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Okay, I understand the idea behind over-xp: Associate some risk with constant Xp-garthering methods, such as Chutes and Ladders. That's all well and good. Go 100 over, and you'll regret it for a bit. But I just discovered that over Xp is not simply a reprimand that makes you require some extra work for your next level up, it's a PERMANENT handicap. Not only is it permanent, it actually GROWS WORSE every level. Well, I went 2758 xp over with my chracter Heine because I tried sacrificing a diamond helmet at level 8, needing 2500 Xp or so at the time. Well, I saw that my next level would take an exorbitant 4400. "Oh well," I said "serves me right for trying to get ahead quick like that. I'll work it off in chutes and ladders." So, I played and played, and finally hit level 9 without going over at all. I expected my XP requirement to have returned to a reasonable level. It had not. my XO requirements seem to have permanently doubled. Heine is killed more certainly than if I had attacked the statue of Nuit with a play sword and a cloth robe.

So my point is this: the idea of over-xp is fine, but PLEASE don't make one mistake cripple a character forever? I slap on thr wrist is enough. you don't need to smash kneecaps and gouge eyes.

Exp to next level is always -- I think -- a percentage of total exp acquired as of the moment when you level. So, the higher your total exp when you level, the more your next level is going to cost you.

I don't see this as a penalty or slap on the wrist, personally. It's just an encouragement to control your exp.

I have some suggestions to make, which I'll post in the Suggestions BBS. In the mean time I wouldn't take it so personally!

Maybe you're right that I'm taking things too personally. But I think that "encouragement to control your exp." is a euphemism for "slap on thw wrist". No matter how you phrase it, it comes down to a negative consequence for going over-xp, whether you can see it as positive or not. The fact remains that going over once or twice early on can 'ruin' a character forever. I suggest that the encouragment should be less permanent than it currently is. i think that a few characters may be a little too encouraged and have to retire.

This makes sense to me... for each time you over-XP you should be penalized one time, but it should not be a recurring penalty. In other words, the level-up system is going to need to be finessed to account for this problem. Or people should just pay close attention to their XP. I'm not sure, but really, in Sasha's case that additional XP is going to seriously hurt for the rest of that characters play time.

I agree with you that paying close attention to XP ought to be important... I was certainly guilty of taking a risk when I went over by that much. But I don't think that I should have to abandon Heine because of it (and I did, believe me.) Why not make the penalty a one-time event?

I've had atleast 6 characters that I've lost to going way over XP. I think that XP should just stop at zero and that anything else you gain would just be wasted until you can make it back to the statue to level. This would allow groups of characters to adventure more effectively as Mark and I found out. It's just frustrating to worry about so many factors that could effectively end your characters time in the city. Eliminating Over-XP as one factor would make the game more enjoyable imho.

-Jordan

I really buy this line of thought, personally. Or maybe you can go a *little* over, something like your existing level (so if you're level 10 you can go 10 over, something like that).

The main thing we wanted to discourage was the standard MUD-style "run" where you go collection twenty zillion exp without "touching base" as it were, then come home and level ten times. We wanted people to have to think ahead a little more than that. I think these suggestions would eliminate the unreasonable penalty Sascha and others have discussed while preserving our original intention. Let me know if you think this'll work.

I'm in Sydney, Australia right now (woo hoo!), so there won't be any coding for a few more days.

--Mark

Sounds good to me!

(off topic)

. . . A character of mine attacked the statue of Nuit with her bare hands and a cloth robe. Believe me, she's much deader than anyone else out there.

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