It was a bit of a focus group centered on discussing the idea of removing the saferoom mechanic from the Meraud commune. This was merely a chance to get player input on the idea, and not an indication that it would specifically change to that. The highlights of the idea go as follows:

- Meraud's consecration would no longer make rooms safe, and Clerics would no longer get devotion tanked if they killed someone in that consecrated area (regular altars will still do this).

- Saferoom mechanics would likely end up in a different commune that would come out after X3 associated with some light aspect.

- The Meraud commune would end up with a new feature to it, preferably sometime 'Meraudish', and while nothing was mentioned specifically I have a few possibilities floating out there.

- The mana boost provided would still be there, although I may scale it a little based on skill.

- Clerics would still be able to perform a limited set of rituals in the area.

- Devotion cost would probably be reduced a little.

This idea is being considered to give Clerics in 3.0 a little bit more room to build devotion/train theurgy while they do other things and to give Clerics more opportunities to use this commune aside from just as a training method. It may not happen, but I needed to see how attached folks were to the saferoom mechanics part of the commune before deciding if it was a good enough idea to move forward with. My original plan was to move forward with this sort of idea at the same time as creating a new commune to take over the old functionality, but there just isn't time to do both right now and I think these changes are more important right now than the saferoom function.

A few other things mentioned were the new incense ritual, and a few more ritual improvements coming soon.

AGM Ricinus
Dev Systems
Cleric Advocate

I love the safe room mechanic only because of the whining by non-clerics about it. I love being threatened for using that commune.

But it would be far more useful to be able to boost the mana in a room we could actually hunt in.

This probably isn't too surprising, but I like the idea. When 3.0 comes out I'd much rather another trainer than a safe-roomer. Mostly this is because I foresee an Elanthia full of safe rooms as hl clerics cast it simply to train. I hate to see the functionality go and am glad there is thought of putting it into another future ability.

Nikpack

>>If, as I understand it, you are proposing that Meraud's Commune gets split into two cheaper communes, one boosting mana and "something 'Meraud'ish", and one that makes a Saferoom (Commune Chadatru?), then sure, go for it.

Close, though there are a few things to clarify from this. First, my plan is to change Meraud in time for X3 to hit, and the saferoom mechanics will be part of a new consecration-style commune at a later date. I wish I could give specifics on a time frame for this, but it's way too early to tell. I will say that I don't like the idea of taking things away from players, so getting that ability back up and running will be a priority. The plan is that this new commune would be geared toward a Light aspect, most likely Peri'el. It will also allow rituals, and will probably not boost mana, though it may have an additional effect or a lesser cost. The new Meraud's commune will probably only be reduced in cost a little, as it will be gaining some things in return for what it would lose.

The reason I want to move on this is because in X3 you will need to be using communes and rituals much more regularly than you are used to, and anything I can do to make rituals more available and communes more beneficial to players when X3 hits, the more enjoyment you all are going to get from the absolute ton of stuff that X3 improves on.

>>Incense ritual.

Just a very quick basic ritual I added that will show up with X3 and is Neutral aligned. You wave some incense over an altar/prayer mat and get a little devotion. There is a Dark aligned version of this that requires the use of a specifically prepared stick of incense and awards a bit more devotion, but that's a secret right now.

AGM Ricinus
Dev Systems
Cleric Advocate

Ricinus, I appreciate your feedback but when you say only a little is being taken away from Meraud's....well the only reason I use Meraud's in the very rare occasions I do is for the mana boost or the safe room mechanics.

The parts that are left have been so unimportant to me that I forget they even exist. And for those of us who have prayer mats...well would the new Meraud have any functionality beyond the prayer mats?

My concern with what I think I understand the new Merauds to be is that is seems circular.

New communes need rituals more often. Meraud's commune makes it easier to do rituals.

>>things often take longer than they're portrayed.

Fair enough. But worse case scenario: For a year would you rather have a commune that trains a skill you need to circle, and is useful daily, or a commune that is useful once a week that you end up using daily just to train? I'd really be kicking myself if it took a year to get this promise delivered, but I think on any time scale the benefits of the proposal outweigh the drawbacks.

>>making incense less annoying?

Already have an approved idea for just this.

>>the only reason I use Meraud's in the very rare occasions I do is for the mana boost or the safe room mechanics.

And it's exactly this reason why it doesn't make for a very good commune when doing communes is what is used to train Theurgy. In X3 right now, the Meraud commune, because it has the biggest devotion cost is also the best trainer of Theurgy. Without this change people will use it to train Theurgy, but it will mostly be to consecrate some room somewhere then walk away to go do rituals at an altar where the most devotion can be gained back. With this change, a cleric will be able to boost the mana in their hunting area, and have a few more devotion/theurgy options available to do while hunting.

>>would the new Meraud have any functionality beyond the prayer mats?

There already is functionality that Meraud brings that can't be done with prayer mats, and the plan is to expand at least slightly on this. One thing I don't want is the ability to completely bypass the rituals that have to be done at altars, or have so many rituals that can be done on consecrated ground that the devotion lost from doing the commune can be too quickly regained at that one spot. Aside from that, I'm trying to add in a new ability to Meraud that hasn't ever been done before.

>>New communes need rituals more often. Meraud's commune makes it easier to do rituals.

If the design decisions and this plan were being made simultaneously I could agree. Really, this plan is being presented to compensate what we're seeing as people train the new Theurgy skill. Meraud's commune as you know it makes sense in a world where Theurgy doesn't exist; it's far too niche in a world where there are limited communes and the need to use them. Since the design isn't going to change, we need to make the parts fit better around it. Other communes will change as well, but I'd like to get this one done as it will have the most impact on the 'how' of training theurgy as well as the 'where'.

AGM Ricinus
Dev Systems
Cleric Advocate

I've been trying to refer to 'devotion rituals' as 'devotionals' and magic rituals as rituals, just to try and clear the terminology, personally.

And I'll reinforce what Ricinus said about Meraud; it's by far the best single-shot trainer of theurgy in plat, and it's probably going to lead to a lot of randomly safe/etc. rooms with no notice unless a cleric checks it, and the timer is pretty long.

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Adding nothing to the conversation since 1834.

>Already have an approved idea for just this.

You get a stick of incense.
COMMUNE USHNISH
The incense in your right hand bursts into a pyre
WAVE incense
You wave some sweet-smelling ash around
SPRINKLE water
COMMUNE MERAUD

Heheh.

Kaeta Airtag

>>Actually an opinion cannot be changed or corrected. Nice try back of line.-VERATHOR
>>But it can be wrong.-Starlear

>>The incense and your right hand bursts into a pyre

FTFY

AGM Ricinus
Dev Systems
Cleric Advocate

>For a year would you rather have a commune that trains a skill you need to circle, and is useful daily, or a commune that is useful once a week that you end up using daily just to train? I'd really be kicking myself if it took a year to get this promise delivered, but I think on any time scale the benefits of the proposal outweigh the drawbacks.

Well, now that I've marooned myself on script island I don't use the commune nearly as often as I used to on the mainland, since interpersonal conflicts tend to take a backseat to number pumping. So I guess I'm leaning more indifferent. Your relative assurance that it won't take a year is good to hear. I can trust your design decision. I just hope that a replacement ability is fast tracked. At the surface it doesn't seem like it would be that intensive to code, at least.

I'm all for putting abilities in then backtracking the quests at some point later.

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Adding nothing to the conversation since 1834.