Community Check...

[Auran]

@Illysia: Yeah cool. Lemme know. A tavern has many possibilities for the imaginative .

[Wired_Crawler]

Hello, old PS   

[Phinehas]

I agree with pretty much everything Auran said, despite the fact that he said it in a much less abrasive manner than I would have.

I'm also willing to help out, but not run, RP endeavors. I would even consider returning to PS, and Annah can testify to this, if some of the oldbies returned or some better RP pops up on a regular basis. However, it would have to involve several high-quality RP strongholds returning or being born to PS, not just a well-thought-out storyline or two.

On a side rant, that seems to be one of the things I've noticed. The younger generation seems to define good RP as coming up with a decent storyline which while often good and interesting usually are only short-term. The old generations used to define good RP as creating groups and organizations to be involved in RPing on a long-term basis. Sure, not every single storyline that came up was rock solid, but there was a collaboration, longevity, and impact which gave poignancy to even the trivial RPs.

[Timmothy Perriwinkle]

Just goes to show that RP is dead.

[Illysia]

I agree with pretty much everything Auran said, despite the fact that he said it in a much less abrasive manner than I would have.

I'm also willing to help out, but not run, RP endeavors. I would even consider returning to PS, and Annah can testify to this, if some of the oldbies returned or some better RP pops up on a regular basis. However, it would have to involve several high-quality RP strongholds returning or being born to PS, not just a well-thought-out storyline or two.

On a side rant, that seems to be one of the things I've noticed. The younger generation seems to define good RP as coming up with a decent storyline which while often good and interesting usually are only short-term. The old generations used to define good RP as creating groups and organizations to be involved in RPing on a long-term basis. Sure, not every single storyline that came up was rock solid, but there was a collaboration, longevity, and impact which gave poignancy to even the trivial RPs.

Come on Phinehas, there is more to RP than good vs evil RP and struggles. Not to mention all storyline RP is short term. All my characters are for storylines and even when I can't RP constantly, I can always pick up where I left off. The hard part is getting more people into the story as often many choose to only RP within their usual groups and trying to bring people in can get awkward for the same reason. And for what it is worth, the stonehead tavern is suppose to be that kind of stronghold. That is what I am working toward.

[Eolas]

Well, well, well, if it isn't Auran. That has been such a long time ago even I have only heard stories of you and the Cabal. One of my mentors said you were quite the speecher. I wonder if I will ever hear one, will it come to that? It almost seems that with all of these oldbies running about the Empire has to, dare I say it, watch its back? Haha, that would be great for a change.

[ThomPhoenix]

I agree with pretty much everything Auran said, despite the fact that he said it in a much less abrasive manner than I would have.

I'm also willing to help out, but not run, RP endeavors. I would even consider returning to PS, and Annah can testify to this, if some of the oldbies returned or some better RP pops up on a regular basis. However, it would have to involve several high-quality RP strongholds returning or being born to PS, not just a well-thought-out storyline or two.

On a side rant, that seems to be one of the things I've noticed. The younger generation seems to define good RP as coming up with a decent storyline which while often good and interesting usually are only short-term. The old generations used to define good RP as creating groups and organizations to be involved in RPing on a long-term basis. Sure, not every single storyline that came up was rock solid, but there was a collaboration, longevity, and impact which gave poignancy to even the trivial RPs.

Come on Phinehas, there is more to RP than good vs evil RP and struggles. Not to mention all storyline RP is short term. All my characters are for storylines and even when I can't RP constantly, I can always pick up where I left off. The hard part is getting more people into the story as often many choose to only RP within their usual groups and trying to bring people in can get awkward for the same reason. And for what it is worth, the stonehead tavern is suppose to be that kind of stronghold. That is what I am working toward.

Phinehas does seem to have a point. Pick up a decent Fantasy book, or pretty much -any- fantasy book, it'll be about Good vs. Evil. Anything else degrades into "As The World Turns" in the end. However, there doesn't have to be an all out war going on all the time. What he means is there should be some kind of constant opposition between multiple parties that spawns off numerous smaller RPs and storylines. I have to agree, not many RPs in-game seem to adhere to any natural order at all. Most RPs are just about what the next guy thought would be cool.

[Illysia]

I can see that, but not every RP has to be that way. Do you spend your whole existence looking for something to oppose or do you just live your life at some point in the day? I think characters should have those more mundane RP if for no other reason than to prevent RP from coming right of a DnD handbook or something.  PS doesn't have to be like every other fantasy setting.  it's ok for a character to be a joe shmoe just trying to get through his day.

[Phinehas]

@ThomPhoenix: Exactly my point.

For the record, I didn't say they had to be good vs. evil groups. For instance, I had an ongoing feud with the Arcane Order (until they eventually collapsed much to my delight), but neither of us were particularly good or evil. ThomPhoenix has hit the nail on the head when he mentions the constant opposition spawning numerous RPs. The short RP storyline has its merits, but it shouldn't be the only thing going on, because, again as ThomPhoenix points out, there's no real rhyme or reason behind them, it's all essentially random and whimsical.

Think of each RP storyline as a thread. When all there are are the single storylines, then all you have is a bunch of short threads laid out next to each other. Sure they may touch each other briefly, or one or two may be tied into a knot, but that's it. However, when you have longer threads (groups and organizations) who are regularly intertwined with other threads, spreading back and forth in various patterns, with other smaller threads also working their way in, you get a beautiful tapestry that you can put away in a cupboard, because let's face it, you have no taste.

Disclaimer: I have no knowledge of weaving, sewing, knitting, or anything of that sort. Just trying to make a point. Also, I take no responsibility for any run-on sentences.

[Illysia]

I understand what you are getting at, but I think you guys have a narrow view of what can be stretched out into a greater storyline with good continuity. There is more than struggle that can propel a good story. Quite truthfully, people get different things out of RP. I don't think the type of RP is so important as people RPing together consistently.

[Timmothy Perriwinkle]

I think if you're sitting at a table chatting, you should get some friends, get out of the house, go to a coffeeshop or something and chat.

It's an RP fantasy world. The point is to do things that you can't do IRL.

[Phinehas]

Struggle isn't the only thing that the more long-term organization provides. See my tapestry metaphor for my point.

In the end it boils down to experience. Experience has shown me that groups and organizations provide more natural, easy, and high quality RP (not necessarily conflict, either) than single people coming up with isolated storylines do. If your experience has taught you something else, good for you, but don't expect me to just take your word for it if I don't have any reason to believe that you have significantly more experience than I do.

[Illysia]

Struggle isn't the only thing that the more long-term organization provides. See my tapestry metaphor for my point.

In the end it boils down to experience. Experience has shown me that groups and organizations provide more natural, easy, and high quality RP (not necessarily conflict, either) than single people coming up with isolated storylines do. If your experience has taught you something else, good for you, but don't expect me to just take your word for it if I don't have any reason to believe that you have significantly more experience than I do.

It's not a contest. It's not a matter of more or less experience, but I assure you I have plenty. Organization can in fact provide more RP as people have something in common, but considering the state of most in game organizations, i.e. on their last leg if they are still around at all, it's not the most feasible way of kick starting the community into good RP. The effort it would take to start new organization or refresh old ones is probably more than most oldbies would take on, not that no one would do it as there have been attempts recently.

Individual RPs, however, can at least get people interested again. Right now many people who are actually decent RPers won't RP in general because they have nothing interesting to RP about, I think. Whatever the reason is, you practically gotta pull RP out of people, but the underlying community is there, it's just quiet. I have found several good RPers out of the blue but just to watch them normally they don't really stop to RP as much.

I think if you're sitting at a table chatting, you should get some friends, get out of the house, go to a coffeeshop or something and chat.

It's an RP fantasy world. The point is to do things that you can't do IRL.

I can't chat as in Enkidukai cook in RL. 

[Sarras Volcae]

I think if you're sitting at a table chatting, you should get some friends, get out of the house, go to a coffeeshop or something and chat.

It's an RP fantasy world. The point is to do things that you can't do IRL.

but that's the only thing you ever do

[Auran]

@Illysia and others:

Well I do buy your point about wars not being the only thing that can serve as backdrop for RP. You could have other ideas but unfortunately they would only hold true for you and maybe some other like minded people. You see there is an axiom that : For something to be interesting to the masses, it has got to be something that everyone can relate to. And if you take that axiom and apply science to try to figure what could appeal to all people, you end up looking at Maslow's Heirachy of Needs.

The heirarchy talks about human nature and our motivations for action. It enumerates several "needs" that we have. Unfortunately they don't translate well to a digital and purely imaginary setting, except one: The need to "survive". We want imaginary creations to survive in the fantasy world that we have created them in.

So in a game, to motivate all players alike, there has to be a threat to their survival. A threat they cannot ignore and must act in some way to avoid or overcome. And a survival threat for everyone in a high fantasy setting can only mean a couple of things like:

1. Plagues: Folks try to fight it in good and evil ways. Some try to help others, some try to rise above it by standing on others' corpses. But everyone must act.
2. War: Everyone has to pick a side that they think will win or else they get destroyed. So everyone must act.
3. An imminent, cataclysmic threat: People tend to seek it, brace themselves for it, prepare to join it to survive. But everyone takes action.

There are others, but these three are classic. They set the tone for everything else and then the world evolves. We need something like this. With the Cabal wars we tried to create points 2 and 3. In PS, while the game is developing technically, it is still lacking immersion wise. I hope the devs get around to that some day.

You cant simply have all nice things in a land. We are nothing without adversity. A bunch of happy carefree people eventually go from fun to lame to sucking bollocks . Look at the history of peoples and you will notice that wars created civilization and prosperity ruined them.

@Eolas:
I make no claims to greatness of any sort my friend, so whoever your mentor was, they were perhaps being too kind. As to the speech, maybe someday I will need to make another one, but I don't see when. But you can also simply hunt up any thread that says "Cabal" in it and judge for yourself. But I would like to hear these "stories" that you have heard about me and the cabal  .