True enough, unfortunately. It's a shame how many potentially fun concepts must be weighed against our devious disposition for trying to get something for nothing.
Hmm - what if there was a very basic 'counterattack' for this? Maybe if the system tracks the actions of a player-possessed character, and if they spend the whole fight without fighting back, or just using the weakest attack at the creature's command, it kicks the player out of the creature, takes control and resets the hit points?
Not if you go into a queue, then into a random instance as a random mob.
Right, because that seems like it would be fun to wind up in the corner of a map (not of your choosing) playing a monster (not of your choosing) that may or may not see any action whatsoever.
It's really just not a very good idea unless the instance was designed for it and any outcome has no impact on character advancement. It needs to exist in a vacuum, then people can do whatever the heck they want without any issues whatsoever. Make it arena style.
No it's not a PvP mechanic because the monster stats don't change. And even IF there's any combat involved - and who says there has to be - it's zero different from fighting NPCs anyway except that it may react somewhat more intelligently. Regardless, what it brings to the table in veratility and enhancing an adventure and/or roleplay is too good to pass up. Besides it's not like this is going to occur all the time anyway. Just once in a while when a group schedules a live event, and even then it'll still be limited to those paticipating in it. And lastly, if it's a concern of yours you don't have to participate in these events and it doesn't impact you at all. However, a lot of us would very much like to.
DaBoss: "Hey guys! How are you?" DaParty: "What the...? You a player controlling the boss?" DaBoss: "(OOC: Yep.)" DaParty: "Meh. Ok, lets fight." DaBoss: "Fight? No, no! We must talk. (OOC: I want to roleplay!!!)" DaParty: "Talk? You are the frakking villain that has been terrorizing the village for decades, killing them mercilessly and is about to perfom a ritual that will exterminate all life in the valley!!!" DaBoss: "Ah... (OOC: Oh! My first time in this adventure!) That doesn't mean we can't talk. To talk is good. Maybe I'm just a misunderstood being with who you can actually solve things peacefully." DaParty: "No kidding. Those peasants must suck at diplomacy, right?" DaBoss: "For all you know, they could be all a bunch of liars." DaParty: "Enough. Lets fight so we can end this module and get our experience and treasure!" DaBoss: "No way! (OOC: Come on, guys! Remember that this an RPG, so what about some roleplaying? I'm enhancing your roleplaying experience!!!)" DaParty: Hey, we didn't ask you to take control of the freaking last boss of the module. We just want to finish a nice module by defeating the frakking end boss and getting our just reward." DaBoss: "(OOC: But this is fun, I swear. Try it!)" DaParty: "CHAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!!!!!!!" DaBoss: "I demand peaceful resolution of this conflict!!!" *runs like mad through the dungeon* DaParty: *engages on the pursuit of the fleeing boss*
Simple solution...negate any xp and/or loot associated with NPCs that have been controlled by a player. That's not hard to do seeing as we aren't going to have control over handing out xp and loot anyway. And if they're following the STO model you know that your XP and loot are predicated on the completion of the adventure, and griding mobs is virtually worthless. So is it really that big a deal if people may skip a fight or two with a player-controlled NPC? Hell, every dungeon run I've ever been in in any game always has people trying to find the path of least resistance anyway and skip as much fighting as possible, so it's going to happen regardless unless you can set a condition that every mob in the dungeon must be eliminated.
Also, if I'm running a live event it's only going to happen when I have time for it, so that's very rarely, same as for most everyon else. Odds are when this occurs it's only going to be an invitation, probably a scheduled one at that, to a handful of select people anyway. And if people know it's a tool to enhance adventures and doesn't affect xp/loot - or by a negligible amount - I can't see anyone bothering with it except those who really want to use it for its intended purpose.
Comments
"Hey, Gomer, it's your turn to go play the boss so we can walk through the encounter..."
"Ayup! I'm on it!"
Hmm - what if there was a very basic 'counterattack' for this? Maybe if the system tracks the actions of a player-possessed character, and if they spend the whole fight without fighting back, or just using the weakest attack at the creature's command, it kicks the player out of the creature, takes control and resets the hit points?
That's why LotRO did it the way they did... they kept the monster play away from the real content so people could not abuse the system.
Not if you go into a queue, then into a random instance as a random mob.
It's really just not a very good idea unless the instance was designed for it and any outcome has no impact on character advancement. It needs to exist in a vacuum, then people can do whatever the heck they want without any issues whatsoever. Make it arena style.
DaParty: "What the...? You a player controlling the boss?"
DaBoss: "(OOC: Yep.)"
DaParty: "Meh. Ok, lets fight."
DaBoss: "Fight? No, no! We must talk. (OOC: I want to roleplay!!!)"
DaParty: "Talk? You are the frakking villain that has been terrorizing the village for decades, killing them mercilessly and is about to perfom a ritual that will exterminate all life in the valley!!!"
DaBoss: "Ah... (OOC: Oh! My first time in this adventure!) That doesn't mean we can't talk. To talk is good. Maybe I'm just a misunderstood being with who you can actually solve things peacefully."
DaParty: "No kidding. Those peasants must suck at diplomacy, right?"
DaBoss: "For all you know, they could be all a bunch of liars."
DaParty: "Enough. Lets fight so we can end this module and get our experience and treasure!"
DaBoss: "No way! (OOC: Come on, guys! Remember that this an RPG, so what about some roleplaying? I'm enhancing your roleplaying experience!!!)"
DaParty: Hey, we didn't ask you to take control of the freaking last boss of the module. We just want to finish a nice module by defeating the frakking end boss and getting our just reward."
DaBoss: "(OOC: But this is fun, I swear. Try it!)"
DaParty: "CHAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!!!!!!!"
DaBoss: "I demand peaceful resolution of this conflict!!!" *runs like mad through the dungeon*
DaParty: *engages on the pursuit of the fleeing boss*
Don't read too much into it.
Also, if I'm running a live event it's only going to happen when I have time for it, so that's very rarely, same as for most everyon else. Odds are when this occurs it's only going to be an invitation, probably a scheduled one at that, to a handful of select people anyway. And if people know it's a tool to enhance adventures and doesn't affect xp/loot - or by a negligible amount - I can't see anyone bothering with it except those who really want to use it for its intended purpose.