Equines only get 1 magic

[Blu]

Right now equines may only have 1 magic ability and are more restricted with markings and strange colors. I'm wondering how everyone feels about this.


When Tamme and I were designing Helovia and specifically it's magic, we did go over this topic and decided to retain the equines are more normal type theme that was originally in place with Isilme, although we removed the magic element restrictions per species.

The reason we kept this was the idea that in a global view of where Helovia sits, which is supposed to be earth and in line with the world's timeline as we know it, equines that you see in Helovia are related to and can become, the very same average horses we know of today. So we thought restricting their magic and markings, makes it more feasible that they can become the more domestic horse, where as pegasus and unicorns with their extra magic, markings and appendages are more the stuff of legend.

My question to you is, is this worth it? Would you rather make equines on the same level as unis and pegs?

[Mirage]

I thought equines only had one magic on Isilme because they then had the extra ability to bond with dragons. Now all species can bond with a companion.
I am bias, but I'd like them to all be equal.

[Kachie]

To be honest, I had the same impression as Whit on the situation.

So now we have:

Equines with one magic and the possibility of bonding a dragon or dog.
Pegasi with flight, two magics, and the possibility of bonding a bird or bat.
Unicorns with horns, two magics, and the possibility of bonding a cat or reptile.
+ magic element restrictions on all and amulets.

Equines are down by two at this point, and really. How often do pegasi and unicorns actually have two magics? Much less two magics AND a bonded? Even if the bonded situation is new. With the changes we've had, I would personally see it as fair to allow equines to have the possibility of a second magic, even if the circumstances leading to that second magic are more difficult than it would be for a pegasi or unicorn.

Just my two cents.

[Aylin]

I was also under the impression that Equines had two magic slots in Helovia. In Isilme equines had the ability to bond to dragons so it made sense that they would only be allowed to have one magic slot. I don't feel that it makes much sense that they would only have one slot since all three species are able to bond with companions. I feel that in Isilme that was what made Equines a little more special and leveled out the playing field. Here it isn't really leveled out.

[Blu]

The equines were restricted for the exact same reason in Isilme. Dragon bonding was to level them out against horns and wings, more so in battle than anything, rather than 2 magic uses and to give people incentive to join equines as I actually thought they would be rarely played (since most sites you /can/ join equines but not pegs or unis so it made sense in my head....)

What we saw was rather the opposite effect, that dragons made equines more powerful and more desirable to play, hence broadening companions to everyone in Helovia. Not to mention that wings and horns aren't that big of a boost in battle, hence also removing the wing/horn bonus we once had in the rubric.

So equine magic/color restriction on both site has always been to retain their normalcy. Although I guess it's clear nobody saw it that way lol. Still interested in comments to this topic, just wanted to help clarify the reasoning behind the equine restrictions on both sites.

[boom]

I personally like the idea of a lessening of magical abilities for equines (even though it slips my mind). They are not magical creatures naturally, unlike unicorns and pegasus, so it makes sense they would not be able to gain magic as easily.


Though, I do think that we try to give as much freedom to our members as possible, and they could perhaps have a way to unlock an extra ability spot for equines, sort of like how you can earn extreme markings through site prizes.
Perhaps after a certain number of VP could unlock an extra magic slot.
The admins have discussed (at one point) the possible prize of awarding an extra magical ability slot during site wide contests, which I feel would be highly popular for all species but especially equines.

[Anthym]

I remember Isilme had two for eqs first, and then limited it so we could get other people to play uni's and pegs...but also for the leveling out which I remember being important. I have 3 eqs, but an equal amount of uni's(and eventually 3 pegs...yes, I need to figure out how to phase some of them out, I know, lol) but I rather like the idea of Equines only having one power.

I understand that equines are now "two down" for things but why not just increase the amount of dragon companions which get dropped, decrease the amount of uni/peg companions or something...because dragons are supposed to equal out the playing field right?

[Mirage]

I see everyone’s point of view, and I understand completely if nothing changes.
I really would adore some kind of compromise, but again, I understand if nothing changes. Extra quests, or limiting it so that the secondary magic can only be used in RP once a month, or as Boom mentioned earning VP and being able to cash it in or contests where a prize is secondary magic, or even maybe only have one month every 3-4 months where they are allowed to earn a second magic through quests etc.
I can understand the purpose in trying to appeal to all the species, but these things come in waves, I remember on Isilme there was a Pegasus wave to begin with, which turned into a Unicorn wave, and then an Equine wave; I don’t think it’s possible to have all equal numbers at once. Certainly offering different things at different times to get more of certain species joining/being active make sense. There are other ways to make the other species more attractive, rather than taking away from the equine species.
I agree with Kachie in that equines are now doubly down, with the other species being given their own companions (which is fabulous, I love that), but they also have their natural devices (wings, horns).

Anyway obviously everyone has slightly different views, and it's great to discuss these things out. :-)

[boom]

I don't feel anything has been taken away from the equine species - they are not inherently magic creatures and should be less readily able to get magic.
I do agree that certain features could be made to allow for a second magic spot.

Dragons are, by far, the most powerful companion one can ever get. They breathe fire and fly on top of having sharp teeth and claws, and many of them get rather large.
Even dogs are more formidable opponents than a lot of unicorn and pegasus companions.
They were initially brought in to even out battles, but as Blu mentioned, horns and wings are not as big of an advantage as a dragon is, so they ended up being the most powerful species once bonded.

As it is right now, I would not feel comfortable increasing the frequency of dragon drops to other companions because, frankly, they make up the majority of companions currently on site as it is. We are not experiencing a problem with an absurd ratio of equines to other species, so it makes no sense to drop more equine companions than other species to accommodate the players.

[Blu]

moved thread to new site, locking