Tuluk Closing to PC play -- discussion thread

[Down Under]

i'd also just recommend reading the whole thread. The first couple of posts are the best ones.

[slvrmoontiger]

I feel like if you gave it an honest chance you might find that Allanaki high society isn't really that alien to what you're comfortable with in Tuluk.

Allanak - Everything is out front and confrontational. You screw up and the law and nobility have no qualms about killing you right there no matter where you are. Or even better they make a spectator sport of it and throw you in the arena.

Tuluk - Law and nobility pride themselves in strategic attacks that they try very hard to keep out of public eyes.

How do you view these with any kind of similarities?

[Saellyn]

They do not kill you right then and there. Sometimes they strategically kill you.

[Marauder Moe]

The whole yin-yang thing is really overblown on the GDB and in the game.

There's not really much that'll get you killed in Allanak that wouldn't also get you killed in Tuluk.

[HavokBlue]

I feel like if you gave it an honest chance you might find that Allanaki high society isn't really that alien to what you're comfortable with in Tuluk.

Allanak - Everything is out front and confrontational. You screw up and the law and nobility have no qualms about killing you right there no matter where you are. Or even better they make a spectator sport of it and throw you in the arena.

Tuluk - Law and nobility pride themselves in strategic attacks that they try very hard to keep out of public eyes.

How do you view these with any kind of similarities?

Tuluki noble houses relatively recently ganged up to massacre an entire other noble house, and leading up to that, carried out multiple public assassinations.

Tuluki and Allanaki nobility face the same difficulties in regards to killing you if you upset them, I promise you that.

[Rokal]

The whole yin-yang thing is really overblown on the GDB and in the game.

There's not really much that'll get you killed in Allanak that wouldn't also get you killed in Tuluk.

Haven't experienced allanak but basically this, its common sense really, do something stupid you shouldntve.. and well..GG.


The only difference between the two is in HOW you get killed. Its flavor.

[slvrmoontiger]

I feel like if you gave it an honest chance you might find that Allanaki high society isn't really that alien to what you're comfortable with in Tuluk.

Allanak - Everything is out front and confrontational. You screw up and the law and nobility have no qualms about killing you right there no matter where you are. Or even better they make a spectator sport of it and throw you in the arena.

Tuluk - Law and nobility pride themselves in strategic attacks that they try very hard to keep out of public eyes.

How do you view these with any kind of similarities?

Tuluki noble houses relatively recently ganged up to massacre an entire other noble house, and leading up to that, carried out multiple public assassinations.

Tuluki and Allanaki nobility face the same difficulties in regards to killing you if you upset them, I promise you that.

I am aware of both of these. It's only been recently that that has changed and is quite out of sorts for documentation to do this sort of thing.

[HavokBlue]

It's out of sorts for the old idea of Tuluk.

It's not out of sorts for the new idea of Tuluk, which is something I think a lot of players have had trouble coming around to.

[Malken]

Writing why I much prefer Tuluk and seriously can't stand playing in Allanak would send my already uber snob GDB reputation skyrocketing. It's really not the same at all (I also hate bards so it's not that part at all!)

I've always had terrible experiences in Allanak.

[Barsook]

It is a golden opportunity to start a new tribe. 

Yes, but I think it would be nice if it was a c-elf tribe (allanak or rinth) but I think that would be frowned upon by the staff.

[HavokBlue]

Writing why I much prefer Tuluk and seriously can't stand playing in Allanak would send my already uber snob GDB reputation skyrocketing. It's really not the same at all (I also hate bards so it's not that part at all!)

I've always had terrible experiences in Allanak.

Real question, I'm actually curious based on what you just wrote:

How much did you play in Tuluk after last summer's big documentation changes?

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

For those scared of losing conflict, you do realize how much some of the Southern Noble Houses hate each other, right? Tuluk wasn't open when I started playing, and Allanak absolutely bustled. You're going to see Allanak absolutely rock.

Sorry to those who loved Tuluk, but, staff? Thanks.

[Molten Heart]

It's true. Allanak has been doing political intrigue since before Tulukis started wearing stars on their hands.

[Dresan]

Hmmm...mixed feelings on this...mostly because I'm not sure how this will play out.

Lets take for example clans. There are certain clan such as the byn and merchant houses who most enjoyable premise is basically that it takes its employees back and forth between city states. Allowing them to mix their routines up with the events and people from both places, potentially allowing interesting things to happen in between. I can't help but feel that some of these clans, some with their schedules and other restrictions, will really become more oppressive and boring to play in, with no other place to go but Luirs now. I really hope some of them get looked at to make sure everyone has ample time to actually go out and get involved and start plots of their own, not just be forced to spar every single IC day in order to go fight some random NPC. Basically given some of the love the legion was getting before Nyr got promoted.

I also think there was a lot of appeal of having another city state with people playing there is that you could plot against them, or they could be plotting against you. Sure it might not have happened frequently but just the potential made the game more interesting. That will  be gone now and frankly the small upper-crust in allanak (nobles, templars and their aides) have a hard time involving the majority of the players who are at the gaj in their internal conflicts, much more so then in subtle (pre-war) tuluk if you ask me. Now if the plot had something to do with another city-state, or getting information, something done there, then those aides would need to get off their ass, make the right friends to get things done but that will no longer be there. However, with sponsored roles potentially opening up and other clans perhaps expanding maybe staff can find ways to bridge these gaps.

Still, I dunno, I feel as if that world will become a bit duller without a main antagonist like PC played tuluk, the staff will need to work harder to ensure there is more meaningful conflict within allanak that everyone can get involved in. And again even though no meaningful conflict arose between tuluk and allanak in many months, just the potential of it happening was important for the flavor of the game. Ultimately I don't feel a virtual tuluk will have the same effect.

Definitely a hard decisions though, and I do hope works out for the best and turns out to be great. If not, well as the staff have wisely done, they left an undo option just in case.

[HavokBlue]

Tuluk's PC leadership over the past year had a lot of support, and opportunities to engage in various levels of conflict with Allanak.

More often than not, internal conflict resulted in significant delays and blockages to these plots, and when they occured, they largely did not involve Allanaki players.

What does this mean? Internal conflict is very real, and now that Allanak will be able to support a larger spectrum of politically-inclined PCs and the minions that go with them with additional staffers, there is an opportunity for really interesting internal conflict.

A common issue in Tuluk was that Noble A hated Noble B, and had the support of Noble C and Templar A, but Noble B had the support of a handful of important NPCs. It's really hard to involve NPCs in internal conflict. When you have more PC political actors, you vastly increase your opportunities for fun plots, and PCs can be less worried about coming off as antagonistic, because alienating 3 other people won't mean they've alienated the entire PC leadership of their city.

[Armaddict]

Hrm.

So...will other Allanaki clans be opening, after this?

[MeTekillot]

I hope this could lead to more power ebbing its way back into the hands of the players.

[HavokBlue]

I don't foresee a lifting of rank caps and I feel like staff have been pretty supportive of some big ideas from players in Tuluk even if they didn't all pan out, but maybe if this change helps staff feel less overtaxed and stretched thin, they will be able to better support these big ideas from players.

[Harmless]

Just a few corrections/additions on the discourse in this thread.

In Luir's "bailey" area, there are not many hovels that are [save] rooms. In fact, I only know of one, unless it was changed in the past year.

A room that isn't a [save] room is just a dead end. It can't serve as a real home -- it's just a room, a meeting place. Yes, Luir's has a lot of those, but in my experience the only one ever used as a home at all is the one with the [save] flag. That one room is a really fun one to make into a hovel. Things get stolen from it, things are burned in it, but not always. I loved that hovel as a home for a PC I had for a few months, and I will forever love it. But there's only one of them in Luir's, and none in Red Storm. I totally think there should be at least three of those kinds of rooms in Luir's, Red Storm, and Allanak as well. I agree that increasing the number of hovels (with a [save] flag) would be great. I don't necessarily think that there need be more apartments, when Allanak usually has availabilities.

Another thing: Being Tuluki in Allanak is by no means impossible. I think a lot of people in this thread saying as much have simply never tried it. I've seen Tuluki-inked people live successfully in Allanak for very long periods.

Another thing: Being Tuluki outside of Tuluk is a great experience. I know this because I played a Tuluki that was banished for a time. It was by far my most memorable Tuluki PC. You're all in for a very enjoyable ride. I also think that there will still be Tulukis because that background is so much fun to play, not unlike being a breed. You now have a tribe. Elves from Tuluk can all be a "tribe" automatically -- tuluki inked elves. That brings togetherness.

This is going to be awesome in my opinion, and remember, staff have reassured that they are strongly considering re-opening it in the future (though that isn't a promise). I still support it, though I do have condolences to those who are active in Tuluk now. Also, as another disclaimer for those of you who haven't read my earlier posts, I played at least 8 Tulukis before ranging from bards to thieves to merchants and many hunters. I'll miss it too, but I also support this decision.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Man, listen, Allanak is about to become so very real. Not that it wasn't before, but ... man. All of this manpower filling the ranks of the various clans. Maybe membership in a Noble House will carry that "I got in!" feeling again. Tor bustles with officers. Fale is able to fill out it's bardic complement. Oashi Elites become a playable group again, perhaps. Everyone craves the luxurious Amber lifestyle of the Borsail Wyverns. Imagine a couple more Noble Houses opening, to further fray the political scene.

People filling and craving these roles is what has been the problem. Consolidation is a perfect solution to the issue. Rather than having two half-staffed/played political factions, you now have the one, vibrant and alive locale.

I'm am so, so for this. I'll miss Tuluk too, in a way. After all, I helped liberate it. But ... no, Allanak is where it's always been at, and where it always will be at. I'm so in. GMHs won't suffer at all. Someone suggested that some of the play for GMHs involved going from city to city. Trust me when I say this - most GMH players are just fine staying in one place, and traveling somewhere to visit. They mostly hate re-stationing.

Armageddon was never as rich to me as it was before Tuluk opened, when Allanak was the lone metropolitan option. I've got a feeling most of you will understand this in the coming months.

[MeTekillot]

From what I understand, the loss of some player power was due to the lack of available staff support to properly help players make any sensible use of the power they could sensibly achieve. With all the staff concentrated a little more, I don't see why player power wouldn't increase.

[AdamBlue]

As long as this is temporary, I suppose it'll do.

If it isn't, then I will be incredibly sad/depressed.

[Majikal]

I don't think this is going to really afflict the pb in Nak as much as people think. Mostly, it'll effect staff workload. Which is the point.

[Dakota]

Is Luirs even the right answer? It would be apart from the fact it's A: an active merchant house and B: do you want Luirs to become Tuluk-Lite?  Also the last 2 years IG Tuluk and Luirs weren't exactly on the best of terms (and that's being nice). Flood of Tuluki expats something will need be done to change (ret-con?) some of that stuff.

Maybe as a tempt fix but I'm not sure flats are the answer. Luirs wants trade. Not bums sitting about in their flats. Luirs is all about the money. It's a merchant house. It's not RS.

[solera]

It is a golden opportunity to start a new tribe. 

Yes, but I think it would be nice if it was a c-elf tribe (allanak or rinth) but I think that would be frowned upon by the staff.

I'm thinking more of the homeless levies and other rogues and vagabonds. The new gypsies.