First off, I'd just like to state that I am relatively new to ALFA. That being said, I also wish to add that this post is only meant to portray the perspective of someone new to the servers.
I've played D&D since.. well.. since it was D&D. Following that, I played AD&D. After that, I branched out and tried many, many other RPGs. Honestly, though, none of them compared to D&D (as a franchise, not as a specific edition). I love to put on my creative hat and adopt a character's persona as I untangle myself from the mess of some sinister DM and all his NPC lackies. I equally love to grab a pen and paper and stay up until the sun comes up, planning and plotting my own DM sessions. I've role-played for many years. It's something I absolutely love to do, and it's something I intend to keep doing. Who can blame me? It's just great!
Anyway, I came upon ALFA only a couple of months ago, while randomly going through a couple of different NWN2 servers. It's been a couple of years since I last played an online RPG that was as intensely focused on role-playing as I normally like, and so ALFA immediately caught my attention. I rolled up a character, wrote up an application, and jumped on the OAS2. Here's a general summary of the way I see things now.
** Let me add this: My current computer is a couple of years old, and is proving incapable of playing ALFA as smoothly and fluidly as I would like, especially in the large areas like Silverymoon. Therefore, I've put my character on hold while assembling a new behemoth of a gaming computer. Instead of playing, I've been helping out with a couple of small build projects, which has allowed me to meet some of the other builders on IRC, as well as faithfully following the forums. **
My first impression with ALFA was, unfortunately, not the best. I logged into the OAS2 and started exploring. All together, I do not think I clocked that many hours in total. But there were reasons for that. The OAS2w as empty. Almost always. Absolutely empty. And, as we all know, RP'ing by yourself can only go so far. It was only by sheer power of persistance that I forced myself to keep logging in. Only once did I meet another player, and that was AL. He answered some questions for me and we talked briefly, and he definitely helped to keep my interest sparked. Granted, several days later, when I still wasn't approved, my interest was quickly fading. I checked the listing a couple of times a day, and, noting that the OAS2 was empty, most often decided not to bother logging in. How could I demonstrate my RP'ing, when there was no one to RP with? It seemed pointless, and it was not that enjoyable when I did log in. I wanted to RP with others... not run around an empty server.
Finally, I did get approved. By this time, I think I had already lost interest. There were a million games out there, and while they were not as heavily focused on RP, at least they had others to play with. I believe it was an email saying I had been accepted that drew me back.
At last, I finally logged into TSM. I was eager and definitely interested again at this point. Unfortunately, it's true; there are few players. It seems to me that most players only log in when there is a dm event going on, which I later learned (via the forums) are generally pre-planned and scheduled gaming slots that typically involve pre-planned and specific characters. Anyway, I was unsatisfied with the way my computer was handling the server, so I decided to put my character on hold while I assemble my new one.
But I still read the forums, almost daily. Here is the impression I have.
Especially in the forums, there seems to be a lot of arguing. And not constructive arguing, but slandering and back-handed comments. I am all for constructive arguing. If one person presents an idea and a group then throws it around amongst themselves, it often times produces an amazing idea. Different people feed different perspectives and ideas into it and it help to really flesh it out. More than anything, I think the pessimistic arguing (dare I say whining?) that seems to pop up from time to time is most certainly disheartening. As a new player, I thought I would be coming into a group of friends who gather together and play a game they all enjoy, with friends they enjoy, in ways that they enjoy. Granted, not all people will get a long at all times, but, honestly... We're adults. For the most part, I think most of the ALFAns understand and embody that. But for the odd time when it seems like a childish tantrum, it may serve to drive players away, as they seek a different level of maturity. And, quite frankly, if you don't enjoy the game you're playing with the people you're playing with... play something else
Another opinion of mine is that trust seems to be in seriously short supply. There can be rules and regulations and scripts and codes and so on for days to ensure that no one ever does a specific action or commits a certain 'crime'. Again, we're all adults. It seems to me that a lot of the rules and barriers that have been created are unnecessary. Sure, someone may role-play something totally innappropriate. But, at the end of the day, it shouldn't really be that big of a deal. If someone does something completely indecent and inappropriate, it's relatively easy to fix. A simple 'mental block' of the event can go a long way in 'forgetting' that crazy halfling sorcerer who kept rambling about the weather in Chicago. I think it's extremely important that people be given that degree of trust. If they breach it, then they either prove they're unfit to continue playing on the servers, or they're warned and asked to conduct themselves in a way a little more fitting to the game.
I think the forbiddance of DM's having PC's is an excellent example of this. I don't think it should be a cause for concern. We are all privelaged to meta-information. In fact, if we did not have a dragon's horde of it to begin with, we wouldn't have come up with the colorful and varied character concepts that we have. But we're adults. I can trust that another player isn't going to abuse any meta-knowledge they may have, because I am working under the assumption that they are playing for the same reasons I wish to: to have fun. Just from reading the forums, I have gained a pretty decent understanding of a few characters. I know of a certain friar of Lathander. And a cleric of Bane. And a couple of dwarves. But it doesn't mean that my new character when I create it will go into the game with that information. And I trust that, should another player abuse that sort of information, they will face the appropriate consequences. I'm an adult, playing a RPG. I love RP'ing, and I think I'm mature enough to keep it simply as a game, and not take it personally. Nor, as a relatively good person at heart, do I feel the need to cheat to get ahead.
And there seems to be an AWFUL lot of bureaucracy. A lot of people getting upset. A lot of inequality. And all of this stemming from a game. At first, I thought ALFA would be a place where many (dozens? hundreds?) of players have contributed to bring the Forgotten Realms to life. Basically a commonplace we could all come to and have fun. Small groups working and playing simultaneously in a massive world that we can all (if we choose to) help create. I an understand the need for 'the ulimate say in things' on certain occaisions. For instance, someone needso have the power to expel someone from the game if that person is simply making it less enjoyable for everyone else around them, with the sole purpose of making it less enjoyable. I say, do it. Kick them out. But I don't think that it is necessary to monitor and regulate every possible type of behaviour. There seem to be way too many rules. I agree that rules help to create and sustain order. But, honestly, what is the total player base right now that plays on TSM on a regular basis? Does it really require so many rules an regulations? Wouldn't it be easier if people operated on the understanding that we all want to be here and we all want to play in a game with the sam fundamental basics? It seems like the idea of the game itself is being lost beneath the ideas of rule enforcement and bureaucracy. It looks to be a lot less fun when it appears to need such strict control.
I know there has been some debate as to the current state of things in ALFA, and this post is solely intended to present the perspective of a single player who is new to help the more veteran players and admin understand what it is when we enter. So here are a couple of suggestions.
1. Drop the OAS2.
I completely understand the idea behind it. It helps to maintain a certain level of quality in the game. But, in my opinion, it does far more damage than good. Because of the OAS2, I almost lost interest in ALFA entirely. I can understand the need to maintain the quality, but the OAS2 does not suffice. There are no other players on it. How can it help determine the quality of RP when there is no one else to RP with? It seems redundant and inneffective. If even 10% of players leave ALFA before they've ever entered because of the OAS, that percentage seems a bit too high considering the lack of players now. Allow admission into the actual server. Judge a players ability to RP based on their actual RPing of their characters in a real game setting. For worst case scenarios, we simply forget and move on. If someone absurd or outrageous logs in... I'm sure they'll be forgotten soon enough. We all understand it is a game and we can all manage to look the other way if the need arises. At worst, a DM gets involved to help rectify an especially messy incident. Granted, it does run the risk of temporarily hindering the role-play environment. But it also bears with it unlimited potential benefits. Once the player base is re-established, then tighten the admission standards again if it's thought to be in ALFA's best interest.
2. Allow DMs to have PCs.
Yes, it runs the risk of abusing meta-information. But we're already equipped with meta-info and, I'd like to believe, we all keep that information out of game. I'll admit, I looked forward to eventually DMing in ALFA. But at the cost of being a player as well? That has definitely given me second thoughts. In fact, I've resumed work on a campaign I was doing for another friend. Time I could have been spending on improving ALFA was redirected because there are fears that players and DMs cannot be trusted. If I don't think I can trust the other players, I wouldn't play here. If I felt I could not trust the DMs, I would most definitely not play here. We're all in it for the same goal, and that's to have fun. And, as I've stated above, if someone does abuse it, they should suffer the consequences. If DM Debbie uses her character to undermine a top secret plot of Player Pete that she learned while DMing... then I trust the other dms to punish her for it, perhaps even stripping her of her dm-hood.
3. Give the benefit of the doubt
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But tend pounds of prevention seems a little like overkill. It seems there is less and less the likelihood to trust. Granted, Wynna could undoubtably write up the most complex scripts ever to counter the fact that Player Pete has repeatedly run the same quest. But should she have to? I'd rather she didn't waste her time on it. She's got a brilliant creative mind. Let her focus it on other things. Like new quests for Player Pete. And being the Big Boss Lady, a simple warning from her should suffice. "You know, Pete, the logs show you've done Quest X too many times in the past few days. How about giving it a break for a bit?" So Player Pete agrees and is more mindful of it the next time. Or, Player Pete ignores her. And, being capable of scriping pretty much anything, Wynna spends an hour or two writing a nice little surprise for Player Pete the next time he runs it....
Either way, my understanding of Wynna's position is that she was elected into it by her peers. We, as a majority, believed her to be the most trust worth and suitable to enforce her position. So, if she decides that Player Pete has to go... we acknowledge that we gave her that power. If we disagree, we ask her to rethink it.4. Focus on the fact that it's just a game
We all have busy lives. We all play as (I assume) a means to escape the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives and relax. To have fun. Please, stop complaining about x or y. Present it as a valid, intelligent argument and open it up for debate. If you don't get your way every time... well... tough. It's not all about you all the time. In a multiplayer game, you have to be willing to concede to someone else, at least once in a while!
Anyway, that's just how I see things. I will admit, I feel disheartened, after reading the forums so often. I came to play a game. Unfortunately, sometimes I'm left feeling like the game has been lost, before I had the chance to join. I still intend to play once my new computer is running, to at least give it another shot. And please, do not take any of this as a specific attack against anyone. This is just how I see things. I would love to log in and find twenty other players already online. But that hasn't happened for me yet. And unless the tension seems to diminish a little, I honestly don't know if that will happen. Being new, sometimes I feel like I've walked into the midst of a fist fight, at times. And, being new, I think my feelings and impression of ALFA are probably fairly similar to a lot of new people who join. Again, I'm just throwing this all out there so we can identify and analyze some of the problems that seem to be occurring.
Until I'm able to hop in play again... Happy gaming!
