Return to the World of Eizon
I asked about this in my Grand Tournament thread and I got a reasonable positive response so I'm going to post it here, with a bit more complete information as to what I intend to do to see if there's a more widescale interest.
I've been toying with the idea of redoing the World of Eizon, using the money earned from the Grand Tournament as a starting place. I'll let players use the (in many cases extremely large) amount of money they're earning here in order to create their own countries or merge with other players to create nations with cities and such. The world-building would be interactive, players could create various creatures and such and even earn money for "discovering" them.
Those who have not been participating in the tournament will not, of course, be required to. I will make other ways available to earn money (such as creating aspects of the world to help flesh it out). I will provide a map and divide up the world into various nations. Players can use money they earn to build an infrastructure for their nation, eventually expanding from a capital city-state into an empire. Those wishing to earn a bit more money are, of course, welcome to partake.
Diplomacy will be an integrated effect in the game, as well as alliances and war. Nations will be able to make peace or attempt to conquer each other based on the relationships between the rulers. Steps will be taken to try to foster a somewhat stable environment (to avoid the one-nation behemoth effect, although there are measures that can circumvent it) but the intent is to create a system where everyone can make thriving nations if they do well.
Also integrated into the game would be a roleplay system based around the Final Fantasy worlds (this is, after all, a Final Fantasy site). Players would get to build characters and even have them become stronger and use them for various roleplay purposes such as leading armies or going on adventures within the world. Players would, of course, not be required to take part in the aspects of the game they aren't interested, there will be plenty to do and your level of involvement is completely up to you. Not everyone will be able to be a nation leader, but those choosing to join another nation will gain a vital part in the government and will be able to affect policy (as the nation begins to move in a more democratic counsel-based direction).
Those taking part in the roleplay aspect will be generals, powerful characters who can command armies and bring hordes of troops to their knees. This system will further be integrated into the larger-scale aspect of the game, where their movements and commanding of the troops can tip the scales of battle in the favor of one nation or another.
Grand Tournaments would still be happening and would still be ways to earn money, I'd likely phase out the original character tournaments for awhile (but eventually have such tournaments occur between people's characters on occasion) and they'd be a large source of money. Nation rulers will, however, not be allowed to drain the entire treasury to bet in the tournament without severe ramifications (as populations tend not to approve of their king gambling away the entire treasury).
There will be other factors to determine one's population, happiness, etc., so that the element of country micromanaging is available to those who want it (especially as money is spent constructing cities and building resources). The game is designed to be ever-evolving, so more structures and creatures and players can keep entering the game, although new countries would happen less often (though the entire map wouldn't be initially revealed, as there are unexplored regions).
As this is based off Final Fantasy and I tend to prefer the more medieval, job-based Final Fantasies, the world will lean towards that setting (although I intend to include certain steampunk aspects, as seen in FFVI and FFIX like airships, trains, and the like). Military units will be based off the "general" classes that players themselves can take up if they choose to take part in the roleplay aspect, and different unit types will have their own effect on battle.
Anyone at all interested in taking part in this should say so in thread. All questions can be posted in this thread and I'll answer them as best I can. I'll be looking for co-coordinators as well as players, and all funds from the Grand Tournament are completely transferable. If I get a good enough response, I will create a map for the world and codify the rules. I know there's a lot going into the concept, but I'll try to keep it as simple as I am able to make it accessible for everyone.
Still here? Well then, get posting to tell me what you think. I'm also open to suggestions about what you'd all like to see in the game.
