New Magic Application System

[Valentino MC: Mau5noize 1094]

 

Hey There LOTC Community!!

 

Im here to talk to you all about a very new and RP promoting system; the new magic applications!! Forum applications serve a very important goal; they limit abusive RP in certain areas that are easy to be powergamed and test players on their reasoning behind wanting to Role-play advanced scenarios. As the leader of the magic team; one of the first things I wanted to do was rework the magic applications; and with the help of the magic team, we finally have! We are removing magic apps!! Its Hogwarts season; and players should all head to the new schools being built! Spells, wands, classrooms, and of course Voldemort await!!

 

Ohkay im kidding, but seriously; forum applications for magic have been removed. Some issues seen with forum applications were that they were guaranteed and given to players who could simply write a good forum app. We couldn't go through and deny them based on thier Ingame RP skills or past experiences with the said players; the team's hands were tied on this matter in order to remain unbias and fair. However, the fairness was onesided for those who could write good applications and get their friends to stop by and add thier support. Players who have potential to bring amazing magic RP, players with great roleplay skills, and players who really wanted to develop a charachter around magic were often discouraged by the lenghty app and lack of friends. So we saught out to remedy this and create a system that promotes RP and sets a standard for magic role-play. 

 

The first draft was disasterous; so it was stripped down to the basics and rebuilt starting from the mains points we were trying to accomplish; to grant the permission to Roleplay magic to players who have the dedication, potential, and skill. So from here we created this new system.

 

Its fairly simple in fact. We are allowing guilds and free teachers to teach magic in way that is personalized for that particular archtype/subtype. They wiill get to decide how they go about teaching a student. Upon this release, they will need to submit a curriculum of sorts detailing how they will go about teaching magic to new students. We have set some basic OOC requirements and have called them X Y and Z. These 3 OOC requirements are universal to all archtypes.

X is the requirement for teachers and guilds to make sure thier students understand and know the Lore behind the archtype they are learning.

Y is understanding thier OOC and RP limits to performing spells; avoiding powergaming and abuse.  

Z are spell rules; how many spells, the progression from levels of expertise, and the requirements invovled.

 

Once a curriculum is approved, the teachers or guilds will be allowed to open themselves up for players to come and learn. Players will then contact a teacher or guild in RP and RP ask to be taught. From here they will post a mini magic app on the forums. Its a very simple post that details their MC name, charachter name, teacher, archtype. After the first week of being taught mostly OOC aspects, they will then begin learning the roleplay aspects of their subtype and engage in a teaching/learning role-play experience. From here the teacher is overseen by a Magic Team member who is in charge of that particular archtype. He or She oversees the teaching and learning of magic in their assigned archtype. After 3 weeks is up (a month total since initial forum post) and the teacher decides the player is ready; they update the post once again and it is moved into a testing phase. Here 3-4 magic team members will set a scenerio of sorts. The teacher will send his student or students out on a mission or adventure; and the situation will arrise for them to RP their magic. The team will watch them and make sure that their Magic RP shows an understanding of the palyers limits, lore, and proper execution of the spell. If they pass they procede to Teir 1 and now are allowed to RP magic at thier level. If they fail; they must wait for a retesting that could be anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks depending on how they failed. 

 

For self taught applicants the system is the same. They must OOC ask the magic team member in charge of the archtype or a teacher to OOC monitor thier learning of magic. Once they find an OOC teacher; they submit the same mini MA that details the same info as one that is learning from an RP teacher or guild. From here the progression and system is identical except that self taughts take twice as long to accomplish tier 1 and be eligble for a tier 1 magic liscense. Also if they fail their test, they must wait twice as long in comparison to if they failed while being taught in RP. This makes much RP sense as being taught by a teacher would mean a quicker grasp of magic concepts and spells.

 

Thier are also now 5 tiers for magic progression of skill. Tier 1 is the begining stage. Each tier requires a certain amount of time learning under a magic team member in charge of the archtype or teacher. When the time is up, they get tested once again. The tests will point out thier increased knowledge of new spells and/or increased power in the same spell. This also applies to self taughts, except that the time between each tier is twice as long. At teir 4, the players selftaught and taught by teachers will be able to submit a request to be allowed to teach themselvs and develop a teaching method that suits their charachter and environment. The increase from tier 4 to 5 is over seen by the entire magic team and grants the player a master level in thier magic abilities. 

 

So what is the point of having Tiers? and why so many? Well this is an exciting new update but each tier unlocks a new level of...wait for it....magic plugin spells!! Yes we are currently fine tuning the magic plugin! Mrzombie has been working endlessly on it and customizing spells to fit the magic lore and them be leveled depending on which Tier the use is in. Currently Tier 1 and 2 will not be given any perms to the spells. Simply because we want new students to RP the use of magic correctly for a couple months before being able to have novice level plugin spells at tier 3. Then at tier 4 teachers will be given better spells with shorter cooldown times. And at 5; Masters will be given improved spells for their archetype. He has even added spells for the teaching setting to promote the system to those learning and advancing the first 2 tiers. They are chanting/ritualistic spells. In group settings under a teacher; new students will be able to combine their skills to be able to perform a group spell. This will help making teaching and learning RP much more exciting; as it is a long process. The plugin will go through a couple weeks of testing and fine tuning; so sit tight those that are eligible as you will be informed when this is ready. Just a side note; all spells have been tuned down to not be OP at all and have mana/cool down times. Mana will regenerate with meditation and time; so magic users don't have much of an upper-hand in PVP battles and to keep everything balanced.

 

So this is pretty much it; an entirely new system of obtaining a magic application; without actually having to make an extensive forum application. Guilds and teachers are now able to decide for themselves; who they can teach and how. No more approving a student to have their forum application denied for technicalities.  TL;DR? Well then grab a coffee and read it! For it has lots of important information and exciting developments. But to sum things up:

1. Extensive forum applications for magic have been removed.

2. Now if you find a teacher to teach you in OOC or RP; you have a guaranteed shot at learning magic.

3. When you find a teacher or guild you must submit an App on the forums that details Name, MCname, Teacher, Archtype, Subtype. Then you may begin once it has been moved to a new "in progress" subforum.

4. For those being RPly taught; after one month you may request to be tested. If you pass; you start at tier 1. If you fail; you have to RPly relearn your mistakes and wait for a retesting. Same applies to self-taughts; except they must wait twice as long.

5. To progress to advanced Tiers; you must continue to RP the learning of magic under your OOC/RP teacher. Their are 5 tiers; and after the first 2, you get perms to level/tier oriented plugin spells

6. To ensure teachers are being opened to players AND also not taking on to many; their will be a min and max amount of students they may teach at any given time. Teacher OOCly to self-taughts counts as a student.

 

 

 

I believe this new system will set a standard of magic role-play on the server; ensuring that teachers are teaching magic in a anti-powergaming manner and improving Role-play skills for players. This has been a work in progress for months now and after support from my fellow staff and hard work from the magic team; the system is finally ready.

 

Assignments for arch-types:

 

Arcane: Sagwort & Blundermore

Clerical: Chaqery 

Druids: Saviordude

Darkarts: DSdevil & Mau5noize

Shamans: blawharag

 

Teachers should contact their above respected arch-type leader to approve of a curriculum. I will be floating through all of them to ensure everything is going smoothly and to fill in any inactiveness of Magic Team members. Any Magic Team members added or not listed above will act as fill ins to ensure everyone is getting the help and moderation as needed. Look out in the next couple days for updates based on player feedback, the new application format, and posts by guilds/teachers when they are ready themselves to take on students. 

 

and also remember; the plugin is still being tested and fine-tuned. So don't expect a release for a couple weeks or more and even then; i plan to start it off slow and monitor the progress. and that some of this may change in the next couple weeks to stay open to player response and if any points were missed between myself and the magic team.

[Tom_Whiteman 949]

I love you!

[meg 1994]

Also, now that this is finished, I'm hoping to finalize my list of lores that need reviewing for the Team, and we'll hopefully have that worked out soon. Productivity!

[Jon Evaglno 202]

You have pleased the internet.

Warning: profanity ahead

[Supremacy 3361]

This is very interesting to say the least. I suppose it would be time to put ol' Kalenz' teaching hat back on. As a side note I'm slightly confused as to what has happened to teaching requirements and if a teaching application has been thrown out the window entirely.

 

Furthermore, what is to limit a huge influx of magic-users with this new system? With the application it was a daunting task, now what is to stop every child and their mother writing a MA?

 

The post is a little vague, though I assume that will be cleared up in the coming days. Good luck MAT.

[Major Dom 1297]

*gets on his knees and praises Jesus*

[Elindor 666]

Also, now that this is finished, I'm hoping to finalize my list of lores that need reviewing for the Team, and we'll hopefully have that worked out soon. Productivity!

Yay for this. Much more excited about this. Sorry MAT, you have worked hard to get this done, but the full lore in one easy place is much more exciting.

 

:D :D :D

[Evilbanana5757 154]

YES!

[Cyndikate 2303]

And I wanted to feel like a rarity. :(

[The Cleaning Crew 571]

[Valentino MC: Mau5noize 1094]

 

In response to managing an influx of users; would be the time it takes to go through the process, difficulty of exams; and teaching/guild managing by informing them to take on less students, take on more. Their are ways to ease the breaks on if things begin to spiral out of control. But i believe that teachers and guild leaders share the same concern in managing the population of magic users.

 

 

Everything is still being heavily moderated by the magic team and myself. Its just now; we've given some power back to players and teachers. And decided to handle magic in a more role-play aspect.

[Supremacy 3361]

While that is certainly a valid point, you also say self-teaching applications are possible. This would mean that if they are as simple as the other applications that writing one out and beginning a character's journey into magic would be a simple affair. Sure the guilds can limit things but right now, isn't self-teaching infinite (Since it has no number of teachers, nor willingness of teachers to limit it)?

 

What (other than the time commitment) is stopping me from making 10 characters, writing 10 short magic applications and suddenly having 10 self-taught magical characters in 10 minutes? This isn't to say I don't like self-teaching, simply that the system appears to be limitless on that front right now.

[Valentino MC: Mau5noize 1094]

 

You would have to find a teacher or magic team member to monitor your learning and approve your learning. Even though in RP you are self-teaching; OOCLy you are being taught the powergaming basics, lore, and how to RP by an approved magic team member/teacher. So either way guild leaders, teachers, and magic team members can manage the population in their archetypes; including self-taughts. Plus it would take you twice as long to progress to a testing phase. So it is more appealable to wait out an available teacher and learn in RP. Either way; you have to find a teacher to teach and approve of your learning.

[Blundermore 2741]

While that is certainly a valid point, you also say self-teaching applications are possible. This would mean that if they are as simple as the other applications that writing one out and beginning a character's journey into magic would be a simple affair. Sure the guilds can limit things but right now, isn't self-teaching infinite (Since it has no number of teachers, nor willingness of teachers to limit it)?

 

What (other than the time commitment) is stopping me from making 10 characters, writing 10 short magic applications and suddenly having 10 self-taught magical characters in 10 minutes? This isn't to say I don't like self-teaching, simply that the system appears to be limitless on that front right now.

Self taught apps and teacher apps are and will still be in effect. The app for being taught has been removed for a more rp system.  

 

I.e. it is now easier to learn magic more so than it was with an app if you find a teacher in RP than it is to be self taught. 

[Supremacy 3361]

That seems fair enough. Shifting onto another topic which someone brought up, how will OOC screenshots continue to be handled? I know dsdevil was overseeing all telekinetic role-play but now he is in-charge of 'dark arts'. Does this mean something will change in regards to who is dealing with different aspects of magic?

 

Would OOC oversight persist at all? i.e. Is anyone I'm overseeing now shifted to Sagwort/Blundermore also?