- Inscription - A new EQ skill proposal

[Sihk]

My proposal for a new Tradeskill or AA

- Inscription -

Inscription is a skill used to scribe, not research, spells on parchment.

Requirements for Inscription
1 - Int caster class (wis caster also with appropriate AA)
2 - Spell research must be at 250 skill or higher
3 - Wisdom or Intelligence must be at 400 or higher
4 - Available spells to inscribe will not include spells that can be researched
5 - Wis caster will need certain AA skill to compensate for lack of spell research

The pool of spells available to inscribe will be -ONLY- the spells in the caster or priest spellbook. Inscription is a class specific skill...ie Shaman may scribe shaman spells that THEY POSSES IN THEIR SPELLBOOK ONLY, Enchanters may scribe enchanter spells that THEY POSSES IN THEIR SPELLBOOK ONLY. Spells that may be researched will not be available to inscription (thus preserving the people's market (laugh) who are still skilling up their research

Priest classes can inscribe, but in leiu of not having spell research they will need to meet another requirement (perhaps AA?) that is comparable to the cost / time of 250 research skill

Two different methods come to mind.

1) Caster or priest memorizes the spell he wishes to scribe, places a gnome skin (or other graphic comparable to a spell parchment) into a research type book along with a component (gem, other droppable item?). Spell book is held on cursor and AA or skill type hotbutton is pressed. Inscription time is longer than cast time and consumes the same mana. IE the spell consumes 1000 mana and takes 4.0 seconds to cast, then when inscribing, it will consume 1000 mana and take 8.0 seconds to cast. If successful, a spell scroll appears in the research book

2) Same as above, no research book, no component...user holds blank "scroll" on cursor with spell mem'd, casts AA or skill button and spell is scribed

Issues
------
Should ancient spells be allowed? Probably not although this is argueable
No drop spells. Scribed spells will have to be tradeable
I would argue that -all- spells should be available. The current system of runes and parchments needed to attain spells is cumbersome and a clear source of frustration for MANY players who have gone through the agony of camping zones for hours and losing rolls on parchments / runes for their spellbooks
All expansion spell drops should be made available, GoD, OOW, etc.
Spells available via quest or raid events, should they be made available? Unsure of this
SOE needs to look at making spells STACKABLE. Spells take up way too many bank slots to be a practicle trade skill. Making them stackable makes this a very viable tradeskill

Your thoughts appreciated. Other MMORPGs have this skill and I think it would be a very nice progression for players. Thanks for viewing this!

-Sihk, Necromancer of the soon to be merged Solusek Ro

[Maevenniia]

You realize, with such a skill, only one person with this skill from each class woul ever have to earn their spells the hard way, and after that they could Inscribe infite #s of spell scrolls to sell to their fellows?

This would work only if they were charged/expendable (and probably Lore) items, sort of like storing your spell for use later, by yourself or someone else. They'd be Potion Belt enabled, of course. And would probably have a required level, so that you couldn't give a level 70 nuke scroll, or a Complete Healing Scroll, to a level 1 newbie.

I'd like that, I could create an Improved Invis scroll for my group's cleric, or a few different nuke scrolls to use when I'm OOM and still want to contribute damage.

[Sihk]

Yes

I do realize that, with inscription, it would eliminate for the most part, getting spells "the hard way".

That's the point.

I think the idea of camping mobs for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours for your spells is an obsolete model.

Ultima Online has this exact skill, Inscription. It is a very viable and profitable trade skill in that game.

It's a matter of opinion. Some players feel that spells should be "earned" the old way. Me, and alot of others, think the "camp mobs for drops for spells" is obsolete and extremely frustrating.

[Kahmon]

naaa

There is a reason that some formerly dropped only spells were added to the PoK library and others were not. Basically Sony wants players to have to work for some of them. Allowing any player with a spell to make unlimited copies would be a bad idea since it would make things too easy.

I've just started doing research a week ago on my Tinkbot, but have had no problem finding parts for spells and skilling up fast (while working on 8 other skills too).

Maevenniia has suggested before adding more practical things to spell research such as charged clickies, and more spells that are not currently researchable. Both of which are very good ideas since they would be the the pavement for the eventual road to 300 skill.

I like the idea of making Ancient Spells researchable, but those should probably be no fail and would need to be made by the class it's intended for since the resulting spell would be no drop. Perhaps combined in the training rune tome?

[Astroshak]

"2 - Spell research must be at 250 skill or higher"

I've been out of the loop for a week or so . . . but have they implemented recipes taking you over 227 research?

[Sihk]

ddd

No Ash, they haven't. I'm guessing they will offer some new recipes for that soon, however.

In any event, I have a difference of opinion. My view is that the model of having to camp mobs for hours for spells is outmoded given today's new MMORPG environment.

Others feel that the old methods are fine as is ie getting parchments, runes off mobs in groups, etc.

[Sikin]

Another thought on this.. 400 int is only obtainable by high level people with a fair amount of AAs (I'm sitting at 42 atm and only have 290 int usable at 65). One thing about tradeskills is there are uses at lower levels. How would this be like the other tradeskills in this way? How would this keep the spell market from either becoming outragous with the higher lvl people charging alot per spell, or from someone flooding the market with them and ruining it for those who earn a rune the hard way? One final thought, what type of a progression do you have in mind, since you talk about it being a tradeskill.

Dont take these as me trying to find problems with this thought, just some questions I had about it.

[eqNichola]

outmoded given today's new MMORPG environment.

What does this mean?