One thing I'd love to see is a tool provided to player driven factions where they can save their work / placeables in an area. This way when the server resets (as it has on a near daily basis recently), they don't need to spend literal hours resetting craftable placeables to facilitate RP.
This could be a tool that's applied for.
I think things that would benefit AMPCs are less about their mechanical survival, and offering them more tools for story telling, scene setting, and autonomy without DMs. I personally would love to see, and I've tossed around these ideas before:
- A tool, similar in design to the portable bench for carpenters, to allow AMPCS to create placeables for scenes. Blood, corpses, bones, and placeables like candles, runes. Ideally, being able to set both useable and non-useable placeables, and having the option of re-writing their descriptions like signs and notes would be great. Write some good guidelines on the tool / for MPCs so they don't get carried away and we're golden.
- AMPCs to have the ability to create their own henchman, rather than be specifically tied to the locations and spawns on the server to grab them and smuggle. A basic idea would be a noncombat, limited used command (Rest menu or linked through the target: other commands) that spawns a 'monsterous wight, ghoul, vampire, etc' for your appropriate template and an averaged difficulty.
- More areas, specifically things like extra dead-end parts of dungeons, secret transitions, non-linear places to be explored. Add some scripted maneuvering like secret tight spaces, leaps, or climbing discover-able with search would be cool too.
- More dynamic caves that are 'far' away, that only cycle between possible AMPC templates
My suggestion is to revise the roleplay experience restrictions currently in place on faction areas. This would encourage faction growth and reward individuals who remain within a faction longer and dedicate their time toward strengthening the plot-driven elements of Vallaki.
The restrictions as they are encourage server migration but that is not an option that is applicable to all concepts. It feels punishing that the Ste. Mere des Larmes receives full consideration for experience, while the Refuge of the Fifth Light does not. We should encourage any location that generates positive, setting-centric roleplay for the server rather than reward primarily based on migration and adventure.
Some example of faction areas that would benefit...
Wayfarer Kinship Lodge
Red Vardo Storefront
The Drain
Refuge of the Fifth Light
Redoubtable Chapel
Vallaki Slums Morninglord Sanctuary
Bellegarde Consortium
House of Krofburg
Vallaki Citadel
I may be missing some less known factions on this list, but they would be included as well. I have listed the more public areas where available because the goal is to encourage people to participate in open roleplay rather than exclusive that would put us behind plot doors.
My suggestion is to revise the roleplay experience restrictions currently in place on faction areas. This would encourage faction growth and reward individuals who remain within a faction longer and dedicate their time toward strengthening the plot-driven elements of Vallaki.
The restrictions as they are encourage server migration but that is not an option that is applicable to all concepts. It feels punishing that the Ste. Mere des Larmes receives full consideration for experience, while the Refuge of the Fifth Light does not. We should encourage any location that generates positive, setting-centric roleplay for the server rather than reward primarily based on migration and adventure.
Some example of faction areas that would benefit...
Wayfarer Kinship Lodge
Red Vardo Storefront
The Drain
Refuge of the Fifth Light
Redoubtable Chapel
Vallaki Slums Morninglord Sanctuary
Bellegarde Consortium
House of Krofburg
Vallaki Citadel
I may be missing some less known factions on this list, but they would be included as well. I have listed the more public areas where available because the goal is to encourage people to participate in open roleplay rather than exclusive that would put us behind plot doors.
+1
And adding the Broken Bell Theatre area.
My PC *does* get XP in the BB, so this isn't a mention from self-interest alone. But keeping other PCs motivated there has been pretty difficult without constant DM attention. New players are still busy discovering the server, and older PCs looking for something to do still want to get XP. So they don't like to get tied into long rehearsals and plays that give 0 XP.
I would like to see more areas in Vallaki and Port-a-Lucine designed for the purpose of being rented out by their respective guard factions. I don't believe Dementlieu has any at the moment, and the ones in Vallaki tend to be destitute which limits the potential. This has always generated role-play for both guards, the ambitious renter, and those they might involve in the endeavor. The areas could be built on one map for each and just connected throughout the doors of the city to lessen the footprint on server resources. That they are rentals and controlled by the guard factions would allow for turn-over rather than stagnation.
A message board system might be fun. I would even prefer the message board be a persistent storage where the letters are placed inside, so people go over and read them instead of click from a distance. It would feel more engaging, if even a small change.
Cooking options would also be good, as mentioned above. It doesn't feel like something that needs a large system attached to it since there's no mechanical benefit. It seems like a lot of work re-tagging all the food items out there to work with a script, so it might just be best to sell 'meal starter' or something that can be written on with a quill and renamed. You could do poor, average, and exceptional starters to speak of ingredient quality and cost.
The ability for the guard factions to check the OCR of a character for the purpose of roleplay responses and general demeanor, be it positive or negative. Something to make reactions more consistent across the board, benefiting the caliban who invest in having positive town relations, and acknowledging those with astronomical OCR who stand out of Radu's perceptions in the Outskirts. It should only return OCR checks from Dementlieu and Barovia exclusively, per the faction.
Consider adding the Prestidigitation spell with the description amended to what can be done in game without the creation element. Just something to provide roleplay for wizard that comes out from a fray looking pristine, or minor endeavors to add that convenience element to magic that makes it stand out a little more above the mundane. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/prestidigitation.htm
I would like to see more areas in Vallaki and Port-a-Lucine designed for the purpose of being rented out by their respective guard factions. I don't believe Dementlieu has any at the moment, and the ones in Vallaki tend to be destitute which limits the potential. This has always generated role-play for both guards, the ambitious renter, and those they might involve in the endeavor. The areas could be built on one map for each and just connected throughout the doors of the city to lessen the footprint on server resources. That they are rentals and controlled by the guard factions would allow for turn-over rather than stagnation.
A message board system might be fun. I would even prefer the message board be a persistent storage where the letters are placed inside, so people go over and read them instead of click from a distance. It would feel more engaging, if even a small change.
Cooking options would also be good, as mentioned above. It doesn't feel like something that needs a large system attached to it since there's no mechanical benefit. It seems like a lot of work re-tagging all the food items out there to work with a script, so it might just be best to sell 'meal starter' or something that can be written on with a quill and renamed. You could do poor, average, and exceptional starters to speak of ingredient quality and cost.
The ability for the guard factions to check the OCR of a character for the purpose of roleplay responses and general demeanor, be it positive or negative. Something to make reactions more consistent across the board, benefiting the caliban who invest in having positive town relations, and acknowledging those with astronomical OCR who stand out of Radu's perceptions in the Outskirts. It should only return OCR checks from Dementlieu and Barovia exclusively, per the faction.
Consider adding the Prestidigitation spell with the description amended to what can be done in game without the creation element. Just something to provide roleplay for wizard that comes out from a fray looking pristine, or minor endeavors to add that convenience element to magic that makes it stand out a little more above the mundane. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/prestidigitation.htm
I would like to see more areas in Vallaki and Port-a-Lucine designed for the purpose of being rented out by their respective guard factions. I don't believe Dementlieu has any at the moment, and the ones in Vallaki tend to be destitute which limits the potential. This has always generated role-play for both guards, the ambitious renter, and those they might involve in the endeavor. The areas could be built on one map for each and just connected throughout the doors of the city to lessen the footprint on server resources. That they are rentals and controlled by the guard factions would allow for turn-over rather than stagnation.
Cooking options would also be good, as mentioned above. It doesn't feel like something that needs a large system attached to it since there's no mechanical benefit. It seems like a lot of work re-tagging all the food items out there to work with a script, so it might just be best to sell 'meal starter' or something that can be written on with a quill and renamed. You could do poor, average, and exceptional starters to speak of ingredient quality and cost.
The ability for the guard factions to check the OCR of a character for the purpose of roleplay responses and general demeanor, be it positive or negative. Something to make reactions more consistent across the board, benefiting the caliban who invest in having positive town relations, and acknowledging those with astronomical OCR who stand out of Radu's perceptions in the Outskirts. It should only return OCR checks from Dementlieu and Barovia exclusively, per the faction.
Consider adding the Prestidigitation spell with the description amended to what can be done in game without the creation element. Just something to provide roleplay for wizard that comes out from a fray looking pristine, or minor endeavors to add that convenience element to magic that makes it stand out a little more above the mundane. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/prestidigitation.htm
Master-Apprentice system for crafting
Expanded MPC functionality; in-area PC locating, salient abilities and scene dressing (blood splats, etc)
New MPC templates: Hag, Death Knight, Fiend (AMPC only) and Ghost (AMPC only)
OCR examination and modification tool for PC Guards (Vallaki, Gendarme and Krofburg)
Enhanced RPXP progression in Faction locations
Reduced RPXP progression in the Western Outskirts
Layman boards for the Church of the Morninglord and Church of Ezra Factions
Long-term lets at the Bluewater and Blood O' the Vine Inns
Master-Apprentice system for crafting
Expanded MPC functionality; in-area PC locating, salient abilities and scene dressing (blood splats, etc)
New MPC templates: Hag, Death Knight, Fiend (AMPC only) and Ghost (AMPC only)
OCR examination and modification tool for PC Guards (Vallaki, Gendarme and Krofburg)
Enhanced RPXP progression in Faction locations
Reduced RPXP progression in the Western Outskirts
Layman boards for the Church of the Morninglord and Church of Ezra Factions
Long-term lets at the Bluewater and Blood O' the Vine Inns
My suggestion is to revise the roleplay experience restrictions currently in place on faction areas. This would encourage faction growth and reward individuals who remain within a faction longer and dedicate their time toward strengthening the plot-driven elements of Vallaki.
The restrictions as they are encourage server migration but that is not an option that is applicable to all concepts. It feels punishing that the Ste. Mere des Larmes receives full consideration for experience, while the Refuge of the Fifth Light does not. We should encourage any location that generates positive, setting-centric roleplay for the server rather than reward primarily based on migration and adventure.
Some example of faction areas that would benefit...
Wayfarer Kinship Lodge
Red Vardo Storefront
The Drain
Refuge of the Fifth Light
Redoubtable Chapel
Vallaki Slums Morninglord Sanctuary
Bellegarde Consortium
House of Krofburg
Vallaki Citadel
I may be missing some less known factions on this list, but they would be included as well. I have listed the more public areas where available because the goal is to encourage people to participate in open roleplay rather than exclusive that would put us behind plot doors.
My suggestion is to revise the roleplay experience restrictions currently in place on faction areas. This would encourage faction growth and reward individuals who remain within a faction longer and dedicate their time toward strengthening the plot-driven elements of Vallaki.
The restrictions as they are encourage server migration but that is not an option that is applicable to all concepts. It feels punishing that the Ste. Mere des Larmes receives full consideration for experience, while the Refuge of the Fifth Light does not. We should encourage any location that generates positive, setting-centric roleplay for the server rather than reward primarily based on migration and adventure.
Some example of faction areas that would benefit...
Wayfarer Kinship Lodge
Red Vardo Storefront
The Drain
Refuge of the Fifth Light
Redoubtable Chapel
Vallaki Slums Morninglord Sanctuary
Bellegarde Consortium
House of Krofburg
Vallaki Citadel
I may be missing some less known factions on this list, but they would be included as well. I have listed the more public areas where available because the goal is to encourage people to participate in open roleplay rather than exclusive that would put us behind plot doors.
Also a rework of the ECL system.Please, it's so much worse than you would think.
Master-Apprentice system for crafting
Expanded MPC functionality; in-area PC locating, salient abilities and scene dressing (blood splats, etc)
New MPC templates: Hag, Death Knight, Fiend (AMPC only) and Ghost (AMPC only)
OCR examination and modification tool for PC Guards (Vallaki, Gendarme and Krofburg)
Enhanced RPXP progression in Faction locations
Reduced RPXP progression in the Western Outskirts
Layman boards for the Church of the Morninglord and Church of Ezra Factions
Long-term lets at the Bluewater and Blood O' the Vine Inns
My suggestion is to revise the roleplay experience restrictions currently in place on faction areas. This would encourage faction growth and reward individuals who remain within a faction longer and dedicate their time toward strengthening the plot-driven elements of Vallaki.
The restrictions as they are encourage server migration but that is not an option that is applicable to all concepts. It feels punishing that the Ste. Mere des Larmes receives full consideration for experience, while the Refuge of the Fifth Light does not. We should encourage any location that generates positive, setting-centric roleplay for the server rather than reward primarily based on migration and adventure.
Some example of faction areas that would benefit...
Wayfarer Kinship Lodge
Red Vardo Storefront
The Drain
Refuge of the Fifth Light
Redoubtable Chapel
Vallaki Slums Morninglord Sanctuary
Bellegarde Consortium
House of Krofburg
Vallaki Citadel
I may be missing some less known factions on this list, but they would be included as well. I have listed the more public areas where available because the goal is to encourage people to participate in open roleplay rather than exclusive that would put us behind plot doors.
Just recalled another idea that I had talked to others about in the past:This! The first thing that made me fall in love with this server was how dark it was outside the vistani camp as I first arrived. I sat there not knowing what to do and then someone came along and agreed to lead me to some place safe. The atmosphere was perfect. Those two little candles outside the Church were burning and I really couldn’t see much else. No one was outside and the night seemed so damned oppressive and terrifying. I went into the church and found a few people in there that were really talking up the atmosphere how you never go outside. It was perfect and I was immediately in love with the server. I can’t help but wonder if my perception would have been different if I’d walked up and seen 50 people standing around outside having casual conversations and whipping the occasional outgunned pack of wolf men with ease. The night really needs to be scarier. I’d love to see the chance for a pack of super vicious monsters to come rip through that crowd once or twice to give back the fear of old night. Maybe even some kind of monster you just can’t fight.. like a flesh-eating fog that starts level draining anyone who stands in its way as it covers the ground; Or a dive-bombing flying monster that randomly attacks and carries off a PC to some far away place.
Making the nights scarier, maybe having the roaming werewolves and monster spawns in Barovia scale in power to the amount/level of the players in that zone. It would go a great deal toward selling the atmosphere and making sure that people don't just stop fearing the night once they're level five or so.
Spoiler: show
Kill RPXP in the Outskirts and watch the people dry up.
I firmly believe the #1 reason people hang out in the Outskirts at night is on the off chance that an MPC or DM event designed to 'scare them off will occur.
Perversely then, it is the threat of Old Night that makes people brave it!
Harder and more frequent monsters may just make it more appealing, because they're juicy XP nuggets at the end.
A sort of existential, undetectable threat would ameliorate that of course, but, for me.. players should never be presented with something they can't beat. Make it hard, even really hard.. but not unwinnable.
For me, the best way to keep indoors ar night, is to make the indoors more appealing than outdoors.
That being said, more specifically, I'd love if POTM could create or adopt one of the systems already available to allow the dyeing of individual pieces of armor. This would open up a huge amount of customization for people without having to add additional armor appearances through HAKS.
+5! Individual armor piece dying would be a game changer when it comes to bringing your character to life the way that you imagine them.
Kill RPXP in the Outskirts and watch the people dry up.
I firmly believe the #1 reason people hang out in the Outskirts at night is on the off chance that an MPC or DM event designed to 'scare them off will occur.
Perversely then, it is the threat of Old Night that makes people brave it!
Harder and more frequent monsters may just make it more appealing, because they're juicy XP nuggets at the end.
A sort of existential, undetectable threat would ameliorate that of course, but, for me.. players should never be presented with something they can't beat. Make it hard, even really hard.. but not unwinnable.
For me, the best way to keep indoors ar night, is to make the indoors more appealing than outdoors.
My suggestion is to revise the roleplay experience restrictions currently in place on faction areas. This would encourage faction growth and reward individuals who remain within a faction longer and dedicate their time toward strengthening the plot-driven elements of Vallaki.
The restrictions as they are encourage server migration but that is not an option that is applicable to all concepts. It feels punishing that the Ste. Mere des Larmes receives full consideration for experience, while the Refuge of the Fifth Light does not. We should encourage any location that generates positive, setting-centric roleplay for the server rather than reward primarily based on migration and adventure.
Some example of faction areas that would benefit...
Wayfarer Kinship Lodge
Red Vardo Storefront
The Drain
Refuge of the Fifth Light
Redoubtable Chapel
Vallaki Slums Morninglord Sanctuary
Bellegarde Consortium
House of Krofburg
Vallaki Citadel
I may be missing some less known factions on this list, but they would be included as well. I have listed the more public areas where available because the goal is to encourage people to participate in open roleplay rather than exclusive that would put us behind plot doors.
Some sort of XP scale related to your investment into factions/rp project.
it could be in the form of an application you make or something like that...
I don't know... pushing people to put more efforts into long term faction rp, creating factions and such, opposing to pure grind?
How about an apprenticing sub-system for the crafting system to help and encourage characters to learn from experienced crafters? Perhaps have a master and apprentice flag each other or just award bonus crafting exp if rping while a higher ranking crafter is nearby while you work (Or rather a person with higher crafting levels rping with a crafter with a lower crafting level while one or both are practicing.Would be absolutely huge. The crafting system in its current form is a pretty horrible slog. In addition to the actual material cost, it requires a ridiculous investment in time. A handful of recent changes have only made that time investment more severe and even less convenient -- changes to the DC spread for potions, crafting places locking their doors at night, etc. The server economy relies on crafters existing, yet the actual pursuit of crafting represents a giant chunk of time spent not role-playing. Given that we all have only so many hours to play each day/week/whatever, an apprenticing system of some kind would let people pursue their crafts without having to lose out on RP time. Moreover, it is cool RP for forming meaningful tutor relationships which is neat.
What about a version of an ampc, but instead of using a template, you stick with base races while sharing the same tools, like ampc gear, and @voice command. Not all villains are monster. A player would still have to file an application and follow the same rules of having an ampc. I think bypassing the early stages of leveling for the propose of story driven to for the sake of others would be kinda cool.Also huge. This is something that's been a bugbear of mine for a long time and something I was actually discussing with someone on the server the other day:
Rentable areasI've been a big advocate of this since the topic first came up ages ago. I'd love to see a ton of more rentable stuff, both in the guard-faction sense and in the Governor's Hotel sense. In the latter case, the Blue Water and Blood on the Vine are already ripe for that kind of treatment. As of now, both places are kind of wasted server space as few people use either set of rooms for their intended purpose. Either one is a bit out of the way compared to other alternatives, and it's always bugged me that Port is somehow the only place where players can "live" in any meaningful sense. Particularly as I've mostly played Barovians.
So properties you can rent tend to be run-down or empty on the inside, but what about a series of premade house/shop interiors for each town so that when someone rents a property, they can get a quick tour of the “upgrades” there are to choose from, and select which interior to have linked to the door?As an addendum to the above, this would be pretty neat, as well.
RPXP Faction LocationsI've disliked this system for a whole number of reasons, and this is among them. It's always seemed an inherent contradiction. We are repeatedly told that this is a role-play server and we are frequently told about this or that decision being made to enforce the setting. Yet at the same time, we have the same system saying that my random Barovian peasant should, upon hitting an arbitrary point in his life, decide to abandon his lifestyle up to that point, his friends, connections, and ultimately his country.. to don a cravat and move on to Port. Like a Galapagos tortoise, he will reach a point in his life where will be inextricably and instinctively called to some far-off point..
I'd also really like to see something to support the more mundane, average evil characters (as in, not MPCs/AMPCs). I've heard the idea of giving evil alignment a tiny EXP increase or something similar to encourage people to play evil more and enforce the idea that good is meant to be outnumbered and outgunned, as well as counterbalance the fact that evil characters typically end up getting less support and assistance. It should be hard for good to triumph rather than the other way around really.This is actually pretty hardcore related to the earlier antagonist thing. One of the major bits of contradiction between fluff and server reality is that we are told in the fluff that evil is pervasive, temptating, and on the demiplane of dread, ultimately triumphant. Good is supposed to be compelling because it's both challenging and ultimately futile, but that the struggle itself is heroic.
And a Teacher/Student system for spells. If we can't scribe them because of the economy (Although I think if you kept an XP cost people wouldn't become scroll mills) then allowing wizards to trade their knowledge would facilitate great RP.This would be awesome as well. In any other version of the game, wizards trading spells around is part of the assumed class-features of a wizard. It's disabled here for reasons largely related to the item economy. Allowing Wizards to somehow teach spells would not only restore the component to the class, it has a number of related benefits:
Winners of the Coveted "Things That Make Me Excited" Award, from this list:I love everything about this post.How about an apprenticing sub-system for the crafting system to help and encourage characters to learn from experienced crafters? Perhaps have a master and apprentice flag each other or just award bonus crafting exp if rping while a higher ranking crafter is nearby while you work (Or rather a person with higher crafting levels rping with a crafter with a lower crafting level while one or both are practicing.Would be absolutely huge. The crafting system in its current form is a pretty horrible slog. In addition to the actual material cost, it requires a ridiculous investment in time. A handful of recent changes have only made that time investment more severe and even less convenient -- changes to the DC spread for potions, crafting places locking their doors at night, etc. The server economy relies on crafters existing, yet the actual pursuit of crafting represents a giant chunk of time spent not role-playing. Given that we all have only so many hours to play each day/week/whatever, an apprenticing system of some kind would let people pursue their crafts without having to lose out on RP time. Moreover, it is cool RP for forming meaningful tutor relationships which is neat.
As a final mechanical consideration, I'd love if such a system allowed some kind of direct crafting XP gain, rather than simply a bonus to your crafting while another crafter is doing their thing. It'd be a huge boon for characters who only have a +1 or +2 ability modifier to their craft in overcoming those initial hurdles if having a tutor when a tutor was most needed actually helped gain them xp towards advancing -- making those first baby steps easier, both mechanically and IC.What about a version of an ampc, but instead of using a template, you stick with base races while sharing the same tools, like ampc gear, and @voice command. Not all villains are monster. A player would still have to file an application and follow the same rules of having an ampc. I think bypassing the early stages of leveling for the propose of story driven to for the sake of others would be kinda cool.Also huge. This is something that's been a bugbear of mine for a long time and something I was actually discussing with someone on the server the other day:
I have a love of conflict-based characters, but the nature of the server is that your ability to effectively engage in any kind of direct confrontation is limited by your level. Try to play an antagonist at level 4 and you will get roflstomped, corpse-hidden, or executed by the garda before you hit 5. There are just too many bigger fish, and for most characters your class features/build hasn't hit its prime yet anyway.
What ends up happening is that most antagonists will end up wanting to power-grind themselves to the double digits or even mid-teens before they really start trying to shake things up, but this creates a pair of issues on its own:
- First, it means that you're going to spend weeks if not months on a hardcore grind just so you can get to the point where you can role-play the character appropriately in the first place. Given how the entire xp system of the server is meant to disincentivize this kind of behavior, that seems to be undesirable. This is doubly true given that the amount of level-appropriate content relative to the server population has felt a bit off since the EE migration.
- Second, it has the unfortunate side-effect that because you've spent several months grinding this character to the point where they can be a competent antagonist you tend not to want to view the character as disposable. People will tend to resist letting that character close if they can help it, and if you do meet an early-end to your antagonist career (as is sometimes the case with AMPCs) it is kind of heartbreaking.
Allowing people to use the AMPC rules and stipulations to apply for antagonist-PCs of normal races would do a world of good towards making more interesting and meaningful conflicts, particularly as it would mean seeing more conflict-based characters who would graciously expire rather than playing team-based corpse-hide whack-a-mole.
Big +1 from me, boss.QuoteRentable areasI've been a big advocate of this since the topic first came up ages ago. I'd love to see a ton of more rentable stuff, both in the guard-faction sense and in the Governor's Hotel sense. In the latter case, the Blue Water and Blood on the Vine are already ripe for that kind of treatment. As of now, both places are kind of wasted server space as few people use either set of rooms for their intended purpose. Either one is a bit out of the way compared to other alternatives, and it's always bugged me that Port is somehow the only place where players can "live" in any meaningful sense. Particularly as I've mostly played Barovians.
In the former case, I loved the initiative taken about a year ago to "rent" out different areas in vallaki, though they ended up suffering from two major problems: First being that all of the areas were effectively ruined buildings that have been reclaimed, so it had a very limited appeal for many people or groups. The second being that no locks/keys were ever really made a thing, so even if you rented the refuse-filled, mice-ridden, half-collapsed apartment, anyone could walk in any time. The net result being that you were no better off renting the thing than just wandering in at night.
If the goal is "systems to facilitate individual player-driven roleplay" then giving people more places they can actually invest in and make use of would be a big boon. If I want to start a player-faction, having someplace for that faction to meet is a major benefit and helps anchor people into the region and setting in a way that having everyone meet upstairs at the Lady's Rest does not.
That said, the tradeoff here is that it is probably worth re-examining how the rental systems work. The main problem with the Governor's Hotel is that the rooms all end up filled by people who will hold said room for RL months or years even when they aren't even playing the character actively, just by showing up and paying the rent once a week. Part of this is almost certainly the fact that the GH is the only housing in the server outside of the tenements, so the availability v. demand is absurd. Even still, it might be better if those systems somehow required the players renting them to actively show up and use the rooms for some amount of time per week to still hold the keys or something.So properties you can rent tend to be run-down or empty on the inside, but what about a series of premade house/shop interiors for each town so that when someone rents a property, they can get a quick tour of the “upgrades” there are to choose from, and select which interior to have linked to the door?As an addendum to the above, this would be pretty neat, as well.QuoteRPXP Faction LocationsI've disliked this system for a whole number of reasons, and this is among them. It's always seemed an inherent contradiction. We are repeatedly told that this is a role-play server and we are frequently told about this or that decision being made to enforce the setting. Yet at the same time, we have the same system saying that my random Barovian peasant should, upon hitting an arbitrary point in his life, decide to abandon his lifestyle up to that point, his friends, connections, and ultimately his country.. to don a cravat and move on to Port. Like a Galapagos tortoise, he will reach a point in his life where will be inextricably and instinctively called to some far-off point..
Lame. Extra lame if the character in question is built to do some kind of faction something or other. So short of actually dismantling this system, I'm giving the faction-location exclusion a big +1.I'd also really like to see something to support the more mundane, average evil characters (as in, not MPCs/AMPCs). I've heard the idea of giving evil alignment a tiny EXP increase or something similar to encourage people to play evil more and enforce the idea that good is meant to be outnumbered and outgunned, as well as counterbalance the fact that evil characters typically end up getting less support and assistance. It should be hard for good to triumph rather than the other way around really.This is actually pretty hardcore related to the earlier antagonist thing. One of the major bits of contradiction between fluff and server reality is that we are told in the fluff that evil is pervasive, temptating, and on the demiplane of dread, ultimately triumphant. Good is supposed to be compelling because it's both challenging and ultimately futile, but that the struggle itself is heroic.
The reality of the server seems to be the opposite. Good or neutral-aligned characters tend to have a significantly easier time of things. They make fewer enemies, they have an easier time gaining allies and resources, and of the playable areas the only place goodly-aligned characters will really run afoul of is Hazlan. Sure, Barovia is run by a vampire count but on the day to day you don't see Garda busting good-aligned PCs chops unless they are doing something stupid or breaking the obvious laws.
Meanwhile, evil is supposed to be a temptation. The easy path to power... But it isn't. Evil doesn't really gain you anything on the server. There are a few prestige classes with an alignment requirement, but that's about it. If you get a DM noticing you being evil, you might get a DP check but there's no real guarantee that a gained dark power will be any kind of net gain. Even necromancy is kinda meh on the server, as despite the number of feats you might sink into it, summons just aren't great on the server. In addition, there's also a significant cost to being evil. Being openly evil will dramatically limit your number of potential allies in a way that being Good does not, and often will make you a target for Team Good Guy™. Being openly confrontation as a Good-aligned character pursuing good is generally rewarded by the player population. Being openly confrontational as an Evil-aligned character doing evil generally means that you will get bounties on your head and a posse after you.
All of those things would be fine (IC actions get IC consequences) save that it directly contradicts the setting fluff. Not only is evil not a tempting path to power and darkness, it's actually way more difficult to pull off in the long run. In a gothic horror setting, let alone in the Demi-plane of Dread, this seems backwards.And a Teacher/Student system for spells. If we can't scribe them because of the economy (Although I think if you kept an XP cost people wouldn't become scroll mills) then allowing wizards to trade their knowledge would facilitate great RP.This would be awesome as well. In any other version of the game, wizards trading spells around is part of the assumed class-features of a wizard. It's disabled here for reasons largely related to the item economy. Allowing Wizards to somehow teach spells would not only restore the component to the class, it has a number of related benefits:
- Lack of spell-trading means that wizards are more reliant on grinding on a server that seems to otherwise want to disincentivize grinding.
- Apprentice/Teacher RP is a really fun part of the tradition and having an actual reason to engage in it would be great.
- Any time you can create meaningful incentives to form and maintain relationships IC, it's a good thing.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing a more comprehensive "mentoring" system in the game in general. Wizards and crafting were obvious examples, but how nice would it be for your freshly misted would-be warrior to form a meaningful relationship with a veteran who can then tutor them in a meaningful fashion other than letting you bunny off their XP while they fight things way out of your level, or bringing you gear you shouldn't have yet so you can go grind on your own.
From the other side of it, I love the notion that a veteran swordsman character might choose to become a fencing instructor or something and that mean something other than just hand-waving the RP XP for it. Right now, the only place that an apprenticeship situation matters in any objective way is if you're going for a prestige class that requires training from another member of that class.
The server seems set up in such a way that we want to incentivize RP and disincentivize grinding mobs. The more ways you give people to meaningfully work towards their goals other than grinding mobs for xp/gold/items/scrolls, the closer you will come to that.
Thanks for sharing your feedback so far. Here are a few things that will be implemented following this (not an exhaustive list):
Next update:
-3 new MPC templates (Death Knight, Werecrocodile, Red Widow)
-Ability for guards and gendarmes to get an general idea of a PC’s OcR in their domain
-More tools for MPCs (ability to summon henchmen, store to buy props, expansion of the howl function)
-Removal of ECL for the remaining MPCs that had it
What’s coming short/mid term:
-Expansion of the automated rental system to the following areas (Drain, Blue Water Inn)
-Addition of new rentable areas to be incorporated in the automated rental system (shops, areas to be used by groups)
-Disguise system
Maybe’s (depending on impact on performance and feasibility):
-Persistent craftable placeables over resets
-Message boards/town criers
Thanks for sharing your feedback so far. Here are a few things that will be implemented following this (not an exhaustive list):
Next update:
-3 new MPC templates (Death Knight, Werecrocodile, Red Widow)
-Ability for guards and gendarmes to get an general idea of a PC’s OcR in their domain
-More tools for MPCs (ability to summon henchmen, store to buy props, expansion of the howl function)
-Removal of ECL for the remaining MPCs that had it
What’s coming short/mid term:
-Expansion of the automated rental system to the following areas (Drain, Blue Water Inn)
-Addition of new rentable areas to be incorporated in the automated rental system (shops, areas to be used by groups)
-Disguise system
Maybe’s (depending on impact on performance and feasibility):
-Persistent craftable placeables over resets
-Message boards/town criers
This is all great btw. :)
I did have a question though about the Rent-able areas. Will it operate like the Governor's House automatically and thus no impact from the Garda/Gendarmes, or will the Garda/Gendarmes be involved in it? Currently IIRC the gaping wound is done through the Garda which would create more rp then just a script IMO.
Thanks for sharing your feedback so far. Here are a few things that will be implemented following this (not an exhaustive list):
Next update:
-3 new MPC templates (Death Knight, Werecrocodile, Red Widow)
-Ability for guards and gendarmes to get an general idea of a PC’s OcR in their domain
-More tools for MPCs (ability to summon henchmen, store to buy props, expansion of the howl function)
-Removal of ECL for the remaining MPCs that had it
What’s coming short/mid term:
-Expansion of the automated rental system to the following areas (Drain, Blue Water Inn)
-Addition of new rentable areas to be incorporated in the automated rental system (shops, areas to be used by groups)
-Disguise system
Maybe’s (depending on impact on performance and feasibility):
-Persistent craftable placeables over resets
-Message boards/town criers
This is all great btw. :)
I did have a question though about the Rent-able areas. Will it operate like the Governor's House automatically and thus no impact from the Garda/Gendarmes, or will the Garda/Gendarmes be involved in it? Currently IIRC the gaping wound is done through the Garda which would create more rp then just a script IMO.
The Gaping Wound is owned by the Red Vardo, they control who manages it. But I would imagine if the rentable area is a property within a city and isn't owned by another faction, the garda/gendarme would control it. At least, I think that's how the current rentable properties in Vallaki work.
All great questions regarding the Gaping Wound, but ones that should be learned IC.Agreed, my point was more if this would be handled via a script or if it would be handled through IC RP? :)
All great questions regarding the Gaping Wound, but ones that should be learned IC.Agreed, my point was more if this would be handled via a script or if it would be handled through IC RP? :)
All great questions regarding the Gaping Wound, but ones that should be learned IC.Agreed, my point was more if this would be handled via a script or if it would be handled through IC RP? :)
Script ideally with a certain level of control/oversight in some cases. The problem with non automated systems is that they heavily rely on a handful of people and are often not used to their full potential and tend to sit dormant. A good example is the Drain’s backrooms vs the Governor’s Hotel. One is essentially never used, the other always full.
A system that relies on guard PCs as is the case here only works when the guard faction is active, which isn’t always the case. It also penalizes people in the wrong time zones.
Winners of the Coveted "Things That Make Me Excited" Award, from this list:I love everything about this post.How about an apprenticing sub-system for the crafting system to help and encourage characters to learn from experienced crafters? Perhaps have a master and apprentice flag each other or just award bonus crafting exp if rping while a higher ranking crafter is nearby while you work (Or rather a person with higher crafting levels rping with a crafter with a lower crafting level while one or both are practicing.Would be absolutely huge. The crafting system in its current form is a pretty horrible slog. In addition to the actual material cost, it requires a ridiculous investment in time. A handful of recent changes have only made that time investment more severe and even less convenient -- changes to the DC spread for potions, crafting places locking their doors at night, etc. The server economy relies on crafters existing, yet the actual pursuit of crafting represents a giant chunk of time spent not role-playing. Given that we all have only so many hours to play each day/week/whatever, an apprenticing system of some kind would let people pursue their crafts without having to lose out on RP time. Moreover, it is cool RP for forming meaningful tutor relationships which is neat.
As a final mechanical consideration, I'd love if such a system allowed some kind of direct crafting XP gain, rather than simply a bonus to your crafting while another crafter is doing their thing. It'd be a huge boon for characters who only have a +1 or +2 ability modifier to their craft in overcoming those initial hurdles if having a tutor when a tutor was most needed actually helped gain them xp towards advancing -- making those first baby steps easier, both mechanically and IC.What about a version of an ampc, but instead of using a template, you stick with base races while sharing the same tools, like ampc gear, and @voice command. Not all villains are monster. A player would still have to file an application and follow the same rules of having an ampc. I think bypassing the early stages of leveling for the propose of story driven to for the sake of others would be kinda cool.Also huge. This is something that's been a bugbear of mine for a long time and something I was actually discussing with someone on the server the other day:
I have a love of conflict-based characters, but the nature of the server is that your ability to effectively engage in any kind of direct confrontation is limited by your level. Try to play an antagonist at level 4 and you will get roflstomped, corpse-hidden, or executed by the garda before you hit 5. There are just too many bigger fish, and for most characters your class features/build hasn't hit its prime yet anyway.
What ends up happening is that most antagonists will end up wanting to power-grind themselves to the double digits or even mid-teens before they really start trying to shake things up, but this creates a pair of issues on its own:
- First, it means that you're going to spend weeks if not months on a hardcore grind just so you can get to the point where you can role-play the character appropriately in the first place. Given how the entire xp system of the server is meant to disincentivize this kind of behavior, that seems to be undesirable. This is doubly true given that the amount of level-appropriate content relative to the server population has felt a bit off since the EE migration.
- Second, it has the unfortunate side-effect that because you've spent several months grinding this character to the point where they can be a competent antagonist you tend not to want to view the character as disposable. People will tend to resist letting that character close if they can help it, and if you do meet an early-end to your antagonist career (as is sometimes the case with AMPCs) it is kind of heartbreaking.
Allowing people to use the AMPC rules and stipulations to apply for antagonist-PCs of normal races would do a world of good towards making more interesting and meaningful conflicts, particularly as it would mean seeing more conflict-based characters who would graciously expire rather than playing team-based corpse-hide whack-a-mole.
Big +1 from me, boss.QuoteRentable areasI've been a big advocate of this since the topic first came up ages ago. I'd love to see a ton of more rentable stuff, both in the guard-faction sense and in the Governor's Hotel sense. In the latter case, the Blue Water and Blood on the Vine are already ripe for that kind of treatment. As of now, both places are kind of wasted server space as few people use either set of rooms for their intended purpose. Either one is a bit out of the way compared to other alternatives, and it's always bugged me that Port is somehow the only place where players can "live" in any meaningful sense. Particularly as I've mostly played Barovians.
In the former case, I loved the initiative taken about a year ago to "rent" out different areas in vallaki, though they ended up suffering from two major problems: First being that all of the areas were effectively ruined buildings that have been reclaimed, so it had a very limited appeal for many people or groups. The second being that no locks/keys were ever really made a thing, so even if you rented the refuse-filled, mice-ridden, half-collapsed apartment, anyone could walk in any time. The net result being that you were no better off renting the thing than just wandering in at night.
If the goal is "systems to facilitate individual player-driven roleplay" then giving people more places they can actually invest in and make use of would be a big boon. If I want to start a player-faction, having someplace for that faction to meet is a major benefit and helps anchor people into the region and setting in a way that having everyone meet upstairs at the Lady's Rest does not.
That said, the tradeoff here is that it is probably worth re-examining how the rental systems work. The main problem with the Governor's Hotel is that the rooms all end up filled by people who will hold said room for RL months or years even when they aren't even playing the character actively, just by showing up and paying the rent once a week. Part of this is almost certainly the fact that the GH is the only housing in the server outside of the tenements, so the availability v. demand is absurd. Even still, it might be better if those systems somehow required the players renting them to actively show up and use the rooms for some amount of time per week to still hold the keys or something.So properties you can rent tend to be run-down or empty on the inside, but what about a series of premade house/shop interiors for each town so that when someone rents a property, they can get a quick tour of the “upgrades” there are to choose from, and select which interior to have linked to the door?As an addendum to the above, this would be pretty neat, as well.QuoteRPXP Faction LocationsI've disliked this system for a whole number of reasons, and this is among them. It's always seemed an inherent contradiction. We are repeatedly told that this is a role-play server and we are frequently told about this or that decision being made to enforce the setting. Yet at the same time, we have the same system saying that my random Barovian peasant should, upon hitting an arbitrary point in his life, decide to abandon his lifestyle up to that point, his friends, connections, and ultimately his country.. to don a cravat and move on to Port. Like a Galapagos tortoise, he will reach a point in his life where will be inextricably and instinctively called to some far-off point..
Lame. Extra lame if the character in question is built to do some kind of faction something or other. So short of actually dismantling this system, I'm giving the faction-location exclusion a big +1.I'd also really like to see something to support the more mundane, average evil characters (as in, not MPCs/AMPCs). I've heard the idea of giving evil alignment a tiny EXP increase or something similar to encourage people to play evil more and enforce the idea that good is meant to be outnumbered and outgunned, as well as counterbalance the fact that evil characters typically end up getting less support and assistance. It should be hard for good to triumph rather than the other way around really.This is actually pretty hardcore related to the earlier antagonist thing. One of the major bits of contradiction between fluff and server reality is that we are told in the fluff that evil is pervasive, temptating, and on the demiplane of dread, ultimately triumphant. Good is supposed to be compelling because it's both challenging and ultimately futile, but that the struggle itself is heroic.
The reality of the server seems to be the opposite. Good or neutral-aligned characters tend to have a significantly easier time of things. They make fewer enemies, they have an easier time gaining allies and resources, and of the playable areas the only place goodly-aligned characters will really run afoul of is Hazlan. Sure, Barovia is run by a vampire count but on the day to day you don't see Garda busting good-aligned PCs chops unless they are doing something stupid or breaking the obvious laws.
Meanwhile, evil is supposed to be a temptation. The easy path to power... But it isn't. Evil doesn't really gain you anything on the server. There are a few prestige classes with an alignment requirement, but that's about it. If you get a DM noticing you being evil, you might get a DP check but there's no real guarantee that a gained dark power will be any kind of net gain. Even necromancy is kinda meh on the server, as despite the number of feats you might sink into it, summons just aren't great on the server. In addition, there's also a significant cost to being evil. Being openly evil will dramatically limit your number of potential allies in a way that being Good does not, and often will make you a target for Team Good Guy™. Being openly confrontation as a Good-aligned character pursuing good is generally rewarded by the player population. Being openly confrontational as an Evil-aligned character doing evil generally means that you will get bounties on your head and a posse after you.
All of those things would be fine (IC actions get IC consequences) save that it directly contradicts the setting fluff. Not only is evil not a tempting path to power and darkness, it's actually way more difficult to pull off in the long run. In a gothic horror setting, let alone in the Demi-plane of Dread, this seems backwards.And a Teacher/Student system for spells. If we can't scribe them because of the economy (Although I think if you kept an XP cost people wouldn't become scroll mills) then allowing wizards to trade their knowledge would facilitate great RP.This would be awesome as well. In any other version of the game, wizards trading spells around is part of the assumed class-features of a wizard. It's disabled here for reasons largely related to the item economy. Allowing Wizards to somehow teach spells would not only restore the component to the class, it has a number of related benefits:
- Lack of spell-trading means that wizards are more reliant on grinding on a server that seems to otherwise want to disincentivize grinding.
- Apprentice/Teacher RP is a really fun part of the tradition and having an actual reason to engage in it would be great.
- Any time you can create meaningful incentives to form and maintain relationships IC, it's a good thing.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing a more comprehensive "mentoring" system in the game in general. Wizards and crafting were obvious examples, but how nice would it be for your freshly misted would-be warrior to form a meaningful relationship with a veteran who can then tutor them in a meaningful fashion other than letting you bunny off their XP while they fight things way out of your level, or bringing you gear you shouldn't have yet so you can go grind on your own.
From the other side of it, I love the notion that a veteran swordsman character might choose to become a fencing instructor or something and that mean something other than just hand-waving the RP XP for it. Right now, the only place that an apprenticeship situation matters in any objective way is if you're going for a prestige class that requires training from another member of that class.
The server seems set up in such a way that we want to incentivize RP and disincentivize grinding mobs. The more ways you give people to meaningfully work towards their goals other than grinding mobs for xp/gold/items/scrolls, the closer you will come to that.
All great questions regarding the Gaping Wound, but ones that should be learned IC.Agreed, my point was more if this would be handled via a script or if it would be handled through IC RP? :)
Script ideally with a certain level of control/oversight in some cases. The problem with non automated systems is that they heavily rely on a handful of people and are often not used to their full potential and tend to sit dormant. A good example is the Drain’s backrooms vs the Governor’s Hotel. One is essentially never used, the other always full.
A system that relies on guard PCs as is the case here only works when the guard faction is active, which isn’t always the case. It also penalizes people in the wrong time zones.
An automated system with oversight capability from the Garda/Gendarmes would be optimal. The Governor's Hotel is a prime example of a location that utilizes an automated system, but all of the bigger rooms and even the Penthouse are closely guarded and coveted by PC's that may not even be Dementlieuse, or commit a significant amount of time to Port-a-Lucine's roleplaying scene. If say, at some point areas are added to Dementlieu for this purpose, I'd rather not just have Joe Schmoe from out of town come in and rent it for the weekends, and then abandon it, leaving the property effectively vacant but booked and thus not adding to the roleplay locally in any significant fashion.
For the rental properties in Barovia, the fact that a Garda has to approve the selling of the property and has oversight capability encourages someone to be present more often, and keeps a dialogue rolling. Once it turns anonymous, automated and guaranteed, it just feels like there's no motivation for them to stay around. But that might be a Dementlieu issue more than Barovia, which is where people usually leave Port to go to.
I suggest automated rentable estates for native PCs according to their class/race etc.
Like large manors available only for nobles in Dementlieu and Mulan in Hazlan.
Maybe OCR should play a part in who can rent what form of accommodation and where.
All great questions regarding the Gaping Wound, but ones that should be learned IC.Agreed, my point was more if this would be handled via a script or if it would be handled through IC RP? :)
Script ideally with a certain level of control/oversight in some cases. The problem with non automated systems is that they heavily rely on a handful of people and are often not used to their full potential and tend to sit dormant. A good example is the Drain’s backrooms vs the Governor’s Hotel. One is essentially never used, the other always full.
A system that relies on guard PCs as is the case here only works when the guard faction is active, which isn’t always the case. It also penalizes people in the wrong time zones.
An automated system with oversight capability from the Garda/Gendarmes would be optimal. The Governor's Hotel is a prime example of a location that utilizes an automated system, but all of the bigger rooms and even the Penthouse are closely guarded and coveted by PC's that may not even be Dementlieuse, or commit a significant amount of time to Port-a-Lucine's roleplaying scene. If say, at some point areas are added to Dementlieu for this purpose, I'd rather not just have Joe Schmoe from out of town come in and rent it for the weekends, and then abandon it, leaving the property effectively vacant but booked and thus not adding to the roleplay locally in any significant fashion.
For the rental properties in Barovia, the fact that a Garda has to approve the selling of the property and has oversight capability encourages someone to be present more often, and keeps a dialogue rolling. Once it turns anonymous, automated and guaranteed, it just feels like there's no motivation for them to stay around. But that might be a Dementlieu issue more than Barovia, which is where people usually leave Port to go to.
I'd advocate creating more places like the areas in Barovia rather than destroying the automated system in Port. The Governor's Hotel is just that--a hotel. Not an apartment complex. It should be aimed at extended stays for those from out of town rather than being the only option for Port locals who don't want to live in the tenements. Give some incentive to attach to the other housing, like having it be nicer or less expensive.
I'd never rent a room in the Marriot downtown for months on end when I can pay a cheaper rate for my own apartment that has roughly the same degree of niceness if I live here. But it's far less complicated for me to rent a hotel room when I'm in Japan for two weeks.
I suggest automated rentable estates for native PCs according to their class/race etc.
Like large manors available only for nobles in Dementlieu and Mulan in Hazlan.
Maybe OCR should play a part in who can rent what form of accommodation and where.
+1
Just a clarification: the plan is not to add player housing in and of itself. Player housing, especially individual buildings, does not encourage interactions between people. Instead it isolates people more by segregating them into smaller groups. What we want to encourage are rentable buildings or locations that players can occupy either to run temporary factions or conduct merchant activities or other purposes that are inclusive. There will be a few rentable areas that will be for more private use (like the Governor's Hotel) but we won't focus our efforts on adding many of those.
Next update:
-4 new MPC templates (Death Knight, Vassalich, Werecrocodile, Red Widow)
-Ability for guards and gendarmes to get a general idea of a PC’s OcR in their domain
-More tools for MPCs (ability to summon henchmen, store to buy props, expansion of the howl function)
-Removal of ECL for the remaining MPCs that had it