Roleplay Rewards

[Gormal]

This is somewhat in line with the zone balance threads, but I opted to give it its own rather than derail the others.

I think that the RPQ sphere should be given a freer hand with rewards for participants. I love roleplaying in groups of 5 or so and trekking around the world. Though while I love to RP, I also love to zone and win gear and slay the evildoers (and elves) of Faerun. In addition to straight up eq rewards, I think the best idea to accomplish this would be to make the RP points visible to the player and publish a list of rewards you can trade in for.

If I had a specific goal to strive for to earn that cool badge, increased stats on equipment (like Fade was for Ilshad), or a restring, or even to trade RP points for experience, I'd do it. Allow RP points to be shared by all of a players alts so they'd be willing to branch out and play more than one character. I know thats the one thing that discourages me from roleplaying anyone but Gormal... why play an evil when I can have as much fun playing him and get points too!

I think that this would be a great draw for players and give those who don't RP a reason to. Look at the great participation for Tel'Arato En Dagor (spelled wrong I'm sure). That was awesome and everyone ended up with good times, eq rewards, and the few of us that won the restrung eq loved that too even if it is statless. (Though I'd love to quest that stuff to stats or switch it with eq I wear much like my tiamat t-shirts.

Just an idea on how to help the pbase from a different angle.

[Anab]

Would really love the mutli char points. So I can roleplay with the new shiny char I just made and still have the overall RP goal in sight. :)

[Tasan]

On the same token, FNAT for those that enjoyed it with less Monty Iuz and more earned rewards would be beneficial for the casual player who doesn't care too much about RP but could get engaged in a storyline for a night. I think it would really benefit this place to have a more engaged group of immortals, and more visibility from those who are helping run this game.

[Ambar]

Monty Iuz was SO much fun before my storage cache was deleted :P

Had a storage cache that cause mud crashes!! (note: HAD .. it got vanished before I could empty it .. still have that list tho *WINK*)

[Ambar]

...

[Sarell]

I'm not for god favouritism and it was rife when gods had even a little power to hand stuff out. It would give those of us that don't RP a reason to play WoW rather than start RPing.

If RPers want more gear they should RP through zones and hand it to the best RPer at the end of it, not sit in the tent sexoring elves in ye olde english all day and get restrings let alone items because they are in, the god running its, guild / clique.

[Eilistraee]

Monty Iuz was SO much fun before my storage cache was deleted :P

Had a storage cache that cause mud crashes!! (note: HAD .. it got vanished before I could empty it .. still have that list tho *WINK*)

Your SO was instructed to ask you to email said list to me so I could review it. Blame him.

[Lilira]

*sigh*

BTW, I never "sit in the tent sexoring elves in ye olde english all day". Kindly avoid tossing such insults at people you don't even know. The RPQ sphere works hard and for a few people on the mud, the RP angle is really the biggest chunk of fun that remains since leveling a 20th alt to 50 is so wonderfully repetitive. One of this mud's original selling points was its RP atmosphere, and frankly anyone cruising the boards will see comments like that slapping it down.

Just because YOU may choose not to participate, please do not cast aspersions on those of us who do.

BTW... I have never received a restring or other RP reward other than a statless item for participation in a large event (the finale of the last campaign). I could care less. I participate in RP for the enjoyment, not the rewards. Actually, that's a fib. My enjoyment IS my reward.

BTW Gormal, I can understand why the points are not visible. Judging RP is very tough. When Ashiwi, Tana and I did the Tel'arato Dagor en Halda'cuu we found that to be the most difficult portion to judge because honestly, its completely subjective. At least it was for us.

[Sarell]

I don't know you and I didn't direct it at you, you hadn't even posted in this thread for crying out loud! I'm responding to Gormal's thread asking for gods to be able to hand out items, using freakin' FADE as an example! I said that is the way it shouldn't be, not the way you do it. That IS the way it was when gods were handing out items and restrings for RP.

[Tasan]

I don't know you and I didn't direct it at you, you hadn't even posted in this thread for crying out loud! I'm responding to Gormal's thread asking for gods to be able to hand out items, using freakin' FADE as an example! I said that is the way it shouldn't be, not the way you do it. That IS the way it was when gods were handing out items and restrings for RP.

Never happened on this incarnation. And he didn't say "give me Fade" he said something along the lines of a small stat increase... He would have said "give me Crimson crown" but he already has one.

[Sarell]

It did happen on this incarnation with restrings and prestige tokens heavily. By this incarnation I mean S3, so this round of gear / characters. I'm not trying to incriminate current gods either, I'm thinking S3 as opposed to TorilMUD. It worries me what could happen, also, I really don't see why RPers should be able to attain stuff no one else can. In the past people who have had access to these events have frequently been limited to cliques not people who like RP.

I'm thinking... Nokie and I getting in trouble for 'luring' mobs onto the group doing RP when in reality we never left the room we were in, they were luring AWAY the mobs we were already fighting.

I'm thinking me being forced to group people for FNAT in lurkwood.

I'm thinking having most of my group teleported out of avernus so a god could slam us with a bunch of spelled up giants to entertain the evils during their god quest, then being left to CR ourselves and our people stuck in avernus, WHEN IT WAS HARD.

Hrmmmm, I was the only caster in the official scheduled fight club who didn't get beaten, so they rescheduled a 'final' between two people I beat that I didn't even hear about.. oh hold on, the gods guildie walks away with the winner badge I think.

Trompsing around UM2 following Miax's 'directions', god that hurt.

How about being awared more presitge for turning up to half an hour in bloodstone than for doing the first ever tia run, of BOTH tia incarnations.

Anyhow... I love what Auril is doing with the RP points. I think this kind of system is a step in the right direction. But when we are having such trouble keeping players and even balancing zones which are far more doable by quantitative measure than RP judging, I really don't think this is what the mud needs.

I liked FNATs when people were not god assisted, load the event and let it be, give everyone the opportunity to participate.

The RP events in game with players providing the rewards, very stylish! :) The difference there I guess was the items were rewarded without shifting power balance, they were attained by the RP co-ordinators not loaded.

I love RP where the gods take on characters and stuff, it's real D&Dish, and I'm glad that some people are satisfied with that.

PS: Before this breaks down into the same ridiculous rhetoric contained in Evil VS Goodies arguments, I do RP, probably as much as most RPers, I enjoy it immensely too and wish my timezone allowed me to participate more often in scheduled events :)

[Sarell]

I don't know you and I didn't direct it at you, you hadn't even posted in this thread for crying out loud! I'm responding to Gormal's thread asking for gods to be able to hand out items, using freakin' FADE as an example! I said that is the way it shouldn't be, not the way you do it. That IS the way it was when gods were handing out items and restrings for RP.

Never happened on this incarnation. And he didn't say "give me Fade" he said something along the lines of a small stat increase... He would have said "give me Crimson crown" but he already has one.

I'm not sure what you read but if you scroll up you'll see... :P

If I had a specific goal to strive for to earn that cool badge, increased stats on equipment (like Fade was for Ilshad), or a restring, or even to trade RP points for experience, I'd do it.

[Ambar]

Monty Iuz was SO much fun before my storage cache was deleted :P

Had a storage cache that cause mud crashes!! (note: HAD .. it got vanished before I could empty it .. still have that list tho *WINK*)

Your SO was instructed to ask you to email said list to me so I could review it. Blame him.

oops sent it to shev on 4/25/06 and shar on 3/27/05 .. will send to you too :)

[Disoputlip]

Really good roleplay awards:

Shop in Havenport begins to sell boats.
Shop GH wb item shop becomes drowable.
Some ferry begins to sail somewhere.
Some mobs stops beeing aggro to some race.
restrings/statless eq. (including statless badges)
items that are certain to be loaded into a regular zone after RP is over.

Bad roleplay rewards:
special eq never again available to anyone.

Really bad roleplay rewards:
special conditions unachivable to a char. e.g. skill 100 in something. Giving new hometown to a player.

Roleplay rewards that isnt rewards:
destruction of a zone.

--

I agree roleplay should be rewarded. But not the way Gormal suggests.

[Latreg]

I agree with Gormal about the need to have something to work towards.
Imagine doing a 2 hour zone, only to find there is no gear, but rumor has it if you do it enough times, you MIGHT get something. Don't see any harm in letting people know how many "points" they have. People are going to bitch no matter what you do. But I think you'll get more interest if you lay it all out there, be as fair as you can and let the chips fall where they may.

[Gormal]

I used "FADE" as an example because when Kevin first got it, it didn't have hardly any stats. He slowly upgraded it to retarded status over the course of almost 2 years if I remember right. Questing a statless item, then questing for it to earn stats, each extra bit of stats getting harder... that would be cool. And just because its roleplay doesn't mean you don't have to give up items you already have.

A dirty hairy fire giant growls 'gimme that burnished necklace thar and I'll magick your necklace so you can see evil beings!'

[Lilira]

Really bad roleplay rewards:
special conditions unachivable to a char. e.g. skill 100 in something. Giving new hometown to a player.

Diso:

Why would getting a new home town as an RP reward be bad?? It doesn't affect ANYONE but the player? Not a soul. It doesn't affect player balance, eq, not a restring.. what's the big deal?

Just curious.

[Gormal]

I really think that applying RP to the MUD in a variety new/old ways and expanding the sphere's role is the quickest way to draw people back into the game. FNAT, restrung zones (ie storm giant invasion), forseeable rewards in addition to hidden ones (like Ashemiem's cool sight proc), etc.

Everyone talks about new content and things to keep players engaged in the game... what other method has the potential to keep things new and fresh than this? I for one have no problem leaving a lot of the point distribution up to the gods' judgement, I think it'll be just the right amount of god favoritism we need ;). As far as effort vs rewawrd for the staff... run it through the calc'r and see what happens!

[Disoputlip]

Really bad roleplay rewards:
special conditions unachivable to a char. e.g. skill 100 in something. Giving new hometown to a player.

Diso:

Why would getting a new home town as an RP reward be bad?? It doesn't affect ANYONE but the player? Not a soul. It doesn't affect player balance, eq, not a restring.. what's the big deal?

Just curious.

It gives players an advantage not available in any other way. Especially for players with word of recall this changes race advantage/disadvantage fairly much. (eg. yuan cle wording to vt)

[Ragorn]

Honestly, in the grand scheme of things, do you really feel that where a player words to has much of an impact on game balance? Or do you just fight because you don't like the idea of RP rewards in general?

[Tasan]

Ragorn wins. Move along.