Late Night Armageddon

[AdamBlue]

You know the times when it's really late at night- As I write, it's 1:35 AM for me  on a tuesday night, and I still want to play armageddon.

The only issue?
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Immortals
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There are 0 visible Immortals currently in the world.

There are 9 players currently in the world, other than yourself.

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There are nine people online, and most of those are not in the city/location/cesspool I'm in. But I still want to play with people.
What do you guys suggest doing in these situations? Most of the time, I try contacting people I know, but it usually don't work.

[FantasyWriter]

Be patient, wonder around, you'll eventually find someone who matches your playtime and can stay alive for a little while.

[Cendell]

Welcome to Australian evenings 

That's pretty much it...contact people, go shopping, drink a (presumably warm) beer, follow a schedule if you're clanned. It is a hassle if you have IC situations that restrict what you can do, or where you can be. But at least some of those people are around, most of our Australian peak time is 3-10 other people online when I bother to type who.

We learn to savour PC interaction when you can get it And entertain yourself until you can. So maybe you'll find an off-peaker who you can hang out with. Not much help I know, but if no-one plays in those times, we -never- see anyone. So it's in our best interests not to tell people "Go do something else, or sleep."

Occupy Off-Peak!

[Evilone]

Its handy to have one solid friend you can rp with. Try and recruit some more people you may know into the game. Search around on some mud sites to even find a friend(s).

Try to RP with NPC's, VNPC's. Pretend you have family with you while your sitting in the tavern waiting for PC's to turn up. Even do a search for a random plot generator from any number of fantasy RPG sites to give you some ideas to try and find something you can do solitary until you find someone.

Im off peak, and it can be tough.

[a ginger afro]

I play GMT and tend to stay up untill like 2-3 AM just to get some good interaction time and join allong with RPTs etc...

Armageddon, slayer of bedtimes indeed.

[greasygemo]

I take off peak time to quietly reflect on my life and draw bizzare things on the walls with chalk.

[kayza]

My solo RP is mostly thinks, they are my favorite.

Think: I wish I had friends.

Is it unheard to email staff and see if they can recommend a place that has more people at certain play times?

[Potaje]

My solo RP is mostly thinks, they are my favorite.

Think: I wish I had friends.

Is it unheard to email staff and see if they can recommend a place that has more people at certain play times?

Its not unheard of, but the answer is generally, -its a crap shot-, since pc's come and go rather quickly sometimes from one area to another.

so its kind of a find out ic. Only in the sense that the place more players gather always changes.

I recall being in Tuluk for a year with one pc and hardly ever seeing anyone even with a who of: 25- 30 on line.

I thought, well they must be in Allanak.

when I died shortly after I made a character in Allanak and well, hardly saw any other pcs, maybe one or two once in a while, and still there was at least 20 players on line.

I traveled about and it was always random where I would find other pc's if ever I could.

So its like chasing a lark.

[FantasyWriter]

Also..... talk  RL friends in your time zone into playing.

[shadeoux]

Also..... talk  RL friends in your time zone into playing.

OR Shameless plug

I figured FW would have mentioned this.

[ponycorns]

This is a issue for me too. Traveling helps. I look for others and make a list to contact like said above. Crafting can help pass as solo RP while waiting somewhere and feels a little productive. All in all it does make RP with another that much more gratifying when it comes! I miss like every event to boot. I learn that it's something I have to accept as I just can't afford the hours these things require. My best times though are making the odd meeting turn into a RP session. Hope to cross more of you IG!

[Incognito]

As a long-time off-peak player, here are a few suggestions to add to those already posted in this thread so far:

If you're an off-peak player seeking interaction:

1) Its important to base your PC in a location which has high player traffic -- the City States are your best bets here.

2) Spend time sitting in the public places i.e. drinking holes -- sooner or later someone will wander in, and usually you'll find that these other players also play off-peak like you.

3) Try and join a clan/tribe/house - which has off-peak players -- this will increase your chances of having solid RP opportunities on a regular basis.

4) An extreme measure could also be to have your PC's mindset to be more tolerant of other kinds of PCs -- if you find that there's only gemmed PCs online during your play hours - then you're probably better off being more tolerant towards them. Same goes for other races.

5) Last but not the least - pick a role which will allow you to while away your time without getting too bored -- crafting, grebbing and exploring the great unknown are some examples.

[Aernis]

Recruit friends to play the game.
Recruit acquaintances to play the game.
Recruit random strangers to play the game.

Fill out your time slot turn it into peak time!

[FantasyWriter]

I personally find mages more enjoyable than other guilds for extreme off-peak.
They seem more suited for single-player mode for a few reasons, but that could just be me.

[Fathi]

As another long-time offpeak player, my best advice is to make yourself visible.

Those other nine people online at that moment are probably just as lonely as you, but if you guys are all sitting around idling in your clan compounds or mudsexing in your apartments or solo-hunting in the wilderness, I AM NEVER GOING TO FIND YOU. 

Off-peak populations tend to fluctuate. Earlier this year, Allanak was THE place to be if you wanted to play late night. Then things in the north seemed to pick up during my time zones. Realise that as people die and re-roll new characters, they will move around the map. If you play a character who moves around a lot, you can have the best of both worlds.

Once I am less tired I am happy to write up specific ideas that have worked for me, but seriously, putting your PC out there for people to run into is the best one.

[Booya]

As another long-time offpeak player, my best advice is to make yourself visible.

This!

Playing off-peak is really hard in a lot of ways - from having a slower learning curve because of fewer people to learn from, to having a smaller pool of characters with which 'do' things with/to. It took me about 6 or 7 years of playing (albeit on and off) before I experienced the 'buying from PC House merchants' thing with someone other than my one noble. And that was only because i'd ended up playing one!  So I often tend to have half an eye on ooc considerations of my fellow players - like making myself as accessible as IC possible, and being as inclusive as makes IC sense in plots and things i'm doing.

Also, try and give your character a hook that will facilitate interaction. Whether they're gregarious, confrontational, selling or buying, give people something to work with.

Remember that most, if not all, clans let their employees off at night, too. So if taverns are empty at late afternoon, someone will be more likely to roll by in the evening/night. And taking a wander round the streets can sometimes lead to random encounters or stumbling across something or other of interest.

I tend not to play the 'chase the other PCs' game as it can lead to frustration when they inevitably die or move. I also don't shy away from joining clans as when you get people following schedules together, it concentrates RP.  (I've never -not- had a good time in the Byn btw - even if there are slow days/hours.)

If things get too boring and lonely, of course i'll move on. But if -you're- the one to have patience and sticking power, you'll usually find people start gravitating towards you, or at least know when/where to find you.

With all this in mind, I also try and play the character I want to and as realistically as possible, regardless of whether there's anyone else around or not. Sometimes I feel like an NPC, following general movements from clan-hall to bar, to mess hall etc even if i'm not always flashing them out with lots of solo emotes. That way when I do run into people, they're running into a fully fleshed character and not someone who's waiting for something to happen, or waiting for someone else to bring them alive. (Although my characters never seem to start truly living until they've started interacting with someone.)

Peak players can help their off-peak clannies by using those rumour boards to keep us in the loop and feeling part of it, and times of future rpts if possible (extra points if you make them considerate times for a variety of timezones!). A little bit of communication IG about what's going on when we can't be around can go a looong way, too. Don't be too precious with storylines - let them span timezones!

Also, if you're passing on a name of someone PLEASE make sure you've spelled it correctly! Trying to find people with the Way off peak can already be a soul-eating experience. But to then find out you were given the wrong spelling of all those people so of course you weren't finding them....argh!

Having 'who c' would be super helpful, as it's deathly boring to spam 'contact amos' 'contact flippityjips' every half hour in the hope that someone might be around to play with if there's not a strict schedule (that people are following). But I sort of understand why staff don't want everyone to have this. I really think leaders should be allowed it though - and it would be as helpful to peak players in these roles.

[Akaramu]

My friends don't speak decent enough english / don't have time for Armageddon. I really think I'm the only Swiss player / former player in all of Armageddon! There isn't anyone I can recruit for my timezone.  Maybe I should move to the UK! They might still not have the time, but would at least know english well enough. 

[Hishn]

Just because you do not see us, does not mean we are not there seeing you.

[FantasyWriter]

But we looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove room echos.

I got two echos about a month ago while my off peak PC was doing what he does.
I felt all warm and cuddly inside.

[Maso]

My friends don't speak decent enough english / don't have time for Armageddon. I really think I'm the only Swiss player / former player in all of Armageddon! There isn't anyone I can recruit for my timezone.  Maybe I should move to the UK! They might still not have the time, but would at least know english well enough. 

England is really not much better...but you are more likely to be tempted to stay up ridiculously late...because it *starts* to get busy just as you would consider going to bed. Which is hellish and a massive tease.

You need to do what I did, and move to the States. Specifically so you can play Arm at peak time (this may or may not actually be true  )

[Iiyola]

I had the honor and pleasure to interact with an NPC, trying to make a bargain and trade something for something he found. For that I wished up and I had tons of fun with this small little scene. But yeah... usually just go into a tavern, take a seat. If the other nine people aren't mudsexing, there MAY be a chance  to interact.

[Evoru]

Or you could play a Kuraci whore, and then it wouldn't matter if the other 9 people were mudsexing or not because they'd be doing it with YOU. 

[solera]

What Booya says.  All of it.

Be regular in your habits. Like a NPC.

[Maso]

I had the honor and pleasure to interact with an NPC, trying to make a bargain and trade something for something he found. For that I wished up and I had tons of fun with this small little scene. But yeah... usually just go into a tavern, take a seat. If the other nine people aren't mudsexing, there MAY be a chance  to interact.

Problem is...you probably have... 1 Tuluki, 1 Kuraci, 1 Red Stormer, 1 Allanaki, 1 Ranger, 1 Rogue Magicker, 1 Gemmed Magicker, 1 Desert Elf and 1 Tan Muark...who can all go and sit in their respective 'taverns' or places of 'being social'...alone...while hating on the others for mudsexing...

[AmandaGreathouse]

In my experience, the best place to generally find others during early am (eastern time) for roleplay when there's like 5-9 people on is in Allanak, consistently. Other places have spikes of activity, but I'm often as not around during those hours and every time I even pass through Allanak with an outsider on business or what have you, there's usually 2-3 people there. They might not be the type who would interact or who you would interact with though. It's as often as not set up where they could not interact with each other, and you might meet in out of the way places like the bazaar or something, but they seem to keep the early morning/super off peak players there.