I would like to know more specifics about the restrictions on Moon Mage abilities for characters on free to play accounts. This is what I see on the wiki:
Travel
-Free players will primarily populate Zoluren. Passports exist for each of the other 4 provinces.
-If your passport expires while in another province, you can remain there. However, if you leave the province (return to Zoluren or use another passport to go elsewhere), you won't be allowed back without a new passport.
-A caveat to the above -- some spells, abilities or items may not function even within the same province if your pass for it has expired.
and also:
Completely Blocked
-Some teleporting items, spells and systems. Many were updated to respect passports, but some just flat aren't available.
-Astral guides
From these statements, I assume I won't be able to personally teleport to a restricted area (i.e. one outside Zoluren and provinces I have no passport for), or walk through a Moongate that leads to such a location, whether it is mine or not.
Can I open a gate for someone else to go through to such a location?
Can I shift a moonbeam to such a location to use Distant Gaze on it?
Can I cast Riftal Summons on people in a restricted area?
Can I make Astral guides, even if I can't use them?
Can I walk the Astral Plane between Crossing and Leth to avoid waiting for and paying for the ferry?
I would appreciate any additional information on the restrictions, so that I can keep them in mind when choosing spells and such. Thank you.
SIDMON
DR-RAESH
Re: Specific free to play restrictions
04/16/2015 12:18 AM CDT
>>Can I open a gate for someone else to go through to such a location?
No, because...
>>Can I shift a moonbeam to such a location to use Distant Gaze on it?
No. You could watch them with a shadewatch mirror. We don't want you establishing moonbeams in areas you can't teleport to - just for our own sanity (And that of spells like Contingency).
>>Can I cast Riftal Summons on people in a restricted area?
Hmmm. I wrote and tested that code quite awhile back, but after a quick refresher it looks like the answer is no. I don't think there's a compelling reason it has to be other than the code gets rather messy if it's not no (Since that would mean it'd have to use different logic than essentially every other source of teleportation in the game), but that's not necessarily a good reason. Get high enough to cast Riftal Summons as F2P and bug it and we'll talk?
>>Can I make Astral guides, even if I can't use them?
No, but not for the reason you're likely thinking. They're not inherently blocked but since you can't learn shards you wouldn't be able to finish the minds.
>>Can I walk the Astral Plane between Crossing and Leth to avoid waiting for and paying for the ferry?
F2P cannot access the Astral Plane. Doing proper passport control in that case would be a nightmareish headache.
-Raesh
"Ever notice that B.A.'s flavor text swells in direct proportion to how much one of our characters is getting screwed?" - Brian Van Hoose
No, because...
>>Can I shift a moonbeam to such a location to use Distant Gaze on it?
No. You could watch them with a shadewatch mirror. We don't want you establishing moonbeams in areas you can't teleport to - just for our own sanity (And that of spells like Contingency).
>>Can I cast Riftal Summons on people in a restricted area?
Hmmm. I wrote and tested that code quite awhile back, but after a quick refresher it looks like the answer is no. I don't think there's a compelling reason it has to be other than the code gets rather messy if it's not no (Since that would mean it'd have to use different logic than essentially every other source of teleportation in the game), but that's not necessarily a good reason. Get high enough to cast Riftal Summons as F2P and bug it and we'll talk?
>>Can I make Astral guides, even if I can't use them?
No, but not for the reason you're likely thinking. They're not inherently blocked but since you can't learn shards you wouldn't be able to finish the minds.
>>Can I walk the Astral Plane between Crossing and Leth to avoid waiting for and paying for the ferry?
F2P cannot access the Astral Plane. Doing proper passport control in that case would be a nightmareish headache.
-Raesh
"Ever notice that B.A.'s flavor text swells in direct proportion to how much one of our characters is getting screwed?" - Brian Van Hoose
KUYKEND9
Re: Specific free to play restrictions
04/16/2015 01:59 AM CDT
>> F2P cannot access the Astral Plane. Doing proper passport control in that case would be a nightmareish headache.
I think I have a kinda solution that would be a lot less of a headache: in order to access the Astral Plane, a f2p account must have active passports to all provinces.
I
I think I have a kinda solution that would be a lot less of a headache: in order to access the Astral Plane, a f2p account must have active passports to all provinces.
I
DR-RAESH
Re: Specific free to play restrictions
04/16/2015 02:29 AM CDT
>>I think I have a kinda solution that would be a lot less of a headache: in order to access the Astral Plane, a f2p account must have active passports to all provinces.
That's essentially what it would take, yes.
-Raesh
"Ever notice that B.A.'s flavor text swells in direct proportion to how much one of our characters is getting screwed?" - Brian Van Hoose
That's essentially what it would take, yes.
-Raesh
"Ever notice that B.A.'s flavor text swells in direct proportion to how much one of our characters is getting screwed?" - Brian Van Hoose
SIDMON
Re: Specific free to play restrictions
04/16/2015 10:02 AM CDT
Thank you for the quick answers. I appreciate the information.
DAMART
Re: Specific free to play restrictions
05/30/2015 12:49 AM CDT
Missed opportunity to introduce Pelag ai Kerwaith, an astral entity that hates messy paperwork and will rend any f2p character that ventures into an unsanctioned conduit.
HAIKON
Re: Specific free to play restrictions
06/03/2015 02:40 PM CDT
and greets premie moon mages at the beginning of each conduit with a friendly "right this way, sir!"
DAMART
Re: Specific free to play restrictions
06/04/2015 04:31 PM CDT
> l Pelag
Pelag Ai Kerwaith resembles a certain stuffy junior officer
Pelag Ai Kerwaith resembles a certain stuffy junior officer