More Ideas to Add More Interest
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I hate you all, Facebook is Evil!
Quoted for truth.
And now for a response to the next post so that my post is more than +1.
Honestly speaking- If you do not have an IC antagonist, be it a PC or a faction (preferably with PCs in it!) you're probably not having as much fun as you could be.
An antagonist is no guarantee for fun, though: this depends heavily on the antagonist in question and the game you're trying to play. As an oversimplified example, if the antagonist is big on straight PvP combat and you're not, then all you'd be getting from the deal is ganked.
nothing's stopping the PCs from stirring the pot. PCs can be power hungry, or yes, even disagree with the NPCs. If NPCs say "don't!" you don't have to listen.
What's your recommendation to those who play characters dedicated to the chain of command, but would like to 'stir the pot'? "Reroll chaotic"?
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An antagonist is no guarantee for fun, though: this depends heavily on the antagonist in question and the game you're trying to play. As an oversimplified example, if the antagonist is big on straight PvP combat and you're not, then all you'd be getting from the deal is ganked.
I think the DMs have made it pretty clear on what we think of people who go straight to ganksquads without any prior build up of conflict. I also mentioned that working against factions is also an excellent way to charge the atmosphere of your PC. I'd also point out that I didn't say that not having an antagonist meant you weren't having fun at all. Just not as much as you would if you did have one.
What's your recommendation to those who play characters dedicated to the chain of command, but would like to 'stir the pot'?
If you like sticking to the chain of command, I don't see a problem. Do it.
I'm just letting people know that disobeying NPCs is not necessarily a bad thing, if they have some plot they really want to pursue that the NPCs do not approve of. However, if everyone's doing this, then there's no faction to be spoken of. Just a bunch of rogues in the same uniform. If some are doing this and some are sticking to the chain of command, you've got a recipe for some heavy friction.
Plenty of lawful characters who always obeyed their superiors have "stirred the pot." Plenty of sheriffs have antagonized and worked against the Mages' guild. The Eclestian Order of older times worked against a ton of people and several factions. The EO in particular was a hardcore lawful faction, one in which you couldn't even use your gear if you lost your lawful alignment.
"Reroll chaotic"?
Please leave out pointless sarcasm. If you don't agree with what I suggest, just don't do it. Play the game as it's fun for you.
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I apologize, I did not intend to sound as sarcastic as I did.
What I meant was, a Chaotic character, in this particular example an example who doesn't really respect the chain of command, gets a lot more options to be interesting: if they want, they can follow orders. If they don't want to, they don't have to. Whatever is best for developing the story is always available to them.
The only additional value you get from playing a Lawful character are the rules you've got to live with. In this particular example, you get the added fun of ramming your head against the wall of NPCs saying 'no' when a Chaotic character would just walk through. What reason, save a masochistic enjoyment of bumping up against the rules you took on voluntarily, is there to not all play Chaotic rogues in the same uniform?In short, if PCs 'don't have to listen' to NPCs, why would they ever? Why not solve half your headaches and reroll chaotic?
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Let me try to be more clear.
Lawful implies the character lives by a code, not that he obeys the law/ obeys his superiors.
Lawful = Ethical.
If this code involves having unquestioning obedience to superiors, then there's no issue. The "bang head against wall" doesn't happen because the character makes no distinction between his superior's orders and his own desires.
If this code involves something else, then the character would follow his code over the orders of his superior.
LG paladin XYZ has been ordered to murder ABC by CE superior PQR. In this case, no matter how much he might struggle with his conscience at having to disobey a direct order, he would do so, because it goes against his oath as a paladin; He lives by his oath, not his chain of command. Yes, he might get in trouble with X organization they belong to. No, the paladin wouldn't get a chaotic shift because he acted exactly as was expected by his oath.
Now the paladin has a lot of friction between himself and X org. X org thinks he's unreliable and a traitor, the paladin is sure X org is evil as hell and will work towards seeing it toppled. Here you have a lawful character who disagreed with his superiors and began a major plot, and will oppose/be opposed by the loyal X org PCs.
Now, this was not difficult. The paladin PC knew all the time exactly what he should do. Yes, this is a simplistic example, and yes, other decisions are much, much harder and sometimes no-win. That's what makes the life of your PC interesting, rich and developed.
In short, if PCs 'don't have to listen' to NPCs, why would they ever?
You're assuming that the NPCs will always be against what you do. This couldn't be farther from the truth. NPCs are there to support you, and will always do so, unless what you do is blatantly ignoring what the faction/NPC is all about. And if you're that keen on the idea, why should an NPC's views thwart you?
Basically, you need to let go your preconceptions about how someone "should" act, and just play your character. Don't worry about alignment, worry about personality and story. The alignment will shape itself from your actions. People start LG and end up CN or start CE and end up LN.
**Also, I'd rather this not be derailed over alignment.
Back on topic, please.**
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. . .90% of the messages i get are invites to play stupid farmville. . .
Uh, you do realize you can block those invites?
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. . .90% of the messages i get are invites to play stupid farmville. . .
Uh, you do realize you can block those invites?
Ditto. I was just about to write the same.
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You have been given a stack of "+1 Arrows" by Arrow Death.
Log in to "City of Arabel" to receive your gift.
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This is getting off topic.
Back on the rails, or lock.
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I believe we just need new ideas when a Dm is not around then going exploring around area X for Item Y and hope you get super duper lucky. because a player patience does run out you can only walk around Hullack so many times without a dm with your so many times before the flare is lost and you rather just quest or sit in the guildhall and chat.
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I believe we just need new ideas when a Dm is not around then going exploring around area X for Item Y and hope you get super duper lucky. because a player patience does run out you can only walk around Hullack so many times without a dm with your so many times before the flare is lost and you rather just quest or sit in the guildhall and chat.
I believe it would be good for us to steer this thread back towards players suggesting PC driven activities that'll be exciting to do or ideas that'll provide a stimulus for your own creativity.
The following are a combination of things I've done myself in CoA and others that I've been day dreaming about but never got around to following through on. Some will require DM assistance at some point but 75% of the work can be done entirely without a DM. Hopefully!
People have stumbled into the house to harass me so I'll post more later.
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Stuff like what Ordinath says is what gets PCs that +6 sword of gurb. well, not really +6 but w/e
Guys, for those who are still wondering; We can make factions go at each other's throats very easily. This is principally because they were built for it. Factions are purposefully given goals that clash with other factions' goals.
But none of it is of any help if the players don't take it up and actually conflict.
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This is more an idea to make the server better rather than make it more interesting, but it can do both. Make a forum for being IC. Use it for stuff where being IG really isn't entirely "necessary". Most basic example I can think of is talking with NPCs. How many times have you sat down and simply waited a rediculously long time just to ask a few questions? Or get a little interaction with your character and the rest of the world on things that aren't "make or break". A wave to a commoner. Simple things.
That way when we are IG we have possibly more direction, we can stick with the critical stuff, and focus on other players and their stories.
Just an idea.
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Or get a little interaction with your character and the rest of the world on things that aren't "make or break". A wave to a commoner. Simple things.
Yeah. We can do this. It's not really all that hard. Tell me, AAG- Suppose I have 1 hour free time on my plate, would you prefer I have commoners wave and NPC merchants hawk their wares, or spend that time making some awesome one-shot quest?
The NPC IC forum has been suggested before, and I'll definitely bring it up for discussion if it's going to be used heavily.
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Or get a little interaction with your character and the rest of the world on things that aren't "make or break". A wave to a commoner. Simple things.
Yeah. We can do this. It's not really all that hard. Tell me, AAG- Suppose I have 1 hour free time on my plate, would you prefer I have commoners wave and NPC merchants hawk their wares, or spend that time making some awesome one-shot quest?
The NPC IC forum has been suggested before, and I'll definitely bring it up for discussion if it's going to be used heavily.
Running quests should take priority. Anything you can do IG is waaaaaaay better than doing it in the forum. But I do see some benefits with such a forum. I think that really depends more on the responsibility of the player to understand what he/she should or shouldn't use for the forum.
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This is more an idea to make the server better rather than make it more interesting, but it can do both. Make a forum for being IC. Use it for stuff where being IG really isn't entirely "necessary". Most basic example I can think of is talking with NPCs. How many times have you sat down and simply waited a rediculously long time just to ask a few questions? Or get a little interaction with your character and the rest of the world on things that aren't "make or break". A wave to a commoner. Simple things.
That way when we are IG we have possibly more direction, we can stick with the critical stuff, and focus on other players and their stories.
Just an idea.
I'm a bit confused here.
We already have a forum for IC discussion, it's called the IC discussion forum. You can use it for "saying" things as well as sending letters so long as you don't put words or reactions into the mouth of NPCs.
How does what you're proposing differ from this?
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It includes more action and conversation. Often you notice too that missives can get ignored in favor of figuring things out IG. My suggestion would eliminate alot of that. Also missives are missives. What I suggested was a forum to be IC, that wasn't missives.
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You're basically suggesting that we separate the IC discussion forum for PC-PC and PC-NPC letters?
We can set that up, but is it really of use? If, as you say, players figure out what exactly an NPC should be contacted for, we'd have far too few posts to justify a dedicated forum.
It's possible that we miss some NPC addressed letters by PCs. But not all of this is by accident. If a brand new adventurer was writing to the Queen for example, why would she deign to reply? Look at it from an IC perspective.
When PCs contact NPCs as part of furthering a plot, as far as I can see, the DMs have never missed it.
If NPC communication was going to reach massive levels, and all of them were actually warranted answering by the NPCs, then we'd probably set it up.
OR
Are you suggesting we make an in character roleplaying forum in the boards? Where you actually simulate being IG and talking to NPCs? I'm not sure the team will go for something like that, though of course, no topic is barred from discussion.
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I read it as "allow more correspondence with NPCs through the forum, and leave all the fun stuff for IG, instead of having to spend hours IG simply passing off information which could have been handled in 2 minutes by aswering a letter on the forum.
Example:
"Lord Borus, I wish to know whether you or your retainers noticed any large groups of Bugbears in the Kings Forest in the last few months. Since you have an estate close by, would you know of such?"
or
"Lord Tyrantshield, I wish to enquire the use of one of your vessels for an upcoming trip to a lonely island in the Wyvernwaters."
Usually, 99/100, all I see on such requests is "NPC X throws away the letter and uses it as toilet tissue" or "ASK ME IG!!!"
Perhaps more of these meetings could be done through the forum? Its usually faster, allows the player and DM to respond to such when time permits rather than wait days and days to find time where both parties are IG, time "wasted" which could have been used by the player to involve others in, following the example "take groups of pcs hunting for bugbears in the Kings Forest" or "Gathering the right crew and supplies for the trip to the island."
That way, instead of waisting alot of time with time consuming meetings between NPC and PC, they can be used for "spicing up the world" or "plot pushing dm quests".
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Ah, now I follow what you're looking for.
I'll bring it up.
If an NPC wouldn't ICly take note of your PC, then the situation is probably going to remain the same. However, the always "//ask me IG" bit is something we can discuss about changing.
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Are you suggesting we make an in character roleplaying forum in the boards? Where you actually simulate being IG and talking to NPCs? I'm not sure the team will go for something like that, though of course, no topic is barred from discussion.
This. Although O'louth brought up my other point as well. Idealy I was suggesting to make it easier to get info from NPCs without wasting time IG to do it.
-ArchAngel_G