Opinions on clans?

[Anonymous]

In terms of IG strife caused due to OOC misinterpretation of the docs...that's a different matter.

This is typically what I see.  Specifically, I have played in a desert clan who lives in the desert and relies very heavily on the survival of every tribe member to survive, and there was a steady influx, near the end, of people who did not get this and just wanted to go hang out in the bar in the city and refused to travel or talk to certain clanmates because of this difference of opinion.  It was very jarring and was not in any way entertaining to play because it was very obviously an OOC problem where someone just didn't "get" the docs.

[Gaare]

As Tlaloc mentioned recently in another thread, for a RPI game character development is probably most important aspect.

With independent PCs, it is really harder to develop a personality because of limited interaction with friends/alias/enemies. On the other hand, for me with a clanned PC, hanging around with fellow clan mates and IMMs, developing and improving a persona is much more easier.

Also, I like RPTs, and having "quests" which one can have more in a clan.

[Anonymous]

I disagree.

Character development, with think, feel, and the various opportunities involved in the game is infinitely possible even solo.  It may not be as interesting to many players, but it's easily possible.

If anything, I find the overwhelming stereotypes sitting around your average inn to be less entertaining and developed.

[spawnloser]

I gotta agree with davien.  You can develope character personality quite well with think and feel.  This is good for both clanned and unclanned characters.  I'll also note that clanned characters can have friends and contact with people outside of the clan.

As to the actual topic at hand, though, I maintain that either is acceptable.  I voted for half and half.  By that I do not mean that half of my characters are clanned, but that I spend about half of my time in clans.

Also, what someone (I don't remember who and don't care right now) said about how indies learn more about the code and clanned characters get more into plots (I'm paraphrasing, but this is what I got from the statement) is, at least in my mind, incorrect.  I have played a clanned character that learned more about the code than any of my indies and an indie that has been prety damned involved in plots.

[Rindan on a Break]

I have been a busy son of o' bitch and so have not played in a couple of months, but in general I like clans and many of my favorite characters where clanned.  For me though, clans have three very powerful drawbacks that have kept me out of clans for the past year or two.

Time commitment:
Clans often times require some amount of time commitment.  When my schedule is erratic, as it has been for a little while, clans can be more of a pain then a blessing.  You quickly fall behind in clan events that you should know, leaders ask who the hell you are after you vanish for a month, and in general it is very hard to find any sort of rhythm.  Independents on the other hand can always find their own fun.  As an independent, you can easily tailor your 'fun' to how active you are.  If you are going to start playing regularly, you can start building your own small clan.  If you are going to be erratic in your play times, you can look for more short term plots.  You never have to bother with bullshitting the question of "where have you been?"

Slower Plots:
As an indy, I can make my own plots and I can run them at my pace.  Pacing isn't an issue if you can regularly play.  If you have regular times you can work up the ranks slowly, build long plot arcs, and find some of the best plot "meat" in the game.  The downside is that if you are playing erratically your ability to induce plots is greatly restricted.  You will always be an underling if your play times are erratic (as it should be, nothing is worse then an inactive leader), and as a result your hands will always be somewhat tied.  Even if you are a leader,  you still need to talk to someone above you before doing a lot of things.  

As an indy, I can seize whatever time I put into the game for my own ends to quickly make plots happen.  I don't need to ask a higher up if they think expanding my characters business dealings into extortion is a good idea for the clan and so things move much quicker.  For someone playing with limited and erratic time, the ability to kick things into high gear with the limited time you have is a godsend.

Limited Clan Types:
The clan types in Armageddon are really limited.  For me, Armageddon is the dark gritty life in the streets of some massive shit hole city.  I am my happiest as a scruffy spice sniffing elf always looking for a score or as a backstabbing thuggish city mercenary human living out his life in the harsh streets of Allanak.  Most clans really don't support that type of play.  Most are either very wealth centric or isolated tribals.  The big plots that are run in these sort s of clans are broad power struggles, terrible magiks, demons, city invasions, and all the normal stuff you except out of a fantasy book.  It isn't that I don't like this stuff, I just like more personal conflict better.  I find the realities of Zalanthas are diluted when 90% of the city based clans are noble houses, great merchant houses, or support clans for noble houses.

As an indy, I can get into the dark gritty meat of Zalanthas.  I can set up a spice smuggling operation, a thieves den, or even something far more mundane.  I can pretty safely play a 'rinther and know that I will probably never be involved in some grand plot in any other way then as just another poor dumb bloke who got sucked into along with every other poor downtrodden citizen in Allanak.  It keeps the mystery alive to not know a damn thing that is going on and not worry about it unless it directly affects you.  It feels more like you are playing in a living and breathing world where you really are just a small shit who doesn't even have a peek at the "bigger picture".  I like that my concerns have far more to do with my next spice score then with if the great terrible sorcerer of d00m is going to complete the ancient evil curse or what not and destroy the world.

I also really like the people that I meet in the indy city roles.  While the number of people playing characters on the lower end of the social order are low, there tend to be enough to make things interesting.  These people also tend to be awesome role players who really seem to "get" Zalanthas in the same sort of way that I do.  The people that go grab clothing more ragged then the starting clothing and then get rid of their starting 'sid are just a fun bunch of folks to play with who have very colorful characters.  That isn't to say that there are not colorful characters in clans (there certainly are), just that I tend to find a little more of what I am looking for playing in the underbelly of Zalanthas.  As it stands, the underbelly of Zalanthas isn't all that populated by clans.  It is mostly an independent operation being undertaken by mostly independent players.

Honestly, I think Armageddon does a pretty good job with clans.  If I were to change anything, the only thing I would add would be to give the game a little more focus on the lower classes and a little less focus on the big grand plots and massively rich noble houses.  Hell, even that might not be a good idea.  A lot of people seem to like playing in these clans.  Who am I to say everyone needs to get their 'rinth on?

[X-D]

About 1 of every 3 of mine goes clanned.

I think the clans are a needed part of the game.

I normaly try and join a clan that is basicly without PC's, I think I play a good leader, and every clan I've had a leader in grew and I believe the players had fun.

Though, I really wish life clans were restricked to the militia of Allanak and tuluk. Its the main reason my clanned PC's are only 1 in 3.