Buffs to Zoldorf and soul-selling

[JohnnyJohn]

As of writing this suggestion, the current system with a player becoming Zoldorf (which I will refer to as a playerdorf) allows them to be sold pieces of another players soul in exchange for magical goodies. The playerdorf can fill a soul jar with this and consume it to perform certain abilities.

However, this is seldom used, if at all. The main issue is that both becoming a playerdorf, and selling parts of your soul to one, are permanent and restricting, with disproportionately small benefit. I suggest a handful of key changes to help remedy that.

First, the soul consumption of said abilities would be slightly reduced to compensate for the general lack of interaction with other players. Second, abilities like manifest would last longer, to make more efficient use per charge. Third, players would be able to regain their soul back by being bible-smacked by a chaplain, or staying in the chapel. Bible-smacking would heal either a big chunk of it back, or all of it back per hit, but also dealing heavy brain and burn damage in the process. Standing in the chapel slowly recovers soul back at the cost of little bits of burn and brain damage over time, which is a safer, albeit slower alternative.

To balance it out, there is greater penalty to selling your soul. Your movement speed is reduced, and items generally cost more soul. Non-antagonist chaplains who try it are also stuck by weak lightning and temporarily stripped of their faith healing abilities until their souls are recovered as well.

All-in-all, this change is to hopefully add more risk to the matter, but also more rewards, and make it more sustainable and alluring. Feedback is appreciated!

[Kotlol]

I been thinking of making playerdorf more fun to play as and use. But not to the point of: "You want one every round"

As it stands now... it's funny to see it once, but then.. if no one interacts with you.. or buy souls.. you can't do anything.
The biggest determinant is litterly: "You gotta get more souls by having people become the next zoldorf" and "previous zoldorfs become lil dots"
Even Kudzu people get to have more fun and freedom with their mechanics (basically natures botany)
There is an inhertant gameplay loop with a lot of mechanics and ways to interact. Zoldorf has non.

While this soul mechanic changes is a good start... I think playerdorf needs to "do more"
Cause senances and such are just "lame" mechanic wise. Also you cannot announce it.

Since we are changing Zoldorf anyway abit.. here's some ideas I been brainstorming:
- No more selling your soul to zoldorf via contract will kill you and make you become zoldorf, insted dead players can become zoldorf via a special respawn.
- The contract only appears if there is a player zoldorf inside. Hacking for the "strange burrito" insted gives a random spell scroll insted wich will cost your soul regardles.
- New mechanic: "Future Fortune." Basically the "selling your soul for money mechanic" from the traitor chaplain, but weaker as it only takes 10% of your soul.
- New mechanic: "Soul contract." Allows a player to fully dedicate to the zoldorf and sell their soul completely for the abillity to turn into a "Zoldorf sprite" to help the zoldorf player. Can be activated whenever or activates automatically upon death. Will put you on DNR automatically. When activated when alive.. your charater becomes a "monkey npc" in behaviour.

That's what i had so far.

[Xkallubar]

It would be nice if Zoldorf had an ability that let them float around temporarily to move their booth to more trafficked areas. They are also in desperate need of a way to advertise themself.

[Kotlol]

It would be nice if Zoldorf had an ability that let them float around temporarily to move their booth to more trafficked areas. They are also in desperate need of a way to advertise themself.

In my opinion this is too much. Since player zoldorfs cannot move at all even by others.

But I wouldn't mind a "ghost Zoldorf" like the AI able to make advertisments appear on walls.
As long as the Zoldorf CANNOT speak, most ideas of changing are fine.

[Decarcassor]

Reducing your health permanently and not being able to be revived is a steep cost for what ultimately amount to one time use gimmicks.

Zoldorf needs to sell more usefull things at a reasonnable cost.

[kyle2143]

I think we're leaning more towards just removing zoldorf instead of trying to fix it...

[Snoid]

imo zoldorf is there for funnies, not really for being effective at doing things. id be sad if it was removed personally. i much prefer odd niche mechanics existing than just removing them because theyre not overly useful.

[zjdtmkhzt]

I feel like Zoldorf being able to teleport its booth to other places that are not seen by anyone could make a lot of sense in a "mystical cursed fortune machine that is just in some place where you come across it" horror way. It would probs also make people a lot more likely to interact with it if it's not in the same place that a fortune machine always is (some spot in the bar or whatever). Also I think souls should probably just regenerate slowly period so you can always do your stuff slowly.

Some steps should probs be taken to prevent Zoldorfs from getting themselves into trouble (via for instance blocking doorways to the shuttle) by making it so that the area has to be a little open, could probably be done by requiring a certain amount of free spaces around or something.

[Kotlol]

I feel like Zoldorf being able to teleport its booth to other places that are not seen by anyone could make a lot of sense in a "mystical cursed fortune machine that is just in some place where you come across it" horror way. It would probs also make people a lot more likely to interact with it if it's not in the same place that a fortune machine always is (some spot in the bar or whatever). Also I think souls should probably just regenerate slowly period so you can always do your stuff slowly.

Some steps should probs be taken to prevent Zoldorfs from getting themselves into trouble (via for instance blocking doorways to the shuttle) by making it so that the area has to be a little open, could probably be done by requiring a certain amount of free spaces around or something.

A simple fix, but I think Zoldorf appearing in only locations that "allow" zoldorf to appear would make sense.
Remove the "cannot be seen" thing and if Zoldorf teleports on you, nothing really happens. It just spooks you.

I think this is probably the best way to make Zoldorf "slightly" more interresting to play.