New Pack Role: Matchmaker

Hello Devs,

Today I had an idea for a new pack role, the Matchmaker.

The idea behind this new role, is that like in real life where we can breed animals and even people for specific traits, a Matchmaker would be able to research certain wolf properties and in turn increase the probability for achieving them.

I believe that it would be optimal to be able to have at least three matchmakers in a pack because there are multiple different aspects that make up the appearance of each wolf, and each of those main topics can be branched off into several smaller areas of study.  (this would also create an opportunity for each category to learn a special trait you can’t get anywhere else other than by maxing out that learning tree, so you’d need the three separate wolves in that role in order to achieve all of the special bonuses at the end, you couldn’t get them with just one wolf.)

For example, Bases, Markings, and Mutations are the three main aspects I see that the Matchmaker role would benefit from studying.

Within the Markings study, the wolf could work their way up through levels by first studying the base markings and colours, then the more rare markings and colours,  and eventually, once they’d mastered all of those, it might open up a final level of markings that are unique to the Matchmaker role.  Their study of each marking and subsequent mastery would then allow the user to apply a percentile chance to each breeding of attaining that mark.  If the parent wolves already have that marking,  this percentile chance will go on top of the percentage already granted by the parents having this mark.   If it’s a brand new mark, the chance will obviously be lower.

Within the Bases study, the wolf could work their way up through the different base tiers, learning all three tiers and then again, possibly being granted a special base or two that can only be achieved by maxing out a Matchmaker.   Once a base has been studied, the Matchmaker’s knowledge can be applied during a breeding to increase the percentile chance of achieving one of the studied bases.  Again, if the parents already have this base, the percentile chance gained through the Matchmaker’s knowledge would go on top of the chance they already have to get the colour desired.

The last area of study I thought might apply would be Mutations.  There aren’t very many right now, but this pack role might help to bring more in if they were desired.  Studying the lethal and the non-lethal, and being able to increase the chances of attaining them.   As with the other studies, a unique mutation could be offered for wolves that follow this line of study within the Matchmaker class.

I believe the study and application of this role would work much like the herbalist, where there’s a list of remedies to learn, and then when they want to put them to use it has to be selected and it will take up a certain amount of time where they won’t be able to do anything else.  (so perhaps if applying their skill to a particular breeding, it may take them an extra 2 hours for cooldown before they can work their magic on another breeding pair.)

In order to differentiate between the three areas of study, so that one Matchmaker would not be able to achieve all three alone, a method like the scouting for rainforest and Glacier biomes could be used.  Each tree of the Matchmaker could be based on a different stat, and as they’re leveling grant more bonuses to specific stats, so that by the end if you don’t have enough Wisdom you couldn’t learn the final level of Markings and without enough Smarts you couldn’t learn the last level of Bases.  And I guess…. Agility for Mutations?   Something, or some combo of stats.

I had this idea because I was looking at the large number of wolves in my pack and the number of incoming pups and realized that I really didn’t have enough jobs to keep them all occupied and/or to help them level.   Only two scouts are allowed, and though I can have many hunting packs, I don’t really need them if my wolves are doing well and bringing back food.  (I’m already supplying food for two other packs belonging to friends of mine as well as my own.)  Not to mention I can only send them out every half hour for 10 times each. (so basically once I have three hunting packs, I don’t have time during my waking day for any more hunts to be sent out.)

In order for my idea to get added to the game, I think the following will be required from the devs: Coding, writing, server tweaks, and possibly artwork if unique items are added for each area of study.

Thank you for considering my suggestion!

Malachai Morrow

Edit February 19:    So they added Gene and his ability to scribe Muties.   I’m sure that will affect this somehow....  not sure how but it wasn’t something I had to consider when I first made this thread.

I...actually really like this idea. I think it would be absolutely beneficial if we had more roles than the 4 we already have, so that more of our wolves can earn exp at a time.

I really like everything you said, but I'd like to add some suggestions!

Add-ons:

-When learning Markings, there's already a tier system used for markings, so that can be used to determine how rare the marking is! The higher it is on the tier list, the longer it takes to learn.

-To increase specifics for Bases, maybe they're categorized by Warm/Cool/Monochrome/Muted, and also by tier? So, for example, you can't research T2 Muted unless you research Muted T1. Also, just because you learn a specific tier, doesn't mean it increases the overall chance you'll get that tier. So a T2 breeding with another T2 will still only give you a 40% chance of another T2. It just means, within that 40%, you're now more likely to get whatever category you applied on the wolf.

-More than one Matchmaker can be applied to a single wolf.

Disagreements:

-Instead of learning things like how the herbalist does, perhaps they can learn it like how scouts explore territories? They earn proficiency from studying, which increases (though by a very small margin) the % benefit they can apply. Wisdom and Smarts could determine how fast they learn, instead of pertaining to a certain tree.

-I'm a little iffy on the idea of anything being locked behind the Matchmaker role. Seems like it'd kind of restrict playstyle freedom? Although I could be swayed to like the idea.

And also some things to consider (in case you want to address them)

-How many matchmakers can we have max? 3 makes the most sense, since you can't have duplicates.

-Wait, can we have duplicates? I would personally say no, if we can apply their benefits similar to how we apply pupsitters on pups. More below.

-How would we go about applying these benefits? I imagine similar to a pupsitter. One matchmaker can apply X amount of benefits to Y amount of wolves (I.e Scarlet can apply a +#% [depending on proficiency?] increased chance to get a Muted T2 (one benefit out of X, X being a fixed number) base to all wolves she's watching over.

This seems like a really great idea, and I can see it being implemented well into the game given enough thought. If anything I said sounds confusing, I can give a better example on how I envision the whole thing to work. Lmk if you like the idea!

Okay okay. Here's an in-depth explanation on what I mean. I hope you like it, OP! Everything is open to discussion. I really went all-out with this idea. If my version of the idea, or even the idea at all, doesn't get implemented, that's okay ;A; I had fun writing this either way.

GENERAL: A pack can have a maximum of 3 Matchmakers. There are 3 specialized roles a Matchmaker can choose from, but they can only choose 1 specialization. Additionally, you can only have 1 of each specialization. These specializations are Markings, Bases, and Mutations.

When a wolf becomes a Matchmaker, they must choose which type to specialize in. They cannot switch to another specialization, (if they can, they lose all progress in their previous role--no exceptions--and cannot switch specializations for # rollover(s). They also lose partial proficiency). The amount of time it would take to learn everything in the specialization, from quickest to longest, would go like this: Bases --> Markings (because there are so many of them) --> Mutations (gotta keep them rare; also there aren't many of them, so it wouldn't be fair to let them be the easiest to learn).

STUDYING: For every type, there are progress bars indicating what, in that type, the wolf can learn. As they learn, they lose 20% energy and study for 30 minutes-1 hour, the time of which decreases as the wolf gains more proficiency. Proficiency also determines the max % benefit they apply on wolves. They do not gain energy as they study. After they finish studying, they earn exp, the amount of which is generally dependent on their level (like how a lvl 1 hunter earns less than a lvl 9, for example). Wolves can re-study something they've learned to gain an increased % benefit in that type (which can result in further specialization, meaning that--for example--if a Markings MM learned Tier 1, he won't be forced to start learning Tier 2 just to get proficiency. He can keep studying Tier 1 to provide an even better Tier 1 % benefit, up to the max his general proficiency allows).

SPECIALIZATIONS: Markings are based on tier. The tiers are already determined and confirmed (though not filled out) by the Grouse House guide in their Genetics spreadsheet. The higher the tier, the longer it takes to study it. There is a progress bar under the tier name that gets filled out the more you study that specific tier.

Bases are based, first, by color: Warm/Cool/Monochrome/Muted, then by tier. You cannot learn a t2 base without learning the t1 equivalent, and you cannot learn t3 without learning the t1 and t2 equivalent. So it is possible to learn Warm I --> Warm II --> Warm III without having to learn ALL the T1s and then ALL the T2s. The higher the tier, the longer it takes to study.

Mutations are separated purely by the specific mutation, and would probably take longer than a Base Matchmaker would learn a T2, but shorter than a Base would learn a T3.

BENEFITS: 

Benefits are applied similarly to how pupsitters apply benefits, but not the same. A single Matchmaker can only match up to 3-5 wolves (fixed number no matter what). The % that they give out, like mentioned above, is dependent only on their proficiency, not how many wolves they match. You can apply any number of learned practices on a wolf (so, for example, your Bases MM can apply ALL mutation benefits on the same wolf, but...why would you want that?).

First, simply go to Pupsitting/Nesting (there will be a separate tab called 'Matchmaker') --> Choose the MM you want to use from the dropdown (they'll have #/# next to their name like Pupsitters do) --> pick a wolf from your list of adults --> There's a checkbox list of all the things your selected MM has learned. Check them off then hit Confirm. Rinse and repeat for whatever other wolf you want to apply benefits for.

When it comes to Markings, it might get a bit complex. Scenario one: Wolf A has White Irish (Tier 1) in Slot 1, and Wolf B has Cream Muzzle (Tier 8?) in Slot 1. By default, they have a 60% chance of passing on a marking. That 60% does not change. How the MM comes into play is WHICH marking from that 60% chance has a better chance of passing, so if you apply your Marking MM to Wolf A (your MM has to have learned Tier 1 ofc), now the Tier 1 marking has a higher chance to pass. Applying your MM on both wolves does nothing.

Different scenario: Lets say Wolf A and B BOTH have a Tier 1 marking in Slot 1 (default % is still 60%), and the markings are different. Aplying your MM on both wolves does nothing. Applying your MM on Wolf A gives THAT SPECIFIC MARKING a better chance to pass.

Third scenario: Wolf A and B have the exact same marking in the exact same slot. That's a 75%. Your MM can't do anything about this, because--again--they don't increase the overall odd a marking gets passed on. They increase which marking, if at all, gets passed on.

Bases are simple, thankfully. Don't apply a Warm II benefit from your MM onto wolves that can't even produce a Warm pup in the first place, as the MM does not make that possible.

In the case of, say, a Cool II mating with a Warm I, putting your MM on either has the same affect (it is possible for them to create a Warm II, so MM can give the benefit), it just probably wouldn't be worth it since first you'd have to succeed that 10% chance for a Tier 2, then succeed the 33% chance for a Warm...

Mutations are also pretty simple. You can't put a benefit on a Non-Carrier, because it'll provide no benefit (unless that wolf is pairing with a Carrier or Mutie). Putting a benefit on a Carrier increases the odds their pup will also be a Carrier. Putting it on a Mutie increases the odds that their pup will either be a Carrier or a Mutie.

If you breed, for example, an Albino Carrier with a Melanism Mutie, you'd have to apply both the Albino and Melanism benefit in order to get increased odds for either. I'm pretty sure you can't have a wolf have a both secondary mutation AND a secondary carrier of a different mutation, right? If yes, then obviously the Mutation MM doesn't allow this to become possible. You can, for example, put only Melanism on this pair to only have a Melanism benefit. 

I will be totally honest, I’m a complete newb when it comes to this type of game so all the background info on how the percentages work etc is a little lost on me.  Your suggestions sound very logical and probably address problems I don’t even know to look for. 

I would really like to see the breeding community weigh in on all this with suggestions and whatnot, so maybe the devs will take it seriously and work with it.   We desperately need more ways to level our wolves and I think this would help the breeding community greatly.

thank you for taking the time to reply!!  I appreciate your help as I know I have a lot yet to learn. :)

i think... there are a lot of moving parts to this (bc its a big feature suggestion). So forgive me if my brain is a little slow on the intake lol. 

so is the basic function of a mathmaker supposed to study this particular part of genetics/breeding, have it "overlook" a breeding, and "stack" the chances of a particular outcome to that breeding?

so let's say i have a t2 and a t3 i wanna breed. if i have a matchmakers dedicated to bases, that has unlocked t3 bases, and has some proficiency in that category, i can apply this matchmaker to the breeding (for lack of a better term) like an item, and the % chance of getting a t3 is whatever the % chance of a t2 x t3 multiplied or stacked by the proficiency/skill/level of the matchmaker?

Yes! That is more or less what my original intent was for this role Treestar. :).  I’m  not sure how it will affect or change the game mechanics in the end, but I figured maybe it would not only help people get the wolves they want, but also if it’s not so hard to get a base or a mark you want maybe there will be a little less inbreeding?

hmmm i think, given the comments and a lot of the explanation u provided then, i'll give my support. i don't think this is a feature i would necessary use a lot other than to increase stats of a wolf, but i could definitely see some other folks using this feature to its fullest extent!

i have one other question: does the matchmaker only work if the matched breeding is within ur own den? like... can i only use it with my own stud and a dam in my den or one of my pair bonds? can i use this before a stud request to someone else's stud?

I personally would like to see the matchmaker bonus applicable to any pairing that you have a part in, studs included.   However, that being the case it would not be fair to have the bonus doubled up by both the owner of the stud and the owner of the dam, so I think it should be only the bonuses belonging to the owner of the Dam that apply.   This way you still have the most possible control over the outcome of a breeding that you are trying to do, rather than leaving any of that to the owner of the stud.

I also think If it was the stud owner’s matchmaker bonus that was applied, it would be just another thing people would charge for and it would likely throw the stud market out of whack.

Honestly the idea is cool, but for some reason I find this more interesting of an add to your account rather than a role..! 

The thought is that you have these bars on your den page and certain actions can increase them. F. Ex increased passrates for bases, chance to mutate up a tier when breeding, stat passrate changes etc.  

It'd be tied to your lead and reset when the lead is changed, similarly to the map scouting. 

I feel like that might be a bit easier for the devs to achieve and it'd be fun to have more ways to alter your playstyle through these bars - not just related to breeding perhaps!

I feel like tying it to several wolves could get messy if they want to reset this progress at any point, sort of like scouting progress resetting with leads because it's more predictable! 

That's just me though! I still like the idea as is  :)