Version 1.0.7
It’s been a while and we’ve been working on a few releases with a few changes in the background. This is gonna be a big one for Rites users so buckle up!
Lighting
We are intending to use some red lighting during night skirmishes. This is also available to any participant on the player side who requires a light for safety purposes but would like to avoid taking a full light on a skirmish. If such a skirmish is one that has stealth elements that we will be briefing crew to give leeway to players using lights for safety purposes although making a bunch of noise right next to them might still catch their attention!
Entreaty
We’ve updated entreaties to clarify that the Gods won’t be delivering the boons. This allows the entreaty system to let people get their boons and the system to focus on the effects delivered as a counterpart to the Weaving system instead of a request NPCs system.
Rites
Rites are going through a lot of changes now we’ve seen them in play, how they function backstage and to improve our vision for the game!
Firstly we’ve also removed a lot of the flavour text so that the effects are clearer. While this was fun it was also confusing and we need to consider the more important element of making these effects very clear and easy to refer to as much as possible.
All Rites
The overall changes or clarity we want to provide for Rites are:
Rites fade when taken through a Rift. Most Rites have short durations but the various buffing Rites are intended to either be cast once on the encounter not stacked up beforehand.
We’ve also changed Rites so that you have to stand still while casting them. Rites have a lot going for them especially in combat where they are easily repeatable and cost nothing. In an effort to balance them we have decided that you cannot move while doing a Rite so that more tactical thought has to go into it. Moving does not disrupt a Rite and doesnt cause you to explode
Soothing Zephyr (Air) has received changes we want to draw attention to for other upcoming changes.
This is now a continuous restoration effect for focus while you are in the space it’s cast upon, such as a tent. Other Rites with similar effects will receive similar changes in the future updates before MF3
Air Rites
Gust of Wind, Lightning Strike and Eye of the Storm have been updated to be in line with the effect of the Calls that they use.
Soothing Zephyr has changed to be a continuous restoration effect located on a tent.
Earth Rites
We have removed Commune with Nature. This has been replaced with Stoneskin. Commune with Nature generally wasn’t having the intended effect and we have decided that if information provided by this Rite is important we can make it available in other ways without needing to be prepared for it being used in ways that require more attention in game
Oracle Rites and Sphere
Oracle has seen some heavy rewriting. This is due to the ref intensive and backstage preparation intensive nature of Oracle now that we’ve seen the sphere in play. We want to highlight some areas that weren’t really coming through about the Oracle sphere and we have toned down the amount of rites that allow you to come at the problem from the same angle. More generally for really specific and difficult questions we are now looking at players directing them toward the Weaving system where we can support such custom answers instead of the Rites which are designed to provide easier, repeatable effects.
While Oracles Rites have been refocused on what we can deliver accurately and effectively while showcasing some of the other Oracle themes , Oracle Weaving remains an option to make more directed and specific requests for information
Shadows Protection
Shadows protection specifies the hand gesture that shows you are not just invisible but are projecting yourself and not interactable.
Divination
Divination has changed a lot to be able to be supported by the game and also provide better engagement. Previously you were able to just ask for a vision usually in response to anything that was happening. This generally requires a huge amount of preparation in terms of linking it to plot and can be very difficult to ref consistently especially given how easy it is for the Rite to be cast.
We’ve moved to a system that allows some precision in choosing from a pool of potential visions but won’t try and provide pinpoint information on a given plot. The aim here is to push people to roleplay, puzzle things out and divine the secrets from the mysteries of Oracle rather than giving specific answers to an immediate question.
Weal or Woe
Previously this allowed you to ask a ref whether a plan has a good chance of success. This proved difficult to support given the potential difference of opinion or just not being able to answer at all. If you ask the person who wrote an encounter they may be able to give you a very helpful answer. Other refs may not be able to get that information easily and ultimately its not very fun if no answer can be provided.
This has been replaced with a Rite that allows us to explore a different element of the Oracle Sphere! You can now provide someone with Dreams or Nightmares. Overnight they will experience the scene and gain a roleplaying effect from a list we will be providing.
Farsight
Farsight was suffering from several problems making it difficult to support so we have taken the decision to remove it.
Memoras Hand
Memoras Hand has been added. We have added this with the intention of allowing players to hide items and come up with creative ways to interact with puzzles.