Great Server Numbers – Faces, Old & New
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small party intervention type plots are a lovely surprise and liven up quests…love them but sometimes run out of time as they take longer than regular quests :)
individual concept type plots would be nice ads long as they dont take a dm away from everyone else for the whole night
epic world shaking quests should perhaps have some kind of announcement so people can choose to log on or not, i mean say 1 week warning as to when the quest may happen...build up the plot with letters or whatever or ic announcements on forums? -
I always liked the big over-reaching plot that anyone could have a part in (even though the finale was usually a let down for the 80% of the server who missed it). But, I'm also of the player type that likes the stage set and the story begun before I try to find my niche part in it. Many other players have a tale they want to tell and want to be able to have the server bend to their actions from the get-go.
With no scientific study I would bet that more players are comfortable with the "playing a character and trying to find their place in a living world" rather than the "my story will be told against this backdrop and I'm going to bring you all along in it". In most ways it's easier and lazier to wait for something to happen and react. In some cases, the player driven stories seem implausible or unapproachable and way too focused on one person, not actually involving others.
I think mixing the two puts a large workload on DMs but if they're up to it then it facilitates both play-styles.
What I miss is the one off plot hook quests for people to get the info out about over-reaching story-lines- a little talking a little combat, about an hour or 2, not a ton of loot or money. Not just people in factions or people who had the stack of notes and paperwork for the DMs to read through on file, but for new people who had just quest trained to 3rd level and don't know what to do now, or some bored new guys. I always thought that the feeling that you could become part of anything at any time added some excitement to the game and in made long term characters who had purpose who maybe were faltering.
We seem to act like DM attention going to players who have not earned it is some great sin rather than looking at it as an investment in new players or a little pep-talk for those languishing for direction. In the end, I want everyone who logs in to feel like they're part of the world, those who want to run with it can take the reigns and I want the DMs to look forward to logging in to play.
(Once again, I play abysmal times with almost no DM coverage so my impressions may be gross overstatements based on a very small sample.)
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I'm really enjoying the server - I've played for a few years on and off but it seems everything is moving forwards nicely and it's everyone's open to interaction.
Great stuff guys!
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@Fel:
We seem to act like DM attention going to players who have not earned it is some great sin rather than looking at it as an investment in new players or a little pep-talk for those languishing for direction. In the end, I want everyone who logs in to feel like they're part of the world, those who want to run with it can take the reigns and I want the DMs to look forward to logging in to play.
I feel like these points are some important points to think about for the future. I agree that, in the community, there seems to be a mindset, especially among some players, that players are obligated to earn the right to be part of the fun.
It's like, "Oh. Are you sad because you're not having fun? Go out and do something." "Are you angry because you feel left out? Go out and do something." "Are you leaving because you feel like you aren't wanted? You should have gone out and done something."
In my mind, the mindset should be that players are obligated to make more fun for other players. It should be like, "Are you not having fun? Let's do this fun thing I know about!" "Do you feel left out? Come and play with us!" "Are you staying to play some more? That's awesome!"
However, the "earn it" mindset does not seem to have as much of a presence these days as it had a few months ago, and for many, many months before that. I think the community and the server are moving in a great direction now.
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I like plots which are server wide but cater to individual factions. Something like: there is a magic orb of magicness we all need. Instead of addressing the entire server, like kreswell asking for it, each faction head or NPC in contact with the player factions offers the plot to them with a unique twist. Bad guys want it for power, good guys want it to help the poor, and everyone is after it which brings everyone together. Would be cool if you also coordinated dm quests for two or more rival factions that would somehow come into contact, not necessarily all out brawling, but somehow competing against eachother.
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I've seen a few plots run in the above format. I do agree that they do seem to generate a little more competition if all the groups get an equal chance to succeed in the goal of the plot. It would also be good if there was another NPC or two for people who don't necessarily want to go through the factions but want to take part in the plot as well.
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It would also be good if there was another NPC or two for people who don't necessarily want to go through the factions but want to take part in the plot as well.
While I understand this post, I wonder what you mean by "go through factions". I can understand if you don't want to be all buddy buddy with a character just because you might find a plot hook… But I've noticed as a Faction member, many others I see OPENLY talk about the plots they are in, and in very open, public places. True, you are not going to glean every single detail about every single event, but you can learn enough to start doing things about it on your own that way.
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I noticed a marked up tick in server energy when I came back after a week afk to find that a group of new (and old?) DMs have been brought on board. Great idea! Haven't got interact most of them too much, but people definitely seem more upbeat about stuff going on. Kudos to the team for that!
I'd say a nice mix would be good. Running some shorter scaled mini-plots for smaller groups, but also having server wide stuff with lots of competing interests going on for everyone else.
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While I understand this post, I wonder what you mean by "go through factions"
I just meant that some people might not want to have to team up with one of the factions in order to get in on a plot. There are plenty of reasons that characters or player factions would prefer to try to achieve something from the plot on their own without having to ally themselves with one of the DM factions.
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I'm the opposite, I like plots which can involve all sorts of people whether they are in DM factions or not.
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I agree that it seems a lot easier to, well, break the ice now than it was before, I played a bit on and off through the years between 2007-2009, and I never really felt like I got anywhere, now i've begun playing againt just a few days ago, and I already feel i've gotten much further than I did in the years before.
As for how to improve? I think a major improvement would be to somehow recruit more DM's from timezones other than America, while most of your players certainly are from there, there's also a lot from Europe, Asia and even Australia, me personally being from Europe, and the fact that we pretty much have to be up until midnight for any DM's to begin appearing is very restricting for us on the other side of the pond.
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Majority of active DMs are actually European! Principally UK. Might just be a case of being unlucky and missing the times we’re on, although we’ve got a pretty commanding coverage for the GMT friendly hours. Also, welcome back to Arabel! Any questions shoot me a PM.
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Really? I would never have guessed, in the last four days I have only seen a single DM being on a single time between 10-20 GMT, and he only stayed around for about half an hour as far as I could tell, I guess I might just begin playing a little earlier than most.
And thanks, I still remember a surprisingly large amount of things from way back, although the fact that all your equipment is no longer left on your corpse when you die surprised me, in a good way though, it was always a pain having to sort my entire inventory every time I died.
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that is during the working day for most people!
i think that the server numbers tend to pick up after 20.00 and also that is when you will be more likely to find dms in there with time to play too.
what you are after is players and dms from Asia i think if you play at those times.
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Majority of active DMs are actually European! Principally UK. Might just be a case of being unlucky and missing the times we’re on, although we’ve got a pretty commanding coverage for the GMT friendly hours. Also, welcome back to Arabel! Any questions shoot me a PM.
This I have noticed. I think I've seen more DM action in a short timeframe than I ever did before, it was mostly spread out over several weeks between each time I saw something happening before I came back. Didn't really actively seek out the events, but I don't do that now either.
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hello, I've only heard good about this server and so I thought to try it out in a very drastic manner :) but nice to know there is an influx of players AND DMS <3 as far as I've seen until now though some players will undoubtly leave within the first weeks since they are just here to try it out or something alike.
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Support disguises.
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I like smaller events, on smaller scales. I know from experience that these smaller, more impromptu adventures are great for engaging new players. I'm specifically not talking about DM spice on scripted quests, but more along the lines of this:
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A random new player character gets a shady proposal from a wizard in a back alley, leading to a trip to the Underdark.
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A crazy wererat (who's also the miller's son) starts killing commoners in the slums, to feed them to his dire rat friends.
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A portal to a strange pocket plane spontaneously opens outside Kanthea's tower following an experiment gone awry.
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Duergar ambassadors with connections to Kraliq's bank ask a 'favor' from some low level characters passing by Calanthar's Way.
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A hound archon with amnesia needs help getting home, but he remembers something about some infernalists in the ruins.
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A woman's husband has been kidnapped by Cyricist mongrelmen lairing in the woods.
These are the kinds of stories that I personally enjoy the most, especially if they have a twist and some interesting moral or tactical dilemmas. And they're fun for new and casual players too!
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I like smaller events, on smaller scales. I know from experience that these smaller, more impromptu adventures are great for engaging new players. I'm specifically not talking about DM spice on scripted quests, but more along the lines of this:
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A random new player character gets a shady proposal from a wizard in a back alley, leading to a trip to the Underdark.
-
A crazy wererat (who's also the miller's son) starts killing commoners in the slums, to feed them to his dire rat friends.
-
A portal to a strange pocket plane spontaneously opens outside Kanthea's tower following an experiment gone awry.
-
Duergar ambassadors with connections to Kraliq's bank ask a 'favor' from some low level characters passing by Calanthar's Way.
-
A hound archon with amnesia needs help getting home, but he remembers something about some infernalists in the ruins.
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A woman's husband has been kidnapped by Cyricist mongrelmen lairing in the woods.
These are the kinds of stories that I personally enjoy the most, especially if they have a twist and some interesting moral or tactical dilemmas. And they're fun for new and casual players too!
I will buy all these ideas any day, "especially if they have a twist and some interesting moral or tactical dilemmas".
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Support disguises.
I second this wholeheartly, having briefly played on a server which uses them I have to say they are quite cool.