Marginalization of Roleplay

[Barzalene]

This may be an unpopular assessment. I think we do not need more flavor choices. I think more of us should look to the main theme. More Harsh Desert Planet soup for everyone.

[Akaramu]

This may be an unpopular assessment. I think we do not need more flavor choices. I think more of us should look to the main theme. More Harsh Desert Planet soup for everyone.

Sometimes I want the whole known world to be reduced to a bunch of tribes and villages. No city-states. No noble houses. No big merchant houses. Just... people, their families / tribes, and what they do to survive.

[Raptor_Dan]

This may be an unpopular assessment. I think we do not need more flavor choices. I think more of us should look to the main theme. More Harsh Desert Planet soup for everyone.

Sometimes I want the whole known world to be reduced to a bunch of tribes and villages. No city-states. No noble houses. No big merchant houses. Just... people, their families / tribes, and what they do to survive.

Thank you so much for this. I had this floating, nebulous thought that was hard for me to make concrete, and you pretty much put it into the perfect words, right here.

[a french mans shirt]

I would kind of like it if we switched between Tuluk being closed and Allanak being closed, at least until our playerbase gets meaty. Maybe, every three RL years? What do you think?

Its just that... I understand being forced to close Tuluk, but I really miss Tuluk, and Tuluk wasn't even really my style until they injected some grit at the end. You need Luir's and Storm for the rogues, muls, traitors and runaways, otherwise they'd all have to be ranger and wouldn't be able to roll assassins and kill people.

[a french mans shirt]

I would kind of like it if we switched between Tuluk being closed and Allanak being closed, at least until our playerbase gets meaty. Maybe, every three RL years? What do you think?

Its just that... I understand being forced to close Tuluk, but I really miss Tuluk, and Tuluk wasn't even really my style until they injected some grit at the end. You need Luir's and Storm for the rogues, muls, traitors and runaways, otherwise they'd all have to be ranger and wouldn't be able to roll assassins and kill people.

I kind of realized that was a bit of a blanket statement at the end, but you would still need knowledge of watering holes and animals and hiding places in order to close Luir's or Storm, which is something gained through needless death for characters like that, unless they were House hunters. For the most part.

[evilcabbage]

tribal desert survival instead of cities?

with a tribal power structure that everyone has an opportunity to be a part of and possibly fight their way up to?

with similar themes (groups focused on making arms and armor, clothing and jewelry, furniture and such), but working towards a collective goal (being better than the OTHER tribe)?

that sounds like fun to me.

[nauta]

I'm curious why so few players actually roll up characters in the existing tribes.  For instance, if you get a chance and peek at the number of Arabeti in the last few years on their roll call page, I think it's under 10 -- 5 of which were carru'd leaving the tents within the first three weeks (joking ... kind of).  Things aren't that much better for the Seik and the desert elf tribes.

I guess I'd be inclined to leave these roles (Dasari, Tan Muarki, etc.) open provided they didn't burden staff because (a) possibilities inspire creativity and (b) the documentation is beautiful.

Genuine question: How much extra work to staff would it be to leave the Jul Tavan (say) open?  Or the Tan Muark?  Would it be more work than a player who comes in with a virtual tribe?  (I can see arguments for consolidation of players working -- but here I'm curious about how much extra work staff-side such things bring.)

I mean, a PC in Arabet or Seik or Tan Muark or Gribble's Custom Tribe isn't all that different from the perspective of staff work, is it?  The coded bits of the coded tribe are finished.  The documentation is finished.  They all report to the Tribals & Independents Staff time...

[evilcabbage]

i think if we opened up more clans for play, people would start flocking back to play the game for a while.

probably. hopefully.

[Patuk]

Insofar I've asked people, they don't seem to enjoy the human tribals very much simply because, and I quote only one here, 'I don't like playing bitch to delves very much.' Others seem to have said the thing.

Delves seem slightly more popular, but complaints appear to range from 'why are they so outgoing and colorful and rich and safe and wtf' from 'I don't want to be a delf in a pen', though as I understand, both of these have been rectified somewhat.

[bardlyone]

Insofar I've asked people, they don't seem to enjoy the human tribals very much simply because, and I quote only one here, 'I don't like playing bitch to delves very much.' Others seem to have said the thing.

I played several seik before they got put in the Arabet tents and made more pah-centric, when the Seik tents were nearly as close to the west gates of Allanak as the ranch is. I enjoyed playing a tribal then. Not so much while under the thumb of d-elves, so I would concur there. I'm also not fond of the way skellebain changes have made some seik rp, or of the way that their handling of mages changed suddenly as soon as they were in the tents with the arabet.

[Dunetrade55]

The coded tribes require a spec app to even get into. Add to that the random dangers they face and it can seem like you just crapped out a spec app for nothing. Add a point of karma to be a d-elf... yeah, well, ok. Stack that atop a lot of other things to be a mage, depending on tribe/element, and you're looking at something a zero-karma player soon finds a bit daunting, especially if staff isn't entirely pleased with them.

But, if these challenges can be overcome through some means, yeah, I'd rather the cities went up in flames.

[Malken]

My problem with playing Seik/Arabeti is that you hit the ceiling pretty quickly and then there's really not that much left to do. No matter what you do you are told that you are the little fish in the pond and you just need to suck it up.

I don't think that coded tribes require a spec app to get in, though. You just need to apply via the clan request thingie - it doesn't count as a special app.

[Akaramu]

I don't think that coded tribes require a spec app to get in, though. You just need to apply via the clan request thingie - it doesn't count as a special app.

As far as I know, the Tan Muark is only open when staff posts a recruitment call.

[Lizzie]

I'm totally "meh" about the tribes. I've played in a few, desert elf and human. For me, it's just a matter of the RP. I can only stand so much kah kah kah ti ti ti and sexual innuendos/activity before I want to just leap off the shield wall.

[Miradus]

That was my perception of the tribes as well but after playing in one I discovered it's not really like that. It's an affectation of individuals and not REQUIRED behavior. While the tribe may be promiscuous by nature, there's no reason at all you can't come up with your own roleplay as to why you don't want to participate.

Just pointing this out because I felt the same way you did for a long time but then I tried a tribal and loved it, though the frivolous mudsex goofiness is definitely not my style. I want to explore, achieve, and smash things. Nothing in the tribal lore or roleplay got in the way of that. There's no mandatory orgies on Thursdays.

[evilcabbage]

you missed the part where lizzie said "i played in a few" i think.

[puella]

There's no mandatory orgies on Thursdays.

They were highly recommended. ;-)

[Miradus]

Definitely want to skip "Fellatio Friday" as well.

[The Lonely Hunter]

I understand your feelings. I hate when most anything gets closed. However, I think that "Tuluk" closing was a great idea. The new version of Tuluk just never felt like it fit into the world and I think that new Tuluk made a huge negative and permanent impact on the game. The way it was designed was cool but I think that the 'feel' of it was lost on the players and it never really worked out the way that it was envisioned by those who put it together. Many of the players who learned the game in new Tuluk don't know any better and bring that same style to the rest of Armageddon - a style that I never believed fit into the world (again, in the way that it was executed and not intended).

I have been around awhile and I perceive a noticeable difference (real or not) and I have for several years now. It is just the way things are now. I find it sad but truth be told, Arm is still in a league completely different than any other MUD out there and I still have a lot of fun.

If I had it my way I would open almost everything as far as clans go. I would also have more staff interaction to animate NPCs for the sake of driving plots, promoting players, giving clans the 'feel' that they should have, etc. If players want to play together, they will. I never liked the idea of thinning things out in order to force consolidation of the playerbase.

Just a few thoughts from a conservative old fart who will still stab someone in the face for their boots.

[Akaramu]

I'm totally "meh" about the tribes. I've played in a few, desert elf and human. For me, it's just a matter of the RP. I can only stand so much kah kah kah ti ti ti and sexual innuendos/activity before I want to just leap off the shield wall.

My tribal experience (Tan Muark) was totally different from yours. I've never played in the other human tribes, though, and don't feel an overwhelming urge to do so. I could be wrong, but they just don't seem to matter to the world at large. The gypsies used to matter due to their willingness to run dastardly schemes in cities, and have an active city presence. Not sure if this is still the case now. However, as a player, I always enjoyed interacting with them (more so than with any other tribals) and I REALLY hope to still see them IG. I'll be a sad panda if they're all virtual now.

[Malken]

I doubt that the Tan Muark will be playable again so that's why I didn't mentioned them as a playable human tribe.

[Jingo]

I haven't liked any of the human tribes since the Benjari. Neither the Seik nor the Arabet have ever appealed to me.

I thought it would be cool to play a Muark at one point. But I never got the chance.

Oh and the constant threat of commando desert elves trampling the clan doesn't help much either.

[a french mans shirt]

I actually like an area of the game where elves lord it over everyone else. A place where elves actually have power allows their psychology to shine through, their not stealing from their own people, their unquestioning loyalty. I mean, what pc city elf in the world right now is going to put another pc city elf through a loyalty test, and why? Pc city elves have a higher turnover than I do, and they are normally highly distrustful of those outside their tribe.

I wish you could regularly app a major tribal, maybe at one karma, without needing to put it through a special process or go for a role call. One elf tribe and one human tribe, maybe. Sun Runners and Arabetti perhaps?

[whitt]

I wish you could regularly app a major tribal, maybe at one karma, without needing to put it through a special process or go for a role call. One elf tribe and one human tribe, maybe. Sun Runners and Arabetti perhaps?

You only need 1 Karma to regularly app a Desert Elf.  Human Tribals, I believe, do not require any karma.  Certainly neither requires a role call.

[Miradus]

I wish you could regularly app a major tribal, maybe at one karma, without needing to put it through a special process or go for a role call. One elf tribe and one human tribe, maybe. Sun Runners and Arabetti perhaps?

You only need 1 Karma to regularly app a Desert Elf.  Human Tribals, I believe, do not require any karma.  Certainly neither requires a role call.

My experience is that both of those roles are always in need and eager to get new blood. If they appeal to you, or if you're just curious, I encourage you to try. I have had a lot of fun in those roles and I expect to again.