Ideas
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These are the things I want to see the dms do to help the server recover; feel free to troll, add, or laugh at them underneath.
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Either get back ig and play, or make new dms.
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Take the time and have the patience to give newer/less well known players a chance to shine. No one has the spotlight now, since there is only one real active ig dm, but I'm saying this as a player who can get more attention then most. There are always players on the cusp of breaking through, and these are type of players who saved the server last time it went through a dry spell.
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Give the current factions purpose, or push them over the cliff. This is one problem I had as a red hart after the major recent changes, I felt like the faction needed attention immediately. Yes, players need to drive factions, but if the faction has no overall direction whats the point of being in it as opposed to just being some random adventurer with the same goals?
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Bring in a new faction or three, or possibly an old one or two. EO seems perfect for this setting, as said in a discussion on irc, but gruffman already started a thread for that.
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Start small, build big. Plots seem to go from 0-60 these days, and it ends up leaving a lot of players behind because of it. Maybe this is just my perception due to my timezone, but if thats true then see point one.
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Update/make new classes. Lumomancer is awesome, needs more of that.
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Slap some clues to mysteries that people can persue on their own around the server. I know this is done somewhat, but make it less hidden so more people will persue them. At the very least, it will give a character who doesn't have 50 personal goals on his own something to do when he just wants to get people together and go out and adventure.
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This one is real important, almost as important as point one. Don't get insulted when people don't like the song you are singing. I feel like this is the major cause for burnout by dms. You aren't going to please everyone all the time, so take the criticism that is actually good and learn from it, and laugh off the rest.
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If you are only logging on and giving the same people/person over and over attention, see point one then roll up a character and go play with your friends that way. Not many things compare to a DM who only focuses on his friends when it comes to decreasing the morale of the other players.
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Try your best to keep the server up to date. I know changing signs, dialogue, ect is tedious, but there are signs that still refer to the pheonix legion about. It gives the sense that no one cares.
I'm not sure if this is what you wanted ducklock, or if you wanted more specific ic stuff, but this is what I gave you regardless.
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The server needs more new. And war plots have gotten old. How many wars have been fought? I know Cormyr is a hot bed for dissent, but the stories seem like the same old recycled stuff.
I'd like to see DMs take a little more interest in character developement rather than "awesome" and adventure and intruige. Don't neglect A&I, but seeing characters backgrounds/stories become more fleshed out not only makes the player more interested in his own character, but generates some interest in others. A good example of this is when Damien ran into his mother. Outwardly this seemed like a reward to Swing Sing for all his hard work in his faction. Truely he deserved the recognition, but doing this kind of thing for other characters I think can be extremely beneficial for developing and maintaining interest.
I know this is not a popular idea, but here is one idea for a new faction. How about a union of sorts between the Reagent and the elves? This is an idea that's not based around elves persay, but on a human/elven unity of sorts. Rather than reaching their goals through warfare, they could do it as emissaries and diplomats to try and bring more peace to the region.
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Less factions that are about/related to controlling the city. It seems to me that a faction whose main agenda is to take as much control of the city as they can quickly gets overwhelming and/or boring. Some of the most universally enjoyed factions seem to be the ones that are just focused on a simple yet interesting goal, like the Cog or the EO. Less Mages Guild/Sheriffs/Red Hart, more story driven factions in my opinion.
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- Slap some clues to mysteries that people can persue on their own around the server. I know this is done somewhat, but make it less hidden so more people will persue them. At the very least, it will give a character who doesn't have 50 personal goals on his own something to do when he just wants to get people together and go out and adventure.
More of this. The Hullack, Vast Swamp, Miyeratar Nexus, Haunted Halls etc plots need some less hidden clues to garner interest. Clues are too vague for a casual player to invest in, so spamming scripted qwest runs become the norm. I think DMs need to build server plots and factions around these areas and make them accessible.
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CEP
it's that easy
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1 - Let the player base have more OOC say in how the server is run.
in the old days, with newbie players pouring in, it was fine to have the DM running everything. Now, the core player base is veterans who know the dynamics of CoA as well as most DMs, this seems to work less. The EO discussion is a fine example of this. If enough players want it back, by all means bring it back. If players all want HAKs, bring in HAKs. Same with new factions. If the players had some vote on what kind of new faction to add to the server, then they would feel more excited about it. it would simply break down the barriers between the playerbase and the DMs.2- Stop all this trolling bullshit.
It makes the server feel like a joke, its not funny, and it's stuff that pisses alot of people off. It's okay now and then (hell, me and caek and guilty of this now and then), but if you can't post without a DM (a DM of all people!) derailing your ideas/suggestions all the time, it makes it feel pointless, and like the DMs don't care. Trolling was fine as a fun thing to do between CoA chums, but now it feels institutionized. City of 4chan.3 - Get more DMs.
Answers itself really. -
Right now i just feel there nothing going on (maybe it happening Euro times i dunno) a random dm explorer thing here and there but a no feeling of plot or purpose or even conflict.
Just to get the ball rolling i just want to see the Sheriffs and the Red Harts just go at each others throats and force the other factions to take a side (simple but meh it's something)
I was server hopping last night and found more COA veterans on Narfell then in COA.
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@Fireside:
2- Stop all this trolling bullshit.
It makes the server feel like a joke, its not funny, and it's stuff that pisses alot of people off. It's okay now and then (hell, me and caek and guilty of this now and then), but if you can't post without a DM (a DM of all people!) derailing your ideas/suggestions all the time, it makes it feel pointless, and like the DMs don't care. Trolling was fine as a fun thing to do between CoA chums, but now it feels institutionized. City of 4chan.This has been the killer for me.
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This trolling is why i rarely go into IRC and barely read COA stuff the older the server gets the less content of meaning and story we have. What we get instead is pure trolling
@21:
This has been the killer for me.
I'm sure these aren't the only people who are sick of it. it's fucking up CoA, it really is.
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I dunno, I think all the LoL and HoN jokes are pretty funny.
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Stop the LoL crap, and stop the trolling. It is THE biggest influence as to why the community is pushing away players atm.
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I tend to agree with fireside. A conversation or two, or an argument about another game sucking or being better than one or the other is one thing, but the negative impact that the LoL players here have had on the community is pretty immense. People are being complete and total assholes without reprise, and they're getting away with it because they're laughing while they do it, and say the word "trolling", which magically excuses it. The DMs are only encouraging it.
I don't really know how it relates to LoL, except that it's the LoL players that are leading this charge, and it all started around the time the game's popularity exploded here.
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I agree with all of LaF's points, too.
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I've mentioned this idea before, but maybe it'd be better (Especially in the mean time of summer) to make plots smaller. Have something that is scheduled so people can show up and just run some stuff specifically aimed at a particular party.
So for an example, say there is something that runs every Saturday night that (Just as examples) golw, BG, and Khamal get together to push.
It doesn't have to be anything big, but may be a bit of fun to try out.
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@AWESOMEMAN:
I tend to agree with fireside. A conversation or two, or an argument about another game sucking or being better than one or the other is one thing, but the negative impact that the LoL players here have had on the community is pretty immense. People are being complete and total assholes without reprise, and they're getting away with it because they're laughing while they do it, and say the word "trolling", which magically excuses it. The DMs are only encouraging it.
I don't really know how it relates to LoL, except that it's the LoL players that are leading this charge, and it all started around the time the game's popularity exploded here.
I think because the DMs play LoL it sort of makes it alright, which to me is pretty silly.
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You guys are right, I'm certain it has been the LoL discussions in off topic and joke threads that are ruining the server, and not the endless emo posts and IRC comments from golw and 21 tonne giant about how the server is doomed and will die soon that is driving people away.
Regardless, that was NOT what this thread was intended for, it was supposed to be a list of cool stuff you'd like to see on the server like new factions or features.
Whining has derailed way more general discussion threads than trolling has tbh, and not in a good way.
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…whined Deadlock.
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Not all of the suggestions in this thread were bad. Not all of the complaints in this thread were whines. If you want to make real suggestions for things to overcome the slump, do so.
Some of the biggest complainers in CoA right now are people with threads in the DM forum right now questioning whether or not they should remain members of the community because their doom and gloom whining and unrepentant anti-story anti-collaborative powergaming is actually driving people away.
If you want to whine about how CoA is dead, go make your own Proboard forum or go on the vault like everyone else.
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@Fireside:
2- Stop all this trolling bullshit.
It makes the server feel like a joke, its not funny, and it's stuff that pisses alot of people off.And for the record, from someone who made an in game sending "BRING ME PETER PAN. BRING ME THE LOST BOYS!" this is pretty weak.
You and 21 Tonne Giant have both done shitloads of trolling.