Functionality of Taverns

Squeezy

I'm writing this post not fully informed but would like to talk to you all about it anyway. I think a lot of us are coming from old MMORPGs as well as table top games where taverns are a big part in the players adventure. Whether its coming in to sleep for the night after a long adventure or to talk to an NPC to gather information about an upcoming quest, players can feel comfortable and at home. I really hope that the Intrepid Studios makes taverns the same way in Ashes of Creation, for the sake of the players and the sake of our aspiring tavern keeps. The next part of the post will be my opinions on how that can happen.

Tavern's should be a lively place with food and drink and a warm fire. Where players can gather and get ready for their next quest or just talk to each other and rest up. However, I don't think Tavern's should just be for RP intended purposes. In order to really make taverns part of the game, there should some form of system that entices players to go into the taverns. A couple of ways I can see that happening.

For example, in Wow Classic players gain boosed XP by staying inside a city or tavern. Rested XP is essentially 2x XP for a certain amount of XP. However I don't think just afking to get an XP boost is the right idea for a tavern. A more active way to do this would be to maybe have to sit in a tavern for a certain amount of time (10 minutes for example) to get a slight XP for the next hour.

Instead of just sitting around the fire a certain period of time, taverns can have a certain type of food that can only be eaten there, which grants players some sort of buff, say an XP buff, or a maybe different attribute buffs like strength or wisdom etc.
Something cool that could be done with these foods and food buffs would be that higher level cooks could create
higher level foods with similar, but stronger buffs. This would deepen the already complex crafting and economic
systems. and create further interesting interactions between nodes and players.


The last thing I can think of off the top of my head is some form of tavern game, a card game or a dice game that, if won, grants the player an XP buff or again something like a strength or wisdom buff. This would be a more active way to get a buff, however I don't think it is as interesting as the food idea and would also take up more time to develop.



Overall, I think my favorite idea would be the tavern food system because it would create demand as well as a complex economy for cooks as craftsmen, tavern keeps as business owners and adventurers as customers.
Let me know what you guys think.

Bricktop

I wouldn't mind some poker with the ability to bet small amounts. I think that would be pretty cool. I'm certain I read or heard in an interview that the tavern system is going to work very similar to how you described. Higher level cooks will be able to sell their food out of the tavern and run a business of sorts. I think it may have been when Steven talked to summit or somebody. I'm looking for a timestamped interview, I'll edit the post if I can find it.

Edit: Most of these things look to be confirmed if the wiki is correct. Parlor games, player owned taverns that the owner can sell food out of, the tavern will be an "Adventuring hub" and many more exciting things. Here is a link to the wiki page. Sorry that I can't find the interview section I heard that steven talks about it.

Squeezy

@Bricktop ty for letting me know!

Bricktop

Squeezy wrote: »

@Bricktop ty for letting me know! However, is anything actually going to keep the player in the tavern in the form of buffs, like what will actually make the players want to purchase the food from tavern keeps.

They will be buff foods, and the higher level a cook is the longer his food lasts and the better buffs they will be! So perhaps people will travel far to get the best buff food available!

neuroguy

I also believe players can post tasks similar to quests on tavern bulletin boards and you can get information about the map of the surrounding area in taverns.

Personally, related to the quest breadcrumbs thread, I'd like it if you could opt in to have quest tracker information on your map by visiting taverns. So your map would not show where your quest objective is (because in principle you can figure it out by reading the quest text) but if you visit a nearby tavern and inquire about the quest, you can get a highlighted area on your map or a bit more information on where you need to go. This way, especially newer players, would have incentive to go to the tavern which is supposed to serve a social hot spot anyways to find groups. I think ideally new players go to the tavern to find information on a quest and end up finding other players doing the same, thus they group up and voila, an organic in-game social system that works!

For higher level players/content, you could have quests that are intentionally sparse on information forcing them to travel from tavern to tavern until they get to one that is nearby their quest objective which will then fill in details on the quest log/map to help them progress.

Beck Altarr

There will be no betting system in the game. It would change the game rating from the Teen rating they want to Mature and even then there are many countries that have rules against betting in video games, even for small amounts of online currency only.

Though I expect if players can view/watch games as others play them that wagers could be made independently between players.

Marcet

Hi, I want to be a very good cook in the game and have a tavern. I give you some ideas I have for cooking profession:

- Campfire (better food on the spot).

- Recently made, fresh and spoiled food.

- Ways to preserve the food, bags or vaults (only available to cooks).

- Some drinks could require alchemy products or other cross profession materials. Making artisans trade with one another or even partner.

Vyraka

Beck Altarr wrote: »

There will be no betting system in the game. It would change the game rating from the Teen rating they want to Mature and even then there are many countries that have rules against betting in video games, even for small amounts of online currency only.

Though I expect if players can view/watch games as others play them that wagers could be made independently between players.

Awww, I was really hoping to win big in poker and blackjack! But what you said makes sense.

Seriously though, under that thought, doesn't that mean you can't win ANYTHING in games, like even buffs?

Bricktop

Vyraka wrote: »

Beck Altarr wrote: »

There will be no betting system in the game. It would change the game rating from the Teen rating they want to Mature and even then there are many countries that have rules against betting in video games, even for small amounts of online currency only.

Though I expect if players can view/watch games as others play them that wagers could be made independently between players.

Awww, I was really hoping to win big in poker and blackjack! But what you said makes sense.

Seriously though, under that thought, doesn't that mean you can't win ANYTHING in games, like even buffs?

Don't get too down yet friend. According to this wiki link There will be small wagers. And I'll be ready to take your hard earned cash anytime on the poker table