative time expenditure and difficulty of content. You could mirror the Zaishen value for missions and quests, because they would be unable to repeat something like Imperial Palace more than once a week for points. Or you could devise a more hearty system, but the less work I feel, the more likely implementation will occur.

-- Axis 10:31, 12 July 2011 (UTC) -- Axis 01:28, 14 July 2011 (UTC)