First off, to those claiming I'm only logging on once and week, that's simply BS. I do log on more often than that, you simply don't see me. In fact I was on few a few hours last night, roleplayed with some folks, ran a dungeon, and then decided I wanted to actually eat dinner and so hopped off. Further, I am just overcoming a severe case of burnout, one that nearly got me to leave due to it being a perfect storm (getting burned out on Dasaria and NWN2 at the same time after being the target of griefers for nigh on a month among other actions that hurt my desire to play). So back off, I'm getting rather short tempered with all these attempts to discredit my opinions and arguments by discrediting me. It's not me who's claimed there's a problem with the level of RP, it y'all, I'm merely discussing things on your terms. I've found RP every time I've logged on if I want it. I don't think drastic changes need to be made Even when I'm in burnout I've still done things to contribute to this community, more than any of you who are demanding changes do.
Chimp, you misunderstood what I was commenting about on the category thing. I simply do not understand the distinction between the two categories. What would people expect from a PW Story server as opposed to a RP server? Why are they different categories? Etc. I get the sense that the categories are a bit of a legacy of NWN1, but I don't know why those categories came to exists in the first place. That is what you're curious about. Also, you don't need to sell me on the idea, I already said that I wouldn't mind changing the category of the server.
ChikenKannon wrote:You've got a DM, you're fine. 5 players once a week with a DM is a great time, I'd love to have that. But I want more, I want to RP with everyone I can, I want to be connected. Your points for not relying on DM's all require relying on DM's, one of them is "Get more DM's". Our community isn't big, this is why we have lapse's, we lose 2-3 players and BANG we're grinded to a halt.
No, we don't have a DM, we meet independently of the DMs. Your reading skills also fail, either that or you are purposely misrepresenting what I was talking. Taking one line out of context to try and discredit a separate list entirely. For reference, the thing about "none of these ideas needing a DM" is a reference to the dozen or so ideas I wrote about here:
At the end of the day, sitting her debating about what could or could not be done is blinding folks to the fact that you could be out organizing and fixing this problem by yourselves. In the time this thread has been active, a weekly group could have been formed and started meeting. An IC meeting of powerful clerics been arranged to discuss how to deal with the Canite heretics could have happened. A secretive group could have met for the first time to discuss how to overthrow Pontius' cruel reign of Cear. A group of young hero-worshiping adventurers could have met and petitioned the Prince for Knighthood and a chance to make names for themselves. An evil cult of Culnulites could meet and plot the demise those who oppose them. A group of Fleetmen could meet to discuss the growing lawlessness and what to do about it. None of these ideas take DM aid, just a few posts on the forums and you can get the ball started. So, my challenge to everyone who's crying out for change: change yourselves first. Step up and start something. Stop demanding that the DMs put more effort into this than you're willing to. You want to see roleplay, go make it happen, and stop blaming others. Take responsibility for your own enjoyment, and don't blame things not being your perfect ideal and claim others need to change to accommodate you. There is roleplay going on, there are plots going on, go out and find them, join in and have fun.
Nothing in this section requires DM support, nothing at all. My list was a separate matter from this paragraph, and taking one sentence, from the middle of the paragraph, out of context to debunk it instead of engaging what my ideas were and and discussing them is simply disingenuous.
As to the weekly groups, last I checked none of them have DM support anymore. And you know what, some people can only play once a week or occasionally. There is nothing wrong with that and they are not lesser players because of that. People have real life responsibilities, other things they enjoy doing, and may simply be to busy to act. You talk like the AV is a closed clique, we're not, the meeting time is public knowledge, and unless we have to discuss some secret matter to our faction (which does occasionally occur), we try and meet up in public places where people can engage us. That said, we're going to act in character, you want role-play, then don't blame us if you're playing an evil character and the card-carrying goody-two-shoes brigade doesn't give you the time of day. It's nothing personal against you, it has everything to do with acting as our characters would act. You know, that thing you've been whining about not happening enough for your tastes: role-play.
You don't need DMs to run weekly groups, why would you? I know a few of us began a new one for a while with no DM support, but it kinda fizzled when RL and burnout hit us with the ol' one-two. That happens, it's perfectly normal. Of course, if you define role-playing as standing around N.Cear and chattering about nothing and waiting for things to happen to you, sure, then weekly groups ain't the thing for you, because they're all about going out and doing things, being proactive. Apparently something which folks have trouble doing, instead you want things handed to you by a DM on a silver platter. Most major server affecting plots don't come from the DMs, they come from plotlines pushed and pursued by the players in their own time, and then culminate with a DM event or two, but there's no need for the DMs to simply start a group, get together, role-play and have fun.
Finally, Chiken, I simply have to destroy this:
No, it isn't absurd. Saying you don't want the casual play harmed, means you want casual play instead of slightly enforced play. You're not asking for action to be taken to enforce casual atmosphere, because it already IS a casual atmosphere. If you say no to every idea that would take away casual atmosphere, you are enforcing casual atmosphere indirectly.
In what world does a request for inaction equate to a request for action? The two things are simply not equal by any logical or rhetorical means. My position is that RP should not be forced on others, your position is that it should be. I am not saying to force people to play casually, if I was I'd be making a very different argument. These are two opposite and different things. You are the one demanding Prohibition, I am arguing against Prohibition, not that everyone should be forced to drink; your failure to be able to see the difference is astonishing and means you have either convinced yourself that people around you playing casually are a harm to your person, or you simply have become so desperate to "win" this discussion you're willing to try any tack to do so. You can have a heavy RP atmosphere and still allow casual play, they are not mutually exclusive. Further, so long as they are not harming you (and I'm sorry, breaking your immersion doesn't count as harm in my mind. I've dealt with quasi-griefers trying disrupt RP before, and you know what, I can do it and maintain immersion for myself. It's much easier to deal with those folks who simply run around doing their own thing and occasionally chattering OOC.
When a case is being made for change, the burden of proof is on the people who wish to make the change, not the people who want to maintain things as they are. Y'all have many good ideas that I agree with and believe should be implemented. Some are more simple to implement, like switching categories, while others would take longer to start occurring, like special DM rewards. Of course, DM "reward" custom items can often suck too... trust me... I know from personal experience. At the end of the day, I'm pretty conservative when it comes to making drastic changes. It is better in my mind to make small, simple changes and go with things that we know work to increase and improve RP rather than take large drastic steps and simply hope the change will come with them. That attitude never works out well, and often ends up destroying what was trying to be preserved in real life.