The Gaj

[AdamBlue]

You should only get stuff on you if you have the ability to beat up the person getting stuff on you.
A nobleman swaggering into the Gaj should have a small army with him, all Guarding him, diving in the path of vomiting blokes and putting boots to faces of those who get near the wealthy fellow.
There should be a 'Wealthy' part of the bar that people can pay a Small to get into that sells slightly higher quality booze and is generally much cleaner, with free passes for Mercenaries (Troopers or above) , Arm of the Dragon (No recruits!) , Templars, Nobility, and members of Merchant Houses (not new members). To separate the 'rabble' from the more socially powerful.
Just a single room, below the main one, so it's within shouting range to get folks attention and so you can look into the rooms. Make it possible to sneak in, if you're good enough, but if you're caught trying to sneak in, you get a slap upside the head by the 'Burly, fat-nosed bouncer' standing guard.

[wizturbo]

The pendulum swings...

Get a few high profile PC's that start hanging out in Red's Retreat, and it'll be crowded again.  The Gaj is just one of the bars that's popular by default.

[nauta]

A pungent odor of vomit and stale piss fills the stale air.

That said, in the last two years, I've seen very few in the Gaj that looked out of place. 

I have noticed a pretty huge lack of PC patrons in Red's in the last few months (or so), and in general a lack of aides and nobles pretty much anywhere public.

This could be, as Lizzie suggests, owing to the Atrium as an option, or it could just be a lack of noble and aide PCs, and the whole pendulum swing thing.  It's hard to tell.

[Rokal]

A pungent odor of vomit and stale piss fills the stale air.

That said, in the last two years, I've seen very few in the Gaj that looked out of place. 

I have noticed a pretty huge lack of PC patrons in Red's in the last few months (or so), and in general a lack of aides and nobles pretty much anywhere public.

This could be, as Lizzie suggests, owing to the Atrium as an option, or it could just be a lack of noble and aide PCs, and the whole pendulum swing thing.  It's hard to tell.

The recent noble rolecall could lead to more activity in Reds, who knows?

[Lizzie]

Or for PCs who actually want to run into other PCs.

Yes, this is how it is now. It wasn't always exclusively this way. It used to be that, plus Red's, both sharing PCs who want to run into other PCs. Red's used to be fairly popular, back when it was the Barrel. Back before Trader's was destroyed, and back before the Atrium reopened.

That's the point of this thread. To discuss the whys and wherefores of the popularity of the Gaj, even though according to the room description and the room echoes, it is not some place where people wearing fine clothing and possessed of "classy" manners would want to hang out in. They do anyway, because of OOC playability.

Also regarding the too lazy to walk to another bar for a drink - there are four other apartment buildings in the city available for PCs. Only one of them is occupied by people who typically should be expected to hang out in the Gaj. Two of the other three are occupied by people who typically would hang out in Red's. The third is not defined as such, but is -much- closer to Red's than it is to the Gaj. So laziness only accounts for the people who occupy the Gaj and that first building, but doesn't account for any of the other three buildings.

At least one of those buildings (the one closest to the Red's) can't be rented by unaffiliated rif-raff, so if you're unaffiliated rif-raff, it's the Gaj for you!

That's the point. The people who rent there, will not find it easier to hang out in the Gaj, because the Barrel is right next door. The Atrium is even further away, but for whatever reason - these people are choosing to hang out in the Gaj or the Atrium, instead of the most convenient spot - the building next door to their own. So again - the "laziness" point doesn't apply to them. In addition as I said - two more buildings, both of which are even further away from the Gaj, are available for rent - one to GMH clanned PCs and the other to anyone including "unaffiliated riff-raff." And yet - they all choose to hang out in the most inconvenient hang-out spot in comparison to those apartment building locations.

[Taijan]

The Gaj sells drinks served in gith skulls. Does any more need to be said?

[Alesan]

The Gaj sells drinks served in gith skulls. Does any more need to be said?

Red's serves hell-in-a-gourd. What's your point?

[BadSkeelz]

There's also at least one skull (or possibly a fuckton, it's been awhile) in the Red's.

And at one point there were dead bards in all the barrels.

[Taijan]

The Gaj sells drinks served in gith skulls. Does any more need to be said?

Red's serves hell-in-a-gourd. What's your point?

That the popularity of a tavern is directly proportional to the number of drinks it serves in a skull. Since that number is potentially unlimited for the Gaj - the Gaj wins.

[Alesan]

The Gaj sells drinks served in gith skulls. Does any more need to be said?

Red's serves hell-in-a-gourd. What's your point?

That the popularity of a tavern is directly proportional to the number of drinks it serves in a skull. Since that number is potentially unlimited for the Gaj - the Gaj wins.

What if the popularity of a tavern is directly proportional to the number of drinks it serves in a miniature barrel?

[Taijan]

Were that so, then the Gaj wouldn't be the popular tavern. But it is. Therefore skull cups = the determining factor for success.

[Alesan]

Except it has nothing to do with skull cups and a lot to do with what's already been mentioned in the thread. So.

[AdamBlue]

Except it has nothing to do with skull cups and a lot to do with what's already been mentioned in the thread. So.

oOoOoO(THE JOKE)OoOoOo





(o.o) <---- Your head.

[Alesan]

Except it has nothing to do with skull cups and a lot to do with what's already been mentioned in the thread. So.

oOoOoO(THE JOKE)OoOoOo





(o.o) <---- Your head.

Hur hur hur hur. Thanks for the antagonizing.

I got the joke. I just didn't care for it.

[wizturbo]

Wow. How dare Taijan make a joke on the GDB about such a serious issue that effects the lives of hundreds of players.  How insensitive do you get?!

So to get back on topic, the Gaj's success is clearly a game balance issue.  This is due to the potency of the drinks served there (not the container...how dare you...) relative to the potency per coin spent of the brews at Reds.   Players want to maximize their alcohol skill with as little cost as possible and the Gaj obliges.  Gith skull brew is OP in its potency.  Nerf needed.  Staff please consider this a top priority.

[Alesan]

How dare I take something even a little seriously on the GDB! I best be as hardassed as my characters in-game, because this is fucking Armageddon IRL!

I had a feeling someone would take it further. Thanks for playing along.

[ibusoe]

EDIT:  don't really care if ppl thing I'm off-topic, Hunzel und Gretyl uber alis!

Additional Edit:  Sorry for partying!

[Iiyola]

How dare I take something even a little seriously on the GDB! I best be as hardassed as my characters in-game, because this is fucking Armageddon IRL!

I had a feeling someone would take it further. Thanks for playing along.

Frankly you're trying too hard to be funny.

[Delirium]

On topic, please.

Edit: referring to the last few posts, mainly, not the semi-jokepost about the drinks. The Gaj does have a better drink list.

[wizturbo]

I was actually making a legit point, while trying to make Alesan look hardcore.

The Gaj has all kinds of drink options that frankly sound way more appealing than Red's Retreat, despite it being a classier joint.  From a coin per drink perspective... Gaj wins, from a quality of drinks offered vs. their price, Gaj wins.  Seems kinda wonky, even if you ignore the OP Gith Skull cup.

For poor commoners, the idea of paying more for a drink, regardless of where it's served, probably matters.

[Alesan]

I was actually making a legit point, while trying to make Alesan look hardcore.

Please don't. I can appreciate the initial response to me being "way too serious" on the GDB, but at this point you just look like a bully.

Sorry for being off-topic. Again.

[Iiyola]

I was actually making a legit point, while trying to make Alesan look hardcore.

The Gaj has all kinds of drink options that frankly sound way more appealing than Red's Retreat, despite it being a classier joint.  From a coin per drink perspective... Gaj wins, from a quality of drinks offered vs. their price, Gaj wins.  Seems kinda wonky, even if you ignore the OP Gith Skull cup.

For poor commoners, the idea of paying more for a drink, regardless of where it's served, probably matters.

I've always been surprised about the lack of good booze in the Red's. Well there's brandy upstairs but that's not really very impressive. And then there's Agvat, some crap you'd expect in the Gaj.

[Bast]

I really think Reds should be the default place for most pcs to hang out with the exception of the nobility. When the barrel stayed packed it would clear out when a noble walked in as anyone looking to avoid their noticed sulked out the nearest exit after a quick bow. People looking to be hired by aides and merchants -should- be sitting around in Reds. Aides shouldn't be having to go into the Gaj to find them . I'd honestly like to see the Atrium open up a membership for the merchant class as well and better replace the traders inn but that just my humble opinion. I really do wish reds was the starting tavern as well. I've never understood why it's the Gaj, save maybe its location on Caravan

[Delirium]

Ginka forbid we should de-grittify Allanak.

[wizturbo]

I really think Reds should be the default place for most pcs to hang out with the exception of the nobility. When the barrel stayed packed it would clear out when a noble walked in as anyone looking to avoid their noticed sulked out the nearest exit after a quick bow. People looking to be hired by aides and merchants -should- be sitting around in Reds. Aides shouldn't be having to go into the Gaj to find them . I'd honestly like to see the Atrium open up a membership for the merchant class as well and better replace the traders inn but that just my humble opinion. I really do wish reds was the starting tavern as well. I've never understood why it's the Gaj, save maybe its location on Caravan

The Atrium expanding isn't going to help anything, it's just going to make Red's even more deserted.  The fact is though, this isn't a hard "problem" to solve.  Get a few popular PC's to hang out in Reds and bam...it'll have people.  There's a certain critical mass required for people to stop in and sit at Reds, if it's empty, no one will stay.  If three are 2-3 people, they'll check it out.