=============================================================================== This server has several modifications to the base gameplay elements of World of Warcraft. The first is the reduction in scale - the entirety of the server is located in The Barrens and Ashenvale. The second is the new itemization system, which necessitates alterations to the base game as well - gear upgrades are replaced with gem upgrades, allowing gameplay customization to a greater degree than with gear upgrades. Third and finally, the goals of the game are no longer personal development - rather, a more communal focus will be implemented via shared goals and contributions. =============================================================================== The first of these aspects is the easiest to explain. The server is intended to be a PvP server, with the primary conflict being between Orcs and Night Elves. The orcs are of course set up in The Barrens, while the Night Elves have Ashenvale. The core meta-gameplay loop is that each faction sends out patrols and raids. Patrols are defensive groups of NPCs that rotate around the map searching for enemies. If they encounter an enemy, they fight and should they survive they'll return home with all the loot that is placed in a pool for the next patrol. Once a certain amount of equipment and supplies have been gathered it'll automatically depart. Raids, on the other hand, are offensive maneuvers into enemy territory. They offer the greatest rewards (enemy equipment is priceless for intel) and they require the strongest equipment and warriors. Offensive raids are less automatic than patrols, and are sent toward a designated location rather than spiraling outward. Should the raid be successful, they'll set up camp at the location and become a quest hub for their faction. In doing so, they'll have opportunities for players to complete that will grant their faction bonuses. Usually something like unlocking a vendor that sells unique items to players, or providing a steady supply of food or weapons for the faction. Players can contribute supplies (trade goods or equipment) to the war effort, and ideally they'd actually see their weapons and armor being used by the soldiers carrying out these maneuvers. To that end, the profession system must be revamped to create more interesting gameplay. First, however, the itemization system must be explained or else the professions won't make sense. =============================================================================== =============================================================================== On this server, everyone wears the same equipment - they're part of an army after all. And armies have uniforms. These pieces of equipment have sockets that can be fit with gems, allowing the player to customize their gameplay style. The combat system is intentionally a little bland or slow, to allow for the choices made in gearing to have the greatest effect on the gameplay style of the character. Inspired by roguelike games, this server has a level cap of 20 with the starting level at 10. During the 10 levels your character will grow more specialized, but not necessarily stronger. The most interesting abilities are at level 20 of course, to incentivize levelling all the way, but you can make due with lower levels if necessary. There's no permadeath, however there is an incentive to "prestige" your character - they become a permanent member of the faction guard! This elite cadre defends the Crossroads and Astranaar. Until they die, of course... The combat system is revamped a little as well - all characters have a default of 95% chance to parry, but every parry reduces that chance by 5%. Every time a character is hit, that chance goes halfway back up to 95%, to create a more rhythmic flow to the combat. All attack speeds are standardized at 2.00 to help players follow the tempo, and most abilities are like Heroic Strike or Cleave in that they activate on next weapon swing. Here's a few examples of melee abilities: - Your next melee strike deals 130% damage - Your next melee strike hits two additional nearby targets for 20% damage - Your next melee strike has a 100% chance to hit, but increases their parry chance by 10% - Your next melee strike has a 100% chance to hit, but lowers your parry chance by 10% - Your next melee strike doubles the cast-speed on your next spell - Your next melee strike halves the cast-speed on your opponents next spell - Your next melee strike grants a buff which reduces your attack cooldown to 1.50 seconds, hopefully confusing the enemy...! - Your next melee strike increases your movement speed by 20% for 5 seconds Each gem has a special effect that is unlike the standard "+5 strength" style gems typical in World of Warcraft. Here's a few examples: - Every 5 seconds gain a damage shield for 10 hit points - Gain 4 hp5 - Every 3 hits deal 12 extra fire damage - Deal an extra 5 fire damage on each melee attack - Every 16 seconds deal 40 cold damage to a random nearby opponent - Deal 5 thorns damage whenever you are struck in combat - Every 20 seconds cast a HoT spell on a random nearby injured ally - Every 20 seconds cast a DoT spell on a random nearby enemy - Increase your baseline parry chance by 5% - Reduces your opponent's parry chance by an extra 1% on every hit - Every time you are hit while below 30% health increase your movement speed by 30% for 5 seconds (30 second cooldown) - Increases your movement and attack speed by 5% =============================================================================== =============================================================================== The profession system has been overhauled as well. There are four classes in the game, two for each faction. On the Horde, you play as either a Grunt or a Shaman, while on the Alliance you are either a Huntress or a Druid. These classes are similar to their faction counterparts, with differing flavor and some mechanical differences. In addition, the Horde values the elements while the Night Elves favor natural powers - Storm Earth and Fire versus Leaf Cold and Star. The magic user classes are the primary production class, while the warrior classes are better suited for gathering. There are both PvP and PvE methods to acquire materials, but the PvP combat rewards more and better goods while the PvE methods are reliable and farmable. These goods primarily consist of ores, crystal gems, and arcane dust. Ores can be fashioned into weapons and armor, while gems can be cut into gems and dust can be used for enchantments. The strongest equipment requires all three to make, but can be assembled from the intermediate components in addition to the raw components. Magic users have gems as well, here's some examples: - Every 3rd weapon you craft has a random lightning enchantment - Every 7th lightning enchantment you cast creates a random yellow gemstone - Your summoned elementals cost one fewer gemstone (minimum 1) - Every third elemental you summon has an extra support drone - Each time you conjure strawberries, you generate one more. - Each time you create sharpening/weightstones, you create one more. - You gain an extra inventory slot. - Your movement speed is increased by 20% for 15 seconds each time you complete a profession action - The weapons you forge deal an extra 5 damage - The armor you create has an extra 25 armor - The gemstones you cut are slightly stronger (depending on the stone) - The enchantments you cast are slightly stronger (depending on the spell) Magic users can still engage in combat, and their gameplay is slightly altered. Most offensive spells have a "target ground" targeting method, however the splash box is very small, and the actual spell is a cone attack toward the specified point. The cones are very thin, thin enough to be lines, and they target only the first enemy hit by the cone. Here's an illustration: mage targeting || spell # X O || #-----X O enemy reticle || Their support abilities are all auras, some with passive effects and others with active (but untargeted) effects. Meaning, one might be similar to a paladin's Devotion Aura while another might randomly target a wounded ally and heal them. Should scope permit, each class (shaman vs druid) might have flipped ability types - shamans targeting ground for their support abilities with auras for their offensive abilities, while druids targeting ground on offense and auras for support. For now, this is enough. =============================================================================== =============================================================================== In addition to crafting weapons and magical augmentations for their faction, magic users can also summon elementals to aid them. These elementals act as soldiers in the army, and are about as strong as one too - "summoning" one creates an item in your inventory that can be turned into the quartermaster who will treat it as another soldier. Speaking of soldiers, they can be recruited by trading in "meat" (gained from hunting) or other types of food (including summoned strawberries) to the quartermaster (located in Astranaar / The Crossroads) who will put the food in the stockpile. When the stockpile of trade goods is large enough, a caravan will be sent to the capital cities. These caravans travel through mostly friendly territory (to Ratchet for the Horde, and to Darkshore for Night Elves) These caravans can be raided, but it's a difficult proposition since they're heavily armed. MVP doesn't include this btw, it's just turning in goods to the quartermaster who "handles it" and recruits new soldiers. The quartermaster will show exactly what resources your faction has, and depending on certain threshholds stuff will happen. For example, if you have enough men and weapons then a patrol will be sent out. Extras get put into the pile for the next raid, so depending on what resource you have the most of the next raid will look different. This information may be valuable to your opponents...! The Orcs raid during the day because they are brave and strong. The Night Elves raid during the night because... Well it's in their name. And they can see in the dark. Ultravision, baby! Anyway the server has a drastically reduced time frame, each day is around 2 hours of IRL time - meaning there's a raid approximately once every hour. Here are some examples of material exchanges: - Food = Soldiers - Food = Gold (sent back on caravan) - Gold = Mercenaries (Quilboar / Furlbog) - Gold = Purchasing ores from caravans - Equipment = "Activated" warriors - Equipment = Sold for gold - Ores = Forged into equipment - Ores = Prospected for gemstones - Gemstones = Cut into gems for equipment - Gemstones = Crushed into arcane dust - Gemstones = Used to contain the soul of an elemental soldier - Arcane dust = Used for enchantments - Arcane dust = Used to conjure berries - Misc trade goods = sold for gold, can be acquired via quests All of these exchanges happen through various NPCs in Astranaar / Crossroads. The result of these interactions between player and NPC is a communal effect, not a personal one - gold is stored with the faction, not the player. The idea is to make the player feel like part of a cohesive whole - a cog in a machine, rather than a superhero. I believe this is an important lesson to learn, and I'd like to apply the game mechanics toward teaching that lesson. =============================================================================== =============================================================================== Each quest hub taken over by a raid can offer quests for players to do. These are daily quests (repeatable) and they usually unlock a piece of content such as a vendor "the murlocs to the south have a clam farm, I bet we can harvest pearls there" so if the player fights murlocs, then the vendor is unlocked for everyone to use. With a limited supply of course, meaning if you want more than X pearls then someone has to go kill more murlocs...! This dynamic allows people to play the game how they will. It also incentivizes people to explore different playstyles - maybe it's worth it to have one person visit each quest hub, grab all the extra goods that have been farmed, and take them home to the capital? Sorta like a hauler in Eve Online. There are also places like mines and caves. These often have golems made out of copper or tin (remember this is only level 20 or so) that can be mined after being defeated - but they're tough! Tough as a raid boss, in fact. They reward primarily profession materials, but only basic ores. Useful for equipment, less so for player progression.