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Horizons: Confectioner School

| 25 Apr 2006 18:36
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  --  CONFECTIONER  --

The goal behind the new Confectioner School is to create a School that has a viable place in Istaria, has a means to create products that are in demand from other players, and to have it be fun and rewarding to create those products.  In order to do this, we''ve created a system diverse and flexible enough to allow players to create their own products as they see fit, but also have enough familiarity so as to not completely overwhelm and confuse players with an avalanche of products they know nothing about.  In order to do this, several changes needed to be made to existing systems.

 - Death Points -

Probably the most prevalent change will be the change to the Death Point system.  Death Points will now increase per tier, based on Adventure Rating.  At Tier 1, each Death Point will last 8 hours, the same as it does now, and will increase by 4 hours for each Tier up to 28 hours per Death Point at Tier 6.  Additionally, the Death Penalty that is received upon accumulation of Death Points will begin at the same intensity as it does now and scale the same way, but will be capped at 75 percent rather than 25 percent.  So, what can the player do to remove the Death Points?  Players will be able to eat various foods to reduce the timer required to remove a Death Point.

 - Resources -

Many new food resources are being added, for a total of 15+ new resource node types, 60+ new processed resources, including some of which will be available only as bonus resources while gathering something else, and some that will need to be purchased from the Vielo.  Allow me to stress heavily though that the bonus and purchased resources will NOT BE REQUIRED in any formulas that don''t have an alternative.  What that means is you will NOT NEED to use purchased or bonus only resources in order to gain experience and advance in your school at any time.  There will always be alternative foods available for you to make in order to progress as a Confectioner, and you will not be forced to level off of bonus only or purchased ingredients.  Here''s a little more info regarding the various resources.

Resources will be gathered from nodes, acquired as bonus resources while gathering something else, or purchased.  Each of these resources must then be refined into a processed resource.  These processed forms of the resource will have a certain inherent Death Point Timer Reduction (DPTR) included with them that will be enhanced when used as an ingredient in a base food dish. These dishes will require various amounts of resources based on the Tier of the dish.  Each dish will be classified as a particular type, making up a meal.  The four types of dishes will be: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, and Dessert.  There will be several of these dishes per tier, and each will require a small amount of resources.  For example, Water, some Sliced Carrots, and a bowl can be combined to make a plain Carrot Soup which would be an Appetizer.  Thats all thats needed to make that base dish.  However, players can add their own ingredients to the Carrot Soup either during creation, or after its been created.  The amount of Seasonings a player can add is based on the Tier of dish. The higher the Tier, the more Seasonings players will be able to add.  


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 - Seasonings -

Seasonings consist of any processed resource other than those already used in the dish itself.  Seasonings can be used similar to the way techniques are used on equipment and items already in the game in that they can be added to a dish during creation.  Also, players can add Seasonings after the dish has been created in the same way that Dye Kits are currently being used.  Players will simply be able to drag their preferred seasoning directly onto the existing dish.  Since each dish has a total potential DPTR, a player can add as many Seasonings as there are slots available in order to reach that dish''s total potential DPTR.

 - Seasoning Example -

Carrot Soup is a Tier 1 Appetizer.  In order to make it, the recipe for it requires Water, Sliced Carrots (processed from raw carrots) and a Clay Bowl.  This creates Carrot Soup, which is ready to be consumed on its own, or as part of a meal, and it will have a total DPTR of 20 minutes.  If the player has some Trimmed Chicken Breast (which is a processed resource and has an inherent DPTR of 5 minutes) in their inventory, they will be able to drag the Trimmed Chicken Breast onto the completed Carrot Soup they just made, and they will then have Chicken and Carrot Soup, which now has an overall DPTR of 25 minutes.  Alternatively, if the player decided to add Minced Garlic to their soup (which is a processed resource, and has an inherent DPTR of 30 minutes), they will have Garlic and Carrot Soup.  This dish now has a total DPTR of 50 minutes, as its inherent DPTR was 20 minutes, and the Garlic added an additional 30 minutes on top of that.  Now, this may not be a dish actually used in the game, this is just an example to display how the system works.

Now, if Carrot Soup is a Tier 4 Appetizer, it is capable of having two Seasonings added to it.  Using the same Seasonings from earlier, if the player added them, the dish would then be called Garlic and Chicken and Carrot Soup.  This way it is clear to see what Seasonings have been included in each Dish.  Players will be able to see in the description how many Seasonings can be included in each Dish as well.  

 - How Dishes are Eaten -

First off, food must be eaten while the player is sitting.  If the player is not sitting, then they will not be able to eat.  Also, actually consuming the food takes a short amount of time, anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute.  The actual duration of consuming the food will be relational to the amount of DPTR the dish has.

The player can make and/or buy several of the same dish, but they will not be able to eat the same dish over and over.  When consuming a dish, it starts two timers.  The first timer counts down how long the player will have to wait to be able to eat that same exact dish again.  This is a long timer, set to about 20 minutes.  There is also a short timer that is set which dictates how long before the player is able to consume any other dish of the same type.  So, for instance, if the player eats a Carrot Soup Appetizer, they cannot eat another Carrot Soup Appetizer for another 20 minutes, although they may be able to eat a Potato Soup Appetizer after only about 5 minutes.  This system applies to all dishes.

Each Tier will start with about 4 complete meals available that can be produced.  More will likely be added in the future, but for now, expect somewhere around 4 per Tier.  Eating a fully Seasoned Meal will remove about 25 percent of a full Death Point earned within the same Tier as the meal.  So, for instance, if the player is a Tier 4 Adventurer and earns a Death Point, then eating one fully Seasoned Tier 4 meal will reduce the Death Point Timer by 25 percent.  Since eating a meal in a Tavern doubles the effectiveness of food, if a player eats two full meals in a Tavern, they will remove 1 full Death Point of the same Tier as the meals.

A full meal would consist of 1 Appetizer, 1 Main Course, 1 Side Dish, and 1 Dessert.  Eating an Appetizer actually takes about 40 seconds, and the timer is started which disallows the player from eating any other Appetizer dish for about 5 minutes.  During that 2 minutes, the player can then eat a Main Course, which again has 2 timers -- one long and one short.  Consuming the Main Course will take about 1 minute.  A Side Dish can then be eaten, which takes about another 50 seconds, and also starts its own two timers.  Finally, the player can consume a Dessert, which will take about 30 seconds to consume.  Two timers are of course set on the Dessert as well.  This takes us through 3 minutes out of the 5 minutes  required to wait before a player can consume any other Appetizer.  The player will have to wait the last 2 minutes before they are able to begin eating another Meal.  They do not need to remain seated at this time, and they can do other things while waiting these 2 minutes before eating again.

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-- FAQ --
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Q: What will happen with Ambrosia?

A: Some of you have been working hard to stockpile Ambrosia before these changes come about.  The last thing we want to do is invalidate all that effort.  That just wouldnt be fair.  However, it is likely that some changes will be made to Ambrosia.  We''re still discussing options internally, although, we believe we are close to settling on a final decision.  More information will become available at a later time.  Ambrosia will also no longer be craftable by Confectioners.  Instead, it will become a rare loot-drop that will be coveted and sought after.

Q: What does this mean for existing Confectioners?

A: Existing Confectioners will not have their skills, levels or experience that they have already gained changed or altered.  However, moving forward, they will be subject to the Primary Skill change, as will any new Confectioners.

Q: So then, will Confectioners use the Primary Skill System like the Lairshaper school?

A: Yes, the Primary skill system will be implemented with the revamp of Confectioner.

Q: Will Confectioners lose their formulas?

A: No, not at all.  Existing formulas well not change.  While this means Confectioners can continue making the same products they have been making this whole while, this also means that the DPTR on these foods also will not change at all.  This will encourage Confectioners to replace their existing forms with new, more effective ones, and help phase out the old, less effective formulas.

Q: How will food be restricted?

A: Players will be able to consume food of any Tier, however, the higher the food over the players tier, the less effective the food will be.  This will reduce the foods effectiveness by 25 percent for each tier above the player the food is.  So, for example, if a Tier 1 player eats a Tier 2 food, the player will only receive 75 percent of the benefit of the food.  Since the Tier 2 food is one Tier higher than the player, the food effectiveness is reduced by 25 percent.  If a Tier 1 player eats a Tier 5 food, they will receive no benefit at all, since the food is four tiers above the tier of the player.  They will, however, still be able to consume the food if they wish.

Q: What about Brewing, Beverages and other types of foods?

A: These other aspects of the Confectioner school are being worked on and will be released at a later date. They include the crafting of beverages and mystical foods.  These types of foods will need to be carefully considered and weighed against the products that can be made as an Alchemist to make sure that neither school steps on the others toes.  We would rather take the time required to make sure this interaction is handled appropriately, without holding back the entire Confectioner School.

Q: How much will Taverns increase the effectiveness of food?

A: Taverns will double the effectiveness of food. This helps ensure that eating food in a tavern is far more effective than eating it outside of one, such as in the wild.

Q: Will the length of time that Death Points last and the death point penalty be increased?

A: Yes, the length of time it takes for a Death Point to decay will increase based on Tier, from 8 hours as Tier 1 to 28 hours as Tier 6. And the Death Point Penalty cap (the highest it can reach) will be raised to 75 percent Stat Reduction.

Q: Will Confectioners have quests available to them?

A: Some quests will be available for Confectioners along with the introduction of the changes.  More quests will be added over time.

Q: Will Confectioners gain XP for making their own bowls and utensils?

A: No.  With the introduction of the Primary Skill System, the Earthenware Skill will not be one of the Confectioners Primary Skill, so they will not receive any XP for creating their own bowls.  XP will be adjusted accordingly on the new food products that Confectioners do make utilizing their Primary Skills.

Q: Will I be able to eat food while in combat?

A: No.  Players must be seated and not in combat in order to consume food.  We are considering releasing some future foods which can be consumed during combat and provide some alternative effects, although this has not yet been finalized.

Q: Will foods that have seasonings added to them be stackable?

A: No.  Once a dish has had a Seasoning applied to it, it will no longer be stackable.

Q: At this point are any of the dishes going to be racially restricted?

A: None of the foods will be racially restricted at this time, but there is a strong likelihood that this will occur with some specific dishes in the future.

 

Resource List

Purchased Only

Bonus Only

Grains

Rice            --processed-->    Steamed Rice

Rye             --processed-->    Rye Flour

Wheat        --processed-->    Wheat Flour

Barley        --processed-->    Barley Flour

Corn           --processed-->    Corn Flour

Quinoa      --processed-->    Quinoa Flour

Spices

Salt Rock               --processed-->  Ground Salt

Pepper Corn        --processed-->  Ground Pepper

Sugarcane Stalk   --processed-->  Ground Sugar

Garlic                    --processed-->  Minced Garlic

Cinnamon Bark   --processed-->  Ground Cinnamon

Vanilla Bean        --processed-->  Sliced Vanilla Bean

Cocoa Bean          --processed-->  Cocoa Nibs

    

Vegetables

Pumpkin            --processed-->  Sliced Pumpkin

Potato                 --processed-->  Sliced Potato

Carrot                 --processed-->  Sliced Carrot

Green Pepper   --processed-->  Sliced Green Pepper

Lettuce               --processed-->  Chopped Lettuce

Tomato              --processed-->  Sliced Tomato

Onion                --processed-->  Sliced Onion

Peas                   --processed-->  Shucked Peas

Chili Pepper     --processed-->  Sliced Chili Pepper

    

Fruit

Apples                --processed-->  Sliced Apple

Grapes                --processed-->  Peeled Grape

White Grapes    --processed-->  Peeled White Grape

Pear                     --processed-->  Sliced Pear

Lemon                --processed-->  Lemon Wedge

Apricot               --processed-->  Sliced Apricot

Banana               --processed-->  Peeled Banana

Berries

Strawberry         --processed-->  Washed Strawberry

Blueberry           --processed-->  Washed Blueberry

Cranberry          --processed-->  Washed Cranberry

Blackberry        --processed-->  Washed Blackberry

Raspberry         --processed-->  Washed Raspberry

Juniper Berry    --processed-->  Washed Juniper Berry

Meats

Beef Flank            --processed-->  Trimmed Beef Flank

Chicken Breast    --processed-->  Trimmed Chicken Breast

Venison Flank     --processed-->  Trimmed Venison Flank

Mutton Flank      --processed-->  Trimmed Mutton Flank

Gruok Flank        --processed-->  Trimmed Gruok Flank

Ruxus Flank        --processed-->  Trimmed Ruxus Flank

Arbotus Flank     --processed-->  Trimmed Arbotus Flank

Squirrel                --processed-->  Dressed Squirrel

Seafood

Crab            --processed-->  Shelled Crab

Lobster       --processed-->  Shelled Lobster

Clam           --processed-->  Shucked Clam

Eel               --processed-->  Sliced Eel

Shrimp        --processed-->  Prepared Shrimp

Urchin        --processed-->  Cleaned Urchin

Squid          --processed-->  Deinked Squid

Fish

Minnow            --processed-->  Minnow Fillet

Bluegill            --processed-->  Bluegill Fillet

Bass                   --processed-->  Bass Fillet

Trout                 --processed-->  Trout Fillet

Mackerel          --processed-->  Mackerel Fillet

Halibut             --processed-->  Halibut Fillet

Red Snapper    --processed-->  Red Snapper Fillet

Swordfish        --processed-->  Swordfish Steak

Fungus

Istarian Caps             --processed-->  Cleaned Istarian Cap

Browngill Caps         --processed-->  Cleaned Browngill Cap

Roughcap Caps        --processed-->  Cleaned Roughcap Cap

Stonespore Caps       --processed-->  Cleaned Stonespore Cap

Blood Caps                --processed-->  Cleaned Blood Cap

Shadowstem Caps    --processed-->  Cleaned Shadowstem Cap

Truffles                       --processed-->  Cleaned Truffle

Buttercap                   --processed-->  Cleaned Buttercap Fungus

Herbs

Sage                --processed-->  Rubbed Sage

Bay Leaf        --processed-->  Dried Bay Leaf

Rosemary      --processed-->  Rubbed Rosemary

Basil               --processed-->  Rubbed Basil

Mint               --processed-->  Rubbed Mint

Star Anise     --processed-->  Ground Star Anise

    

Roots

Mandrake   --processed-->  Ground Mandrake

Licorice       --processed-->  Ground Licorice

Ginseng       --processed-->  Ground Ginseng

Fennel         --processed-->  Ground Fennel

Ginger         --processed-->  Sliced Ginger

Stoneroot    --processed-->  Soaked Stoneroot

Bitterroot    --processed-->  Ground Bitterroot

Seasoning Slots

Tier 1

  • Appetizer               0
    [li]Main Course          1
    [li]Side Dish                1
    [li]Dessert                    0

Tier 2

  • Appetizer               1
    [li]Main Course          2
    [li]Side Dish                1
    [li]Dessert                    0

Tier 3

  • Appetizer               1
    [li]Main Course          2
    [li]Side Dish                2
    [li]Dessert                    1

Tier 4

  • Appetizer               2
    [li]Main Course          3
    [li]Side Dish                2
    [li]Dessert                    1

Tier 5

  • Appetizer             2
    [li]Main Course       3
    [li]Side Dish             3
    [li]Dessert                 2

Tier 6

  • Appetizer            3
    [li]Main Course      4
    [li]Side Dish            3
    [li]Dessert               2

 
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