Quote from: Windstorm on September 24, 2024, 01:58:31 PM

Quote from: Roon on September 24, 2024, 01:57:49 PM

Quote from: Windstorm on September 24, 2024, 01:50:21 PMNo free food.
No free water.
No barracks.
No hub for their work.

They're typically given access to the AoD barracks for those things.

Your info's out of date, love!

They get none of it. None.

I mean, I've literally seen it happening this season. Templars' aides can be (and, I presume, typically are) given access to the AoD barracks and the facilities therein. That's food, water, a non-tavern quit room, a safe place to stay, and maybe even a locker if that's something they ask for.

There are very few race-based skills. Sneak and hide for desert elves, haggle and sleight of hand for city elves. That's it. These have been disclosed by Halaster in a recent discussion so I'm not revealing any super-secret info. There are some other race-based perks that aren't technically racial skills and I don't know if staff want those to be public knowledge, but as far as actual skills that are given to you by your race if you didn't get it from anywhere else, it's just the elves. No other currently playable race gets any. Half-elves also get a higher ride skill than you would normally get if you just had the basic innate version that everyone gets no matter what. That's common knowledge, hardly a secret.

It's still a work in progress. 

Quote from: LadyScorpion on September 24, 2024, 10:02:28 PMOpening Night of the Kings Age Festival

What: Tor is hosting an dueling Event with feasting to follow
When: 9m Wed 9/25
Where: The Arena then the party will move to the dusty plaza where a pavillion will be ready. Academy Graduations will be going on during the event.

9pm, I assume that was a small typo.

It's also assumed this is going to be 9pm Server Time, which is 8 central. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend. I'm sorry.

The King's Age Festival is back, bigger and bloodier than ever, with a lineup of thrilling events that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat! Whether you're returning to Allanak on a new PC or are a veteran of the sands, this festival is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with the game. From combat spectacles that will leave you breathless to cultural celebrations and high-stakes auctions, the festival has something for everyone.

Here's the complete event roster for the event, starting tonight:

Timetable of Events:

Wednesday, 25th:

• 9 PM - Opening Event, Hosted by Warlady Proctor Tor: A grand introduction to the festival featuring cultural showcases and a taste of the bloodsport to come.

Thursday, 26th:

• 6 PM - Byn Tournament: Witness the fiercest fighters battle it out in the Byn arena.
• 9 PM - Kurac Auction

Friday, 27th:

• 2 PM - Kadius Auction/Event: Luxury and exclusivity. From rare silks to priceless jewelry. And a chance to rub shoulders with an elusive Kadian.
• 6 PM - TBC Event

Saturday, 28th:

• 2 PM - Salarri Auction
• 7 PM - Gladiator Finale: The bloodiest showdown of the festival! See below for more on the Gladiator Games.
• 10 PM - Revelry at the Shady Oasis

Sunday, 29th:

• 2 PM - Closing Ceremony, Prize Giving, & Oash Competition Awards: Celebrate the victors and award-winners in a spectacular end to the festival.

Throughout, make sure to drop by the Fale Tent for daily revelry, where tales of glory and sorrow are spun over firelight and wine. As you wander the festival streets, keep your eyes peeled for traveling merchants, tribal entertainers, and nomadic fortune tellers. Be sure to visit the Atrium Gallery, where the finest artisans of Allanak display their entries for the Oash design competition.

Commoners, take note: throughout the festival, collect as many jade tokens as you can, by any means necessary. These tokens will be the sole currency you can use to purchase rare memorabilia from the festival. But more importantly, the person who accumulates the most tokens by the closing ceremony will be honored with a special prize.

Gladiator Games – The Bloody Heart of the King's Age Festival
One of the most anticipated spectacles of the King's Age Festival, the Gladiator Games has captured the attention of all of Allanak. As the festival roars into its final days, the Gladiator Games are nearing their epic conclusion, offering some of the best and most brutal fights in the game's history. Let's take a look back at the highlights of the tournament so far.

Opening Event Recap: The games kicked off with a savage display as six gladiators faced off against a series of deadly challenges. Prisoners, gith, and finally a massive, wing-clipped roc were released onto the sands, creating a storm of chaos. The brave (and perhaps reckless) gladiator Gaffar, "Captain Fantastic", leapt headfirst into battle, drawing the roc's blood—only to meet his gruesome end as the beast snapped off his head. Others followed, including a nameless half-elf torn in two, and an elf who met a grisly fate from a wing strike. In the end, the roc was taken down, and the crowd's roar shook the very walls of the arena.


The Tuluki Tea Party of Death: In the second event, the gladiators took on an unusual challenge: a Tuluki tea party. While some fought with grace and poise, the unfortunate Dillian met his end when a broken teacup found its way into his neck, marking one of the most humiliating deaths in arena history. The crowd erupted into laughter and jeers, cementing this as an event for the ages.


Brutus the Brutalizer vs. The Brave Few: The third event saw Brutus the Brutalizer, a fearsome braxat known for slaughtering gladiators, enter the fray. Pitted against him were a half-giant mercenary, a seasoned officer of the Arm of the Dragon, and an unlucky half-elf. Despite brutal injuries, the trio managed to disarm Brutus long enough to bring him down, much to the shock and delight of the audience.

But it wasn't all just blood and gore. In the same event, a group of brave souls embarked on an epic treasure hunt within the arena. Barricades, creatures like tembo and gith, and even copper itself lay hidden in the sands, offering both adventure and carnage. The crowd was thrilled, not just by the spectacle, but by the promise of riches buried beneath the blood-soaked ground.


The Gladiator Finale
Now, as the festival reaches its peak, we are mere days away from the final and most highly anticipated event: Nikki the Highlady of Hate versus Menosax the Farmer. Nikki has become a crowd favorite due to her outrageous antics and vicious fighting style, while Menosax's humble beginnings and straightforward approach have garnered him support from villagers and commoners alike. Who will win their freedom and the coveted wish from the Great Lady Sath? The tension is palpable, and the entire city is buzzing with anticipation.

The final showdown takes place on Saturday at 7 PM. It's sure to be a fight for the ages, one that will be remembered long after the festival's closing ceremony.

ALL TIMES EST (server)!

Find in game rumor boards for more info! The King's Age Festival kicks off with House Tor hosting a dueling event in the Arena followed by some grub generously offered to the masses - cooked by House Kadius! All times EST (server).

Remember that you can mark "interested" on Discord for these events so that you get a ping in our Discord when it starts!

Wednesday 25th

9pm - Opening Event, Hosted by Tor


Thursday 26th

6pm - Byn Tournament

9pm - Kurac Auction


Friday 27th

3pm - Kadius Auction/Event


Sat 28th

2pm - Salarri Auction

7pm - Gladiator Finale

10pm - Shady Oasis Event!


Sun 29th

2pm - Closing Ceremony and Prizes

Opening Night of the Kings Age Festival

What: Tor is hosting an dueling Event with feasting to follow
When: 9pm SERVER Wed 9/25
Where: The Arena then the party will move to the dusty plaza where a pavillion will be ready. Academy Graduations will be going on during the event.

Not having something to do is only an issue when you don't know anyone. Even the most curmudgeonly aide eventually has contact with a good bunch of people that they can get information to verify, rumours to confirm or deny or a new contact to evaluate.

My key piece of advice for being an aide is to be a human, be good or bad at serving Lady Argentband's interests. Have an agenda to change all the street art in Allanak to rats. Parcel out information to Lord Templar Teandcrumpets on the understanding that he trusts you not to mess with his staff or pogroms.

But mostly be there to support and facilitate, not take over stuff. Unless you have to.

I've given this thread some thought and I do want to provide some context to the aide role for people, because I believe that aligning expectations with reality is important for a satisfying player experience. This is all just my personal perspective on the matter and not the game's perspective on it, aka: my opinion.

Some of my creds, to provide context for me:
1.) I've played an Atrium Instructor.
2.) I've played 3 Templar aides.
3.) I've played half a dozen Noble aides.
4.) I've played a couple Nobles.
5.) I'm a Noble Storyteller.

Expectations of an aide role that will leave you unsatisfied:
1.) I can risk angering my boss.
2.) I will always have things to do.
3.) My boss values me more than their political connections or goals.

Expectations of an aide role that will give you a better chance of being satisfied:
1.) Being self-sufficient for basic needs like food/water. Take a subguild at least which can help you accomplish this.
2.) Finding your own social opportunities. This is a basic requirement and makes you useful as an aide.
3.) Understanding that while you cannot make demands of your Noble, you can potentially convince them to treat you better by demonstrating how useful you are.
4.) Every Noble or Templar has things they won't forgive - find out what those are early on and stay away from them.

Your Noble/Templar is going to look to you with an expectation that you are creating opportunities for them. That's your job, essentially. These opportunities come in the form of being a good little servant, gossip, socializer, thief, or murderer. Sometimes it takes a while to build trust! That's okay. Once they find you be dependable in the ways that they want, then they'll probably start showering you with special treatment. If they don't? Like Gimf suggests above: Walk away. Every other Noble/Templar in town will see you as valuable and try to hire you. (That is what happened with every one of my aides, anyway, when there was any hint that the other Noble was neglecting my PC.)

Your mileage may vary! I understand that sometimes you get a bad deal with your leader and it just doesn't work out - that's happened to me, too. It sucks.

Best of luck.

edit:
If anyone has suggestions of how to potentially improve the aide role, I'm open to that! I don't know how much I'd want to micro-manage the individual Nobles, however, as most things are their prerogative.

I do think there are significant potential problems with playing an aide, but they can be mitigated by player action.

• Aides not having access to food, water, salary, other tangible support from their employer: If it's not offered up front, negotiate for it. If that templar/noble really wants you as their aide? They will figure it out. If they hire you and don't provide? You walk. That's a fine outcome! The aide should know their value, a good aide is REALLY valuable, so if the noble/templar is smart they'll do what they need to do to keep their aide.
• Aides not being given anything to do by their boss: Again, tell your boss "boss I need work, I'm bored." Negotiate for involvement if it's not being given. Find your boss' mind an annoying number of times to find out if anything's happening and to volunteer your services. If you do all that and they still won't involve you in an interesting way? You walk!
• Aides not being treated correctly by other PCs: You can ask your boss to solve this problem, or you can develop enmities and enemies! This is fun! The interplay of rank and influence is Good, Actually. Personal politics mmmmm.

For me the benefit of playing an aide or aide-ish PC, or of playing a noble with aides, is the interaction and the plot stuff we can get up to, together. If you're aiding and you're not getting interaction, plot stuff, and tangible support, then YOU WALK. You're not lifesworn. They probably won't PK you (they weren't involving you in plots or interacting with you so there's really no motivation to PK).

For those playing leadership roles who have aides or want to have aides/assistants, please do pay attention to the above. If you are not providing tangible support so that your aide can eat, drink, and have an apartment; if you're not interacting with them regularly and providing plot involvement; if you're not at least helping them understand how to navigate in Allanak's social hierarchy...then start doing those things. Because yes, without support from the boss, it's not possible to play an aide-type and have fun.