One other thing I need to suggest. I think people need to simply start showing a little more interest in other people’s characters. I am as guilty as anyone else (and more guilty than most) in being my-character centric both IC and OOC. It’s understandable that each person thinks their character is the star, it’s only natural. But I really think every member needs to make an OOC thread for discussing their character. This can be either posts added after a character’s back-story post or a whole new thread.

In addition to these posts being made other players really need to start posting about other players characters. I don’t know if people are just afraid to post on another character’s back-story page or if they simply can’t think of anything to say. But we need more discussion on this webpage about many things. Overall the webpage just needs to be more active.

For example many players have posted ideas for character theme-songs on the forum. But almost none of these posts have replies. I think assigning character theme songs and discussing how a song fits or does not fit a character is an excellent way to start a discussion on how a character is seen both by their creator and by other players. I myself have posted several songs for Kaolla, far too many to be honest. I’m having trouble deciding between them. I would greatly appreciate opinions and/or new song suggestions. I did once pick a song for Nodem (though it was kinda a joke) I don’t think he liked it though =; ;= Oh well no accounting for taste I’m a much more silly person OOC and IC than Nodem is I think lol ;p But Don’t be afraid people to make silly posts. I don’t think anyone is going to take an opinion about their character personally.

I’m going to go start a new thread for Kaolla after I post this. It will be short, just a place to start. I suggest other players do the same.

Avina:
No, that isn't what's bothering me. There were hints toward that, and it was a logical conclusion. She has actually hired me IC to find someone for her, so it isn't even completely incorrect. And from our first encounter, you have every reason to not like me and be suspicious. You're fine.

Kaolla:
A lot for that was an unfamiliarity with the shell. I figured that since any race can join any nation, that would have been somewhat over looked if In otherwise looked and acted the part, I know better now.

When I do that nasty grin, your character now has a reason to dislike me. I don't expect everyone to stay "dumb" forever, but I was getting the hostile treatment well before I did anything in that first session. So I sped things up. At that point the mindset was "Well if everyone's going to treat me like a villain, I might as well just skip the whole reveal process and come out slashing."

But it STILL isn't what I'm getting at. Since saying "You know who you are" has done more damage than just coming out and giving examples would have, I'll just come out and say one.

Nodem: Our first session you pinpointed me by smell from over 40ft away while snuck and invised without ever seeing, hearing, smelling, or having any idea who I was. Even a blood hound can't find someone they've never smelt before. The 2nd time I snuck up on you, you knew someone was there after the first firework and noticed the grass being crushed, that was fair.

The other recent one might have been a coincidence, so I'll leave that one to the side for now.

Nodem: Our first session you pinpointed me by smell from over 40ft away while snuck and invised without ever seeing, hearing, smelling, or having any idea who I was. Even a blood hound can't find someone they've never smelt before. The 2nd time I snuck up on you, you knew someone was there after the first firework and noticed the grass being crushed, that was fair.Kirious

You ran 5-10 yalms behind me. The light pole is 25 yalms (out of say radius I believe) and the mog house was WAY out of range. I was IGNORING you up until you ran that 5-10 behind me. Please note that the laws of physics don't change or a person being on guard not getting a cold chill. For instance: Nodem was already on guard because he thought the empire was coming for him and a person running behind him (not seen) is enough to make anybody even higher on guard. Nodem's guard was up higher knowing that there was an immortal in town as well, which makes him only want to pay attention to his surroundings more.

Also, how would you describe Alertness (RNG Job Trait) and Wide Scan (RNG Job Trait). RNG's can spot mobs that are under sneak and invis. Like Shikihami Weapon in Ro'Meave. Yes he is under sneak too as I've chased him and he makes no sound. Also, Track… Once a RNG has a lock on a mob that mob could go clear cut across a zone and STILL be followed via Wide Scan.

I feel I was IC during this by being on guard and tracking Kirious.

I know yalm is a system used in the game, but frankly I can't look at it and say "About this long", the closest I came was the tree near the Mog house. Then when you pinpointed me, I moved back further. As to which I was still pinpointed. But still, the ranger doesn't just raise his nose in the air and know everything around him. From what I understand, widescan is like tracking something. If you've ever been hunting, when you track something you find trails, marks left by what you're after, you don't just know the deer is 10feet in that direction.

Maybe the problem that only I'm seeing is that there isn't a line between game mechanics and what we can do. Some things are made easier for game mechanics, like raise. I'm pretty sure none of the white mages are going to go around raising every warrior who was ever killed in combat. Instead of making the Ranger sit in place and look at foot prints for an hour, you have a button.

*points to track* He was weary of you at that time and only set you to track when you uninvis'd. That's when you uninvis and even Sae saw you hiding behind a tree. Yes, you did run behind me, yes you did overhear us from a distance you shouldn't of. I didn't outright question that.

If I have to DUMB DOWN more things that are completely WITHIN GAME MECHANICS then there's no use RP'ing said job.

You don't like being tracked don't follow a RNG, that all I'll add to that.


Also, Avina talked to me and asked me to dumb it down further. I did. I didn't smell you going to the Consul as I actually SAW YOU run by. I said "He went in that direction" and then shrugged not knowing where you went afterwards.

And when I ran by after going into the MH, I was in a completely different outfit. Considering this was the first time I had done anything with the shell, it really felt like an all out attack on someone unfamiliar with the rules of engagement. And this encounter is also one of the major reasons I've been holding off on any form of PvP, since I'm not quite sure where the game mechanics end and RP mechanics begin. I have a thread on it, but it didn't get many responses, so I'm not even sure that it's all that welcome IC.

But this is getting very close to a flame war, so let's cut it off. We don't agree with each other on this, and neither of us want another situation like it.

Okay… time fore a lil reset…

I’ve been doing some thinking. I know walkup RP has been mentioned several times in this thread. I for one am always wanting to do walkup RPs. I also have mentioned doing long RPs as well. Something like my old DnD group used to do where on a weekend we’d RP the entire weekend basically taking breaks for food and sleep and a few other activities, hitting a bar or something. I know this isn’t practical for online RP since people don’t have time and we don’t have the excuse of making RP the focus of a monthly get together among old friends etc. etc. etc.

BUT, I think the occasional long RP where we go out and explore make a camp take a break come back RP some more could be fun. It has kinda been tried before and hasn’t really worked but I don’t think the idea should be completely abandoned if anyone has the time or inclination to try. Though I think IC relations between our characters has to be greatly improved before trying something like that again.

On another note, back to walk up RPs. I think we need to figure out a way to kinda organize these. I mean I know walkup RP means unplanned, but I think some people just don’t feel comfortable asking people to RP out of nowhere. I think one way this can be done is if anyone wants to RP they can simply get on the ToV shell. This is kinda hit or miss since it’ll require others to check on the shell too and people often just get distracted in game even if they would be open to RPing they might not think to check the shell.

Another idea I had was semi-scheduled character focused walkups. In other words if a player has a day free where they feel like getting in some extra RP they can post on the webpage calendar the times they plan on being on and IC. This can then be an opportunity for other players to walk up and RP with a character that maybe they haven’t interacted with a lot during scheduled RPs. Anyone of course could join in even if they have spent a lot of time talking with that character during scheduled RPs. The only thing that has to be kept in mind for something like this is that not everyone might be available, or feel up to RPing when a person posts that they’ll be IC. So if someone says hey I’m gonna be IC between 3 and 7 on a Wednesday and no one shows up they shouldn’t get discouraged or think that other members don’t like them.

A combination of occasionally checking the RP LS and posting on the webpage times when you know you’re going to want to do some random RPing might get some more IC interactions going and improve IC relationships between RP characters. All members might not know this, I didn’t at first, but anyone can make a post on the calendar on this webpage.

More ideas to be posted later when/if I think them up. I could mention a few more ideas now but I’ll save them for later I’ve rambled on long enough.

Some of those "long, boring, nothing happens" RPs are great for character relation building. Right now our excuse can be that we all have our own things going, but once we get to Tavnazia, what else is there to do? I keep scream "Recon" over the shell for a reason. I'm really hoping to get a team out there camping and basically exploring like yo said. This will be an unknown land for us, and a GREAT chance to work this in.

Regarding Mission RP.


I would like to point out at the start that I do not object to mission RP. I support mission RP whole heartedly. I want to do the missions IC. But, I think this RP has become far too mission focused. Not that we spend too much time on the missions, but it seems that the missions seem to be the reason the group exists IC.

It’s a question of motivations? Why do we do missions IC? So far the IC reason seems to be because they’re there to do. Avi will discover that something is horribly wrong with the world then will jump up and saw we must investigate and fix it! To be honest my character’s response IC is along the lines of what? Huh? What are you talking about? You’re dragging me off to do what? Why? Why not let the army take care of it that’s what they’re paid to do. What’s in it for me?

We’ve become a party of do-gooders wandering around helping people for the sake of helping people. A noble sentiment but hardly realistic. I’ve always felt that RP works best with a motley crew of accidental heroes who stumble into the plot not really wanting to head out to save the world but unable to help it since the plot drags them all in by their ears. Lately we seem to be too actively looking to get involved IC. Maybe some characters are the type that want to be heroes and want to go looking for trouble, but Kaolla isn’t one of them and I know others have similar feelings.

I think we need to take a step back from the missions and take some time to think of ways to get members a personal investment in the group. Also a somewhat reasonable plot device to put them in the way of mission plots. Right now I feel like one of the kids in a horror movie who decides to walk through the creepy woods just because they’re there. We go where we go because we must to advance the plot… It’d be nice to take a more roundabout journey. It’s just my opinion of course but it’s kinda hard to RP being enthusiastic about doing mission plots when you can’t think of any reasonable IC reason to do anything or even being in the locations where the plots take place.

I’ve always felt that RP works best with a motley crew of accidental heroes who stumble into the plot not really wanting to head out to save the world but unable to help it since the plot drags them all in by their ears.Kaolla

How is the way we're handling Chains of Promathia not this?

Also, have you read anything that I've written in this thread about the changes that we're planning to make to how we handle missions? Particularly the bit about how most of the RPs are going to be social RPs with occasional bursts missions.

Our characters have saved the world a few times in this RP story, its conceivable that if they care about the world, they would try to investigate these problems. Scary things are going on, mysterious organizations in Jeuno, a kid giving them cryptic visions of a strange land, telepoint crystals blowing apart and wyrms tearing through the skies. I can only speak for Avina and her motivations but her reasons to investigate are: 1. She's adventurous 2. She's altruistic 3. She's concerned about what these things mean for her world (Kirious has helped establish this fear) 4. Past experiences have shown her that she can make a difference in the way events play out.

Your character is welcome to not care and not participate in the missions. If you character doesn't care IC then by all means, don't care about it. I don't know what else you would want me to do with regards to this. But I've gotten pretty good feedback though on how Chains of Promathia has been going, and we had a full month leading up to now to do things on their own. We finally have some new material to work with. I don't think the majority of the shell wants us to stop Chains of Promathia now, and people are welcome to correct me if I'm wrong. If I have any sense that there's a majority push to not do this, we won't.

That being said, I am trying to address the concerns you brought up through other means… but I don't think its so hard for characters to become concerned and want to help the world, especially when they have before.