Greetings ALFA!

[doitskippy]

I've been browsing the forums since submitting my application just a bit earlier and it appears you guys like introduction threads, so I'm going to do mine now.

I don't have any experience with PnP but it has seemed appealing, and this seems like a way I can try out a heavier RP experience without the hassle of finding some cool folks locally to play PnP with (plus graphics are shiny ).

Hopefully my app is approved and I can meet you folks in game soon!

I know, I know... "Good luck with your second character"

But seriously I'm looking forward to rolling my second character when my first guy inevitably dies.

[johnlewismcleod]

Welcome aboard, skippy! Don't worry too much about whether you've played PnP, most of us have, but we're old

ALFA uses the PnP game/ruleset as the basis of our world, but the emphasis is on RP here. PnP campaigns could as easily tend toward PGing as any video game might in the hands of "number crunchers" anyway, heh...so it isn't necessarily anything to brag about

Hope to see you IG soon, matey

[doitskippy]

Ahh okay I get it... I've always considered PnP to be more heavily RP based just because the whole number crunching thing would seem even more boring to me without flashy graphics and effects... so the appealing thing about PnP in my unexperienced mind has always been roleplaying.

PGing in PnP seems like working on math problems to me... and that's never been something I'd consider "fun". Might as well bust out the old grammar text and give it a whirl while you're at it.

Glad to see that bit of my application won't necessarily have an impact on my being allowed to play here on ALFA!

[Rotku]

I'd never had pnp experience before joining ALFA. Hell, I'd never done anything even vaguely considered role play before joining ALFA. So I won't hold that against you. At least not too much

Welcome to ALFA, mate. Feel free to give a yell if you've got any questions.

[Rotku]

However, I would seriously advice avoiding playing a good aligned drow. At least with your first few characters

[Blindhamsterman]

[quote="Rotku"]However, I would seriously advice avoiding playing a good aligned drow. At least with your first few characters [/quote]

hehe, I personally hate good aligned drow, neutral drow on the otherhand I think are awsome....

[doitskippy]

However, I would seriously advice avoiding playing a good aligned drow. At least with your first few characters

OMG does someone have access to viewing my application?!

yeah I don't plan on actually making a goodly drow my first, second, or umpteenth time around... that's actually one of the first characters I rolled in singleplayer NWN2. I like him, but I don't think he's the one I'd pick for this. Besides which more goodly drow running around seems to cheapen Drizzt Do'Urden a bit... although I imagine he'd like a world filled with goodly drow! I like the concept but it's been done before magnificently so I should think up my own interesting thing to do rather than more or less copying.

If I do roll my silver tongued Swashy/Duelist I'll probably go with a half-elf of some kind. The Amiable racial seems to fit that guy nicely

I probably have a couple more days to decide what to roll out for the first time, then after about 20 minutes or so I expect I'll be looking at my second character

Anyhoo thanks for the warm welcome guys!

[CloudDancing]

My advice, make something sturdy for your first PC and don't get too committed to it as far as writing a book for it's background.

So far frusteration levels and people not making it past their first couple of PCs have come from people who invest just a little too much in the prep process. This is normal for PnP Character generation yes.

Sadly you have a Dm with you everytime you PnP. Alfa allows you the freedom to go off and possibly put yourself in harms way at the whim of a login.

Avoid that temptation and don't be shy. Glom on to the first PC that you find amicable to your alignment and goals and stick with them. Our most long lived PCs have have mostly erupted with midlevel-lowleve partnerships OR a generation of lowlevels just sticking together and only playing when three or more are on line.

As well, please understand that permadeath means you are dead and not coming back (unless you have some seriously good relationships or you had some noticable technical issue). Some of the new players as of last seemed to have missed the gross enourmity of that as of late and I hope to remind other players to help others understand this.

Although I love and play on BG, I find TSM is a good starting server and Rivermoot is a good starting point with access to mini-quests inside that town, which will help you get a feel for the bigger Marches. Again leaving the town is not reccomended w/o help.

Feel free to ask me for anything you might need special (within reason) and I will try to make your first attempts on TSM sucessful and fun.

[Blindhamsterman]

Feel free to ask me for anything you might need special (within reason) and I will try to make your first attempts on TSM sucessful and fun.

*hopes for random spawned holy avengers for all*

p.s. as I didn't say it earlier (how rude!) Welcome to ALFA and good luck on your PC choice!

further to what cloud says, if you play on TSM there is an established Dwarf Group that play thursdays that would probably enjoy another member, alternately theres an elf group (I'm a member) that also would love another member! On BG there is an adventurers guild I believe though I'm unsure if they still play as a group, and on either server (it varies) there is also a group of Aurilites

This however doesn't limit your choice on what you play, just play whatever feels 'right' to you, and avoid getting too into back story for them till they hit level 3 or 4 (by which point life expectancey goes up!)

[doitskippy]

Sweet, I was actually looking at TSM as my starting point... and going with something simple like a human fighter/paladin/cleric... something typical and sturdy, and with clearly defined RP parameters so I can get into the rhythm of things before trying a more complex character down the road.

Anyone on in the U.S. West Coast (Pacific Time)? I'll mostly be playing in evenings and nights in this time zone, more so on the weekends I expect.

The Dwarf Group on Thursdays sounds pretty cool... however does joining up with them limit my ability to play outside of this arranged time?

I do have a question I haven't been able to find an answer for... if you find yourself with a sudden real life need for you to leave the computer, how do you handle this IC, especially if you're with a party? I have been reading the rules and player's guide but I'm not quite certain how to handle this IC.

Obviously I expect that planning ahead to not have to go AFK is the best way to overcome this for immersion purposes, but we all know things happen... how do you seasoned vets of ALFA handle that situation?

[dirsa]

I do have a question I haven't been able to find an answer for... if you find yourself with a sudden real life need for you to leave the computer, how do you handle this IC, especially if you're with a party? I have been reading the rules and player's guide but I'm not quite certain how to handle this IC.

i personally suggest a sudden attack of diarrhea... just grab your behind and run for the bushes. no-one will follow you with that excuse...

seriously though, it happens all the time, as was mentioned somewhere above most of us here are old(er), so rl reasons that can't be postponed (like a sudden attack of diarrhea ) come up all the time, and people just simply make up some urgent business in game and log.

as for groups - there's a low level group on tsm that plays est evenings/nights. some of us stay up quite late...

cheers!

[doitskippy]

i personally suggest a sudden attack of diarrhea... just grab your behind and run for the bushes. no-one will follow you with that excuse...

LMAO! I love it.

Thanks for the quick answer as well, glad to see such things are readily understood both IC and OOC.

Now to come up with a bunch of reasons why my character would have sudden attacks of diarrhea

[CloudDancing]

Oh for pity's sake!

If you need to go pee: (("I need a bio break # minutes"

If you need a snack : ((augh im dying of hunger, I need provisions!

People will wait!

Such as:

((My cat just dumped Mr. Pibb on the keyboard

((My kids are rioting'

((My wife is threatening to throw a shoe at my head if I dont get off the computer

[doitskippy]

Cloud, I somehow find your more logical and reasonable response less fun for IC play.

I like the idea of making a Dwarf Cleric with a case of irritable bowel syndrome just so I have a ready excuse should I have to AFK.

Apologies to anyone who actually has IBS and may be reading this. I mean no offense.

[johnlewismcleod]

There is a mixed race adventurer's guild on TSM, as well as House Invincible which is inexplicably low on PC's as well. Just roll up whatever seems it will be fun and jump IG...there will be plenty of opportunity for whatever you roll. Maybe he or she will even get lucky enough to have made a few IC friends so he or she can get a proper funeral when he or she meets *edited out*