My observations of PS do not stretch back to its
glory days yet in the couple of years of game play here it has been possible to make some deductions of what may have happened to the player base.
My feeling is that back in the
glory days PS was somewhat unique and the community thrived for that reason. Those of that era probably expected things to only get better in terms of enhancements that would aid in their RP. This did not seem to happen.
Instead of additions that would aid in RP; mechanics were added that supported grinding and more PvP styles of combat. This has left a game world that seems to reek in contradictions.
Just as an example only; and not meaning to make a value judgement on either approach; let's take combat.
To further RP and GMs' ability to support it; it would seem to me that a turn based combat system could have been evolved. At the very least a one hit combat ability that someone in RP combat could choose to make one swing using the game mechanics to calculate the outcome. Such an approach would have enhanced RP combat with the use of game mechanics.
Instead there is a PvP combat system that goes by so quick not a word can be uttered and logs need examination to see what exactly happened.
So using that as an example what has happened? There was a community which supported RP and development which did not grok what the community wanted. Meaning no offense; but after reviewing logs of Talad's RPing it floored me to find smiley faces in his dialogue. It is hard for me to imagine that he ever was an RPer in the sense of the what it means to the
old school community.
Now there is the outer lure of this being an RP game world when in fact one finds it is something else completely.
Just for the record my style of play takes into account game mechanics; yet my preference would be that GMs would have the means to bring a more RPG style to the play. Things like the ability of the GMs to freeze time and provide turn sequences, etc..
It took me six months to grok what the community meant by RP and then another year and a half to realize that that is not what is being developed here. Sadly, neither is the style of game play that would be my preference.
Presently my game is that of a grinder; with the intent to max my main in those combat areas which she has been developing over the time here.
PS is not the RPG game that would have been my preference. It is not development that supports the RP style that the
old school players want and the community is not the players that the dev team is developing the game mechanics for.
Could that explain the low player base?
On a positive note, the dev team has given to the world a wonderful open source package which any of those diverging groups could pick up and turn into the game that each is really looking for. Until that happens, in my opinion, this debate of 'what happened to the player base' will roll on and on and on in these forums.
- Nova
