Something to Consider

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:36 pm

The key to 'IC' awards is for them not to be 'IC' and for them to strike a balance between being 'worth something' and 'tipping the scales'.

Once a PC is put in play, giving them rewards IC for actions OOC is detrimental to continuity, having to explain how this is coming about IC, divesting additional DM resources to an 'elite group' of PCs, as Mayhem says.

And how do we avoid the 'bare minimum' trap that Mayhem speaks of?

There is also simply the fear of someone else 'getting something' that you can't get. Course, IMO, that's simply how life works. You do something, you get something. Work for reward.

FI wrote up this thing for 'rewarding' contibutors... don't know where she posted it, but it looked fairly reasonable to me

Maybe if people ask her, she'll post it for folks to see.

Ultimately, you are going to have people who are dead set against this sort of thing regardless of how reasonable it is, their minds are closed. Identify who those people are and stop addressing their posts.

That actually goes for a lot of issues. You'll never convince them, stop trying.

Demson · Post by **Demson** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:37 pm

If it's DM-oriented, I would see merrit in it. All the recent talk of XP and GP rewards might have thrown me off.

As long as it's story and plot-oriented, I see how it could work. Since they've helped built anyway, they're in a good position to get plots and the server 'story' off the ground. In that way it'll faciliate the non-contributors too, by giving them not only a playground with playthings but also kids to play with and games to participate in.

Let exp and gp awards as an after thought, though. You're right that if I'm not concerned with it I shouldn't be worried, but if many of my fellow roleplayers are oriented towards gold and experience, it would become worrisome anyway.

Not to say that experience and gold should be banned, just keep the focus on story progression and character development, please.

Still, above all... Be nice. It does wonders, trully.

psycho_leo · Post by **psycho_leo** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:45 pm

JaydeMoon wrote: FI wrote up this thing for 'rewarding' contibutors... don't know where she posted it, but it looked fairly reasonable to me

This may be the thread you're looking for. It's the only one I recall anyway.

danielmn · Post by **danielmn** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:49 pm

Demson, I wholeheartedly agree. If a week is to be given to contributors, it should be a week of interaction with dm's, plot building and character building. No additional perks required. The notion that it is not to be allowed because everyone should have an equal chance to be top dog on a server is troublesome to me...in that the mindset of top dog is even occuring in someones mind. THat mindset can be put away today, because I garuntee you'll have a few immigrants from TSM checking out other servers once they go live, many of them beyond level 2 or 3...so you'll already have this "elite" thing going on, if that is how you choose to veiw your fellow players. For my own self, I know plenty of elite players on TSM...and levels have nothing to do with that status...the RP does.

Lusipher · Post by **Lusipher** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:49 pm

Im not advocating we give in game gold and XP to people who contribute. Im saying give them a week to just be able to play ahead of everyone else. Who cares if they get a head start. They deserve it for at least being one of the few folks in this community to help. If they can get in on some DM loving during that week they are only on then the XP and gold they get is worth it to me. Dms still have to follow standards and what they get for one weeks worth of playing ahead of a Live server isnt going to be that much.

Some of you people act like the world is coming to an end

Its a gesture of thanks for actually helping. You give and the server team gives back. I dont see why thats a big deal.

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:08 pm

I wouldn't have a problem with Lusipher's idea. I mean you'd basically have to start with a new character anyway, so I don't think a lot of people would take advantage of it.

Rick's one is a bit iffy though... Anyone who has created 20 exterior areas starts with a level 5 character!

Brokenbone · Post by **Brokenbone** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:11 pm

I agree with Misty's initial post. Doesn't cost anyone, anything, to be civil, welcoming, etc.

Don't know where all the "contribution rewards" stuff came from, but there are threads that discuss it in fair detail.

In sum, civility / friendliness is a supportable value.

JaydeMoon · Post by **JaydeMoon** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:19 am

Brokenbone is a big jerk-head! Where does he come off, trying to rerail this thread?!?

MorbidKate · Post by **MorbidKate** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:55 am

NickD wrote:Anyone who has created 20 exterior areas starts with a level 5 character!

Do you have any idea just how long it takes to fully develop 20 exterior areas?

People who build for a server do it at the expense of in-game time themselves... for the benefit of everyone else so I'm certainly not against the concept of rewarding contributors with some XP if that's what it takes to attract more. The talent pool to draw from has never been so shallow as the talkers continue to put off actual contributors so new ideas or incentives shouldn't be dismissed so easily.

Kate

Rick7475 · Post by **Rick7475** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 2:07 am

NickD wrote:I wouldn't have a problem with Lusipher's idea. I mean you'd basically have to start with a new character anyway, so I don't think a lot of people would take advantage of it.

Rick's one is a bit iffy though... Anyone who has created 20 exterior areas starts with a level 5 character!

Holy crap! The only one in all of ALFA whose even close to have or has built 20 areas in NWN2 is Indio. I haven't even built 20 exterior areas.

And BTW, as far as I am concerned, Indio deserves a level 5 character for all he has contributed to this community.

Put it in perspective folks, what I am advocating is not a whole lot, if you go by what was done in TSM. Perhaps 6 people built interiors that were not hardass builders like Indio and myself. That would be only 2000 exp or so divided among 6 regular players / DM's. Wynna build massive interiors, Indio built tonnes of exteriors and interiors, and I built a little bit. Indio, myself, Wynna, and a few others, amounting to less than a few percentage points of all of ALFA practically build TSM and brought ALFA a NWN2 server, and all that time fixing bugs and building and building and building we have never got a chance to play. In the mean time, while we were building more and more areas and statics and fixing bugs, players got to earn lots of exp and get to level 4 and 5 if they did not die. Which brings up another point, with the 300 or 500 exp how do you even know that will help a level 1 or 2 PC survive in the first place, it could all be just wasted on a PC death.

And, of course, I didn't even factor in all the under the hood stuff the tech guys built, Cipher and AL and others.

Rick7475 · Post by **Rick7475** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 2:10 am

And as a postscript, sadly, some highly talented builders who built what I would call fabulous interiors were actually rejected by members of the TSM team. I couldn't believe it when I saw the interiors that were rejected. Fortunately they saved those interiors to be used on WD. Because....wow.

Lusipher · Post by **Lusipher** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 2:13 am

You should see all the hard work Morbidkate has done on Felbarr. I know for a fact shes worked her ass off on it. Its all done to canon from the Pdf and looks great. Shes working on interiors now. All her work is keeping us from gaming

LancasterX_2 · Post by **LancasterX_2** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:35 am

I have only seen a DM once on TSM, hell, I build whatever you like for exp.

Misty · Post by **Misty** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:35 am

no where did I claim being polite is the panacea for ALFA's ills. It is merely the beginning.

My point was that it will take a community-wide effort to keep new members. Will you, ALFA, help? Or decide it's not your job to be nice and expect someone else to do it?

danielmn · Post by **danielmn** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:52 am

For you Misty, I'll play nice.