PlaneShift
Gameplay => General Discussion => Topic started by: Cairn on August 27, 2015, 08:02:44 pm
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I want the RCD. To open and use for roleplay again.
Deepest regards,
Cairn.
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I want the RCD. To open and use for roleplay again.
Deepest regards,
Cairn.
There has been so little interest in the RCD. When I was opening on a regular basis no one was showing up. Some would pop in to see if anyone was there and then leave. Hours spent alone is not my cup of tea.
If you want to plan something or can let me or Damola know when you want to use it we will be happy to open.
In case anyone is wondering about seeing me in-game, I have been in the hospital and my heart is failing. My attention span is short and I tire quickly. Working on getting better.
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Firstly, I hope you get feeling better. Really and truly I do.
Secondly, I'd love to take it over for you. I don't mind spending hours alone, and there's a group of us that will use it well.
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If you let me know the days and hours I will be sure to have it open. There have been some issues and things are tightly controlled. A key holder from Ad Libertatem or the Family needs to be present when the RCD is open.
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awe man, that is disappointing. I got excited there for two seconds. It would have been lovely to see such a lovely and highly potential place be utilized.
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I think what we need more is just a building with furniture set up for a tavern that is left unlocked, the important parts can be locked down like the hospital, and allow people to come in when they want to be bartender/waiter/customer. Either having people bring the props they need for the day they're hosting, or if someone needs help funding an RP I'd be more than willing to help... within reason of course. We need playing space for creative minds to blossom I feel, so that people can have side jobs in their character's life and still interact with people. Variety is the spice of life after all.
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I have to mirror Jiggs' sentiment. The hospital is left always unlocked for anyone to use, nobody even has a set of keys, and I believe the learning hall is going to be set up in much the same fashion. This would allow more people to use the space as a role play setting more freely, and there wouldn't be a need to work around specific schedules or time zones.
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Personally I am just tired of having to make a group to simulate what the RCD should be. A group is limiting and excludes from the RP accidentally getting bigger and blossoming.
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Agree - lock down (or lock up) things that need it - those can be unlocked when Ad Lib and the Family are about and engaged in their (and our) awesome RP - and keep it open.
I hope it can truly be used as a tavern, meaning that when one wanders in it's not dead silence with a bunch of people grouped.
This has been dealt with perfectly at the little sick house near the Laanx temple (sanatorium is it called?). Twice there was a group of RP friends playing, in main and doing their thing, it felt great and immersive. I did not want to join in but I liked the inclusive feeling I got from listening to them while doing a quest and then (being intrigued) by sitting close by, near the...circular thing, very cute...gazebo.
Good idea, people.
[p.s. what on gods' green earth does "deepest regards" mean???]
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all blessings cdmoreland. get well.
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i'm confused, why are people grouping?
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all blessings cdmoreland. get well.
Thanks, I'm working on it. :)
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i'm confused, why are people grouping?
No idea ::|
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No idea why people would be grouping either. RP is to be shared:)
Thanks everyone who's posted. Ultimately I do want the RCD to be free and open, so that it is FOR THE PLAYERS.
Yes, we have Kada's, but that is an NPC environment. I think what we can do with the RCD can be even better. If we need to stick it in a guild or organization's name, I understand that, just for brevity, but I can also provide that, and simply leave it open for all players to use at all times.
Thanks again,
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In case anyone is wondering about seeing me in-game, I have been in the hospital and my heart is failing. My attention span is short and I tire quickly. Working on getting better.
I'm terribly sorry to hear that cdmoreland. I hope your health starts to improve soon.
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First off: Get well soon cdmoreland!
Hello,
I have been pointed to this thread by a GM. And I am quite a bit surprised by it. No one ever attempted to contact me in game about it. Now Cairn started a thread and nobody informed me about it with some PM. I think its not so much of a secret that cdmoreland and I are players to talk about regarding Den´s matters. And people did. Through another member of the RCD team who is not member of Family or Ad Lib guilds someone even held an event there. Even during my absence.
I opened the Den´s twice in August, one time with only three people and yesterday with quite a crowd. I pondered opening it more often, but often I just saw less than 20 players around.
I am not fixed to the idea of having the Den´s fixed to a guilds name. In the last months in my perception I have been the only one openening anyway. My real life has been quite full and I am happy to share organization and opening the Den´s with others. I have always been told by GMs that it would be possible to get more keys in case there are interested people. It can be an RCD team spread over mutiple guilds, I don´t care about guild association in this.
Just truth it, I gave keys out to some people, two even not in my guild. Yet, as for care for the Den´s as far as I am aware currently I am the only one opening it at all. I received some help here and there, but not right now, at least not on a regular base.
As for opening it completely? Once a theft stole a lot of stuff from the Den´s. Also not all items in the Den´s are locked. Sure we can have everything locked, even the decoration we change from time to time. And sure we can have the place monitored by GMs like any other public space. Sure we can have locked containers with a set of keys, with the currently stored items we´d definately need a set of 5-7 keys or one key for several containers tough. It would feel like a quite locked down place to me. Right now I find it more easy to just lock the door to have the place safe.
Additionally also during the redecoration efforts and the preparations for the delicacy contest back then the RCD received a full blown kitchen with alchemy stuff as well. This is cleary *only* for RP, *not* for leveling as per requirements of the Octarchy (dev & GM team). If the place is completely open someone will have to watch its usage at all times.
On any account I would have preffered if anyone of you who want the Den´s be unlocked to at least give cdmoreland or me a shout. Starting a thread behind my back and expecting me to find it myself is not what I consider as appreciation for the efforts I, the RCD team and the GMs put into the place. For me having a group handle the Den´s I have also seen as a way to offload some responsibility off the GMs. I feel responsible for the place and thats why I cared about it and its not opened all the time.
I intend to discuss with first with the GM who notified me about options to restructure the care for the Den´s, but by no means this ever has been a closed group effort.
So is there anyone who seriously wants to step up sharing the care for the place with me and what is left of the original RCD team? No one who requested having it open at all times in this thread ever contacted me about it. For me that isn´t a sign of care and commitment. Yes, I am seriously asking about people who want to devote *some* time to it. ICly. I am not even asking about a fixed time commitment, just a I will open it some times in a month and update the bar log about it would be fine for me. Also if you want it for an event, ask me or cdmoreland. The place is generally available for rent within the boundaries of its RP purpose. Even in my absence, if I can trust some other player taking care of the place for the duration of the event.
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Hey Damola :)
Thanks for the reply, good to hear from you. I started the thread because that seemed like the easiest thing to do. Not in an attack or what have you.
I think the best thing at this point is to open it up. We're aware of the theft from the den, but that can be dealt with easily by locking down what needs to be locked down or simply removing items and having others bring them in for the RP.
IF you would prefer to have a guild attached to take care of it, please don't hesitate to let me know.
Nor is this going behind your back whatsoever! We never once stated we didn't appreciate your efforts, or bashed you in this thread. We're appreciative of what you've done, truly. It's rather a request to see it open, and I hope that you can see it as such.
Thanks.
Ultimately we want the players to have the last say. What was good for the game once may have changed now, and we ought to respect and be aware of that. We wish for everyone to have a good time, first and foremost! :)
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Sorry about that. I wasn't trying to get this taken away from you, Damola, and didn't realize that you were actively running this. It's still good to discuss and address though.
The problems that I see with this are:
1. Visually, the Den always looks closed. If you try to open the door several times and find that it's locked each time, eventually you will give up and ignore it. I think this lack of visual indication as to whether it's closed or open is sort of discouraging. We brought this issue up in the past, but it didn't get anywhere.
2. There is no (IC) way to knock and see if anyone answers. Yes, you can send someone a tell ( ie. /tell x knock knock ), but if you don't know who to send it to, then you are out of luck. This is less of a problem for players who are familiar with the RCD scene, and more of a problem for the new player.
Perhaps you folks just leave the door open now when it's open, I don't really know. When we used to run it years ago, it was always locked and entry was controlled by whoever ran it. ( I'm not really in favor of that idea either, but we had a lot of jerks around back then, so it was a reasonable though unfortunate compromise at the time.)
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The problem I see is that RP is spontaneous. If it starts to happen and you want to move it to a suitable place, you need that place open right then. not tomorrow at that time.
And it needs to not be stopped because someone else has to (reasonably) leave because they have work the next day. We are from all different time zones and we all know full well that scheduling is a nightmare.
Also if the place is always or frequently opened, then it will be frequented. Twice in one month is not frequent.
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Sorry about that. I wasn't trying to get this taken away from you, Damola, and didn't realize that you were actively running this. It's still good to discuss and address though.
The problems that I see with this are:
1. Visually, the Den always looks closed. If you try to open the door several times and find that it's locked each time, eventually you will give up and ignore it. I think this lack of visual indication as to whether it's closed or open is sort of discouraging. We brought this issue up in the past, but it didn't get anywhere.
I think in the last months only Damola opened it, and she made it pretty obvious that she did. Shout in main and post in gossip as well. But I am open to other suggestions. I already received the idea of having a sign open/closed at the Den´s. Also with a note whom to contact for opening it.
So maybe you are just in a different TZ than me?
And just to avoid any misunderstandings: There have been people in RCD team in the past commiting time to the RCD and I appreciate their efforts deeply. Yet, as life outside of PS can have demands… a larger team for the RCD? Yay! I never posted in the forum about that I am open for more RCD team members, maybe that contributed the impression of a closed group, which it never was.
2. There is no (IC) way to knock and see if anyone answers. Yes, you can send someone a tell ( ie. /tell x knock knock ), but if you don't know who to send it to, then you are out of luck. This is less of a problem for players who are familiar with the RCD scene, and more of a problem for the new player.
As currently only Damola opens it, you can send her a tell. But yeah, I really welcome other players who commit to open it at least some times in a certain time span. Also from different TZs. I do not ask about a firm commitment on a certain time, cause I know its difficult to fit in full life beyond PS schedules.
Also when we open it, the door is just open. As for other suggestions, feel free to share constructive ideas.
Perhaps you folks just leave the door open now when it's open, I don't really know. When we used to run it years ago, it was always locked and entry was controlled by whoever ran it. ( I'm not really in favor of that idea either, but we had a lot of jerks around back then, so it was a reasonable though unfortunate compromise at the time.)
Yes, we just open it. But as Dannae did it, we also shout it out. In the last month I think only Damola opened it, and except for once where she RP´d opening it silently and finding out whether someone notices, she shouted it out every single time.
I am not sure whether unlocking the place 24/7 is the way to go. RCD is not the Kada El´s. But I am more than open to include people of different guilds into the team and I am also keen for suggestions on how cooperation between players of different TZs can work. But please also show willingness to learn how the place became what it is today and that it is a delicated balance between the RCD team and the Octarchy (read GM and developer wishes). I think any evolution of the place needs to take this balance into account.
I will discuss options with a GM, so please feel free to offer constructive ideas on how the place can be open more often for meaningful RP.
Some aspects of the current balance of the RCD are:
1) There is an accountable player the GMs trust and can contact about all matters regarding the RCD. Currently this is cdmoreland and me. I think in the last time it was mostly me.
2) The kitchen is only for RP purpose, not for leveling. This is a hard requirement that needs to be ensured for the Den´s. Its the condition on which we have been able to actually have the kitchen in the Den´s at all.
3) There is a ton of beverages and foods and other things stored in the RCD in quite some containers. Having 5 to 10 separate keys for those would be highly impractical. Maybe several locked containers can be used with one key?
4) Also sometimes there have been events and I already have ideas for a new event, just my life beyond PS is quite full. Also I sure hope for more events in the place and there are some rough ideas here and there. The RCD is not open for anything else except the event during those times.
5) Also important: I think due to the past RP the RCD is shaped into a certain way. It may not be open for just about anything. At least not as long as Damola is in the RCD team in a central role. I think I would rather let go of the place than to have Damola deal with it becoming a completely different thing altogether. Damola tried to shape it into an open and peaceful place, a place to hide away in from concerns of the daily life in Yliakum. She also started offering foods and drinks for free for those in need and tried to bring in more Kran as well with limited success. Due to Kabitar´s influence and the delicate deliveries of several chars, the menu cards by Mishka the place also is not just about being a bar, but also a place where one can eat delicate foods. Thus for an ideal opening there would at least be a bartender and a cook, while of course the place can also be opened with just a bartender. So while the new hospital is not an arena, the RCD is just not about any RP and anything, but about a certain setting. Of course I am willing to take into account ideas for the purpose of the RCD and also description of current RCD team members and past players who drove the place. But I am not okay with having the place be just totally arbitrary and random. If there is a group of players who want to have a totally different place, than the current RCD team, I think it may be wise to have more than one RCD with different teams :).
Thats just some initial thoughts on this from my and Damola´s point of view. There may be more aspects also from other RCD team members or past runners of the place.
And there are your ideas. What are they? What are your, preferably constructive and creative (instead of destructive) ideas on evolving the RCD? Of course this goes to all of you.
And now its really sleeping time for me.
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I think an Open sign or illuminated windows ( ie candle/lantern inside windows ) would be a neat idea, but only if it could be turned on or off manually via user action. ( ie. a switch/lever that is activated with a door key perhaps). There would likely be times where you want the den to be closed and appear to be closed while you have private/secret meetings inside and other times when it is open and definitely looks open too. At least with a feature like this, those who walk by could tell by looking at it that it's open.
As for more staff, I think it really takes a rare type of player. This means sitting inside and working a shift. I don't think most players would care to do that or have enough spare time to commit to it.
As for knocking, maybe having a button on the outside of the den that automatically makes "knock knock" (or something like that ) appear in main for those who are inside the den might help?
I don't think there are a lot of good answers.
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I think the use of the public forum was to generate a public discussion on the matter in, oh say, a forum style where all people interested, including you, could contribute to the discussion. It also seems to have worked as many people have shown interest.
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While it is true that I haven't opened the Den for some time I did have it open several days during the week and no one was there after the first couple of weeks. I shouted in Main and Gossip.
Waesed and Ellis may not excite rp but no one else has stepped forward to help. I did ask for help in the forum and got no response. I even asked when people want it open and I can do that but, again, no response.
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While it is true that I haven't opened the Den for some time I did have it open several days during the week and no one was there after the first couple of weeks. I shouted in Main and Gossip.
Waesed and Ellis may not excite rp but no one else has stepped forward to help. I did ask for help in the forum and got no response. I even asked when people want it open and I can do that but, again, no response.
While I didn´t use the forum to ask for help, Damola always was open and I, Kabitar and Sulaika, I gave her a key despite she not being with Family guild, even actively looked for players in the game to help with the Den´s.
I think that is an important thing to talk about, also as Rigwyn noted about a rare kind of players willing to spend several hours to open the Den´s with unclear outcome of how many guests will attend. But on the other hand I think this is what makes the Den´s so special as well. There is someone opening it and holding a certain space during the time. In an NPC tavern as long as no GM watches, you can basically do anything. You could attack each other and be hostile to each other in any snse you wish. But at least for Damola I can say that if you tried this, she would certainly step up. On the other hand Damola based a lot on trust. She trusted the guests to be willing to contribute to the space she created and never actively asked for a guard. She would have accepted one, but not if the guard stands tall and with full weapon and armor watching the guests all the time.
In my full life I find it difficult to commit to a certain time each week, cause my time commitments outside of PS do not adhere to that. Yet, I think its important for members of the RCD team to show some committment. I always documented almost every public opening in the Bar Log. For me, if the team is large enough even just a tiny commitment to open it once or twice every month would be enough. If there are enough team members, also from different time zones the Den´s I think would be open often enough.
Also I think that it is sometimes closed also contributes to the experience and the value of the place. I do think simply opening it 24/7 without any rules whatsoever would at least destroy a part of what the Den´s currently is. It would change the purpose of the place.
One challenge with a large team may be: As long as the setting is that there are one or two accountable players who GMs trust and can talk to, those trusted players themselves need to trust all the other RCD team members. I currently trust every one of the RCD team members, but thing is, aside from Damola, none of that members are currently active with the Den´s. Likely for good RL reasons, maybe for other reasons. I am willing to ask some of those players about it, as I even have mail addresses for some of them.
Giving more keys can always work, but asking a key back for a team member who is not active anymore is not so much of a fun task, if you ask me. But maybe at some point there needs to be some rule for some minimal commitment in order to hold a key. Well informally there always was. And I also told it to members to the RCD team I gave a key to that the distributing keys is not for the sake of distributing keys, but to have other players open the Den´s independently of myself or cdmoreland while we both can trust that those players will take care of the place and hold the space that differentiates the Den´s from a random NPC place. Cause actually in the Den´s you have a barkeeper and often also a cook you actually can talk to and you won´t get an automated response or no response at all. And you have this barkeeper around and the player on keyboard with only a little afk minute to go to the toilet or so once in a while for the whole time of the public opening.
So how can it work to make the team larger in a way that actually leads to more opening times with a real player char around at the bar? And how can this work with some minimal long term commitment so that it can actually be a team. Of course RL always goes first, but if the team members change every week it will not be a consistent RP experience either.
So I hope I could clarify on some aspects that as long as I play PS made the RCD a special place to me. Back when Dannae opened it, she was also marvellous at holding this special space players with chars visiting the Den´s could feel so comfortable with. But in the end was far as I noticed also for her it was a single player project as I only saw Dannae opening it.
An 24/7 open RCD with no player in it holding this space would not be the same. Maybe there are good ideas such kind of RCD can also work, but also in that case I think that it needs to be more than just a random place without anyone feeling any care or responsibility for it. So I think even in that case it needs this as Rigwyn said rare kind of players dedicating time and energy to it, and then its important to take into account those players who do the actual work and give those players some good say as well as to how the place looks like.
Also I am keen to read about any suggestions on how to cross the timezone gap. Sometimes it worked that Damola gave her shift to another player to extend RCD opening time, but granted the current RCD team members that I brought into the team are mostly in my time zone. I am willing to engange in some out of game RP time-gapped with PM or preferably mail with interested people. Maybe it can work if the RCD team will have someone responsible for each majorly differentiating time zone with players who want to open the Den´s. So that I and cdmoreland can know to have an accountable player to talk to in case of issues.
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To clarify even further: I think public openings in the Den´s are somewhat like mini events. They are events in the sense that one or two players, could even be three, commit to holding a certain space for several hours. But there are also more spontaneous than bigger events cause they do not require much preparation.
Actually I want to see more of these mini events that can work with a smaller amount of commitment than the big ones. I think one reason that big events are so rare, that some players may not see, is that they are a lot of work! I have seen this with the Delicacy Contest and Pie Eating Contest event marathon. Kabitar and I spend hours in preparing these.
Thats why I appreciate the regular market openings as a mini event as well, although I didn´t attend to one with Damola yet. I really like to tough.
Some ideas for the Den´s for mini events with a certain topic I have:
- A nice Xiosia thanksgiving party. Its just about every char brings some of the harvest. Some cooks attend and then we RP it all spontaneously. Thats the one I want to go about next. And I am willing to hold the space for that event even alone with just Damola. It can also be a semi-regular event.
- Some dancing lessons from a dance teacher. Anyone wants to step up? It can very easy to prepare. Agree on some time. Think of some dance or steps to teach. Invite. And then just do the RP. I asked Dannae about it once.
- Other events can be a cook wanting to try to cook a new dish and seeking for feedback about it or an artist wanting to perform some new songs for an audience.
If I trust the player who proposes things like that, I may even also just hand out a key temporarily just for this event and allow for the player to hold the space even when I am absent. Right now I only have I think one key left, but with a good reasoning I think I can get more keys. And I could also ask a key back in a friendly way from some long term inactive RCD team members. Ideally the core RCD team would be big enough to always have a bar keeper around at those events tough :).
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Thank you again for your wonderful ideas, Damola!
Here's my two cents on the piece:
I really like the idea of the RCD as a 'mini events center' of sorts, where when it's open it's always special to the players somehow. That raises a host of questions, though, which you've already brought up:
-Do we have enough players to do these events? (Sounds like between Damola and cdmoreland, perhaps not)
-Are these players in different time zones?
-Are there keys for people who can get involved?
That's cent #1 :D
It also raises the question of: Is this really what we want to use the RCD for, now? It may have been good at one point, when the guild members and the people who ran it were more active and scattered through different time zones to accommodate, but now it may not be realistic.
-Should the overall purpose of the RCD be as a 'mini events center'?
-Should the RCD become re-purposed as a player-ran bar of sorts instead, with the possibility of both spontaneous AND pre-planned events?
-Should we purpose the RCD for something different?
I'd like to here your thoughts, friends.
P.S.
If the RCD was repurposed as a player-ran bar/events center, it would provide a lot of opportunities. It could be left open 24/7 style to accommodate all players in different timezones, and then also players like Damola or others can be given keys to plan events, and then lock the RCD down for a few hours to plan/redecorate as necessary. Then, different players can unlock it and reopen it for public access as soon as the event is over or Damola can leave it unlocked, etc. when all of the decorations have been safely stored.
Thoughts?
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Currently, with the default status for the RCD being closed, any time one of these "mini-events" is hosted there it almost always has to be quite controlled in a way. Like when it's open, it's only open for a very specific purpose. I like the idea of having it open by default, but can be closed up when necessary for redecorating. That way these "mini-events" will come naturally and spontaneously. Of course, prior planning would be nice so people actually know about them, but with it open, who knows what RP could arise!
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It seems to me that Damola has put in a tremendous amount of effort in establishing the RCD as a safe zone for her RP that caters to a very specific field. Now what I am arguing is not that this does not have a place in PS, far from it. What I question is if the RCD is the appropriate setting for this.
The RCD is at the heart of Hydlaa which is in turn at the very center of the world. Everything revolves around that spot. It seems logical to me that such real estate would be better suited to a very broad and all encompassing RP set. This location should be at its core a hot spot for finding and generating RPs and finding other players across all TZ’s. To do this, it being open, with the exception of the special occasions all ready mentioned, is a necessity. If fact it being closed should be so rare that when it is, it should draw excitement and speculation IC as to why.
Now perhaps this new identity for the RCD is why there have been poorer turn outs and why people have been less than excited to work the place. Also having a larger staff but only allowing them to work when the same people that currently open it are on perpetuates the current problem. The setting and employees should be as diverse as those that frequent the place and allow the identity to grow organically. This will increase agency for the players visiting and those that elect to take a stake in the Den itself.
As I said before, I do think there is a demand for this non-confrontational brand of RP. I would go a step further and suggest that perhaps a designated area where there is a strict G-PG level is enforced. The current state or RP that is trending (At least as I have observed in my TZ) is often pressing the PG-PG-13 limits and flirts into R. It is not uncommon to see something that may even skip R and flirt with explicit material.
This is neither suitable nor palatable for some and they should not have to make a choice to be exposed to it or quit which is, I fear, is happening and undermines the potential for a younger more energetic player base. Many PS players are of the age that they are have/have kids. PS, in my mind, should be a fun place where everyone, including parents and child, should be able to have fun together without fear.
One area that may be suitable for a more general audience setting might be the tutorial area and allow it to be self sufficient. A G-PG restriction in the tutorial area should produce the happier, more friendly side of PS to great those looking to enter our community and may be beneficial in this regards as well. Maybe the equipment there does not require a book to craft but can only reach a lower quality, say q 150 so players that choose not to venture out in the less restrictive content area can still experience the game without have to go for the basic quests. A lower quality on this equipment would be designed to prevent abuse from those seeking to exploit this area and its equipment.
I know much of this is half formed at best, but in summation, it comes down to location in my mind. Much like all roads leading to Rome, all roads and paths lead to the RCD (or at least past). We should as a community should be mindful of this and try to keep the most central locations for the core of the game, the highest trafficked areas for the greatest common denominator amongst the majority of players.
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For now I exercise myself in non-reaction and let others express their oppinions, but there is one point I want to clarify, since it appears to me as a gross misunderstanding:
Now perhaps this new identity for the RCD is why there have been poorer turn outs and why people have been less than excited to work the place. Also having a larger staff but only allowing them to work when the same people that currently open it are on perpetuates the current problem. […]
I *never* required that I am on when some other member of the team opens the place. Actually I even just wrote with some trust, I may even temporarily give a key to some player who just wants to hold a one-time event there, and is not a member of the team.
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With regard to the OP, there is still the Stonehead tavern and the one in scaly-wingy reptitile town. Both are wide open for players to use at will. At least, I don't think Illyisa et al are haunting the stonehead anymore. I could be wrong.
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With regard to the OP, there is still the Stonehead tavern and the one in scaly-wingy reptitile town. Both are wide open for players to use at will. At least, I don't think Illyisa et al are haunting the stonehead anymore. I could be wrong.
A while back, Illysia attempted to create a sort of "peaceful" (or at least moreso) environment located in Amdeneir during a particularly violent role play. I would say that currently, with the help of the GMs, this is really coming to fruition now. With the Learning Hall and the Hospital situated there, there are many plans to generate role plays which are not necessarily combat oriented. There will be antagonists, but they won't be person against person (typically,) rather conflicts of ideals and so forth. Of course I'm not saying no violence will ever occur in that city, but as it's been arranged (ICly speaking as well,) it should tend to be very minimal.
I've not always been the best at sharing the proverbial sandbox. I've learned a lot over the years about compromising on certain topics and compromise really fuels the growth of a community. It's part of why I've been trying to develop a more diverse environment of role plays to attract people with different interests. I think people tend to try to drift to opposite ends of the spectrum and then turn a nose up at others: if you prefer antagonistic role play you get reduced to a troll, if you want something of a plot you're a snob, and if you'd just like to engage in more day to day activities (or maybe social drama-related things) you're not really trying. None of these are true. Each type of RP is perfectly valid, but all of our preferences are coming to life on one server. Just because something might not be my cup of tea doesn't mean it's bad, same goes for my interests as opposed to someone else's.
My answer to this is to be courteous. If a role play is to be extremely violent (as in not your typical rogue attack like the GMs and players have done on occasion), have it happen in a group or out in the wilds where it isn't likely to be stumbled upon. This is also just logical, honestly. With the number of guards in the city, it wouldn't make sense to be dragging tons of corpses through the streets. (I say that as non-accusatory; I've done that before, though not to an extreme as some, and while a lot of folks enjoyed the story, some did not.) If a role play is to be explicit as Ascomanni pointed out, it should NOT be done in main chat. Move to tells or to a group for that as well.
For the most part, people (at least recently) have been very good about these things. Thing is, that's not always the case. I've seen instances where characters make comments that are extremely inappropriate about children (I will not go into details as this is a public forum, but if you want specifics shoot me a pm.) I've seen someone role play that a witch enlarged his *you can guess* for the purposes of intercourse (and that he no longer had any control over his "urges.") Both of these were done smack in Kada El's, for all to see and for potentially younger players to hear. Now, me, personally, I don't think there's room for that sort of thing at all, but at the least I really do think it should be done out of main chat. It's incredibly disturbing and upsetting to some folks. I've role played my characters through things like depression (mostly therapeutic really) and been asked to not do so in a public setting, and rightly so, so I really don't think it's too much to ask to keep that sort of explicit material away from the public eye.
In regards to this specific instance, I think that compromise too, can be reached. If I'm correct, I'm thinking Damola doesn't want particularly violent RPs happening at the Den. That's valid. Instead, the Den should be somewhere where all types of characters would tend to be on good (or at least weapons-sheathed) behavior. People engaging in a bar fight would get thrown out onto the street, maybe denied admittance for a while. This winds up letting you role play hiring bouncers: they're not all rough and tumble people with scars. There are plenty of folks who role play perfectly lawful characters or characters who will do precisely what they are paid to do: keep out the rough-housers.
Echoing Ascomanni's statement, I don't think the place should be OOCly controlled to only allow "lawful good" characters access. If someone a little shadier can ICly work their way in with wit and charm, I really don't see an issue. Issue a warning that if they abuse that capacity by stealing items, they will lose privileges and potentially face other consequences. The thing is, a "good" bad guy, played well, wouldn't be one to sit there and stir up trouble, drawing attention to themselves. Instead, they'd blend in, probably be quite inviting, and when they saw a character they thought might be interested in "criminal" RP, they would likely speak to them directly.
Thereby any potentially violent (or criminal) RP related would happen outside the Red Crystal Den.
The location of the place is a hub. It's somewhere that new players could potentially find the people creating the types of stories they're interested in. I have no doubt we could find a way to make it work so that everyone gets what they want out of it.
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There was a point in time where control of the rcd was wrested away by a criminal organization and ran as a front.
To be encouraging, tending bar at the rcd under Dannaes management was always a positive and fun experience. Never really a dull moment, and a wide variety of rp. Every time you open those doors and shout in main, you never know who was going to show up and what fun they would bring. People just want an alternative from kadas. Whenever ara would have none else to do, I would open the den and let the rp come to me. Plus it felt good to open up that space for spontaneous rp.
As I understand it, the purpose planned for the den under its original conception was as a performing arts center, or otherwise an event venue, not necessarily a bar or tavern. It's always been player run, which is great. I'm sorry to hear it's use has fallen to the wayside, but I can sorta understand how that could have happened. Sadly, most of what makes PS great vanishes when player activity drops beneath a certain threshold. If certain players are willing and able to manage the RCD, I feel things should be worked out to let them, but as a purist, I feel it would be most bestest if this and the other thread had a parallel rp component. It would just be more fun that way, I think. ;)
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Never really a dull moment, and a wide variety of rp. Every time you open those doors and shout in main, you never know who was going to show up and what fun they would bring.
I remember some of the mostest awesomest role plays happening at the RCD, myself. Tis part of why I miss Dannae. :'(
And you. Come back. Come baaaaaaaaaaaack...
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There was a point in time where control of the rcd was wrested away by a criminal organization and ran as a front.
The RCD was originally founded by a few seemingly upstanding members of society who just happened to be very much involved with the Outlaws. The procurement of the RCD was a scam (IC) and the intention of getting it in the first place, was to set up a front at the Octarchy's expense, where shady characters could hang out and make deals under the table, so to speak. The two fine ladies who ran this shin dig eventually broke away from the Outlaws, and ran it themselves. It was some time later that the good guys ( er eh.. gals ) got their grubby mitts on it.
What is important here is that it was always understood that stewardship of the RCD was always dependent on our character's ability to look like good, upstanding members of society. For that reason, conversation within the den had to be kept civil at any cost. Bouncing was something that happened in the alleyway around back and those bounced were likely to be missing some pocket change when they woke up. ;)
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I might add that Kada els was likewise a player established and player run tavern, until it was canonized and populated with npc vending machines. This terrible fate should be avoided at all costs.
Also, if brewing is a thing now, a player run enterprise to sell brews to would be nice. Or have an inhouse bremeister. Thing is, places like the rcd are more than just meeting grounds for players, but also places of employment and exchange. Character/character interaction is what needs to be fostered. You provide a space for such interactions, you gain a little precious ground in the war against the machines.
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For those that abhore and disdain violence, may I point out that the settings of this game explicitly dictate that the world of Yliakum is forever held in the grips of terror from all sorts of nasty beasties worming their way from out of the depths of the labyrinths. Not to mention there's a [spoiler!] completely alien eldritch abomination hell bent on destroying all of existence who's got its tentacles in the minds of much of the population. In fact, the law of the land states that the entirety of the population must be armed and properly prepared for combat. Point is, Yliakum is not a peaceful pastoral paradise, but a terribly violent place, so much so, in fact, that the very goddess of death herself took pity on all these dying people that she granted them the gift of resurrection (on her terms, of course). Now, I'm all one for a balanced experience, and the constant danger present in Hydlaa is the IC reason that Ara left with her children, but if you don't want to play a Game with potential violence then maybe this game isn't for you?
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We have currently one opening with quite some quests. Sulaika is back! And I received some offers for help. So you can still drop by if you see this soon enough. Quite nice RP going on. Even a little contest!
No talk with the GM yet.
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We have currently one opening with quite some quests. Sulaika is back! And I received some offers for help. So you can still drop by if you see this soon enough. Quite nice RP going on. Even a little contest!
Now this was an opening of my liking. Thanks to all the involved for the nice RP! Thanks to Sulaika! /me then falls asleep immediately. May post a photo tomorrow, when I remember.
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Although Damola still ponders whether it was such a wise idea to joke about one barrel of mead, here a photo from the opening yesterday. Was quite some fun.
(http://damola.lichtvoll.de/events/2015-09-01-rcd-opening/shot901-halfsize.png)
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Aramara, no one said anything about abhoring and disdaining violence - it was mentioned that the explicit stuff, beyond our rating level - should be taken out of main and into group.
That's what groups are used for apparently, for those of us too innocent to imagine (I'm remembering now that this is the thread that irritated me, ah la la!).
On topic: Is there a follow up to this? Can we manage to get the RCD unlocked and available for use like that DARLING HOSPITAL? Without hurting hardworking good rp'ing people's feelings?
I would love that if so.
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I am still to talk with GM. GM was sick and now I am still on a free software sprint event. So will take till next week.
Love,
Damola
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Ok :) Thank you for the update :)
Not sure if this is the place for it, but I wanted to say that I am glad that we have both types of places in Yliakum - the "NPC vending machine" laden places and the PC only places. I love little Allelia and the rest. She in particular made it easier for me when I started out, and still now actually, to do a kind of RP that allows me to be part of the world without needing my buddies online.
If other PCs are in the pub, it's nice to walk in, slide your tria across the bar with a smile at Allelia, sip the drink, conduct business with her (i.e. sell creature parts), and listen to other people and their RP. I love that. It's like a mini-RP, or a baby-RP. Not satisfying like the real deal, but nice and makes me feel like a part of Yliakum.
Places without NPCs also great, especially for full immersion. Probably I'm too lone-wolfy to fully appreciate those places, but even at my level they feel great, that hospital (I've only been twice) is wonderful. The whole town is wonderful over there.
Can we get the bed canopies raised in the Amdeneir tavern? Or chopped off? I'll make a new thread for that.
Thanks again, Damola :flowers:
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Sulaika and I talked with the GM this week. We and Sian, who offered help, are currently looking at how we will proceed with the results of this talk and our ideas for more player involvement for the RCD. Please have some more patience for us to come up with something more concrete.
Love,
Damola
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I have, somehow, been left out of this discussion.
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I have, somehow, been left out of this discussion.
You haven´t. I just started out with those who actively offered to help to evolve the RCD in game. Sulaika and another player who offered to help with the RCD just recently. I wasn´t aware that you want to be active and help with the RCD as well, as you weren´t in the last time.
As I received your PM, I asked you whether you want to be active for the RCD again and I already informed you about our current ideas and asked for your feedback.