Hey guys,

IN a show of hands how many of you miss the other half of distant lands? Does the word Staff bring up any memories you’ve not explored in a while?
There was a general discussion here this last weekend amongst the handful of players, Nezmar, and myself that warranted me to bring this up onto any passerby that happens to come by it.
The proposal was another player purge. More importantly though it was the idea tossed around to have perhaps 3 people recreate the Staff and be given the tools to bring back much missed attractions.

I can sympathize the idea of the games two sides; Roleplay and everyone else’s beloved leveling, skills, equipment, and abilities. I personally miss the idea of a quest to go up onto the next level bracket, staff involvement, mini rp’s, arenas, and the other general game festivities that once led me to viewing you all as good friends for the moments we shared playing together.
Your opinions should be attached here when you get a chance.
THIS is kind of a serious step for us guys, don’t procrastinate like you usually do.

If you’ve got an idea of someone you’d like to volunteer too, please don’t feel too awkward for nominating them against their will. 

I don’t mean to be repetitive but this is kind of an IMPORTANT decision we’ve been given.
Please participate.
-atanih

I like the idea of having an active staff, but also realize that mudding is and will never be as popular as it once was. That being said, I've enjoyed all the time I've spent on Distant Lands and also helping create some small part of it. It really is great that all the work that went into it is still enjoyed and enjoyable to this day. Thank you Nezmar for keeping it going.

I'm all for the future of DL, whether it is in the current form or a possible "DL3". I'd like to think I would have the time to dedicate to some piece of this project and will gladly join in with any role needed. I have alot of ideas and opinions on the matter, but I am also willing to change them too.

-Solice
aka
Terex, Dredzun, Rai, Kalisti, Sithus, Solice, Josen, Sindra, Tempus

Glad to see that there are talks to bring back the RP perspective of the game. I hope it all turns out for the best.

Been a while since I poked my head out. I tend to troll the forums every few weeks or every other month or so. Busy busy.

I think mudding is still alive and well, but I will agree that it will probably never be as popular as it once was back in the late 90s. Even that Aardwolf mud is #1 on the topmudsites.com rankings with so many players online that I can't even count them all. My best estimate is 100 or so. So yeah, it's still alive and well.

There really is something to be said about having staff interact with the players because there's only so much that a scripted AI can provide. Staff possessing mobs provides that extra 'wow' factor that really make the RP scenarios come alive. The problem that I saw with the way it was before is that we had a two-part problem but the halves hardly came together: Either we had active staff online and willing to run RPs but no players online or willing, or it was the other way around.

I think reviving the staff ranks, even if just for RP and leaving the administrivia to Nezmar and one or two more staffers, would definitely be good for the game. The thing is to get the word out and figure out ways to get players psyched about roleplaying again.

I totally agree with Vulsin and think that everything is heading in a great direction for this place. Having staff again would definitally bring old players back. We already have alot of people playing and bringing in more can only lead to a great time. It would also add alot more fun to playing and alot of other things. I've been voting lately and we are moving up in ranks on the top muds site so hopefully we can get some new players and it would be the perfect time when staff is just coming back.

Efori

I am not for a purge of characters. Easiest for those stunners and fireshielders to level faster once they make it over the hump. Sure we could all play together but that gap will spread far out over time and those who can't play every day only catch up over months of work because it takes so much xp to level once you get over 200+

That being said I'm all for staffers. But it can be done in the rp world. While I did enjoy being able to read help files etc etc wherever in the world, is it really an issue to do so in the current rp DL... just go to the ooc room. I do think an ooc room needs to be in every town. If staff were there in our current RP they could do whatever whenever they wish and not just hope someone would toggle their rp flag. Lots of times people would interact with a mob and not toggle rp. We can all rp if we wish whenever. What's the reasoning being a total purge? To have staff members? Good so those staff member will have a level 1 character if they want and I doubt they'd just let them sit there. They would want to level their mortals. Why not just let them have this now and if they have a character it's most likely they're established and they won't feel the need to be playing the mortal but instead want to be on their staffer helping out.

Now with that... I am for a total purge if there are big amounts of add ons to the game at the same time, not just to have staff members. Here are some ideas I've been thinking about and talking with others about.

-Improved skills and spells for all classes.
---Spells do more, such as shield maybe adding one stop all. Bless doing something noticeable for higher levels. I'd like to know what protection from evil/good actually even does. A level 300 player shield buff should do far more then a level 50.

- Barbarians dualing 2h weapons... just like they do in just about all other games.

- Move the werewolf zone outta the agro forest it's in. Maybe put it past the fairegrounds... Well no put it where the binks are atm and move the binks near the fairegrounds. Binks is a low level area and lowbies don't need to be walking all the way out there. Heck people can't even find it less someone higher level tells them.

-Increased versions of high level spells such as a room Full Heal, Sanc, Levi, Bless, True Sight. Sanc right now is 25 mana, maybe make a room sanc cost 100 mana. Full heal is 200 mana, room full heal maybe be 400, and make sure it hits the caster as well. To practice each of those is gonna cost some massive mana. Possibly at 200-250 you're 'double leveling' and gaining increased versions of your original spells as well as the little bits you'll get from the preset class you're learning.

-This idea I'm uber pumped about and don't think it'd be that difficult to do.
From level 250 up you don't get anything new other than auras of which we don't really know what those all do.
I suggest that at 249 neg xp all trainers become open (you can walk past the entrance if it's not your class). Next to the trainer will now be a (trainer) just like there is a (task) next to task mobs. You can type 'trainer' and it'll tell you what you can do there for the next 50 levels. Say you got cleric 1 to 50 earlier... it'll say you can dedicate yourself to this trainer for the next skills level rankings of 51 to 100. This would allow for some pretty sick character creation. I personally wish I could ditch learning druid and go straight to paladin 1-50 then start learning Illusionist. But that's already set and doesn't have to be changed, instead create the new learning system to take affect from 249 and up. At 249 negs you would go to the trainer, and agree to train with them during the next extent of 50 levels. Upon that agreement you would get your level 250 and be on that new learning path. Me and my Cleric would go Illusionist 1-50 then I would go back to the trainer and continue on for the next 51 -100 of that ranking. 350 to 400 I'd probably go Mage so by the end and pretty much being a God at 450, I'd be a cleric with all the normals skill rankings to 250 then have chosen to be train as an Illusionist from 250 to 350 and finally a mage 350 to 450.

Gear wouldn't really be an issue, you're training in these classes opposite of your own and being at that high of a level, you naturally have a pretty high base of points to start with. No need to reclass power items for those who would normally be a mana user. It gives something for builders making those really high level 400 plus mob zones to think about and make items more useable for everyone, not just a specific class but maybe giving bonus' to a class if they want. Load numbers would need to eventually be upped a bit since people might start carrying some diff amounts of gear for their situation.

So it comes down to make big changes and maybe more will be on board for a wipe. It's great to see the posts of players that still check in.

Add to ideas to release old zones to builders to redo some items. In example, nothing great loads from binkbeyeres that people use. Werewolf zone really needs some helps. The city in the frozen tundra has items that have a lot of really great potential with a few tweaks. Planeswalker items could use a rehaul so they'd actually be used. Lotsa of items in the game like tha. Epolletes from Kulor no one wears. etc etc. I'm sure we can all think of zones with gear that could use some love and be redone so it might get used aside from the standard of gear that people go grab when someone says they need something.

For Gydin.

You know gydin on a good day I might meet you half way? As always you've got a few ideas there that have to been seen as part of the point.

I get that you that view distant lands as a game with experience, levels, and that stuff are the backbone of the game at times. You always show up and play.

Personally a player purge is so that STAFF member can start from scratch. It's actually a lot of help for someone who is going to be putting their time into that stuff to see new characters devloped and RP'ed as they level up.

As for a person who'd want to level their PC and play staff. It's just an item to me, or a number. I've played periods when I was the only one playing for hours. It got to a point I enjoyed playing with someone else. If that meant I had to have a smaller character or different style of RP to have fun with them, I chose that smaller character...

The game never was what it is for you to me.
I never learned all the zones. I always had to have help learning how to play the game.
I never once needed help enjoying it though, as I see your side of the story and how much your characters mean to you. That effort you put into them is amazing.
I'm not in your shoes and I can't say I'd sacrifice that neither knowing that.

Would make the posibility of that event happening a whole lot easier knowing you were ok with it though..
-Atanih

I'm all for staff back, and building more/updating the current zones. I sent out multiple letters in mudmail and email and had NO RESPONSE.

I'd be more then happy to be building and having content finished and ready to go in when Nezmar has the time to integrate the content.

Honestly I have limited time to mentally/emotionally/physically invest into leveling characters or grinding mobs for items anymore, but would be able to find the time to finish out the handfull of zones I was working on when I had my builder and perhaps help revamp some of the current zones into something more balanced for the newer leveling curve.

Sylvius, Sylvar, Sol

Glad to hear it.

I think staff and/or a purge would be peachy keen.