Player focused Northdark Content

[Sandermann]

As NU is nearing beta I would like to canvas some opinion towards what the players base would like to see.

Please post your suggestions below, we are primarily interested in what roles/groups/factions you may like to see for your character to join but if there is an area or region you would like to see developed more then please say so.

We will not be focusing our attention on drow or duergar noble houses.Concepts for drow or duergar nobles will not be accepted, so please do not suggest that one.

For a full list of whats already on our plans see the NU proposal post here:
http://www.alandfaraway.org/forums/view ... 65&t=45341

edit:NU is up for testing btw, check gamespy or DC on 86.146.222.124:5121.
Normal ALFA player password.

[dergon darkhelm]

First, thanks for building! This is very exciting and I very much that I get to visit this server as an ALFA player!

That said, before the nature of NU content can be adequately addressed ALFA needs to have a full conversation about the future of the 1PC rule.

I know that the possibility of expanding to allow an adiitional UD PC to an exisiting surface PC has been casually discussed, but this needs to be fully discussed and settled before content is developed.

If the status quo remains, then I would hope that the player content would be primarily directed for use by surface PC adventurers as opposed to a underdarker PC player base. To have it built for UD PCs and then to keep the 1 PC rule would serve to split an already small player base. Travel in/out of the UD is the most unlikely cross server travel if NU is built for UD PCs.

I know that this is a sensitive subject, but it really needs to be worked through up front I think.

[Sandermann]

I've said my piece on the 1 or 2 PC rule and will say no more.

Please, please keep this on topic. I am going to find it very hard to build a player focused server if I dont have the input to do so

Irrespective of the one or two PC rule it is our intention to build with the focus on adventuring parties, with a handful of resident PCs. We'd like a few residents at least, if only because those residents will be the best way for a surface party to survive, as it avoids the needs for a DM to provide an NPC to guide or show PCs how things work in the realms below.

Incidentally, if anyone has a concept in mind theyd like to play on NU (irrespective of one or two PCs) shoot me a PM and we can discuss things.

[dergon darkhelm]

.... it is our intention to build with the focus on adventuring parties, with a handful of resident PCs.

Perfect.


That's all I had to hear to get an idea of where you're going. Now let me think and come back soon with some actual ideas.

[dergon darkhelm]

Now thinking on that I would love to see factions and groups that would encourage PCs to cross servers.

Slavers Organization: This could be open to a wide variety of non-good PCs wishing to bring slaves from the surface to the UD.

"Travel guides" faction: This would be a great function for the resident PCs who know the tunnels and lend passage (safe or not ) to surface players.

Exotics trade: Similar to slavers this would encourage cross- server traffiking. Maybe even tie it in to the (DM moderated) crafting of specialty items.

[Blindhamsterman]

treasure hunts calling them that might sound a bit weird, but maybe random chance for 'maps' to appear in certain places/shops. These maps MIGHT be genuine or they might be fake, the give a hint on some random area in the wilds to travel to which in turn may have another map randomly spawn. Which in turn could lead to Loot Tokens, item tokens or whatever else.

((huge fan of MSs loot token system, dont have statics give actual loot, have it give tokens which players submit to DMs for a reward, would also allow you guys to decide if you want to make players make random rolls etc)

The above could be a lot of fun, and would certainly require groups to do, considering the likelyhood of death if travelling the underdark alone!

[Heero]

The 2 PC thing is like an ominous cloud hanging over the server, and I agree that this is going to play a part in who/what you should cater to down there. I actually just spiked a PC in the trash in anticipation of playing a UD character so I wouldnt become too attached, but I cant see those other people that might have an interest in playing UD doing the same. But assuming you get enough UD PCs to run a UD group, here are my suggestions:

Knowing the server is going to revolve around Mantol Derith, Id like to the expected, per cannon, conflict between certain UD races and their traditional surface enemies. I dont mean conflict in the form of CvC between those players, but rather conflict in terms of plotline goals for varying factions. Id hate to see Mantol Derith overrun with surface elf and dwarf PCs every time there is a DM event on the server. Simply put, I cannot see a surface elf casually strolling into the market, Mantol Derith protected trade laws or not. I feel the same is true for dwarves - a dwarf aint just gonna walk into a duergar market and say, "Whats up, guys?".

I think you could make good use of Shevarash worshippers, both as antagonists for UD PCs to be pitted against by the Drow, and as protagonists for plotlines revolving around surface elves and other goodies coming from TSM to take the fight to the drow (or anything, really, to secure their foothold down there - ie clear out bases of operation, scouting, trade/slavery disruption, etc.). I can see the possibility of tons of plotlines and possibilities with these crazies.

The same conflict isnt true for other surface PCs, however. I think itd be perfectly plausible for humans, halflings, etc. to be sent down and given tasks by the Zhents or even drow and duergar in establishing their footholds and trade interests in the region. I like Dergon's idea of things involving less than savory PCs crossing servers - maybe for slave organizations and exotic goods trade, etc.

Edit: You also have a dark horse in the remaining smurfs to task the goodies with things in secret to help them out.

And kuo-toa. I want to see and kill hordes of fishmen then wear their skin as remembrance of my great victories.

PS Ill shoot you a PM about my character goals down there soon.

[dergon darkhelm]

It will definately be a difficult task to balance surface PCs and UD PCs who almost certainly will end up on the opposite side of plots.

With that in mind, perhaps physical separation of the places where surfacers would be more readily welcomed and the places where native UD PCs would congregate should be built in (as opposed to having one city meant to be the focal point for both groups).

I don't know much of the geography or canon to give more precise advisement though.

____

Things draw surface factions to thge UD:

Elves: there is pretty much always an elven faction in ALFA that waxes and wanes in size over time. Some small faction of surface (? Shevarash?) NPCs (perhaps fighting some Vhaerun types that are harassing their lands up top).

Dwarves: Same here....almost always a group of dwarves on ALFA. Same basic priciple. Prebuild some NPCS surface dwarves to act as a focal interaction point for PCs that come down to the UD.

[Blindhamsterman]

Elves: there is pretty much always an elven faction in ALFA that waxes and wanes in size over time. Some small faction of surface (? Shevarash?) NPCs (perhaps fighting some Vhaerun types that are harassing their lands up top).

true, more than once a few of us have had conversations of venturing down. However currently only two 'high' level elves remain, with two on hiatus that may or may not return. There are a few Elves at 'mid' levels in ALFA terms though, so certainly something good to run with.

Elvens (and Drow) is something Sand knows a helluva lot about though, so i trust that if such things are put in they'll be done with skill and be awesome

[Heero]

Umm...

What year is ALFA? Do the smurf survivors from Blindingstone live in Silverymoon now, or has that not happened yet? If so, there is a crapload of plotlines from both surfacers and smurfs PCs right there. All those events can begin with, "A gnome walks into a cave...". Imagine the possibilities for awesome!

[dergon darkhelm]

Umm...

What year is ALFA? Do the smurf survivors from Blindingstone live in Silverymoon now, or has that not happened yet? If so, there is a crapload of plotlines from both surfacers and smurfs PCs right there. All those events can begin with, "A gnome walks into a cave...". Imagine the possibilities for awesome!

It's 1378 DR

http://www.alandfaraway.org/forums/view ... 78#p538444

Not sure when the things you talk about occurred, but there's always some liberty that can be taken with timeline

[Heero]

Then yea, Blingdenstone be 7 years kaput.

[Sandermann]

Yeah, Blingdenstone is dead and gone.

Mantol Derith probably wont be the player hub in live, for the simple reason that access is limited by secret password (those whove tested the server have seen how this works)

We are putting in Mantol Derith, a similar but open settlement controlled mainly by the Zhents in Dead Dragon Gorge (non-canon), parts of the Drow city of Menzoberranzan and the Duergar city of Graklstugh, and a small sheild dwarf mining settlement.

Something cross server involving slaving or other activities that, if discovered, would essentially make your PC KoS need to be treated with care but are certainly possible. We are also intending to script a gladiatorial arena where you can enter your salves (or your own PC if you want to take the risk) into fights to the death.

I am not a fan of "loot tokens" personally, though I do like the "treasure hunt" idea, it could work well with our intention to open and close different non-essential areas of the server periodically.

Non-Duergar dwarves would be "safe" (that term always being relative in the underdark of course) in most areas unless they go head to head with the Duergar priesthood or nobility or go shouting off against what goes on in the UD. They /could/ even enter Graklstugh, probably not a good idea to hang around too long though.

non-drow elves would have a very hard time if they meet any drow anywhere. Entering Menzo would be suicide. That said if they play it safe, move in a party and dont start mouthing off they can probably get through alive, we're focusing on adventurers and that tends to be a fairly cosmopolitan community.

Humans, Halflings and Surface gnomes will be able to go most settled places without too much bother.

[Vendrin]

I'd suggest opening up a limited number of drow houses/factions for players to join in, to shepard them together.

[Blindhamsterman]

non-drow elves would have a very hard time if they meet any drow anywhere. Entering Menzo would be suicide. That said if they play it safe, move in a party and dont start mouthing off they can probably get through alive, we're focusing on adventurers and that tends to be a fairly cosmopolitan community.

while most elves would not dream of it, what about using alter self to appear as a drow would?

Thinking along the lines of the Ancestral Avenger PRC from 3.0, Elf ranger types, dedicated to battling drow that do the above to infiltrate drow cities etc.


How about making Elves KOS in Drow Cities, and dwarves KOS in duergar cities, with perhaps a check for a token of some kind (or spell effect?) to allow a way around this.