Skrybe wrote:goo wrote:A Jiyva background, like a Lugonu one, does not detract from the Ecumenical Temple because neither of these gods are available there.
Devil's advocate here, but starting with Jiyva (or any god) essentially removes the decision making process upon finding the Temple. So in that respect, it does detract from it.
Devil's advocate advocate here, if Jiyva is not available in the temple or as a starting background, the choice to play a Jiyva worshipper is practically removed from the decision making process. To worship Jiyva, unless you find a lucky early altar, you either have to...
1.) Go godless until you can safely traverse the Slime Pits.
or
2.) Pick a god and then abandon them for Jiyva.
The cons for either of these decisions far outweigh the pros. Jiyva, while fun to play, is merely "average" in the power department. By the time you actually can locate a Jiyva altar there is little reason to actually convert. There are only two real reasons to switch, to trivialize Slime Pits and to remove bad mutations. By the time a character can reach the bottom of Slime and convert they already can probably deal with the Royal Jelly in combat, and the choice to not have to fight him and get a free rune is usually not worth incurring god wrath and having to start building piety for a new god from scratch. (This choice is similar to switching to Lugonu in the Abyss in order to escape it if you can't find an exit, except that decision actually has serious pros and cons and is the complete opposite of a no brainer.)
As for removing bad mutations, Zin can do the same and is much more easily accessible (as well as the fact that some of his piety can transfer over to TSO or Ely if you choose to switch to them). The amount of effort required to get a Jiyva worshipper off the ground is strictly not worth the reward of being one. If a god is so difficult to worship, that god needs to be more powerful than the regular pantheon in my opinion to make up the difference. There would actually be a real decision to make there. "Should I try to go through the game godless/deal with wrath from my current god and dive down into Slime 5? The chances of me dying are much higher than normal, but if I actually make it then my character is much more powerful than he would be otherwise." High risk, high reward. Currently the decision to become a Jiyva worshipper is high risk, average (at best) reward.
However, if there were an "Oozader" class, just the very choice to play that class has both pros and cons and would require a lot of mulling over, making the choice to play one not a no brainer. Starting with Jiyva would be a great boon to the unarmed combat playstyle, as well as help deal with the hunger clock. (Would be a GREAT and fun start for Trolls) Also, the mutation roulette is fun and would insure each game would be different, insuring variety. (Demonspawn anyone?) These are all the pros, but the player would also have to deal with the huge penalty of a limited access to loot, and it would also create a minigame of trying to find good equipment before a slime eats it. The player would have to decide if the pros outweigh the cons. The decision to play this class requires a lot more thought than most classes (barring the Chaos Knight which is the ultimate high risk high reward class.)
Also, an Oozader/Slime Knight class is extremely flavorful and unique. What other games have that?! It would offer a completely unique playstyle and starting kit. It may be a challenging start compared to some, but what's wrong with that? The devs have made it clear they are ok with challenge races, so why not challenge classes? Compare that with Death Knights, a class that according to everything I've read about the dev's design philosophy should have been axed long ago. It's a generic "evil paladin" trope for one thing (which makes it even more confusing why it's still in since Paladins were removed a while back). The exact same playstyle can be replicated by starting as a fighter and finding a Yred altar (which are not hard to locate), or starting as a necro and hybridizing. There is no reason for this class to exist. The other zealot classes make sense and offer something unique (Berserkers are the ultimate beginner friendly class and help people learn how to play, starting as a Healer offers a unique playstyle of trying to pacify your foes instead of murder them, the AK start has already been covered, and the CK lets players leave their fate almost entirely in the hands of the RNG God) Death Knights have very little to offer. They could be swapped with Oozaders/Slime Knights and the game would be much better for it in my opinion.
Finally, a Demonspawn Oozader might possibly be the most fun character to play...ever.
Monday, 12th August 2013, 20:25 
