Involving people who don't play US evenings

[Calavera]

More sponsored roles across the timezone board would do more than just give opportunities to play in clans for those outside the US, though. Other than simply giving those playing outside peak times someone to flock around, you ensure that the leaders who do play during peak times won't have to compete for employees as much.

For the record, time zone is one of the things that has the absolute least impact on who we choose for sponsored roles, if that helps ease your concern any. Unless we're talking about a situation where there's already another noble/templar in the same clan who plays quite off-peak, we never exclude off-peak players simply by basis of their time zone.

Unfortunately I think the reality is that there are fewer sponsored roles who can play during non-peaktime hours simply because there are fewer players full stop who play those hours. Most of the time, the people who apply for such roles are broken down along similar proportions as the people who play other roles.

[Dakota]

It's good to hear Calavera. Once upon a time I considered apping for a sponsored role in one of the larger houses just to give Off-Peakers some more action. I might try again maybe, some day.

Although it begs the question: While you don't exclude off-peakers on the basis of their time-zone for sponsored roles, does it hurt their application? Say if you're looking for a Noble in a House, aren't staff looking for someone that will be not only pro-active but also reach the most amount of PC's to fill the void?

[FantasyWriter]

You could.... encourage people from your time zone/s to start playing the game.
Regional recruitment pushes would be awesome.  I tried running a recruitment contest (posting flyers/posters and taking pictures/vids of where you posted them) a few years ago with some awesome prizes (kruth cards and other arm themed stuff), but literally no one participated after nearly two weeks.

[Patuk]

I would, but, y'know, Dutch.

[solera]

It's too late at night for me to think straight. But right now it feels an interesting concept that a Noble spend all their Saturday linking time with their minions and the other one or two fellow nobles. They put in the early work aka Vanth to set up their minions to make a wide time zone network, and get one or two promoted to Leader as quick as possible. They would spend their daily off peak time with the inner circle and appearing in public to a minority of PCs.

[Case]

I'm NZ time, and when I was moving and shaking IG, it took an earthquake to give me the time to play peak consistently (no work, nothing else to do).

Peak is super frustrating for NZ/Aus, as it ends around 3pm/1pm local time respectively, and begins around 9pm/7pm local. Core business hours basically, with no chance to structure work around getting home for it. I have historically taken paid leave in order to go to, or to run, critical RPTs. In NZ/Aus, you miss US Sunday, which also sucks. US Friday evening is surprisingly good though.

The NZ/Aus peak is pretty cool, as the timezone serves a weird niche in being able to bridge US and European timezones. The game feels horrifically big and empty at these times though, especially later NZ evening when it sinks to 7ish players. If you don't have people coming to you, you meet nobody. I'd get a little frustrated from time to time, and I do believe it interferes with plot running, plot involvement and admin oversight/support, but it's just how it is and you either adapt, or you accept it. More staff at the hours probably wouldn't help or anything, but some more PC leaders at these times, esp ones like Byn, where it's low maintenance minimal oversight dangerous fun, could really help. It comes down to the players who play these times to band together for that kind of thing however.

[Eyeball]

If leaders and off-peakers had some in-game way to leave messages for each other when separated by time, there would be more interaction between them.

Unfortunate that reading and writing are so restricted.

If leaders could give certain clan NPCs simple directives, it would help them to set up tasks, decision trees and surprises (non-combat ones) for off-peakers. Why shouldn't a PC sergeant be able to order a NPC guard, for example, to fetch something out of a storage room for a given PC upon sight?

Code Select Expand

>
The bored off-peaker arrives from the west.
>
The scar-faced shitcloak looks up and nods.
>
The scar-faced shitcloak says, "Wait here, Runner Dickwad".
>
The scar-faced shitcloak walks north.
>
The scar-faced shitcloak arrives from the north.
>
The scar-faced shitcloak gives the bored off-peaker a raptor-tooth throwing knife.
>
The scar-faced shitcloak says, in sirihish:
"Courtesy of Sergeant Doomplummet"
>
The scar-faced shitcloak resumes watching the work hall.
>
The bored off-peaker looks a little less bored.


Or report if a PC enters a forbidden room?

Code Select Expand


The grim ass-kicker Sergeant arrives from the west.
>
The grim ass-kicker Sergeant asks the half-giant soldier, in sirihish:
"Reports?"
>
The half-giant soldier exclaims, in sirihish:
"I saw that new recruit Loofish enter the office, Sarge!"
>
The grim ass-kicker Sergeant looks grimmer still.
>


[Harmless]

I was gonna post about how an in game messaging system would be a boon for offpeak. I like your examples eyeball.

[Zoan]

I don't bother logging in during Aussie peak because of the above reasons.

The only time I have to play (that is, when a reasonable amount of people are around) is when I'm supposed to be working.

[solera]

I don't bother logging in during Aussie peak because of the above reasons.

The only time I have to play (that is, when a reasonable amount of people are around) is when I'm supposed to be working.

I'm briefly speechless.
If you don't have a drink in Storms End, because no other PC is. 
Please support the cause, Cousin. Play with us.

[Zoan]

If I went to Storm's End as my current PC, you'd all ignore me anyway. So don't worry.

Maybe when I play a Hunter or something next.

[Kol]

If more of you found an excuse to log on earlier.....like.....five hours earlier....

[Harmless]

i think apartment buildings should have a message board that only tenants can access. hidden sneaky types who break into the building should NOT be able to use or access this board, however... as it makes no sense ICly that they would be able to listen in on tenant's private messages. therefore implementing it might be a little hard.

But if there were more low-stress message boards for people to leave quick notes to each other then it'd do a huge amount to bridge the offpeak gap.

OR: if there were a way to pay a fee to someone to relay the message only to its intended target when posting on such a board, then automatically erase the message once it is viewed, then we could have essentially a mailbox system with messengers.

Then there's also writing becoming more widespread, but I think paying messengers is fine and much more zalanthan. there ought to be hundreds of willing beggars who'd work to just relay a message, that's an easy job for a NPC to do.

Code Select Expand



>l

A small apartment foyer [N S]
This is the shoddy entryway to the tenements south of the commons.
There is a welcome desk, and a hallway going south. A small table near
the desk serves as a resting spot for the occasional visitor to relax.

The red-haired skinny woman leans forward on the desk here.
A mousy, dark-skinned boy is here taking and relaying messages for coins.

>look mousy
The mousy, dark-skinned youth tells you, in Sirihish,
  "There ain't no messages fer ya."
(OOC note: See 'help private board' for syntax and instructions.)

>help private board
Private message boards
There are often messengers acting as a bulletin board in certain places
such as guild halls and apartment buildings. The syntax for using them is
similar as for other boards, but instead of a subject line, you enter the
keywords for whoever is to receive the message. You may leave as
many keywords as you can, and a match will allow someone to view
your message. It is recommended you use unique keywords, like names.

See also:
help write

>write mousy Amos

The mousy, dark-skinned youth charges you 50 obsidian coins.
You are now editing a message with the mousy, dark-skinned youth.
Terminate on an empty line with ~.
==========================================
Amos, in case you forgot, you owe me a large.
I'm gettin' impatient.
Leave word with this kid when you've got it.

Debts gonna go up in a month if I ain't paid.
--Slick



Later, Amos comes in to the apartment.

Code Select Expand



A small apartment foyer [N S]
This is the shoddy entryway to the tenements south of the commons.
There is a welcome desk, and a hallway going south. A small table near
the desk serves as a resting spot for the occasional visitor to relax.

The red-haired skinny woman leans forward on the desk here.
A mousy, dark-skinned boy is here taking and relaying messages for coins.

>look mousy
The mousy, dark-skinned boy has one message:
====================================
1    Amos, in case you forgot, you owe me a large.    (date)

>read mousy 1

Amos, in case you forgot, you owe me a large.
I'm gettin' impatient.
Leave word with this kid when you've got it.

Debts gonna go up in a month if I ain't paid.
--Slick

>think Shit.
You think:
  "Shit."

>look mousy
The mousy, dark-skinned youth tells you, in Sirihish,
   "There ain't no messages fer ya."


[bcw81]

While I see where you're coming from, it's really not all that hard to relay messages to other PC's via... Well, other PC's.

[solera]

Well it can be quite hard.  I look on it as part of Skill Networking   that most PC's level up in.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I'd certainly like an automated option such as this. Clever.

[Harmless]

While I see where you're coming from, it's really not all that hard to relay messages to other PC's via... Well, other PC's.

it can be pretty hard. If I only have five minutes to play for many hours, and the person(s) i need to get in touch with tend not to log in during that time window, there's no way I'm getting any messages to them today. If I leave a message with a board, it gets to them that day as long as they log in and check it. It'd make a huge difference for me, throughout pretty much every PC I play.

[valeria]

It can be especially difficult if you're not playing peak.

[RogueGunslinger]

It can be especially difficult if you're not playing peak.

I agree, and this is mostly what clan forums are for. IT'd be neat if indies had something similar they could use.

[FantasyWriter]

Perhaps a tavern-specific "rumor" board. Where you could spread news that isn't "big" enough to make it across the city.
They should probably auto-delete after an RL week, too.

I have always thought that this would be much more useful for 90% of the non-leader/staff/militia PCs than telling something to a city-wide hawker.

[CodeMaster]

Suggests a character concept to me, where a high or routine playtime character serves as a "messenger" for people.

You could Way this PC a message for your target (maybe using code words to encrypt the message), and that PC would periodically try to contact your target and deliver the message.

Probably fully scriptable, although I'm sure borging your char isn't good form.  Maybe an NPC could even be scripted to do it.

[CodeMaster]

Perhaps a tavern-specific "rumor" board. Where you could spread news that isn't "big" enough to make it across the city.
They should probably auto-delete after an RL week, too.

I like this even better... a quick-erase message board that deletes messages after 48 hours or so.  That way you wouldn't feel guilty about jotting a short message specifically for someone (again, maybe encrypted with code words)...

> write board A message for Balos
> A young bedraggled page is on the lookout for someone named Balos, who he has a message for.  Something cryptic about "the rat being out of its cage."
> ~

[Eyeball]

It can be especially difficult if you're not playing peak.

I agree, and this is mostly what clan forums are for. IT'd be neat if indies had something similar they could use.

I don't think clan forums are a good way to relay IC information though. They're more for organizational purposes.

[Harmless]

Perhaps a tavern-specific "rumor" board. Where you could spread news that isn't "big" enough to make it across the city.
They should probably auto-delete after an RL week, too.

I like this even better... a quick-erase message board that deletes messages after 48 hours or so.  That way you wouldn't feel guilty about jotting a short message specifically for someone (again, maybe encrypted with code words)...

> write board A message for Balos
> A young bedraggled page is on the lookout for someone named Balos, who he has a message for.  Something cryptic about "the rat being out of its cage."
> ~

This would be an excellent addition. I like a week of time more than 48 hours for the auto-erase, but it'd be really helpful.

[RogueGunslinger]

It can be especially difficult if you're not playing peak.

I agree, and this is mostly what clan forums are for. IT'd be neat if indies had something similar they could use.

I don't think clan forums are a good way to relay IC information though. They're more for organizational purposes.

They're used that way all the time via rumors. And it's helpful.

A simple message up/down the chain of command via the forum rumors boards can go a long ways for people in offpeak. It's like when you're a soldier PC and you can't get a hold of your superiors about a criminal and you don't know when you will see them next.

Clan forums are the best way we have to relay IC information like that.