Basic Roles Role Call

[titansfan]

I just want to hear thoughts and ideas on how a role call for basic mundane rolls would work?

Would it allow people to better judge what to play? Fill out cities better? Create a well represented population in set areas?


Share away!

[DesertT]

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, I would LOVE THIS!!

Imagine, an opportunity to post on the GDB what mundane roles are needed in whatever location.

An aide is needed for a noble house (or two) in the west
A hunter is needed in the north for a GMH
Militia members are needing in the middle
Your Mom needs... nevermind.  I'll be nice!!

[Wday]

My Mom!!!?

[FantasyWriter]

</delete>

[Riev]

I just want to hear thoughts and ideas on how a role call for basic mundane rolls would work?

Would it allow people to better judge what to play? Fill out cities better? Create a well represented population in set areas?


Share away!

Walk to nearest IG Rumor Board.
Post "Hello. <Clan> is looking for someone to fill <Role>. Expectations are <item1, item 2, ... >. Please contact Leader or 2nd-in-command, usually available during OOC Time or 'early/middle/late week'. Gemmed need not apply.

[DesertT]

I just want to hear thoughts and ideas on how a role call for basic mundane rolls would work?

Would it allow people to better judge what to play? Fill out cities better? Create a well represented population in set areas?


Share away!

Walk to nearest IG Rumor Board.
Post "Hello. <Clan> is looking for someone to fill <Role>. Expectations are <item1, item 2, ... >. Please contact Leader or 2nd-in-command, usually available during OOC Time or 'early/middle/late week'. Gemmed need not apply.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I thought the intent was for an OOC way to know what the rumour boards are asking for.

This way, when I die to scrab #482, I can look at the GDB and go, Oh!  I'll roll an aide for Lady Lacy Things!

[Lotion]

from http://armageddon.org/help/view/rules

the two relevant rules to think about are

6. Sharing or discussing relevant in-game information via out-of-character means is discouraged. Relevant information includes but is not limited to information from within the last year, involving living characters, or involving game mechanics. The rule of thumb is: if it is not in a publicly- available helpfile or document, it should not be discussed out-of-game. This goes for use of the OOC command in game as well as any out-of-game communication. If we find that you are sharing or discussing in-game information, punishment can range from a warning, to karma reduction, to storage of your character, to temporary or permanent bans.

and

7. Coordinating in-game actions or player groups via out-of-character means is discouraged. The only two exceptions to this are arranging playtimes and setting up an approved family or tribal role. If we find evidence that an in-game act was coordinated outside of the game, punishment will be dependent on the severity of the coordination, ranging from a warning, to karma reduction, to storage of your character, to temporary or permanent bans.

From rule 6 it is obvious that sharing information is generally discouraged but it seems to me this rule is meant to prevent sharing very specific information.
From rule 7 we see that coordinating in-game actions for the purpose of arranging playtimes is acceptable.

I think players should absolutely be allowed to post public craigslist style posts about what kinds of characters they are looking to roleplay with, and where to find them. They can easily make a fresh GDB alt for each craigslist post to avoid being targeted.

[LindseyBalboa]

I would love to see 'basic roles' and 'direct-to-game character generation' married to produce:

needed mundane roles that someone can app into the game directly and play.

i'd probably allow new players to do this with some 'where did you find us' stuff and small tutorial requirements

and let current players request to be allowed to app directly into those roles after agreeing again to follow rules.

[titansfan]

I meant for this to totally be controlled by imms to spark an area into a better player interactive state. Not players requesting anything.  It'd be based off what staff think would 'fill out an area'.

[Classclown]

What I had in mind when I mentioned it on Discord, is a staff style role call or special app roles that can be apped in, if the quota isn't full, like DE, but for employment positions instead of tribe capacity. We'd only know the name of the House/role, no ig information until accepted, but maybe before chargen. So there'd be basic categories, aide, crafter, hunter, etc, you'd send in a request to ask if whatever role you're interested is full. These would be like the Trooper spec app, but with other roles, with skill boosts and not having to go through recruit year for the 100th time.

So, Full Crafter/Merchant Trainee, Full Aide (with the Noble house, not a specific noble, so any noble death wouldn't affect the employment status, (outside of MCB of course)), Experienced Grebber, Experienced Hunter, Apothecary, Physician. Make it 1 Karma, not spent, but just to show you have some experience. Bigger limits for indies than GMH or Noble aides.

ETA: The karma part isn't to limit people because I don't want newbies to have the roles, just to keep it so there isn't a new player who isn't familiar to the game giving wrong information ig. You can app one above your karma, so new players who can demonstrate they can handle roleplaying an experienced crafter or aide should definitely be able to play one.

[LidlessEye]

What if the noble doesn't like the aide? Aides are interviewed and chosen, and are usually someone who works well with the noble's personality IC, has certain talents or skillsets Or aptitudes the noble might want, and OOCly, has significant overlap with the Noble's playtimes.

[Aruven]

I always thought some of the fun of rerolling after a character was reading the boards in the new location. I'm a dinosaur now though.

[Classclown]

You wouldn't have to submit a special app if you didn't want to, this would be for people who want to play a role that's needed and/or not go through another rookie year.

Also, it could be Atrium graduate, rather than an aide for a specific House, with access to the Atrium, like all graduates. That would still leave room for the interview process, but give you a leg up on the competish.

Yes, I just quoted School of Rock. ⚡️🤘🏽🎸

[LidlessEye]

You wouldn't have to submit a special app if you didn't want to, this would be for people who want to play a role that's needed and/or not go through another rookie year.

Also, it could be Atrium graduate, rather than an aide for a specific House, with access to the Atrium, like all graduates. That would still leave room for the interview process, but give you a leg up on the competish.

Yes, I just quoted School of Rock. ⚡️🤘🏽🎸

I like the atrium graduate idea.

[titansfan]

It could work that way with anything.  Fill the area with skilled folks who can go try to get jobs or make player clans. It'd just be a way to get a jump start for forming the economy of players with a little guidance from the top down view via staff.

[Classclown]

Maybe a one time mega city supporting cast role call for immediate vacancies now and then go to the special app route from there.

[LindseyBalboa]

how would players know what an atrium graduate would know?

[dumbstruck]

how would players know what an atrium graduate would know?

One way might be having played someone who'd been through Atrium training before, which a number of players have.

In my own personal experience none of the lessons were... anywhere near enough to motivate me to want to go through six weeks of "training" through it a seventh or eighth time, but would love being a graduate who had access to it. (and yes, I've had six or seven different pcs go through atrium training to one degree or another over the years, if not more, before I bailed on cities for the most part)

[LidlessEye]

how would players know what an atrium graduate would know?

The Tor academy has some of its past lectures posted on its gdb. Perhaps the Atrium could do the same. Graduates could get access to their gdb page and access said lessons.

[Tuannon]

Neither the Academy nor the Atrium ACTUALLY do anything but add connections to your 'resume' though.

Great, you have a pin that says you probably won't shit the bed if 22 gith show up.
Great, you can serve a jallal pie the correct way with the correct form and probably not get crumbs on Lady Borsail's pie slave.

[Riev]

Primarily, at least "going through the Atrium" means there's someone's ass to chew out when your Atrum Graduate is a piece of shit that keeps clinking the ceramics when pouring tea and giving you a migraine.

"saying" you graduated the Atrium and actually being held responsible is like apping a character that "used to be a Byn Trooper" but can't kill a chalton and has 'no living Byn Office to vouch for their time".

[zealus]

Agreed that the atrium isn't about learning docs. It's about making useful connections. And learning the political lay of the land. That's not something you can app into.

[dumbstruck]

Agreed that the atrium isn't about learning docs. It's about making useful connections. And learning the political lay of the land. That's not something you can app into.

On the one hand I get what you're saying. On the other hand, I would almost contend that having access to the Atrium and spending time there and not being forced to spend it doing virtual lesson shit for the fifteen millionth time actually frees you up to make those connections a bit more easily because your time is your own until you have an employer rather than being obligated to endless virtual lessons during the majority of your log in time and then having random free time on 'off days' subsumed into some random player telling you for the fifteenth time how to pour tea because hey that was the day that one day in three IC weeks where you and the 'host' are on at the same time and they weren't too busy for whatever rp with your char on an actual ICly appropriate day for it, etc. But then, I have very low patience for having my escapism be buried in that for six RL weeks in the HOPES that something cooler happens later, when... before people made it "more or less required" for your aide to be an atrium graduate for you to play an aide without both you and the player of the noble being kinda looked down upon about it if you knew and understood the role you could just play the damn role.

[zealus]

Agreed that the atrium isn't about learning docs. It's about making useful connections. And learning the political lay of the land. That's not something you can app into.

On the one hand I get what you're saying. On the other hand, I would almost contend that having access to the Atrium and spending time there and not being forced to spend it doing virtual lesson shit for the fifteen millionth time actually frees you up to make those connections a bit more easily because your time is your own until you have an employer rather than being obligated to endless virtual lessons during the majority of your log in time and then having random free time on 'off days' subsumed into some random player telling you for the fifteenth time how to pour tea because hey that was the day that one day in three IC weeks where you and the 'host' are on at the same time and they weren't too busy for whatever rp with your char on an actual ICly appropriate day for it, etc. But then, I have very low patience for having my escapism be buried in that for six RL weeks in the HOPES that something cooler happens later, when... before people made it "more or less required" for your aide to be an atrium graduate for you to play an aide without both you and the player of the noble being kinda looked down upon about it if you knew and understood the role you could just play the damn role.

Well, just how I told my AoD recruits: Tavern duty is part of your education.
If the Atrium instructors reprimand you for not being around (when others are not) for virtual lessons, they can usually assume they are done, virtually, imo.
But being chucked together with some people who will be aides later on is useful. Forms those friendships that you can pull favors out of later on.

[Classclown]

Every role is the same thing. A Byn Sergeant role doesn't have anyone to vouch for them either, it's role play. We're here to roleplay. We make stuff up. That's what we're here for. So yes, those graduates would have people to vouch for them and like every role, you should have some knowledge of the role and its requirements before deciding to app in.

You wouldn't try to get a Southern Noble role without having experience/knowledge of Allanakki politics. I don't see how Atrium graduate would be more difficult to play than Noble. You pour tea and serve Nobles, it's not rocket science.

You can make the same connections as a graduate and you would still have access to those students , in fact, you'd probably have more time to make connections. Skill bumps would help for coded skills and you can always do "refresher" lessons to top them off. Same goes for any other role, you just wouldn't have to practice pouring tea for the millionth time or be expected to attend lessons. You might even choose this role if you wanted to become a teacher and not an aide.

All of these roles also help those with limited time to play and who are familiar enough with the game world to roleplay an experienced character. If we want to attract/keep players these types of things would be beneficial.

[Riev]

Every role is the same thing. A Byn Sergeant role doesn't have anyone to vouch for them either, it's role play. We're here to roleplay. We make stuff up. That's what we're here for. So yes, those graduates would have people to vouch for them and like every role, you should have some knowledge of the role and its requirements before deciding to app in.

Yes, and no. In my opinion, an app'd in Byn Sergeant has the virtual resources to back them up. Transferred in from <x> unit which is an existing unit, with staff who can and will backup things you may have negotiated in your background, etc, as this is a Sponsored Role.

Apping in as an Atrium Graduate means there is no Terashi to blame when you're NOT pouring tea properly or when you are showing odd disloyalty to the Great Water Dragon. Where other, sponsored roll calls have some staff support these would not.

I love me my Atrium, even if its never loved me back. The complaints I'm reading about it are the same complaints I hear in every other clan. "I do not like being told where to be or being talked down to because I chose interaction over solo RP in the clan hall". Its a valid point, but personally I don't think the solution is "let people apply with all these skills and connections already in game without 'earning' them through play.

I have a hard time with app'd in Troopers and Privates as well, I still can't get my head around it.

[titansfan]

I think something added is better than nothing currently.  All these details about back up codedly or what not can still exist if an imm wishes to take it over.  If not they don't post for the role. There's so much no in regards to trying to do new innovative things but why not just try and see how it turns out?

[Riev]

So this is more along the lines of "app in a codedly advanced Trooper/City Soldier" but instead its .... aide-social?

I'm not AGAINST the idea but I guess I just don't understand why. At that point, nearly everything is a "sponsored" role in the game. Is the game really dying so quickly that staff have to specifically mention which areas need assistance?

What if there were a way to kind of separate IC rumor boards by "IC Rumors of happenings" and "IC/OOC Rumors of positions open". Like a Job Board vs a Rumor Board, and the Job Board could be dumped to the GDB every so often?

[mansa]

Personally,

I wouldn't mind a board post that lists the following things:


Tuluk:
Templar - Grandpa
Winrothol Noble - Marge
Tenneshi Noble - Homer
Dasari Noble - Ned

Allanak:
Templar - Fry
Borsail Noble - Leela
Tor Noble - Bender
Jal Noble - Zoidberg

Merchant Houses & T'zai Byn:
Kadius - Moe
Kurac - Larry
Salarr - Curly
T'zai Byn Sergeant - Shemp

Where we share who the active leaders are in a particular city so that a new character in the game can just contact them and ask them for a job.

[DesertT]

That'd be better than nothing.

Maybe instead of names, the positions?

Either way, something is better than nothing.

Good idea.

[digitaleak]

Personally, I think the idea of a basic, staff-led, roll call for types of jobs needed to be filled is handy so players can see where attention is needed in the world before making their character.
It shouldn't give much detail (other than need and location) and RP ought to determine who gets the job and how they go about securing it.

[NinjaFruitSalad]

What is the actual difference between a rolecall for a templar and a rolecall for a hunter?  Both would be done with purely OOC information.

Except where there may be numerous templar applications and only one is selected and guaranteed the position, there might be a few people who intend to play as hunters, and one, none, or several of them will go on to be successful hunters for that particular client.

I don't know. It feels like there could be a special process players have to go to, first on the rumor boards, and if after a week goes by with no bites.. well I mean, that's just so implausible anyway. Surely after advertising around for over a month in game time someone would come forward.

I think it makes sense and would facilitate gameplay.

[Armaddict]

The difference is rolecalls are specified for those working closely with staff on something or other, so there is an application process for the role based off of that; they need to get an idea of what the player is thinking, how they're going to approach things, and see if they can work with it.

If you need a basic rolecall, you can always email the staff of an area and ask them if there's anything lacking in their area that you could help fill.  It will not be a staff sponsored position, but they may be able to (or may not be able to) give you an idea of some things that could bring life to the area.

[Classclown]

So this is more along the lines of "app in a codedly advanced Trooper/City Soldier" but instead its .... aide-social?

I'm not AGAINST the idea but I guess I just don't understand why. At that point, nearly everything is a "sponsored" role in the game. Is the game really dying so quickly that staff have to specifically mention which areas need assistance?

What if there were a way to kind of separate IC rumor boards by "IC Rumors of happenings" and "IC/OOC Rumors of positions open". Like a Job Board vs a Rumor Board, and the Job Board could be dumped to the GDB every so often?

It wouldn't just be for areas needed, maybe people don't always want to go through recruit year for the millionth time. Soldiers transfer units, workers relocate to different offices in different states all the time irl. So you have to learn people's names. Not having the trust built from doing your recruit year with the same unit/class would be one of the hurdles you would have to navigate and, I think, would offer a lot of rp opportunities. You would have to work twice as hard to make those connections.

  You also seem to be downplaying npcs and vnpcs, as if they're not as real as players which, in the world, isn't true.

[Kavrick]

I just want to know what parts of the game are active at the time of me making a character and what niches could be filled so I'm not going in blind.

[Fredd]

I just want to know what parts of the game are active at the time of me making a character and what niches could be filled so I'm not going in blind.

This is how I feel. Plus, it would make it easier for people coming off breaks to dream up a new person to play.

[Lotion]

I just want to know what parts of the game are active at the time of me making a character and what niches could be filled so I'm not going in blind.

illegal craigslist could do this

[Classclown]

Would it be possible to have copies of the ig boards on the website? It is an ooc thing in the first place. It would give some ic info, but only what your future character might have picked up in a tavern before your commencement anyway.

[Fredd]

Agreed that the atrium isn't about learning docs. It's about making useful connections. And learning the political lay of the land. That's not something you can app into.

On the one hand I get what you're saying. On the other hand, I would almost contend that having access to the Atrium and spending time there and not being forced to spend it doing virtual lesson shit for the fifteen millionth time actually frees you up to make those connections a bit more easily because your time is your own until you have an employer rather than being obligated to endless virtual lessons during the majority of your log in time and then having random free time on 'off days' subsumed into some random player telling you for the fifteenth time how to pour tea because hey that was the day that one day in three IC weeks where you and the 'host' are on at the same time and they weren't too busy for whatever rp with your char on an actual ICly appropriate day for it, etc. But then, I have very low patience for having my escapism be buried in that for six RL weeks in the HOPES that something cooler happens later, when... before people made it "more or less required" for your aide to be an atrium graduate for you to play an aide without both you and the player of the noble being kinda looked down upon about it if you knew and understood the role you could just play the damn role.

Well, just how I told my AoD recruits: Tavern duty is part of your education.
If the Atrium instructors reprimand you for not being around (when others are not) for virtual lessons, they can usually assume they are done, virtually, imo.
But being chucked together with some people who will be aides later on is useful. Forms those friendships that you can pull favors out of later on.

And rivalries. Always fun to graduate to being someone's frienemy.

[Trevalyan]

"War.  War never changes. And that's great for business!"

Dammit, I think I absolutely love my character and would never want to leave all the great stuff going on, then you guys double-dog dare me to app in as Merchant Major Hogan. I can't believe you've done this.