Reorganizing NPCs in Inns/Taverns

[Nwilmen]

Now that we have all been cast into the winds and forced to RP in more logical gathering locations, I have noticed (in location-scouting) that all manner of commoners, travelers, and nobles have been strategically placed in front of all the prime sitting/standing/chatting spots in most of our beloved watering holes.

Fireplace seats are hovered over by single NPCs, which makes sitting there with a friend and talking a little awkward with a nameless person in your face. Hardly suitable for secret-swapping or cuddling by the fire! Shady corner tables are crowded with NPCs, too, and I'm sure it's all to make the places look inhabited and busy.

Now that there are more PCs competing for prime seating in these places, we could look to rearranging the NPCs a little? We could reduce them a bit, or place them out of the way at bar corners, unfurnished corners, and in the middle of hallways?

[Phantom Lamb]

Taverns are on deck after we finish the faction join quests and stores. Should be soon. I can't promise we'll move NPCs though -- we like making the rooms feel alive.

[Nwilmen]

I totally agree that NPCs are necessarily to make a place feel alive, and while there are some drinking spots where they aren't totally in the way, an example would be the Sundren Comfort Inn. That place is filled to the brim with NPCs, and the only place for PCs to sit without sharing a table is in the back corner. Maybe if just a few of the NPCs in that room were moved out of the way at the fireplace, smaller tables, and maybe a portion of the bar area, it would allow more PCs to fit in comfortably and congregate. Then the place will actually be alive.

[RPMike17]

I just muscle them out of the way, then sit. This actually sounds like normal tavern activity to me. The corners are not as crowded (for shaded deals, intimacy, etc.), the fire place and bar should be busier, otherwise the tavern would shut down! IMHO part of the RP fun is dealing with what could be overheard in the tavern, inn, streets, etc. You could always sneak off to a dark corner, or private room, dark alley...

[ZubMessiah]

This was actually one of my main "problems" with inns and why I didn't like the removal of the fireplace to begin with, but I've just been ignoring it instead of doing something smart like asking for changs.
I agree with Nwilmen, less NPCs you have to actually concider, it's awkward to take notice to every single adventurer with more or less obvious "extraordinary" appearences but then ignore the lone noble sitting two feet away.
Make room for the actual players.

[Urithrand]

Privacy should really be reserved for private places. There are plenty of these around. Public houses are not exactly prime places to discuss tactics for your faction's top secret endeavour to torture, main and murder another faction's members.

[cdnspr]

Privacy should really be reserved for private places. There are plenty of these around. Public houses are not exactly prime places to discuss tactics for your faction's top secret endeavour to torture, main and murder another faction's members.

Maybe I just haven't noticed them, but I know of exactly two such places, and neither are particularly closed off to the public. I guess there may be more for those who belong to factions like the banites and such, but I'm at a loss as to where the rest of us can go.

I recently tortured another player's character, and it was a real pain (get it?!) finding a decent place to do it, and the whole time I did it, I was wondering if someone was just going to randomly walk in on the act.

[Urithrand]

I recently tortured another player's character, and it was a real pain (get it?!) finding a decent place to do it, and the whole time I did it, I was wondering if someone was just going to randomly walk in on the act.

Firstly - lol

Secondly - try torturing someone in RL and see if you don't worry the whole time about someone walking in on you Evil acts are supposed to be risky!

Incidentally, I never actually tried it - this was a theoretical argument

For privacy in conversation, you have many places like the middle of a field, inn rooms, the baths, the barn at the crossroads, the middle of the cold climb, there's lots of places you aren't likely to be overheard. It's a matter of being bothered to get to those places

[Cornuto]

You should have some new elbow room in the Sundren Comfort and Four Lanterns now.