First point - those of you present knew this was coming --
To Loot or Not to Loot
...Sigh. This is a very key thing in the game's current state. RPTs are plot fuel, and if done right the relics of them can bring character-related RP for quite some time, create differences in opinion, and give us some interesting, unique objects as a reward for the trials we overcome. On orcside, when these sorts of combat RPTs happen it follows a satisfying formula. We train in preparation, we sally forth and kill the bads, and often there is something nice waiting at the end, something unique and interesting. There was a whole plot centered around some stuff we recovered once and it felt like a nice pat on the back, especially considering the remarkable threat involved.
Recently, there was an incident involving this where tensions rose to a remarkably high point - not naming names, but I believe it boils down to difference in what players want from the game. Maybe it was fully IC, but it struck me as a stretch, and the response seemed disproportionately high/violent compared to what was being debated, jarring and somewhat out of place in the scene. /justmyopinion
I was in awe of the scene unfolding via staff, and then I was in awe of the buzzkill on offer by those unnamed.
A curse plot is something interesting for all involved, it's very Lord of the Rings-y and for Men of Middle-Earth to readily dismiss things as cursed and thus useless seems far from canon. The idea that the status quo is leaving behind the cool objects that staff put in extra effort to make interesting is somewhat frustrating. Not everyone wants a sharp, bog-iron longsword from the local smith. It's the dream for a lot of combat PCs to get ahold of a cool magic sword or at least a badass unique one.
Because just leaving behind or destroying cool items sucks. It's a bummer, and you know that people involved are groaning behind their screens.
Given that the pool of combatants in Utterby is very limited, these uniques are funneled through a couple of specific people. Which brings me to my next, more controversial point...
Debbie Downers
"Are we going out to the bog today sir?"
A frowning lieutenant laughs in a harsh bark, waving you off.
"You kidding me Recruit? You're shoveling sh!t in the wind again."
It is no surprise to me that numbers are down.
A clanlead position in an RPI is not your opportunity to go on a power trip and ignore the OOC responsibility of the role. While it may be IC for your character to be a recluse, layabout, idler, as you will, you are largely responsible for the enjoyment of those in your clan, proactivity and acknowledging different playstyles being the key concepts here.
Leaving the gates does not equate to fulfillment of the role.
People do not join the Guard to chop logs all day.
People do not join the Guard to mass-hunt solo mobs using the hunting crafts.
People do not join the Guard to do the same patrol between the burned gatehouse and the bridge ad infinitum.
Of these three things, I am positive.
Icarus wrote:Staff priority is on you guys having an enjoyable time, not on spending all your time on silly mundane tasks.
Maybe you, personally, do not enjoy curse plots. Perhaps wandering over to Vadok Mal/Utterby is just such a yawn for you and you couldn't be f'd to stop by the bog. Big reveal here - most people playing combat roles in these games enjoy exciting, challenging activities and could do with a bit less of the everyday rigamarole that sometimes plagues RPIs. Going out, fighting nothing and coming home is by no means a success.
To do these fun things, to stumble across something that may or may not be cursed, to do anything except the same downtime crafting/sneaking around and killing boars, they must go through you. The days of Militia and Recruits and Privates running patrols are long since over, perhaps in part due to the fact that everyone hates eachother now. imo, tangentially related.
Let players under your jurisdiction have fun...
It seems obvious at first glance, but efforts seem to be made in the opposite direction at every turn and it is disconcerting, to say the least.
On Parallel, the Families sure were big. They created strict rules about what was allowed on their patrols which made some sense from an IC perspective but was a depressing reality from an OOC one. There is usually only one combat clan that does things of note in an RPI, barring Atonement, so you have to put up with whatever they decide. Despite some very interesting plots, a lot of players quit because there is nothing fun about having a clanlead tell you the RP equivalent of "no and go f yourself" in regard to issues both mundane and important.
The more you do things to frustrate clanmates/others because you can and they have to put up with it, the less motivation they will have to play this game. If you don't take them to do interesting things when they're online, they will log in less and less. Eventually, they will quit and play Skyrim or Dark Souls or Bloodborne whatever the flavor of the year is, because in those games you can do exciting things. Do not blame your neighbour, do not blame staff, don't blame your grandma, your dog, no one else is responsible. You can say "screw them and good riddance", which you have every right to, but your end result is less players, and an overall waning enjoyment for those that remain as combination of the smaller numbers online and the issues above.
Who are you and by who's authority do you stand before me...
I am a concerned player. I would really like things to return to the way they were. What's happening now is sigh-inducingly similar to what happened at the very beginning of the game where we had 12 players out killing single boar sows, on mandatory patrols where the Guard did nothing and with the strict rules that we all cringe about IRL.
The line between what is boring and what is not has always been clear, except when we get into a rut like this...
So, I know that this is going to rustle some jimmies pretty hard but these are things that need to be said, and I'm not afraid to be the one who says them.
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Am I just blowing hot air? Are these really issues?
Are you content with the current status quo?
Is mixing OOC consideration into your IC action crazy, or to be expected? <- Views seem to be the polar opposite on this, with individuals sometimes strongly believing in a different side depending on circumstance, but be honest
What is being a clanlead about, in your opinion?
Why do you think that we are seeing such low numbers on WHO nowadays?