How Do You Role-Play Equipping Your New Character?

[Ghardoan]

Hopefully, the topic of this thread explains the purpose of this poll clearly enough.  Feel free to add your own thoughts, opinions, or suggestions, but please keep it civil, on-topic, and free of IC information. Thank you.


Cheers,

Ghardoan

[Delirium]

All of the above. I normally try to have a character background that includes some reason why my character is running around equipping themselves, but sometimes it just isn't practical.

[Malifaxis]

All of the above

On top of it, I usually pick one item that has some certain amount of significance to the new character.  For example, that carru hide jacket, I didn't just buy, but it was given by my brother, or some such.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

I generally consider the first hour or two of my character's life to be "OOC time". You know, learning his way around his hometown, buying equipment and such. I don't actively seek out players or employment, but if they present themselves so early in the game, then I take a break in my shopping spree to roleplay everything out.

The reason I do this is to pick up particularly cherished objects my character might possesss (if they're very connected to their mount, for example, or if they carry around a childhood toy). Afterwards, I make sure to roleplay my shopping as much as possible, haggling with merchants, carefully inspecting items, and even discussing it with other PCs. In general, I just don't bother to make a reason for why my character owns nothing more than his pants, shirt, and shoes, however. If other players can, more power to them, but I don't want to have a string of characters that lost all their earthly possessions, personally.

[2 Lazy 2 login ShaL]

I normally don't even start roleplaying until after I've shopped for her initial clothing and feel completely in character. If there happens to be another pc in the same shop I throw an emote out but normally I think of the character, put her in game, get some scars if need be, log in, zip out of the starting point without looking at anyone, check my stats (I'm a reroll whore) and zip through the initial shopping process.

Would anyone consider a store within the hall of kings? Doesn't have to have all kinds of things but just something for everyone, weapons, varied clothing, cloaks, couple of different packs. Or maybe an extra room that has area appropriate clothing depending on where you're starting.  That way no one could really tell your character is new.

point allanak
sends you to an allanak clothing/weaponry type store and when you type leave, it sends you to the nakki starting point.

I'll shuddup now.    :?

[Drayab]

Hey, I like that idea. I always thought the newbie gear was kind of cheesy, and it is rather jarring when you come across somebody that is still all dressed in their newbie stuff.

[spawnloser]

I'm with Drayab.  I like Shal's idea...or even a variation on it would work.  That way not every new character can't be picked out instantly.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

This has been discussed before, one of John's many brain-babies, I think. I suggest PMing him for the link to that old thread... There was a fair amount of support for it, but it was soon derailed as several people added their own variations to it. Some Imms replied to the idea, but I forget what they said exactly.

Gee, aren't I helpful?  :lol:

[jhunter]

I do all of the above depending on the char.

I think that giving one flat amount of obsidian to all new chars (with the exception of merchants) would be good to do, and increase the starting amount slightly for them.

Before you say, "Are you %$*!?& nuts??!!", let me explain my thinking behind this.

Each new char would have more to work with to set themselves up with, what they are supposedly already supposed to have, if your background didn't match up to having much coin or much in the way of clothing and equipment, then you as the player should have the "honor" to do away with what you don't need and play accordingly.

But, it's hard to believe this warrior-looking guy who appears to be able to handle himself would wear only some armor and leave other places exposed, sometimes pathetic weapons, no cloak(in a desert world?), or a hunter type who does not own a bow?(because the player has to sacrifice getting one for having the proper clothing and such).

I do like the idea of a store in the hall of kings, so long as the items there are also found pretty commonly on Zalanthas...so a char dressed in such things wouldn't stand out as a new char so much to the other players.

Just some things that I wanted to add....how about a few certain things that a new char gets depending upon what the primary guild of the char is?

I think that all chars should get to start with a cloak of some kind, maybe a few to choose from in the hall of kings...how about a waterskin? I thought at one time that my new chars started with one along with a torch, but it seems that they are not now.

Most any non-noble, IMHO would keep water with them most of the time...it -is- a harsh, DESERT world.

Anyways, the generic, only seen on newbie or newer chars clothing should go.

[ShaLeah]

I'll elaborate, fear, up all night and high on caffeine   :wink:


You enter the Hall of Kings with your brand-spanking new character:

There's the scar guy. You pick some nice whipe marks (yes I know that's not a real word, you'll have to show up to IRC some day to find out).
Coincidentally, I think the Hall of Kings should have the Tuluki Caste tattooes for those of us who want to play northerners and start elsewhere than in Tuluk.
Now what do you do? You point to where you want to go.

>point to allanak
>list
01) a pair of leather gloves for 45 obsidian coins.
02) a jacket for 168 obsidian coins.
03) a bracer for 63 obsidian coins.
04) a pair of leggings for 132 obsidian coins.
05) a filled water skin for 60 obsidian coins.
06) a pair of silk gloves for 140 obsidian coins.
07) a silk skirt for 192 obsidian coins.
08) a sandcloth shirt for 30 obsidian coins.
09) a sandloth pair of coolats for 30 obsidian coins.
10) a shield for 76 obsidian coins.
11) a swordbelt for 55 obsidian coins.
12) a helm for 270 obsidian coins.
13) a nice weapon 225 obsidian coins.
14) an okay weapon for 137 obsidian coins.
15) another kind of weapon for 170 obsidian coins.
16) a pair of boots for 135 obsidian coins.
17) a sack of flour for 300000 obsidian coins. (sike! just seeing if you're paying attention)

>leave
(places you in the actual starting point in Allanak and you can't come in, the message should be 'has entered the world' or whatever it normally is)

You get the jist. One or two choices of everything, weapons, fine clothes, cheap clothes, armor, jewelry, packs...  Maybe set them at non haggle to prevent any staying in there and spamming offer and prevent abuse?

These things would be proper Allanaki wear/weapons, of course.

Same thing goes for every other starting place, Tuluk would have woodsy items, the Rinth shop would have dark hooded cloaks, Luir's would have Kuraci gear and so on and so forth.

I think if this system would be added, it would make it very hard to know who is and who isn't a new character which I would love.

I honestly feel like such a twink when I get a new character and zip around getting her clothing and general first appearance ready.

I would be willing to submit some NPC's and some suggestions of regular wear if that would help.   :!:

ShaLeah
-who wonders what happens when you stay in the Hall of Kings and act as a greeter.
tell other pc (extending her hand) Hi! Welcome to Armageddon, where are you starting cause I'm not so sure, you think I should get a scar? Maybe we could be partners! I'm a sorceror/house servant, what about you?

Hi Fifithefifi!

[Rindan]

I think giving out more money is a bad idea.  If anything, I think that people are given way too much money to begin with.  Most people never make it big in Zalanthas.  Most people never pull themselves out of the gutter.  That mercenary who walks into the tavern decked out from head to foot in armor is a rich guy next to most people.  Most people are lucky for the clothes on their back.  PCs already are horribly rich compared to the rest of the population and own more then most people do.  I see no reason to make them even more out of sync.  Just take into account the fact that you only have so much money.  Making a background where you are a rich guy who can afford to cover himself head to toe with armor or own a 500 'sid bow is much like making a background where you are a seasoned warrior or expert hunter when the truth is you start sucking.  So, if you want to be a mercenary, then say that dady gave you training and the family scraped together as much armor as they could.  It isn't enough, but it is a start.  Just take your poor (or perhaps I would say "normal" is a better word for the average Joe) into account when you make your character.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I support the idea that Shal presented and the manner in which it was presented. I find this much more realistic. It would certianly cut down on the time that one must spend OOCLY IC as one gets their new character dressed in something that seems slightly normal.

[mansa]

I think the system is fine, now. It's a lot better than it once was.
What did the newbies used to get?  Shirt and trousers?  That's it?  Heh.

Everybody who enters the game is a commoner.  What you start out is -fine by me-   And you can quote me on that.  Because I'm fine.  So fine.


Nobility is a 'special' app, and most will be set up by Immortals, so, they don't need the system to buy additional clothes.

[Angela Christine]

I have to agree with Mansa, and not just because he's cool either.  

Yes, it's a struggle to get equipped at first, but struggle is part of the game.  PCs can get decent stuff within a year or two, while it takes NPCs much longer.  Look at some of the Byn NPCs who hang out in public some time, most of them don't have much more than a newbie could afford, even the Sergeants.  These are NPCs who have spent YEARS of their lives as proffesional swords for hire.  

For a new PC that wants to join the Byn it is hard  to figure out how to get everything you want: 300 for enterance, 200 for a couple good weapons, 400 for a mount, 300-500 for basic armor, 200-1000 for a bow and arrows if you are into bows, etc.  Being a mercenary in light brown pants sucks.  Being a mercenary that doesn't have a mount and can't ride worth shit sucks.  Being a mercenary that doesn't speak sirihish very well because you are a newbie dwarf or elf sucks, but money won't help there.    But for most Zalanthans life Does indeed suck mightily, so this isn't entirely unrealistic.  The only way to have enough starting money to do what you want right away is to be a merchant, but a merchant mercenary will suck in other ways.    

I've used the Byn as an example, but the situation is similar for many other situations.  Other clans may not charge an enterance fee, but they also usually don't start handing out cool equipment and big money untill you've been with them at least a year.  If you are a bard, a petty crafter or a gemmed magicker you may not -need- much more than the clothes on your back to start, but then you'll probably want to rent a safe room of your own, crafting materials, or just to save your money for food because it will be a loooong time before you start making any real money.  Everybody needs money, even merchants can run of out money pretty quick.

The solution I like best is to run as an independant for a few weeks before trying to join a clan.  An independant can make gross amounts of money quickly, and get the basic stuff he needs to stop being a kankless dufus in light brown pants.  Everybody gets the forage skill, (although it takes a while to get good at it now) and there are several resourse harvesting methods that don't rely on any coded skills at all.  The downside is that nearly all of the ways an independant newbie can gather coin require leaving the safety of the city, which is dangerous.  When I go the independant route I regularily burn through 5 or more characters before I get one that lives more than 24 hours of play time and actually gets to have a life.  

Since doing foolhardy things  constantly and making several thousand 'sid per IC year doesn't make much sense, I smear the memory so that these are the adventures I had and the stuff I bought over the last 5-10 years, during my foolhardy youth.  Sure, it's not OOCly true, and it may be ICly questionable, but it makes more sense than the facts.  Like when a gemmed magicker says they got their gem when they were 10 years old, and you know it is practically impossible for them to have gotten it before they were 13.  They may have gotten the gem from an NPC templar last week, but they remember the encounter as having happened when they were 10.   There just isn't a way to start as 10 or start with a gem (at least no without a special app or imm assistance in the hall of kings) so you fudge a bit.

I may be wrong, and doomed to spend eternity in MUD hell because I've smeared some IC and OOC events around to make them more plausible IC, but it's the best I've been able to come up with so far.  The story makes sense retroactively, even if it is a little off while it is happening.

AC

[Anonymous]

If there is a store in the Ancient Place of Kings dealy the inventory should have nothing but items worth 0 coins in it and each just variations of the standard pack, boots, shirt, pants varieties or any commands that would allow you to steal from the merchant should be disabled.

But I don't know what sort of ROI would be had from putting a store in the APK its coolness factor aside.

Like others I just treat gearing up as part of the chargen process and I don't think or emote typically.

[Drayab]

All that said, I still think the newbie gear is retarded. And watching them run around in it is jarring.

Drayab, who is repeating himself, how ever unhelpful that may be.