Learning spells from scrolls Options

[Sikret]

Arguments and counter-arguments:

Arguments for option 1:

(I) We don't need to remove the xp granted by writing scrolls, because erasing spells from spellbook and writing them over and over again is a cheat and if a player intends to cheat, he will eventually use the console command or an editor to add xp to his characters when he sees that re-writing scrolls doesn't work for this purpose. So, why should we bother with removing the xp when there are other ways to cheat?

(II) The xp gained by learning spells from scrolls is a very nice and handy feature early in the game to help low level parties boost their xp to some extent (not by erasing and re-writing, of course). It's not the best choice to remove this handy feature just because some cheaters may abuse it. Blocking cheats is good, but only if it won't affect legitimate players' games in any way (in this case, it does).

Arguments for option 2:

(I) Players who play the game legitimately and do not practice erasing and rewriting scrolls won't notice any significant change in their game if we remove the xp granted by writing scrolls, because the total amount of xp a legitimate player gains from writing scrolls isn't that much in the entire game. He writes each spell only once and removing the xp won't affect his game. On the other hand, this change can appropriately block the xp exploit some players use. It's true that erasing spells and writing them over and over again is a cheat and doesn't actually have any difference with using the console command or editors to add xp to characters, but some misguided players do believe that there is a difference between these methods; as long as they can do something inside the game without using console commands or editors they think that it is fine. All in all, other players who don't abuse such exploits should not worry about this suggested tweak, because it won't affect their games in any noticeable way.

(II) Moreover, why should learning a spell grant thousands of xp at all (specially when even failing to learn it can be easily overcome by trying another scroll of the same spell again and again till success - not to mention the possibility to reload the game)?

(III) Since mages have an HLA to scribe scrolls, they have also unlimited number of scrolls in the game. In the progress report for IA v6, it is mentioned that scrolls gained via the HLA won't have any market price and can't be sold for infinite gold. When we block the exploits for infinite gold why should we not block it for infinite xp these scrolls can offer?

I hope that I have been fair in offering the arguments for both options. As for myself, I am honestly 50-50 and undecided. Both sides' arguments have merits. That's why I'm asking for your opinions.

Vote and send a reply containing your vote and your reasons as well (anonymous votes will be ignored).

Also, note that if you see the results before voting, you won't be able to vote afterwards.

Thanks.

[Vuki]

Sikret!

For me it is very clear that you want to change it anyway. You defend only the new method (except your first post) and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. But then stop arguing and just make the modification! Be a punk! Use this attitude: "Never mind the bollocks here is the Sex Pistols!"

Personally I vote against this change because it is a nice addition to the game. It almost does not effect the game at all and therefore there is no real reason to change it. But because it affects the game only in a minor way, removing it will also not affect too much. We have a saying that describes the situation well: it is a storm in a spoon of water.

This post has been edited by Vuki: Oct 8 2008, 12:07 PM

[Sikret]

For me it is very clear that you want to change it anyway. You defend only the new method (except your first post) and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. But then stop arguing and just make the modification!

If it was so, why did I start this poll in the first place? I have already applied many other changes to the game without feeling the need to start a poll. If what you said was true, I could do the same in this case as well.

How could it be that there are 16 votes but in some we see only 8 (5+3)? Is it a bug in the forum engine?

When someone clicks to see the poll results without voting, the number of votes increases. For example, I didn't vote, but I clicked on the null vote option to observe the results; it added me to the total number of voters.

We had also a few (=five) anonymous voters (those who voted but didn't send any post; 3 of them had voted for the 1st option, 2 others had voted for the 2nd option) whose votes were omitted, but they were added to the total number of voters. As I said in my initial post, only votes of those who send a post will be accepted (otherwise any troll can jump in to throw a random vote, though I'm not saying that those 5 anonymous voters were necessarily trolls, but their votes were omitted because they didn't follow the poll's rule). If you compare the votes with the posts, you will see that their numbers match with the number of people (except for one person - I think, lroumen, IIRC - who didn't vote, but just sent a post).

This post has been edited by Sikret: Oct 8 2008, 02:40 PM

Reason for edit: Typo and grammar

[Vuki]

If it was so, why did I start this poll in the first place? I have already applied many other changes to the game without feeling the need to start a poll. If what you said was true, I could do the same in this case as well.

Just joking. However I think that your initial opinion was not divided by 50-50% between the to options.

I hope that my vote was not deleted because I made my post first and wrote my post only hours later.

[Sikret]

I hope that my vote was not deleted because I made my post first and wrote my post only hours later.

No, yours wasn't deleted. As I said, you can compare the number of votes with the number of people who posted to see that they match.