Changes

[kid]

Yeah, but won't everybody be level 395u23t3?

[Dorn]

Yea. I mean it takes extra concentration to ignore the glowing halfling sprinting past you perma hasted... But I am talking lifeboat situation here.

Anyway, the top of my post was more focussed on the OT. Maybe the second half was folly.

[gonz.0]

Hello, as a returning player, I would like to share my view.

I'd be fine with a lower magic, level capped environment that started PCs out a little higher so you are not a one hit (and dead) wonder when just starting or restarting. Perhaps 1.5 level, so you are just a static away from 2nd.

If a player loses thier character in the midst of a DM campaign, I wholeheartedly support them being brought back with anither character next session at a level below the lowest character currently in the campain, just like my old pnp games. Next session, to give player and dm time to work out details, and build the pc etc, or single pc session to justify it. If we were all within a 7 to 8 level spread, perhaps it would a less 'he has more than me' environment. Its about the rp, right?

Concenring what happens when characters top the cap.... I'd think turning them into NPCs of story would be best. Make them still owned by players, to be dug out for cameos or high level campaigns at some point, but all in all the inspirations for stories rumors or legemds mostly.

The only sticking point I have with Ronan's post was on the -6 cap. My solution, would be to call on tech for a switch of some sort that would temp cancel that cap. Perhaps a self deleting token that would remove itself on logout? This way, if a more deadly game is agreed to, the dm just drops that token on the pc.
However, for times the dm is not around, the cap compensates for that lack of oversight a bit, and should be kept.

[Zelknolf]

2) Approach BGTSCC and share all tech advances we've made

One might note that BGTSCC already has access to our tech advancements because everyone already does. We open source all of our work with the hopes that others will take the example and operate like some sort of broader community with clear shared interests.

[Dorn]

Well then tell the &^($%ers to catch up!

[Zelknolf]

I suspect they have other priorities?

Or perhaps we should tell them to put up or shut up. :3

[oldgrayrogue]

I have been playing PW style on BGTSCC for the past week and a half. To be sure I would prefer if ALFA had as many players as they do and to play ALFA style RP, but lately every time I think about logging on to ALFA there are zero players logged on to 4 servers. For months I have steadfastly logged on to one of ALFA's servers, often alone, in the hopes that others would join me. For the most part no one did. Other than campaigns, there seems to be no game on ALFA ATM. BGTSCC is just like all the other populated servers. It is very build and loot focused with most people up in epic levels. There are those who have alts, or new players, at lower levels though. The draw for me is that there is tons of new stuff to do sort of "hack and slash style" and also tons of folks logged on all the time to play with. In my experience in roughly ten days there are lots of folks RPing there all the time. It is not all the type of RP we are used to in ALFA, but some is on par. So its not WOW but its not ALFA either. TBH unless more people start logging in to play PW style in ALFA, and some of the changes that have been discussed in this thread are implemented so that it is easier for folks to log in and do so are implemented, I'll probably just get my PW fix on that server and play in hardcore campaigns on ALFA. It makes me sad, but how long can one log in and play alone most of the time before you just accept reality.

If we could somehow get some of the serious RPers over on the more populated servers to come over and play hardcore in ALFA that would be awesome. Maybe we should try the "sister server" thing like we did with Exodus as Dorn seems to suggest. I think the biggest impediment to this is permadeath and slow leveling. People used to the play on these other servers just won't make the time investment necessary to play here I don't think, and once they log on to an empty world they likely won't try it again. Again, it is sad to me. We have lots of folks active on the boards and lots of members but very few seem to just log in and play anymore. The idea of selling our world as a campaign world is a good one to me. Our strength has always been the depth of our RP and the quality of our DMs. Getting new players to log on to emptiness is a disaster. Getting new players to log on to a scheduled campaign session with one of our awesome DMs is a recipe for success. Maybe it would even lead to some of those players starting to play PW style on our servers. Who knows?

[kid]

It's hard to create a premadeath H&S, more so with level cap, etc.

I suppose if we wanted we'd need to remove the farming rules but on the other hand we'd need to do something with XP because we don't want that rise in levels... So I don't know.
Again, some sort of cap comes to mind, allowing people to play some random H&S for monetary gain and just so they'll have something fun to do and explore.

Could work, but I'm not quite certain exactly how.

I can't play BGTSCC. Tried it a few times and the chase just takes over the game. The RP too shallow, even if some of the people who RP there have talent and all that running... It's not for me. Can't do it.

There's really a small % of people who are willing to play ALFA style of RP (What exactly is that style of course changes between our players, but we're all into immersion and believable RP, that personally I could not find anywhere else), and who enjoy it enough to be willing to abide it's restrictions. When nwn2 had a lot of players enough of those were the type of players we like. With a smaller player base there are just not enough.

Anyways, yeah, recruiting for DM games is a good idea. If you stumble upon reasonable players it could work I suppose.

[Zelknolf]

Could recruit people and set up time to play with them outside of DMed content. Seems like the easiest bridge to PW-type activity. If you were to organize such a thing, I'd be a whole mess more motivated to produce static content of roughly the level that the group is. The last effort kinda fizzled after I realised that about four people did the first one and no one did the second, but it's not nearly as depressing to produce for a tangible audience (and in the process leave things for potential new folk to find). The newer examples even generally come with a little bit of repeatable content that you'd complete as a matter of course when helping someone else through the main arc, if someone had to reroll or you lured a new person in.

[oldgrayrogue]

I don't want to piss the people off there by trying to lure people away. I think an exchange program, done out in the open, might be more well received. I think what we have to offer is good DMs and campaigns. They already have way more PW style grind over there with tons of phat loot to boot.

If Admin were interested in proposing such an exchange program I'd be willing to bring it to Admin there. Basically "If any of your player base are looking for a more hardcore, immersive play experience, make us your "sister PW" and we will promise you regular DMd campaigns." If they fall in love with hardcore roleplay maybe some of them will repopulate our servers outside of campaign play.

[Castano]

Good comments re: sister project. I think it is worth approaching admin there, so if someone wants (OGR) please do so and let me know if they want to irc chat about it. We'dhave to sign up some DMs on our side to trade with them.

Dorn,

I have (and there is a long thread in general discussion about), supported the notion that ALFA should open forums for each and every game ALFAns are playing, whether that is NWN1, NWN Online, Minecraft, DDO, Star Wars, Eve Online whatever. This is what will keep the community around because people will network together here (rather than in alternative locations like they are already doing). I cannot open such forums here, that's something you should lobby Infra about.