>Wherein I try to extract cogent arguments from Dirt's posts
>and brand them as my own in the hopes they might be discussed
>in a dispassionate manner:
>
>1. Should there be a hard cap on thief points regardless of
>the source? Possibly 120? Because currently 2x Devious +
>Reward (i.e. 130) is fairly doable. At level 42 no less.

Yes. Theives have the potential to be insanely powerful with too many points. I think once you get over a certain amount of points, any effort put towards game balance by the staff, however well thought out, goes out the window.

>2. Does giving imm xp (i.e. currency for edges, which confer
>non-trivial game-play advantages) for role entries distort the
>way the role command is used and, in fact, not result in
>better role-play?

I don't think the quality of RP is any better just because the percentage of characters with a (decent) role is higher only because a subset of those players wrote roles only for the purpose of getting edges.

I think some people write basic roles just to score 1k - 2k worth of Immortal XP for the sole purpose of getting edge points, and I'm fine with that.

I don't think it leads to better RP or higher quality characters.

>3. Does tying edge points to observation/exploration xp just
>motivate people to "game the system" (by
>re-observing/exploring areas they've already visited multiple
>times) and not actually enhance anyone's fun? Instead of the
>intended effect of rewarding players who do more than just
>hang around Galadon and Eastern Road, it seems to have
>rewarded whomever is willing to undertake the monotonous task
>of exploring/observing the same areas with each successive
>character.

Edges have a HUGE impact on the game. Most single edges alone aren't game-changers, but having an entire collection of choice edges absolutely makes a most builders quite a bit stronger. Plus, there's things like the re-roll edges for shifters (expensive) that quite literally transform a character's build. Then you've got edges that info extra affinity, thief points, etc. "Gaming the system" for edge points has almost become an obligatory part of assembling a strong character, and not something a lot of players would consider optional or "extra".

When I come down from a character, it's REALLY hard to get excited about a new one without a break of a few weeks or more because I know how grueling it is farming all the XP I'm going to need to have the things I've grown accustom to (basically, I'm spoiled).

Unfortunately, I can't think of an alternative. I like that the current system accommodates characters who may not be PK-oriented, for example. Since obviously we don't want all the benefits of edge points to simply be free, players need to earn them somehow, and the current system seems to be more effective and fair than anything else I can come up with, especially with regards to accommodating all character and player types.