Just a crazy idea..

[Deodand]

This is probably *way* beyond the specs of the game engine.. but what the hell, I'll suggest it anyway..

One of the things I've always wanted to see in a MMORPG is "character modifiable environments".

Just a "for instance" to explain what I mean..   If I'm in DP on EL.. and I'm at the storage.. I have to walk *waaay* around to get to the CC entrance.   Taking the one bridge that exists.

Now, from a character standpoint..  at some time, *somebody* had to build that bridge.. so "bridge building" is technically an achievable, in-world skill.  Or should be.  One of the problems with "fixed map" MMORPG's is that their layouts are usually designed to be as inconvenient as possible.. ie, make it a long-ass walk to get from point A to point B. 

This is generally totally unrealistic.  Roads, as a general rule, do not "wander" or "meander" for no obvious reason.  Equally, Bridges are usually not placed in locations where a person would not find it convenient to have one.  For example, from the amount of use generated, a bridge right across the river from the CC entrance would make sense in DP... yet it's nowhere near that.

My proposition is simply that one have character-buildable environmental parts.  For instance.. It's bugged me for quite some time that Dwarves, a rather industrious and generally "architecturally oriented" culture, have a few piled dead trees that serves as a "bridge" in VotD, and that their walls and such are quite run-down..  Sure, maybe the area has "run into decline" in recent generations...  But why not, say, allow a guild, or some other body of interested persons, with the right combination of skills and labor, to actually *build* a bridge where it'd be useful?

Perhaps, I dunno, a combined skill level of 500 in Engineering, with one member of the team at least at skill 100?  And an absolute *arseload* of invested raw materials?   And mebbe a little dedication plaque to show who did a thing? 

Complex problem, to be sure.. and mebbe not a ton of interest... but hell, it's something I'd try to do if it were an option

Just an idea,
  Deodand

[RunTime]

I like this idea, but idk how hard it would be from a programming standpoint

[Korrode]

To my understanding, there's actually quite a few more features in the EL client than are currently being utilised by the EL server, and what you're suggesting may be much easier to implement than you think... we've actually already had a lot of discussion about it.

Krayon would be better to elaborate further though... but he's sleeping atm

[krayon]

I have always liked this idea too.  While I'd like my own client eventually, EL is being used for the time being.  This limits us to what it can do.  It can do some dynamic object stuff although not quite as much as I'd like.  Whilst fully dynamic would perhaps eventually be a possibility, in the immediate future only simple manipulation will be possible.