The current languishing of Allanaki Nobility.

[Jdr]

As referenced here, Allanak is now suffering from the effects of this circumstance. Constant shout-outs for northern roles, no leadership love for Allanak. I might be wrong, but it feels like there's one templar (though the recent call-out may change that for a month) and two nobles around ever, and for Allanak to thrive it needs more than that. It just feels like negligence (the 'new thing' is Tuluk, so all the Good Stuff goes there).

I decided to bring it to the players' awareness and perhaps discuss the situation in detail.

[Riev]

Its entirely up to the imms covering those sections, but the "constant calls" for Tuluki templars and nobilitiy is because, frankly, Tuluk has had a rather unusual turnover of Templars and Nobles. It has nothing to do with "more love" for Tuluk. Whoever is in command of Allanak at the moment obviously feels that there are enough Templars and Nobles for the time being. If there gets to be a point where they feel its lacking, they'll call.


Right now, I think Tuluk only has three templars with staggered play times, and what... three nobles that I've ever seen? Most of the time, I never even get to see them save in passing.

[brytta.leofa]

It does seem a little sparse, at least late night EST.

[tortall]

Honestly, playing a noble is boring a crap. Esp in Nak, where they can't even talk with the commoners. So they're stuck doing NOTHING but tavern sitting. Unless there another noble, or five, that play when they do, they get bored and store. Add to that, nobles are EXPECTED to get stuff done. IT becomes a job, and stops being fun. Add that to the already EXTREMELY limited number of people they can RP with, and you have a bunch of people who don't want to play there.

IMO, playing a Naki noble is worse than playing a Tuluki noble. At least the Tuluki nobles can sit at the bar with commoners and have some RP fun.


So, anyone with suggestions on how to fix this?

My suggestion: Some regular PC should step up to a leadership position and draw more people to Nak. Maybe that'll get things moving. Why is Tuluk thriving? A bunch of PC stuck out the boring part, and now it's awesome.

Nak will have it's time again. Not 6 months ago everyone was all up about how Tuluk had no nobles. Nak had 5 at the time. Things shift, and on occasion they shift away from where you want them to be. It happens. A lot.

[staggerlee]

Honestly, playing a noble is boring a crap. Esp in Nak, where they can't even talk with the commoners. So they're stuck doing NOTHING but tavern sitting. Unless there another noble, or five, that play when they do, they get bored and store. Add to that, nobles are EXPECTED to get stuff done. IT becomes a job, and stops being fun. Add that to the already EXTREMELY limited number of people they can RP with, and you have a bunch of people who don't want to play there.

IMO, playing a Naki noble is worse than playing a Tuluki noble. At least the Tuluki nobles can sit at the bar with commoners and have some RP fun.


So, anyone with suggestions on how to fix this?

My suggestion: Some regular PC should step up to a leadership position and draw more people to Nak. Maybe that'll get things moving. Why is Tuluk thriving? A bunch of PC stuck out the boring part, and now it's awesome.

Nak will have it's time again. Not 6 months ago everyone was all up about how Tuluk had no nobles. Nak had 5 at the time. Things shift, and on occasion they shift away from where you want them to be. It happens. A lot.

1) Wax and Wane. Sometimes you just need to be patient, areas, clans and roles empty out and fill up. It's normal.
2) Sponsored and karma roles are not for everyone.  Don't assume that something is broken just because you don't enjoy the role or aren't very good at it.

Play, relax, be patient, have fun.

[Chosen]

Its entirely up to the imms covering those sections, but the "constant calls" for Tuluki templars and nobilitiy is because, frankly, Tuluk has had a rather unusual turnover of Templars and Nobles. It has nothing to do with "more love" for Tuluk. Whoever is in command of Allanak at the moment obviously feels that there are enough Templars and Nobles for the time being. If there gets to be a point where they feel its lacking, they'll call.


Right now, I think Tuluk only has three templars with staggered play times, and what... three nobles that I've ever seen? Most of the time, I never even get to see them save in passing.

This. There's quite a bit to make up for, and the perceived extra attention to Tuluk is indeed to make up for things that were lacking. I don't think it's negligence.

[Marauder Moe]

Honestly, playing a noble is boring a crap. Esp in Nak, where they can't even talk with the commoners.

I think this is a very damaging misconception, and perhaps it is even responsible for the lack of (perceived) noble activity in Allanak.

Even though Allanaki high society does not condone conversation and friendship between nobles and commoners like in Tuluk, it doesn't mean nobles can't talk to commoners at all outside of formal business.  There are plenty of ways to interact with commoners without it crossing into taboo relationship territory.

Curiosity: Just because commoners are lower life forms doesn't mean they can't be interesting.  Also, just because you find someone interesting doesn't mean you care.  I think more nobles should summon commoners to come talk to them.  Find out about their life stories.  Try and figure out how the commoner mind works, and how they can tolerate living in such filth and ignorance.

Magnanimity: The city would be much better off if commoners weren't so stupid.  Instead of being lonely for an afternoon, push back the frontiers of ignorance a little.  Give a random commoner a refresher on manners, a lesson on imperial piety, or some other random subject you like to talk about.

Entertainment: Though all these suggestions ultimately center around reducing a noble's boredom, a noble can also be direct about their needs.  Summon a random commoner and tell them to entertain you.  If they fail, tell them to leave and return with someone else to entertain you.  It shouldn't be too hard to find someone who knows a song, story, joke, dance, or something, even if crude.

Utility: Even though ICly your noble may have armies of servants and vaults of resources, OOCly it might be fun for all if you grab random commoners and send them in mini-quests.  Send them out for minor supplies (herbs, candles, perfume), even if you're perfectly capable of acquiring them personally.  If they seem to be more capable travelers, send them to bring you things back from neighboring cities, even if it's not something you really need.  Spending character resources to spur activity in the game is a worthy cause, IMO.

I feel that there's no reason that any noble, no matter how stuffy or arrogant, can't partake in these kinds of interactions.  All these can be done with varying levels of disdain.  You can play your noble as being barely able to conceal their revulsion or boredom, or you can play a noble who's actually rather engrossed.  Likewise, commoners can either be rewarded for their time or punished for their banality.

Just remember that they should be corrected if they start to stray too far into familiarity.  This too can be done kindly or cruelly, depending on your noble's mood and personality.  Also it may be good to have a PC or NPC underling do it for you, just like you might have them facilitate other parts of the encounter, like finding and summoning a suitable subject or dispensing compensation.

[Lizzie]

Also, not all commoners are equal. Your GMH Merchant-ranked Merchant will have more in common with a junior-ranking noble, than he will with a rinthi gemmer. The junior-ranking noble will (if he has any sense in his head and values his life and the reputation of his family) not be seen "hanging out" in the Gaj with rinthi gemmers. However, there isn't really that kind of taboo when it comes to "hanging out" at Red's or Trader's, with a noble's favored concubine, or an upper-ranking GMH family member, or senior Aide to Lord Templar the Red.

Sure, the senior aide is technically inferior. But when you're a noble who isn't looking for a relationship and simply wants a pleasant conversation with someone at the appropriate tavern, I don't see anything wrong with "cordial relations" between lower-ranked nobles and higher-ranked commoners. Not equal, but serviceable for the purpose.

Nobles aren't required to be snooty. Some of them are downright NICE to hang out with. That's not any fault of the player for playing the character "wrong." It's just recognizing that nobles are -already- superior to commoners; they don't have to go out of their way to prove it. If they have to prove it, THEN I'd say they're doing something wrong, or possibly playing a noble with incredibly low self-esteem.

[Eloran]

I do see casting calls for Tuluk moreso than for Allanak, but I figured that's because of attrition. I was under the impression that most Allanaki nobles live generally longer lives than their Tuluki counterparts.

If any area gets love, I hope it's LUIR'S. Every agent/da/di is called to work in either Tuluk or Luir's. I can't remember the last time one was kept at the outpost. No one is going to play there if Kurac lacks leadership. Other than Luir's Fest (which was pretty sparse compared to other years) the outpost is dead. Roles have been outsourced to the major cities, and that saddens me.

[Clearsighted]

It does seem that Allanaki nobles are longer lived by a significant order of magnitude. Which is ironic.

[Rairen]

Maurader, will you be my noble?  That list rocks.

[Marauder Moe]

Someday, maybe.   


BTW, I see no reason my suggestions wouldn't apply to templars too.

[Decameron]

I believe that the long-life span of Allanaki Nobility can be attributed to choices and actions IC, rather than avoiding risks or generally doing nothing. Anyone in a sponsored Noble role that doesn't manage to do anything, won't last too long.

I don't believe that because pcs aren't seeing Nobility hanging around by themselves in the taverns there is a problem. This could most likely be attributed to Noble players choosing to do other things with their time. If you happen to have ever been isolated in a situation where you're sitting at a tavern that's very rarely frequented, and have little to do at the moment, you get bored very quickly. This isn't necessarily fun for the player, or productive as a leader within a clan. Also, just because there haven't been public announcements to every action that Lady Kohl-face or Lord Silk-pants has made in the past week, doesn't mean they haven't been active, it just means that they may be doing things they don't necessarily want to be public information.

I think that a major facet of the issue relies on the transition of authority from Imm to pc, done recently through the changes within Imm animation. You have a lot of players in leadership positions that were relying heavily upon a particular npc for guidance and direction in concerns to plots and the like. Suddenly, that person is gone, and you're left with the question, "What do I do now?". Where as before you could create plots and opportunities for employees beneath you based off a particular situation, you're now left to find that situation yourself, and try to create something suitable for your employees to do about it. Some times this works, some times it doesn't.

What's important to point out here is that it's a transition. I don't feel that throwing more pc nobles into the mix would fix it. I believe there are plots in the work right now, and that we employees just need to be patient. If you feel things are slow right now, then, I would imagine that you could ultimately do something to spice things up, or attempt to find a goal or plot yourself that you feel would involve others, and approach your lonely noble-employer to see how they'd take to it. I think for the most part, you'd be pleasantly surprised by the reaction, well, for the most part.

I don't particularly feel that Tuluki Nobility is beter than Allanki nobility or vice-versa, and I doubt that the OP wanted this to turn into a City-State contest. I am merely stating that the role has undergone somewhat of a large change, and that as with any transition, it may just take some time to adjust. There are very hectic periods and slow periods for every portion of the game - I don't feel that pin-pointing a particular group as being responsible for this, is very fair for those players involved.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I think players of nobles, whether North or South, get bored and retire. A lot. They don't have the gumption to twist things to work for them, and they quickly move on to other enjoyable pursuits.

The ideal player for a noble position LIKES tavern sitting. They LIKE coming up with ideas and bugging their staff until they give in. They LIKE roleplay more than anything else, far and beyond coded skills. The player of a noble is patient. They can deal with it taking a RL year for what they think is a simple plan to come to fruition. They find ways around 'No' and 'Not at this time' that they might get from the staff, by being innovative.

Most players like doing things, roving, etc, skilling up, exploring. It's harder for nobles to do it. We have restrictions on every damned thing. The player that can play a noble for a long time adjusts to this, adapts to anything, and can endure long periods of times with no visible success in things. Write. Nobles should fill their House Libraries with books. Moe had a great list as well.

It can be done. But go into the position with a sense of what is, and what isn't. It's not fast-paced most of the time. But when it is, Lord almighty, it really is.

[Vessol]

Honestly, playing a noble is boring a crap. Esp in Nak, where they can't even talk with the commoners.

I think this is a very damaging misconception, and perhaps it is even responsible for the lack of (perceived) noble activity in Allanak.

Even though Allanaki high society does not condone conversation and friendship between nobles and commoners like in Tuluk, it doesn't mean nobles can't talk to commoners at all outside of formal business.  There are plenty of ways to interact with commoners without it crossing into taboo relationship territory.

Curiosity: Just because commoners are lower life forms doesn't mean they can't be interesting.  Also, just because you find someone interesting doesn't mean you care.  I think more nobles should summon commoners to come talk to them.  Find out about their life stories.  Try and figure out how the commoner mind works, and how they can tolerate living in such filth and ignorance.

Magnanimity: The city would be much better off if commoners weren't so stupid.  Instead of being lonely for an afternoon, push back the frontiers of ignorance a little.  Give a random commoner a refresher on manners, a lesson on imperial piety, or some other random subject you like to talk about.

Entertainment: Though all these suggestions ultimately center around reducing a noble's boredom, a noble can also be direct about their needs.  Summon a random commoner and tell them to entertain you.  If they fail, tell them to leave and return with someone else to entertain you.  It shouldn't be too hard to find someone who knows a song, story, joke, dance, or something, even if crude.

Utility: Even though ICly your noble may have armies of servants and vaults of resources, OOCly it might be fun for all if you grab random commoners and send them in mini-quests.  Send them out for minor supplies (herbs, candles, perfume), even if you're perfectly capable of acquiring them personally.  If they seem to be more capable travelers, send them to bring you things back from neighboring cities, even if it's not something you really need.  Spending character resources to spur activity in the game is a worthy cause, IMO.

I feel that there's no reason that any noble, no matter how stuffy or arrogant, can't partake in these kinds of interactions.  All these can be done with varying levels of disdain.  You can play your noble as being barely able to conceal their revulsion or boredom, or you can play a noble who's actually rather engrossed.  Likewise, commoners can either be rewarded for their time or punished for their banality.

Just remember that they should be corrected if they start to stray too far into familiarity.  This too can be done kindly or cruelly, depending on your noble's mood and personality.  Also it may be good to have a PC or NPC underling do it for you, just like you might have them facilitate other parts of the encounter, like finding and summoning a suitable subject or dispensing compensation.

This. Great ideas.

[Jingo]

I've been afraid to app a noble mostly because I'm afraid I'll have difficulty breaking into the role.

But now, Moe's post makes me want to try one.

[Adhira]

There are currently 3 Templars in Allanak right now, this is the usual amount of Templars the city has.

There are currently 5 nobles in Allanak. The Southern nobility and templarate staff have been discussing recruiting more to the roles, there are various factors that go in to recruitment decisions and steps to be taken such as contacting inactive nobles before we do so.

[Armaddict]

Playing a noble in Allanak is far from boring if you are a mover with some semblance of patience and lack of need for immediate gratification.

[hyzhenhok]

Bah, Allanak is just starting to hop again.  It was slow a month ago, but it looks like things are accelerating back into awesomeness.

[SmashedTregil]

Part of the reason why it was slow in Nak, was due to Luirs Fest. Now that's gradually passing, the people are coming back. Cant really make a good opinion in this game, via one day observation ... or one week, to be honest.