Salem

Just thought I would throw a few ideas out here, since I am sure that I am not the only one to be disappointed by the inactivity on Popham. JC has probably considered all of these and rejected them for good reason, but would like to hear from other members on what might help the expeditions. Just brainstorming, so please don't hate on me too much!

1) Very valuable exclusive items (eg 6 slot hat, new +30 feasting artifice.) These could be transferred to Providence by creating an expensive "package." The package would be stored in a townbell and shipped in 3 months or end of server, whichever comes first. This would increase the attractiveness of raiding. Perhaps combined with the final week of the server having bloodmoon and nerfed walls would lead to some serious PVP. I realize animals were supposed to fulfill this role, but didn't work out.

2) Increase inheritance above 100%. Not sure what the right number here is, but building a 300 bile hunter alt might be more attractive if you inherited a 350 char at server end. Perhaps 100% should just be sold at the estate planner, and then 1% extra per visit to the Family Statue.

3) Dual character progression. An option to receive a certificate to apply proficiencies to your main on Providence, instead of inheritance. A crafter who is weaker than your main is not terribly useful. This would obviously have to be balanced to offer a nice reward but not be too exploitable.

4) Easier slotting. Getting 500+ thread and needle on a temporary server is not fun. One way to accomplish this would be to create an (expensive) item which fixes broken slots (or clears the whole piece of gear.) That item would go quite nicely with point 1. Of course you could also just increase odds of slotting success. As an aside point, I think feasting should be balanced by biles not gobble points. So, for example, a 100 feasting set could give you extra gluttony points up to 50 biles, and a 1000 set would give gluttony points up to 500 biles.

5) Vastly decreased cost of Cain and Able. It's a temporary server where you can inherit lost characters on Providence, so murder is less consequential and hence should be a lot cheaper.

Finally, could we have some small hint as to when Popham might end? Like any day or is no one even close? I have a lot of spare time for the next 6 months and have been feeling the Salem urge hard...

When it ends is entirely up to the players.

I don't want to say there is no value to any of your ideas, but in my experience the issue isn't a lack of rewards or that it may be a 'waste' of time, its that the server isn't fun enough in its own right (to me, because it is temporary and less sandboxy with its goals etc).

Does that mean there are 3rd circle witches who could end the server? Or are you not willing to give information on the subject?

Lallaith wrote:I don't want to say there is no value to any of your ideas, but in my experience the issue isn't a lack of rewards or that it may be a 'waste' of time, its that the server isn't fun enough in its own right (to me, because it is temporary and less sandboxy with its goals etc).

You are probably right, but two things can be true at the same time. I was also trying to come up with suggestions that would hopefully not require much dev time...

I kind of enjoy the futility of Popham, that there's no real reason to play on it except unlocking a very marginally useful yet still somewhat significant game feature... I think these kinds of way-the-frack-out-of-your-way dynamics are what separate Salem from other more brainless mmos. Because there's no direct benefit to individual contributors it's up to the player base to create incentive to get people to actually do it. It's a fundamentally non-sandboxy mechanic that leads to very sandboxy side effects. I'm hoping to see some sort of "matching" program where large groups contribute 1000x each only if they all match in order to multiply their efforts.

However, that doesn't necessary mean people will actually get their **** together and organize anything to make it happen

wormcsa wrote:Finally, could we have some small hint as to when Popham might end? Like any day or is no one even close?

As Meow said it's up to the players, though it seems like doing something like making it "rain" frogs in town or have swarms of locusts (crickets) starting during one of the final steps of the witching process (eg, final few days/weeks) to indicate that people need to either hurry the F up or find and kill/interrupt the witch -now- (perhaps with some way to suggest where the witch is) would be a much more enjoyable mechanic rather than anticlimactically logging on to see the server is gone. This is the first expedition though, so who knows, maybe the devs have tricks up their sleeves.

If you're talking about the animals, they'll be much more useful once we can get the rest of their foods in.

TotalyMeow wrote:If you're talking about the animals, they'll be much more useful once we can get the rest of their foods in.

I think this what everyone is upset with on popham.

Considering how easy stuff transfers hands in this game by sale, salvage, or theft... the only 'exclusive' item I'd consider is a brand on my account. Something along the lines of Pioneer or Explorer, etc... maybe a 1% lucky passive token or some such for my participation on all crafting in Providence that would impact all toons on that account...forever.

Special items? Destined to be lost, etc...

Two cents.

1) There are already unique items like the Golden Fleece.

2) If statues are properly utilized, inheritance and character progression are enhanced on Popham already.

3) If you do it right, you can actually make your new main on Popham, I already have honestly.

4) The grind does suck trying to build up sets from scratch, not going to lie.

5) A shop skull is ridiculously cheap and I can't believe people still get the 375 for it the hard way. Kudos to Claeyt who just did, but all those murder alts I think are shop skulls. Popham have murder on the second day IIRC.