[Wiki] Questions / Réponses sur Trials of Ascension

 
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Vous vous posez des questions sur ToA, voici les Questions Fréquentes que le studio de développement a écrite pour cette production.

MAJ 4/11/06 : C/C et Traduction en cours

Général


What is Trials of Ascension?
Trials of Ascension (ToA) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that is being developed by Shadowpool Studios. It is set in the fantasy world of TerVarus, and includes innovative features that will allow players to take control of the world into their own hands.

When is ToA going to be released?
We have no set release date at this time.

How much will ToA cost? Will you be charging monthly fees?
We do not have a shelf price at this time. ToA will be supported by monthly fees in line with the rest of the industry at release.

What will the minimum specs be for ToA?
We do not have any minimum specs at this time.

How many characters can I play? Is there one big realm or several smaller ones?
At this time, we expect to launch ToA with four realms. Each account will be allowed only one character per realm.

Will there be a limitation on who can play on what realms, such as only people from North America being able to play on North American realms?
At this time, we do not plan to limit a player's choice of realms in such a fashion.

How can I follow the progress of ToA?
Those who have accounts registered on the forums can opt in or out of receiving ToA newsletters simply by enabling or disabling the option to receive updates sent by the board administrator in the email settings portion of the user control panel.

Personnages



What kind of character can I play in ToA?
ToA features a lineup of twelve fantasy races that range from the swift and tiny pixie to the huge and mighty dragon. Each race has a variety of abilities and features, as well as a range of cultural backgrounds, though ToA doesn't assume that all members of a given race automatically adhere to those cultural standards.

Unlike many RPGs, ToA does not have a class system. Character development is skill-based, which means that any character can develop any combination of skills that they wish by pursuing each skill individually - though some may naturally be easier to learn than others.

What choices can I make during character creation?
Within certain limits, you can set your character's race, appearance, stats, and initial skill set, as well as choosing a name and a starting location. Some of these choices will also affect other things. In particular, your initial skill set (and in some cases, your race) will determine what tools and other gear you begin with.

Stats can each be individually increased or decreased by up to 25% from the default values for your race. The changes must equalize in percentile terms, so if you increase one stat by 10% then you must also reduce another one (or a combination of several others) by 10%. Size may not be changed.

The only skills which aren't available to choose from during character creation are those which directly govern arcane magic and those which your selected race is physically incapable of performing, such as flight-related skills for a race which can't fly.

The Races section of the Compendium shows the starting default stat values of each race.

What does a race's size stat represent?
In general, a race's size stat represents its largest dimension in feet, with a bit of a "fudge factor" if it has an unusual shape or build.

Where does my character start?
There are several possibilities, depending on your character's race.

All characters have the option of starting in a random location in the wilderness. The location will be filtered to make sure that your character is capable of surviving there (at least in theory), and that it isn't too close to any established domains. For dragons, this is the only option.

Non-dragons also have the option of entering play at the Pantheon, which is a special religious site where the world's faiths are headquartered.

Non-dragons also have the option of entering play in any domain which allows members of that race as citizens on a general basis, and which has designated itself as open to new players to begin at.

How do I know who is who?
Characters (and creatures) don't have floating names overhead, and you aren't automatically told what their names are. Rather, you can give anyone any name you want. You're the only one who sees the name that you've given them, and while you can certainly ask the person what name they go by, they can likewise tell you anything they want - which means that someone can (especially if they make use of disguises, or they travel widely) have more than one identity.

Does my character have any needs that must be met? Do they change depending on what I'm doing?
Your character does have some basic needs, such as requiring food, water, and protection from the environment. Food and drink come in many forms, and different races consider different things to be edible. What some enjoy, others will gain little benefit from, or be utterly unable to stomach. Some races can eat rather unusual things, such as grass and leaves, or even ore.

Likewise, each race has a range of environmental tolerances. Stay within them and your character will be fine. Go somewhere that's too hot or too cold (or otherwise problematic), and they'll start to suffer for it unless they've made appropriate preparations (such as bundling up before heading somewhere chilly). The conditions under which a character is operating will also affect their other needs. A character that's in a hot area will tend to require more water, for example.

Isn't a dragon kind of powerful?
A dragon is by far the single most powerful race in TerVarus - at adulthood. Getting to adulthood is the tricky part. It's a long and very difficult path to travel, and a young dragon is quite vulnerable, both to natural dangers and to deliberate predation. As a result, only a very small number of dragons will actually reach adulthood - this race is meant for those who want a serious challenge!

How do you intend to keep the races balanced with one another?
In short, we don't. Our philosophy is that each race should be interesting to play in its own right, without worrying about whether it's perfectly equal to every other race in all respects - which is as it should be, because it keeps them distinct from one another. So, when you're selecting a race to play in ToA, it's best to make that choice on the basis of what you think you'll find interesting to play, rather than worrying about whether it has .0001% more power (however you measure it) than another one.

If you don't have classes, how does a character improve?
Character development is skill-based, which means that each action or activity in the game is studied and improved on an individual basis, rather than being bundled into predetermined class packages that improve on the basis of an abstract pool of experience. If you want to be a better smith, you need to go out and practice some smithing rather than trying to earn XPs towards advancement in a "smith class".

Each skill is also broken down into a number of refinements (or subskills) which determine how adept your character is at that aspect of the skill. For example, "Metalworking" is broken down into Smelting, Casting, Smithing, and Finishing. Being highly skilled in one of these doesn't automatically mean you'll do well with the others - though in some cases it might mean that due to the presence of synergies.

What's a synergy?
When two or more refinements (whether within the same skill or in different skills) share similar qualities or practices, they're said to have synergy with one another. Being skilled at one of these refinements helps your character's performance with the related refinements, sort of like a cross-training athlete in the real world.

Synergies are usually specific to refinements rather than to a skill as a whole. For example, being skilled at particular maneuvers with one type of weapon can help you perform similar maneuvers with other types of weapons, and being skilled at etching or engraving one type of material or product can help you when you try to perform similar tasks with another kind of material or product, but being highly proficient in the art of engraving metal objects doesn't necessarily make you better at casting them.

So different skills help each other out rather than interfering with each other?
Yes. Some time ago the game design called for "crossover penalties" between unrelated skills. This was removed and replaced with the synergy system, since we feel that it's better to use a reward than a punishment.

Can anyone learn any skill?
As long as the race is physically capable of performing the action or activity in question, yes. A race that has no ability to fly will not be able to learn any flying skills, for example, but any race can learn unarmed combat skills, magical skills, and so forth.

If your character changes form, such as a doppelganger using its shapeshifting power, then it may gain access to skills or refinements that its normal form doesn't possess. In this case, the character can both use and improve upon those skills as long as it continues to maintain an appropriate form. Any improvements to these skills are retained even after the character's shape changes back, but the character can only use the skills when it's in a form that has the physical capacity to do so.

So I don't need to find someone to teach me a skill before I can use it?
As a general rule, this is correct. Unless a particular skill is entirely unavailable to your character's race, all normal skills and refinements are intrinsically available to use and learn from the outset.

The exception to this would be a skill or refinement which has appeared as an innovation, which might require special training in order to access it.

Doesn't that mean that, eventually, someone can be perfect at everything?
Due to the nature of the ToA skill system, "perfection" simply isn't possible. There is no cap on skill values, so you can always improve in a skill, though there may be diminishing returns when doing so - especially if you're only interested in doing simple things with the skill in question. While preparing an elaborate banquet may tax even a good cook, being a world-renowned chef won't make much difference compared to being a novice if all you want to do is boil an egg.

It's worth noting that there aren't hard-and-fast limitations of the "You must have this level of skill to even attempt that action!" variety. Anyone can attempt any action they please (assuming that the character has the physical ability to perform the action, of course), and if they have a strong natural aptitude for it, or they get lucky, then they might do a good job of something even if it's a difficult task and they're not very familiar with it. A skilled individual will generally have greater success with greater consistency, however.

As if that wasn't enough, the presence of innovations ensures that new skills, or new applications for old skills, will frequently be appearing in the game.

Do skills decay over time?
No. Any improvements to a character's skills are permanent.

So how many skills are there in the game?
The number of skills and refinements is subject to constant change, but as of this writing there are about two hundred refinements spread among about fifty skills. The number of refinements per skill varies considerably, of course.

What about language skills?
A language skill works a little bit differently from most other skills. There is one skill per language, and while you study it in the same way as any other normal skill, once you've mastered it (how difficult this is depends on your race and the language that you're studying) it can't be improved upon any further.

A language is either known (mastered) or not. If you character knows it, then that character can use it fully in terms of speaking it, understanding it, reading it, and writing it - within the constraints of the character's race; some races just can't speak or write certain languages. If the language is not yet mastered then it's unusable.

There are several reasons why we're taking this simpler approach to language skills, including ease of gameplay and the exploitability of "partial understanding" systems.

Every character does enter play knowing the language of its own race, and additional languages may be chosen during character creation alongside other skills. The skill cost of learning these additional languages varies with the race of the character and the language being learned. Some languages (such as dragon and gryphon) will not be available to every race during character creation.

At the current time, fourteen languages exist in TerVarus: Twelve living languages (one for each player race), and two dead languages (of the mist elves and the ogres).

Which languages have issues of restricted use due to race?
The language of gryphons can only be spoken by gryphons, and gryphons can't speak other languages. Other races can learn to understand the gryphon language, and gryphons can learn to understand other races' languages, but can't speak them.

The language of dragons can only be spoken by dragons, although any race can learn to understand it.

While any race can otherwise learn any language, it's worth noting that each race finds some languages easier to learn than others, and some races have a better overall aptitude for languages than others. Additionally, some languages are all-around more difficult for members of other races to learn, most notably dragon, gryphon, gargoyle, and doppelganger.

How can I tell what language someone is speaking in? What do I see if someone's speaking in a language I don't know?
The language of any spoken phrase is indicated by a small icon placed at the start of the text. If you don't know the language then you'll see a semi-random number of these icons instead of the text which was spoken, which gives you a general idea of how lengthy the spoken phrase was - although this isn't a direct one letter/one icon substitution, so you can't encode messages this way.

The icon for each language is thematically representative of that race.

What are innovations?
They are dramatic flashes of insight which may come to anyone as they develop a skill. When someone achieves an innovation, they discover some new way of improving upon an existing skill, or they discover some new refinement (or even an entirely new skill) that is related to the one that they were working on. For example, a blacksmith who is working on iron spikes may discover a way to make better iron spikes, or he may unlock the process of creating a new type of metal item, or a new way of working with metal. He's not likely to develop a new recipe for strawberry shortcake while working on those iron spikes, though.

So, is an innovation limited to the character who discovered it?
Yes and no.

An innovation may be discovered independently by more than one character. All other things being equal, the chance of a second (or subsequent) person making the discovery is the same as it was for the first person to make it. However, unlike a normal skill, an innovation is proprietary to those who know it. They can choose to share the innovation with other characters, which allows those characters to use or benefit from the innovation too, but the innovation doesn't automatically appear on everyone's skill list. This allows those who discover an innovation to control its use - to a point, because sooner or later someone else will make the same discovery - or wrest its secrets from you using interrogation techniques - so it's best to capitalize on an innovation while you can.

So how about crafting? What do I do to make something?
In order to craft anything, you'll need to have the appropriate tools and supplies to make the item in question - and it doesn't hurt to have spares, just in case. The quality of the items you use in the crafting process, your character's skill and current condition, and your success in playing an appropriate crafting "mini-game" will all factor together to determine the results of your crafting attempt. You'll almost always get something out of the process, but the quality of what you get can vary considerably depending on the above factors.

And stealth? How does that work?
A character or creature generally moves more slowly and makes less noise when it's being stealthy. How well it muffles the sounds of its own movement, and how much it slows down, depends on its skill and somewhat on how lucky it happens to be at the time. The character or creature does not automatically fade out or become invisible, merely quieter. It's up to the character or creature to maneuver itself so as to stay hidden during this time, taking advantage of obstacles, illumination, and positioning so as to remain out of sight.

Is there an alignment system? Are there factions?
There is no "objective" measure of good and evil in ToA. Your actions are as you and others perceive them. Likewise, none of the races are considered to be inherently good or evil. Most would consider themselves to be good (or at least not evil), and they each have a variety of opinions about other races or cultures, but these are still merely opinions.

Factions don't exist in the conventional sense. Players (or groups of players) may certainly react however they want to another player (or group of players). NPCs don't act with a group mind. They'll generally follow the laws of their homeland and take instructions from any character with authority over them, and will also modify their attitude based on individual interaction - but a change in one NPC's attitude doesn't automatically change the attitudes of other NPCs.

What's this 'Concentration' that I keep hearing about?
A character's Concentration is essentially its mental stamina, and both factors into and is affected by a great many mentally-demanding skills and actions in the game, not just magical ones. It is also subject to a rather sudden reduction if you get hit in the head.

Do items have 'minimum ability requirements' or 'minimum level requirements' or anything of that sort?
No. Apart from the fact that ToA doesn't have levels, there's no arbitrary limit on what you can or can't use beyond your physical ability to manipulate the thing in question. You can't wear something that won't fit your character (such as a gryphon trying to wear armor that's made for a human), you may have trouble using something that's of a drastically different size (such as a minotaur trying to use a pixie's weapons or tools), and something that must be wielded but which is too heavy for you to lift is going to present a problem, but in general, if you can pick it up or interact with it, you can use it.

An awful lot of races seem to have the Hardy, Natural Armor, and Night Vision traits...
Hardy, Natural Armor, and Night Vision are present on a number of races, but these three traits can vary significantly in strength. The Night Vision of an arrwic is far stronger than that of a dwarf, for example.

What types of breath weapons do dragons have?
A dragon player may choose one type of breath weapon at character creation. This choice is permanent once made.

The six breath weapon types are: flame, frost, lightning, caustic fluid, a concussive air blast, and disruption.

What's disruption breath?
Disruption breath causes a form of structural disintegration in the target(s). It is not inherently any more powerful than any of the other breath weapon types.

Does a dragon's breath weapon have any other effects besides just causing raw damage?
It may, depending on the type of breath weapon and what you subject to it.

Is a dragon's color determined by its breath weapon?
No. A dragon's appearance is completely unrelated to the type of breath weapon it has.

Can a gargoyle ride a mount?
Yes, if it can find one that's able to support it.

Are there any 'half-races' in ToA?
No. Racial cross-breeding is not possible in ToA.

Why isn't a dwarf any stronger than an elf? The horror!
A race's Strength stat is derived from its size and its relative strength. In the case of a dwarf, they're strong for their size (12.5 Strength/Size) while an elf is less so (10.0 Strength/Size), but since the dwarf is smaller, the final result is that they're about the same when it comes to muscling things around, both having Strength 50. All of the racial Strength stats can be viewed in this light: While a given Strength value is the same regardless of who has it, you can tell who is comparatively "strong for their size" by checking that ratio.

Do characters age?
Dragons are the only race which ages at the current time. A dragon's age determines its power, though there are counterweighting factors which can slow this vital process. Other races are not presently subject to aging. At one point the design called for it, but it was decided to leave this particular feature out until we have time to implement it properly.

How quickly can characters turn around? Can they pivot 180 degrees with a flick of the mouse, or is there a limit?
The speed at which a character turns around or otherwise maneuvers varies by race (usually based on its body form) and Agility, as well as encumbrance and other situational factors.

What happens if my character falls unconscious? Can I still see what's going on as the player?
Your character will collapse to the ground in-game, of course. As the player you won't be able to see (or hear) what's going on around her, or take any in-character actions.

Combat


How does combat work in ToA?
Combat takes place in real time, and can be conducted unarmed, with weapons, with spells, or with anything else that you can find which might cause pain and suffering to the victim. It requires a mix of both player and character skill to emerge triumphant, and it also requires the right tools for the job: The offensive and defensive capabilities of you and your opponent are important to consider when you engage something, because certain weapon styles and maneuvers work better against others, against different types of armor and other protection, and against different types of opponents. Thus, it's not a good idea to try to rely solely on a single technique or weapon against all foes. If you want to be a successful warrior, you'd better have a range of tricks up your sleeve.

What happens if my character dies?
When a character dies, its corpse and all of its possessions remain in the game world. The corpse begins to decay away (just like any other dead body), and its possessions will eventually follow - assuming that someone else doesn't abscond with them first.

The player has the option of resurrecting their character in one of several locations which depend on his race and his in-game activities. Alternately, a Lyranian champion might be able to restore him to life with a special ritual known as Breath to the Body. Whatever the means by which the character comes back, each character enters play with a limited soul strength, which fades a little bit each time the character dies. When the character's soul strength has faded completely, the character may no longer return from the dead. At that point the character is forever lost.

Is there any alternative to simply running out of soul strength and losing my character forever?
While the eventual certainty of permanent death can't be avoided, characters of sufficient mettle may leave a legacy in the world of TerVarus in the form of an artifact. If your character has earned the right to leave an artifact in the game world then you'll be notified of that fact when the character's final death occurs.

The process from there is quite simple: The next time you visit the character selection and creation menu you'll be presented with the option to submit an artifact description to Shadowpool. You can be as general or as detailed as you like, and we'll use it as the basis for the creation of a new artifact in the game's database... but remember that the power level of an artifact is determined by destiny, not by the description, so don't be too ambitious!

If my character dies permanently, does anything that that character did affect the next character I create?
No. Each character starts with a clean slate. The deeds (or misdeeds) of previous characters will not affect the new character (at least not directly), and no one will be given any automatic indication that the new character is connected to the old one.

So where do I go to fight things?
There are no preset "spawn points" in ToA, so players will have to be enterprising if they wish to go hunting. By the same token, creatures are quite varied in their abilities, disposition, and outfitting, even if they belong to the same species. They are also dynamic in their behavior, and will most certainly move around if they have a reason to do so.

It's important to remember that not all creatures that you encounter will be hostile, even if they are commonly considered to be "monstrous". It's even possible for a monstrous creature might develop an attachment to a player character, though this may require a certain amount of encouragement. (And it can certainly create other complications - the town guard might not appreciate you trying to bring that mawktopus into their quiet village, especially after it eats a few of the residents.)

Also, there's no intrinsic benefit to fighting things that you don't need to, since character development in ToA isn't based on kill-derived "Experience Points". Creatures of a given type - or even in the same area - aren't all necessarily of the same strength, and even the weakest creature can get lucky. Since you only have so many lives to lose, it's best to consider whether you stand to gain anything from a particular battle rather than rushing headlong at any potential opponent that you see.

This is also true in that creatures are only apt to have the items and resources that you'd logically expect them to have - if you kill a deer, you're going to get a goodly amount of meat, hide, and other resources from the corpse - but it's not going to be randomly carrying around a pile of gold coins or a halberd. (Nevermind the fact that it doesn't have any way to carry them in the first place.)

Do the monsters play by the same rules as I do, or do they have infinite magical power, no vulnerability to the weather, and the like?
Creatures in ToA are subject to the same wants and needs as player characters are. If they're deprived of food or they're subjected to a harsh climate then they'll suffer for it just as greatly as a player character would. They're also limited in their resources, both in and out of combat. On the other hand, such creatures will also take steps to deal with these problems as they come up - they're not foolish enough to just stand around and take all of that abuse!

Do monsters run away when they're in danger, or will they blindly fight to the death? Will they use tactics against me, or just charge recklessly forward?
Creatures will evaluate the situation and respond appropriately within the limits of their intelligence and tactical ability. Also, while most creatures will be AI-controlled, one can never be certain when a Shadowpool staff member may be pulling their strings...

Will there be sieges? Ship to ship combat?
You can besiege a domain, both in terms of the type of heavy weaponry used for the task, and in that cutting off or sabotaging its supplies will have an impact on that domain's ability to resist your attack. Ships can also be damaged or sunk by heavy weaponry (to say nothing of magic or a bad storm).

Is PvP action allowed, and if so, how do you intend to keep it under control?
Player versus player activities are fully permitted. There are no overt controls upon it, but there are two important considerations for those who wish to engage in it: First, players do not have access to any kind of "consider" command that tips them off to the power or skill of their targets, so it is a risky business - that unassuming shopkeeper might also be a powerful warrior or archmage, and that soul strength can start to look awfully precious after a few humiliating surprises. Second, domains have the power to make and enforce laws, so one had best be careful to commit such deeds beyond their boundaries - or at least ensure that no witnesses survive to report the crime.

So if I kill someone and loot them, I can use all of their gear?
In general, yes - as long as it's something that your character can physically use. (Minotaur horncaps just aren't going to fit on a human, no matter how hard you try to make them.) Two considerations may complicate matters, though: If the gear is of the wrong size for your character then he may find it difficult or impossible to use it. Second, anything that needs to be worn within narrow tolerances (such as armor) must be refitted to your character's race if it isn't designed for his race already. Generally, you can only refit armor (and similar items) to another race of the same size and general shape. Of course, you can always scrap the armor and use the materials to have a new set made for your character if refitting it isn't an option.

Will my gear wear out? Can I repair it?
Yes on both counts. Items will generally wear out with use - much more quickly if they're something which is subjected to heavy punishment, such as weapons. You can use an appropriate skill to repair things - up to a point. Eventually, any item simply becomes so fragile from all of the wearing and repair that further attempts to repair it will do more harm than good.

Can I block someone's movement?
Yes. Other characters and creatures can't simply pass through your character (unless either they or your character have been rendered incorporeal), although they might be able to knock your character aside if they're big or strong enough.

What about unarmed combat? Are there different styles?
Each player race and creature has its own style of unarmed combat that takes advantage of its natural weaponry. While most player races can perform a range of punches, kicks, and so on, some also have claws, teeth, horns, and other assorted built-in means of causing grief and dismemberment.

Can I dual-wield?
Yes, within reasonable limits. You can't dual-wield halberds.

Do weapons require training in order to use them?
No, although being well-versed in the use of a weapon will certainly make you a lot more effective. How effective you are with any given weapon varies with your character's abilities and skills and the quality of the weapon in question. Some weapons are also easier to use than others, though this may be counterbalanced by other factors. A crossbow is very easy to use and packs quite a wallop, but it's also horrendously slow to load and fire.

Does it take time to draw my weapon, or does it pop instantly into my hand? Do I have to issue an in-game command to draw it, or will it happen automatically when I try to attack or am attacked?
Weapons take time to draw (or put away). You must do this manually - not the least reason being that some domains may have laws against brandishing weapons!

Are one-hit kills possible?
Yes, although the likelihood of this happening depends on a range of factors, including size differences, skill differences, damage types, and angle of attack.

One-hit kills are possible with missile and magical attacks as well as with melee attacks. They are also possible via indirect attacks.

What is a character's 'balance', as it pertains to combat?
Performing most combat-related actions (and some non-combat related actions) puts your character off-balance for a short time. The extent to which your character is put off balance depends on the action involved and is affected by your character's stats, condition, and the equipment being used in the action. While off balance, your character is less effective at attacking, defending, and performing some other physical activities.

Being off balance is a state which usually persists for only a few seconds at most, and often much less. However, it does accumulate, so if you flail away wildly with a weapon then you'll end up more and more off balance (and thus an easy target for an enemy). Pacing yourself in combat so as not to leave yourself exposed is very important - as is recognizing that any attack which fails to connect leaves you vulnerable for a short time.

It is worth noting that jumping is one physical action which places a character off balance, so if you're used to jumping around in combat to make yourself a more difficult target, be advised that this is a bad idea in ToA.

Théologie

What is divine favor? How is it measured?
Most in-game actions are associated with one of the four gods to varying degrees. When a character performs an action, his current favor shifts towards that god. How much of a shift this entails depends on the strength of the action's association and the character's current favor standing. Over time, favor slowly fades away, and a character also enters the game with no favor. Due to the nature of favor, being drawn towards favor with one god draws you away from it (to varying degrees) from the other three.

Hence, a character's state of favor may drift around quite a bit, depending on what they do and how much they do it. It takes fairly consistent behavior to gain strong favor with any given god, and that strong favor can fade away quite quickly if the character begins to act in a consistently different fashion. This is a normal and even expected state of affairs for the average character, and the gods don't mind it happening.

By itself, favor doesn't do anything. It becomes important when one wishes to perform a ritual, however.

What is a ritual?
The particulars of each ritual vary from ritual to ritual, but all of them involve a ceremonial attempt to draw on the god's power to achieve some result. A character's current state of favor with the god is the primary factor in determining whether a ritual succeeds (and how substantial the results are), although being skilled at performing the ritual in question can help. (Being skilled at performing the ritual won't do you much good if you're not in favor, however!)

Even a character who has strong favor and substantial skill in performing a ritual has only a small chance of garnering a result, and the result generally isn't going to be something which is immediately visible - the ways of the gods are subtle indeed, and you may never know whether your pleas were actually heeded.

It is possible to perform a ritual in a cooperative fashion, thereby (hopefully) improving on the chances of success - although once again, the current favor (and ceremonial skills) of the participants is a crucial factor. Cooperation between characters who aren't in favor isn't likely to improve their chances!

Can I study the rituals of more than one god?
Yes. As noted, it's expected that a character's favor will drift around quite frequently. In many trades, it's almost assured. The gods don't mind (for example) a farmer performing rites to Lyrania in the spring and rites to Thondari in the fall, as the farmer's favor will naturally tend to shift between the two of them during those seasons.

So how do I become a priest?
By acting like one. "Priest" is not a hard-coded status as it is in other games. If you're someone whom other people look to for spiritual guidance, you can probably style yourself as a priest. (Or any other title which suits your fancy - if you want to call yourself the Lord Dread Poobah of Spiritual Intervention for your town, go right ahead!)

Having strong favor and ceremonial skill relating to a god (or even multiple gods, depending on how you wish to work) is obviously an asset if you want to pursue this kind of social leadership, but it isn't required.

So how do I become a Champion?
A champion is a character who has dedicated himself specifically to one god - and gone to some lengths to demonstrate the depths of his conviction. To become a champion, a character must maintain strong favor with that god for an extended period, must have a demonstrated knowledge of both ceremonial and practical skills or abilities relating to that god, and must have completed at least one recent directive from the hierophant or mandate from the god itself. (The former being much more readily available, though still far from commonplace.)

If a character meets all of these qualifications then he may perform a ceremony in which he petitions to be recognized by the god as one of that god's champions. Assuming that all goes well, the character is then granted the status of champion, which brings with it some benefits and some obligations. The status of champion is something which must be deliberately sought. A character will never become a champion accidentally or unwillingly, so you needn't worry that being in strong favor with a god will suddenly saddle you with unexpected obligations.

What are the benefits of being a Champion?
A champion of a god generally has greater success when performing a ritual, and there are some rituals which only champions are entrusted with. A champion also receives ongoing blessings from the god itself in the form of passive abilities or benefits which vary from god to god. The actual strength of all of these benefits remains dependent on the champion's current state of favor, and thus may wax and wane somewhat over time.

What are the obligations of being a Champion?
A champion must maintain strong favor with his god at all times. If his favor falls too low, his status will be stripped from him. Likewise, a champion must be active in accomplishing further directives and mandates. Failing to fulfill at least the occasional directive or mandate will also cause his status to be stripped from him. In addition to the fact that he's no longer a champion (and probably has to deal with the social consequences of his fall from grace), an ex-champion generally earns the particular displeasure of the deity whom he swore to serve and then turned away from...

While the benefits of being a champion are substantial, it is also a competitive position which requires active participation, and thus it's not for everyone. Also, there are only so many directives and mandates to go around between all of the current and would-be champions, which means that the stakes can be quite high (and the competition to complete them quite fierce). This is not a position to seek on a whim!

What is a Hierophant?
The hierophant of each faith is the divinely-ordained leader of that faith. The hierophant is almost always drawn from the ranks of the current champions of the faith, and the status of hierophant is maintained only as long as the character continues to maintain strong favor with that god. (Failing to do so carries the same consequences as any champion failing in his duties.) The hierophant is largely responsible for setting forth the objectives of the champions (and would-be champions) of the faith in the form of hierophant's directives, the nature of which varies from god to god, always reflecting that god's domain.

A hierophant does not have control over the faith in the sense of being able to directly grant or deny favor or even champion status - that's solely the purview of the god itself. On the other hand, he can influence the faith's direction indirectly by means of the directives which he sets forth. All the same, a hierophant who begins to abuse this authority can be stripped of it if the god deems the hierophant's actions to be inappropriate or against the interests of the faith as a whole.

In essence, a hierophant will receive the direct attention of the Shadowpool campaign staff as far as his religious role is concerned. This may be a blessing or a curse, depending on your point of view.

So a Hierophant can't just proclaim his personal sect to be above all the rest, and set down directives which make things impossible for the others...
He can do it, but it will cost him!

What about dragons?
Divine favor returned to mortal races when the Pantheon was constructed in the early years of the Age of Ascension - except for dragons. For some reason, unknown to other races (and perhaps unknown to the dragons themselves), divine favor has not returned to them. As such, dragons are unable to successfully perform rituals, to become champions or hierophants, or otherwise directly participate in the religious life of TerVarus.

What is the Pantheon?
The Pantheon (capital P, separate from pantheon) is a special location in the game world where all of the faiths are headquartered, and where most of the hierophants can probably be found at any given time. It is unique in the world, and it has extensive protections both for itself and for anyone who's present in or around it. It also serves as a place where any non-dragon character may be resurrected after death, provided that they still have soul strength left (see the Combat section).

So do the gods appear in the world? Can I fight them? Do they fight with each other?
The gods don't appear in the world - they are the world, or at least its cycles of existence. As such, they're an intangible part of the spiritual fabric of the world itself rather than being "big humans with big powers", so unless you can find some way to destroy TerVarus entirely (good luck), you can't do much of anything to them.

While the gods may represent contrasting (or even conflicting) forces, they're all vital parts of the cycle which naturally give way to one another as time passes. As such, they're not hostile to one another. Even if they were, they couldn't fight one another in any meaningful sense anyway.

This also means that there are no "divine realms" in the sense of other planes that you can visit. A god's "realm" is some aspect of the world of TerVarus, not an alternate reality.

Is there a head deity who rules the others? Is there some kind of deity or similar being that opposes them?
No, and no. The gods are essentially equals, and they answer only to themselves. They have no "ultimate enemy" among or to them.

Who is the god of contracts? Who is the god of the hunt? Who is the god of lime-flavored jelly beans?
The god whom you associate with something often depends on the light you wish to view it in. The gods don't represent specific things so much as they represent general forces or states of being, and a given thing or activity could be associated with more than one god. For example, a hunt is probably associated both with Karathan (the chase) and Thondari (the kill). A contract might be associated with any of the gods depending on its particulars. A peace treaty would likely fall under Serathis's domain simply due to what the treaty entails, while a trade agreement is more apt to be seen as associated with Karathan or Lyrania.

Does a character's soul strength affect its favor with the gods?
No.

How do the effects of religious rituals differ from arcane magic?
Arcane magic generally deals in direct, immediate, and reasonably measurable results. Religious rituals, when they actually have an effect, typically evoke subtle, long-term changes.

What about the Ancients?
The Age of Ancients is largely a mystery, as are the Ancients themselves.

Magie


How does arcane magic work?
ToA's arcane magic system is presently being kept (mostly) a secret. It's a highly individual thing which each character must work on independently, both in the skills that they pursue and in the specific spells or effects that they're able to garner from it. Arcane effects are defined by a variety of skills, traditions, energies, tools, and methods of invocation - some of which can be quite laborious for the would-be mage.

Arcane magic is also a very dangerous path to pursue, as it can easily injure or kill even an experienced magician, nevermind a neophyte one. That said, arcane magic is available to anyone who has enough courage and dedication to pursue it.

One other notable feature of arcane magic is that it is individualized. Each character has its own "magical signature" by which it interacts with possible arcane components and rituals, which means that there is no pre-set formula to create any given effect.

Can any race use arcane magic?
Correct. Arcane magic is not arbitrarily off-limits to any race - nor is it exclusively the province of player races! Some races - not always the ones you might expect - may have a greater affinity for arcane magic in general or for certain types of arcane magic in particular, but they all have the potential to use it to at least some degree.

On the flip side, arcane magic is also equally dangerous for every race to pursue.

Does my religious affiliation have any effect on using arcane magic? Do any of the gods actively support or frown upon it?
Your religious affiliation has no direct effect on your use of arcane magic, though it may help or hinder you indirectly. None of the gods have any specific affiliation with or objection to the use of arcane magic as a matter of general principle.

I've heard that there are nine energies and four traditions involved. What are they?
The nine energies (Air, Cold, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Metamorphic, Sense, Thought, and Water) relate to the type of power which is being manipulated by an arcanist. The four traditions (Animism, Artifice, Sorcery, and Tempestry) relate to how that power is being made manifest by an arcanist.

Any given arcane effect is the product of a combination of an energy type and a tradition. Sometimes this may include surprising combinations or effects. For example, Electrical Animism may be used to seize control of a living creature's muscles and manipulate it like a puppet by controlling the electrical impulses of its body.

Do any of the energy types or traditions oppose one another? Do I have to specialize in just a single one, or can I master them all?
None of the energy types or traditions are opposed to one another, nor do they interfere with one another. You may master as few or as many of them as you wish, though as with all fields of study in ToA, this involves a tradeoff of depth versus breadth.

Can a character maintain more than one magical effect at a time?
In theory, yes. In practice, this is a dangerous thing to do, since it drastically increases the demands on the character's Concentration, and thus increases the danger involved.

Is it possible to work arcane magic cooperatively?
Provided that those involved have gained the appropriate arcane effect(s) with which to do so, it is possible.

Does armor interfere with the use of arcane magic?
No. The use of arcane magic is not affected by the wearing of armor.

Communication


How do I communicate with other players in the game? Are there different languages, or does everyone speak 'common'?
The natives of TerVarus speak many different languages, and characters will need to speak at least one language in common in order to have a conversation. Failing that, the services of an interpreter will be invaluable. Languages may be learned like any other skill, though they're among the more demanding skills to master. There is no predefined "common" language, so it may be necessary to study new languages before venturing into foreign lands. It's also worth noting that each race has its own affinity for each language, depending on how natural the language is to that race.

Communication is also possible at several volumes, from whispering to shouting, which will affect the distance at which the words can be heard.

What about communicating with someone far away, such as other members of my domain, guild, or adventuring group?
Communication is entirely in-character, so if a player wishes to send a message to someone who isn't in the vicinity, they need to start walking, or perhaps hire a messenger to convey it. Failing that, a particularly gifted arcane spellcaster might be able to provide a solution...

Do I have a buddy list that lets me see who else is online?
There is no buddy list in the game. If you want to meet with someone then you'll need to arrange a time and place to meet. It's possible to leave messages for other characters at a notice board or through a mutual contact, of course, and nothing prevents you from finding things to do while you wait for someone to arrive.

Royaumes


How do domains work?
In order to establish a domain (or settlement), a group of players must first stake out a territory by building a town hall and chartering it, then staking out its territory. A domain may try to claim whatever territory it wishes, but it had best be prepared to enforce and defend that claim against challengers.

A domain may be established with a number of different styles of government, and the leader or leaders may also delegate tasks to subordinates - and in the case of larger domains, with many affairs of state demanding attention, they'll probably need to do just that. The ruler or rulers and their subordinates are empowered to make laws and pass various decrees, as well as levying taxes or tithes upon certain services which the domain provides to its citizens.

What sort of services do they provide?
The most important service that a domain provides is its location, allowing players to congregate and interact easily in a reasonably secure (one would hope) environment, protected by its laws and regulations, as well as by the guards which it provides.

How do I get from one place to another?
Walking is the simplest and most accessible form of transportation, though it's also typically the slowest. Some races are naturally able to fly, providing a much speedier method of travel, and at least one race is able to swim at an impressive speed. Mounts, wagons, and ships may also get you from place to place. Magical forms of transportation do exist, but they are uncommon, can be risky, and are certainly not something that one should count on being available.

Can I build and own a house or a shop?
Players can build and own buildings, both inside and outside of domains. Building outside of domain-claimed land allows you to be independent, but being part of a domain gives you the advantage of services and legal protection. Domains may also house special buildings, and can even take political control of other domains to form a nation or empire.

What sort of maintenance and repair work will my house require?
Buildings can be damaged and destroyed, though this generally requires heavy (siege) weaponry to accomplish with any efficiency. Buildings can be repaired by manual labor, and some domains may orchestrate repair services as well.

What kind of buildings can I build?
There are many types of buildings in a variety of architectural styles that see use in the world of TerVarus. Most of these are accessible to any sufficiently-skilled builder, but some may be limited in their availability due to resource constraints or legal limitations. Most players will primarily be concerned with their own home, but shops and other businesses may also be maintained, and domains also have the option of including several special structures within their territory, such as town halls, outposts, and docks.

How does the economy work in ToA?
The economy is player-driven in ToA. There are no NPC vendors who automatically set prices at a given level and maintain an infinite pool of cash with which to buy goods from the players. Rather, players need to seek out other players who have or can produce the goods or services that they desire, and barter according to their means. ToA includes a full crafting system to allow players to produce their own goods, and many other skills will allow players to earn their keep in other ways.

What currency is used in ToA?
ToA does not have a universal currency or system of coinage. Each domain may mint coins from various metals as it suits them, and since a coin is fundamentally a type of miniature ingot, the value of the coin will depend on the value of that type of metal in that domain - if copper is common in an area then copper coins probably won't have much value, while an area with a scarcity of copper will probably value them much more highly. Of course, a domain can give additional backing to a currency if it so desires (though this can be an expensive proposition).

How do I report crimes that I see happening in a domain?
Provided that your character manages to perceive the crime in question, you may report the crime to any authorized civic official or town guard, as well as at appropriate civic facilities such as a town hall or outpost. The quality of the report (and thus how well-informed the guards become) depends on your character's perception of the crime, as well as any countermeasures that the criminal may have used (such as disguise). Town guards will only learn of recent reports when they next visit their post or when the crime is reported to them directly, so a quick criminal may manage to leave town ahead of the law!

Can domains choose to work together or unite into one?
Domains can certainly cooperate with one another, and they may also be united into a single domain (by force or by choice) in the right circumstances.

So my domain can conquer another domain?
Yes, although you could also choose to simply try to grab territory rather than attempting outright conquest. This may be easier to do in that outlying territory is probably less well defended than a capital city!

Will there be pre-existing domains at game launch? How will they be handled?
There are twelve known domains in TerVarus as of the time period in which the game will begin. (There may certainly be others unknown to the world at large.) These will initially be administered by NPCs under the control of the campaign staff, and will be transitioned to player control as soon as is feasible, and by methods in keeping with the form of governance of each domain as best is possible.

Autres


I have a question not answered here...
Pop into the forums (see the link at the top right), introduce yourself, and ask away! The membership is a font of information. Also, be sure to read over the rest of the site (especially the Compendium) - a lot of question are answered there. There are also several fansites with excellent compilations of information that you won't find anywhere else (or at least, not without a lot of searching) which you can access from the Links section.

So how do I form up a 'group'?
By getting together with others and doing things together!

ToA doesn't rely on the types of game mechanics which which make the ability to artificially designate some characters as your "group" a necessity. Thus, there's no hard-coded "grouping system"; your allies are whomever you consider them to be at any given point, and you don't magically receive any status updates or tracking information about them just because they're your allies.

Will there be quests? Can they change TerVarus?
ToA will not include static quests (such as an NPC who stands by the road and pays infinite amounts of cash for every worn suit of leather armor you bring him). Events will certainly occur, but these will be handled individually by Shadowpool staff members, and except in unusual cases will not be repeatable. A few of these events may have permanent consequences for TerVarus, while most will have only temporary, local, or individual impact.

What about lycanthropy? Can I become a werewolf?
Lycanthropy does not exist in TerVarus, at least not in the conventional sense of a curse or disease which transforms people under the full moon. Rather, it's a symbolic state associated with the use of the shapechanging magic, such as an arcanist might acquire.

Maybe demons, then?
TerVarus does not exist within a multi-planar cosmology, and thus there are no "extraplanar" beings such as demons (or angels). Of course, there may be other kinds of creatures that are just as nasty to run across, but you won't be playing them...

What about other kinds of creatures? Are they all unique to ToA, or will there be familiar ones too?
There will be a mix of familiar creatures (including common animals) and ToA originals. In some cases, a familiar name or form may have an unexpected ToA twist. For example, the ToA "Hellhound" is associated with pestilence rather than fire, and an elemental is "built" from an appropriate type of arcane energy rather than summoned from somewhere else.

Will some types of creatures fight with other types of creatures?
They may, provided that there's a good reason for at least one of them to attack the other. Different types of creatures have a range of motivations, some in common with other creatures of the same type, and some individual to each creature.

Is it possible for a type of creature to go extinct? Can an area of the world become a barren wasteland if everything dies out?
A type of creature (or a type of plant) could well go extinct if it's wiped out or at least ends up unable to replenish its numbers as they're depleted. If this occurs then the creature (or plant) will no longer appear in the game world.

A particular region is unlikely to become entirely barren unless it's isolated enough that transactions with other parts of the world are all but impossible, which won't happen often. In theory, though, an area could end up devoid of life if everything in the area goes extinct.

Where can I find a map of the game world?
Shadowpool has not released an official map of the game world, and we don't intend to do so. (Any map-like graphics you see on the website are purely illustrative.) Some areas of the world are better known than others, and maps for these places may exist in the game world, but the world as a whole is something that players will need to go out and explore for themselves!

Is the game world divided into different zones? What happens when I cross from one to another?
TerVarus does not have "zones" in the sense of different map sections which are independent of one another and which have an artificial boundary separating them. The world certainly features a variety of geographical regions, but they're all integrated seamlessly into a single world map. Thus, crossing the boundaries simply happens during normal travel, and you may not even notice that you've moved from one region to another unless you pay attention to the slowly-changing scenery.

What calendar is used in ToA?
TerVarus uses its own calendar, which is arranged as follows: Each year is divided into twelve months of forty days each. Each month is, in turn, divided into four ten-day weeks. The weeks of each month are named, in order, Earth, Fire, Air, and Water. The months of the year are named, in order: Winterblast, Thaw, Seeding, Blossoming, Florabloom, Zenith, Hot Skies, Summerwane, Reaping, Leaffall, Frost, and Nadir. Years are numbered sequentially, with the sequence resetting only when a new Age is determined to have begun.

A date is commonly rendered as follows: The time of the day, the day of the week, the week of the month, the month of the year, the year, and the Age. The time, year, and Age may be omitted if they're not relevant to the dating. For example, sunrise on the twenty-second day of the sixth month of 4 AAs would be formally rendered as: "Dawn on the second day of Air in the month of Zenith in the fourth year of the Age of Ascension."

The four Ages are commonly abbreviated as follows: Age of Ancients (AA or AAn), Age of Emergence (AE), Age of Shadows (AS), and Age of Ascension (AAs).

Does my character remain in the game world when I log out, or does she disappear?
Your character will generally disappear when you log out. There are a few caveats to this, however.

When you choose to log out, there will be a short delay before the actual logout occurs. Additionally, if you've recently performed or been subjected to a number of hostile actions, you will not be able to log out right away; you'll have to wait until the "hostile" state clears before the logout sequence can begin. Once you're actually logged out, the character will disappear.

If the you lose your connection to the server, then the server will attempt to log you out. If you're currently flagged as having been involved in "hostile" actions, it will wait for that state to be cleared before attempting to log you out. (In other words, you can't simply pull the plug to save your character from death. )

If your character is in a vehicle then the character will be marked as present in that vehicle. If the vehicle is destroyed, the character will be placed in the game world, and the server will attempt to log the character out as soon as it can (subject to the above restrictions).

Generally, your character will log back on in the same location in which he logged off. There are two exceptions: First, if the character was on a vehicle then the character will log back on in the vehicle (assuming that it hasn't been destroyed, of course). Second, if the location that the character occupied when it logged off has become inaccessible or invalid, then your character will appear as close to its logout point as is reasonably practical.

Will my character heal while logged off? Will her disease get worse if she has one?
Your character's condition doesn't change while logged off. This includes healing, disease, and any other time-based effects.

A character who is a vehicle passenger is an exception to this rule: The character's condition will continue to update for as long as she's a passenger.

Can I pick someone's pocket?
You can certainly try. Whether or not you succeed is quite another matter. You're not limited to pickpocketing other players, either - you can also try to pickpocket things from creatures, provided that the creatures in question are actually carrying items of some sort. (Thus, you're not likely to have much success if you try to pickpocket a snake or a giraffe!)

How and where will artifacts enter the game world?
Artifacts will enter the game world in either a random location or in a place of their own choosing when the time is right. The exact circumstances depend on the nature of the artifact, as do the circumstances under which an artifact will leave the world. An artifact which is created during gameplay (such as when a character permadies and is given the option) will not enter the game world until some time has passed since that event, and it isn't likely to appear in the same spot as the character died.

How do I earn the chance to make an artifact?
While we aren't prepared to reveal the full process just yet, we will say that there are no static "artifact quests" or triggering conditions in the game world, so you can't go through a predictable routine to earn that right.

How much music will there be in ToA?
ToA will mainly use environmental effects rather than music. Music will only be featured in the game menus, in certain special areas, or when music is actually being produced by someone (or something) in the game world.

What's a Pnume?
In the context of ToA, a Pnume is said to have occurred when a thread on the discussion forums suddenly goes off topic.

What's a Mawktopus?
Wouldn't you like to know...
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