A Special House Item - Memory of the Fallen

[TorrynWoodsrunner]

This past week, the Everquest 2 community lost one of its own...known in-game as DJench'la, Imnishalnia, Moreless, and a host of other characters, on Antonia Bayle, Venekor, and other servers. She passed away as the result of smoke inhalation from a fire that engulfed her home. It was a heartbreaking loss for many...more than I had imagined possible.

Over the days since her passing, the community that knew her poured out its collective heart in memory of this woman who touched so many lives with her friendship, endearing spirit, and rapacious wit. Memorial shrines and gardens have gone up all over Norrath, on multiple servers. The Moonshadows have built a small memorial in their guildhall, complete with a Koada'Dal bartender named Jenkitty (DJench'la would tend bar at our weekly pub gathering). Neversea's memorial garden was even featured in a recent Treasure Chest.

This got me, and a few others, to thinking. Jen (as most of us knew her) is not the first member of our extended online family to pass from this life. And I'm sure there are many out there who would like to have a permanent memorial in-game to remember those who have left us, for whatever reason.

What I propose is a house item called 'Memory of the Fallen'. Ideally, this would be a stone or spirit 'statue', which could be customized similarly to the guild hall NPCs, and allowed in multiples in a house or guild hall. If permanent customization is too difficult to code (I notice the guild hall NPCs change appearance often), then a set of statues in male and female of each player race could substitute. Players would be able to 'name' the statues, in order to honor specific individuals. It could perhaps even provide a minor clicky buff to those who honor the memory (click the statue).

These memorial statues could be offered in the Station Cash Marketplace, for a reasonable amount (500-1000 SC), and the proceeds donated to any number of worthy charities, perhaps on a rotating basis.

An item or items of this sort would allow us a way to remember those we've lost, honor their memory, and give them a permanent place of honor in the game they loved.

I'd like to stress that this is a request, not a demand on the developers. Those of you who would like to support this idea, please post here and respectfully show your support.

We've seen that the developers -do- listen to us. I urge them to consider this proposal, for those who loved the game, and those they've left behind in it.

Thank you for your consideration.

[Nefariaa]

I think that is a really nice idea.

[Barq Bandit]

It's a nice idea, and while I can definitely see players just buying them to have them, they'd be supporting charities regardless, which is always a good thing.  I wonder how much of a success the bouncing bear charity item was, and if that success might encourage them to consider this idea.

I also wonder if it would be possible within the game to click on the statue to open a window, have the server fetch the customization appearance for any character on the server by name, both classic and Soga, just like when any character model we come across in the zone does, and represent that character from that point on via the statue.  All the info is there already to make it look exactly like the character.  You could even have the statue override the texture color settings and display them as granite textured, or have a choice to show them as they appeared with accurate colors, sort of a wax museum piece.

The statues would have to act like player character models, of course, in that the statue would appear in Soga or classic depending on who was looking at it, but it's nice to think that such a statue might be possible.  I can definitely see such statues being a hit with players, and helping to throw the Marketplace into a more positive light for those who've expressed dislike for the feature.

[Kalria]

Very lovely idea. It is a sad moment when a community loses one of its own, something to remember them by within the community setting would indeed be welcomed.

[Xelthris]

I would greatly appriciate this.  I have lost far to many friends over the many years I have been playing Everquest, and everquest 2.  Even something simple would be wonderful.  I know Neversea spent an entire ight making the garden for her.

[Mataea]

thats a wonderful idea. i know each server has experienced loss. this is a great way to carry on the memories.

[Karrane1]

I agree with this... its a very nice idea that I hope could be implimented.

[Eveningsong]

That's a wonderful idea.  But you should post it in the Items forum as well, so that the folks who could actually create such a thing have an opportunity to see it.

[AJ523]

I too think that this is a wonderful idea. I especially like the charity part of it.

[Sephira]

I also think that this is a wonderful idea, and hope that this can be implemented.

[Generat]

This is a very good idea.

[Wilde_Night]

I wholeheartedly support this idea.  Jen was not the first that many of us gamers have known and lost.  Our guild has a graveyard set up to honor our dead, but you can't mark the tombstones.  The statue idea is wonderful, but if they can not do it I would like the gravestones to be able to be marked instead.

[Taylinn]

A wonderful way for us to pay respects and remember those that we have lost.

[Barq Bandit]

One possible alternative to this idea I just thought of would be to make guild hall npcs customizable just like player characters, except that you would first design a character via the character creation process, and then save that appearance to a *.ccf file.  You'd then right click the guild hall guard, open a window that allows you to load up the appearance settings file on that npc guard or merchant.

You could even have a checkbox on the window that would cause them to render with one of several rock or marble textures, and locks them in place, just like the Antonia and Lucan statues in town.  They're still just the character models.  They move when they speak, and are hailable if you're clever with your slash commands.  I would make these statue-mode npcs non-targetable, though, just like the statues of the two Human city leaders.  Would ruin the illusion that they were statues if you could easily target and hail, etc.

This would take advantage of features and programming already in the game without having to create a character statue system from scratch, although I realize it'd probably be quite a bit more involved that I'm making it sound like.  ; )   No worries though.  Something for the devs to ponder the plausibility of, at the very least.

[Elya]

A lovely idea. I especially like the thought of using station cash to buy the statue and having the proceeds donated to worthy charities in the loved ones honor.

[Kerisan]

I would love to see this implemented, and I would most certainly purchase one!

Rest in peace, Djen.

[Mary the Prophetess]

I think that it is a great idea, and I would purchase memorial stones for those players I knew in-game.  I wonder if it might also be possible to set aside a small instanced zone in each starting city as a 'Shadowed Grove' for such memorial stones to be placed?  Also, perhaps each additional purchase could be taken as flowers or candles to be placed on the stone?

I wonder though how this would work.  If the memorials were allowed to be purchased, they would be purchased not only for those players whom we have known and have died, but also they would also be purchased for characters, or for other reasons.  That would greatly diminish the concept I think, indeed, it seems irreverent to do so, but how would SOE be able to make a differentiation?

[Barq Bandit]

I would keep it simple and make it for guild halls only.  That way, everyone can do what they like with the feature.  They can use it to imortalize themselves or other players in their guild hall if someone's leaving the game, or it can be used to roleplay the resting place of a retired character.  And of course to remember the players themselves who we've lost.  There's always going to be someone doing something with a feature that wasn't intended.  Heck, the part of this game I enjoy the most is doing things with house items that they weren't intended for. 

The important thing is that it would benefit good causes and be an ongoing thing, not temporary like the bouncing bear.  It would also encourage more folks to try out the Marketplace, which I'm beginning to warm up to, as against it as I was to begin with.  Nice way to further support the development of this game, I'm beginning to feel.

[Sapphirius]

This is something I can easily see tied in with the Marketplace to for a charity for those players who have passed away and left loved ones behind who depended upon them. From what I understand, the baby bear fund raiser was successful, and this is one that would strike much closer to home.

The Antonia Bayle server actually lost two great players in one weekend: one was lost to complications from a house fire from the guild Moonshadows (though she had a host of alts across several guilds) and the other was lost to a car accident the very next day from the guild Eternal Destiny. I have heard of players from other servers passing away as well to various reasons. Some of those players had no one that depended upon them for their care, and others of those players (like D'Jenchla) did.

Even if the item cannot be a fully customizeable likeness of that player, perhaps something to commemorate them while raising funds for the families they've left behind?

[Eveningsong]

I would be happy to buy something like this from the Marketplace in memory of a lost friend or family member, however implementing a tie-in to charity donations on an ongoing basis may be impractical.  Its one thing to track sales for a specific period of time and do all the associated paperwork related to charity donations and taxes etc. for one big amount, but doing that on an ongoing basis may be rather more work than the amount of donations would probably be worth.  But its certainly a nice idea and cool if they could find a way to implement it .

Again, I think the OP needs to post a link to this thread in the Item forum though, otherwise the right people may never see it.

[Keshra]

Elyana wrote:

A lovely idea. I especially like the thought of using station cash to buy the statue and having the proceeds donated to worthy charities in the loved ones honor.

My sentiments exactly.

[Cusashorn]

A truely wonderful and beautiful idea.

[Amphibia]

A very good idea.

[Bruji]

I think it is a wonderful idea.

[LadyGalasya]

+1. There are many I would honor in this manner were this feature available!

[Kizaxia]

I think this is a wonderful idea as well as making the statues available

through the marketplace to help raise funds for some type of community

benefit. I hope that SoE is able to do something like this.

[Flame]

I am sorry for the loss of your friend.  I'm sure she was a wonderful person who brightened your life.  It is strange how we do get attached to our online buddies.  Our guild lost two of its members this year to tragic circumstances and they will always hold a dear place in our hearts.  We put up a memorial on our website but it just doesn't seem to be enough.  I would welcome the idea of memorial stones or some type of in-game tribute to our befallen heroes! May they all rest in peace and raid Norrath in another life!

[Katsi]

I cannot help but to support this idea.  I have never bought anything from SC, but this I would.

~ Cerilynn