two suggestions

[EO]

The temple's not going anywhere, Herkles.

That.

Also, you people are really not considering more than your private and personal enjoyment here which is disheartening. Let's say we removed the Morninglordian temple..and let's say, as I'm sure others want, we also remove the Lady's Rest. Now, imagine a new player joining POTM, leaving the Vistani camp and finding no one in any areas around the Vistani Camp. Do you know what they'll do? Leave. I've been to countless servers that were like that..they had 50 hubs and it was impossible to find anyone when you joined, so you had to trek for hours until you found some roleplay...these players often lost players and most are dead now, even if they had large numbers of players.

Designing a PW isn't just about being "realistic" or being "RP-hardcore" or promoting some ideal. You have to consider a lot of factors, and among the factors that most established players (who forget they were once new players as well) forget are new players. If you want to keep a community thriving and a server working, you have to make sure that newcomers feel welcome and that your world is coherent and logical. The outskirts -is- a hub and is designed to be one. It's not a random bunch of buildings and placeables thrown together. Heck, Soren once told us that he designed the forest-pathway leading out of the Vistani Camp to steer slightly towards Vallaki to make sure new players would walk that way instead of the opposite.

[herkles]

the intention of these ideas was to encourge people to go to other areas besides vallaki, that seem to be dead and the other towns make me wonder why they are in besides just a pit stop on your way to adventure and kill things. and in case you are wondering one thing I have always believed is the idea that fun is contagious and one should try to spread it around. thus when a few people have fun it spreads so that even more people have fun. That is a thought I have always believed. Heck I have even thought that I would try to apply to be a DM to bring more fun to others. not sure if I should/it would happen.

But thats besides the point, I posted these suggestions as suggestions that I thought would help other people. the point of these ideas was to encourge others to use the other areas in the module. I guess I should stop trying to offer ideas I suppose.

[HellsPanda]

As for why I don't help you bring people to Port, I personally don't see whats so great about the Port compared to other places, if I was to take people from the Outskirts to RP other places, I would choose the Village, Krofburg, Har'Akir, Blaustein, Vallaki and Perfidius before the Port, but I don't oppose others promoting the Port, since its only my personal opinion there are even better places around with more interesting and varying RP potential for me. And I run around alot as Niko, I spent days in the Vallaki Ezrite temple, never seeing anyone. I will say it, the only thing that will move people around, is the offer of Fun and Interesting RP

[Emomina]

to go to other areas besides vallaki, that seem to be dead and the other towns make me wonder why they are in besides just a pit stop on your way to adventure and kill things.

That is precisely what all the areas other than the outskirts are, what makes you think they are anything else? over half of the playerbase does at least one dungeon everytime they log on.

In a very real sense, places like Dvergeheim, Village of Barovia, Midway, Baratak Tower, the mist camp and others are a pit stop between dungeons. You don't need to wonder, that is how they are used on a daily basis.

[HellsPanda]

and Herkles, if you feel you can be of use to the DM team, then Apply. Maybe you are better suited as a DM than as a Player?

[Khornite]

Here is an idea, how about fixing it up? it's  used as a shelter by so many people, and with how many donations are poured into the place...IC I confronted a morninglordian about that and his response was pretty much "we have better places to send the coin" but the place IS falling apart and a lot of people depend on it for shelter in attacks/the night/etc. EVENTUALLY this would cross their minds. Anton has volunteered on SEVERAL occasions to fix the place up both in labor and coin.

[Emomina]

The decrepit state of the Morninglord churches reflect the Gothic Horror storytelling element of decaying and forgotten faith and lost hope. You are supposed to get the impression that faith and hope are waning, and beacons of light are few and dim.

[tzaeru]

Here is an idea, how about fixing it up? it's  used as a shelter by so many people, and with how many donations are poured into the place...IC I confronted a morninglordian about that and his response was pretty much "we have better places to send the coin" but the place IS falling apart and a lot of people depend on it for shelter in attacks/the night/etc. EVENTUALLY this would cross their minds. Anton has volunteered on SEVERAL occasions to fix the place up both in labor and coin.

Uh oh, like Emomina said; Better to not. It serves as the anchor point for new players into world of gothic storytelling. Ravenloft's Core Rulebook has description of early gothic horror like this:

Early Gothic novels were tales of mystery, romance and brooding horror. They were typically set in earlier times, through their authors were more concerned with instilling an atmosphere of decadence and decay than with achieving any sense of historical accuracy. At the heart of these early tales sat the vast and grumbling Gothic castles (e.g. Castle Ravenloft in this case) that gave the genre it's name. These ancient citadels were more than mere scenery. Their slow descent into picturesque ruin reflected the spiritual decay of their masters, their secret passages spoke of ancient mysteries, and the specters that walked their halls decried old crimes, neither avenged nor forgotten.

It is very important to immediatelly have a place for new players that fits the cursived part; Without sense of decay, mystery and hopelesness there is no gothic horror, that's how simple it is.

There are IC ways to explain the state of the church. Older characters might recall having seen an attempt of rebuilding the church, which angered some being deep in the crypts.. Drawing a conclusion from this, they could imagine that whatever reason for the state of catacombs, the Morninglord's church is the only thing that keeps it from getting worse and as it is, the church is only barely standing already. Drawing any extra attention to it would be a grave mistake.. Then also that Morninglordian's rather channel their money elsewhere.

I do think that players, especially at a bit higher levels, could spread out more, but as it is, the Western Outskirt's Vistani Camp, Morninglord's church and Lady's Rest are absolutely perfect for the first impression.

I wish nothing was ever changed with them, really. They're the reason I bothered to stay, as they instantly show it's about something else than common, high-fantasy, RP-light NWN server.

[EO]

....

Good post.

[Inviktus]

Here is an idea, how about fixing it up? it's  used as a shelter by so many people, and with how many donations are poured into the place...IC I confronted a morninglordian about that and his response was pretty much "we have better places to send the coin" but the place IS falling apart and a lot of people depend on it for shelter in attacks/the night/etc. EVENTUALLY this would cross their minds. Anton has volunteered on SEVERAL occasions to fix the place up both in labor and coin.

Uh oh, like Emomina said; Better to not. It serves as the anchor point for new players into world of gothic storytelling. Ravenloft's Core Rulebook has description of early gothic horror like this:

Early Gothic novels were tales of mystery, romance and brooding horror. They were typically set in earlier times, through their authors were more concerned with instilling an atmosphere of decadence and decay than with achieving any sense of historical accuracy. At the heart of these early tales sat the vast and grumbling Gothic castles (e.g. Castle Ravenloft in this case) that gave the genre it's name. These ancient citadels were more than mere scenery. Their slow descent into picturesque ruin reflected the spiritual decay of their masters, their secret passages spoke of ancient mysteries, and the specters that walked their halls decried old crimes, neither avenged nor forgotten.

It is very important to immediatelly have a place for new players that fits the cursived part; Without sense of decay, mystery and hopelesness there is no gothic horror, that's how simple it is.

There are IC ways to explain the state of the church. Older characters might recall having seen an attempt of rebuilding the church, which angered some being deep in the crypts.. Drawing a conclusion from this, they could imagine that whatever reason for the state of catacombs, the Morninglord's church is the only thing that keeps it from getting worse and as it is, the church is only barely standing already. Drawing any extra attention to it would be a grave mistake.. Then also that Morninglordian's rather channel their money elsewhere.

I do think that players, especially at a bit higher levels, could spread out more, but as it is, the Western Outskirt's Vistani Camp, Morninglord's church and Lady's Rest are absolutely perfect for the first impression.

I wish nothing was ever changed with them, really. They're the reason I bothered to stay, as they instantly show it's about something else than common, high-fantasy, RP-light NWN server.

Couldn't agree more!  There are various in game justifications, but the most important issue is how it does such a good job of setting the tone and hooking in new players.