Author Topic: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)  (Read 7815 times)

Iolantir

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #50 on: December 06, 2021, 11:31:52 PM »
The metric that is available to me is personal enjoyment of time invested, which honestly should be the only metric anyone truly puts stock in to when it comes to these topics. Barovia is a preferred setting for many people, and it’s unfortunate that those who do enjoy it are rewarded less for role-playing there on an RP server compared to other areas.

SwordChucks

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #51 on: December 06, 2021, 11:32:25 PM »
All those faction bases in Barovia are not generating long-term attraction. They generate short term attraction over a long period of time. A significant number -- the overwhelming majority -- of faction players become inactive some time (e.g. within a couple months) after joining, or shelf the characters more or less indefinitely for many reasons others & I have posted about previously. Factions are understaffed as a result, to the point that membership in & involvement with noble houses of Dementlieu outnumber them.

The point of my post isn't that all those people were chasing the RP XP or fleeing what is perceived as a "high levels get out" mentality of Barovia. To reiterate, I'm not making up motives for other people. This is just raw information. If you want to learn why people play in Port and not Barovia, read their forum posts on the topic, or ask them individually.

The point of my post is to say that RP XP is just one very small reason to the very big problem that faction play & native play in Barovia are almost nonexistent compared to what's seen in Dementlieu. What's actually missing is DM interest (there will never be involvement without interest) and DM interest is hard to drum up when there aren't many players around for them to take an interest in.

You can't jam everyone into one tent, but Barovia's tent blew away because there weren't enough people holding it down, is what I'm saying. People are allowed preferences, but while those preferences may be respected, that doesn't necessarily mean action will be taken. RP XP isn't going to bring something back to Barovia that was never there. It's going to take a few if not several active DMs and a large number of players interested in Barovian-based native & faction play.

Barovia is ridiculously active for RP, numerous people doing a variety of different things. We have one PC who runs bardic events, Christian trying to evangelize people..  I am at a loss as to why anyone would think the RP in Barovia is lackluster or missing.. if anything it is much more bountiful then any other region I've been in including Port.  Sadly it seems we don't get many DMs throwing their attention at us there, so we make do with what we got and that is awesome PCs..

That said, the point of this post has more to do with RPXP in faction bases, or just generally available, not the quality of the city build, or even the quality of the RP.. just the very fact that players get rewarded for the immersive expereince they provide to the server.

Praying Mantis

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #52 on: December 06, 2021, 11:34:57 PM »
All those faction bases in Barovia are not generating long-term attraction. They generate short term attraction over a long period of time. A significant number -- the overwhelming majority -- of faction players become inactive some time (e.g. within a couple months) after joining, or shelf the characters more or less indefinitely for many reasons others & I have posted about previously. Factions are understaffed as a result, to the point that membership in & involvement with noble houses of Dementlieu outnumber them.

The point of my post isn't that all those people were chasing the RP XP or fleeing what is perceived as a "high levels get out" mentality of Barovia. To reiterate, I'm not making up motives for other people. This is just raw information. If you want to learn why people play in Port and not Barovia, read their forum posts on the topic, or ask them individually.

The point of my post is to say that RP XP is just one very small reason to the very big problem that faction play & native play in Barovia are almost nonexistent compared to what's seen in Dementlieu. What's actually missing is DM interest (there will never be involvement without interest) and DM interest is hard to drum up when there aren't many players around for them to take an interest in.

You can't jam everyone into one tent, but Barovia's tent blew away because there weren't enough people holding it down, is what I'm saying. People are allowed preferences, but while those preferences may be respected, that doesn't necessarily mean action will be taken. RP XP isn't going to bring something back to Barovia that was never there. It's going to take a few if not several active DMs and a large number of players interested in Barovian-based native & faction play.

I actually agree with a lot of this but keeping with the vibe of the original post, it's not Barovia that is the main point of contention.  He's specifically asking for the faction bases in Barovia, which usually are expected to maintain a certain about of RP true to the setting.  I think you're right in the sense that something is lacking from the overall Barovia RP, but it's not accurate to say it was never there.  Hell going back a really long time ago you used to have to submit an application to play a native and prove you knew how to handle the RP well.  RP is always player driven, having a DM to help it flow is certainly extremely helpful.  But it's ultimately up to those involved.  So a little incentive to get that activity isn't necessarily a bad thing

SardineTheAncestor

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #53 on: December 06, 2021, 11:47:08 PM »
I don't like to look at XP as a reward for RP, otherwise the dev team is making some pretty severe ongoing statements about RP that takes place in Barovia. I'm not gonna go and put words in their mouth though.

My stance has been for the longest time to lift the restriction, ideally everywhere, but faction bases would be fine. Not sure why the compromise even has to be made. Compromises never satisfy either side, and neither do stalemates, like this debate which has polarised many people over the years. RP XP may as well be granted everywhere. You sure won't see any threads asking to remove it.
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Praying Mantis

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #54 on: December 06, 2021, 11:48:27 PM »
We've reached an agreement, quick close the thread

SardineTheAncestor

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #55 on: December 06, 2021, 11:51:14 PM »
If only we held elections for where RP XP could be gained.
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SwordChucks

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #56 on: December 06, 2021, 11:52:54 PM »
I don't like to look at XP as a reward for RP, otherwise the dev team is making some pretty severe ongoing statements about RP that takes place in Barovia. I'm not gonna go and put words in their mouth though.

My stance has been for the longest time to lift the restriction, ideally everywhere, but faction bases would be fine. Not sure why the compromise even has to be made. Compromises never satisfy either side, and neither do stalemates, like this debate which has polarised many people over the years. RP XP may as well be granted everywhere. You sure won't see any threads asking to remove it.

I think Gary Gygax did, so I think it's safe to say you might be in the minority on that.

SardineTheAncestor

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #57 on: December 07, 2021, 12:05:16 AM »
RP as it exists on a roleplaying server compared to RP as it exists in a tabletop RPG are two very different things. XP on the tabletop game is rewarded for completing encounters, whether that is sneaking past everything, negotiating your way through, or killing your way to victory. Talking amongst your party or with NPCs is generally not an option, those would be minority cases due to the structure of the standard game.

If we were rewarded XP just for roleplaying, it would be delivered in a much different fashion, and likely be far more rewarding. Right now it's easy for me at least to look at it like a general stimulus that helps you progress if you engage with other players long-term, regardless of whether or not you dungeon. It has no tabletop equivalent. Not even the chunks of XP you might get for seducing the dragon.
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SwordChucks

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #58 on: December 07, 2021, 12:07:45 AM »
I think you derailing the OP's intent. It isn't to debate the merit of RPXP, but to ask that RPXP be equal regardless of what RP hub you call home.

A debate about whether RpXp should exist is great, and possibly for another thread.

SardineTheAncestor

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #59 on: December 07, 2021, 12:11:37 AM »
I'm not derailing it or debating whether or not it should exist. I'm just here to post my support of RP XP becoming available in more locations - faction bases would be nice, including the publicly accessible areas, my ideal would be everywhere though, because if RP XP is such a meaningful incentive, I wouldn't want to see people lack incentive to go and RP long-term in places other than faction bases.
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SwordChucks

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #60 on: December 07, 2021, 12:13:20 AM »
I'm not derailing it or debating whether or not it should exist. I'm just here to post my support of RP XP becoming available in more locations - faction bases would be nice, including the publicly accessible areas, my ideal would be everywhere though, because if RP XP is such a meaningful incentive, I wouldn't want to see people lack incentive to go and RP long-term in places other than faction bases.

Ah my apologies, I don't know where I got the idea you were opposed to this.

Evendur

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #61 on: December 07, 2021, 12:39:09 AM »
Reading through this thread, it seems that everything the XP cap in Barovia was supposed to archive did not end up working as intended. There are still plenty of lvl14+ characters coming to Vallaki for various reasons despite the lack of RP XP and those reasons are quite often story driven or because the characters fit better into that domain.

Personally I always felt like the higher lvl characters around Vallaki that I became aware of when I started on the server, all added a lot to the setting and did not hurt the immersion at all. Those are the characters that act as guides, that keep factions together and that provide the lore of the settings to the newer players. And personally, I have always felt a lot more threatened from higher lvl characters then monsters/settings, even if I had never met those characters or they were spending most of their time in other domains. So yes, they also act as a potential threat. Those characters have added an incredible amount of immersion to the overall setting and personally I would still much prefer to assume my lvl 7 characters could be hunted by a lvl 20 because of the decisions my character made. Excluding those higher lvl characters, hurts the immersion a lot more then having an occasional wizard turning into a dragon in the outskirts.

If the XP cap was intended to keep lvl14+ players from looting Vallaki area dungeons, I believe the recent changes regarding XP messages will help even more to prevent that then the RP XP cap, without doing that much collateral damage.

The RP XP cap seems to have significant negative effects on various players as a number of recent forum post have also indicated. It is (at least perceived by many) a mechanic to exclude people/characters and this is even enhanced by those actively telling people to "move to mist camp/port"

I do not think there are any issues regarding high lvl characters around Vallaki. Instead, I believe the issue is far more those who think that any character is an issue in any environment because of their lvl/class/whatever.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2021, 01:50:17 AM by Evendur »

Famous Seamus

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #62 on: December 07, 2021, 02:00:50 AM »
I'm both curious and undecided on the OP's idea.

Full disclosure before I start rambling: I play a level 14+ character in Barovia. I lead a faction. We have a base. Probably 80 percent of that character's RP has happened exclusively in Barovia. Substantial chunks of it have happened in faction bases. There are a mixture of reasons why I don't move this character to Port long-term (nothing to do with the Port players, of course). I don't mind not getting RP XP in Western Barovia. The story has always seemed more important to me. This character will need a lot of time training elsewhere (time I rarely have IRL) to gain significant experience, so I've accepted that he probably won't advance much further in level (if at all) for the remainder of his time on the server. But that's just me.

With that out of the way, I'm curious what areas will qualify as "faction bases" under this proposal. There are the obvious ones, like the Kinship Lodge, the Red Vardo Offices, and the Citadel. What about the Refuge of Fifth Light for the Ezrites? Would the Sanctuary of Coming Dawn be counted as a faction base because that's where so many MLers spend their time, or would it only be the Sanctuary of Eternal Dawn to avoid all players loitering in the Coming Dawn to get RP XP, even when doing so doesn't make sense? Would the Drain count? Would rentals count? If so, how does that work? Would (just making this up) Bob Bobescu the wheelwright and his employees who collectively own Shop I get RP XP for RPing together in their shop with no one else around despite not being in a faction?

I'm not trying to criticize or critique. I'm genuinely intrigued as to what this system would look like. Did you have something specific in mind, Iolantir? Obviously, it's not all on you to come up with. I'm just wondering if you have more thoughts on it.

For me (speaking as the current head of a faction), the proposal boils down to a question of privilege and the mechanics of how to be more egalitarian. The proposal obviously rewards involvement in factions, which makes some sense: faction bases are RP hubs, and factions (when staffed well and working at peak performance) help to drive RP and plots for their members and the larger community.

However, as another poster points out, there's the concern of faction members having the privilege of RPing behind these plot-locked doors and getting RP XP for it. On one hand, that incentivizes people to either join or interact with these factions. Those are both welcome things. On the other hand, during the many times it's not practical or wise to simply throw open the doors and invite tons of people in, it creates a scenario where faction members are getting RP XP while a large portion of the Vallaki community is shut out from getting it because the nature of the discussion or event (clandestine meetings, plotting against Strahd, planning an assassination, etc.) in the faction base excludes participation from external characters. That's kind of a disadvantage.

There's also the concern that there are many large and/or legitimate factions who simply don't have a faction base (because all the rentals are taken) or can't afford one. The Crows, for instance, have had a good presence recently but don't have a faction base. The Gundarakite Rebels are another. These characters would be disenfranchised from the same RP XP opportunities that other factions who do have bases get, simply because there aren't enough rentals to go around. (The Gundarakites are a special case and wouldn't get a rental in Vallaki, but that's beside the point.) And while these characters could come RP in an existing faction's base, that's not always as simple, easy, or sensible as having your own base.

Another concern is faction base usage. Ideally, this RP XP system would encourage people to RP in faction bases and encourage factions to host events that draw people to the bases. It's sensible to think that there may eventually be an expectation that that's what happens. How is the success of that measured? Will factions that aren't able, for various reasons, to hold large or consistent events for various stretches of time have their faction base taken away, despite using it for smaller, internal-only functions more regularly? I don't want to fatalize, and I can't envision it happening, but it's a possibility with consequences that should be considered.

Altogether, I'm neither for nor opposed to the OP's proposal. I think there's some merit in it, given that level 14+ characters are encouraged to give up direct participation in many things in Barovia in favor of RP, facilitation, and support. I just think some extra scaffolding would need to be built around the idea to make it fair and viable for as many characters and factions as possible.

----------

Without derailing the points above or the thread as a whole, I've seen a couple of comments about being 14+ in Barovia. I'm not going to get into whether it should or shouldn't be; that's a discussion for another thread. It is what it is for now.

What being 14+ in Barovia really boils down to is "be respectful." That's stuff like trying to avoid sweeping dungeons for loot or fun, working with (A)MPCs' players to drive story rather than put another notch on the monster-hunting belt (even when you're PvPing or "hunting" them), asking (A)MPCs' players if they're comfortable with you initiating some hostile confrontations before doing so, facilitating plots and RP for others, sharing hooks and giving lower-level characters a chance to get involved and shine, and so on. Sometimes it may mean pulling punches even when it doesn't make IC sense. In the end, it's about teamwork.

I think Evendur captured it well with their post above. High-level characters can enhance ambiance. Being respectful is key. ("Being excellent," even?)

I'm not going to pretend for a second like I've always gotten that right. It just seems to me that it's something we all (myself included) can always bear in mind. That's just my two cents on it.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2021, 02:03:59 AM by Famous Seamus »


softdrink

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #63 on: December 07, 2021, 03:18:11 AM »
Personally, I feel like restricting RPXP past 14+ is a dated idea that simply has proven itself to not work, so why instead of making a compromise that it should only be allowed in certain areas (which would shrink the scale of the issue slightly, but worsen the problem overall) why not just remove the RPXP cap everywhere?

Pretty much everyone I've talked to, whether it's in the casual chat or elsewhere are pretty heavily in favor of removing the cap entirely.

As it stands the system actively discourages players not from being in Barovia itself at high levels, but to have any meaningful stories take place down there.

The area Barovia takes up is quite large, and there's plenty of space for people to do things inside of Barovia itself, though trying to RP for any meaningful amount of time up near VoB is a bit of a crapshoot due to the location and such. There's also Port where people -could- go to get that RPXP if they really did care about it.. But that seems like a bit of a hand wave, doesn't it?

Why should a character who has no real reason to leave the area, who wants to simply be rewarded for their roleplay like in differing areas beyond west Barovia, simply be brushed off and told to go to an area they have no interest in going to?

All it does is put the player in this strange place where they -want- to be active in the area, they may have tons of friends in the area, they like the area more-so than any other, yet the server actively discourages them from involving in anything there once they've crossed a certain threshold?

It really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to discourage players from enjoying, and partaking from something they may enjoy.

It's not like people are going to go from 14-20 off of the RPXP accumulated from lifting the restriction alone or anything, and the restriction itself clearly has done nothing to dissuade level 14+ characters from hanging around the area to begin with.

Should the person want to be there, they'll simply stay there.

What it comes down to is the higher level characters having the respect to give the lower levels a chance to shine (which many do!) and giving AMPC players that same respect.

Not all high level players want to simply walk up and smash a monster to pieces, perhaps they just want to talk to whatever it is?

Perhaps they want to help flesh out the story by taking it in a direction none of the lower level characters felt safe going in?

It actively stifles the potential of stories told inside of west Barovia itself by discouraging interaction with certain areas simply because you crossed an XP threshold.

Think of what interesting ways those players, who were previously actively discouraged away from the area, could take a lot of these stories? Their experience with the land and everything they've been through in that area in the past, their stories and experiences culminating in possibly an unseen path that may have not been taken before?

On the same topic, referring to some of what others have said before me, where are all the characters who have been through a lot of what the land had to offer?
Giving advice to the newly misted and overall adding to the setting by assisting people, helping each other and coming together?

They don't detract from the area, they add to it quite a lot. People who want to stay in Port will stay in Port, same with the MC, Hazlan and west Barovia, none of these differing areas are better than each other, so why make it so mechanically? They all have their differing themes and things that make them unique to be in, people just simply prefer some places to others.

I think the restriction has run its course and it's time to either lift it and allow all areas equal amounts of RPXP, or remove it in its entirety. There's just no need to split it all up this way.

I apologize if this is all over the place, but man. Is it too much to ask that everyone who likes the area simply gets what the other 75% of the server has no restriction on?
« Last Edit: December 07, 2021, 03:41:13 AM by softdrink »


ViktorYouFool

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #64 on: December 07, 2021, 04:46:33 AM »
As something of a freshly-minted baguette, I thought I’d throw my two cents in at 4am. Because I make good life decisions.

For the longest time, I hated the idea of Port RP. I hated the setting, I hated the area, and the few experiences I’d had up to that point with port and port RP were terrible. For me, Ravenloft is Barovia. It’s called Ravenloft. The setting is literally named for the sweet pad of Barovia’s resident goth kid. That’s the flavor I want when I want gothic horror. If all other things had been equal, I would be playing Barovian natives, hanging out in Vallaki, doing badass barovian stuff. Like eating turnips, getting drunk on tsuika and trying to shave neuri for sport. But that’s not how the server works. After a lot of frustration, I ended up making a character bound for port, and I can now say I will never go back.

I could give you a bunch of reasons why I’ve come to vastly prefer D’loo, but in the long run they aren’t actually why I’ve become a full-time Ouiaboo. Instead, I will probably never seriously play another B-side character because of how the server is now set up.

The stated desire of the dev team is to get high levels out of Barovia. Full stop. The RP XP system is specifically designed to help push them out and discourage high level characters from spending time there. When you hit 14, there is a line you’ve crossed that says “Do not play here.” What that means in practice is that no matter who my character is, where they are from, what their story is or long-term goals are, when you hit 14, it’s time to pack your bags and go.

Why then would I ever want to spend time then putting down roots and establishing story in a place where I am expected to abandon every part of it once I hit some arbitrary mechanical milestone? Those are plots you now need to work your way out of, friends and communities you need to leave, goals and motivations you need to abandon — or you can take a penalty that only occurs to you, in that place, where you are apparently not wanted.

The net result of all of this is that I will never make a long-term character who is in any way invested in literally anything happening in Barovia. I have no interest in building relationships, taking part in the community, in investing my time and emotional energy into building anything there, because I’m going to have to abandon it at some point completely disconnected from the actual role-play of the thing. Not only that, my goal instead becomes to grind as aggressively as possible while low-level in Barovia, so I can level out of the range as quickly as possible because my “real” RP doesn’t begin until level 12 and I go elsewhere. Any time doing non-goomba things in Barovia is effectively wasted. It’s just a series of cut-scenes and LFG hubs between dungeons.

You’d think this is the exact opposite of what you’d want from the server and the setting, but that’s exactly how the incentives now line up.

Crossing Barovia off the list means I’ll never bother making an elven character to participate in Elftown stuff. I’m not going to make a Dwarf to hang out in D’heim. That entire half of the server exists now as goomba-fodder until I can start running stuff out of BoV, then Har’akir.  And once you’ve crossed the entire domain of Barovia off the list, what’s left?

Mist Camp? Hazlan?

Mist Camp RP is.. not my thing for the same reason I’ve never been able to stand hanging out on the outskirts. If that’s your jam, Ezra love you, but it’s always felt to me like waiting at a station for the next train to arrive. Hazlan at least feels like a place, but it is also the most singularly exclusive and inhospitable place on the server in terms of RP and concepts. I won’t even touch on that controversy here, save but for to say that unless you’re trying to get involved in some very specific types RP, it’s also a no-go.

So from here on out, literally every character I make going forward is going to be intended to live in Port, because it feels utterly pointless to design my characters to do anything else. Not if I plan on them living to see levels in the double digits. Mechanics working as intended? Y’all can decide.




Maffa

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #65 on: December 07, 2021, 05:48:57 AM »
I would like to go back to OP's proposal, rather than duplicate one of the umpteenth threads on RPXP.

I understand the point, but I do not agree with it.

I believe the choice of not making Port (or Hazlan) and Vallaki the same level hub is due to technical reasons. I can very well be mistaken, but I believe it is easier to manage one specialized area such as western Vallaki for low level characters rather than three-four-five generic hubs with "lvl 1 to 20" dungeons. The Lands of Mists are not Arelith, each domain is an independent State and crossing borders is not easy nor granted to anyone. The solution is not elegant but all in all it's the best one (maybe one could propose native non barovian characters could start with more levels since they take forever to build up in order to go places like their own city at night).

What I do not find reasonable is thinking that a high medieval character can or should move from Vallaki to Port just like that, as if port was the same as Vallaki only harder and not a totally different place with different dynamics and background. That's what I would like not to see proposed anymore, it is disrespecting for those that play in Vallaki AND Port at the same time.



So, on the topic of letting RPXP for 14+level, I do not think it's a good idea. As Famous Seamus said, playing a powerful character in Vallaki requires responsibility: i have seen him more than once declining a confrontation or acting borderline out of character in order not to spoil lower level fun. Moreover, if martial characters are self contained war machines, powerful warders can make lower character make jumps and strides in term of combat prowess, making them effectively even 5 levels higher comparably.

I would like to see RPXP improved and if possible raised. There are many character concepts that do no dwell well with killing stuff. Heck, as a warden-to-be I would rather improve my level by talking and debating points and matters of faith rather than killing critters, and as a matter of fact I've passed much more time doing the first than the latter, and with much, much, much (...)  more satisfaction. And then there are tons of other character concepts such as merchants, thieves, philosophers, erudites, loiters, dilettantes, crafters, and the topical dwarven streaker: all of them should be able to improve by talking and interacting one another, or well doing what they do.

So if a 14+ level character is sitting in Vallaki, it is because they have chosen to. They have a reason to, and they have the pleasure of. All in all I think it is a bit of a shame that there is no such a thing as a power check for characters beyond lvl 10, or a DM driven plot that pits them against the Mists to see if they are worthy to keep on keeping on (much like the wardens of Ezra). There are high level characters that are quite upbeat and rather out of place in a setting like Ravenloft, and endorsing more "life is easy in Vallaki!" kind of characters is not the good way to go, especially if the alternative is a trip to Tser Pool for a picnic wherever you want to go play, Har'Akir or Port or wherever.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2021, 06:10:25 AM by Maffa »


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DaloLorn

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #66 on: December 07, 2021, 05:57:55 AM »
Viktor's post actually makes a scary amount of sense... :|

The late single-digits and early double-digits have traditionally been when I shelved my best characters, because no matter how I cut it, I couldn't keep having a satisfying experience on those characters.

Stay in Vallaki with the friends and plots that allowed them to last long enough to hit levels 8+ in the first place? Nope. Sometimes the friends leave for greener pastures on the other side of the mist wall; sometimes the friends appear too sporadically to singlehandedly sustain the PCs in between plot stuff. (This is often a timezone issue.) Either way, there's no longer any reason to log in except furthering the plots... and plot stuff mostly only happens when I'm asleep, anyway, so good luck sustaining one of my characters on that alone. (Citations: I missed Irida's mutilation by the Red Wolf. I missed the destruction of... whatever the MPC group was called again, last Halloween - the one with the vampire and the red widow. Most of the stuff the Company of the Phoenix was doing. Nasir's closure. Wesh's death. Most of Sirus' stuff. The only reason I can't honestly say I slept through Liliana's death and funeral is that I'd stopped playing outright, which supersedes timezone constraints. I probably slept through Gunaakt's death, too, but again - wasn't playing anymore anyway.)

Emigrating to the Mist Camp and beyond isn't much more fruitful. The friends either stay in Vallaki - the plots certainly get left behind! - or drift away to do their own things. Whatever connections might be formed in Vallaki are gradually dissolved unless maintained through deliberate OOC effort and coordination on both sides (this almost never happens), and my characters have always had a tendency of forming new bonds more slowly in later levels, either here or on BG. Due to its more political and social nature, Port RP typically only has an impact on the environment (however illusory that impact may really be, it's still an impact :P) if you interact with nobles, criminal kingpins, and DMs, which means that the only PCs I can transition into it without trapping myself in limbo are those with goals independent of their environment... except those are exactly the ones that are most dependent on their vanishing friends, or least interested in emigrating from Vallaki in the first place.

My only characters that haven't fallen victim to this phenomenon were Klie (too apathetic to play anywhere), Flip (his kender friends didn't emigrate, they just stopped playing), Anna (her futile pursuit of Halans distanced her from what few friends she had), Stefan (just a horrible concept to play here), and Gar (I started migrating back to BG halfway through his "natural" lifespan). El? Figuratively died in Port. Pierre? Likewise. Aela? Tried to stay in Barovia because her pixie was only accepted in Degannwy, but eventually finished her shelving in Port. Rala tried to stay in Barovia, then made a futile attempt at following her long-departed friends eastward before shelving in either Barovia or the Mist Camp. Aeryn definitely tried to stay in Barovia because of friends and plots, but the NCE resulted in the replacement of what few friends hadn't already been bumped out of her life by either timezones or Mist Camp migrations. Her lackluster performance, the purely-OOC (and never-fixed) loss of her entire store, and Gar's mediocre reception both during and after the NCE were actually responsible for much of my return to BG.
European RPer, never available past 22:00 CET. Available on Discord, as Dalo Lorn#0171. Has too many characters to list.

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Maffa

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #67 on: December 07, 2021, 07:01:03 AM »
Viktor's post actually makes a scary amount of sense... :|
[...]

thats more of an issue of TMZ than anything else. this is the same problem i had with my previous character: I would lay down all the ground work (not even for real sometimes, i would just make-believe searching and doing stuff, well fully knowing that all the people involved was on the wrong side of the GMT) and then the next day I would read all the posts about what a great RP it was and thank yous and no thank YOUs what a great time we had (at 8AM my time). But thats another set of problems altogether, not really level dependent. It's that the more you level up, the less things you can do alone, the more you are dependent on other people, and other places, and if in your specific time zone there is not enough of that your game experience will languish.

But if you are experiencing this problem, and i believe you have a lot of characters and experience under your belt, why not apply for an MPC? you can provide entertainment for your time zone for you and for those that have the little common sense and picked a poor place to be born  :lol:


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DaloLorn

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #68 on: December 07, 2021, 09:22:06 AM »
But if you are experiencing this problem, and i believe you have a lot of characters and experience under your belt, why not apply for an MPC? you can provide entertainment for your time zone for you and for those that have the little common sense and picked a poor place to be born  :lol:

My history with applications is pretty bad, and after several months of inactivity, I'm not sure I'm even eligible. Besides, I haven't even decided on whether I want to come back for the NCE.
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SwordChucks

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #69 on: December 07, 2021, 10:53:12 AM »
Is there a button I can hit that will immediately reset the topic of a post?
Why are we discussing MPCs now?

This is about rpxp / faction bases and baguettes …

Chadyo

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #70 on: December 07, 2021, 11:07:00 AM »
I like this idea, under one condition.

That because I'm part of the outlander faction, that all of Barovia is considered my faction base. No? Damn was worth a try!

remnar

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #71 on: December 07, 2021, 01:15:46 PM »

Quote
I agree.  I see no reason why one hub deserves rpxp over another.  Thus, I propose the greatest three sets of compromises

It is not about 'deserving', it is about one area specifically being designed as a low level experience and the server administration making a concious effort to encourage players to migrate their characters literally anywhere else on the server when they exceed the designed level cap.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2021, 01:25:08 PM by JustMonika »

Read my guide: https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=62555.0
and come to my clinic in Vallaki!

remnar

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #72 on: December 07, 2021, 01:31:55 PM »

Quote
I agree.  I see no reason why one hub deserves rpxp over another.  Thus, I propose the greatest three sets of compromises

It is not about 'deserving', it is about one area specifically being designed as a low level experience and the server administration making a concious effort to encourage players to migrate their characters literally anywhere else on the server when they exceed the designed level cap.

Well, I had a bunch of text here, but I guess my words can be censored at any moment.

Read my guide: https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=62555.0
and come to my clinic in Vallaki!

Iolantir

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #73 on: December 07, 2021, 01:39:21 PM »
Quote
It is not about 'deserving', it is about one area specifically being designed as a low level experience and the server administration making a concious effort to encourage players to migrate their characters literally anywhere else on the server when they exceed the designed level cap.

I think it was JustMonika that wrote this?

Either way, this would be fine if there were actual areas outside of Barovia that were suitable to characters that were made for the setting. Otherwise, the routine seems to be:

1) RP in Barovia until 14
2) Dungeon queue in Mist Camp until desired higher level
3) RP in Barovia

Most people who are 14+ and remain in Barovia that want to level take a trip to the Mist Camp and then come back to Barovia. So whatever the intention behind removing RPXP, as mentioned many times here already, it doesn't seem to work. People are going to RP where they want to RP, and given it's an RP server, I don't see any actual reason to remove the small XP reward based on where someone decides to RP. It feels incredibly elitist to expect people to sever any and all ties they formed and ignore their faction allegiance simply because chatting in Port counts as character progression, but chatting in the Wayfarer Lodge doesn't.

JustMonika

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Re: Faction RP XP (Level 14+)
« Reply #74 on: December 07, 2021, 01:47:33 PM »
Oh my goodneess, I'm so sorry. I seem to have accidentally edited someone else's post when meaning to edit my own. I wholeheartedly apologise.