In some ways, yes, the focus on role play does cost players.

Although more of what drives people away is a combination of things, rather than simply 'role play,' for instance.

I haven't been playing for several weeks now, it's kinda dropped off for me.  If anything I mention has changed in these past few weeks, by all means let me know.

Here are my reasons for not being on more often:
1) Role Play can be touchy
- Although role playing is abound, and yes, that is the suggestion of things to do when one is looking for things to do, my schedule isn't written down.  Planeshift doesn't get its own little three hour category during my day.  School, work, house crises, those take major importance over computer gaming.  Thus, I don't want to leave people waiting for me the next day if something IRL comes up.  So, I don't long term role play, which would be more fun.  I do, however, like my day-to-day activities as my character.
- People can be major jerks.  Rush in, comment on your intelligence, creativity, then leave while saying, 'This RP sucks major and so do you.'  You can have a thick skin, but it still upsets the RP going on.  Can't change that, but it's an issue.

2) Issues with things to do
- Quests are fun, but it would be nice to know how 'difficult' a quest will be, as the more difficult, generally the higher reward.  I don't care about it being too tough, I only care about it being too easy and end up spending time getting 100 exp and an octa, where I could've done the other quest and received 600 exp, 2 circles, and some pack rat trinket.  A comment by the npc on your ability to handle it, perhaps?  Based on similar things like how you can examine a creature.
      i.e. 'Hunt down various materials for me.'  (program looks at average strength/difficulty of monsters that give the materials, measures against player's stats) 'Looks like it should be a cakewalk for you.'
- The economy.  This is where I spend most of my time.  I like crafting materials to sell to other people.  But, it's very shaky on when I can actually sell things, and how much I can sell them for.  I'd really like to be able to sell extra things to the NPCs, so I'm still working and doing stuff, but can offload when selling to players gets spotty.  But selling a Steel Stock for 60 tria isn't worth it at all.
- Killing monsters can be fun, but it's really hit or miss for me.  Either I kill it in 1 or 2 swings, or it kills me in 1 or 2 swings.  It's then very difficult to level up my skills when these things happen, so then I end up using other weapons on the weaker monsters to level up, say, armor.  Or, I use completely broken (q1) swords so I don't kill them immediately.  Not to mention the times when the monsters are 'impervious.'
- Lack of group activity.  Although people can work together on matters of the economy, or role play, going out a-Viking and killing monsters is really a 1 person job.  This is up there with the quick kill mosters (either the monster or you).  I'd be all for increasing monster's HP or armor, but decreasing their damage.

The average on-line player (in my experience) does have the ability to role play.  But, sometimes you want to take a break and there should be things you can fall back on.

Hope that this helps idea wise.

Although being your character is fairly easy, what isn't is knowing what other people will do.  Nothing like telling them who to be and all such, of course.  OOC is the thing.

I haven't played an RP type game before, figured to give it a shot with this one.  So, I'm not the best person, because I haven't had the experience.  It's really disheartening, however, when you are trying to get things straight (as you're not an RP MASTARZ, or you don't have the settings memorized and on little notecards), and people start telling you 'you suck' and calling the RP over because it's boring.  Thanks, I really needed that.  If you didn't like it so much, find a reason to leave and do it, or give me tips on how not to 'suck.'  That's like a simple Improv game people play where you have to find a reason to leave (another reason I like playing a character; I like acting).

The first event I got into was fun; I wanted to learn how to be better, do it more often.  But the last 'random' RP event dealios I got into ended up with people coming in to check it out, telling the people involved we suck, and walking off.  It's more fun to RP a steel refiner doing their daily routine than getting criticized about something you don't know how to really deal with, or are trying to get used to.

That's the biggest turn-off to RP events (but not playing a character, I like that) for me; people coming in and interrupting things OOC, and criticizing the players for their RP beginner-ness.

Nude0007, Runescape is a game requiring money to play, and a larger, paid, dedicated staff.  Not saying that the staff and workers here aren't dedicated, but they're also not paid to my knowledge.

Runescape is also a game that is essentially finished.  This is not.  It is a ->

Thus, we are all testers.  You are a bit testy.  Our suggestions move this game in the directions it takes.  If you don't want to help, give suggestions, try things out, then by all means, play games that are finished.  Who knows?  Maybe maps will be implemented later.  Maybe someone will make a breakthrough in NPC AI and they'll be like walking/talking people.

I'm here because I'm patient.  I know there are bugs that need to be worked out, and I want to see things fixed, because it feels good to see them done.

But... my roleplay is centered around the furnaces, iron, and coal mines, because I'm a steel worker.  I'll hit the bars occasionally, but I have work to do.  Getting drunk means I have more work to do, or that I get caught up with the guards because someone decided to do something rash (which is fun for me, but not for my character).  I have the stats I want (but some can't level due to the bug, oh well), and as such, don't need cash.

But I like refining and making steel.  I like interacting with miners, and blacksmiths, when things are bought and sold.  I enjoy complaining about the platinum mine to my ore suppliers (who are charging more ), saying that it drives prices around like a drunken goujah.  Why should my roleplay surround some political or social intrigue?  I'm not that kinda Ylian; I don't like politics.

Just started a topic as I can't connect either, but I was able to 2 days ago.

Unless it changed, hydlaa.com said it was up and running.

I like the butchering idea, and when we've got cooks running around, why not be able to use the 'Finest [300/300q] Tefusang Steak' to REALLY knock someone's socks off when you make a 'Finest [300/300] Tefusang Grilled Meat' that like, kicks tooshie somewhere.  Health/Endu gain when eaten?

 Maybe when the NPCs start buying in relation to the quality of products, something like this would be the equivalent of platinum; something this good is reserved for the rich, ya know?  Come in, cook at Brado's or Allelia's, make some awesome dishes, and sell them to the NPCs (or players who feel rich) so they can serve customers (or the Octarchs and Vigelesmi) high quality food.

Edit:
And then Tefusang Gibblets, or Tefusang Meat Scraps, maybe some of the major organs and other things (heart, liver, tongue).  When you start off butchering, you can only do it once or twice on a carcass before you realize that it's now a ripped up mess.  As you get better, you cut better, getting you 4 or 5 times at a carcass to get things.
Oh man, this is exciting.

Edit of the edit:
By the way, I don't like Tefusangs.

A more player based economy would need there to be more consequences of using equipment.  You can repair something today and only lose 1 point of quality; why not have something break faster than that?  Perhaps a weapons or armor can only be repaired an amount equal to 2x its original quality; after that, it breaks.  That could mean more demand for weapons, which would then cause an increase in prices.  But, would people pay as much for weapons if they knew they were going to break quickly?

I don't, however, like the idea of widespread material restrictions on all ores.  On the more precious ones (sliver, gold, platinum), sure, as those don't have much of a function and in my eyes at least, are seen as the more 'elite' resources.  Guilds getting into resource fights over those are fine; they don't affect the new user that much.
But, things needed for general crafting, like iron and coal, should not be limited (or at least not nearly as much).  A new player should be able to start out on their own, and should not be forced to join a guild to get basic materials.  In addition, new players tend to get lost, and changing locations of those basic materials would frustrate people trying to give the game a shot.  Not to mention that it could lead down the path of guilds supplying themselves; why purchase from the market when you've got the mines controlled, metallurgists to work it, blacksmiths to make things, etc.?  I don't know of any miner or metallurgy based guilds, as those two professions are usually tagged for members of larger guilds to supply their blacksmiths, so why buy from the market when you can buy from your friends and make sure that the money stays within your guild?

I've always thought the high level PCs being able to train other players would be a fascinating idea.  Get old, you don't need to work, just train people!  But, having some sort of restriction on that would be needed; people could use bots to 'sell their training,' or 1 well known master could get mobbed.