Beef Up Party Limits?

[Takahashi]

The original party limits were put into action in order to prevent players who had made it all the way up to TotE from helping players who had yet to defeat Vallatio. For the most part this worked, but now the primary problem is Mona players (some that have worked their way up to TotE levels) heading back and helping those just off of Kaug prepare for Grygasz. With the post-Kaug players frequently being asked to sit back and do nothing while they get levelled by the Mona people, that's where the problem arises. On the extreme range of things, there are people like Wisdom helping out players 20 to 30 levels lower than them.

In short, the problem is less prevalent than it used to be, but it's still around. To help deter this, I propose that an additional requirement be attached to joining a party along the lines of a level limit. On top of everyone having to be within one plot point of the rest of the party, no one in the party can be more than 15 levels higher or lower than anyone else. This would still allow players who are almost at or barely past the level for an area to be able to help those who have just arrived (for the most part) while shutting out those who are only still in the area so that they can get someone 10+ levels in the span of an hour or two.

Code-wise, it should only require adding a line or three to party.dm (CheckParty() in particular) that would compare party member levels to potential new party members, much like the check that compares plot progress.

[Mahn]

I second this motion. It does seem to be getting more troublesome and I'm all for it.

[Kija]

I had not really wanted to go that far, but unfortunately, it seems like we may have to. We tried to make the limit light, yet players would still find a way to abuse it. People just do not seem to care. I hear it too many times: "<x> is going to come down from the monastery and train us".

[Rand]

I don't like it, but you do what you have to do to make things work right. I support this.

[Soren]

I don't like this at all.

It seems like the past few updates have been stripping player freedom, and I'm getting tired of it. If you really must, 15 is not enough, especially in the final area of the game where people (thanks to the lame enlightenment changes,) get there in their late 30's.

[Takahashi]

After thinking it over (and after discussing things with Soren), I'm going to change my opinion to be against the change as well. I personally still don't like that someone in their upper 40s and beyond can team with someone fresh off of Kaug; bugs me to shit, all things considered. Still, it's not really fair to make a rule simply because it would 'fix' something I don't like. The rules should be made with the intent of improving things for new and existing players, whether in terms of family friendliness or the game's environment itself.

In the end this rule won't improve family friendliness nor really make the game better for the players, so I can't put my support behind it now.

[Kija]

It would have been great to hear this before it was already added to the game. But I suppose I can remove it for now, so it can be further discussed first.

I really hate it too, but power leveling is a problem, and something does need to be done to help prevent it. It is already pretty common for people to make characters and then keep them in a single area for the sole reason of power leveling other people or their later characters.

[Soren]

I've discussed this already with Faru, but what a lot of higher levels clogging up the Monastery (including myself even,) are doing is basically waiting for the new version of Geyzer. They have nothing else TO do there so they just train their butts off, pretty much.

I believe Wisdom wants to solo Geyzer (if he hasn't already,) so..I really dunno about that one. But it's my opinion that he really worked for what he has. Reaching that level in that part of the game is just insane, and he has props from me for doing so. I don't think we need to punish dedication.

Other people can decide for themselves whether they want to be "power leveled" or not. That's my belief. They have free will, and I don't think we should be so controlling over it.

[Rand]

Do as you will in this, lads. So long as it isnt how it was a few years back, I don't really care. THAT was ridiculous.