PMOG Forum

I've been watching the forums, on the passive side, for some time now. During this time, I've seen quite a few good ideas, as well as formed one or two of my own.

To these ends, I've come up with the following items and ideas.

I've personally considered the idea of Leveling Up to be useful. It gives a person more incentive to get Datapoints, normally done by searching the web, and gaining information. To this end, I have created a list of items and equipment that could be used. Some of the originals are mine, others are from their respective creators. If anything, these are my own take on them. Each will be awarded for every five levels, save the Shoat, which will be the first five. Consider them as you may. One important note: You cannot use the specialized items unless you are at least half the level that they're introduced at, rounded down.

SHOAT
• Control Panel: This is almost an essential to the concept of PMOG. A place where you could keep track of the individual Mines, St. Nicks, Lightposts, and other articles of equipment you have deployed. To know how many you have is a given. The basis for my idea could be found in the "Yourminis HUD" extension. Whereupon the screen darkens a shade or two, showing you their options.

• Safety Deposit: This is a concept a number of people have and would find useful. Think of it as a considerably enlarged chest, one that would be yours and yours alone. This would most likely reside only in your userpage, similar in how you would have to get to a bank to get to the deposit.

• Memory Palace: It has had many names: Memory Palace, Trophy Room, Hall of Amazement, and others. This is a place where you would be able to collect the various badges and other awards. Perhaps some sort of Guinness Book of Records. Shoats and the like would have incentive to make for some (if minor) events, slowly building until they become veterans, the records shown becoming a reminiscence of their enthusiasm.

• Marketplace: While the idea has been tossed back and forth for a while now, I would personally argue for some kind of Marketplace. This could be accessed through either the HUD or the Shoppe. While there is no problem with sharing equipment, as it is the basis of PMOG, there are also the long-term problems to think of. If and/or when this program goes fully public, there will eventually be a high excess of items/equipment/etc. This will very quickly become a problem, depending on how powerful the servers are. To that end, you could simply sell said items, for 1/4 of the official price. That way, you'd have to have to have quite a few of them to show any kind of profit.

BENEFACTORS
• Crate: Not too much to say about the Crate, fortunately. Well designed idea, overall.
• Increased Space: x1.5 the original price of a normal crate. As you get higher, you'll find that the amount of money needed is quite high. And unless you want to sell your items off cheap at the market...
• Lockable crates: A crate with a lock in it. This could be opened by some kind of password, or maybe a Key, such as the one found below. Or perhaps both. Otherwise, it's the same as a normal crate.
• Chest: This version of the crate is both 2-4 times the size of the crate, and it's portable. There can't be any items there while you're carrying it, but you can carry it.
• Bowl of Chewtoys: This seemed like a useful idea, depending on how it's used. The basic premise is that at the end of a mission, in example, someone runs into this bag. You loot it, as normal, and it generates an item used at half your level. Only one item per day/week/month, which would keep users from abusing it. This would also keep people from acquiring overly powerful items.

SEERS
• Portal: The idea of the portal is solid, though its possibilities for abuse have shown themselves already. Rickrolling to say the least. I've enough techno-savvy to avoid that, fortunate for me. For others, however...
• Multi-vector Portals: There are a couple of versions for this, such as the Random setting, as well as a Timed setting. There are those who've mentioned a Catapult, but it's too easy to be redirected to an NSFW site, and end up getting someone fired.
• Random: Exactly as it sounds. It's like a mission, in a way. You put several URLs into the portal, and it determines which one the person will go through using a random variable.
• Timed: This would stick to a single link, until a specific time of day, week, etc. Upon teaching that point, it would switch to another URL. Which one this is, you'll have to find out.
• Portal Redirector: Exactly as it sounds. This component would be built into the Control Panel, and it could be used to redirect the portal to another URL. This can only be done after the person with the redirector uses it.
• Portal disassembler: This would be considered an "upgrade" to the redirector. The two might possibly be switched, but that is a debate for a later time. This component would disassemble the portal, essentially turning it into an inert lump. It is there, and those at the 15th level Seer can see it, but only those with the Reharvester can pick it up.
• Portal Reharvester: The "ultimate" component of the Seer. Like the Disassembler, this allows the Seer to take the portal apart, and once finished, add it to his equipment.

DESTROYERS
• Mine: One of the two items most hotly debated in PMOG in power and abuse. However, this is due in part to scale. After all, at one point, a man created a weapon he considered to be so powerful, no one would fight anymore, called dynamite. Perhaps, in time, the abilities of the mine can be worked on.
• Multiple Settings: The mine is a somewhat useful device, but there is a problem in how it goes off instantly. Perhaps if there was some way of "arming" it, such as a Delayed or Visit setting. The ultimate irony is when someone triggers their own mine accidentally. Mentioned somewhat less often.
• Delayed: Exactly as it sounds. Between a maximum of two weeks and a month, someone can set a mine on a page, and it will stay there. After that time passes, the mine is "armed", and the next person to come across it trips it.
• Visits: Similar to the delayed setting, a mine will arm itself after a number of people have visited that particular place.
• Defuser/Pick up: This could possibly either an item sold at the Shoppe, or a component that requires a "charge" of datapoints or even St. Nicks (two drained per page.). Whenever they come across a page with a mine in it, the mine will automatically be defused. This would allow the person to pick the mine up, and put it in his inventory. How a Destroyer gets St Nicks, that's up to you. An alternative is a version that defuses St. Nicks.
• Exploding Crate: A particularly interesting piece of work. Many people have gone around, trusting that the crates that they loot have the various useful items. But what happens when these crates explode? After all, with every gift comes a price. These cannot be defused.
• Spider Bomb: What could be considered the penultimate item for the Destroyer. This piece of equipment can only be used once, and requires mines in order to work. It will deploy itself across a domain, randomly sprinkling up to 30 mines across the url. Perhaps more, perhaps less, but at that level, 30 seems a practical number. However, mines laid down by the Spider Bomb aren't listed in the user's Control Panel...

PATHMAKERS
• Lightpost: One of the very cores of PMOG itself. However, this also means that there's going to be an inordinate amount of Pathmakers. Perhaps points might be assigned towards that particular association through creating missions, with about 1/10th of the amount given by placing a post on an url.
• Key: It seemed the most appropriate place to put such an item would be here. This Key could provide access to the locked Crate, or even the Password post below.
• Branching lights: The most popular version of this is multiple choice. You can select one of several choices in a lightpost, allowing for more in-depth roleplaying.
• Waypoint: The idea is simple, yet useful. Instead of giving you a link, the waypoint gives you a hint. This allows people to search for the appropriate link, given the clues. One possibility is that the user would have to click on a link before the "next" would show up.
• Password Posts: A post that would require a "key" to activate. Once you input the password and use the key, it will take you to the next link. Instead of "capture the flag, it would be "capture the key".

• VIGILANTES
• St. Nick: The other hotly debated item. St. Nicks are powerful in their ability, almost as destructive as the items they're used to destroy, if not more.
• St Nick Infector: There are one of two possible versions for this. The first is similar to the Spider Bomb. But instead of deploying mines, it deploys St. Nicks to a number of people and their allies. With a maximum of 10-15 and a rule to not place more than one St. Nick on someone, it could be worse.
• Security Camera: This could be a rather useful item, if placed skillfully. This camera can be placed on an URL, and will send the user a private message when someone deploys a mine at that location.
• Portal Destroyer: Like the Seers' Disassembler, this ability is able to affect portals. However, this version instead simply destroys them completely.
• Mine Relocater: A particularly nasty ability, if a Vigilante has the inclination. This device not only automatically disables mines, but replaces them on the page of the user who originally placed them there.

BEDOUINS
• Armor: A good idea as a defense against mines, but it seems just a bit misinterpreted. After all, who would want to take off their armor, unless it happens to rust...
• Reflective armor: Like the regular armor, but instead it reflects part of the damage back at the person who placed it.
• Mine Scanner: A possible addition to the Control Panel. It allows someone to scan the links on a page, and determine if there's a mine. It won't necessarily say which link, but it will state whether or not there's a mine. For a certain datapoint cost, you could enter a specific URL and it will state whether there's a mine there.
• Minesweeper: A device used to clear a domain from with a limited number of uses. For instance, a person will be able to rid a directory of mines, though not all of them will necessarily be destroyed...
• Tank: Like the Armor, but more hits. A lot more. And at this level, you wouldn't have to worry about rust.

RIVERTERS
• Wall: The basic idea of the Riveter. Quite useful, having a wall that stops mines.
• Door: An entrance that could be used by having a Key. Perhaps some kind of special key, or lockpick...
• Repair Kit: A kit used to repair the damage done by the lower levels of the Grandier weapons.
• Cage: A concept that was initially brought down, but has its uses. This would restrict all but certain people from access, such as the user's allies. An option could be placed in order to ignore this, to prevent people from not being able to access the actual site. However, they still cannot lay mines in such a site.
• Toll Booth/Fort: The most useful thing a Riveter can build, and closest to active gaming. The Toll Booth would be a place where someone would have to pay a toll to access that particular domain, though nothing too heavy. Forts would be a location where a group could store their items, weapons, datapoints, and other necessities. All, however, must be allies to the one who built it, if not all of the ones in the group. Moderators have the ability to prevent building in excessively popular places, such as Google and the like. Similar to the Cage, this option can be shut off, if necessary. However. the effect is similar to a secured page, by any other means.

GRANADIERS
• Torch: A lower-powered version of the Granadier's attack. The torch will eventually cut through, but it will take time.
• Cannon/Cannonball: Another weapon to blast through a wall, though current settings would have it be 20-30 shots in order to blow through it.
• Missile: This "upgrade" of a weapon would destroy a wall in 5-10 shots.
• Rocket: The rocket quite simply destroys a wall in a single shot, and is able to dent several "nearby" ones, if aimed at a Fort or Tollbooth
• Nuke: This is the most destructive weapon, and would need to be watched carefully. It is able to obliterate any Fort or Tollbooth completely. Furthermore, for a certain amount of time afterwards, people will be losing datapoints due to "radiation effects", which will start off high, then gradually lower. Like the previous notations, this effect can be deactivated, but nothing can be gained while doing so.

Other Bits and Pieces:

And there's the grand Item Suggestions of mine. However, I've a few more thoughts that seemed pertinent to relate. Tell me what you think.

ASSOCIATIONS
• Changing: Realistically, there are times when you are above the fourth level when you need an item and nobody has it, or wants to give it. While it is a good idea for the person to search out someone with such an item, this is not always possible. Hence a flaw in associations.
Perhaps this alternative might be possible: Instead of simply restricting the abilities someone has, make it increasingly difficult for them to change it. For instance, you currently have Bendoulin, Seer, and Destroyer. However, you're after Vigilante, for whatever reason. In order to do this, you have to double the score you have for Vigilante (which would be stored in the Memory Palace) over your lowest Association. This could be either item placement, or mission taking. The higher a person gets in their levels, the harder it gets to acquire another association.

• Items: The item restrictions, while good to promote socializing, can cause trouble as stated before. There are a couple of possible alternatives to keep this from getting out of hand.
The first would be cost modification. Instead of restricting them, they become twice as expensive at the fifth level, three times as expensive at the tenth level, and so on. As people rise in datapoints, they will indeed come to need them. How this would affect the Market would be up for debate.
The other side is cheapening the items the person is associated with. While this is a possibility, I would personally discourage it. Ignoring the market for a moment, the user will eventually have more money than he can deal with. And some are just greedy enough that they would be disinclined to share the wealth.

And now, I'm going to give my mind a break, and get some rest. Tell me what you think. Comments and constructive criticism would be appreciated.

by torano 9 months ago
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Benefactors
•Yup, Crates are cool.
•I'm not sure that I like the idea of expensive Crates for more items--I guess I like it the way it is because it all seems so even. But if the biggie Crates were priced according to how many Tools--like it always ran on the 10dp for holding 10 Tools, that sounds fair.
•Lockable crates are kind of cool, but what happens to all of the forgotten ones? All the ones that *sit there forever*?
That should definitely be a level-related ability--you should only be >Level 5 to do that. And perhaps they have a time limit? Like a few days locked? After that they are lootable by anyone?
•I don't get the Chest concept at all--isn't that just a biggie Crate?
•I loved the 'Bowl of Chewtoys' concept when I first heard of it. A place to store toys and lock out those who have already looted would be sweet. Taxing for servers?

by pixielo 9 months ago
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Destroyers are fine by me. I like mines as long as they are not on my profile! I also use my armour all the time. This may have something to do with my devil-may-care attitude towards mines.
•I like all the variety mine options--they should all be expensive and limited to upper level players.
•I do not like the Defuser. Just like I don't like the DisAssembler. Once you deploy something, you're done. Think before you deploy.
•Exploding crates just seem evil--so, of course, they should be implemented immediately. I think you'd be able to figure out quickly who sent explody crates though, e.g., Sarastani would not send one, Ultimatepuff would.
•Walls should make Spider Bombs useless too. I don't like the idea of being able to mine an entire site with one action. Put some effort into your destruction!

by pixielo 9 months ago
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Vigilantes
I think I like this Association because they seem a bit shady. They don't operate under the umbrella of Order, but they are Do-Gooders. They retaliate against the Mineful Destroyers. Their actions aren't showy, and they aren't instantaneously realized either. Only when you are about to commit some Mayhem doth the sneaky hand of the Vigilante come out of the shadows to rob you of your Mine.
•St. Nicks....I likes'em. I think they help to even out the playing field.
•Viral St. Nicks? Hmm...I'd like to infect all of my Rivals at the same time...all the time. This could have massive abuse potential.
•So the Security Camera functions to tell you the EXACT page, not just the top level domain for a deployed mine? No way. No closer surveillance, please. I hate security cameras in real life, why put them in here?
•Why make Vigilantes anti-Seer?
• I kind of like the idea of a Mine Relocator, but I see it as another type of Bedouin armour

by pixielo 9 months ago
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Okay...since I don't know what the other Associations are up to yet, I am reserving comment. And with that said, I will deploy more lightposts in hopes that will hasten their appearance.
~•~
I don't seem to have too many problems hooking Tools up...and with that said, I am also a total Tool hoarder. I just collect the damn things. I also am on IRC--so are quite a few others. We trade rather freely amongst ourselves.
I think I would be really bummed if I couldn't change my Association easily-ish. I take about 15 missions of the type I want to be and wait a few days. It has seemed to work. And with that said, the metrics will probably change now.

by pixielo 9 months ago
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I think I really agree with Aerozol on these two points...if you could safely stash your dp, where's the risk? I've been known to stash mine in order to clear my page of Mines, but otherwise, I just keep Amour up.

A Preference to use Auto-Armour would be sweet!

by pixielo 9 months ago
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See...and almost all of that stuff is far too active for a passive game...

by pixielo 9 months ago
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Saint Nick counters aren't in the tool bar because you don't trigger them from the toolbar. That said, it seems like they should be if just so we can keep track.

by kittyhawk 9 months ago
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@mikapiyu13 I do see what you're saying, but if you want an active game, then just go play on of those. So far, this hasn't tried to be an active game, it says it all in the name.
I don't want to check my stats, I don't want to check anyone else's stats. And while some of the new Tool ideas are interesting, I just don't see the mad need to introduce tons of complicated weaponry or classes or any of the other trappings of Mmporpgs. As far as pizazz, it has enough to be interesting while it lives in the background. I do not want it to fight with my browsing habits for my attention--that is what 'active' games do.
That's all. No offense meant, and I hope none taken. Different methods for different players.

by pixielo 9 months ago
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First @torano: great ideas!

I just have to comment on the passive vs. active gaming of PMOG. Personally if it is a game, and we do have a tool bar where we can do things, then Torano's ideas are valid. I think it should be expanded along those lines to make PMOG more "fun". Yes it would be more active, but that's kinda what I like about this; you can be as passive or as active as you'd like.

okay back to commenting on Torano's list::

by czarchron 9 months ago
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What do people think of the idea of having bonuses for achieving certain badges? Say, you get a certain badge and it increases the effectiveness of your armour or mines or your crates automatically come with certain items and dp inside them.

While badges are a good record of your goings on, they seem like after awhile they would be ignored. And what say a person would lose them if they don't maintain certain activities that earned them that badge.

Just a thought, as I sit here marking lab books.

by darkvalley 9 months ago
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I like the idea of certain badges increasing armor/mines/crates. Or alternatively, your association could increase the effectiveness with which you can use that association's tool (bedouins use armor more effectively, benefactors use crates more effectively, etc.).

by lapsura 9 months ago
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Amen to the bowl of chewtoys and lockable crates. These would make puzzles and riddles more fun.

You know, when I mention PMOG to others, the thing that really makes them sit up is the idea of mines, as in "Wait, you can mine websites??!!" The other stuff, annotated web crawls (missions), datapoints, puzzles, etc. just doesn't seem to garner the same excitement (though we pmoggers enjoy it).

by typhon 9 months ago
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