Birthsign Mechanic Concept

Gidorick

While ESO handles the Tamrielic astrological pantheon with Mundus Stones I feel like there is still room in ESO for actual player birthsigns.

TL/DR
ZOS should add additional birthsign mechanics to ESO in which a player’s birthsign is permanent. Players should gain the benefits of their Birthsign during their birth-month.

Topics

• Mudus Stones
• Assigning a Birthsign
• Observing a Birthsign
• Birthsign Benefits

Mudus Stones
Birthsigns in ESO are represented by Mundus Stones. Instead of players choosing a birthsign players can activate a mundus stone. This system is helpful to players because players aren’t locked into a decision for the length of the game. Below is a list of the Mundus Stones in ESO and their effects.

• The Warrior Increases Power.
• The Mage Increases max Magicka.
• The Thief Increases critical hit chance.
• The Serpent Increases non-combat health regeneration.
• The Lady Increases armor.
• The Steed Increases run speed.
• The Lord Increases max Health.
• The Apprentice Increases Spell Penetration.
• The Atronach Increases Magicka regeneration.
• The Ritual Increases healing effectiveness.
• The Lover Reduces damage taken from spells.
• The Shadow Increases critical strike damage.
• The Tower Increases max Stamina.

I am not suggesting these mechanics change in any way. Instead, my suggestion is to add a Birthsign on top of the current Mundus Stone mechanic. The Birthsign effect would be 50% of the effect of Mundus stone… meaning the Mundus stones are more effective than Birthsigns.

Assigning a Birthsign
There are two ways in which Birthsigns could be assigned to players.

• The first is to allow players to choose a birthsign during character creation.
• The second, and my personal preference , is for birthsigns to be assigned to players depending on when they actually create they character. In order for this to be possible, ZOS would have to establish a time, date, and calendar within ESO. If they do so as outlined in my Day Length Adjustment & Holiday Implementation Concept each month would take 11-13 actual days to pass. If players want to be born under a specific Birthsign, they will have to wait until the specific Birthsign is active to create their character.

Each color is one Tamrielic month.

Characters that are already made could be given a one-time choice of what birthsign their character was born under. ZOS could choose to observe the Tamrielic calendar that was established in Arena, which saw each month have 30 days for fair and even observance of the Birthsigns.

Birthsigns shouldn't be able to be changed, unless ZOS decides to add some crown store item which offers players such a change.

Observing a Birthsign
First and foremost, Birthsigns should be observable in the night sky. This observance could be as simple as the player looking up into the night sky. The longer the player looks into the sky, the more apparent the constellation could become.

• First 5 seconds: Constellation stars shine brightly
• Next 5 seconds: The Constellation lines connect the stars
• Next 5 Seconds: The Birthsign becomes clear.
• After 15 seconds: The name of the Constellation appears

This method of Birthsign observance could be accomplished without assigning a calendar.

Alternatively, if ZOS establishes a calendar by adding a separate menu tab for calendar functions, players could access their calendar to see which Birthsign is active at any particular time.

Either way, the birthsign of the serpent should randomly replace a birthsign. This means that the player who has the Serpent as their birthsign wouldn’t be able to predict when their birthsign will appear. This also means that randomly, a birthsign might not appear in the night sky and a player will miss their additional benefits for that period of time.

Birthsign Benefits
Only during the presence of the birthsign do players gain the full benefits of their birthsign. This is the largest difference between the Mundus Stones and the Birthsigns. This is also the reason I believe ESO establishing a 10 hour day (which would lead to a Tamrielic year of approximately 4 months) would be beneficial to ESO. Players would have an 11-13 day period every 4 months in which they receive their birthsign benefits, which include:

• 50% of the Birthsign’s Mundus effect
• +10% bonus experience gain
• +15% bonus gold/ap/telvar gain

During the rest of the year players would enjoy only 20% of the Birthsign's Mundus Effect. This means that those who have the birthsign of the Warrior and ALSO choose to invoke the Warrior Mundus Stone would enjoy a 120% of the power increase for that Constellation always, but during their birth month, they would enjoy 150% of the power increase.

These effects would be in addition to any other boons the player currently has.

Wrap-up
So, what do you think? Would this kind of system add to the game or would it just be an annoyance? Are there other benefits or mechanics you think would work better? I do think that this should be a cost-less addition to ESO, with the exception of a Birthsign reassignment scroll being sold in the crown store.

BeardLumber

What a cool concept, it adds that extra depth that I think this game dearly needs.

Though I think that it would be more appealing to other players if while your birthsign isn't present you get 20% of said mundus effect and when your sign is in the sky it would jump up to something like 50%.

Either way I dig the idea and would love to see something to the effect added to the game.

Gidorick

I initially had a similar thought as you @BeardLumber, that there is a lower permanent effect for players but thought it might be a bit OP... I like the idea of there always being a smaller buff for the player that gets kicked up during their birth month! 100% agree!

Artjuh90

if this will be implemented ill just wait for the post i want to change my birthsign with crowns post

nimander99

This is a good idea, also I wouldn't have put a tl;dr rating to it as this is one of your shortest posts ill comment a bit more on specifics after i get to work and open up...

Gidorick

LOL @nimander99, you're right... At this point it's just "standard formatting"

Gidorick

heheh @Artjuh90... I mentioned a Crown Store item to change constellations in the OP.

I also added the suggestion from @BeardLumber . I liked the percentages he chose so I just pilfered them. MWAHAHAHAH!!!