get paid to RP

[Rigwyn]

Given the choice between leveling up, mining, questing and rp-ing, rp-ing yields the least material reward (this is my experience at least). As a result you have to expect it to be the least popular choice. Afaik the rewards associated with rp-ing are immaterial for the most part ( as I understand there are sometimes material rewards ).

What about getting paid in trias by the minute - or hour for spending time in a "rp zone" ?

This is what I am thinking:

1. Define a zone where only rp-ing may occurr ( no mining, crafting or fighting allowed ). This could be a tavern, a map, or a group that you would be invited into.

2. When you enter that rp group or area a meter runs provided you talk occasionally)

3. While in this rp zone there is nothing else to do, so you will be motivated to make the best of it and rp since that would be the most fun thing that you could do - since other activites are not possible within this zone.

This idea is meant as a starting point, in order to fly you would need to build on it - you may want to allow fighting within the rp for example.

Given the choice between earning x trias per hour mining, or a little less trias per hour rp-ing, I think I would choose rp-ing

Also you would want players to be able to enter one of these zones at any time, or create such a zone (or rp group )

(I'll stop talking soon )

It would we nice if it was possible to set up an rp event and bring in a live npc for that event - ie. An aggressive band of rogues, or a huge beast of some sort ( a ps equivalent of a dragon perhaps ?

[Nikodemus]

IMO, No.
Whole planeshift is a RP zone, you RP everywhere. You cant create RP zone inside something what is it already.
How will you explain the gained money from RP PoV ? You can't. This money is gained through ooc means.

[neko kyouran]

/agree

[Zan]

I agree with your basic idea, roleplay should yield enough 'profit' to play the game decently. The way you're trying to accomplish it is full of holes though.

Firstly I agree with Niko, the entire world is for roleplay .. not only a small area.

Roleplay is also not just chatting, if you want to chat .. enter a chatroom or use instant messenger programs. Roleplay is playing a role. How are you going to play a role in an area where you aren't allowed to do anything but talk?


Lets re-evaluate your problem. Roleplay doesn't yield nearly as much tria or pp than grinding and grinding is boring with little to no roleplay involved. Is this a problem? Not by itself but since we need a lot of PP to train and the economy is ruled by grinders/levelers, this becomes a problem. Roleplayers are either forced to be unskilled paupers or spend time grinding and not roleplaying.

To be honest the only solution I see is to make sure there is no reason to grind. Make sure that everyone gets plenty of PP and tria to get by decently. Unfortunately that means moving in the opposite direction. Right now the Devs are making efforts to give the economy to the players, which automatically means the levelers are more important than the roleplayers. Cancelling this would mean turning the economy back over to the NPCs.

[Mythryndel]

The problem faced here is a common one. You want to create an immersive world, but you want real living and breathing people involved. That is problem number 1. Where people get involved, there are going to be things not going according to plan. What some other games do to deal with this is to create a server for the main game with it's huge numbers of players, and a separate server for the hard-core RPers (DAOC does this). It is very difficult for a game to enforce strict RP where there are so many complicated options to choose from. People are going to have to ask questions and learn how to train skills and such that cannot be realistically RPed in-character. Click this, open your inventory, drag to this window... etc.

There could be all kinds of game mechanics to make this happen with varying degrees of player and DEV frustration. However, i think the ideal solution would be:

1. Create two servers
2. ALL players would have an account on the main server.
   - This is where all newbies and PLers and whatever hang out.
   - This is where game mechanics would be worked out and people would experiment with new skills/trades.
3. ONLY players who are offered an invitation could play on the second server.
   - An active account on the main server would be required.
   - Agreement to abide by strict RP rules (with the understanding they can be kicked out for non-compliance)
   - GM or designated players would be allowed to offer invites to those on the main server.

I think this has the ability to minimize DEV time with in-game restrictions on non-RP, while providing all the benefits of RP to those that desire a truly immersive RP experience.
   

[Caarrie]

1. Create two servers
2. ALL players would have an account on the main server.
   - This is where all newbies and PLers and whatever hang out.
   - This is where game mechanics would be worked out and people would experiment with new skills/trades.
3. ONLY players who are offered an invitation could play on the second server.
   - An active account on the main server would be required.
   - Agreement to abide by strict RP rules (with the understanding they can be kicked out for non-compliance)
   - GM or designated players would be allowed to offer invites to those on the main server.

Planeshift is meant to be one world for all, so if someday there is more then one server all will be in the same world and able to see and talk to each other. If we had 2 separate servers and only some people could invite others to the other server, there would be a major bias as not all people are on at the same time and not all have the same definition of what RP is. This would actually require more work as people would have to watch both servers and fix bugs on both and keep an eye on the players on both servers. Double the work atleast.

[Mythryndel]

This is not an ideal solution while in alpha, maybe not even beta. However, this is the only way I see to accomplish what everyone wants. The two servers would be identical for game mechanics and possibly even quests and world layout.

The problem is that, as you said, "people" have different definitions of RP. Well... that is why a handful of people would get to invite. So that only the "choosen" RPers would get to play on the other server. This would have the end result of encouraging people to RP on the main server so that they can get an invite to the exclusive server.

The whole argument here is what benefit do people get for RPing vs PLing or whatever. Since membership is free, the only thing there really is to offer long-term is exclusivity. If this upsets people, they will either change their behavior to get an invite, or they will leave. Simple as that. I personally don't think it will have that large an effect on the vast majority of players because they will have the opportunity to RP when they want, but still be able to try different things that would completely break a true RP landscape.

[Nikodemus]

Mythryndel, No, coz you can't enjoy game mehanics on the RP server. To do so, you need 2 separate characters, while you want one. You haven't seen enough.

There is no economy in PS right now, give it time. If you can sell loads of the same goods to the NPCs and they continue buying it for the same price, there is no economy. If you go killing gladiators to sell their swords to NPCs - it is not economy.
There wll be economy if people get resources to use them, not sell to NPCs. and there will be room for RPing in consistent place
There will be economy when NPC buyers won't look like they should go bancrupt long time ago and the trainers be insanetly rich demi-gods sitting on their treasure.
Then people will stop by, because the more they produce, the more they satisfy the needs for these products till a moment it doesnt make sense for a while, so they can give time to RP.

Though if the devs rise the satisfying level higher as money-makers want, just like with giving more mobs coz players want then out o a whim, then there will be no time for RP. That may be the toughtest of all to work out.

[Rayken]

While I can't say i'm completely opposed to this suggestion (invite only =D), I can say that I doubt it is going to happen.  In general elitism is frowned upon here.

As to the original poster, RP should be and is its own reward.  It's like reading a good novel, accept that you get to control a character.  I think that most who try RP will find it addictive rather quickly.  Those who don't try usually come and go, doing little damage in their time here.

[Garile]

hmmm the problem with the two server system is this.

How do you start roleplaying if all the decent roleplayers have already left for the other server?

Ofcourse not all will be gone but two servers means two cultures ingame. And so that means that the server you start on has hardly any RP going on. And we all know what happens if noone arounds you RPs. Very little chance a new person starts roleplaying/

[Under the moon]

Two separate servers is not a good way to go. Getting 'paid' in an out of character manner is also not the way to go.

However, spending time in certain areas as a hired worker, and getting paid for that is not a bad idea. Or even getting paid (a limited amount) while you are offline and your character is 'at his job' is another good idea. Just pick up your pay once in a while.

In real life, there is room for all types of people in the world doing and enjoying all types of things. We just need to bring that concept into PlaneShift.

For the invite only thing... well, elitism has its place in life as well. It should have a place ingame as well besides the natural elitism that comes from leveling and combat. If there is something to strive for that actually requires roleplaying (like getting into a guild, only actually meaning something to the game), then more people will do it. That is why I like the intro system. Folks have to put a bit of RP effort into learning my character's name, as I will give it out no other way.

And get rid of PP. RP public enemy #1. 

[Mythryndel]

This forum, or so i thought, was for brainstorming. I am not saying what HAS to happen or i'm leaving or anything like that. I just know that this would be a way to encourage people to do as you wish.

In order for there to be a authentic RP environment, there has to real dialog, but also real occupations. Your character can't simply sit around all day and do nothing but RP. Your character needs to bring something to the world. This could be nothing but providing raw materials for crafters, it could be crafting items for sale, it could be ridding the land of creatures that threaten the citizens of the city you are from. I think that introducing occupations could help in this regard. I have been thinking about it and if you meet X requirements, you should be able to apply for a paid position in-game. For instance, if you get a 10 weapon skill, you can apply for a position as a sentry or a rat exterminator or something.

There also should be a NPC character that can act as a merchant for when the character that has X resource is not online for someone who needs to craft Y. Everyone agrees that it is difficult for everyone to be on at the same time or for extended periods of time, but until we get something like this, there will not be a realistic economy and everyone will have to be a generic character. By example, I cannot ONLY be a weapon crafter, because i will have to continually go out mining to have enough raw materials to work with.

EDIT: The Auction tab is a good start to a merchant. The seller should be able to put a item for sale in the possession of the merchant with a price tag. IF a player purchases that item, then the money can be retrieved by the seller when they are next online.

[Under the moon]

If there were to be two seperate servers, I would only use them for testing purposes to see what people liked better, then combine the things that work well back into server A and start another second experimental server B. Keep doing this to find out if this or that works better. But that would be double the work for the Devs at this point, so it would be difficult to do. Not to mention finding a second server.

It could be done on a single server with two seperate worlds and rulesets, thus allowing folks the move their characters back and forth to test both with a single character. But again, this is a lot of extra work.

[Mythryndel]

I have a dual proc 800MHz system that I am installing CentOS5.1 on in the very near future. If you want a test server that will have limited users for playing with new features, I would be willing to talk to you offline about setting it up. I have a static IP and a OK upload speed.

[Karyuu]

We've had many conversations and discussions and debates and arguments internally about separating into two servers - one for RP, and the other for casual-anything-you-want-but-usually-OOC-business needs. I think the overwhelming response was "No." Most of us do not want to separate the community, especially when, as stated, PlaneShift as a whole is meant to be an RP game. So I'd rather you guys spend your time brainstorming in another direction.