Level 1 Start - The Poll

[Blindhamsterman]

such an item needs to be forever really, and would be better done as a perminant +10 or +5 hp item across the board to keep things fair and equal. It isn't a bad idea, D&D does have rather low hp in comparison to most other RPG systems anyway.

[Veilan]

Hence why the toughness loan is a better choice - presenting not that big a distortion from now, being entirely optional, and not a freebie.

[NickD]

One thing to keep in mind is the static quests. They're designed to:

1. Give people something to do sans-DM
2. Get a character from 1st to 3rd level.

If characters start at 2nd or 3rd level, these quests, the earliest of which would be easy for a 2nd/3rd level character, should get a character up close to 4th level.

I honestly don't know if this is a good or a bad thing.

[Mick]

My oh my. It looks like more people are in favor than not.

Now what?

[Veilan]

Simple:

Now we start bemoaning how death hinders our ability to roleplay. We should certainly get rid of that.

[Blindhamsterman]

Simple:

Now we start bemoaning how death hinders our ability to roleplay. We should certainly get rid of that.

hehe a bit melodramatic?

Some kind of compromise will hopefully be found allowing those that really want to start at 2nd to do so while the rest can start at 1st as they also wish to.

[Brokenbone]

Simple:

Now we start bemoaning how death hinders our ability to roleplay. We should certainly get rid of that.

Just need a death server where you stand in line as a petitioner and either get bricked into the wall, enticed away by fiendish recruiters, or go off to your just reward.

[hollyfant]

People, people.... please stop voting "yes" just to provoke Veilan - no matter how funny it's getting!

[oldgrayrogue]

To me polls like this are about community, debate, and as Rotku correctly points out compromise. The option presented that I like best so far is a level 2 start for a detailed bio submitted prior to character creation. Basically, an XP bump can be granted to those who take the time to really think about their PC's background, personality and story prior to commencing game play. This gives the DMs an opportunity for feedback and usually indicates someone who is invested in their character concept. It is essentially what we do now for ECL PCs. It also gives the DMs appropriate discretion to ask for explanations or say "no" to something that is an inappropriate power build or some such. Anyone not wishing to go this route starts at level 1 as usual. Of course anyone can still choose to start at level 1 no matter if they submit a bio or not. It would be optional and a nice compromise to me.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the discussion. In my view, polls like this and the discussions that ensue are very healthy for our community.

And just to allay Veilan's fears, I am fairly certain that if a poll ran tomorrow on changing the permadeath pillar, the votes would be an overwhelming and resounding "no" starting with me.

[Brokenbone]

So... XP via written submission of a bio I guess is a compromise idea? Doesn't have to be a work of art, more something that shows an effort (at least to the DMs who'd review it)?

Would it be something like an extraordinary PC application? I.e., here's my idea, background, etc., can I start at 2nd pls (may be rejected, may be accepted?) HDM of the relevant server makes the call type of thing, and if you get turned down once, please don't go to the neighbour server and try to hoodwink them?

...

Anyhow it reminds me of our XP awarding in general, maybe a topic for another thread: are any other works of fiction / poetry / whatever eligible for RP XP, even if they primarily live in things like email/PMs to your DMs, Library posts, IC forum posts, etc.? Didn't think DMs had great "discretionary" power in their wands/widgets, unless they cared to pretend that a two hour moderately challenging adventure had taken place, in order to artificially award, for say, a two page military scouting type report someone had submitted to their NPC superior (via forum PM rather than typing the whole thing in a chatbar).

[Regalis]

That's a separate topic, BB, but I believe you caught someone plagiarizing the eulogy for Abe Lincoln recently. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that presently. If you start giving out XP for posts, it becomes an issue. Find & Replace all ftw!

[I-KP]

The option presented that I like best so far is a level 2 start for a detailed bio submitted prior to character creation. Anyone not wishing to go this route starts at level 1 as usual. It would be optional and a nice compromise to me.

+9 (+1 for me and +8 for the random accounts I created to skew the vote horribly, specifically to wind up the V-man).

[rorax]

OK...

So Zicada says there are 53 active players during mid July.

Cloud made a list and figured we have around 35-40 active members.


We had this poll during January last year :

http://www.alandfaraway.org/forums/view ... =3&t=42747


37 votes in total, that falls much closer to the numbers Cloud stated. Personally , i find it hard to believe the community grew in 20 more active players since then. If it did - it surely does not feel so ingame. I have no clue where are all those members and what exactly they are doing in ALFA.(Besides voting polls)

What would be interesting to know is how many members who voted on this poll registered during the last 12 days, or maybe check it out after the poll voting time ends in 2 days from now.

[Magile]

One thing to keep in mind is the static quests. They're designed to:

1. Give people something to do sans-DM
2. Get a character from 1st to 3rd level.

If characters start at 2nd or 3rd level, these quests, the earliest of which would be easy for a 2nd/3rd level character, should get a character up close to 4th level.

I honestly don't know if this is a good or a bad thing.

Remove all static content -- hostile spawns and quests. Leave only RP XP and DM XP as applicable ways to receiving more experience for your PC. Allow people to start with 1,000/3,000 XP upon creation of their character.

Watch how many people still stay in taverns roleplaying because they can't go out and do something (for different reasons, of course).

edit: For those who missed the point in the above, a lot of complaints are about how "My PC can't go out and do anything at level 1 and is stuck in a tavern!" Well, same scenario will still occur if we do the opposite extreme as being suggested. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[CloudDancing]

If the worst thing a character does on TSM is sit in a tavern and socialize with other players, develop their character, and attempt to have a personality, far be it from me to judge them.

In fact what they are doing is engendering strong social bonds with their fellow players that will result in comradarie, support, and travelling companions as D&D itself is designed to function, as a party. Characters here develop long term-enjoyable partnerships, friendships and strong social bonds, even with DM NPCs, thus this is vital to the allure of Alfa in the first place.

In fact one of the newest BG DMs used to spend hours and hours just sitting in an inn, waiting for something to happen for example. And it was watching the characters on TSM, sit alone for hours, "all dressed up with no place to go" which drew myself to DMing. I loved their characters and I hated to see them idle. I knew they were good roleplayers and I knew their talents had been barely tested.

And one of the EASIEST places to hook players (literally a well used term from the Dungeon Master's manual and as featured in most of Ed Greenwoods books and in Tales of the Vulgar Unicorn) is an Inn. Second place is on a patrol static. Soloing and being online solo with Character gains w/o a DM really is a function of an MMORPG environment. Alfa is not an MMO.

As I am learning on Exodus (which is entirely absent of massive spawns, statics, and murderous travel map encounters w/ low yield accrued XP) that RP is what YOU want it to be as much as the DMs job to provide the facilliation of those events. Exodus also has active DMS who care about your character, play with your PC as players, extreme transparency when it comes to how they log your performance (they read everything tells included AND let you know that so you know you are entirely accountantable for your OCC actions), and as a DM team comes to you directly when there is a problem.

In essence they keep things simple in the complicated political environs that is Amn. So my thought is, go with the the simplest solution we have brainstormed here. Something that is easy to do, easy to implement, and easy to reverse.