Roleplaying in PS

[Pestilence]

Or perhaps interaction between people would be a good title or ingame economics or ingame stories.

The point is that I feel that the part that makes PS different from other games is being neglected by the dev team. Ofcourse PS has some great graphics and such but in thee/five years they wont amount to that much when PS might be finished and in the end thats not what keeps people coming back.

One of the great things about PS is it\'s community and it\'s focus on roleplaying inside the game. It\'s a plus that makes a certain group of people return for what they don\'t find in other games.

But although the development of the game itself is going forward the development of the community and of the stories within PS to make the world a whole have been neglected making this huge plus point less.

One can notice the avarage PS playing age decreasing. 6 months ago you would find players who have been around for over 18 months. Now finding people from before CB\'s release is pretty hard. Specially ingame.

To have a good RPcommunity ingame it needs to be encouraged. Player interaction through things like an economy should be encouraged. To have a story ingame that inspires people to use that as parts of their story is important aswell so those parts can be used to interact more easely in RP between players.

I really feel the dev team shouuld take on more storywriters and more roleplayers so to get more out of planeshifts strength as it seems to be truely needed now the game is progressing in mechanics.

[Typhorean]

Has it gotten that bad? :S  I just got reconnected with DSL and finished downloading the client...not 3.0.13, but the one before that...

Regardless, though, I definitely support this idea, although perhaps it should go into wish list?  I like the idea of a storywriting or roleplaying environment, since the stated purpose of the game I read oh so long ago, after all, was to provide a true role playing game.  In MB, that was pretty ever present...Maybe stronger incentives to roleplay should be added, as well as impediments to downright power gaming, like if you do something too much your gains will rapidly decrease after a point, or perhaps giving experience multipliers for roaming and other such things...At least it\'d discourage camping.  Of course, until I\'ve played the game with new mechanics, take everything I suggest with a grain of salt.  After that, two grains of salt will probably be safer.  Regardless...Bwahahaha, Typh is back.

[Karyuu]

To say that the dev team is neglecting elements of RP is pretty awful, I think. The team will not take on writers just because there are writers available - there are certain things Talad is looking for, and certain things people may not be ready for or willing to do. Just like every single art contribution isn\'t going to be used, so it is with every other department.

People leave all the time - they discover that they have lives, that the game doesn\'t hold interest anymore because the people aren\'t as interesting, even though the game itself keeps evolving, etc. Yes it would be nice if more folks stayed around, but can you really say that their leaving is due to the devs not doing enough to encourage roleplay? I\'ve said time and time again that we need to have stable code before decorating things and making more available to play with. It\'s not fun when the server crashes - it\'s not fun when your character slips and dies - nor is it entirely fun when you can\'t do anything but fight and mine. So this is what they are trying to fix, among a plethora of other things.

How is RP not encouraged in-game? It\'s certainly been a while since the last GM-run event, but there are reasons for this - all events need to be approved before the GMs can act them out, and so brainstorming and putting things together and submitting is a bit more complicated. However, this is one of their top priorities. The economy has always been player driven (and a mess more often than not, due to - you guessed it - problems or bugs in code), and people are encouraged to create stories in-game. Talad has also wrote that having some sort of main PS storyline is absolutely impossible when the game itself is in such an early state.

I think the dev team is doing everything they can to make the game both fun and RP-oriented, and the players are helping. I personally don\'t see any reasons for a change.

[Pestilence]

Well wishlist would be a suited place if the the dev team doesn\'t already state RP is a priority. I think this should be a place to now discus what should be done to realize this priority to actions.

The game may be beta but the community and the roleplaying definately isn\'t. This should be our focus.

[Typhorean]

Well, instead of talking about modifications to the game, which is obviously beta, let\'s talk about roleplay.  Once the updater has the new version up, I\'m definitely up for some RP...though if it doesn\'t happen within a couple of hours it\'d have to wait til about this time tomorrow...

Still, it seems to me that we should shift the focus to making some rp happen instead of talking about how rp should be happening.  So.  Who\'s up for some loose RP starting in the vicinity of say, the tavern?  All of those who want to get involved can just show up around a certain time and we\'ll start interacting and let it fly from there.  Curiousness is welcome, and if you\'re bored with powergaming, drop on by, and all that.  We can make some converts this way, ya know.

But...remember...grain of salt until I\'ve got a feel for how the game works again, but it shouldn\'t be too hard unless I miss my mark.

[Pestilence]

I\'m sorry Karyuu but you are really maintaining that the devteam has been giving their best efforts to encouraging Roleplaying?

I will admit that the progress on the mechanics has been a lot better of late compared to a few months after the CB release for sure, but you will have to admit that encouraging roleplaying hasn\'t had the same impulse rather the opisite.

And I think there are plenty of storywriters out there so that it\'s pretty unbelievable Talad could not find anyone who would not write something to his wishes.

And as for people leaving well ofcourse this will always happen, but the fact there are less people staying for a long time is concerning or it should be if you care about the game as more then the mechanics.

[Karyuu]

Can you give me specifics of what you would want the team to do to further encourage roleplay in-game? A list of what you think would be nice, would be nice.

Yes there are plenty of stories in the RP board, but those are stories, and player stories. Just because someone may have written a lovely tale doesn\'t mean that they are automatically suitable for the Settings team - there is a lot more to it. And how many of those who posted stories actually applied? I believe I personally know of only two. The main point however, is that writing stories isn\'t enough to make someone acceptable, just like drawing swords isn\'t enough to make someone suitable for the art departments.

But - list? :>

*edit*

[...] but the fact there are less people staying for a long time is concerning or it should be if you care about the game as more then the mechanics.

I\'ve found that everyone who left had valid reasons for leaving, and this game lacking enough roleplay wasn\'t one of them. Do you personally know someone who said \"There just isn\'t enough for me to roleplay with, see you later\"?

[Pestilence]

I\'ve found that everyone who left had valid reasons for leaving, and this game lacking enough roleplay wasn\'t one of them. Do you personally know someone who said \"There just isn\'t enough for me to roleplay with, see you later\"?

Are you kidding me? I remember several naming that as the reason for leaving and I remember even more who named that as one of the reasons of leaving although useally something RL was what forced them to decide how important PS really was.

hmm A list of tihings the dev team could do.

Well first of the devs should simply encourage player organized events. Things that happen ingame like Bods shop was one. To have GMs not as much organize events but add to things that happen through the players. make them feel apreciated for what they do.

I also feel that there should be more of a main thread in the story that still affects the world to this day that all roleplayers would have to respond to. This way making a history that is guided by the devstorywriters but also influenced by the players as they decide how to react.

[Karyuu]

Originally posted by Pestilence
Are you kidding me? I remember several naming that as the reason for leaving and I remember even more who named that as one of the reasons of leaving although useally something RL was what forced them to decide how important PS really was.

Sadly I remember none of these. Strange.

Well first of the devs should simply encourage player organized events.

But encourage how?

Things that happen ingame like Bods shop was one.

Bodacher did that on his own - it was player initiative, and as far as I\'m aware neither devs nor GMs were involved in the slightest.

To have GMs not as much organize events but add to things that happen through the players. make them feel apreciated for what they do.

The GMs love to and will play around the players more - but they can\'t use their powers to help in player events (for example, spawn rewards) - if anyone wants to debate this, bring it up with Talad. He had the final word, and none of us had any power to continue the debate.

I also feel that there should be more of a main thread in the story that still affects the world to this day that all roleplayers would have to respond to.

How would they respond to it? A main story would require action - it would require plot, a conflict that needs taking care of, etc. This can\'t be done at the game\'s current stage, unless you have more specific suggestions. As always, the more specifics the better.

[Pestilence]

Bodacher did that on his own - it was player initiative, and as far as I\'m aware neither devs nor GMs were involved in the slightest.

Yes it was an example of player driven events that should be encouraged. How? Well by doing things that involve it with other game elements like when Jose moved Harnquist and roleplayed him fighting with Bodacher about the new shop.

The GMs love to and will play around the players more - but they can\'t use their powers to help in player events (for example, spawn rewards) - if anyone wants to debate this, bring it up with Talad. He had the final word, and none of us had any power to continue the debate.

Perhaps but hardly an example then of roleplaying that is being encouraged more then and Talad is the head of the devteam so if his actions can\'t be held as an example for the direction the devteam seems to be going...

How would they respond to it? A main story would require action - it would require plot, a conflict that needs taking care of, etc. This can\'t be done at the game\'s current stage, unless you have more specific suggestions. As always, the more specifics the better.

Thats the fun about roleplaying. You don\'t need to have a complete game to do it, nor do you have to be able to do everything to roleplay you are doing them.

How would the devteam get feedback? Well by having people report what is happening. If it would truely have an affect there will be plenty of people willing to help I am sure.

[Karyuu]

Originally posted by Pestilence
How? Well by doing things that involve it with other game elements like when Jose moved Harnquist and roleplayed him fighting with Bodacher about the new shop.

Four GMs out of nine have the ability to do that now - as others prove themselves ready to handle larger responsibilities with greater commands, so they shall be able to play like so as well. As the GM team grows in number, so will the RP events and little fun incidents. But right now there aren\'t enough resources for those GMs to test, help players, report, and provide spontaneous RP fun all at once.

The GMs love to and will play around the players more - but they can\'t use their powers to help in player events (for example, spawn rewards) - if anyone wants to debate this, bring it up with Talad. He had the final word, and none of us had any power to continue the debate.

Perhaps but hardly an example then of roleplaying that is being encouraged more then and Talad is the head of the devteam so if his actions can\'t be held as an example for the direction the devteam seems to be going...

I thought it was really strict in the beginning, but it slowly began to sink in. When events are approved, the dev team (and Talad especially) know what enters the player base (such as rare items given out as rewards). When such things are known, the chance for GM-to-player favoritism decreases, player demands that GMs accomodate their every story (an impossible thing to do, thus those who will get GM involvement may look as though they are favored) also decreases, and etc. It\'s not so crazy. Things may change over time as the GM team proves reliable and trustworthy, but I think this is an understandable beginning after the ruckus that the last GM team caused.

Thats the fun about roleplaying. You don\'t need to have a complete game to do it, nor do you have to be able to do everything to roleplay you are doing them.

No, we don\'t need a complete game for roleplaying :) Players are quite capable of doing the roleplay regardless of what is available. I still maintain that code improvements and implementation of features is a large aid.

[Cyl]

Well, isnt RP what you make out of it? Actually I am always encouraged to RP whenever someone is willing to RP.

Player organised events, are..., player organised events, and I can say they aren\'t a rarity, well not everyone might see that. And while a little intervention of GMs might be good and acceptable, major intervention would just result in GM driven events. The main point of player organised events is that they are organised by players.

Maybe it\'s me, but I simply fail to see your point.

Edit: From now on I will post in gray :3

[Typhorean]

Furthermore, if you are convinced that we don\'t need a complete game to roleplay, why are you so insistent on specialincentive and technical back up for RP?  All that would do is cause players who weren\'t getting those incentives for \'honest rp\' or such like to try to manipulate their way into getting them, or just complaining about life (err, planeshift) being unfair.  Just...let that sink in.

[Pestilence]

hmmm so your answer is becuase you are afraid someone might feel there is a favorite, that there won\'t be anything done at all. Yep that\'s an example of how you do encourage people alright.

And well ofcourse the example of Jose is now hinderd somewhat by practical problems but it is an example and as you said almost half the GMS can already do it and there are more ways then that a GM could involve player events without having to spawn things that benefit a player.

As for mechanics being implemented. Ofcourse it\'s true they are a great help, but in the end they should help make the RP more enjoyable so hardly worth the effort if you kill the RP in the proces.

Also many mechanics in my opinion would also be made better if the ones making it know how the world looks like and have a better idea of what would fit in the game instead of later making a story that seems to fit the mechanics.

[Typhorean]

I believe the general argument was something along the lines of: IF they are really going to RP, then they will do it out of their own initiative, rather than simply for some reward.  Otherwise, \'RPing\' turns into powergaming where people are scrambling to get fancy special rewards, and the line between RP events and events made up just to get something special is blurred.  Of course, the NPC moving thing and similar features...I believe Karyuu stated that the number of GMs with that ability *is* growing, and it will happen more in the future, but planeshift -- all of it, the development and gm community, the game itself, and the storyline -- is a changing and growing thing, right now still in pretty early stages.  So be patient.  If you really want to help, go out and do some significant RP.  On your own, without GM-controlled NPCs or fancy item spwns or whatever.  And with that, I am going to bed.  Have a nice night, Pestilence, Karyuu, and other person who posted whose name I can\'t recall.