Topic

The Rook as a force in the world, and not just an event

The Rook is a really interesting element to the game, and while I know that it is being fleshed out, I figured that I would share my ideas on how The Rook could bring more life to the world of Glitch.

The Rook is the Adversary, from my understanding. While the Giants may have particular interests and rivalries, They are all a force of creation in the world, whereas The Rook is a force of entropy. I would use that as an incentive to keep players active in the world, even in the areas where they don't normally go.

If the resources in an area are not tended for a certain amount of time, they start to decay. Meaning without watering, the trees die; without petting, pigs get sad and sick; without massages, butterflies whither; and without mining rocks crumble to useless husks. If this continues long enough, the area could take on a sickly appearance, and become Rook Blighted, where it starts having an effect on Glitches. In these areas, skills and actions have a much lower chance of working, (though the Glitch could still get some XP and possibly mood), mood atrophies at a higher rate, and even energy is sapped (though I wouldn't make it as harsh as the Winderlands). So, while you might water and pet the trees, they wouldn't get much nourishment from it, and you would have to work together to repair the damage. This could also be extended to include other skills like Cooking and the like, where you have a lower chance of success, but if you do succeed, you work toward healing the Blight. Rook attacks would be much more common in Blighted areas. This could also be a way to expand the Street Projects more, as once a street is cleared of Blight it could be restored thought a Street Restoration Project, while would be similar to the existing Street Projects. 

To make this even more damaging, the infection should spread to connecting streets over time. Basically, it will just decay the resources on the connecting streets at a higher rate until they are no longer Blighted. The fewer Glitches that visit a street, the faster Blight takes effect. This encourages people to explore, and makes the wilderness potentially more menacing, but it also would encourage Glitches to interact with their environment more. 

To make things more interesting, and to keep the pressure of the Blight from just being on the edges of the map, random Rook attacks could happen at any location, and cause a rapid decay to the Blighted state. This would make defending against the Rooks even more important, since the Blight could affect surrounding streets. I would bias the random Rook attacks on areas that are populated the most. Basically, the way I see it is that The Rook is both the cause and effect of Entropy. If an area decays, it will bring The Rook, but The Rook is always coveting the Giants' works, and looking to destroy them at their most precious places.

Posted 16 months ago by Ustice Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • +1 from me. Oh my goodness, yes.
    Posted 16 months ago by Mahkia Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Brings a new meaning to the words "urban decay."
    Posted 16 months ago by Lelu Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Lelu: Ya, that's kind of the point of it. Glitch, while being a generally bright and happy game has a bit of a dark side as well, and it would be really interesting to see that played up more. The rest of the world will be all the brighter for the contrast.
    Posted 16 months ago by Ustice Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Do a forum search on "creeping malaise" --your very eloquent description is something folks have been requesting for some time in varying forms.   You might also read this thread, although it's confusing because two of the posters referred to by other posters have changed their names (nanookie= lalu, Dryea = Arianne)

    I am not such a fan of the effects of neglect as I used to be, but I do like the idea that a Rook attack, even if repelled, can have lingering negative effects on a street/area--ones that can be cumulative if not remedied over time.  It would cool if those effects could only be measured with some kind of funky machine, so that rather than a street having a visual change, someone with the requisite (high level) skills could make it their practice to check streets for levels of malaise.  

    People have such varying ideas about proper tree/animal population, I don't know that visual indicators about neglect/malaise would always spur a fix up.  I can remember one person's response to a rook attack recently was "so what? too many pigs on that street anyway and we could use some more patches."  Rook attacks can be seen as an eco-balancer right now.

    Also, I think if the animals/trees on an affected street stop yielding as much xp/fruit/meat, etc, people won't really notice unless it's drastic.  And then frankly they might just avoid that street and go find a better one, until the situation does get drastic.  

    Maybe if a street has too much of this invisible Rook blight, something more personally negative could start happening to Glitchen who naively interact with it.  Like...water a tree and find yourself transported with no warning to Hell, or to a seam street.  
    Posted 16 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Nanookie: I'll do that search. Thanks. 

    Actually, I wouldn't affect the XP of actions. People should be encouraged to fix things. I might even give them an XP bonus if they sucede when they have a lower chance of success. Why wouldn't you want to see a visual difference? I would think that would add to the tone of Glitch.

    As for people neglecting the problem, that is the reason that I suggested that the Blight spread to connecting streets. If it gets neglected too long, then those streets become Blighted too, which would spread geometrically. 1 then 5 then 25 then 125 then 625 then the entire world. I don't expect that to happen, of course, especially since people just using skills and actions on the street helps maintain it's health, but it would encourage people to work together to fight it. Martial Imagination is a good skill to use to fight it, actually. 
    Posted 16 months ago by Ustice Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "Why wouldn't you want to see a visual difference?"

    I used to want that for sure!  I don't any more and I can't put my finger on why...maybe because it's the first thing I and a lot of others have thought of?  It seems like the obvious choice, and when it comes to Glitch, that gives me pause.  

    Plus, I am currently enamored of the idea of a malaise detector, shaped like a giant metal nose, that could be built with a Tinkertool with pure molybdenum and requires a skill like Blight Olfaction to use. So visual indicators would make that less necessary...

    I think that most likely you will get your wish, I seem to remember reading something about that...on the other hand, TS staff have been irritatingly closed mouth about the Rook, so I really don't know for sure.
    Posted 16 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I definitely agree that the Rook should have a larger role/impact on the world, and these are excellent, well thought out suggestions. One of the major things that attracted me to signing up for alpha testing this game was the very end of the trailer, when the Rook appeared. I was very intrigued by the way the trailer began to show darker and darker regions of the environment, and then, the ROOK! It looked very exciting, and I wanted to be a part of Glitch back then (without even playing the game) because of it.
    Posted 16 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Love this idea!
    Posted 16 months ago by Laurali Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It would be cool if we can visit the Rook's homeland with a team of Glitches to gather intel or disrupt/delay planned attacks.
    Posted 16 months ago by Banyan Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Nannokie: I like that idea of the detector, but maybe make it sort of like the PKE meters on Ghost Busters, and have invisible rooklings roaming causing/spreading the Blight, with Martial Imagination what you use to thwart them.
    Posted 16 months ago by Ustice Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Ustice : Not a giant metal schnozz?  Oh..ok.  :P
    What you said sounds good, though.  
    Posted 16 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink