(Disclaimer: This isn't something I expect to be in at launch)
Something that really struck me while I was playing Final Fantasy XIV is that characters can actually marry each other in something called the Ceremony of Eternal Bonding,which is essentially a fancy wedding that you can invite friends and family to. Here, check it out.
[youtube]qHmTjrYM4tM[/youtube]
This is the sort of thing that I think creates soft reasons for players to keep coming back to a game. Not rewards for time invested, but the opportunity to form good memories that foster the community more than the mechanics. having the ability to set up an instanced ceremony like this would be incredible. I don't think it'd be overly taxing on the system either, as it seems to use the same sort of camera mechanics you can find in the rest of the game; very simple camera tilts and gliding for good effect, a few unique animations, some specific costume items, and an instance where these things go off with friends and family to look on.
It's a not so simple but potentially easy enough to do thing that I think could pay back to the community and devs surprisingly well.
An infinite number of tries doesn't mean that any one of those tries will succeed. I could flip an infinite number of pennies an infinite number of times and, barring genuine randomness, they will never come up "Waffles".
Well we know that CoH eventually offered its [url=https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Wedding_Pack]Wedding Pack[/url] so there's already the precedent for something like what you're suggesting here for CoT.
Perhaps the game could provide a minor in-game bonus to the characters who decide to get married like this. For instance whenever the "married couple" is teamed together in the game the two characters might get like a 2% DEF bonus ("two" for the two people) or some other equivalent bonus. Something like this might encourage those people who never actually roleplay in games like this to at least attempt it a little bit.
Also, sadly, there would likely need to be a way for couples to effectively "divorce" each other as well. Maybe just a simple GUI where both players have to click "yes" to agree to divorce.
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
Bonus when teamed is a great idea!
Now who wants to marry me?
:P
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
It's a very nice setup. It strikes me as something that may not happen in an "officially" setup way for some time, but that is fine. Player character weddings will happen regardless of official design, but an out of the way safe area WOULD make it easier. (I actually have an unreasonably high degree of confidence the devs have considered and planned for this.)
But in the meantime, depending on how easily viewed bases are, I can see Super Teams having themed base design contests including wedding chapel themes.
Heck, here's an idea. If we as a community have enough demand for weddings, or other social events, We could dedicate a Super Team, with it's base, for that function and take some burden off the devs. A lot of this idea depends on stuff we don't really know yet, but it seems exciting to me nonetheless.
Hard NO.
If you want to get married, get married and RP your brains out. If you want to encourage people to marry other people, find an RP reason to do it. The moment you tack on some performance bonus it motivates people to enter into false pairings, voiding the intent behind actually making a marriage possible. Then you have to deal with how people 'cheat' on their spouse and get a divorce. Then there is the social stigma attached to the people who are unmarried because they don't have whatever bonus (then presumably "[I]goto vegas for a quick & dirty drive thru marriage[/I]" to the first person to say yes) when tackling end game content.
Allow it or disallow it, I don't care. Just don't attach anything that impacts game play.
"Just, well, update your kickstarter email addresses, okay? Make sure they're current?" - warcabbit
If we have Super weddings they need to be crashed by a super villain. It's traditional.
Maybe have guest Dev NPCs that show up as wedding guests, like how Stan Lee went to the wedding of Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm.
"Let the past die. Kill it if you have to."
Who cares if people "get together" just for a trivially small bonus? All your talk about "false pairings" (What exactly makes them "false"? Who are you to judge?), "cheating on spouses" (Why would people 'cheat' on spouses when they would LOSE the bonus while supposedly cheating?) and people having "social stigmas" against other people for not having their own 2% DEF bonus is incredibly laughable.
I suppose I should have expected there would be people against this idea. But frankly I didn't foresee anyone getting so hyperbolically apoplectic about it. If you want to go take a quick breath and then come back with some well-reasoned points for why it's a bad idea then knock yourself out with that.
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
Rather than a gameplay bonus, I could definitely see an XP bonus, a base bonus of some kind, an aesthetic option,or even a death penalty reduction would be perfectly acceptable; or maybe even a teleport to each other (only to be used in the world and not in combat). Although, if I remember correctly, I think MWM has stated that there will be no death penalty.
[hr]I like to take your ideas and supersize them. This isn't criticism, it is flattery. I come with nothing but good will and a spirit of team-building. If you take what I write any other way, that is probably just because I wasn't very clear.
Lothic I appreciate the idea, but I can see where a combat bonus may not be appropriate for all married characters. Perhaps something more subtle like shared storage could work though?
CoH already allowed for a [url=https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Leveling_Pact]Leveling Pact[/url] system which to my mind is arguably many times more "intrusive" than the simplistic "get a tiny bonus while you team up with one other specific character" idea.
Either way I'm totally open to debating a different kind of "bonus" than something like a +2% DEF thing. That was just an example I threw out there that I'm not 100% "married" to (pun intended). Other things like you suggested might work too.
I obviously don't think my +2% DEF idea is THAT over the top. But again like I just said I'd be open to discussing other possible "being married" benefits.
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
-10% defense if the couple wears matching costumes...
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
LOL sure, why not. I never specifically implied that any in-game effect for being "married" always had to be a "positive" one.
Perhaps (as a highly detailed aid for roleplaying) a married/paired couple could be allowed to designate the exact "nature" of their relationship. For instance if it's a "loving" relationship then the couple might get some kind of trivial bonus to play together in a team. But if it's a "spiteful/bitter" relationship then maybe the couple would have some negative effect for being together or even get a bonus to hit each other in PvP. Maybe this could even be the basis of a Nemesis system relationship where the game could consider a spiteful, separated couple as each other's official primary "Nemesis".
[youtube=300x300]A7r-B3gsxcY[/youtube]
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
Having a leveling pact with a nemesis would be a neat idea. Ensures you'll always be able to challenge the other.
"Let the past die. Kill it if you have to."
Sure. We've got to remember that any kind of "marriage system" in a game like this could really be expanded to incorporate all sorts of "roleplay relationships" between two individual characters. CoH's Leveling Pact system was already technically a sort of specialized "marriage" between two people regardless if there was any romantic feelings between them or not.
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
you know, you guys keep going on about gameplay bonuses and why they would suck, but I think there's a much more elegant solution available, in the fact that personal bases and costumes will be a thing? Why not just allow married couples access to things like the wedding tux, dress, a wedding band, and a personal base the two of them share that has its own amenities but is separate from their own actually personal bases, should they choose to use them?
Incentives to go for it, but no gameplay requirements at all. Remember, the biggest incentive you can go for in a game where alting is the endgame and costuming is basically everything are getting costume pieces, and they have no impact on combat capability whatsoever, meaning anybody who doesn't want them can just ignore them entirely!
An infinite number of tries doesn't mean that any one of those tries will succeed. I could flip an infinite number of pennies an infinite number of times and, barring genuine randomness, they will never come up "Waffles".
I had several leveling pacts where the characters were siblings or otherwise tightly related, but I had another where my character was the 'pet' and the other player used the pact as an anchor to help keep their character from leveling too fast. It was astonishing to log in and discover I had another ten levels of training and slotting to do.
Be Well!
Fireheart
So if I want my character to wear that sweet tux, or pretty wedding dress my character would have to be married?
Hard pass.
"Let the past die. Kill it if you have to."
Wouldn't be hard to arrange for those to be granted by a badge collection or part of the real money bundle on the shop. Don't see why they'd be restrictive about that when they're open about everything else.
But they have stated previously that everything on the shop will be obtainable via playing the game, so either buying from the shop or getting married? Having both options seems reasonable to me.
An infinite number of tries doesn't mean that any one of those tries will succeed. I could flip an infinite number of pennies an infinite number of times and, barring genuine randomness, they will never come up "Waffles".
It would be awesome if there was a mission that took place at a wedding of two superheroes. Half way through there is an attack (for some reason) and everyone is fighting off swarms of minions in their fancy attire.
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
This actually happened in CoH/V with the wedding between Manticore and Sister Psyche.
LOL shows how much I remember...
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
Wellllll it WAS 10+ years ago...
https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day_Event_2008
[img]https://paragonwiki.com/w/images//thumb/3/39/WeddingZone.jpg/600px-WeddingZone.jpg[/img]
I can just see it now, hundreds of people standing around in the plaza spamming, "Offering myself for marriage, only 1mill $$" :p
The Carnival of Light in the Phoenix Rising
"We never lose our demons, we only learn to live above them." - The Ancient One
Avatar by lilshironeko
If i'm being honest, I don't think we need that added layer of reality to this game. It can make things complicated. Maybe you find someone on a team, and become friends, and then that person asks you to marry them, but it gets awkward because you don't really want to. Or maybe you do and they get too attached, and they go around telling others you're a couple which messes with your bachelor persona.
And then you break up with that person and they get pissed and start poisoning your inner circle, and then you're reluctant to get married again.
I say keep it simple, if you want to be married, that's fine but we don't need titles, special costumes, bonuses, and other perks.
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
Lothic, all you like to do is argue and get the last word in. I understand that. Would my post hurt less if the quoted text wasn't attributed in any way?
Look at the functionality of what you proposed.
You want to lure in the RP curious folks with the promise of some trivially small bonus. If that is what is being using to bait people into a marriage, is it really a marriage at all? Other than to lure people into this mechanic, you haven't provided any explanations as to why a character boost needs to be attached to an RP action.
Why not just focus on a way to facilitate the marriage ceremony and let the players define the experience for themselves. Maybe an instanced setting where you could have a gathering and a ceremony. Maybe the possibility of having some sort of anniversary every year (an event or calendar reminder), so you can do something special for your partner. The fact that something like this could be possible in a game would draw people into it.
If being "married" in CoT essentially only means you get +X% to something, why not apply it more broadly to the world? What about other RP opportunities like a day job (military service, holding public office, working the docks)? You essentially commit to perform certain duties and you get rewarded for it (and maybe gain a reputation for doing it well/poorly). Those opportunities could lend themselves to more +2% options. Why limit this approach to just getting married?
"Just, well, update your kickstarter email addresses, okay? Make sure they're current?" - warcabbit
I realize it may seem like that sometimes. But usually I only bother to respond on these occasions when people overreact and/or offer silly rationales for things that could be understood in much simpler terms. I think you're overthinking your reaction to this very simple suggestion and I've already discussed other alternatives earlier in the day on this thread that you might actually be more agreeable to.
Other than "why not"? As I've said I've already expanded on the basic "marriage" concept of this thread and offered further suggestions (based on posts from other posters) for possibly making this the basis of a more generalized system of one-on-one relationships between two characters (i.e. perhaps as a Nemesis style relationship).
For what it's worth I never said getting "little bonuses" like this should [b]only be limited[/b] to an in-game "marriage" relationship. Thanks for finally providing something constructive to the conversation. Your example of getting minor bonuses from Day Jobs already has precedent in CoH. Having said that why couldn't a "marriage" be another kind of "Day Job" that simply requires two people to gain the mutual benefit?
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
Quoting Cap America's Tommy Lee Jones, "I ain't kissing ya!"
[img]https://s15.postimg.cc/z9bk1znkb/Black_Falcon_Sig_in_Progess.jpg[/img]
I can live with that
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[color=#FF0000]Graphic Designer[/color]
Perhaps the bonus could be acquired through a variety of means in a given category (e.g. Single and Loving It!, Polywanna Cracker, Serial Monogamist, Gay Divorcee etc.) All l of which are attainable but the bonus is a shared category which doesn't stack.
Nothing keeps a person from doing them all and there is enough variety in the possible activities to allow room for most everyone to obtain the bonus.
Or simply make it a temporary bonus. Emulating a honeymoon period, perhaps?
If it's as temp bonus you'd have people just redoing it on expiry. Unless it was like the Ceremony spell in D&D 5th edition.
"You perform a special religious ceremony that is infused with magic. When you cast the spell, choose one of the following rites, the target of which must be within 10 feet of you throughout the casting.
...
Wedding. You touch adult humanoids willing to be bonded together in marriage. For the next 7 days, each target gains a +2 bonus to AC while they are within 30 feet of each other. A creature can benefit from this rite again only if widowed."
I think just allowing people to do a wedding ceremony (with no bonuses) would probably be enough. Just having privatized instances where things could take place with NPCs that work for it, maybe having the NPCs go through the ceremony and everything. Could have weddings, funerals, birthdays?, Various holiday instances... I dunno. Just spitballing ideas.
"Let the past die. Kill it if you have to."
While I don't agree with a complete lack of bonuses (I stand by the idea of getting a wedding outfit or costume pieces as part of the badge for getting married, but also have them available on the store), I have to echo Hero's sentiment here. The idea of getting combat based boons for being in an ingame relationship feels wrong.
An infinite number of tries doesn't mean that any one of those tries will succeed. I could flip an infinite number of pennies an infinite number of times and, barring genuine randomness, they will never come up "Waffles".
I would agree if it was a permanent thing, but if you get it only when you are in a close proximity of that 1 person, it seems like such a small thing. You could even take it one step further, that bonus could come out only when your "spouse" is in critical health. So if you are on a team and in close proximity you get that adrenaline rush to save them.
The Carnival of Light in the Phoenix Rising
"We never lose our demons, we only learn to live above them." - The Ancient One
Avatar by lilshironeko
In both the games I've played with marriage bonuses they gave a small XP boost when leveling with your spouse. Also the ability to teleport to them on a long cooldown.
"Let the past die. Kill it if you have to."
To be exceptionally picky my initial idea of a +2% DEF bonus would've been a [b]defensive[/b] bonus, not strictly an [b]offensive[/b] bonus. So while technically a "combat based boon" it would have been a happy, peace-oriented one not a nasty, hurty-oriented one. Seems reasonably "marriage related" to me. ;)
But having said that again I'm not against any of the other ideas that have appeared in this thread. Like the idea of anything like this being temporary (like a "honeymoon" thing) is fine or having it be more like [url=https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Leveling_Pact]CoH's Leveling Pact[/url] feature (where it affects XP) is fine too.
Ultimately I think it might be interesting to explore getting "in-game benefits" from having formalized relationships of all different types with other players. Again CoH's Leveling Pact seemed to be a fairly popular thing and that didn't strictly having anything to do with "marriage". I simply see the "wedding ceremony" thing as being one subset of a greater potential concept.
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
Which seems like all one needs.
^Agreed!
"A sad spectacle. If they be inhabited, what a scope for misery and folly. If they be not inhabited, what a waste of space." ~ Thomas Carlyle
+1
Indeed
[youtube]LDzdM53j41E[/youtube]
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"Let the past die. Kill it if you have to."