get paid to RP

[Prolix]

He must be some sort of alchemist then.....

[CrazyYlian]

Paid RP  - opposed. For reasons already stated.
Separate "RP" servers: - opposed.  Reasons already stated.

Occupations  -  I like this for certain things, guards being a good example.  Right now, despite Yliakum laws regarding various topic that have already been beaten to death here, there is little or no visible guard presence, since the NPC guards never stary from their posts.  Have a 'guard barracks' where characters can enlist, train, patrol the streets and even make a few tria would provide both a more realistic setting as well as great RP possibilities.   It could be implemented much like a guild, except that it would not exclude being in another guild (or maybe it should... possibilities either way).   Guards would have shifts (have to work with how that works, given the passage of time ingame), and they would get off shift and be free to do whatever just like RL. That way they can still play all aspects of the game (questing, crafting etc) while maintaining a consistent IC 'lifestyle'.  And it would actually make some of the NPC seem more realistic by virtue of them now being part of a larger community of real characters.

Merchants  -  would be nice, but harder to implement as I see it because it would essentially be a consignment store, which would require some management.  I'm also pretty sure the GMs wouldn't want to have to deal with the upset customer who was in the middle of a transaction when the server crashed and he ended up losing his Q300 sabre with no recompense.  Simpler would be a market square where vendors can just set-up an sell on a temp basis.


Something I would like to see, that I think would improve RP, is in-game notice boards.  Rather than putting RP threads on these forums, they could actually be put up in game.  Many players do not frequent the forums, but if those same threads were in-game, many more would read and respond.  This also gives devs a place to notice in game events, crafters could advertise, civic announcements disseminated, etc.  Most medieval towns had something similar, which really emphasizes the importance considering the high illiteracy of the times.  Each town could have one (or more than one, larger towns could have several).

[Mythryndel]

Vendor area... simpler yes, but does not address the key problem I see the merchant fixing. Real People are not online at the same times all the time. In real life, I know when a store is going to be open and can go check it out. In game, there is no such thing. I may have 10 Q300 items that people are dying to buy, but they are on at a different time than I am. If there were a merchant, which you accurately describe my implementation suggestion as a consignment arrangement, then my items can be sold even when I an not in-game.

I don't see the issue of losing the Q300 item to the merchant being any different from losing it because the server crashed just as you finished making it and put it in your inventory. The server crashes are just that, crashes. I've lost several loot items due to servers crashing before, but life goes on.

The announcement board idea is, in my opinion, a good idea.The only thing i would add, is that it might need to be moderated or have a fee for posting. Otherwise i see it being filled with <insert character name here> WUZ H3R3!!!!!!!1!! or something equally ridiculous.

[Zan]

Most people won't accept player guards. They just see big neon signs over their heads saying "Rebel against me and fight me!" For those that don't think that way *cough* Imperial Guard *cough*

[Under the moon]

A prison map would solve that right quick.

[CrazyYlian]

Most people won't accept player guards. They just see big neon signs over their heads saying "Rebel against me and fight me!" For those that don't think that way *cough* Imperial Guard *cough*

Probably quite true <sigh> but they don't accept NPC guards either, so nothing lost.  The gain would be a more natural visual presence backing up settings, + a civic presence with player participation.

And I love the prison map idea.  A logical follow up to say a courthouse?

[Hydrolyzer]

i was thinking before, that having player jobs, that might not involve you saving the world like im sure we all love to do, but bring you steady tria and give you an in game foundation for your characters character would be awesome. i would not mind sitting in kada-els for a while bringing drinks to people who give me some coin for it (hmm, i could do this anyway, doesnt really need mechanics...but there is broader ideas, such as guards, civil servants (not necassarily vigesimi or octarchs) estate agents, player trainers, its really an endless list)

im going to make an example, examples always help me think about things.

in our world, a guy goes to trade school, and studies to become an electrician, he then joins a company and works for them, then, after a few years, when he is a very good electrician and has built up some capital, he starts his own electricians business

the same could work for smiths, an npc 'boss' provides you with steel and  a quota of swords he wants, you pump them out and get paid a fraction of their sale price. not as lucrative as mining the steel yourself and selling it yourself, but its steady income, and a great source of experience, before you get enough capital to buy your own steel and start selling it freelance.

i love the smithing mechanics in game, i think they are very well thought out, but i cant stand mining for iron and i cant afford to buy it, my swords are too crap to cover the price of the steel. if i could get up to making ql 200 swords or something with steel provided by an NPC, barely making any cash but learning, i would stick with smithing and eventually make ql 300 stuff.

ive forgotten my point as it is 1:40 am, but i hope you can understand.

[sgtkwol]

Oh, I really like your points, Hydrolyzer, even if you were to tired to remember them  .  A small portion of the sales for making swords for an NPC.  Make it "quest item" steel so that people don't take advantage of being able to get steel for free.  "Quest item" steel makes "quest item" weapons that cannot be equipped.

[Hydrolyzer]

^ thats brilliant!

everyone sign this now

[Sangwa]

I don't agree much with this. I think the best way to promote RP is to improve the coherence of the settings, improve the mechanics to make the difference between different skill levels shorter (therefore taking some of the relevance of leveling), making a realistic fighting system (in a realistic fight, even a professional fighter has a chance of messing up against a newbie) adding death penalties (if we're keeping the silly PP points, upon death these should suffer a penalty as well as the tria value should be halved or something). This would add real risk, making fighting a serious problem and therefore RPing your way out of it (instead of into it) something more common.
This mixed in with a competent moderation focused on RP would certainly make PlaneShift even better than it is.

I guess this is utopic thinking for some reason. We can not attain a good RP environment without upsetting the Gods of liberty and therefore becoming elegible to the fallacious RP nazi concept.

[Mythryndel]

There is a very distinct divide between two groups present on the forums. This is merely MY opinion based on MY observation, but they are as follows:

1. Hard Core RPers who don't really care about the game mechanics because they shouldn't have to do anything but RP in-game.

2. PLers who really want the game mechanics to work to make the game more realistic.

I know this is just a generalization, as I don't fit into either of these groups. I fall somewhere in the middle. If this were nothing more than a fancy skin on an irc client, i probably wouldn't be here. It is the game mechanics that I enjoy, and it enhances that experience when there are people that will play their character.

The PLers, according to the RPers, don't want to interact with other players and are only here to achieve god-hood according to the mechanics of the game, and are thus ruining the environment. Part of this problem is that I haven't seen anyone agree on exactly what constitutes "real" RP. This could be anything from the RP threads on the forum, to chatting IC on IRC, sitting in the tavern and talking IC, etc.

I support a balance between the two extremes. I support the concept of occupations to help people really feel like they are something other than a fighter that moonlights as a miner or a fighter that moonlights as a crafter. Using the current game mechanics, it is hard to play (unless you resort to completely RP based on your word, not game mechanics) anything that isn't a multi-class fighter. Part of the hype/appeal of PS and is all over the forums and mentioned in the tutorial, is you can be anything in this new world. The balance of PPs and trias however, don't fully support this at present.

*Mythryndel dons his asbestos underwear and says "Let the flames begin..."*

[Nikodemus]

There is a very distinct divide between two groups present on the forums. This is merely MY opinion based on MY observation, but they are as follows:

1. Hard Core RPers who don't really care about the game mechanics because they shouldn't have to do anything but RP in-game.

2. PLers who really want the game mechanics to work to make the game more realistic.

No.

Edit:

lol, someone's so quick with deleting, there is that modufy vutton , you know.

Your dividation is incorrect.
Every person brings different opinion and probably makes another group. there is no such thing as "HC RPers against PL struggle - pick your side" in this game, people are smarter than that.

[Prolix]

Those knickers of yours are pure poison, best not to invite the fire. Your comments were not too provocative to begin with.

I look at it another way. The laws say you need a years training and with such a time commitment you can generate plenty of tria/pps to support your vocation as long as you specialize and do not try to become proficient with all weapon and styles. Everyone in the realm is essentially part of the militia, Where I live that is one night a week of training, drill, target practice or duty specific instruction and a few weeks in the summer full time with the regular force at one of their bases. If we were to take this as a voluntary model then there should be no problems getting enough pps to continue your vocation. Personally I have more than 10000 pps stored up that I cannot afford to train because my combat skills are middling high and money is an object. That should be enough pps to advance considerably in whatever non combat profession I wish excepting perhaps magic. Certainly with the combat skills I have now, as spread out as they are, I can generate pps whenever I want with little difficulty. If I had specialized in one weapon and armor type I would be that much better off. I could certainly maximize my primary statistics if I had the money but I prefer to spend it on other things.

[Nikodemus]

I'm sorry, It is just that everytime someone with low post count posts, its like deja vu
In fact, when Mythryndel write he enjoy the game mechanics, i find myself in the same group, a group of no PLers or HCRPers, but probably RPers who want to support it by game mechanics and enjoy.
It is a fact since the beginning that you can play any class, but in the end it is always multiclass fighter, what will hopefully change one year. It is hard to wait.
I have no idea what setting say on the subject of every Yliakean having a combat training, because asking NPCs is too cumbersome at this time, but if it is just your wish Prolix, don't try to use it as a fact.
I don't think anyone has anything new to say here, there is only waiting for in-game supporting what we seek. Sad that so much of it is taking so long.

[neko kyouran]

The Octarch's law is a book in the library actually.  It's in there about the mandatory training.  No NPC interaction needed.