Are independents obsolete?

[Salt Merchant]

Number of people online: 59

Number of people in prominent southern taverns: 0

Same as last night.

Oh well, on to other things for a while, I guess.

[Maso]

Annoying isn't it.

[bardess]

Number of people online: 61

Number of people in northern prominent taverns: 0

Same as most nights.

I'm glad to see it's not just shitty Tuluki population these days.

[Is Friday]

It's really off and on. Sometimes it's just bursting with life and others it will be dead for hours. :\

[Gimfalisette]

The way to begin to cure the empty tavern issue is to do more than just look in. Sit down, have a drink, wait an IC hour or two and see if anyone else comes along to RP. I have seen plenty of indies around lately, but of course if it's Detal or Ocandra you're likely to see more of particular clans too. And then there are the merchant crews, who wander far and wide.

Patience, it comes and goes.

[Cale_Knight]

Yeah, an hour after you posted this I logged on to find six PCs in a single southern tavern.

[Fathi]

Just because they aren't sitting in taverns doesn't mean there aren't independent characters.

For all we know, they're out foraging, killing beasties, crafting in their apartments, mudsexing beasties in their apartments, or crafting apartments in their beasties.

[Only He Stands There]

People out roleplaying, getting involved in plots, and struggling in the harsh Zalanthan environment instead of idling in a tavern...


... perish the thought.

[Malken]

I was alone for a long while, as well, but I ended up managing to assemble a great group of players that are now playing in the same clan that I am, and I can say that I'm barely ever leaving my 'clan hall' nowadays.. I might visit the taverns once in a while, but only when I'm really lonely and no one else is around...

Sometimes I feel guilty about it, because I see a few players that are always alone in the tavern, but then, if they don't want to be part of my 'group', there isn't always much I can do about it.. It's always hard when one 'independant' wants my time while four or five 'clan members' are in my mind asking where I am and what I'm doing...

But I feel for you that say that the taverns are often empty when there's 55-65 players on, believe me, after all, I'm a Tuluk fanboi to the core.

[Yang]

Quality not quantity.

[Salt Merchant]

Here, enjoy some light verse rather than another wasted reply:

'Twas brillig and the slithy toves
did gyre and gimble on the wabe.
All mimsy were the borogoves
and the momeraths did outgrabe.

[Gimfalisette]

At one point there were three or four people. Including some characters who took the trouble to emote yawning and twiddling their thumbs.

...By the way, being in a tavern doesn't necessarily mean being idle. Except when it's just you and you're done with solo emoting.

Dunno what to say about this. A lot of people sit in taverns and wait for other people to entertain them. I usually find that a great opportunity to be really rude/obnoxious/funny/loud/nosy etc. and see what kind of a reaction I can get from people.

[Akoto]

My last several characters have all been independents, and I actually found it to be a very active community. Granted, I didn't meet most of my colleagues in the taverns of larger cities.

The encounters took place as I was out and about, or in somewhat smaller locales (Luir's, Red Storm, etc).

That said, with the end of the game drawing closer, I think people might be condensing more into clans. Get the most out of your role-play time, likelier connections to the closing events, so on.

[BlackMagic0]

Yes, Its usally like that for me.

I've seen 40ish people on, and ONE other PC in the south. I was like.. Ok, Where is the orgy? And why wasn't I invited..

But, If you sit about for awhile usally one or two people show up.. Then you just gotta handle it when they ditch you for their clan xP.

Owell, I've not had to much trouble finding RP ^^

[Seeker]

My recent dirt-poor nobody seemed to find plenty of interaction in the south, and he just wandered around grebbing for a living.  I was never bored.

Even though the clans all seem to be doing well, which I think is great for the game, playing an independent can still be a blast.


Seeker

[Dakkon Black]

Everybody is hiding in a cave practicing spells. I am.

[Greymalkin]

On the subject of independents, I don't think their unclanned state is a bad thing as long as they are interacting with the clans, be they gathering wood for Kadius or spying for Salarr - they're still integrating with the mass (when they're not out in the wilds hunting, which is fine because they inevitably return.)

In my present role I have to say I'm rather surprised. I never spend more than 20 minutes tops alone when I go out into public, even during not very peak hours (well, OK, but not super dead hours either). And because I'm in a sort of 'feature' position I feel obliged to put myself where I'm available to as many players as possible rather than tucked away in some compound that very few have access to.

I felt bad last night when I spent an entire hour and a half in my char's estate conversing with only one person :oops:  - I know that adds to the whole 40+players/empty taverns syndrome - but sometimes it's unavoidable. Still, it's something I try not to do. And not for the sake of martyrdom. I just want to interact!

[Malken]

I'm in ur caves, spammin' mah spells.

[spawnloser]

Greymalkin, not all plots and important things happen within the confines of a clan.  We already have few PCs that are truly common... unimportant... and independents help to fill in that gap, by being slightly more common.

[manonfire]

Good to see a new "bitch of the week".

For the longest time, I thought we were gonna stay on the abundance of <guild> in the game.

[Mood]

Good to see a new "bitch of the week".

For the longest time, I thought we were gonna stay on the abundance of <guild> in the game.

Too many fucking bards, man.

[Malken]

Good to see a new "bitch of the week".

For the longest time, I thought we were gonna stay on the abundance of <guild> in the game.

Too many fucking bards, man.

A few days ago, my friend asked me why she didn't have access to the 'bard' class, and how many karma it was. She said she had seen many in game recently and it looked like a fun class to try.

I thought that was pretty funny.

[Is Friday]

I was told there was a shortage of bards.... hmmmmmmm!

[Belenos]

I was told there was a shortage of bards.... hmmmmmmm!

The buildup of bards is in anticipation of "Zalanthas the Musical!" (c) 2007.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

[Gimfalisette]

Bards are a special case where a portion of the playerbase always thinks "omfg there's too many!" because they hate bards, and where another portion of the playerbase always thinks "there aren't enough bards!" because they love bards.

Basically, don't listen to what anyone says about there being too many or too few bards. If you want to play a bard, just do it. I have played a Tuluki bard at times when there were three or four others active, and at times when there was only one other active. (Or none, even.) If you're good at barding, there's room and demand for you either way.