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Reactivate Retired Detective
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Hawkeye Harris
Hawkeye Harris
Battered Shoe

Jan-25-2007 13:32

Wow, Ben! You don't waste any time! I logged off for a bit and when I came back on there was a new line with "transfer your retired subscription" (at least, I haven't seen it before now)


Replies

Nancy Harris
Nancy Harris
Old Shoe

Jan-25-2007 15:15

Yes, thanks Ben, I think it's good as it stands now.
(Arabesque, nice to meet you!)

crunchpatty
crunchpatty
Old Shoe

Jan-25-2007 15:23

Yeah - Ben, while I think it's really commendable how quickly you responded to the community's urgings, I really feel like this is a case of trying to make a small change that unfortunately carries loads of unintended consequences.

So much of the way the game is built, played and taught is, in reality, configured by Shady. This change means that, at least for players who have access to an agency, Shady is all but redundant. It's actually cheaper and smarter to make false accusations than it is to pay him off because, as Shell has pointed out above, the cost of clearing the ones you come back with will get progressively lower as you do it.

This also means a VERY different playing field for people who AREN'T attached to an agency, irrespective of subscriptions status.

I tend to agree with the ideas about a stiffer penalty structure and limits on the number of times it can be done. Maybe skills SHOULD be lost (I don't know how this would work -- maybe the last 4 acquired?) -- maybe the 3rd FA automatically bars you from any agency transactions? Maybe there's a time limit on how many times you can use this feature in a given period?

Arabesque
Arabesque
Old Shoe

Jan-25-2007 15:36

The penalties are not the issue for me. I'd have been thrilled to get Arabesque back even if she'd had 25% of her experience left, and half her skills (randomly removed), and came back naked. It's sort of moot for me now, since AraLives is so far advanced beyond Arabesque, but at the time of the retirement I'd have taken just about any sanctions, gladly, just to have my detective back in any form. I think you'll find, Ben, that if you make those penalties tougher you won't meet with an ounce of resistance. Make it retroactive to today as well, do what you want with Arabesque, I don't care--I'm just glad she's back.

Crextin
Crextin
Thespian

Jan-25-2007 15:48

Wow! As I have read through all the petitioning for reinstatement. Ben I think you're doing a very admirable thing here. As players become more involved in the Role Playing aspect of the game they do become more attached to their characters.

I agree that at this point the system is highly exploitable. I would like to make a few suggestions so that this doesn't become the mainstay for getting around Shady and more of a last resort way of getting back to the game.

1) I like the 2 FA against you when you come back from retirement I would like to see an additional fee added to Shady's price for such as double or triple the amount you would have had to pay prior to reitrment. I'd like to see this so that an agent couldnt retire himself back to a few thousand XP and get a super low price.

2) I also agree that along with losing xp, cash, and item, and skill points a character should lose skills corresponding to the loss of skill points. That way it would be more challenging to regain the lost xp and skills.

I do like the idea, yet I'd like to see it structured that it is more of a last resort rather than a way to duck Shady.




BadAss
BadAss
Charioteer

Jan-25-2007 15:55

Perhaps we could agree that retired detectives could transfer their names and avatars to start again.

The way things are there is hardly any risk at all for new detectives. If you retire at 6,000 XP it's really not a big deal to restart with 4,000 XP. Experienced players would be way more penalized as they own a lot more cash. Players that are part of an agency could also duck out and deposit money and items before they revive, as several others pointed out.

Wouldn't we overcome more resistance if we had to "deserve" this wonderful new feature?


Arabella Parker
Arabella Parker
Well-Connected

Jan-25-2007 16:22

Having to start all over from scratch, but getting to keep your name and face seems more realistic. You messed up so that no one trusts you anymore. You have to move to a new town, where people don't know you or your reputation. Thus starting from scratch makes more sense. To make it more like real world, you get to keep the skills you have, but lose any extra unspent skill points along with all your money, experience points (reputation), gear and your contacts in all cities.

Harsh, but if you are a high level detective you know better than playing with 2 FA's and not paying Shady.

biggie528
biggie528
Lucky Stiff

Jan-25-2007 17:11

Wow I logged in and got a PM from Arabesque and almost died!

Congrats hun, I'm glad you're so happy and its nice to see you back from the dead.


On that note, I then went further in and saw this thread and what was behind all this. I agreed that after a certain point, you should be able to revive your detective, once with a big hit on your xp, equipment, and skills. But I see the reasoning behind the ease at which a person can come back. It takes the whole element of risk out of the game, in my opinion.

I think it should be limited to one time and only after you hit a certain amount of xp, say 2 million. This just opens the floodgates.

That being said, I still am happy for the people who got their detectives back, Leddie, Ara and Jas (I dont know yet who else is out there).

Sleuth Admin
Sleuth Admin
Tale Spinner

Jan-25-2007 17:37

The issue that this attempts to resolve is that retiring a long-time detective really is a very hard thing to deal with. We've lost a lot of players over the years when their favorite detectives are retired, and it does scare of a lot of new players away as well.

A few points:

1) Limiting the number of times you can come out of retirement does not address the above problem. If somebody plays to 3 million, becomes retired, comes back, and then becomes retired at 6 million, it's just as harsh as if they were never offered the chance to reactivate after 3 million.

2) Having a minimum experience limit will eventually bring up the situation where somebody is right below that limit when retired.

3) Reactivated Detectives now come back with 2 False Accusations. There was a 30 minute period there after the update where it was working incorrectly. Anybody who intentionally retires to get around paying off Shady will not profit.

4) I'm open to adjusting the reactivation penalties, if these are deemed too light. The concern I have with removing skills, is that opens up the opportunity to exploit the system to take back a skill purchase you are unhappy with (the wait may be shorter in that case).


BadAss
BadAss
Charioteer

Jan-25-2007 17:48

I agree that a one time thing doesn't take away the grief if you have to experience it at some point later. Though I also think players would recognize they were given a chance and you can't keep appealing on mercy infinitely.

I would be more in favor to increase the number of resurrections in relation to experience points you built up or the amount of unspent skill points you can trade in. That way it feels more like you earned this chance instead of making it an option for everyone regardless whether this player is two days old or 500 days old.



Solve A Lot2
Solve A Lot2
Assistant Postman

Jan-25-2007 18:16

Why not implement the system of increasing the allowance of FA's based on Exp points?

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