What would it take to get You to play more?

[StormRunner]

Seeing as the server seems to be on a bit of a decline (at least in Europe territory) I'm going to ask this question bluntly. This is in no way intended as a "gief me thiz plz" to the dms, but I'm just curious to see why so many of us hang around the forums and (at times) the IRC but so few of us actually make the minuscule effort to start up NWN2.

So.. what would it take?

[Ron]

Mini campaigns would help, nothing related to the overall campaign but run at a set time weekly. Find a missing person, lost or stolen object along those lines nothing that has to be earth shaking. With something like this people know when they can login and something for them to do is already set. A core group that is there 90% with others filling in time to time. Wired has run some one day events similar to this. Hannas' "party time" is a player run version. It would hold players interest and give them something to RP about. It would also mean considerable work for the DM to adapt story lines and then run them.

Just an observation, but I've seen it work.

[Greyshore]

Ah, Ron beat me to it but here goes anyways:

I think we need to let know folks they will have fun after logging in and have them have no doubt about that if no DM or friendly player were on, next time it will be different. I say the use of the Calendar (set Rp events, etc), more Thank you Threads, or even this could help with that.

[Thracius Trueblade]

I don't know.... I haven't been on much recently, but it's more because I've been busy with real life issues than anything else. I think a steady flow of new content is pretty essential to keeping players interested. It's easy for a regular player to quickly burn through the content and reach level 20, with excellent gear and having experienced every quest the game has to offer multiple times. Once this point is reached, there are long periods of waiting for new content to be released, with little to do inbetween.

I know some will argue that I can still RP, and this should be big enough of an incentive to keep playing. Maybe that works for some, but it doesn't for me. RPing is great, and really adds flavour to the game, and it's great sometimes to just stand around RPing with various people for hours. But many times you will log in, and despite hanging around for a while, no RPing opportunities develop. RP is a very spontaneous activity, and you can't rely on it to keep people interested once gameplay grows stale.

Not that I am in any way criticising the build team for this. I'm sure they are all constantly working their arses off to expand the campaign, and obviously they can't be expected to release new content on the kind of scale that you would expect from a commercial MMO for example. It's only natural on a small-scale online RPG like Dasaria that players will be able to go through content faster than it can be created.

I guess what I am trying to say is that it would take more content to get me to play more often. Specifically 'endgame' content. I know the build team has just released a new high-level party quest, and I'm VERY grateful for that The problem is, how does a PW like Dasaria deal with high-level players? Traditionally in an MMO the endgame activities are PvP and Raiding. On-demand PvP is never going to really work on Dasaria, because there simply isn't a big enough player-base to sustain it. I can't realistically walk into the arena and expect to be able to join a 3 vs 3 team game, or even just a 4 man free-for-all, when there are only 6 people online in total. It's the same with raiding. I don't know if the server could even handle something like a raid, and finding 20 maxed-out, well equipped players with enough experience and teamwork to take down a super-buffed dragon (or something) on Dasaria is basically impossible. Besides, even if these things were doable, would we really want to turn Das into some cheap WoW ripoff?

[DM Asylum]

disclaimer:This post is not meant to undermine any of your suggestions--in fact I think they are interesting ones.

I'd just like to remind folks that this is a player-driven world. You can make a difference. It is understandable that people think they need DM support to make things happen, but Dasaria can be so much more with just a little planning on the players' part.

Schedule a random event on a Saturday or Friday, around midnight GMT. You'll probably get quite a few players to log on.

Remember that you can make things happen.

----

And now back to your regularly scheduled suggestion-making.

[Zephis]

To know that when I log in, in regular EU hours, that I can do something fun.
Instead of just standing around seeing if anyone is about... trying to do things and fail horribly, or beat them so soundly that its not satifying.

Its all well and good to hold out the flag saying player driven... but what is their to do when your the only player of say, 3? or 4?

True I have logged in and had some fun with people but thats not the norm, more commonly i dig out the NWN2 cd, get the game going log in.. stand around for a bit with no one about or off god knows where and then i say stuff it and go do something else.

[hannahcoldkiller]

You know what would get me playing more?

Finding that dang ole hard quest! I played it, but I can't find out how to get back in there.

[Kell]

Steady, reliable internet, that's all I'm asking for

I'd like to play again, as well would my roommates but the internetcompany just wont work with us and cut us slack...

[Vahene]

It not being finals week with a paper, a take home final, and another comprehensive final to study for tomorrow - that would be what it took for me to play more. As you can see, real life is kicking my butt, but when I do manage to log on, no one's in North Cear. I don't know where everyone is - but it isn't there.

K

[Atharin]

#1- McGuffin (Not necessarily material)

#2- Player-based factions with significant 'power' within the setting.

#3- A catalyst.

. . .

#1+#2+#3
=
A campaign that doesn't require constant DM presence to develop and push forward.

At least hopefully.

EDIT: Just spotted Asylum's post. That's about right, but I think what's missing is player initiative in this case -- I recall one old and respected player here who tried to take it, but the staff at the time was more or less comatose and he was met with no response. At any rate, since save for the Cerulean fleet I don't think many of these initiatives have been taken... Why not start by placing a few characters (whose players you can trust not to pull crap) in key positions?

[hannahcoldkiller]

Ok, people: real talk

While I do like these existential discussions, we have had a few of them before:

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=4101

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3907

I really do love this place and I want it to continue to thrive and grow. I enjoy the campaign and I'm looking forward to seeing how it progresses. The quests and maps are great and well-designed, and I still like playing them even after a year of being here. We have great DMs and Builders who work very hard (this is always mentioned, and still needs mentioning) for nothing but our and their enjoyment.

From the perspective of towards the end of the Summer to around mid-October, the world has never been better. I'd almost say that it's doubled in size and content. The player base while very unstable and constantly in flux has a good number of dedicated players and new arrivals for a server that's been up for over a year. I've been told a lot of new changes are coming, and the player base is active in adding content. But it's never going to be enough for some people. Content alone is not going to save this place.

Take a look at this list:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1461

of all these characters and the players who created them, how many can you count who log on at least once a week in the last month. I don't mean to rag on these people; everyone does their own thing. This place has a history, but most of those who know about it have moved on for various reasons. Meanwhile in Dasaria and Tales and Stories forums have dried up. I don't write those, but when I first came here, I enjoyed reading them and it was very interesting that this place inspired that type of writing in people.

We have factions During the dry spell time, we had a meeting where we discussed putting together player factions, which led to a few factions being formed and some older ones being renewed. The factions got a lot of DM support, including some really awesome faction-only events and storylines. In this instance, for whatever reason, faction participation petered off, at least in my experience.

Basically the answer to the question posted in this thread for most people is: "I'd play if more people were on." This is paradoxical for obvious reasons. What we need is a deliberate and concerted effort by players to get together. We're not at a point anymore where 20 players are on at one time. We have to plan to meet at specific times in order to have a enjoyable time together as a community rather than a bunch of random players running pass each other in the night.

We also need to make a deliberate and concerted effort to retain new people when they pay a visit. Interact with them, make a low level player to show them around. Let them join in on your reindeer games. Let them in on the story so far. It might not be possible to get old players and Dasarian 1ers to come back because they hate the game. Que sera sera.

Let's just do something, and stop kvetching. I know what has made me want to play less: It's people constantly complaining and flooding the place with negativity. Spend some of that wasted energy on coming up with things to do with your character or stories for the server.

[Evelond Formos]

An excellent post, hannah. I think you've said everything I wanted to.

[Vahene]

I don't mean to rag on these people; everyone does their own thing. This place has a history, but most of those who know about it have moved on for various reasons. Meanwhile in Dasaria and Tales and Stories forums have dried up. I don't write those, but when I first came here, I enjoyed reading them and it was very interesting that this place inspired that type of writing in people.

There are stories that are posted on a regular basis. When I have time, I update what's going on with my main and her sane familiar, for example - but that's the entire point too: "when I have time". Most of the people on that list, and most of the people playing this game have real life to deal with too. How many other players do you think are going to college like I am? I might be 31 years old, but finishing college is more of a goal right now than playing Dasaria.

I was in last night (and thank you to the DM who pointed me towards that quest, even if I did screw it up.. heh..), just to blow off some steam with a new character creation who you WILL be seeing more of since she's my 'kill everything and be insane' character. But I only saw one other player, and I was so intent on finishing this quest that I didn't talk to him (sorry Marco). For over an hour, though, I didn't see a single soul even though when I logged on it said there were 9 other people on. Where?

Basically the answer to the question posted in this thread for most people is: "I'd play if more people were on." This is paradoxical for obvious reasons. What we need is a deliberate and concerted effort by players to get together. We're not at a point anymore where 20 players are on at one time. We have to plan to meet at specific times in order to have a enjoyable time together as a community rather than a bunch of random players running pass each other in the night.

I'm in the game whether or not people are on. In fact, if I'm running quests, it makes it easier if no one IS on because I don't have to stop and talk to people that way. On the other hand, when I do want to RP, people are not in North Cear, they're in another place that I can't even get to because the highest level character I have is a level 7 and quite frankly, I don't want to play Faen all the time - I'd go even nuttier.

But again, I have real life to contend with. As of last night, I have only one paper and one take-home final to do.

After that, until March 24th, you're going to get sick of me because I have nothing else to do before Spring Quarter starts.

I know what has made me want to play less: It's people constantly complaining and flooding the place with negativity. Spend some of that wasted energy on coming up with things to do with your character or stories for the server.

If that's the only reason you haven't been in game, and you don't have real life sneaking up on you, then good for you.

Unfortunately, for the majority of us, I'd bet - that isn't the case.

K

[Torquil Lamond]

I think Cold nails it on the head. "I would play more if people were on" is, in my experience, the core reason why the server has, in recent times, stagnated visibly.

I wonder how the server would respond to designated log-in times, in an effort to jump-start activity and RP-events. If people had more committed and involved RP-interactions, the impetus to log in more might, by nature, increase.

The other option is to increase the amount of advertising Dasaria uses to attract new players. The NWN2 community is significantly smaller than the NWN1 community, so it's reasonable to assume it will be far more difficult to attract new, imaginative players. Getting Dasaria's name out there more might help to rectify this.

[Thracius Trueblade]

Let's just do something, and stop kvetching. I know what has made me want to play less: It's people constantly complaining and flooding the place with negativity. Spend some of that wasted energy on coming up with things to do with your character or stories for the server.

Why do you always say this? There is absolutely nothing wrong with giving constructive criticism, and in fact I can't stand people who can't take it. Out of all the posts on this thread, very few comments can be classified as a 'complaint'. In most cases, people are just identifying things they think could be improved and letting the builders know about it so they can possibly take some of the suggestions on board.

I'm currently doing a postgrad course in architecture. I've also worked as a designer in an architect's office. When I take a scheme to my tutor/boss to show him what I've come up with, I EXPECT him to tell me exactly what he doesn't like about it, and why. I don't want to sit there and listen to him say 'oh yes, that's lovely, keep up the good work', I want him to point out where I'm failing, and tell me how (in his opinion) it could be improved. Sometimes I'll agree with what he says, sometimes I'll argue my point with him, but either way, it's all part of a process that I have to go through so that I can improve my work.

Now to be honest, because this is what I'm used to, I have absolutely no qualms about criticising anything and everything if I don't 100% agree with it. I don't mince my words, when I give a compliment, I mean it, and when I don't give a compliment, it's because I genuinely think improvements could be made. I'm not rude about it, and I don't try to put people down or devalue their hard work. I'm not saying I'm always right, or that everyone should listen to me, and if people think I am talking out of my arse, then fine, they are welcome to ignore my criticism. But you can be bloody sure I'm not going to just sit back and tell people a bunch of white lies about how I think their creation is perfect, when it blatantly isn't.

I really do think we should always question everything we see, and always seek to improve on our work. If we don't, it just leads to stagnation and apathy. It's exactly this kind of 'oh well, it'll do' attitude that spawns endless numbers of mediocre PW's and modules that have about 3 players.

Now I know not everybody wants to give criticism, and some people are probably perfectly happy with Dasaria the way it is. That's great, but please stop trying to derail these threads and telling people they shouldn't be criticising it. It's obvious a lot of people want to talk about these kinds of issues, and threads like this always get a lot of replies. I am sure that the build team are interested to hear what the players think of the server. If you're not comfortable with this sort of critical discussion, then please stop posting on these threads and instead 'spend some of that wasted energy on coming up with things to do with your character or stories for the server'. This is not some kind of fascist regime where any criticism of the powers that be is a criminal offence.