Chapter 1.3 Fireflies - Logging In and Out

Always In-Game
When players log off, the character will remain in the world as a firefly. In a firefly state, a character is non-interactable by default. While offline, everything in your inventory and on your character will be safe and not subject to any timers.

Re-Entering The Game
When players re-enter and exit the game they will be taken to the logged off screen. This screen shows a small area around the firefly, the rest of the world is hazy and blurry. From there, players will automatically log in a random safe area from the logged off state. Pressing and holding an interactivity button, will allow players to set a magic circle to determine where they want to specifically summon to. This magic circle is seen by other players. After logging on, players get return to regular vision.

Special Log-Off Zones
Players will gain temporary buffs upon return for logging off at firefly specific locations. For example, crafters can craft a mantle themed towards their crafting category, returning at this location will give that crafting category's buff. This allows players to create barracks, smithing, and other mantles for players to seek out.

Buff Increases Over Time
These buffs increase in time length the longer a player is logged off, allowing less active players a more welcoming experience due to their limited time, and encouraging a natural healthy time off of the game. More complex crafts, and claimed land controls can increase the strength of these buffs.

Overcrowded Visuals
In areas where there are a ton of fireflies, there will be a max visual in each tile space. Also, the firefly lights will fade in and out.

Logging Out Vulnerability
Attempting to log out will show a 10 second timer. This is visually seen to other players and NPC with a magic circle appearing around/under the character attempting to log out (visuals TBD). In the case of sudden disconnection, a player will pass out, and the magic circle will appear for 10 seconds, then will be logged out if not re-connected in time. During the 10 second timer players are vulnerable to attacks if in combat, and are otherwise intractable based on context.

No Logout Cancellation
Log out attempts will not be automatically cancelled if the player is being attacked or interacted with, but the player will remain vulnerable for the full duration. This is a valid form of keeping yourself alive, especially if you forgot to set a resurrection point, or otherwise.

Logging Out Debuff
Players will have a temporary debuff if logged out while being damaged during the 10 second timer to encourage players to seek safety before logging off.

Moving Logged Out Zones
Logging out at a moving location (vehicle or otherwise,) will show a moving inner magic circle, to indicate active movement. Players selecting a location off of a moving location will show an animated arrow to indicate you are jumping off. This allows players to log off at ships at sea, and moving wagons, but gives players more indications of the potential risks.

Firefly Catching
In the logged off screen, you can set who can catch you if you would like to be moved when logged off. It could be that you logged off in a risky area, and don't have a resurrection point nearby. You can set friends, guilds, specific players, or only your own alternate characters. These fireflies will follow a character. A player can only catch one at a time, unless they craft lanterns to keep them in. More complex lanterns can hold more players, as well as give players buffs when they return back. Many of these lanterns will aid with recovery. Players in a firefly state can turn off firefly catching at anytime, leaving them at their current location. Players can also turn on quest notifications for guid members who are requesting rescue.

Flyfly Pulling Constructions
Players and NPC can construct firefly pulling constructions, such as lighthouses and searchlights that draw fireflies in. Just like resurrection points, a player needs to set this before entering a firefly state. (This is so that players are not randomly pulled.)

Logged Out Considerations
If the area a player logged out in becomes a non-spawning location, the game will search for the nearest public unenclosed location. Once validated, the firefly placed in a random place in that radius. This could happen when a player is logged out, and a player built a private house at that location. Or if a player drops someone off at a non-public or otherwise invalid spawning location. Even though a player can jump and climb, the game will not consider these valid locations on their own, and will only consider floor layout, obstacles, and status validity to minimize the need to escape a location.

Firefly Logged Off Screen Options
In this screen, players can log back in as mentioned before, but players can also return to the character/world selection screens, exit the game, and toggle your options for firefly catching, and to ping separate guilds, friends, or alternate character to post a rescue quest.

Logging Off Is Canon
NPC understand that players logging off is a regular occurance in their universe. Canonically, the character's soul is the player in real life. NPC understand that player bodies half tethered to the world and half to their soul. Many NPC have similar lore, with their spirit coming from a different level of world, but have stronger tethers to the world. They also believe they are merely animating a body to traverse the world, either as banishment from their original world (criminals), or sent by their deity for a purpose. Most NPC will not mention their origins, however, with the understanding that this is the norm and unremarkable. All NPC will also lose their memory each recycle, which does cause them pain when their companions die and their spirit exits the world.