Node footprint

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A node's footprint is the development area where the node's buildings are located.[1]

Node buildings

Alpha-2 Service buildings.[2][3]

The important thing with the service building system for us is that it's a way to shape your node like a character; and to give you an exclusive niche that you can carve out in the world; or a niche that you fight over. If you go down this weaponsmithing path and you build your node to be this mecca of weaponsmithing and the node three doors down builds it, there's reason for you to conflict over it. They're taking your business. Or maybe you are in a zone and there isn't a weaponsmithing thing anywhere near you, and you do want to start to carve that path for yourself to make your node a place people visit and come to.[3]Chris Justo

Service buildings within a node are either default buildings that come with the node, or they are constructed buildings, which are initiated by the mayor and built by players.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Service buildings are further broken down into two main types:[2][3]

Constructed service buildings are available to every type of node in every location. Where the uniqueness comes in is in some of the default buildings like your node-type building.[9]Chris Justo

Service buildings are upgraded by expansions, which are unlocked through the placement of passive service buildings.[2][3]

  • Building expansions unlock higher tier workstations at the cost of dedicating service building plots.[10][6]

Service buildings incur a regular maintenance cost of node commodities and gold from the node treasury in order to continue operations.[2][13]

Node development

Racial architecture of the same Village (stage 3) node on different servers. Dünir Dwarven influence (top). Kaelar Human influence (bottom). Alpha-1 Non-NDA screenshot.

The layout and architecture within a Node’s development area are determined by influential race. For example, a stage 3 Node with the majority of player contribution being Py'rai would have a Py'rai village with Py'rai architecture. Most NPCs would be Py'rai elves, and offer questlines within the Py'rai narrative.[14]Margaret Krohn

Each player’s contributed experience is flagged with their character race and other identifiers. When a Node advances, the race with the highest experience contribution determines the Node’s style and culture. This style and culture change can happen at every Node Stage. For example, if a Node advances to Level 2 - Encampment Stage and 51% of all experience was earned by Ren’Kai players, the Node will be a Level 2 Ren’Kai Node. If that same Node advances to a Level 3 - Village Stage Node, but the Py'Rai contributed 62% of all the experience earned, then the Node will be a Level 3 Py'Rai Node.[15]Margaret Krohn

Node layout and style is determined by several factors:[16][17]

The way that the node system is built is that they can exist across a spread of 18 biomes, but at the same time have to represent the cultural influence of these cultures that are intrinsically a part of a specific biome.[18]Steven Sharif
Currently the way that the platform system is set up, is it's capable of adjusting the topography of the node's footprint, regardless of the surrounding terrain. So the reason for that is we want to have flexibility in the presentation of the node's layout and how it is essentially both from an aesthetic standpoint as well as a mechanical standpoint with node sieges- how it's constructed and that construction should have the ability to take on a variance of different types of topography. So it shouldn't be dependent on the surrounding area. Now that's not to say that the surrounding area isn't going to have some influence over. So for example... we're experimenting a little bit with the platform tech and putting up a node up against the side of a mountain or on the edge of a cliff or something that has a beautiful vista. Those are things that we're going to test out obviously as we continue to work on the node tool and how that platform system works, but the idea is to have the node independent of the surrounding terrain.[19]Steven Sharif
Some parts are determined by the area it's in. Some parts are determined by the type it is. Some parts are determined by the race it is; and then the rest of it is determined by the mayor.[17]Jeffrey Bard
All nodes, whether they're associated with a castle or associated with normal node structure, has cultural influences that replicate over to the buildings that are produced and the NPCs that are present.[25]Steven Sharif
  • The rest is determined by the node's mayor.[17]
    • It should be possible for a node to complete several building projects within a mayor's one month term in office.[26]
Q: How long would you say it will take players on average to fill/build up a node completely from wilderness to metropolis?
A: It's one thing to get a node to a certain level: it's another thing to develop the node; and I can't really give you an on-average expectation, because there's a lot of variables at play. There's how many citizens does the node have attracted to it; what's the type of traffic that the node is attracting to it based on things like its tax rates, or the specialization that it chose to spec into, based on the building types it's chosen to build. All of those things are variables that can affect the quote-unquote "average build-out time" of a particular node. So it's difficult to give you an average when there's so many variables along those lines. But the idea is that if there is a particular project that players are interested in in developing based on the node stage, that they would have the ability to complete several of those projects as within a single term of a mayor; and a term of a mayor is one month.[26]Steven Sharif

Node destruction

Nodes can be destroyed starting at Level 3 - Village Stage, and are destroyed through sieges. Sieges are started via an item which is acquired through a quest that scales in difficulty with respect to the level of the Node which is being targeted for the siege. Once the item is brought to the Node and is activated, the declaration period begins and a countdown is initiated for players in the region to see. This countdown runs for a number of days equal to the level of the Node being sieged. Once the countdown is complete, the siege begins. There is a cooldown between sieges, and players must wait a certain amount of time after an unsuccessful siege before a new siege can be declared. The higher the Node level, the longer the cooldown between sieges. If a siege is successful, then the Node is brought down to Level 0, and anyone who was a citizen of that Node is no longer a citizen.[15]Margaret Krohn

Nodes can be destroyed starting at Village (stage 3) following a successful siege against that node.[15]

It is a normal process of the world to see PvP be a catalyst for change. That is one of the defining elements of our world building approach and being a PvX game is that PvE builds the world and PvP changes the world; and as these nodes get destructed this should be a normal habit that players are accustomed to seeing that landscape changing over time, because it is the breath of renewal that then is allowed as a result of that action.[27]Steven Sharif
  • Players lose their node citizenship after their node is destroyed without entering into a cooldown period.[27][28][15]
  • Node destruction may prevent some quests from being completed.[29]
  • After a node is destroyed, the footprint of the node will enter a ruined state and will become an open PvP zone for a number of days equal to the node's level. These ruins consist of a debris field of treasures that are lootable by certain players.[30][1][31][32][33][34]
    • Which players get to loot the debris field during this period is currently under discussion by the developers.[35] Previously it was stated that any player could loot the debris field.[1] Before that it was stated that only attackers who participated in the siege will have exclusive looting rights.[36]
    • Any loot remaining after this period will be open for anyone to loot.[36]
    • After a number of days equal to the destroyed node's level, the node will revert back to stage 0 (wilderness) and any modified terrain will revert back to its original state.[1][37][38]
Those are like open-world battlegrounds that spawn on the footprint of the node after a successful siege. And these are opportunities that previous defenders have to salvage certain materials and/or equipment from the destroyed node, or that attackers have to do the same. And there's interact points that live within that environment that take time in order to interact with, which makes those individuals susceptible to potential ganking or fighting. And you can control those areas; and that exists for some period of time. It's like an open-world arena system.[30]Steven Sharif

Node building destruction

Destructible castle.[42]

You could be more precision oriented in the decision to attack a city. Let's say it's a rival node that's trying to reach a node stage five or something and you want to disable their ability for the religious system to progress so you target the temple during the attack, or you want to disable their scholars academy from reaching a higher level so that your nodes can; or you want to disable multiple buildings that allow for experience and quests to be undertaken by its citizenship, which prevents them from keeping up in pace of experience gained with your node. These can be more precision oriented and don't have to effectualize an actual takeover of the node.[43]Steven Sharif

Node buildings (including player housing) have hit points and can be damaged or destroyed by different systems.[12][32]

Mayors will also have the ability, if they want, to demolish constructed buildings. So if they if they so choose they can destroy a building if they don't think it's needed anymore. But this will have mandate cost and a player buy-in votes. So we want to make sure that [the] mayor can't just go and blow up the whole node if they're trying to grief or something. So this is very important and impactful decision.[2][13]John Collins

If building maintenance is not paid, or a building is damaged as the result of an event or siege, the building will enter a state of disarray.[2][13] Any NPCs or services offered by that building will not be available until the building is repaired.[5][32]

If a node siege is successful, or if buildings otherwise take significant damage, they are destroyed and appear as rubble on the plot they occupied.[2][13][12]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Livestream, October 14, 2022 (52:31).
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Blog: Development Update with Village Node.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Livestream, August 31, 2023 (50:25).
  4. Video, August 31, 2023 (2:59).
  5. 5.0 5.1 Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:32:45).
  6. 6.0 6.1 Livestream, May 19, 2017 (33:57).
  7. Livestream, January 20, 2018 (38:17).
  8. Livestream, 2018-04-8 (PM) (51:49).
  9. Livestream, August 31, 2023 (56:18).
  10. Livestream, August 31, 2023 (52:56).
  11. Video, August 31, 2023 (34:37).
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 Livestream, March 31, 2022 (1:13:00).
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 Livestream, August 31, 2023 (57:23).
  14. Blog - Know Your Nodes - The Basics.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Blog - Know Your Nodes - Advance and Destroy.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 Livestream, October 30, 2020 (39:17).
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Livestream, September 27, 2018 (53:06).
  18. 18.0 18.1 Livestream, February 25, 2022 (41:00).
  19. 19.0 19.1 Livestream, February 26, 2021 (1:12:18).
  20. Livestream, March 31, 2022 (4:57).
  21. Podcast, April 11, 2021 (29:47).
  22. Interview, May 11, 2018 (54:34).
  23. Livestream, May 26, 2017 (21:23).
  24. Podcast, April 11, 2021 (23:36).
  25. 25.0 25.1 Interview, May 11, 2018 (47:27).
  26. 26.0 26.1 Livestream, July 29, 2022 (1:13:09).
  27. 27.0 27.1 Livestream, August 31, 2023 (20:54).
  28. Interview, July 29, 2020 (17:26).
  29. Livestream, February 29, 2024 (53:58).
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:36:24).
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 31.5 Podcast, September 29, 2021 (14:21).
  32. 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 32.4 32.5 32.6 Interview, July 8, 2020 (57:46).
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 Livestream, April 30, 2020 (1:14:44).
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 siege spoils.png
  35. Livestream, July 28, 2023 (1:26:16).
  36. 36.0 36.1 Podcast, September 29, 2021 (15:46).
  37. Livestream, June 26, 2020 (1:48:43).
  38. nodes-delevel-to-zero.png
  39. steven-looting-relics.png
  40. Podcast, September 29, 2021 (10:49).
  41. Interview, July 18, 2020 (56:11).
  42. Livestream, October 31, 2019 (36:20).
  43. 43.0 43.1 Livestream, November 22, 2019 (16:56).
  44. Forums - Livestream Q&A 2022-08-26.
  45. Livestream, November 22, 2019 (17:59).
  46. 46.0 46.1 Livestream, June 26, 2020 (1:02:12).
  47. Livestream, July 18, 2017 (40:14).
  48. Livestream, November 17, 2017 (47:10).