Choosing Godmarks

In Onyx Legion, there will be several gods from which to represent. Depending on the god you represent, you will be given a bonus. We were discussing this idea and wanted to ask you guys what your opinion is on implementing this.

Option 1: Allow the player to choose a god from the beginning with the bonus with a possibility of advancing or changing your godmark later on.

Option 2: Start the game without a godmark and be able to choose your godmark after you've completed a quest or task for that particular god.

I choose option 2 because this option is more unique compared to other mmos, this adds more content, and gives the player a better chance to have the same godsign as their friends.
I do like the advancement idea from option 1 though and the fact that you're born with your godsign, instead of being rewarded the sign.

Morbius I like your reasoning for both sides.

It's a tough choice :/

Option 1,it makes more sense that you were born with a godmark then to be rewarded with it later.

I like the thinking from both sides. I'm leaning toward option 2 personally. As characters develop, they build an affinity and knowledge toward 1 god or another. Also this helps new players decide their choice after they find out the mechanics and setup of the game. With this in mind, I took the easy way out and chose option 3 lol.

and there is not a fusion of both? you starts with a random godmark and laters if you dont like the one you got it will be change doing a certain quest of the god you want the mark, there will be a explain of the bonus the mark gives before accept the quest

so i pick up the option 3, if there is a fusion i chose that one too XD

Option 2 sounds the best imo.

StartStarting with a godmark and changing it later is a possibility. The concept I was trying to impress was to either give the player the godmark at the start, or to make them work for it later as they progress as an added benefit.

I hands down without a doubt vote for 2 as I am rather fond of having to earn something that to just have it plopped down into your lap. In addition to adding extra content as previously stated above it could also add an additional sense of accomplishment during your characters progression. Another step forward in your journey towards greater and grander things! Goals are more often then not something to look forward to and can offer personal gratification upon completion, that alone can renew ones interest in a game

I think godmarks should tie in with the storyline, maybe a whole quest line where you have to help the god of your choice and maybe even battle against troops of the other god(s)!

Lion wrote:I think godmarks should tie in with the storyline, maybe a whole quest line where you have to help the god of your choice and maybe even battle against troops of the other god(s)!

Agreed 10 fold , music to my ears

If you are new to a game, you do not know its mechanics. Beeing forced to choose an option from the beginning may only lead to a high dissatisfaction and a player may (if he is patient) restart the game again with the other choice that is more his playing style.

Well or he simply quits because he is constantly and it is always begging in his mind 'you made the wrong choice, you are bad, you could be better, but you aren't'. - Which would be only a time until he drops that game.

I did choose Option 2 because someone should only make a 1-time-choice of a new mechanic 'after' he learned the game. But I would add here the option to change, it, too, if he is too unsatisfied.

(Drifting away to a fraction system:)
This reminds me kinda of 'Hands of War', which is a singleplayer 2D flashgame, in which there are at least 6, probably more frractions hating each other. Well one fraction do not hate all other ones, they only hate their personal enemy like the thieves and merchants hate eachother, the guardians and the assassins hate eachother and there is one speciality case: the archers, knights and mages hate all eachother.
Though e.g. Knights are neutral to guardians, assasins, merchants and thieves.
So you have to make choices in that game: All fractions start neutral and you barely see any quests you can get from anyone. Then you start killing people from one fraction, which will be your first decision. 2 kills of either thieves or merchants unlocks the first quest of the fraction you did help by that. By finishing that quest you gain even more repetition in that fraction and naturally harm the enemies of that fraction, making it almost and at a certain point completely impossible to turn back to the enemy fraction.

(Drifting back to topic)
Well, I like a fraction system, but I would like the chance to turn back, too. So in Onyx this could be that there is a quest that is always accessible and which is also repeatable (kill x respawning cybersheeps, that invade our farmlands or: we are low on resources, support our cause and spend 20 potatoes). In best case a quest that will not actually harm the enemy fraction. Later on however, there will be better quest that will grant higher reputation but fulfilling this will decrease the reputation of the enemy fraction more than it increased the one you helped, forcing a player to concentrate on one fraction.

Well, I like to see many fractions I can choose at once, but if it is really necessary to choose between fractions, then you can make a critical choice if you gained enough repetition in one fraction. You will then be an 'elite member' of said fraction that will automatically remove even the 'potatoe'-quest from the other fraction.

I think about the chance to abandone your title. Which would degrade you to the position in your fraction you had before accepting the elite rank. This will also decrease the maximum gainable fraction points back to what a non-elite-member can have again and literally make fraction-exclusive stuff that need more fraction points inaccessible.

(On topic again: comprehension:)
Back to topic: I like to make a decision later, but nothing should be punched in stone.