As you know you can't really make a great game without coming up with a bunch of ideas. And out of the idea pile probably only a small handful ever get to see the light of day. From what I hear, a lot of iEra's updates were player suggested updates, and I like that. So I'm going to throw a list of ideas out here for you guys to debate/discuss. Mind you, they are just ideas, so please be constructive with your criticism, meaning if you can't say your opinion nicely then don't say anything at all.




This list will contain ONLY ideas for major updates that will affect the economy and game play of iEra.

• HEALTH
  The first big change would be to the health system. I feel that the max health should be increased to 100. The reason why is it will support the other changes that will be made in iEra 2.0 such as the one in the next point.
  
• WEAPONS
  1.) The next big change would be to the weapons. There would be various changes but for now I won't list them all (request the list if you guys want it). One part of this change would be how the ammo is displayed. I think it would be awesome if a number-of-shots-in-current-clip was shown next to the total ammo count, like in most shooting style games.
  
  2.) Another change to the weapon system would be making guns more life accurate. I don't mean making them look more real or anything outrageous like that but if I'm gonna use an M4 I want to notice the distinct qualities between an M4 and an AK47 (which is strange how AK47 has 100% accuracy when in reality the recoil is sorta bad). I'm thinking make the guns as unique as they are in the real world. For example, the M16, a shooting style selection would be cool if it were possible to be done, like burst fire, full auto and obviously keeping the current as an option, single shot. Each shooting style would have different effects. Single shot would obviously not be changed, this way an old style to fighting is kept to accommodate the old school iEra players. Burst fire would allow a volley of 3 bullets to be fired out, though you shoot more bullets in one press, your character will be unable to move for the duration it takes for the 3 shots to exit the gun. Full auto would just leave your character immobile entirely as long as you have the fire button held down. Having things like this keeps a balanced stream of gameplay going and incorporates a variety of play styles that players can adapt to.
  
  3.) Another suggestion for a new gun system would be to add something like weapon attachments. This would work somewhat like the Neo Rifle and how you can strap it to your back or attach a bayonet to it. I was thinking of having an attachment shop or sell attachments that are gun specific in the same shop that said gun is sold in. Whenever you buy a new attachment, equipping it would work like the suggestion for a new inventory system (see EXTRA EQUIP BUTTON, INVENTORY CHANGE & CIVILIAN MODE point). You would hold down the attachment button (the same buttons like the ones used to strap the neo or attach the bayonet) for a duration and you will be able to select an attachment that you can equip and unequip using those buttons. Whether or not attachments will be purely cosmetic, like the strap-to-back feature of the Neo Rifle, or have an actual affect in the game, like the bayonet, would be entirely up to the devs, obviously.
  
  4.) The next idea is weapon camos and designs. I'm sure this idea has been something that is suggested multiple times by the community. Though it may be true that this feature is only cosmetic (as in it does not alter the status of your gun), I still feel that it would be an interesting feature to have. Having camo's like your standard issue jungle camo, desert and winter. Or maybe even camo's for the more outspoken players like a polkadot camo, smiley face, or how about a gold camo for you CoD fans?
  
  How it would work isn't necessarily buying a new gun for each camo. It would work like buying the camo for the gun itself. Possibly have left/right arrows in the actual equip window for a gun that cycles through each different camo. Hopefully something like that would be possible to execute. It would have a custom camo shop somewhere in iEra of course.
  
• TRADING
  (Suggested by Dylan in this post: #4)
  A trading system would be cool too. It would develop a more mature economy on iEra. It would be recommended on trading for weapons so that players can sell off old stuff they don't ever use if they would want more money for newer items.
  
  How it would work is just the same way it would work for inviting players to a guild or a house. If a player accepts to trade a split window, one side showing your items/gralats you would put up and the other showing your trade partners offer/item they are selling. How you would add an item to said window is by pressing a little (+) button in your respective side of the trade menu and once you do, your inventory screen would come up with all your items and a gralats option.
  
• EXTRA EQUIP BUTTON, INVENTORY CHANGE & CIVILIAN MODE
  (Suggested by MSM Graal in this post: Equipping and inventory improvements)
  1.) MSM Graal's first idea he brought up was to add a third equip button into the game. As a revised version of his idea I think it would be beneficiary if the third equip button would allow the player to equip items like the Car Keys, skateboard, or even health items. Basically you would only be allowed to equip support items (car + skateboard are support items because they enhance travel and health items are pretty self explanatory). It's a real pain having to go into the player menu every single time to bring out your car or even heal.
  
  2.) MSM Graal's second idea in his post can also be supported by ZenthorCanavi's post. It is true that the amount of clutter and disorganization in the inventory menu can be annoying to manage. But instead of creating folders in the player item selection screen, how about changing it so it's a unique inventory system? It feels somewhat tedious having to click on yourself and then click on the equip buttons to change equipment. Now I don't have a set idea on how to change it, certainly this topic is OPEN FOR SUGGESTION. One suggestion I'll make, though I am unsure about it, is make it so you can hold down the top right equipment buttons for about 3 seconds and a little window will come up showing your items, and then the window will close once you select an item or hit cancel if you don't want to change.
  
  3.) Another idea in this post was brought up by KatGoesRawr. She mentioned a safe mode for players so that they couldn't be killed allowing them to freely do what they want. As I did to idea "1" in this point, I'll share my revision of this idea. Basically quoting what I posted in the original post.
  
  

  How about name it something creative like "civilian mode" and just make it so you can't equip any weapons entirely, hence making you non-lethal and pushing further the whole cops and gangster thing, just adding an option to being a civilian sometimes. Also would be cool if your name changed color whenever entering said "civilian mode" to signify if you are in that mode or not (and not being in it would just give you the standard cop/gangster/neutral name colors) Obviously people in this mode wouldn't be able to spar, gang spar, PK or participate in events. But this allows a safe way of doing jobs such as mining, taxi driving, digging, delivering mail, etc...you know, CIVILIAN jobs. Also make it only allowed to be enabled/disabled in a safe non-pk area so people won't just abuse it while they're getting killed and just turn on civilian mode to get away. They'd have to run into a safe area to prevent from being killed (just like people do already) and then they'd be able to turn on civilian mode.

  To revise the portion where I mention players unable to spar, gang spar, PK, or do events, I'd like to change my suggestion and make it so civilian mode is disabled during such times. Say you enter spar, civilian mode would be disabled once you are in the battle and will be re-enabled, if you had it on prior to sparring, once you are out. Same thing applies to gang spars and events.
  
  Another benefit that I didn't mention in the original post was that it may help reduce lag in the game. For people who chose to go AFK they can freely go AFK where ever they chose if they are in "civilian mode" without worrying about being killed (with the exception of being killed by a CPU such as a crab). This will clear out the Start zone a little more which in turn decreases the intensity of lag in that area due to over crowding.
  
• PAWN SHOP
  This next idea I saw in another post but I honestly cannot locate it for the life of me lol...I do not take credit for this idea and I hope I can find the original text to cite it.
  
  Anyways this idea is plain and simple: a pawn shop. It could just be one pawn shop or multiple pawn shops scattered throughout iEra. If you dont know what a pawn shop is here is a general description that can be found on google:
  
  

  A pawn shop is a store that offers money, usually a fraction of the value, for a variety of different items. Such stores have existed as far back as Ancient Greece, with differing rules for how they operate. Normally a person pawns an item at a pawn shop and then has a month or two to redeem the item by paying back the money owed. There is usually an additional charge or pawn shop fee that must be paid prior to getting the item back.

  Short and sweet, a pawn shop is a shop where you sell your stuff.
  
  A pawn shop would go nicely with iEra for various reasons. Some people buy new guns or cars then never again use their old ones. What better way to get rid of them and make a little extra money by pawning them away? Of course keeping to the tradition of a pawn shop, you would only receive a fraction of the items original value, kinda like selling one of your games to GameStop, where you might have paid like $60 for a game and only get paid $30 for it when you sell it to them. Pawning something like a gun would affect the amount you get back judging by the condition your gun is in. For example, if you were to pawn a rusty M4 you would get...maybe 1500 gralats or maybe even less as opposed to pawning a perfect condition M4 where you would get at the least 2500 gralats. Doing this keeps a real world feel to pawning items as the condition of your real world item affects how much you'll get.
  
  This would also be an alternative option rather than trading it (if the trading system were in the game also). Can't sell it to another player? Pawn it!
  
• RESPAWN SYSTEM
  Next is my idea to revise the respawning system. Although it is an interesting concept to be sent to a hospital after being killed and having the option to buy a revive potion so you don't get bed ridden is cool too, I just feel it could have been executed differently. Players shouldn't respawn "automatically" without them pressing anything. Why? Because sometimes it's a hassle. At times when you go AFK it can be real troublesome. If you're in a PK area and just go AFK for a few minutes to get a snack and come back to your little Graalian in the hospital even if you have a quick revive, how would you feel? Pretty annoyed right? Well it happens, probably because this prevents kill boosters from continuously killing AFK players. It can even be annoying to players in safe zones, you go AFK for a bit in a safe part of the beach, like near the shell shop, but someone lures a crab to you and you die then come back to your Graalian yet again in the hospital.
  
  In all honesty, staying dead after being killed would have been better instead of making players revive automatically. The original kill boosting problem wouldn't have happened in the first place either if this were the case. It wouldn't change your respawn location if you have or don't have the revive potion, the only difference is WHEN the player revives in the hospital or gets up after being killed by pressing a movement button.
  
• MAP REVISION
  I'm sure you guys like the new map update as much as I do, it's an awesome idea and makes things easier to find. BUT, I feel that it can be improved on rather than fixed.
  
  Instead of selecting between different categories (shops, jobs, etc.) why not have it as a toggle feature? Meaning instead of switching between what's displayed on the map, it will be...well, toggled. If you only want the shops and jobs locations displayed then toggle only those two and keep the rest off. Or how about friends and jobs? Even the sub categories of the shops would be toggle enabled for easier view.
  
• MINING EXPANSION
  (Suggested by Dragu in this post: Mining)
  The mining system is very interesting. The fact that you need the minerals to keep your guns in top shape is awesome and helps keeps players active and aware. Which is why I'm proposing to release a sort of expansion to mining.
  
  I feel that the type of minerals should be increased, like adding gold or maybe even diamond. But the difference is they wouldn't really be used to repair guns, maybe they would but only special guns. Gold and diamonds could be another source of currency flow, just like shells are. I know that you can make a profit off of the current minerals but it obviously isn't as good as digging for shells. Making mining a little more profitable would expand player options when it comes to quick money making.
  
  But that's not all. Remember I mentioned special guns that would be repaired by the diamonds and gold? How about a special weapons trader that only accepts diamonds and gold for some well..special weapons? This would further expand the reason why players should go out and take advantage of iEra's mining job.
  
  Mining minerals such as gold could also support the camo idea by making players mine gold and trading said gold for some golden camo for their guns.
  
• BANKING SYSTEM
  (Suggested by shadowslicer in this post: #22)
  Shadowslicer brought up a really cool idea for a type of banking system. I'd like to further revise and add to that idea.
  
  He mentioned the ATM's shown all around iEra, mostly indoors. It would be cool if players could access those ATM machines and be able to withdraw/deposit Gralats. Having this feature further matures the economy on iEra allowing players to save up money toward something they want.
  
  Say a player farms 5k. They could put 2.5k in the bank to save up and have 2.5k on their person to spend as they will. I would mention an interest rate but considering this is a game it might be too complicated.

COMING SOON

This thread is mainly for ideas to help improve iEra. I would like to try and keep the update level at something larger than just new guns or new hats. Pretty much stuff like new events, new areas, and major stuff like that.

READY...SET...POST!

POST UPDATES:

• Added additional points to the iEra 2.0 section (1:44 AM PST; 9-8-2011)
• Extended list for WEAPONS under the iEra 2.0 section. Explained TRADING in greater detail. (3:20 AM PST; 9-9-2011)
• Merged MAP REVISION and WEAPON DESIGNS & CAMO with iEra 2.0. Added MINING EXPANSION. iEra Events, Areas & Mini-Game Ideas by: Wafflez & Kaede coming soon! (9-10-2011)
• Added BANKING SYSTEM idea. (9-11-2011)

NOTE: This main post will be edited and built up further in the days to come.