Player run dungeons

[LancasterX_2]

All the admin and DM's are always pissin their pants over players farming and getting a few gold over their wealth limits that NOTHING drops or there are NO CHESTS with loot that makes a boring TSM for the groups of players who consider DM's to be like celebrities because they are so elusive and sought after yet never seen.

So lo and behold I have a great idea that is if the moderator cops dont ban me for having a potty mouth.

What if someone (even moi) were to build a nice SIMPLE KISS KISS dungeon with lots bad guys and loot and treasure chests and traps and other crap like why DnD was invented in the first place that spans a couple of floors of INTERIOR space. Then it gets attached to a cave entrance along the road somewhere, or under a ruin, or somewhere a dungeon might be.

Now, the difference with this dungeon is that:

1. It has a finite wealth, say 500 gold, 1000gold, or 5000 gold, that the builder can set, or a DM can quickly pop in and change ANYTIME during the day por week.

2. The monsters and wealth can be changed by a DM quickly to adjust for a level party (save level 5 party, level 1 party)

3. The dungoen door will be locked! No one can get in unless they have a key. SO NO EFFING FARMING!!

4. The key is held by a DM.

So, now, here is how it works. A group of 3 - 5 players who rarely see a DM (like me) can PM the HDM or some other DM and say they want to go on a dungeon crawl on Thursday evening at 9:30 EST. The DM gives the player a key the day before at a prearranged time. The DM logs who got the key in case there is any funny business.

Loot and monsters will be OBJECTS not spawns so they can easily be dropped in and taken out without all the scripting overhead and learning cliff for those regular players that arent software enginners and C++ gurus that may actually want to contribute and build a dungeon.

Now, the group has a key to the dungeon that they can explore in a player run dungeon crawl and get LOOT!!!!!! and EXP !!!!!!!!!!! Since the DM has determined the loot level and the monster level, there should be no farming and no wealth limit problems. When the party is finished an awesome adventure without DMs than the player with the key locks the door and deposites the key in a gargabe pile nearby (ie garbage can or something similiar). If the player with the key decides to be an ass and keep it, ban him.

The dungoen, of course, can be restoocked and reused.

Players get some wealth, exp for killing monsters, and they HAVE FUN WITHOUT DMs and without the BULLSHIT over statics and how they are not being implemented because it takes to long or they are not ALFA politically correct or whatever.




There you have it, player run dingeons, when there are no DMs around.

[danielmn]

A. While you were posting, two dms were on TSM.
B. I think it a bit more appropriate to PM Curm with the idea. I think if you pitch it well enough it could be a good idea, and I know the DM's need all the help that they can get, considering they are also trying to fix all that comes up broken or wrong AND dming. Laying it in the public discussion just seems like you're airing your greivances. I'm sure if you're willing to work for it, it will come to fruition.
C. I've seen the lack of DM's as well, but know the reasons why. Why I volunteered to help with bugs and with NPC's/quests and such for Felbarr.
The more people we get contributing, no matter how small, is the less time DM's have to fix/build AND dm and just dm.

[Magile]

Although I commend you for having a decent idea, you have many flaws in your suggestion to have it be overly useful/worthwhile. You also try to get your point across in a poor manner, which hurts your idea significantly. I will respond with what I see wrong with this idea.

1) First and foremost, the fact that these dungeons are static and you mysteriously have a key is meta, unless you have some form of an event to get it going -- also, these would only be worthwhile for one run, otherwise they become just another static quest just with an infuriating need for DM assistance. Setting up an event to get the key and learn of the location would be, surprise, a DM event, something that you are trying to avoid and have these dungeons work without. If you're having a DM event over a dungeon, you might as well just have the whole thing a DM event and get rid of the entire "no DM" policy of these dungeons all together.

2) Since creatures are dropped in and not spawned, that would mean the DM would have to log on and set it up, an issue to begin with -- the reason you aren't seeing DMs is because they don't have time to do these things out of nowhere, and their time to set up this static dungeon could be spent actually RPing and DMing you. Regardless, even if they fill up the dungeon for you as they see fit, there is no way to determine the monsters/objects will remain due to server stability. Logging in a day ahead of time wouldn't guarantee the server won't crash and eliminate the whole run, and anytime during that day loading up the dungeon, once again, could be better spent just DMing your group in general.

3) Touching on the first point, you state that you are "[having] fun without DMs and without the bullshit," but it's the opposite. You need a DM for the sake of getting a key as well as loading up the dungeon as s/he sees fit. You also need a DM to remove the key from you, make sure the content is there upon your arrival, etc. This entire idea is based off a DM being there for everything but the event itself.

As you can see, three quick points show how much this idea stumbles on its toes and defeats the whole purpose of what you're trying to accomplish. Perhaps revise this idea or think of something else that doesn't rely so heavily upon DMs for something that is, apparently, supposed to be for a DM-free server. When you do, try it in a better tone that doesn't sound demeaning/detracting from your argument/idea. You may get a better result.

[MorbidKate]

Perhaps Lanc would earn a smattering of street cred if he followed through on his offers to help build certain areas instead of leaving people hanging and having to do the work themselves... thus preventing them from being in-game to DM

Beyond that, acting like a dolt in the forums is the fastest way to get folks to TL;DR anything you say.

Take a chill pill.

Kate

[JaydeMoon]

Take two and call me in the morning.

[Rick7475]

Perhaps Lanc would earn a smattering of street cred if he followed through on his offers to help build certain areas instead of leaving people hanging and having to do the work themselves

Whoa...... someone who promises to build something and doesn't do it??

I can provide you a fairly extensive list of people who made promises to build something for ALFA but couldn't follow through, but unlike you, I understand people have RL committments, that the toolset is tough to work with, or there may be a not so uncommon waning interest in ALFA. And I understand perfectly why they may not be able to build. That's right, Kate, the best way to attract more people to help out is to shame them.

But, on topic, I have heard of this idea before on some MMORGs. Personalized group dungeons.

[Magile]

But, on topic, I have heard of this idea before on some MMORGs. Personalized group dungeons.

This game.

[Arkan Bladesinger]

I can provide you a fairly extensive list of people who made promises to build something for ALFA but couldn't follow through, but unlike you, I understand people have RL committments, that the toolset is tough to work with, or there may be an not so umcommon waning interest in ALFA. And I understand perfectly why they may not be able to build. That's right, Kate, the best way to attract more people to help out is to shame them.

With all respect, all those reasons are more than valid, but out of context in this case when an individual member has a now too long history in short time of posting nothing but demeaning and negative posts that people are acting negatively against by instinct.

The OP, while worded badly, was trying to be constructive and the idea behind it ain´t bad, but as pointed above it needs some hammering to be useable. Magile´s post nailed the details.

[Misty]

Idea -


(Something I saw elsewhere and might be good here, builders willing)

DMs put a 'Quest board' in a place that sees heavy PC traffic. On it would be an announcement of something or other than needed seeing to. Could be a lost puppy, stolen necklace, whathaveyou.

DMs then set up said encounter with special token.

PCs would read said quest, form party on their own and take off to save the land.

PC group saves land, retrieves token.

One of the PCs from the group would post completion. "Paladin Jones, Cleric Folts, and rogue retrieved <special item>' This informs others that the matter was seen to.

DMs, when they had the time, would check board, get back to PCs via PM to arrange in game time of 5 minutes to swap token for xp/gp/loots/congratulations.



rinse, change a few details and repeat at DM's leisure.



pros: DMs set up the encounter on their time without having to stay for it's execution/completion.

con: server reset negates the work put in.


I'm sure there's more, but that's the gist of it. plenty of ways to vary it according to server-team tastes.

note: I've been a DM and have been able to set these sorts of things up in a maximum if 5 minutes. I'm thinking of those times when a DM can be on but for some reason or another, players are not. In my case, it's because my best time to play is in the middle of the night in my timezone. anyhow, just an idea. keep or discard at your leisure.

[danielmn]

Misty's experience/train of thought eliminates the need for dm to hand over a key as well as the same two or three places getting used over and over. It sounds better IMO.

[MorbidKate]

but unlike you, I understand people have RL committments, that the toolset is tough to work with, or there may be a not so uncommon waning interest in ALFA.

Funny thing is, Lanc made a laundry list of things HE offered to build for TSM so your ref to toolset difficulties is rather pointless. RL affects everyone but the kicker in all this is that Lanc has made post after post of harsh criticisms towards the TSM crew about the lack of content and lack of DMs after he failed/refused to build a single thing he said he would... causing DMs to build the areas themselves instead of being in-game.

It has noting to do with shaming people as much as pointing out the foolishness of his rants

As for his suggestion it still requires a DM to be on so it solves nothing really. They might as well run the show themselves, no?

Kate

(Edited for spellin)

[MorbidKate]

Misty's idea is fine but I think the time needed to tool the things for a quest board or similar concept would be better spent in-game with the players imho.

The core problem at the moment as I see is it is that the server is so understaffed that the few active DMs basically have to chose between building/fixing content or getting in-game. It's one or the other really until more people step up to volunteer their time... and deliver (DM, builder, scripter, etc) so that the active DMs are free to interact when they have available time.

Any new server will have the same problems unless they stay in beta until a large base of well tested statics are ready for Live. Going Live too soon would likely repeat the problem of having to decide between fixing content or leaving it almost as is to be in-game. I for one never expected it to be so hard to attract DMs to our one and only NWN2 server.

One option I liked to do on TPI was use a server veteran or brand new player as a NPC of sorts and give them IC tasks that required the interaction of others. Planting plot seeds if you will to keep players busy when I needed time in the toolset.

Kate

[danielmn]

*gets handed plot seeds...plants...waits for the buds to roll in*

*dodges tomatoes*

[Misty]

[MorbidKate]

*gets handed plot seeds...plants...waits for the buds to roll in

Dude... wait... what?