Quote from: Kebron on July 13, 2012, 11:38:39 PM

Quote from: A Large Bag on July 13, 2012, 02:51:19 PM
The idea to create more ranks within the ranks for templars and nobles is an excellent idea. Even better for the templars I think.

Just want to point out, every now and again you get that 1 super active super-dousche templar that makes litteraly -everyones- life a living hell. Every few years theres at least one. Some are more memorable than others. And while this is not bad RP (By a long shot) Can you imagine the unplayability of 20 of those running around an area as small as allanak? The moment one leaves the gaj 2 more come in bored to molest someone else. If any badguy tries to rear their head they are imediately smacked down within 5 minutes because theres no downtime. Litteraly. Villains would have to be -perfect- which in a coded world they can't be. You'd hafta have a MUCH larger more complicated set of city-states to balance the power-levels. Otherwise you'd just have little bands of roving super-dicks making it absoulutely unplayable.

Here's the basic gyst of what the gaj would look like...



The gaj-
a corpse,
Another corpse
two more corpses
A templar
NPC's at the bar
couple PC's...

Templars leave,

One of the Pc's says "Feck!" Just as new templar is entering.

New templar "You dare use profanity in my august presence!"

New corpse on floor...

Look room...


The gaj.
A corpse.
Another corpse
another corpse
Another corpse
another corpse.

you get the idea.

It was meant to mean more attainable ranks.  It did not mean increasing the "ranks," or adding more PC Templar.

Being a Black Robe would suck.  I don't know how Samos' player was able to play a Red Robe, as that seems like it would suck too.

It sounds like Samos got to go out and do things that other PCs could see and interact with, which is very atypical Red Robe behavior.

I think the ranks we have now are pretty adequate, though I wouldn't mind some of my bosses having PC bosses of their own to make them feel miserable too  Though perhaps that'd play out poorly for me in the long run...

I'd like to see more rewards and perks to people in the ranks who distinguish themselves, though. I'd settle for a fancy hat over a promotion almost any day. The militias could have medals, Merchant houses get, I don't know, swaggier clothes, nobles could get, uh, more clothes... Maybe access to fancier guild locales? Just little things to make your character more distinguished that don't require you (and others) having to deal with massive jumps in power and virtual responsibilities.

Quote from: BadSkeelz on July 14, 2012, 12:25:47 AM
It sounds like Samos got to go out and do things that other PCs could see and interact with, which is very atypical Red Robe behavior.

I think the ranks we have now are pretty adequate, though I wouldn't mind some of my bosses having PC bosses of their own to make them feel miserable too  Though perhaps that'd play out poorly for me in the long run...

I'd like to see more rewards and perks to people in the ranks who distinguish themselves, though. I'd settle for a fancy hat over a promotion almost any day. The militias could have medals, Merchant houses get, I don't know, swaggier clothes, nobles could get, uh, more clothes... Maybe access to fancier guild locales? Just little things to make your character more distinguished that don't require you (and others) having to deal with massive jumps in power and virtual responsibilities.

I don't think it's too IC to say that those in both military and merchant organizations can be awarded coded medals/pins/etc. for certain things.

I think they're a super awesome way to feel recognized.

When was the last time you saw them, though? I can't say I have.

I wouldn't mind seeing the occassional Red Robe out and about every now and again. I would imagine if a Red was seen out and about and not hidden away (stored)...it would be because their superiors decided that, for whatever reason, a Red Robe should be out and about. Maybe they are checking up on how the Blues are doing on the ground, or maybe there is something stirring up in town and a Red visible and interacting might scare the bad guys from their holes, or settle the commoners. Or whatever trevor. It's cool though, even from a regular lowly PC perspective, to see high ranking PC's, Senators, Reds, super powerful sorcs...it gives old players the opportunity to have something to be awed at.

QuoteWhen was the last time you saw them, though? I can't say I have.

Look closer at the clanned PCs or even ask them, I know of several PCs right now that have them in different clans.

Evidently, X-D is the black robe we're all talking about

I've avoided posting in this thread because I have pretty mixed feelings on the subject, but one thing did come to mind: I'm grateful that PC Red Robes and High Templars are no longer allowed, because every once in a while, you'd have one that came along that would do completely idiotic shit, and because of their rank there was basically nothing you could do about it, short of filing a player complaint. It felt like the problem was an entirely OOC construct and dealing with it as a player was overwhelming and frustrating.

If all the PC templars we have in the game at any given point at the same basic rank, then if one goes off and does ridiculous things, the others can pressure or politic or maybe just shiv him. If the one performing the dumbassery outranks all the other templars in the game, it means it becomes a staff problem that staff has to deal with, and that takes yet more plotting out of players' hands.

The other templars didn't like the situation I had to deal with either, but welp, tough.

I am eternally grateful that level of awkwardness is no longer something we have to worry about. No ultra high-powered PCs means that the world and the PCs in it can police themselves as opposed to relying on staff to smack down the high muckitymucks when they screw up.

Blow up the city states , turn Luir's and Storm into ruins and make craters of Cenyr and the D-elf outpost.
Everyone go back to the sands where rank is decided by the bloody blades, smooth tongues and the ability to get shit done and keep it together.

Now that is an idea I can get behind.

Quote from: X-D on July 14, 2012, 09:50:21 AM
Now that is an idea I can get behind.

Armageddon.

Armageddon.

Quote from: FantasyWriter on July 14, 2012, 08:41:58 PM
Armageddon.

Quote from: Barsook on July 14, 2012, 10:47:10 PM

Quote from: FantasyWriter on July 14, 2012, 08:41:58 PM
Armageddon.

Quote from: FantasyWriter on July 14, 2012, 08:41:58 PM
Armageddon.

Say (raising his mug of ale into the air) Armageddon!

Crackadeddon?

Quote from: FantasyWriter on July 14, 2012, 08:28:02 AM
Blow up the city states , turn Luir's and Storm into ruins and make craters of Cenyr and the D-elf outpost.
Everyone go back to the sands where rank is decided by the bloody blades, smooth tongues and the ability to get shit done and keep it together.

Add some rampaging zombies somewhere in the mix, and I'm in too. 

Am I the only one that thinks that sounds like a horrible idea 

What I gather from reading posts (damn near constantly on the GDB lately) that repeat the notion that people either want global Zalanthan war or absolute destruction is that this game must be pretty fucking awesome to play right now. Which is why I'm glad I'm playing it so damn actively.

Shine on, you crazy diamonds! Shine on! And may the best crazy, blood-drinkin', gaj-fuckin', sand-caked bastard win!

Quote from: Nyr on July 13, 2012, 01:53:33 PM
Go.  Do.  Be.  

Avatar should be more courage wolf, less Krieger.

Quote from: Harmless on July 15, 2012, 02:46:33 PM
What I gather from reading posts (damn near constantly on the GDB lately) that repeat the notion that people either want global Zalanthan war or absolute destruction is that this game must be pretty fucking awesome to play right now. Which is why I'm glad I'm playing it so damn actively.

Shine on, you crazy diamonds! Shine on! And may the best crazy, blood-drinkin', gaj-fuckin', sand-caked bastard win!

In my case, at least, it is not so much wanting total destruction as believing (again my personal opinion, based on my play style, the characters I write and my "vision" of what Zalanthas is, and i doubt even the majority of players share it)... believing that player consolidation would be better served by destroying one or both of the city states rather than closing outdoor clans/races, forsaking the creation of new, supported clans that will come and go rather than have a secure and generally unmovable foothold on a generally unchanging world, not to mention more than a few quit/save rooms that were around when I was a noob that are no longer there.

To me, Zalanthas us much too stable for a post-apocalyptic desert land.  It happens though when you have uber freaks of nature in the past that can seemingly live forever (or at least long enough to build a much-defendable city state and bend enough other ouber creatures to your will to control it for  you. >em eyeballs ~muk and ~tek. Seriously dudes, the Dragon moved on to greener pastures, why don't you two follow along behind him? That is sorta how you got in your current state in the first place. Cleaning up after his mess and doling out his leftovers.

PS- That is, of course, an OOC point of view. ICly both cities seem to have been on the very edge of destruction at least one good time the last couple years.

There is probably a considerable amount of players who much prefer the social/political/cultural part of the game then rough and tumble part of the game. Remove the cities and might "truly" becomes right. While Templars and other sponsored roles need to account and explain their actions constantly in reports, many indies do not "have" to do it. Coming from a player of Red Fang, when RF still didnt have a camp and catching 3 arrows and a beep on their 3rd/4th hour of gameplay while yet to 'ever' talk to any pc beforehand was a common occasion.

Not that might isnt right already, but at least it's not as overtly so as it would be without the cities. Removing those will probably do more harm then good. Personal opinion anyway. Though of course, I'd like to believe that if enough people got involved into a plot resulted in a destruction of one or both cities and succeeded, it would've happened. At least I'd like to believe that.

Yup, definitely. I enjoy social roles from time to time as well, they are just around 10% of my total PCs, probably.
Just to repeat, to be clear: Personal opinion based on my play style and preferences. I do not at all advocate that that would be any better or worse for the game in the long run, probably a bad thing. I imagine the people who play mostly or all social roles might leave and that gives me a very sad face. ((((

Sometimes I wonder if a character who goes high enough gets promoted to staff (because that's about the level of OOC trust and impact they'd be expected to make).

Quote from: audrey on July 16, 2012, 07:48:57 AM
Sometimes I wonder if a character who goes high enough gets promoted to staff (because that's about the level of OOC trust and impact they'd be expected to make).

All leader characters (in clans at least) are very much like staff, but without the knowledge of staff member (at least that which isn't provided by staff/documentation, and that isn't usually much).  This can make it difficult, as being a leader severely curtails options for that player and increases their responsibility to their clan and their clan members.  The higher ranking, the more severe it gets.