An alternative to the OAS

[Thangorn]

Worse comes to worse and everything falls to pieces, we can always back step and put a password up again.

'tis true.. this affects you US and EURO timezone people more anyway.. its not like Rots and I are going to see much more action out of this .. I imagine the servers are still going to be deader en dead at our play times..

[Galadorn]

I get by fine with little to no one on. I just like walking around and sittin' by campfires. It's relaxing for me. If any of you could walk a day in my shoes where I work, boy you'd be itching to sit by even a virtual campfire and just plain do nothing for hours.

This all being said, I always did police new players (nicely, tactfully and supportively) since NWN1 ALFA, as well as initiating any support in-game with RP.

I am on alot, and would be more than happy to pass out warnings to new players if DMs allowed me too, i'd screenshot as much as possible, and i'd even go so far as be as bold as to ask for the power to be able to boot them too in the face of pure disregrad of the old school rules like running, or griefing. I'm not worried about up to three level 3s jumping my PC either in case it ever came to that as well.

I don't want DM powers simply because i'd not want to know secrets about other PCs - so I don't want to have access to any of that...but i've been here a long time and would only do the above suggested stuff with the desire to help out only within any "open server" areas.

I'm sure others may think this is a ridiculous suggestion. but I think of it only as a perfectly useful and helpful suggestion as I know i'd never abuse anything of the sort.

Open them up!
We need peeps.

[I-KP]

I get by fine with little to no one on. I just like walking around and sittin' by campfires. It's relaxing for me. If any of you could walk a day in my shoes where I work, boy you'd be itching to sit by even a virtual campfire and just plain do nothing for hours.

Communist.

[hollyfant]

Please, please, please let's not make more rules, limitations or barriers. If people didn't mind those, they'd already be playing here. This'll only work if we open up alll of a server, and preferably all servers. Even a level cap would have to be pretty high: level three can be reached within days by a dedicated gamer, and sounds like peanuts to people who are used to PG servers anyway.

Open up ALFA, advertise it widely, and get ready to mop up. And let's see where that got us in two months.

(And make sure the forum is at least readable too.)

[t-ice]

While there is no way to automate a substitute for a living person to RP with, it would be great if the scripted quests the oblivious newcomers will first run into would somehow tutorial and guide in the correct direction of RP, as opposed to the "Hack,slash and PG like everywhere else". Not sure how to go about this, though. Especially it needs to be in a way that it can be supported by "trusted" players as opposed to DMs, since the time of the latter is always at high demand everywhere.

[Veilan]

In-game theater classes!

[ElCadaver]

Servers like "Baldurs Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast", have RP'ers and non-Rpers co-existing harmoniously (I play there), and if anything I've found it encourages RP by the non-RPers, because they get caught up in RP situations and actually have some fun.

And the other good thing I find is for RPers, those non RPers who constantly whiz by you are like people walking down the street. (I can actually ignore the fact they are running now (at first I spent several days in the fetal position in the shower after seeing so many people running in game)) They are the extras in the movie, who make you feel like you are in a living breathing world.

Obviously, this works because there is only really one thing that is heavily enforced, both by DMs and the player base: Courtesy.

My former comments on the topic were from my ALFA lobe.

[Tridisus]

To chip in...

NWN2 really isnt for those first time newbs anymore... they have moved onto new grounds with so many mmorpgs out there offering free membership I think the idea that we have players hammering to get in to run amok is exaggerated.

If you think opening the servers will cause issues please log onto the dragoncoast where some of our recent (ex)players have gone!!!
Dragoncoast, I have logged on here for interior inspiration one of the best looking worlds out there. It is very focused on rp and it shows it. Everyone was walking around (infact I was the only one running!) all the rp is the same as here the only difference is that they have 30times the players and a shed load of statics. And I can imagine the same is said for Baldurs Gate: Tales of the sword coast (again very nicely made!)

As a DM I don’t mind acting as the police. Infact I did this on EXODUS when we did open server months.

Trid’s final thought:
With another 2 servers in beta isn’t it time we tried and got a few more players so that those who pour time and energy into the toolset actually had players enjoying their creations? Build and they will come?

[maxcell]

One of the amazing things about the old girl, oas, was that being open as it was, many, many, Many gamers were well aware of what type of game they liked to play and what type of gamer they were. If they wanted hack n slash, they realized it wasnt happening here so they moved on. If they were constantly running their characters everywhere and were frustrated by how slowly the rest of the party was walking down the road, they moved on. If they really wanted to rush in ahead of their group, open the chest, and take all the loot rather than take a moment to discuss what everyone could and should do then play out the plan...then they missed the trap and died, then moved on.

But a surprising thing happened quite often.
Some of the above observed roleplaying for the very first time and the suspense of creeping through a dungeon, spying on a group of kobolds, and planning a concerted attack gripped them so hard, they stayed and got better.
Some found themselves walking along roads with characters who were made so alive and real by their players, that they felt moved by their contact and they wanted more. So they stayed and developed thier own characters.
Some found that instead of dying all the time, they could find others in game that had different skills than their characters so when they worked as a team, the rewards they gained were so much more valuable to them and meaningful. Some of them stayed, and learned that some things are worth the wait.

A similar openness in some form, could surely only help us all have more fun in the end.

[Castano]

Max and Trid are right. +2

[RangerDeWood]

from my own experience on the OAS, i have to agree with max. we had our share of nuts running around and making a mess (i just recently dug up the notebook i used for notes and shuddered at the memories some of the names brought up), but most of them were more than willing to learn and a vast majority of players who logged onto the OAS eventually made it into ALFA proper.

the only issues i have with ALFA having all open servers is that, though they are few, there will still be those nutters who ruin the fun for everyone, which could drive away other prospective members before they get to see what ALFA is really like (especially if they're locked into a starter area). one of the great things about the OAS was that we had a team of very dedicated DMs who were online very frequently, myself included. when there were no DMs on, the OAS was a big waiting room with other PCs instead of outdated magazines. if we allow prospects to run around the entire server, this would alleviate that boredom, but would also lead to the n00bs running around the whole server.

a good point was made about NWN2 coming at a point where most powergaming hack 'n' slashers have moved on to more appropriate mediums, so i see no problem with making ALFA an open community. most players will show up, annoy us for a while, then move on. the ones that stay will be a great asset.

consequently, how are applications being handled currently, if there is no NWN2 OAS? I know, before i left, there was discussion of making an OAS for NWN2, but apparently it fell through.

[AcadiusLost]

consequently, how are applications being handled currently, if there is no NWN2 OAS? I know, before i left, there was discussion of making an OAS for NWN2, but apparently it fell through.

We had a NWN2 OAS for quite a while, based around Soubar, Dragonspear Castle, etc. Teric was the primary builder for it, and the content therein forms a hub of the Western Heartlands beta server presently. We definitely pulled in a number of good members that way, but had continual problems with staffing the OAS2, as well as some difficulties finding a consistent host for it. I don't recall who officially pulled the plug on it, but at that point it wasn't being utilized much at all by players or DMs.

Applications continue as they have via written apps through the website; we also did a membership pooling with the "Exodus" PW, such that members there were automatically accepted for ALFA, and vice versa.