Recuiting
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Hi,
I'd like to hear some tips on how to recruit people to your cause. How to make a nice little group and keep them in your group.
Been having trouble recruiting, partly because I don't have much to 'reward' people with, in the tangible sense.
Recruiting for good is fairly simple from my experience, but a lot harder for evil stuff, so, any tips from experienced players would be great.
P.S. I know I could just say we are working towards something good, but what if your character isn't that good at lying, or you need a hardcore inner sect that are actually evil.
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Be vague about rewards, promising things you can never deliver is a very common thing for evil.
Otherwise make a group concept.
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I found good to be extremely easy to unite. Especially if it revolved around a goal, or race. I'm beginning to work out how evil might work, it's similar but there are some differences, and while monetary awards will always have an impact - I think having an interesting story for them to uncover, or to build with is also a great deal-maker.
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Developing IG relationships and loyalty is far more important than rewards and the like for successful recruitment. Be picky but carefully picky.
The factions I was most loyal to were the factions that were hardest to get into. I wanted to be in, from an OOC point of view, because those factions were having fun. I had to prove something to those faction leaders rather than just turning up and putting on House Colours. Once I was in, I held onto that place as hard as I could, because it had been hard won.
Attracting people with rewards gets you gready people who, with a flick of a keyboard, will create a new character to head off for the next faction that's having fun and offering a nice juicy piece of gear. Find the players who create a character and then run with it, for weeks and weeks, with very little use of Alts. The DM factions require you to play a high percentage of time as a single character. The player factions that succeed are full of people who do the same. Let those who play lots of Alts into your faction, but really look after the dedicated single character players with care.
Player Factions that have a close knit, loyal and disciplined battle unit are attractive. You join them, and you survive far longer and gain higher levels than other players. That is attractive to some folks.
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Recruit from the start and keep doing it constantly.
Have a general goal it can be vague but keep it kind of in line with what your really wanting to do that way you will attract some characters that have similar goals.
Tell others you are working/questing with about said goal and the group you are forming.
Work at dm plots as well as your own to gain fame and become better known.
Never stop adding new members even if you know some of them will probably betray you or leave after a week involve them anyway,most groups/factions fail at this stage the lack of new blood and the dying out of your closest allies will leave you with nothing and having to start from scratch all over again.
Always make sure the lower levels in the group get to have input and are given a chance to do the major plot stuff.
Make everything you do as a group FUN and you will get more and more peaple joining you. -
While these are all excellent ideas, I'm surprised no one mentioned OOC recruiting on the forums yet. Those threads are rarely up for even a week before a "solid" group is found through PM.
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Evil is different things to different people.
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Be vague about rewards, promising things you can never deliver is a very common thing for evil.
Otherwise make a group concept.
Making a group concept aint happening as my character is already created, maybe next time.
Being vague is all good, but a lot of characters (well… players really) seem to want something specific, like gold, or loot, mostly, which I really cant deliver.
@Broken:
I think having an interesting story for them to uncover, or to build with is also a great deal-maker.
I think I have some interesting stuff, hopefully I'll find some other people who find it interesting too!.
Developing IG relationships and loyalty is far more important than rewards and the like for successful recruitment. Be picky but carefully picky.
The factions I was most loyal to were the factions that were hardest to get into. I wanted to be in, from an OOC point of view, because those factions were having fun. I had to prove something to those faction leaders rather than just turning up and putting on House Colours. Once I was in, I held onto that place as hard as I could, because it had been hard won.
Is this experience with evil, or good? I agree totally with good. Having problems finding people who might even be interested though, so being picky is an option that would mean I would be solo for a long long time.
Attracting people with rewards gets you gready people who, with a flick of a keyboard, will create a new character to head off for the next faction that's having fun and offering a nice juicy piece of gear. Find the players who create a character and then run with it, for weeks and weeks, with very little use of Alts. The DM factions require you to play a high percentage of time as a single character. The player factions that succeed are full of people who do the same. Let those who play lots of Alts into your faction, but really look after the dedicated single character players with care.
Player Factions that have a close knit, loyal and disciplined battle unit are attractive. You join them, and you survive far longer and gain higher levels than other players. That is attractive to some folks.
Yeah, Good points.
@Amy:
All of it
This is some good advice thanks.
@H:
While these are all excellent ideas, I'm surprised no one mentioned OOC recruiting on the forums yet. Those threads are rarely up for even a week before a "solid" group is found through PM.
I worry about OOC recruitment. Don't know, just seems a bit dodgy to me for some reason. Guess if it works though…
Evil is different things to different people.
That discussion would take forever!
Thanks for the tips so far, I'll try and implement them and hopefully have a group at some point soon. Just seem to have a few flaky half allies and some associates. Cant seem to get a core team together since someone died and someone else seems to have pretty much quit. Fingers crossed.
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do not forget the power of fear, blackmail or coercion ..
while in the end its will no doubt lead to people betraying you..it's a fun ride never the less
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The best results I have had with recruiting (and they have varied from character to character, though I do like to recruit) was when I was able to provide them with something to do that created fun for them. Yes, there are people that will do boring stuff just to get the gold or whatever that you are offering, but when you give them an idea that they can run with even if -you- decide to dissapear, you will always get optimal results.
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Present people with an interesting concept for a group, then they'll join you.
"Random adventuring faction X" is going to get boring very quickly and wont last all that long.
Some ideas that have worked well in the past;
A group of pirates working for the betterment of Immersea in Arabel.
A group of settlers trying to rebuild a ruined town in the Helmlands.
A Robin Hood-esque group of criminals from the slums working for the betterment of the people living in the poorest district, funding themselves through illegal trade.
Once you've got a cool idea people will eventually start joining in.
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Present something to people that they would want, be it friendship and camaraderie, treasure, power and respect or fame and glory.
Get a plan for something to work towards. This could be:
- becoming a renowned champion of justice (with your band of heroes)
- becoming a rich merchant (bodyguards, etc)
- proving yourself as fearless warriors who are feared and respected (as a group)
- becoming a great scout or treasure-hunter, known for your skills and familiarity of the land (people will involve you)
Bottom line is: be competent and reliable. Offer something people want.
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I don't think enticing evil with gold or material things is the right idea. The really proactive players all just want a chance to tell their story, to do evil things. Give them a chance to do some fun evil things and they probably won't even care if you can't give them material rewards!