The Players Corner Archive

So, I've been tossing ideas around about roleplaying a bunch lately.

It's something that I really want to encourage and enhance in GemStone III, but it's a complicated issue.

Most of the systems that we have been considering developing have been roleplaying enhancements, but don't necessarily promote roleplay by themselves.

Systems that WOULD encourage roleplay would involve tempting players with advancement opportunities. Such systems just don't work ... people who roleplay to advance are not effective roleplayers. The shortest distance towards obtaining a goal does not leave a lot of room for the intricacies and time it takes to roleplay well.

On the other hand, inspiring people to roleplay involves a staff investment that we can not afford on a grand scale. We will NEVER have enough staff members to give everyone roleplaying opportunities all the time. Players tend to grow dependant on staff members to provide them with their roleplaying inspiration.

I think it's important for staff to provide inspiration, but I think it's not enough on it's own.

What needs to happen is for people to be self motivated to roleplay. But our system doesn't currently encourage that. Those people who are self motivated to keep roleplay moving ... they grow tired of always inspiring others. They get tired of the time investment, and are sad to see others obtain what they do not have the time for.

As I was toying with these issues, and brainstorming with some friends, I was also watching roleplayers in the game. I did notice that roleplaying is not dead, and it's more plentiful than people make out. On the other hand, I also noticed that many of our experienced roleplayers are tired. I wondered how to give them back their inspiration and drive. What would make it worthwhile?

So ... here's my brainstorm, and I'm interested in hearing what you guys FEEL about this. What if the GemStone Staff and the GemStone Community created a roleplaying contract. This wouldn't be something everyone would have to sign, but we'd have to all agree to it. The intent of the contract would be to say "The staff realize that we can not improve the roleplaying experience in GS3 without the help of the community. The community recommends that certain changes go into place to further enhance their roleplaying experience."

If we were to do such a thing, what would the staff agree to do? What would they expect from the community? Could the community agree to be self-motivated to roleplay, to start events on their own? To be more excepting of other people's roleplaying beliefs?

What would the community expect from the staff? What roleplaying enhancements would entice them to commit to doing such a thing?

I'd like to hear what you guys have to say about the idea of a contract, and what you would like to see on it if there was such a thing.

Melissa reg

She says other methods of supporting RP doesn't work. How does she know that? Has she tried other methods? Has she even seen them in action?

Here's my suggestion: lower *slightly* the rate at which people advance through hunting. Lower significantly the rate at which people advance through up-hunting, and raise the bar on like-level hunting somewhat.

That'll take care of hunting.

Now, add normal advancement capability to the crafting skills. Make it a risk vs. reward thing: since there's not much risk of death to craft, give crafting SOME exp for the work put into it and a small bonus to successful completion of any given crafted object.

Now, add a SMALL exp modifier just for being in the game. Make it an hourly thing, accumulative for people who login and logoff 45 minutes later. Make this small enough that it won't encourage people to just sit there idle for hours wracking up experience...but big enough to let players know that they don't have to hunt all day to advance.

Get rid of absorption rates altogether. Kill something and gain exp. Sit at the bar with a buddy yacking away about the latest gossip from Teras, gain exp. Create a new handaxe, gain exp. This will completely eliminate those "zombie robot script-resting twinks."

Then, enforce the rules. To the hilt. Non-arbitrarily. Rewrite them if necessary so there is no room for ambiguity. Don't worry about people sitting there idle. Sometimes *characters* are laying in wait for their next victim.

Give more attention to people who are unresponsive instead. Have a GM whose only purpose is to do random checks, do them. Have the GM jump down invis to people, sending them unusual (but in-genre) emits, and give them several minutes to respond (since sometimes people just gotta go to the bathroom and shouldn't have to logoff just for a quick run).

If they're obviously not paying attention, boot'em from the game. Not a lockout, just a logoff. If they continue to autologin and aren't even there, move them to a consultation lounge, where experience gain for existing - doesn't exist.

All this will promote, and SUPPORT, roleplaying. It won't force people to RP, since they can still hunt hunt hunt all day if that's what floats their boat. But it will support the existing RP and encourage more of it.

R
reg

quote:

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Now, add a SMALL exp modifier just for being in the game. Make it an hourly thing, accumulative for people who login and logoff 45 minutes later. Make this small enough that it won't encourage people to just sit there idle for hours wracking up experience...but big enough to let players know that they don't have to hunt all day to advance.

Get rid of absorption rates altogether. Kill something and gain exp. Sit at the bar with a buddy yacking away about the latest gossip from Teras, gain exp. Create a new handaxe, gain exp. This will completely eliminate those "zombie robot script-resting twinks."

Then, enforce the rules. To the hilt. Non-arbitrarily. Rewrite them if necessary so there is no room for ambiguity. Don't worry about people sitting there idle. Sometimes *characters* are laying in wait for their next victim.

Give more attention to people who are unresponsive instead. Have a GM whose only purpose is to do random checks, do them. Have the GM jump down invis to people, sending them unusual (but in-genre) emits, and give them several minutes to respond (since sometimes people just gotta go to the bathroom and shouldn't have to logoff just for a quick run).

If they're obviously not paying attention, boot'em from the game. Not a lockout, just a logoff. If they continue to autologin and aren't even there, move them to a consultation lounge, where experience gain for existing - doesn't exist.

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Not bad.. Maybe a group should get together and send this in... Not a bad idea at all. reg

reg

Obviously she doesn't know what she's talking about, because if she had done a little research she'd know that it DOES work in roleplay-intensive games. Inferno isn't even the only one that promotes RP through mechanics *successfully*. It's just the one I happen to play.
reg

Change the name of the game to Inferno II.

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I got no dukes. reg

You must maintain in character throughout the entire time in the game. If you don't, they shut you out. It makes you want to try harder, or not play at all. The ones that stay are the ones who want to be better roleplayers.

There are lots of MUD games that are just hack and slash (which GS is considered by many, including me lately) and you don't have to interact with anyone.

If Gemstone wants to get away from that conspiracy, then they need to implement more activities that earn experience, like the healing, raising, picking and guild skills (for all professions), and then add others like adding experience to forging and any other artisan skills.

The more options you give for people to be active in, the less you have to worry about enforcing roleplay because it will happen naturally. If all you have is hunting or being part of their "quests" by engaging in their invasions of 100 year old critters with stupid DS, it gets old and boring really fast. reg

Move every player currently in GS to inferno and you'll get everything "wrong" with GS roleplaying-wise x 100.

'lood reg