[10:49] Simonz: you around for a bit this time?
[10:50] Allaryin: yup, am on campus now ;)
[10:50] Simonz: heh
[10:50] Simonz: k
[10:50] Simonz: you guys doing anything on saturday?
[10:50] Allaryin: hmm... don't think so
[10:50] Allaryin: what's number on that one?
[10:50] Allaryin: 14?
[10:50] Simonz: 14
[10:51] Simonz: wanna go geocaching with us?
[10:51] Allaryin: laugh
[10:51] Simonz: is really much fun
[10:51] Allaryin: grin, you'd need to talk to penny about it, but possibly
[10:51] Simonz: k
[10:52] Allaryin: sigh, i hate how our credit card emails me warnings that payment is almost due - when i've already paid this month :P
[10:52] Simonz: heh
[10:52] Allaryin: every month i freak out and check :P
[10:52] Simonz: grin
[10:53] Allaryin: Minimum Payment of $0.00
[10:53] Allaryin: sigh
[10:53] Allaryin: *kick*
[10:53] Simonz: laf
[10:54] Allaryin: you have 139 hours of idle on the mud right now :P
[10:57] Allaryin: sigh. i need breakfast
[10:57] Simonz: heh
[10:57] Allaryin: oh, it was wierd, i got ~12 hours of sleep last night
[10:57] Simonz: ?!?!?!?!?!?
[10:57] Simonz: heh
[10:57] Allaryin: crashed at 8pm ;)
[10:57] Simonz: feared
[10:57] Allaryin: nod, so we're thinking that pills might actually be working now
[10:58] Simonz: cool
[10:58] Simonz: wouldn't that be nice
[10:58] Allaryin: nod
[10:58] Allaryin: would be nicer if the body worked w/o them, but shrug, i can deal
[10:59] Simonz: yeah really
[10:59] Allaryin: sigh, 777 unread on my gmail account :P
[10:59] Simonz: laf
[10:59] Allaryin: was 1337 yesterday ;)
[11:00] Simonz: feared
[11:00] Simonz: i don't use my gmail...
[11:00] Simonz: never even given it out
[11:00] Simonz: .....don't even know if i remember it....
[11:00] Simonz: heh
[11:00] Allaryin: grin
[11:00] Allaryin: shrug, want 50 invites? :P
[11:00] Simonz: use one of my invites for catherine tho.....catethegreat
[11:01] Allaryin: ;)
[11:01] Allaryin: i use it for ece mail
[11:01] Allaryin: personal and park all go to simud
[11:01] Allaryin: gmail is nice since i can bulk purge all of the server spam from the bloody mountain of boxes over here
[11:01] Simonz: yeah, i've gotten so used to using my eller account for everything.....i hope they let me keep it
[11:02] Allaryin: hmm, nod
[11:03] Allaryin: sigh, well, i really really hope i get this position - though i don't know if your becoming my assistant would really be all that useful to you
[11:03] Simonz: how so?
[11:03] Allaryin: job pays barely over $7 an hour and you're limited to like 15 or so hours a week
[11:03] Simonz: hrm
[11:03] Simonz: this is true...
[11:03] Allaryin: so at like $400 a month before taxes... yeah
[11:04] Simonz: forgot about that part
[11:04] Simonz: oh well
[11:04] Allaryin: nod, i'd recommend you to take my place here at ece, but it requires way more unix kung fu than you possess
[11:04] Allaryin: the park job is a bit easier
[11:04] Allaryin: $9/hour and normal student worker limit
[11:05] Allaryin: what, 30 hours per week during semester?
[11:05] Simonz: hrm, yeah, my unix kung fu isn't all that great
[11:05] Simonz: nod
[11:05] Allaryin: that's $1080 a month pre everything
[11:05] Allaryin: which is survivable
[11:05] Simonz: nog
[11:05] Allaryin: not easily, but is survivable
[11:06] Allaryin: i've been logging about 25 at park and 15 at ece per pay period on average
[11:06] Allaryin: is kind of a shame i've not been able to put in the full 60's
[11:06] Simonz: heh
[11:07] Allaryin: oh well, if i get the other position, i stop worrying about that - and i start earning more than penny :P
[11:07] Simonz: grin
[11:08] Allaryin: is killing me that i don't know...
[11:08] Simonz: have they interviewed you yet?
[11:08] Allaryin: no, my boss hasn't been in for a bit, first she hurt her back then her dad got sick
[11:09] Simonz: grr
[11:09] Allaryin: tho i am fairly certain that i'm the number one candidate right now
[11:09] Allaryin: since i watched bryan printing up my resume :P
[11:09] Allaryin: not that they're not familiar with it
[11:10] Allaryin: i hate how i am not able to use student link from this office
[11:12] Allaryin: is stupid, don't know why my individual machine is being blocked
[11:12] Allaryin: i'm not on any lists...
[11:12] Simonz: bog
[11:12] Simonz: that's odd
[11:12] Allaryin: so i remote log in to morpork :P
[11:13] Allaryin: is actually fast enough to be tolerable
[11:13] Simonz: heh
[11:59] Allaryin: ok, i'm heading to lunch now
[12:00] *** "Allaryin" signed off at Thu May 12 12:00:21 2005.
[12:17] *** "Allaryin" signed on at Thu May 12 12:17:17 2005.
[12:40] Allaryin: you there?
[12:41] Allaryin: ping? i need your input on something ;)
[12:42] Simonz: you seen the narutsure
[12:42] Simonz: whoa
[12:42] Simonz: heh
[12:42] Simonz: sorry
[12:42] Simonz: yeah, i'm here
[12:42] Allaryin: hmm? no
[12:42] Allaryin: ok
[12:42] Allaryin: pw's
[12:42] Allaryin: sora and i are building the guild hall right now
[12:42] Simonz: ok
[12:42] Allaryin: and decided that students need to be divided up into houses, ala hp
[12:42] Allaryin: it has been decided that we have 4 undergrad houses and one graduate house
[12:42] Allaryin: one for each admin
[12:42] Allaryin: each with planar specialties
[12:43] Allaryin: the order of simonz has been designated as the graduate level program with water/lit spec
[12:43] Simonz: heh
[12:43] Allaryin: so i'm wondering... what would you do to your students in a school of magic? :)
[12:44] Simonz: hrm
[12:44] Simonz: grad students?
[12:44] Simonz: hrm
[12:44] Simonz: lit?
[12:44] Allaryin: yup
[12:44] Allaryin: to maintain balance and all
[12:44] Simonz: lightning?
[12:45] Allaryin: nod, you know about the mana pool balances right?
[12:45] Simonz: vaguely
[12:45] Allaryin: the more fire magic you cast, the stronger the plane of ice becomes
[12:45] Allaryin: well, with everyone running around casting water magic all the time, it's bloody hard to cast water magic
[12:45] Simonz: oh yeah
[12:45] Simonz: gotcha
[12:45] Allaryin: so a few very select members of pw's are charged with lightning magic to drain pressure
[12:46] Simonz: hrm...
[12:46] Simonz: they're either gonna have to cast lightning a lot, or the spells are gonna have to be uber bs to keep balance, unless the balance isn't 1/1
[12:47] Allaryin: in the case of water & lit, it is 1:1
[12:47] Allaryin: and it's not the power of the spells that matters so much as mana cost
[12:47] Simonz: and i thought lit was supposed to be very taboo...
[12:47] Allaryin: it is
[12:47] Simonz: hrm
[12:47] Allaryin: which is why this is the secret graduate level program ;)
[12:47] Simonz: heh
[12:47] Simonz: ok
[12:48] Allaryin: of selective admission
[12:48] Allaryin: and all members have already passed through one of the 4 normal programs
[12:48] Allaryin: and have been hand picked by the guild faculty
[12:49] Allaryin: how about upon graduation from guild we carve the mage a staff?
[12:49] Simonz: that's a tough question...insofar as i don't know what's possible to say what they would do
[12:49] Simonz: sure
[12:49] Allaryin: well, apart from being regular players who can go out and kill monsters...
[12:51] Simonz: also i've begun brainstorming ideas for the witches guild, as it looks like it's not gonna get done unless i do it
[12:51] Allaryin: there'd be a taboo on using lit magic where non-initiates could see
[12:51] Allaryin: laugh
[12:51] Allaryin: well, you wiz and i'll help you write teh bloody thing
[12:51] Simonz: ok
[12:51] Simonz: heh
[12:51] Allaryin: because i'm sure not gonna ever quest that much
[12:51] Simonz: well, the problem is i want to wiz a second char and keep my primary
[12:51] Allaryin: heh
[12:52] Simonz: but it would take bloody forever just to get the second char
[12:52] Allaryin: i'm pretty sure i have a flag on my account - they dested me for 'botting' once
[12:52] Allaryin: was no such thing, but shrug
[12:52] Simonz: heh
[12:53] Allaryin: anyhow, i'm thinking with the way the game has been evolving, pw's can be a bit more like our original plan than i thought
[12:53] Simonz: i have almost level 41, which is 29mil xp total, and to get level 50 for a second is 98mil
[12:53] Simonz: oh?
[12:53] Allaryin: yeah
[12:53] Simonz: hrm
[12:53] Allaryin: still no gxp, but can definately do a lot of very guild specific stuff
[12:53] Allaryin: am thinking of having each house offer different ordeals for advancement
[12:54] Allaryin: and you have to demonstrate proficiency in certain spells before being allowed to attempt an ordeal
[12:54] Simonz: ok
[12:54] Allaryin: how you advance your skills to the point where you can cast those spells and survive the ordeal is up to you ;)
[12:54] Allaryin: but we would offer classes and would have guild trainers who give new skills and give directions to books when the time is right
[12:55] Allaryin: can easily come up with a custom staff-fighting form that you are taught midway through the program
[12:55] Simonz: hehe
[12:55] Allaryin: and the i-space spells are planned for
[12:55] Simonz: woot
[12:55] Allaryin: http://morpork.simud.org/~ammon/mud-spells.txt
[12:55] Allaryin: is my current list
[12:56] Allaryin: create/bind pocket dimension
[12:56] Allaryin: and those spells would fall under my house, apparently :P
[12:56] Allaryin: sora assigned my program to order/chaos magic :P
[12:56] Simonz: heh
[12:57] Simonz: spell list looks nifty
[12:57] Allaryin: nod
[13:05] Simonz: hrm...this is new....if you're level 50 you don't have to have the qp to wiz....
[13:06] Allaryin: ... that's seriously watering down the system, but coolish
[13:08] Allaryin: ok, pw guild hall is gonna be shaped as follows:
[13:08] Allaryin: we have a big tower and a big basement
[13:09] Allaryin: there's a guard house where the guild's soldiers (regular hired thugs) live
[13:09] Allaryin: along with their own dungeon
[13:09] Allaryin: there is a chapel to rallimon (god of magic/knowledge)
[13:09] Allaryin: a vault
[13:09] Allaryin: dorm areas for each house
[13:09] Allaryin: classrooms for each skill set
[13:09] Allaryin: some public areas
[13:09] Allaryin: offices for faculty
[13:10] Allaryin: and a building-encompasing beastly maze of a library
[13:10] Simonz: heh
[13:10] Allaryin: access to guild houses will be via hidden exits
[13:10] Allaryin: ala twist gargoyle's nose and stuff
[13:10] Allaryin: pull third red book from shelf
[13:11] Allaryin: there will be a receptionist at teh front of the building who will give guild members limited teleportation access to different sections so they aren't constantly negotiating the maze
[13:11] Allaryin: Miss Vader
[13:11] Allaryin: first name Elle ;)
[13:11] Simonz: laf
[13:14] Allaryin: ok, am educating sora in the ways of just how flexible i can be in programming the building ;)
[13:14] Allaryin: will have good options and did i mention the brutal maze? :)
[13:15] Allaryin: ok, so we give staff at graduation
[13:15] Allaryin: it will be bound to the player, only they can pick it up
[13:15] Allaryin: and it will serve as id in certain places of guild - even though their account will already be flagged as being a guild graduate
[13:15] Allaryin: we will have the 4 types that undergrads get
[13:16] Allaryin: and then will upgrade the staff upon graduation from the simonz program
[13:16] Allaryin: it will have limited charges of its abilities (apart from general head smacking)
[13:16] Allaryin: but the standard recharge spell will work to put charges back in
[13:16] Allaryin: hmm... boggle, no recharge spell on list :P
[13:17] Allaryin: create spell crystal - charge crystal - cast recharge on staff using crystal as focus
[13:17] Allaryin: will have guild shops that buy and sell the crystals - kind of like the witch pent
[13:17] Simonz: nog
[13:18] Allaryin: pw's will use these crystals as mana batteries for both themselves, and to power certain spells
[13:18] Allaryin: they're also necessary components in crafting
[13:18] Allaryin: ie, the recipe for a basic fire wand involves apple wood and a charged fire crystal
[13:18] Allaryin: 1000 mana to charge a small crystal
[13:18] Allaryin: 2500 to charge a large one, but nobody can make large crystals yet
[13:19] Allaryin: people're enjoying the small crystals since in combination with meditation (which trains magic skills at random) they get some seriously nice skill practice
[13:20] Simonz: heh
[13:20] Allaryin: like one practice per 10 mana spent, so in stead of casting a fire bolt at a mob for one or two pracs of fire for 15 mana, they can charge a crystal with 300 mana and get 30 pracs in safety ;)
[13:21] Simonz: nice
[13:21] Allaryin: anyhow, what sorts of abilities would you like to see on staves?
[13:22] Allaryin: Allaryin=chaos/order 
Acius=fire/ice 
Malap=earth/spirit/dark 
Venger=winds
[13:22] Allaryin: as the undergrad specs
[13:22] Allaryin: i am thinking 3 abilities per staff
[13:22] Allaryin: using like 1, 2, and 5 charges or something like
[13:22] Simonz: staves have their own built in crystals?
[13:22] Allaryin: well, they will involve large crystals in their construction
[13:23] Allaryin: and they'll prolly have crystal at the end in their desc
[13:23] Allaryin: but will not be directly chargeable like normal crystals
[13:23] Simonz: ok
[13:23] Allaryin: will have to burn crystals to charge them
[13:23] Simonz: ah
[13:23] Allaryin: people make crystals by digging up quartz rocks and casting a simple spell on them
[13:23] Simonz: but you can charge them with anything you know, yes?
[13:24] Allaryin: don't think so
[13:24] Allaryin: i don't want to let people pick custom spells for them
[13:24] Allaryin: i would like to make the staves for each school unique
[13:24] Simonz: hrm
[13:24] Allaryin: and i would like those spells to be fairly unique as well
[13:24] Simonz: pseudo-random or choosable?
[13:24] Allaryin: so if you graduated from my program, you might get 2 chaos spells and one order spell on your staff that nobody else gets
[13:25] Allaryin: hmm, we might let you pick from a larger list
[13:25] Allaryin: that makes the staves even more custom
[13:25] Allaryin: and would let you select the wood, etc...
[13:25] Allaryin: that works well
[13:25] Simonz: and can you go back and get multiple degrees, as it were?
[13:25] Allaryin: hmm... that's a big question
[13:26] Allaryin: am asking sora real quick to see what he thinks ;)
[13:26] Simonz: and if so, do you have multiple staves that you have to choose between before you go out, or does you staff just learn new tricks? =P
[13:26] Allaryin: good question, i'd like to upgrade your existing staff as part of the grad program, but would want all undergrad programs to require manufacturing a new one
[13:27] Allaryin: only real problem with allowing people to get multiple undergrad degrees...
[13:27] Simonz: so kinda while you're in the new program you have to make a new staff, and when you grad you get to upgrade your old one with the new abilities...
[13:27] Allaryin: it waters down the difference between different specs
[13:27] Simonz: hrm
[13:27] Allaryin: and reduces competition between houses
[13:27] Allaryin: which thing i would like to foster
[13:27] Simonz: true
[13:27] Simonz: heh
[13:27] Allaryin: and, going back to do another undergrad program after having the skills of a graduate should be cake
[13:28] Allaryin: yeah, i think you pick your house carefully
[13:28] Simonz: perhaps make it part of the graduate program that before you can learn water/lit to any great degree, you have to pick up some pre-req's and learn the basics about the other schools...?
[13:29] Allaryin: hmm, ok, grad program entrance exam
[13:29] Allaryin: will require medium level of skill in your 3 rival houses' specialties
[13:29] Simonz: hrm...more like pre-grad intro/crash course thing
[13:29] Simonz: nod
[13:31] Allaryin: nod, well, just a general requirement before anyone approaches you about admission into the program
[13:31] Allaryin: real requirement for admission is proven loyalty to the guild
[13:31] Allaryin: not all faculty do it
[13:31] Simonz: how would you go about getting that experience tho?
[13:32] Simonz: nog
[13:32] Allaryin: shrug, you still have access to guild trainers
[13:32] Allaryin: even if they're not from your house, you can get the lessons
[13:32] Simonz: you can get guild trainers to teach you that stuff?
[13:32] Simonz: ok
[13:32] Simonz: heh
[13:32] Allaryin: and you can find the books
[13:32] Simonz: is harder tho ne?
[13:32] Allaryin: well, they'll be more expensive, yeah
[13:33] Allaryin: and you won't have a little manual telling you where the stuff is
[13:33] Allaryin: i think each house will get their own private spellbook with a lot of basic abilities in it
[13:33] Simonz: so you steal it...
[13:33] Simonz: heh
[13:33] Simonz: or is a spellbook bound to you
[13:33] Allaryin: no, the book is bound to the house's common room
[13:33] Simonz: ah
[13:34] Allaryin: my plan for books is cool
[13:34] Allaryin: support for different languages
[13:34] Allaryin: as well as putting skills and spells onto pages
[13:37] Allaryin: hmm, how many phases of undergrad program do we want? 4?
[13:40] Simonz: ?
[13:40] Simonz: phases as in frosh-senior?
[13:40] Allaryin: yeah
[13:41] Allaryin: they'd be titles
[13:41] Allaryin: and they can be numerical i guess, Bob the Second Level Initiate into the Order of Acius
[13:42] Allaryin: but we don't want a bajillion levels like on an h/s mud, just a few very discrete distinctions for people of obviously different skill levels
[13:42] Simonz: hrm
[13:42] Simonz: yeah, if you want to do it numerically, you only want 3 or 4
[13:42] Allaryin: nod
[13:43] Allaryin: discworld wizards have 7 levels for graduates
[13:43] Allaryin: all undergrads get Student as a title ;)
[13:43] Allaryin: i'm 4th level in my order, is competitive to get into 5th and above on there :P
[13:44] Simonz: or perhaps like initiate, novice, journeyman, aspirant master, and then master when you've graduated
[13:44] Allaryin: hmm
[13:44] Allaryin: aspirant is a cool word
[13:44] Simonz: heh
[13:44] Simonz: indeed
[13:44] Simonz: s'why i tossed it in
[13:45] Allaryin: Bob the Master of Ice and Flame
[13:45] Allaryin: novice and journeyman don't work well with orders tho
[13:45] Allaryin: initiate works
[13:45] Simonz: hrm
[13:46] Allaryin: we have words like applicant
[13:46] Allaryin: applicant -> initiate ->
[13:46] Allaryin: aspirant ->
[13:46] Simonz: invoker
[13:46] Allaryin: that works
[13:46] Allaryin: and then graduation
[13:47] Allaryin: and at graduation you get two titles
[13:47] Allaryin: the planar one
[13:47] Allaryin: and the one with the order's name in it
[13:47] Allaryin: now for simonz initiates, they'd not get special titles i don't think
[13:47] Simonz: nog
[13:48] Allaryin: perhaps just stuff signifying that they're doing some sort of random grad work
[13:48] Allaryin: since nobody knows what grad students do anyways
[13:48] Simonz: they research
[13:48] Simonz: heh
[13:48] Allaryin: nod
[13:48] Allaryin: that they do
[13:48] Simonz: researcher of planar mysteries
[13:48] Simonz: heh
[13:48] Allaryin: that works
[13:49] Allaryin: and perhaps Conjurer of Planar Mysteries after completion of the grad program?
[13:49] Simonz: indeed
[13:49] Allaryin: heh...
[13:49] Allaryin: pretitles on the mud are also earned
[13:49] Simonz: we haven't done this in a long time.....
[13:49] Allaryin: completion of grad program gives you Doctor as a pretitle
[13:49] Allaryin: no, we haven't
[13:50] Simonz: we should more often
[13:50] Allaryin: quite
[13:50] Simonz: we make heap good synergy
[13:50] Allaryin: heh
[13:50] Simonz: or, we would if the indians used the word synergy
[13:50] Allaryin: ;)
[13:50] Simonz: sorry
[13:50] Simonz: heh
[13:50] Simonz: dr simonz, eh>
[13:51] Allaryin: nod
[13:51] Simonz: so i don't have to be the mad mr simonz anymore, i have an actual doctorate =P
[13:51] Allaryin: ;)
[13:51] Allaryin: no pretitle for normal graduates, i don't think
[13:51] Allaryin: unless you take on a job on the faculty
[13:51] Allaryin: then you prolly get Prof
[13:51] Simonz: ok
[13:52] Allaryin: http://wildcat.arizona.edu/dev/r2d2
[13:52] Simonz: that's awesome
[13:52] Simonz: rofl
[13:53] Allaryin: grin
[13:54] Allaryin: doh
[13:54] Allaryin: closed that tab
[13:55] Allaryin: copy and save that log for me :P
[13:55] Simonz: http://wildcat.arizona.edu/dev/r2d2/
[13:55] Simonz: oh
[13:55] Simonz: gotcha
[13:55] Simonz: still using trillian, and it autosaves
[13:55] Allaryin: nod, gaim does... if you turn it on
[13:55] Simonz: heh
[13:55] Allaryin: and i normally do, but guess not at morpork
[13:56] Allaryin: laugh
[13:57] Allaryin: i turned on the history plugin - which loads the most recent log
[13:57] Allaryin: but never turned on logging itself :P

(13:56:36) Ammon: doh
(13:56:38) Ammon: closed that tab
(13:56:44) Ammon: copy and save that log for me :P
(13:56:54) Scott: http://wildcat.arizona.edu/dev/r2d2/
(13:57:00) Scott: oh
(13:57:02) Scott: gotcha
(13:57:17) Scott: still using trillian, and it autosaves
(13:57:31) Ammon: nod, gaim does... if you turn it on
(13:57:35) Scott: heh
(13:57:35) Ammon: and i normally do, but guess not at morpork
(13:58:35) Ammon: laugh
(13:58:44) Ammon: i turned on the history plugin - which loads the most
recent log
(13:58:48) Ammon: but never turned on logging itself :P
(14:02:45) Ammon: k, cool, thanks
(14:08:51) Ammon: ok, and i've got the log from sora now too
(14:09:03) Scott: heh
(14:09:18) Ammon: will now condense and post
(14:10:09) Ammon: laugh, that log goes back to when i arrived at school this
morning :P
(14:10:35) Scott: heh
(14:10:43) Scott: never closed the window, just hid it
(14:19:10) Ammon: hmm...
(14:19:20) Ammon: ok, i'm thinking we do silly hp-esque robes
(14:19:28) Scott: heh
(14:19:28) Ammon: house colours, mascot, etc...
(14:19:40) Scott: hrm
(14:19:44) Ammon: or if not mascot, symbol
(14:19:55) Ammon: for stamping on things and spraypainting on walls and
stuff
(14:20:54) Scott: i claim green/silver/white
(14:21:03) Ammon: nod, ok, sounds good
(14:21:29) Scott: and a stylized lightning bolt that's really an S
(14:21:34) Ammon: adam has longstanding tradition as 'the red robed wizard'
(14:21:35) Scott: makes sense for my elements
(14:21:42) Ammon: grin
(14:21:58) Scott: hrm
(14:22:12) Scott: well, actually if i'm water/lit it should be blue/silver
huh?
(14:22:13) Ammon: white robes with green trim? :)
(14:22:40) Ammon: make the clandestine ones stick out majorly as they skulk
through the library? :)
(14:22:50) Scott: heh
(14:23:09) Scott: but no, green robes with silver trim
(14:23:17) Scott: like slytherin, really
(14:23:21) Ammon: meh, you're no fun
(14:23:26) Scott: i always did like that color scheme
(14:23:30) Ammon: grin, nod
(14:23:48) Ammon: ok, then my students get white
(14:23:57) Scott: you don't wear white robes unless you're uber bs and can
keep them clean =P
(14:24:04) Ammon: grin, chaos mages ;)
(14:24:11) Scott: heh
(14:24:36) Ammon: so do we make only one final exam for the grad program we
think?
(14:24:42) Scott: hrm
(14:25:13) Scott: do they just learn water/lit, or do we build on the other
areas they didn't major in a bit more?
(14:25:29) Ammon: just the specialization i think
(14:25:31) Scott: ok
(14:25:34) Scott: hrm
(14:25:40) Ammon: it is a course of study in water/lit magic
(14:25:44) Scott: nog
(14:25:46) Scott: agreed
(14:26:03) Scott: hrm....mebbe make it a 3 stage exam
(14:26:07) Ammon: ok, sounds good
(14:26:12) Scott: water, lit, and then combined
(14:26:14) Ammon: nod
(14:26:21) Scott: if you can combine the two w/o killing yourself you pass
(14:26:24) Ammon: ;)
(14:26:42) Ammon: do we upgrade staff upon admission? or upon graduation?
(14:26:48) Scott: which should be a real possibility
(14:26:54) Ammon: oh, definately have combat
(14:26:58) Ammon: and magical backlash
(14:27:02) Scott: yeah
(14:27:12) Scott: cause water and lit obviously don't get along so well
(14:27:15) Ammon: nod
(14:27:22) Ammon: hmm, what combined spells are there?
(14:27:25) Scott: i'd hate to have to combine fire and ice and get something
useful too
(14:27:26) Scott: heh
(14:27:27) Ammon: none on my list ;)
(14:27:36) Ammon: fire + ice = steam :P
(14:27:48) Scott: yeah, but that's easy
(14:27:51) Ammon: nod
(14:28:01) Ammon: no, i think the trials will be puzzle areas
(14:28:06) Ammon: with certain spells unlocking doors and stuff
(14:28:15) Scott: hot ice....you heat up the ice, it's the best of both
worlds
(14:28:21) Ammon: ;)
(14:28:30) Scott: ok
(14:28:33) Scott: that sounds good
(14:29:10) Scott: well....adding water to the picture would definitely
increase the accuracy and range of a lit spell
(14:29:26) Scott: but not getting yourself with it is the trick
(14:30:03) Scott: so mebbe not an actual combination spell, but a way of
using them so they complement eachother
(14:31:18) Ammon: h,,
(14:31:19) Ammon: hmm
(14:31:29) Ammon: i like a combination spell
(14:31:39) Scott: or both, as the elements allow
(14:31:42) Ammon: water + lightning = rainstorm
(14:32:02) Scott: well, thunderstorm, but yeah
(14:32:02) Ammon: the actual 'control weather' spell is wind magic
(14:32:29) Ammon: but this is an offensive, aoe dot nuke?
(14:32:43) Scott: yeah
(14:32:50) Scott: ooooo......
(14:33:02) Ammon: hmm?
(14:33:19) Scott: fire and ice.....flaming frozen methane pellets, or some
such
(14:33:23) Ammon: chuckle
(14:33:37) Ammon: don't know if we're gonna come up with combo spells for
the undergrad houses
(14:33:52) Scott: ok
(14:34:05) Ammon: ok i like the idea of thunderstorm, or does it need a
better name?
(14:34:18) Scott: hrm
(14:34:22) Scott: that should work
(14:34:25) Ammon: ok
(14:34:56) Ammon: and it causes what? battering rains that do low amounts of
blunt damage over time, spiced with occasional spikes of lit?
(14:35:08) Scott: hrm
(14:35:44) Ammon: hmm... do we introduce the concept of maintained spells?
ie, they last as long as you focus mana into them?
(14:35:44) Scott: well.....if this is an uber grad level thing, you might as
well throw in some hail and high winds
(14:36:02) Ammon: oh... ooo
(14:36:02) Scott: those shouldn't be too advanced concept wise
(14:36:11) Scott: even if you didn't major in them
(14:36:14) Ammon: personal raincloud
(14:36:17) Scott: and if you did, it's freaking bs
(14:36:29) Ammon: black little cloud that follows you
(14:36:32) Scott: heh
(14:36:34) Ammon: constantly raining
(14:36:47) Ammon: enemies get close, it does repulsion with much prejudice
(14:37:29) Scott: follows you and erases your tracks....except for the fact
that you just follow the mud
(14:37:30) Scott: never mind
(14:37:51) Ammon: nod, we don't have any tracking abilities yet, so no
concern there anyhow
(14:38:09) Ammon: though i do think exits log
(14:38:14) Ammon: or rooms do at any case
(14:38:43) Scott: heh, tracking could be cool
(14:39:05) Ammon: nod, it's a hunter ability more than a mage one tho ;)
(14:39:45) Scott: as your tracking skill grows, you can actually recognize
the trail of anyone you've met before, and at lower levels it still gives
you at general idea of level/class of who has gone through there
(14:39:45) Scott: yeah
(14:39:46) Scott: nog
(14:39:54) Ammon: nod, yeah
(14:40:08) Ammon: hmm...
(14:40:23) Ammon: ok, i like combining the two ideas - black little
raincloud follows you
(14:40:29) Ammon: soaks you
(14:40:33) Ammon: makes fun spammy emotes
(14:40:38) Scott: heh
(14:40:45) Ammon: arcs lit at enemies during combat
(14:40:51) Ammon: costs a few mana to maintain
(14:40:52) Scott: makes it harder to cast lit if you're soaked tho ne?
(14:41:04) Ammon: well, not really
(14:41:08) Ammon: but makes you more succeptible to lit
(14:41:12) Scott: well, yeah
(14:41:15) Scott: exactly
(14:41:15) Ammon: in fact, we make a low-level water spell
(14:41:16) Ammon: soak
(14:41:22) Ammon: is a debuff vs lit damage
(14:41:32) Scott: debuff?
(14:41:37) Ammon: buff, debuff
(14:41:43) Scott: ah
(14:41:45) Ammon: these are industry standard terms
(14:41:56) Ammon: just like tank
(14:41:58) Ammon: ;)
(14:42:01) Scott: nog
(14:42:17) Ammon: but since most people don't go around getting frotzed...
(14:42:27) Ammon: most people think it's just a prank spell that the grad
students use
(14:42:30) Ammon: it doesn't initiate combat
(14:42:46) Scott: nog
(14:42:51) Ammon: and we add soaked status from rain and swimming - whenever
those happen
(14:43:23) Ammon: or, we call the spell itself splash
(14:43:33) Ammon: hmm
(14:43:41) Scott: i think soak works better
(14:43:41) Ammon: soak = damage redirrect to endurance
(14:44:23) Ammon: high degrees of endurance skill, you can ignore most
damage at the cost of being slowed down when you get hit
(14:44:30) Ammon: and at the cost of turning off your end regen
(14:44:43) Ammon: soak is bs powerful ability if you know how to use it
(14:45:05) Scott: ah
(14:45:06) Scott: hrm
(14:45:08) Ammon: http://simud.org/help/soak
(14:45:20) Scott: drench?
(14:45:24) Ammon: grin
(14:45:33) Ammon: hmm...
(14:45:36) Ammon: or we just call it soak
(14:45:40) Ammon: or we give it a personalized name
(14:45:51) Ammon: Simonz's Super Soaking
(14:46:04) Ammon: or something like
(14:47:14) Scott: heh
(14:47:50) Scott: or we just give them a magic super-soaker with output like
a fire hose
(14:47:51) Ammon: Simon'z
(14:47:57) Ammon: ;)
(14:47:58) Ammon: hmm
(14:48:19) Scott: make that one of the staff abilities?
(14:48:25) Ammon: no
(14:48:25) Scott: the ability to soak ppl
(14:48:34) Ammon: i'd like it to be a prank spell
(14:48:46) Ammon: that non-initiates can learn if they find the book
(14:48:51) Scott: ok
(14:49:02) Ammon: quick cast, low mana drain
(14:49:09) Ammon: makes a great opener since it doesn't start combat
(14:49:16) Scott: nog
(14:49:28) Ammon: and really, having the grad students walk around with
their pet rainclouds...
(14:49:37) Ammon: will give serious impression that they are water mages and
nothing more
(14:49:42) Scott: heh
(14:49:43) Scott: true
(14:50:05) Scott: maybe a water-breathing spell?
(14:50:15) Ammon: hmm
(14:50:22) Ammon: we don't have any underwater environments planned yet
(14:50:22) Scott: kinda wierd
(14:50:24) Scott: ah
(14:50:27) Scott: just tossing stuff out
(14:50:29) Ammon: nod
(14:50:35) Ammon: is a good idea, as would be water walking
(14:50:42) Scott: nog
(14:51:00) Scott: kind of a progression, ending with part water?
(14:51:00) Ammon: hmm, actually...
(14:51:11) Ammon: we do have an underwater environment
(14:51:13) Ammon: flooded mines
(14:51:30) Ammon: most players would kill their mother for a way to survive
mine collapses :P
(14:51:37) Scott: heh
(14:52:07) Ammon: so, water breathing and walking are both possibilities
(14:52:34) Scott: hrm
(14:52:43) Scott: what about draining water
(14:52:43) Ammon: can make the bulk of the water test occur in a submerged
location ;)
(14:52:51) Ammon: as a kill spell?
(14:52:58) Scott: kind of sending it back to the plane of water
(14:53:07) Scott: or that too
(14:53:23) Ammon: hmm. that is good
(14:53:33) Scott: then you don't have to cast lit so often
(14:53:37) Ammon: nod, yeah
(14:53:38) Scott: keeps it more secret
(14:53:40) Ammon: quite
(14:53:44) Ammon: make it their big public function
(14:53:54) Scott: cleaning up floods
(14:53:58) Ammon: grin
(14:53:59) Scott: draining mines
(14:54:01) Scott: etc
(14:54:03) Ammon: nod
(14:54:16) Ammon: drain? offer?
(14:54:24) Ammon: evaporate? :)
(14:54:27) Scott: nod
(14:54:29) Scott: there you go
(14:54:45) Scott: or....
(14:55:00) Scott: not really evap, because it's still around, just different
form
(14:55:04) Scott: maybe dissipate?
(14:55:09) Ammon: dissipate water?
(14:55:11) Ammon: that works
(14:55:17) Ammon: can fill jugs and practice on them
(14:55:23) Scott: heh
(14:55:30) Ammon: initially will only be useful for draining containers ;)
(14:55:35) Scott: nod
(14:55:36) Ammon: but will do some recharging of the plane
(14:55:59) Scott: nog
(14:56:28) Scott: hrm
(14:56:35) Scott: does water have impurities?
(14:56:53) Scott: and if so, what happens to them when you dissipate the
pure H2O?
(14:57:02) Ammon: silt
(14:57:13) Ammon: trace minerals are not much
(14:57:15) Scott: ok
(14:57:24) Scott: what about using it to mine salt water?
(14:57:36) Ammon: not feasable in mud environment
(14:57:38) Scott: ok
(14:57:41) Scott: just checking
(14:59:19) Ammon: http://morpork.simud.org/~ammon/mud-warlock.txt
(14:59:28) Ammon: this won't be the only secretive organization in the game
(15:02:22) Scott: i suppose that as a magical blood letting process, it
won't leave scars? otherwise it's hard to keep it a secret...;-)
(15:02:30) Ammon: grin, nod
(15:02:42) Ammon: shrug, you can be scarred, and people assume you're evil
(15:03:13) Ammon: but the assumption that you're a warlock is entirely
different ;)
(15:03:42) Ammon: the player who is vying for leadership of warlocks when i
write them is already running around with a chaotic evil alignment
(15:03:51) Scott: heh
(15:04:05) Ammon: we've had two CE mages
(15:04:15) Ammon: i was wanting to make Aeao the warlock leader, but i
offended him and he left
(15:04:25) Ammon: he had more than a month of play time
(15:04:36) Ammon: and hasn't been around in 200 days
(15:04:38) Scott: doh
(15:04:42) Ammon: shrug
(15:04:53) Scott: sucks to be him
(15:04:57) Ammon: nod
(15:05:04) Ammon: his getting offended at my comment and leaving was stupid,
but shrug
(15:05:24) Scott: yup
(15:05:24) Ammon: http://simud.org/forums/thread/1957
(15:05:29) Ammon: search for 'what about me'
(15:06:20) Ammon: that's where it started
(15:06:26) Ammon: he then confronted me about it on the mud
(15:06:40) Ammon: i was quoted as having said 'get over yourself' and
reminding him that it's just a game
(15:06:49) Ammon: i had forgotten him in my listing of big players
(15:06:51) Ammon: shrug
(15:07:44) Ammon: "Well... first off, the 'nuke' idea was shot down hard.
There will be no freaking nuclear device in the core of the PW guild that
people are able to try to steal as a repeatable quest."
(15:07:49) Ammon: i love some of my quotes ;)
(15:24:52) Scott: who is the current pw leader?
(15:25:01) Ammon: sora
(15:25:07) Scott: ok
(15:25:15) Ammon: he is only player with a stated public guild leadership
position
(15:25:22) Ammon: which is why i am been discussing these things with him
(15:25:26) Scott: previous to sora?
(15:25:28) Ammon: me
(15:25:31) Scott: k
(15:25:59) Scott: sora refers to himself in the 3rd person?
(15:27:09) Ammon: laugh, in that post he was, yes