UPDATE: Chapter System Now Online
Posted: 08 Oct 2013, 16:30
One of the biggest and most important updates since the start of Path's beta, the chapter system is now online and tracking all chapter issues. This system allows YOU to influence the future story of the game, and sometimes even the game's mechanics themselves.
As some of you might be aware, the current chapter deals with the issue of the wraith guides, their accusations against Crow, and the promises of change if certain wraiths are resurrected. This, in turn, has also brought up the very sensitive issue of the current bounty system, and if it needs to be changed or destroyed entirely. All of these issues are up to each of you to influence. You can read all of this in greater detail, and track the chapter's progress here.
The way the chapter system works, is that on this page there are several sliders (the red and green meters), and in each of these sliders there is a red "X". The X signifies the current influence player actions have had over the issue in question. For example, if the "X" is way to the left on the "bounty system" slider, it means that players are fighting heavily against the bounty system, and the chapter could end with some major changes to that system.
Chapter's End
Now, the chapter does not end when the X reaches furthest into the red of all issues (either way). Instead, the chapter issues are finalised when they hit the point of no return. Right now, there is no section to indicate this point of no return on each of the sliders, but as the weeks tick on the sliders will essentially get smaller, and that's when each of the issues are able to be completely finalised. Think of it as a game of Jenga, where the pieces keep getting stacked up, and after a long enough amount of time the likelihood of it just toppling over (and the game finishing) gets greater and greater. So, in a couple of weeks, when you start to see grey edges on the sides of the sliders, you know that things are heating up, and the chapter's issue can be finalised if players are able to push the X marker into the grey area. In the mean time, it's quite important that you do what you can to push the chapter issues in the direction you (or, hopefully your character) feels is right.
Influencing the Chapter
You might be wondering how you can influence the chapter. Well, you can get a simple list by going to this page, which will explain all of the ways you can positively or negatively affect each issue on the chapter page ("+" means for, "-" means against). Each of the methods of influencing the chapter's outcome vary quite a lot in terms of exactly how much they will push the "X" one way or the other. Typically, an action which takes a lot of energy, or forces you to sacrifice money or experience points, will influence the chapter's issues much more than something like cursing Crow, for example, which gives you experience points and many people are able to do. However, if you want to have by far the greatest impact on the chapter issues at hand, then roleplay is the answer. Impact threads will be taken into consideration, and couple make the difference between the bounty system being changed (or even done away with!) and the bounty system made even stricter and more in-depth.
Outcomes of the Chapter
There are many possible outcomes of the chapter, with many levels of severity. For example, if a wraith slider is only pushed into the grey (point of no return) late in the chapter, when the grey area has covered most of the slider, then the effect will probably simply mean the wraith stays how they are. However, if people manage to push the X into the grey section after just 2 weeks, then the wraith could be banished forever, or be resurrected and become a new first generation vampire (depending on the direction the slider is pushed).
Likewise, the bounty system could either be destroyed entirely, it could become slightly less severe, it could stay exactly how it is, OR it could get stricter.
Tied in with the bounty system is Crow's power. Although the bounty system might be changeable if you show Crow the error of the system in some way, it could also be changeable if you simply strip Crow of his or her omniscience. Crow could either become much less powerful, stay as he or she is, or become more powerful and able to see more of what goes on in the city. This could have an impact, also, on some of the rebellious wraiths who are making accusations about Crow being a fae. This in turn gives people the option of maintaining balance on a certain issue, if only for fear of the more extreme outcomes.
There are many different outcomes, and each issue is tied in with the others. Talk to the wraith guides, get their opinions, form your own opinions for your character, and have fun. You can, naturally, simply ignore the chapter entirely and go about doing your own thing, but where's the fun in that?
More chapter-related roleplay events and stories will be coming soon, as will more random events!
As some of you might be aware, the current chapter deals with the issue of the wraith guides, their accusations against Crow, and the promises of change if certain wraiths are resurrected. This, in turn, has also brought up the very sensitive issue of the current bounty system, and if it needs to be changed or destroyed entirely. All of these issues are up to each of you to influence. You can read all of this in greater detail, and track the chapter's progress here.
The way the chapter system works, is that on this page there are several sliders (the red and green meters), and in each of these sliders there is a red "X". The X signifies the current influence player actions have had over the issue in question. For example, if the "X" is way to the left on the "bounty system" slider, it means that players are fighting heavily against the bounty system, and the chapter could end with some major changes to that system.
Chapter's End
Now, the chapter does not end when the X reaches furthest into the red of all issues (either way). Instead, the chapter issues are finalised when they hit the point of no return. Right now, there is no section to indicate this point of no return on each of the sliders, but as the weeks tick on the sliders will essentially get smaller, and that's when each of the issues are able to be completely finalised. Think of it as a game of Jenga, where the pieces keep getting stacked up, and after a long enough amount of time the likelihood of it just toppling over (and the game finishing) gets greater and greater. So, in a couple of weeks, when you start to see grey edges on the sides of the sliders, you know that things are heating up, and the chapter's issue can be finalised if players are able to push the X marker into the grey area. In the mean time, it's quite important that you do what you can to push the chapter issues in the direction you (or, hopefully your character) feels is right.
Influencing the Chapter
You might be wondering how you can influence the chapter. Well, you can get a simple list by going to this page, which will explain all of the ways you can positively or negatively affect each issue on the chapter page ("+" means for, "-" means against). Each of the methods of influencing the chapter's outcome vary quite a lot in terms of exactly how much they will push the "X" one way or the other. Typically, an action which takes a lot of energy, or forces you to sacrifice money or experience points, will influence the chapter's issues much more than something like cursing Crow, for example, which gives you experience points and many people are able to do. However, if you want to have by far the greatest impact on the chapter issues at hand, then roleplay is the answer. Impact threads will be taken into consideration, and couple make the difference between the bounty system being changed (or even done away with!) and the bounty system made even stricter and more in-depth.
Outcomes of the Chapter
There are many possible outcomes of the chapter, with many levels of severity. For example, if a wraith slider is only pushed into the grey (point of no return) late in the chapter, when the grey area has covered most of the slider, then the effect will probably simply mean the wraith stays how they are. However, if people manage to push the X into the grey section after just 2 weeks, then the wraith could be banished forever, or be resurrected and become a new first generation vampire (depending on the direction the slider is pushed).
Likewise, the bounty system could either be destroyed entirely, it could become slightly less severe, it could stay exactly how it is, OR it could get stricter.
Tied in with the bounty system is Crow's power. Although the bounty system might be changeable if you show Crow the error of the system in some way, it could also be changeable if you simply strip Crow of his or her omniscience. Crow could either become much less powerful, stay as he or she is, or become more powerful and able to see more of what goes on in the city. This could have an impact, also, on some of the rebellious wraiths who are making accusations about Crow being a fae. This in turn gives people the option of maintaining balance on a certain issue, if only for fear of the more extreme outcomes.
There are many different outcomes, and each issue is tied in with the others. Talk to the wraith guides, get their opinions, form your own opinions for your character, and have fun. You can, naturally, simply ignore the chapter entirely and go about doing your own thing, but where's the fun in that?
More chapter-related roleplay events and stories will be coming soon, as will more random events!