The FUNDAMENTAL problem with PS is the fact that it's a "chimera" (part-open, part-closed) project.  What we are seeing is a combination of 2 factors:
1) closed parts (art mainly) don't keep up with open parts (the state of the art within CS) which prevents PS from exploiting the latest technology CS has to offer (animesh, Bullet for CD and Physics, full use of shaders, the rendermanager)...
2) open parts (much of the PS code) is held back to keep up with closed parts (art, DB) causing frustrations for all.


Add the 5+ year old heaps of cruft and bit-rot to the picture, and things just get worse on both fronts.  What makes matters worse is that our coders seem to INSIST on NOT leveraging the C++ state-of-the-art... (expression-template-progression-scripts that can be written either in text or directly in C++, anyone?  I think it's doable...) (look at the fact that we have csArray and csString ALL OVER OUR CODEBASE!  /me beats Jorrit thoroughly with a bound copy of the C++ standard)

The biggest problem I have with PS is the rather stratified organization of the development team and some of the "turf wars" that break out because of it (such as the "Devs shouldn't try to reproduce bugs" crud that shows up in IRC every now and then).  Also, there's issues with old code that nobody wants to touch and some wackiness with getting art submitted...(in particular, I think that item modelling would be a ton easier if you DCC people were willing to learn some tricks from your CAD brethen...but noooo)

Finally, there's the issue of Rules being not only private, but "spoiler-status" I guess?  I understand the concerns about someone fragmenting the community with another server, but I honestly think that would be less likely to occur with an open rulebase...(consider that ANYTHING can be REd)

When you hear rumors of a Night Thief, you:
1) Organize a party to hunt him down in the middle of the day.
2) Contact the guards to see how you can lend a hand.

[I get the impression this thread will be updated with every event we throw ]

Kaerli's busy figuring out how to counter his attack tactics...  (what Rogue would expect to be counterattacked after casting a powerful freeze spell on his victim?)

Kaerli, as close as I can get her:

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/56/kaerlipic1rj1.png

Exactly, only that takes FOR-FREAKING-EVER for some characters!  (Kaerli's stats and skills STILL don't quite accurately reflect the character and I've been training/developing her for many, many months!  Thankfully, I can RP around it by using an IC concept of training, but for some other chars, it can be a while before they even come close to being RP-ready!  Add the difficulties mages face due to the combat vs. magic imbalance to that picture Parallo...and it's pretty horrible  )

Hint: Red buddy list = training time!   

Speaking using alignments: Donari, you expect Chaotic to align with Evil and Lawful to align with Good.  Not the case in some cases.  I'd characterize Kaerli as Chaotic Neutral drifting towards Chaotic Good and back to Chaotic Neutral at times (due to her strong self-righteousness).  Also, this has been getting better over time, but scripted GM and player events often have trouble dealing with someone trying to take the event and pull a 180 with it, even if it is IC for that particular character to do that (if Kaerli caught Aldaaren babbling about anywhere outside the town gates, she'd run him through a minute quick).


Also, there's plenty of fun plottage to be had within settings.  If I wrote up how the Stronwylles and the Strongwills got along, it'd be hilarious! (think Cunninghams + Coninghams if you've read To Kill a Mockingbird).  Also, Kaerli's not immortal in the "never goes to the DR" sense, it's that she's been taught/learned for herself practically every nook n' cranny of that place!  (She drops by there to learn the Dark Way too, so that helps.)


Also, I didn't need a walkthrough for the tutorial.  Some of the more complicated quests take help though, especially when you aren't good at trying to read a settings dev's mind or trying to get a line exactly the way the settings dev wrote it (complete with typos ).

BTW: somebody needs to give the gosh-darn numbers we've got for stats and skills some bloody MEANING!  It'd be a ton easier to RP with stats if they did...

[Kaerli: are you sure you want to take that path? If you join this side of the event, Kaerli will be a criminal. Like stated in the first post, there will be a chance for other kinds of characters to join the event just not on the baddies side. Being acquainted and being an accomplice are different things. If you want Kaerli to be a criminal, then PM me to register. It does seem a little odd knowing Kaerli's always fought baddies (many of which have already signed up), but it's your call.]

[Dajoji: you didn't read the IC part of my last post ]