Most popular City

[Thunder Lord]

I am going to say allanak. HOwever, due to experience, lots of people play more intresting roles in tuluk.


Also allanak's popularity is a bit higher due to the rinth.

Disreguarding all the people from the rinth.
What city is more popular.

Tuluk or Allanak?



Poll is for 60 days due to the time sensitivy of the question.

[Rhyden]

You got it all wrong, TL.

Redstorm's where its at.

[Dracul]

Redstorm is pretty cool.

[Larrath]

Allanak, man.

Down with Tuluk.  Down with bunnyhuggery.  Up with public executions!

[Malifaxis]

Steinal

[Revelations]

Well, the rinth is a -large- part of what makes Allanak so special to me. Without it, alot of the intrigue would be lost, so I couldn't really consider Allanak south itself as a viable option. Nevertheless, even without the 'rinth, I think I'd choose Nak simply because I'm more of a nakki kind of player. None of that keep-it-to-yourself-until-a-better-time sentiment that seems prevalent with Tuluki play, although it could be smarter in some situations.  :roll:

[Tamarin]

Mal Krian.

[Gaare]

Steinal

[Ghost]

The other side of the silt sea.

[Marauder Moe]

Popularity tends to shift back and forth.  A lot of players will alternate cities when they make new characters.  Though, this poll and the recent anti-Tuluki-nobility thread makes me wonder what's going wrong up there.

[mansa]

Mal Krian.

I had the priviliage of playing the last son of Mal Krian.

[Delirium]

Luir's is always where it's at.

[sacac]

I like playing in the opposite city as thecurrent templar that is pretty much a homicidal maniac currently lives in.

[Anonymous]

Blackwing.

Bitch.

[ale six]

I like playing in the opposite city as thecurrent templar that is pretty much a homicidal maniac currently lives in.

Wait.... they aren't ALL homicidal maniacs?

The ones who aren't should get a spanking!

[SpyGuy]

Luir's is always where it's at.

There is so much truth in this that it's not even funny.  I mean, an awesome fort in the middle of tribal lands that is close enough to the two main population centers as to be a survivable ride...totally cool.

Luir's is by far my favorite place for independents and hunter types.  But when I actually want city interaction I have to go with Allanak.

[Twilight]

I enjoy Allanak over current Tuluk by a wide margin.

I enjoyed old Tuluk before the fiery cataclysm over Allanak by a wide margin.

[sacac]

New Tuluk is too much like Luir's or Red Storm, with more people.

[Tamarin]

I had the priviliage of playing the last son of Mal Krian.

mansa is my hero.  I want him to father my babies.  i mean my wife's babies.

[flurry]

New Tuluk is too much like Luir's or Red Storm, with more people.

?  

I don't see the comparison at all.   Red Storm especially seems different in just about every way.

[sacac]

Noone bows. Everyone above commoner thinks they run the town.
Noone sees anyone else because they are too subtle.
Spice is Legal. All rebelled against allanak at one point in time.


I never really saw the difference.

[Revelations]

Why would someone -like- Tuluk? Noone really seems to be defending Tuluk all that much... :roll:  Here's your chance Tuluki loyalists. Tell us why Tuluk is better than Allanak...if you can.  :lol:

[Whira's Luck]

Noone bows. Everyone above commoner thinks they run the town.
Noone sees anyone else because they are too subtle.
Spice is Legal. All rebelled against allanak at one point in time.


I never really saw the difference.

I'm not quite sure this really accurate, as it is really trying to go to the lowest common denominator. This is kind of like saying "Every place that people live is the same because there are people and some sort of authority figure."

Who are these 'above commoners'? Nobles? Templars? No such people exist in either Luirs or Red Storm. According to the docs. only the two big cities have them. In the places where there are no nobility or templarate, yes, commoners do, in fact, run the town... or rather, specific commoners are conscripted or assigned the responsibility of upholding the laws set forth by the people who actually do run the town. There's nothing unique or odd about this. This is the way most of the tribes work: The tribes own the encampment. They delegate certain tribemembers to assist the rulemakers of the tribe in enacting the rules. Those who do not follow the rules of the tribe are ejected from the tribe, whether they be other tribemembers or visitors. (For an easily accessible IG example of this, look at the Blackwing Outpost. It is run by a -single- tribe. The heads of this tribe or whoever they appoint to be in charge of the outpost makes the rules of the outpost and ensures that they are enforced. Those who break the rules are thrown out.) If anything, the fact that they have sorceror-kings and templars and nobles, make Tuluk and Allanak -unique- within the world, since they're the only two cities existant who have such things. But they're still hardly unique in the fact that there is an authority figure, and said authority figure appoints others to enforce (or even some case make) its laws.

I'm really not exactly sure what you mean by the 'subtle' comment. If anything, I've found that Red Storm and Luirs are more alike than either of them are to Tuluk and Nak because subtlety exists in very few forms at -all-. What do you mean by no one sees anyone because they are too subtle? Do you mean that the people they are trying to see are always hiding and sneaking? I'm sorry if I am misunderstanding you, but the comment makes little sense so please clarify.

Spice is legal everywhere in the known world that I know of, including the desert right outside of Allanak. Spice is only illegal inside of Allanak. It may be illegal in other small, isolated places with leaders or cultures that disapprove of spice use, but for all intents and purposes, it's just easier and still accurate to say that in most of the known world spice IS legal. This makes Allanak the exception, not the norm.

Who rebelled against Allanak? AFAIK Allanak never had control over Red Storm to begin with so they didn't rebel. Allanak has never moved against Red Storm for uncertain reasons.

Tuluk rebelled against Allanak, because Allanak came in and took over Tuluk in a war. They did not want to be occupied by Allanak (who was the invading force) and so they rebelled against/ousted them.

I'm not 100% certain of Luirs outpost history concerning Allanak, so anyone is may want to correct me if it's not to IC, but AFAIK Allanak did not occupy Luirs (I may be mistaken on this point). The Kuraci Merchant House has always controlled it after their initial possession of it, outside of certain sections in history (such as a fairly recent span in history).

Allanak has had a past in 'conquering' or destroying other cities and outposts. Is it not natural that the original dwellers in these places did not wish Allanaki control and attempted to rebel? A more accurate statement would be 'Most of the places that were once conquered or occupied by Allanak have rebelled against them.' Though truthfully, only one specific example springs to mind and that would be Tuluk.

[Whira's Luck]

Why would someone -like- Tuluk? Noone really seems to be defending Tuluk all that much... :roll:  Here's your chance Tuluki loyalists. Tell us why Tuluk is better than Allanak...if you can.  :lol:

Well, I like playing everywhere. I think if played in a proper fashion, each city, outpost, village, encampment and even the barren wastes have their own benefits and drawbacks. Here's some reasons of why I like playing in Tuluk:

1. The nobles are more accessible. Not always friendlier or nicer, but they are more willing to work -with- you, if they are your patron. This shifts the power play in, I hate to use the term but it fits, subtle ways, and you don't even need to be outright employed by your patron to have them as a patron. Power becomes more dynamic based on your actions toward the city or your patron as a whole (your talents reflecting on their choice to patron you) than simple favor or on a whim. Favor is then handed out accordingly. For example, I may have a character who is patroned by a noble. Said noble may actually value my services more than the services his employees provide to him, because my service may fill a niche which is of more -value- to him than his aide. Thusly, even though his aide is accorded power and value through his employ, I may still have more power through the patronship and the noble may value my input as having greater 'weight'. This may not be the case in all respects, but from the roles I have played, I have seen this occur.

2. Templars are both more approachable and more frighteningly unpredictable. They may not cut your hand off, but you never know if they're asking you to go for a walk to the tavern, or to disappear you where no one is looking. I'm not sure how much of the case it is now, but in one of the most amusing scenes I ever saw in the new Tuluk, a templar who was offended by the behavior of a commoner did not cause any bodily damage through them, but instead ordered them, by way of punishment, to effectively publically and repeatedly humiliate themselves in a way that both entertained the onlookers to the event and caused frustration, embarassment and inconvenience to the offender.

3. A slightly more elevated standard of living. For some reason, the cost of water isn't as high as Allanak. People still go hungry, but the land is still fertile enough to provide a wide array of game and plants so starvation and dehydration, both still very real problem, aren't quite as glaringly obvious of one as in Allanak. It's far from idyllic, but it allows people who don't want to play in a clan that provides everything for them some ability to survive a little easier.

4. Arts and crafts! Tuluk elevates art and artists to have as important of a place in society as hunters, craftspeople and everyone else. Just as a good hunter can pull in a lot of sid for themselves, a good bard can easily make a living on their own talents. Unlike Allanak, where art is (or should be) a passable second job (but don't expect to make or break the bank on it), or possibly just another talent that makes you useful in the eyes of a noble. A noble in Tuluk may simply patron a bard for their specific talent in a certain artistic aspect, and that is the sole service they're required to perform... even if they're not outright hired as an employee! I don't know, but to me, that's one of the coolest aspects of the patronage system. If I play a bard, or a shoecrafter, or whatnot, I'm playing a -bard (or shoecrafter) specifically. I'm not playing a bard so I can bard in my spare time in between running errands for a noble, or trying to meet with the three people who have to meet with me on behalf of my noble or the various sundry tasks expected of me being everything BUT a bard.

5. Spice and various intoxicating substances are legal! Well granted, they're legal everywhere but in Allanak, but since we're specifically comparing Tuluk to Allanak, spice is legal!  And the beverages are much tastier. Oh, and the vices are much more apparent and enjoyed with relish.

6. The nobles are restricted from being complete horndogs with the commoner populace. So f-me's don't really have employment advantages in regards to their melon-sized conical breasts, ass-length silky hair and flawless skin.  (This is extremely tongue-in-cheek.) But on a more serious note, if you want to play an aide to a noble and templar and not feel as though you have no other choice but to be their lovetoy, it's pretty cool to have that aspect diminished. In other words, Lord Fancypants Tenneshi isn't going to favor you because you can boink like a heated tregil.

7. For anyone who likes to find neat stuff in shops (like myself), there are markets and shops all over Tuluk. I'm not even talking about very expensive, embroidered silkiness. Just lots and lots of neat stuff everywhere to be bought and sold. This makes it much easier to customize a character when starting a new one than Allanak, that I've found.

There are other reasons. There are also drawbacks to Tuluk but the question was find some benefits so there's some benefits. Of course, I don't prefer playing anywhere... I like everything, as long as it fits my character concept well. You can find fun -anywhere-, but you need to do the looking. My opinion has always been that if you require others to make things fun or better for you, you're going to end up bored sooner or later. My recommendation would be to create at least one long-lived character in most locations in the known world and with an open mind. You truly do get an appreciation for the differences and have fun with those differences by doing so.

[Anonymous]

3. A slightly more elevated standard of living. For some reason, the cost of water isn't as high as Allanak. People still go hungry, but the land is still fertile enough to provide a wide array of game and plants so starvation and dehydration, both still very real problem, aren't quite as glaringly obvious of one as in Allanak. It's far from idyllic, but it allows people who don't want to play in a clan that provides everything for them some ability to survive a little easier.

I can understand that you like this, but for me it contributes to why Tuluk is a downer.

My current PC is not playing in Tuluk.  My previous one did.  My previous one I could barely find the strength to login and go kill things (it was a combat PC for a change of pace from 1 1/2 years of a social PC) or to roleplay.  This current PC is playing in a tough spot without the available resources of Tuluk.  The dichotomy between the two regions is great but when you factor in that PCs are expected to display subtlety in their actions it tends to create a scenario where the world seems a whole lot easier.  Immediate and savage reprisal certainly feels more threatening than the idea of a dagger in the night, since that dagger might never come because the right people aren't logged in at the right time.

So here I am playing a PC that is literally scraping by, counting every sid and feeling pressure to make good on every trip out of the location.  Hey he's got to worry about paying around 4x as much for water than Tuluk as well as covering his stable fees.  I can't stop playing this PC because the struggle is what is so compelling.  I also know that I will have a feeling of accomplishment if this PC can survive where he currently is and go on to thrive in some measure.

Contrasted with Tuluk, where water and food are plentiful and water much cheaper, the weather isn't as bad and the death rate to Templars/militia seems really, really low I sumrised that my reasons for not feeling compelled to login were the result of not getting a thrill from the struggle.  Survival in Tuluk is a given, especially if you are playing a guild with the skills to take advantage of the more abundant flora.

Obviously a tembo can kill you as quick as a buffed up beetle can, but Tuluk lacks one of the things that the southern player locations have going for them, a greater danger from the environment itself due to the lack of resources or area to forage for those resources.

[Whira's Luck]

<snipped for brevity>

I know, and that's one of the advantages of playing in Allanak. However, it is not necessarily a disadvantage of playing in Tuluk, since there are ways to make it more difficult for yourself (it boils down to just because it's coded, doesn't mean you NEED to take advantage of it) and still enjoy the benefits of Tuluk. I didn't mean to say by my list that they were advantages and that Allanak didn't have it meant that it puts Allanak at a disadvantage, Allanak has its own benefits which may actually be opposite to a similar advantage that Tuluk offers. I think that playing realistically in Tuluk, you would find a slightly better standard of living as opposed to the same play in Allanak. However, I'd -still- say that if you are raking sid in hand over fist by doing things like lumberjacking and hunting, chances are, you're not exactly being very realistic about it.

Scraping by IS a thrilling experience, and should be. But I'm not always going to be interested in such a thing. I've been in situations (in both places) where scraping by wasn't thrilling, it was an absolute chore, and that made me not want to play. It all depends on the character and what you're hoping to get out of the experience. But I don't think saying that that advantage is a 'bad thing' is necessarily cutting it as a reason, since it's just as easy to amass ridiculous amounts of money in Allanak... provided you know what you're doing and how to do it.

I suppose in the aspect of scraping by being a good thing we can agree, though it doesn't necessarily dictate that having an easier time of scraping by is, conversely, a bad thing. Just a different thing.

[Armaddict]

I suppose in the aspect of scraping by being a good thing we can agree, though it doesn't necessarily dictate that having an easier time of scraping by is, conversely, a bad thing. Just a different thing.

I hate this game.  It's too hard.

*snicker*  Sorry, just had to do it, bro

[jstorrie]

There are a few things I enjoy much more about Tuluk than Allanak.

The first is the subtlety issue: many people say it doesn't exist, but I've seen it in action and it's great. There is outright, straight-forward fear of powerful people in Allanak; in Tuluk it is more of a lurking horror. In Allanak you generally know who's out to kill you (and in turn, who you better kill soon). In Tuluk, even your friends have a price on you.

The second is nationalism. Whenever I've played in Allanak I've never felt a sense that my character was really, deeply, Allanaki. There was a fear/hate of outsiders, but never a sense of belonging. Basically my Allanaki commoners have feared everything, from foreigners to their own slums to their rulers. In Tuluk, there's a very strong us-versus-them feeling that I don't get from Allanak. It's much more fun to play a racist, nationalist southern-hater.

The third is a sense of adventure, which is a nice change from Allanaki grit. There's intrigue in both cities, but in Allanak I am often more concerned with the struggle to survive than the struggle to achieve. This isn't to say that my Tulukis live any longer than my Allanakis, but there's a definite sense that Tulukis can get up to grand and far-reaching adventures. Whether that's irrational or not, it's the feeling I get when I play there.

The fourth is the accessibility of the nobles. In Allanak my commoners tend to fear the nobles, and rightly so. They don't want to please them so much as just suck up enough to not earn a public flogging. In Tuluk, my characters often feel more motivated to please the nobles and rise in prestige as a particular noble's favourite.

These have a lot to do with cultural traditions. Tulukis have stronger traditions binding them to the city, which fuels nationalism; the patronage system encourages characters to go out of their way to please nobles, rather than just escape their notice. These reasons are also strongly tied to the existence of northern nobility itself, which is why I wouldn't want to see the PC nobility up there phased out. To a certain extent, I get much of the same feeling from playing in the 'Rinth, ironically enough: us-versus-them mentality, strong sense of belonging, drive to please superiors and gain prestige. While I enjoy the Allanaki slaving-just-to-have-water role, I also enjoy the opportunity to play something more epic-feeling, even if those epicly-aspiring northern barbarians always get eaten by tembos on day seven anyway.

[amoeba]

I find the game to be more than simply surviving. If you are comparing Tuluk to Allanak on the basis of which has the harsher environment, Allanak will win. Less resources. Does that make one intrinsically better than the other, no. Just different. Different people will enjoy different things. There are dangers on both sides.

If you want danger in Tuluk, try being a hermit deep in the grey forest. I've had buff delfs that wouldn't go in there. If the comment is that it is harder for someone to gather resources in 'Nak than Tuluk, in some ways there are right, in some wrong. In 'nak, obsidian mining is very lucrative. Yes you can get logs in Tuluk, but you don't have a ready made, 50 sid a big log place to sell the stuff every time that you do in 'nak. I could easily put more money in the bank in 'nak than I could in Tuluk. Someone else said this at one time, I forget who. "Any system can be tweaked if you know how".

I also see a lot of self fulfilling prophecy at work here. People that like an in your face type of world, where everyone "hates" (yep, that word again) everyone else, tend to want to go where they feel they will encounter people like that. Is it any wonder that Allaank has culture that it does? How many times have we head the statement "I'll only play in Allanak" , obviously this person is not around to influence Tuluk's playerbase. Basically what goes on here is a big clique' thing. People gravitate around like minded people. Human nature. This is neither a good nor bad thing, just a thing.

Me I put down Tuluk because it fits my style, however I like the fact that there is a distinct feel to each city. While I agree Tuluk lacks an edge, which I think it needs, I would hate to see Tuluk be a mirror of Allanak. The uniqueness of each city needs to be preserved, with each being a viable and interesting location to play.

[Revelations]

It might just be me, but some of the good points that you have for Tuluk actually are my bad points for it. I guess there's only two sides to this, from what I've read so far, the side that dislikes what Tuluk has, and the side that likes what Tuluk has.

I also enjoy the opportunity to play something more epic-feeling, even if those epicly-aspiring northern barbarians always get eaten by tembos on day seven anyway.

Allanak is more "epic-feeling" to me exactly because of the seperateness and lack of strong loyal devotion to anything significant. In those circumstances, loyalties would belong to yourself, more than for a group, which is the Tuluki sentiment that I believe is being implied. Because there is a stronger "you vs. all" mentality, OOCly, I think players could strive more for their own goals than if they were under an obligation for a "greater cause", thus leading to more plots generated from peoples' own ambitions to get themselves better than the rest. OOCly, I think it's a lot more fun in this manner, and so more enjoying.

Also, although Tuluki nobles being more closer to the commoners than Nakki nobility could be a good thing, at least for me the huge gap between a Nakki noble and commoner feels more Zalanthis. Aside from the feeling, the benefits of having such a gap in Allanak is that it gives a bigger sense of mystery to nobles in the perspective of commoner PCs who can only hear the rumors of the activities of the nobility.

And, although wanting to please your noble might be better than fearing your noble in terms of enhanced performance, the OOC experience of having to face a feared noble over a buddy-buddy noble is alot more enjoyable, and at times just as functional as a closer relationship.

And for subtlety, although Allanak isn't known for it, it makes up for the lack of it for more of a straight-forward approach which leaves things out in the open for more hands to be invovled. And, although it isn't apart of this thread, if there were a more concentrated force of nobles, I think the atmosphere around such characters would broil with weaving schemes and plots.

[adrien]

I say take this thing to Ic and start a war over it  (again)

the city that wins is the better city which will be TULUK

[Mean_Old_Bastard]

I voted *twice*


/me snickers

I really didn't mean to but uh. yeah...

[skeetdaddle]

I hear a lot of people talking about how around Allanak things are more difficult because there aren't the resources, (plant -and- animal), like there are around Tuluk. While this is true, I would also like to point out that the further north you go, the more things there are that will track you down and hunt you to your death.  :shock:

[Dark Lightning]

I have a question, how is this possible?

Currently, what is the most popular city?
Allanak    70% [ 55 ]
Tuluk         29% [ 23 ]
Total Votes : 78

 70
+29
-------
 99

wtf?

[Nao]

you're counting percentages.. you'd need to add 55 + 23.. there you got your 78

[Larrath]

I have a question, how is this possible?

Currently, what is the most popular city?
Allanak    70% [ 55 ]
Tuluk         29% [ 23 ]
Total Votes : 78

 70
+29
-------
 99

wtf?

Simple.  This is only listing whole percents, leaving the decimal point out.  The real numbers would be, say, 70.31337% to Allanak and 29.68663% to Tuluk.