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Faction Trainers

AuthorMessage
Geographer
Apr 29, 2012
861
I love the idea of faction vendors currently in Mirage, and while I'm not entirely certain on how they all work, I had an idea based on the name of them. My first thoughts on how they worked, which may or may not be accurate, is that if you choose a certain vendor: then you enter their faction. This makes you unable to buy/sell items from other specific faction vendors, because an in-game lore rivalry between factions. So what about making choice a more prevalent aspect of this game, and let us diversify a decision we made >100 levels ago?

Faction Trainers would appear along the storyline, either all coming out in one world, or being updated to appear dotted across the currently-explored Spiral. We currently have our Arcanum professors, and our old Ravenwood professors, on top of Wysteria's staff and a few mechanic-specified trainers elsewhere. We graduated Ravenwood, so they should be out of the question, and we're presumably also past the point of joining Wysteria. But our current Arcanum trainers could very well have a specified deck of spells that they know and love; filled to the brim with little diversity in mechanics. So what if we found ourselves within the war guild of Empyrea faced with 7 new trainers? Or heard back from old Tish'mah about a new path of Conjuration?

My idea for Fire is this: Ignus Ferric has so far taught us 1/2 spells. As the Mirage wave follows the same dynamic, I'm disregarding those spells, but Raging Bull is a single-hit AoE with an accuracy debuff. So I draw from this that Ignus focuses on the charm/damage side of Fire. Whereas another fiery figure from the current game might prefer the traps/DoT side of it. Namely the unused NPCs in the Fire Elf Village of Avalon's The Wild: Aine Sunbloom and Clare Brighteyes. I'm not sure which of these would be best suited for the position, but they're unused NPCs and likely Pyromancers. On a note reading into it too deep, they live with Fire Elves; an existing DoT spell. Just a thought.

As for Ice, Tarrak Hadfield shows us the strength of Polaris with Snowball Barrage. An X-pip AoE with no secondary effects. This makes me think he prefers the offensive side of Ice. But, of course, there's an NPC who we can meet before even our own school's teacher who loves defence & shields: Sabrina Greenstar. Presumably a student of Life, but only for her wearing green. I think it'd be brilliant to be called back to Wizard City's Fairegrounds to find she excelled in her defensive studies and is willing to teach you more of what she's learnt.

I think you get the idea, and I don't have much more room or time for now. But what do you think of it? I don't think I properly explained it, so I'll do so later in a reply to this post. But have any ideas for possible trainers in existing worlds? Or any ideas on how the faction concept could be applied in any other in-game aspects?

Geographer
Apr 29, 2012
861
Blaze Sandblade on Nov 18, 2016 wrote:
I love the idea of faction vendors currently in Mirage, and while I'm not entirely certain on how they all work, I had an idea based on the name of them. My first thoughts on how they worked, which may or may not be accurate, is that if you choose a certain vendor: then you enter their faction. This makes you unable to buy/sell items from other specific faction vendors, because an in-game lore rivalry between factions. So what about making choice a more prevalent aspect of this game, and let us diversify a decision we made >100 levels ago?

Faction Trainers would appear along the storyline, either all coming out in one world, or being updated to appear dotted across the currently-explored Spiral. We currently have our Arcanum professors, and our old Ravenwood professors, on top of Wysteria's staff and a few mechanic-specified trainers elsewhere. We graduated Ravenwood, so they should be out of the question, and we're presumably also past the point of joining Wysteria. But our current Arcanum trainers could very well have a specified deck of spells that they know and love; filled to the brim with little diversity in mechanics. So what if we found ourselves within the war guild of Empyrea faced with 7 new trainers? Or heard back from old Tish'mah about a new path of Conjuration?

My idea for Fire is this: Ignus Ferric has so far taught us 1/2 spells. As the Mirage wave follows the same dynamic, I'm disregarding those spells, but Raging Bull is a single-hit AoE with an accuracy debuff. So I draw from this that Ignus focuses on the charm/damage side of Fire. Whereas another fiery figure from the current game might prefer the traps/DoT side of it. Namely the unused NPCs in the Fire Elf Village of Avalon's The Wild: Aine Sunbloom and Clare Brighteyes. I'm not sure which of these would be best suited for the position, but they're unused NPCs and likely Pyromancers. On a note reading into it too deep, they live with Fire Elves; an existing DoT spell. Just a thought.

As for Ice, Tarrak Hadfield shows us the strength of Polaris with Snowball Barrage. An X-pip AoE with no secondary effects. This makes me think he prefers the offensive side of Ice. But, of course, there's an NPC who we can meet before even our own school's teacher who loves defence & shields: Sabrina Greenstar. Presumably a student of Life, but only for her wearing green. I think it'd be brilliant to be called back to Wizard City's Fairegrounds to find she excelled in her defensive studies and is willing to teach you more of what she's learnt.

I think you get the idea, and I don't have much more room or time for now. But what do you think of it? I don't think I properly explained it, so I'll do so later in a reply to this post. But have any ideas for possible trainers in existing worlds? Or any ideas on how the faction concept could be applied in any other in-game aspects?
So, in essence, I think we should choose which trainer we learn from; and as a bi-product what type of spells we learn. So in the Ice example I gave, Hadfield or Fitzhume could send us back to Wizard City in search of Sabrina Greenstar who wanted to talk to you again. You go to her, and after some dialogue, she'd say something along the lines of being scouted by Tarrak Hadfield about working for the Arcanum and teaching a different side of Thaumaturgy: one that Hadfield is less adept in. So you go back to the Arcanum and speak with the two of them, who explain what choosing one of them would result in, more damage or more defence in Ice's case. Then they both tell you they have a spell quest for you if you want to follow their teaching, and end the quest you currently had. Then both of them have a quest for you, and if you select one of them, then the other one loses that quest and can no longer teach you new spells, aside from any they taught you previously of course.

I think that this could also give new school badges depending on what option you choose, and would help diversify gameplay. Of course, if you chose defence, you should still learn some attacks. And if you choose offence, then you could still learn spells with defensive secondary effects. But players being able to expand their spellbooks in more unique ways than now would keep players interested. And it'd add a whole new dynamic to PvP because even if you know your opponent's school, there'd be several new strategies to plan against.

I think, or hope rather, that that cleared up any uncertainties you might've had about my idea. But what do you think of it?

A+ Student
Mar 31, 2009
1713
I'm sorry, but I don't want Sabrina coming to the Arcanum, I think that just doesn't make any sense with the lore. I also don't really know if we need to have specialized our teachers. I think that having the Scholar's act as a central hub is better than having to split things up into a big mess. I think that you kind of have already "picked a faction" from ">100" levels ago. It's called your school. There are 7 to choose from: at the beginning. Also I don't know if it's really true that Tarrak is less adept in "one part of Thaumaturgy" over another. I highly doubt so. All of the scholars are supposed to be very high if not the highest trained experts in their fields. Ione is a powerful Diviner, but if there is a question about Pyromancy her skills may not be quite as sharp, but she can refer the case to Ignus for him to peruse over. etc. Anyway, I just think that "faction trainers" already exist by picking schools and that making schools unique is what the focus should be instead of adding random new people for the sake of adding random people as trainers. Just my thoughts.

Defender
Mar 08, 2011
132
exp613 on Nov 21, 2016 wrote:
I'm sorry, but I don't want Sabrina coming to the Arcanum, I think that just doesn't make any sense with the lore. I also don't really know if we need to have specialized our teachers. I think that having the Scholar's act as a central hub is better than having to split things up into a big mess. I think that you kind of have already "picked a faction" from ">100" levels ago. It's called your school. There are 7 to choose from: at the beginning. Also I don't know if it's really true that Tarrak is less adept in "one part of Thaumaturgy" over another. I highly doubt so. All of the scholars are supposed to be very high if not the highest trained experts in their fields. Ione is a powerful Diviner, but if there is a question about Pyromancy her skills may not be quite as sharp, but she can refer the case to Ignus for him to peruse over. etc. Anyway, I just think that "faction trainers" already exist by picking schools and that making schools unique is what the focus should be instead of adding random new people for the sake of adding random people as trainers. Just my thoughts.
I don't know. I like the idea of sub classes. Like for myth there could be minion or piercing, but you know, like, useful minions. Minion subclass would let you use build in minion control spells instead of the clunky way no one uses and piercing would maybe add stuff like full trap removal on your part or perhaps a sun spell that adds a remove shield effect to any attack. It may seem a little unnecessary but considering the fact that basically every class does the same secondary spells I think it could be cool.

A+ Student
Mar 31, 2009
1713
My concerns:

I don't want Sabrina there. (Sorry Sabrina, but I don't need to see you in the Arcanum, you best serve in your current capacity. I'd much rather see a new character).

I think this mechanic already exists via the already secret trainers hidden in the Spiral. The Mander in Krok that teaches Minion spells, the witch that teaches dispels, the frog that has more minion spells, Mortis, Tupa Tua (In Celestia), Diego, all the Celestial Obelisks etc. They specialize in certain types of magic: minion buffs, dispels, Threat changing etc.

There are already "sub classes" if you want to be a Myth Troll, you a)pick Myth as your school b) put Medusa, Earthquake, Pierce, Shatter and Stun into your deck. If you want to be a Myth Minion Master you a) pick Myth as your school, b) put Wooden Golem, Talos, Troll Minion, Buff Minion, Shield Minion, Sacrifice Minion, Trade Hanging Effects with Minion, cards into your deck. If you want to be a Life Attack Wizard a) pick Life, b) put in Forest Lord and Life Blades, if you want to be a Healer a) Pick Life as your school, b) put in heals and Guiding lights etc.

I'm also upset at Blaze's attacks on Tarrak Hadfield and the other scholars. (I know that Blaze didn't intend this as an insult, but still it drives me nuts...) We have learned ONE spell from them. ONE! You're basing their entire magical arsenal "or preference for "sub-types" of magic" on the fact that they chose to share one simple spell with you? I think that judgement is premature. Ice is defensive I'm sure we'll learn more Defensive spells with time, Fire has DOTs just because one spell doesn't doesn't mean that that Ignus doesn't know any DOTs (he can teach you Fire Dragon etc.)

As far as limiting people from a school from having direct access to that reward (like the Faction vendors do by having quest requirements) that already exists by having Obelisks not activate till you complete "initiation" and unlock it. etc.

It already exists in game via another name.