Exodus Integration : A Poll

[Rotku]

As talks progress with Exodus, we're on to discussing how to deal with the 2-PC problem, for those who are a member of both community (ALFA PC and Exodus PC). As much as we talk and discuss these points, it comes a time when it pays to get opinions from a wider basis. So here we go.

The following are the main options presented, for merging the PCs together. Please read them over, give them some thought, then tick one (or more) of the boxes above.

Option 1: Never bridge the servers. Keep the PC pools separate, even though the player pool is shared. Each player is permitted a PC in each world, but PCs may not cross over from one to the other.

Option 2: Bridge the servers. Each player is permitted a PC in each world, but if they choose to have a PC on both sides of the bridge, neither PC can cross the bridge. As long as they have only one PC, it's free to travel without this restriction.

Option 3: Players can have dual PCs, but after a 6-month trial period they must choose which PC they want to keep, and retire all extras. Until then, the travel restriction would apply.

Option 4:: Players can have dual PCs until one of them dies (with no other time limit), but then they'll be held to the "one PC" rule. Until then, the travel restriction would apply

Option 5: A combination of 3 and 4.

Further Options:
There are a couple of further options that I havne't included in the poll. First, is that people with a PC in both exodus and ALFA would be forced to retire one. I haven't included because it simply won't fly with the Exodus group.

[I-KP]

Hm. A bit divisive this seeing as this issue would only ever affect a very small number of individuals, but as potentially one such affected individual I voted for #4: it hurts no-one, doesn't damage server integrity and is eventually self-correcting as far as adhering to the 'One Character, One Player' ethic is concerned.

[Lucifer]

I personally like 2..if one PC died..the other could cross or you could roll another..however you wished. If you wanted one to cross you could retire the other..gives the Player the option..also..really For me with my schedule..sometimes i can play different chars on the other server. Also..There are people..who If I RPed only "one" char..that I would rarely get to play with anymore. Hopping servers would be frowned on anyway..

The other choice I favor would be one..only because I see future arguments on which group should "change" so differing views on "rules" will mesh from one server to another.

How it is now is good..a lot of compromise will be needed to change it and keep everyone happy.

[Blindhamsterman]

I voted 4. Seems the most fair option, allowing those with one in each to keep them both, while enforcing the 1 PC rule once one of them dies

[Keryn]

Any works for me if in the end we go towards a full integration with one PC alone able to walk all ALFA servers and at that Amn as part of it aswell, I voted 2, but considering some folks have two PCs 3 would sit well with me aswell.

[Dorn]

Vault wipe and we all start again! I'm willing to sacrifice my L1 char....

seriously? Option 4. Easiest way of not worrying about exp and item and goldbalance issues (which can result in crazy community fights we've avoided for a long time) and ends up with one pc.

[thinkpig]

Having more than one character in our shared world is something I don't like. I can see a 6 month time limit but I'm amazed people are voting for option four at all. If someone has powerful characters in both worlds they can probably make them last indefinitely, seems like there could be a special two or three players that end up with two PCs, which would be unfair.

This is coming from a player that has fun characters in both worlds.

[Keryn]

Having more than one character in our shared world is something I don't like. I can see a 6 month time limit but I'm amazed people are voting for option four at all. If someone has powerful characters in both worlds they can probably make them last indefinitely, seems like there could be a special two or three players that end up with two PCs, which would be unfair.

This is coming from a player that has fun characters in both worlds.

Giving it a time limit to make a choice would in the end make it. though that goes towards another option I guess, Option 3 does seem to be the more reasonable. I see where you come from, but what I like the most is that we all seem to be looking forward to a full integration or at least 90% of the votes despite the ways to do it, aim for integration.

[Aitana]

I do not understand why it is even an option to discuss/vote on having two pc's. This has been a rule in alfa since before I can remember, and something we have enforced strictly. So much that it would be something we would ban over.

I am all for changes and improving our community. The merge with exodus is great news, but having the option of more than one pc is really rather silly and I can only see complications later on. I am really rather surprised how the votes are going as of now.

[Keryn]

i think option three offers a good compromise. *nods*

[Swift]

Option 3. While 2 PCs would be nice, it just isn't 'ALFA'. On the other hand, it would not be fair to force those with PCs on both sides to retire one immediately, though I would rather see the time limit lowered to 3 months.

[Rotku]

Just FYI:
In the twilight days of NWN1, ALFA did allow a second PC, so long as the second PC was a campaign PC (ie. stayed on one server and was involved in a regular DMed campaign). This 2nd PC was even allowed to start at post-1 levels. So to say that One Player, One PC is a rule that has always been firmly enforced is not completely true. Status quo as an argument has never held ground with me.

[mr duncan]

Option 3.

I would rather see the time limit lowered to 3 months.

Well said

[Regalis]

TSM, BG, and Ahm is 3. Moonshae and WHL would make 5. Some of the alpha ALFA servers may eventually see the light of day.

Meanwhile, the NWN2 player community will slowly dwindle, and ALFA isn't for everyone.

If you want to have a viable player-base for 5 servers and beyond, some form of compromise may prove necessary. I suspect a well crafted compromise, beyond the scope of ALFA-Exodus, would do much to strengthen the community in the long run. Clearly, players should never have multiple PCs on a server at the same time or within a short time frame of each other (no shell games). But is server-hopping with one PC a better option? Otherwise, people that play on ALFA now may elect to go with their Exodus characters, bleeding the TSM and BG base. Then the new servers will leave beta, further diluting the player bases. Servers take a lot of effort to create and usually money to host. It would be a shame to see that much wasted effort.

I will second Rotku's sentiments on bards and this thread. I read an article for my first character's fantasy job (financial services) where the author said "better we should react out of fear and ignorance and follow the old ways" with a link to the trial scene from Planet of the Apes. I am not implying that anyone is acting out of either fear or ignorance, merely that continuing to do something because it has always been that way is a dubious argument. Read Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" if Planet of the Apes doesn't convince you.

One of the reasons I came here was because I find altitis to be irksome, but I see no compelling arguments--or really arguments at all--for why there should only be one character in the whole of Faerun. People will simply find another server unrelated to split their time with, as some were doing between ALFA and Exodus to begin with. What's the point of the merger then? To add more content when there is only so much content the community can populate? To deepen or enrich both communities by decreasing the number of PCs in an absolute sense between of the two of them? To have even fewer options to group up with?

A full merger seems all manner of foolish under that context. Has a census been done to see how many people having overlapping characters? Do we know just how many characters we'll be culling from the two communities if option 3 or 4 go into effect? It seems to me the results could be disastrous if the overlap is greater than anticipated. Uninformed decisions are dangerous.

[Sandermann]

Just FYI:
In the twilight days of NWN1, ALFA did allow a second PC, so long as the second PC was a campaign PC (ie. stayed on one server and was involved in a regular DMed campaign). This 2nd PC was even allowed to start at post-1 levels. So to say that One Player, One PC is a rule that has always been firmly enforced is not completely true. Status quo as an argument has never held ground with me.

We have in the past also allowed retired PCs be played again for specific single events. PC weddings, funerals and other important social gatherings.

I am for option 4, though effectively I think the difference between 3 and 4 is academic. For the vast majority option 4 would mean they are back to one PC before 6 months and I think that once the servers are physcially linked most players will come to favour one PC over another.

Regalis: Characters get "culled" all the time. Options 3 and 4 allow that to happen in the natural course of play to get us back to one PC in a timely fashion. We do not have the one PC rule for fear of muling or cheating, it is because having only one PC means the player focuses on that PC, that PCs aims and that PCs character in entirety.