The Players Corner Archive

Given all the recent discussion(s), and now the change in policy regarding paid events, including weddings, I'm now wondering what it will be exactly that we pay for here, even if it is only $10 or $30 a month, depending on your point of view. I know this can vary from person to person, so I don't pretend to speak for anyone other than myself here.

Here's Simu's advertising....

>A Smaller Community of Adventurers

>Remember the days when you knew everyones name (and everyone knew yours?) Simutronics will monitor our Platinum subscription base to ensure that the community in GemStone III Platinum never grows too large.

What is 'too large?' I think I remember Melissa mentioning an average 100-150 people, maxing out at 200. Is this official? What happens if subscriptions fail to meet, or even exceed, this total?

>Increased Event Participation

>Fewer adventurers mean greater opportunities for interacting with GM events. Gone are the days of fighting for a spot in insanely long merchant lines, screaming mobs during invasions, and roleplaying events missed inside endless screen scroll.

To be honest, this is the only thing here that is worth any money. I believe in our GMs and think they'll produce some quality events and really make the world come alive. I do think that over the last two years, the standards for this have been lowered due to too-high expectations and/or diminished enthusiasm by staff and players alike.

>More Opportunities for Roleplay

>Tired of out of character gibberish, lame references to real world events, and powerhunters? The tight-knit community of Platinum focuses on roleplay above advancement. Even character transfers between accounts are heavily monitored to reduce the impact on the roleplaying community.

The above things should be eliminated from Simutronics completely. The idea of paying extra money to avoid such things is absurd. Acknowledging that they exist and then asking customers to pay for a gaming environment without them is even more absurd.

>Adventure & Excitement

>Add some spice to your hunting trips and explore a world where death has more serious consequences!

I can see where this is coming from, but I've never fully understood it either. Build a game with the most balanced and entertaining mechanics possible and leave it at that. Having the same game with different mechanics doesn't justify a higher price, it justifies playing a different game.

>Build Your Own Hunting Areas

>Any Platinum subscriber may apply to join the Architectural & Landscaping Association of Elanthia! Whether you want to build your own haunted forests, enchanted castles and infested dungeons, or explore your friends' creations, GemStone III Platinum is the place!

Please correct me if I'm wrong in this section, because I'd really be interested in ALAE if I am. To my knowledge, no such benefit exists. None of the above exists in a practical sense, unless I'm completely unaware of what a hunting area entails. With very few exceptions, all permanent fixtures created by ALAE exist either in Grey Manor or in Prime. I've been told that there are no plans to change this policy.

While I applaud the effort and creativity of ALAE members, adding my own 'haunted forests, enchanted castles and infested dungeons' down a hall and behind a door, contained entirely within a single structure is not exactly my idea of adding to a roleplaying environment. ALAE is a wonderful outlet for creative writing, but right now, that's all it really is. I'm encouraged when I hear that they've been allowed to contribute to roleplaying events, but that's all temporary. Until that policy changes, it's hardly a reason for new players to pay extra money for. Neither is it a reason for all platinum subscribers to pay extra money for, when fewer than 10 people find it worthwhile.

>Includes Premium Benefits

>Platinum members retain all access to GemStone III Prime... with Premium benefits!

This ad annoys me to no end. It's irrelevant.

reg