Pass for the Entereing the City

[caterpillar]

Ciao, I would like to ask about the situation with entering the city. As I was told, that there is no way to enter the city without DM, who can give me some card or pass to enter the city. I have tried to find some NPC to buy/receive some permission to get up with no success.

Could it be possible to let this handle some NPC? Based on faction? So even evil/Cyric members of the Legion can enter? End let them Eboin coin members to be considered ordinary citizens? Most of the nobles must be evil, if not they would share their wealth with me!

Because so far I have received advices like wait for DM with every single one of my characters, let somebody to kill you to respawn in the city etc., which does not sound so so fancy to me. Thank you.

[thaelis]

I think the idea is its under martial law kinda situation. Even the Hands and Legionaires who fought in the battle had to wait at the portal and beg for a pass.

Heck, I don't have one and I was killing Banites/demons all day in the event ><

If you think about it, the entire massive effort of levitating the city would be completely wasted if they let even a single Banite spy in now.

[caterpillar]

I think the idea is its under martial law kinda situation. Even the Hands and Legionaires who fought in the battle had to wait at the portal and beg for a pass.

Heck, I don't have one and I was killing Banites/demons all day in the event ><

If you think about it, the entire massive effort of levitating the city would be completely wasted if they let even a single Banite spy in now.

Are you sure there weren't Banite spy before the "levitating" of the city? The city is obviously not spyless. And if some of my charecters were spawned in the city with the NPC comment, that they found me and brought me in the city, a.k.a. saved me, well nobody checked me/gave me pass in this situation. And if they did, I should already have the pass, right?

Let's talk mechanics of handling those "passes", not IC reasons for them.

[Farmboy2003]

As much as I'd like to gawp at what seems like the new pearl of the north, I'm still having a narrative hard-on because Choices Have Consequences. While I'd like my character to acces the city, it makes totally sense that she can't. She's not in a faction. Doesen't have any noteworthy friends. And she didn't do squat in the battle. Turn you ooc frustration into IC ones, like the thayans..

[Farmboy2003]

Are you sure there weren't Banite spy before the "levitating" of the city? The city is obviously not spyless. And if some of my charecters were spawned in the city with the NPC comment, that they found me and brought me in the city, a.k.a. saved me, well nobody checked me/gave me pass in this situation. And if they did, I should already have the pass, right?

Let's talk mechanics of handling those "passes", not IC reasons for them.

just because there were spies prior to the lifting of the city, doesn't make it sensible to open up. You wish to discuss mechanics instead of narrative reasons? It's hardly even a dichotomy in this instance. If you die and get spawned in the city, you should probably get out of it quickly as possible, seeing as its an ild game mechanic that messes with the way the plot of the server as it evolves.

[caterpillar]

just because there were spies prior to the lifting of the city, doesn't make it sensible to open up.

Nobody wants ICly open the city to Banites. On the other hand, if it means, that the place where are the only merchants/shops about is available only for the elite/lucky ones who met somebody to give them pass/yes they would receive it either way! I bet no DM wants to keep the city unpopulated, because why to have it, if you can't use it!

I say lets use the server mechanics for the passes, for the persons who would receive it, instead of IC. I could play the same scene of getting the pass for all my 4 characters. The same thing again and again. Boring for me! How boring has it to be for DMs. Not that I want to speak for them.

[Doubtful]

Right.

What you're essentially saying is "Screw any attempt at introducing a tense and nervous atmosphere, I want to go shopping."

Let's set the scene here a little, you know, that whole 'Roleplay' thing we like to try occasionally. Sundren has been pretty much over run; it's 1968 and the Banite forces have just enacted the Brezhnev Doctrine all over Sundren's pretty pretty face. Only the rich, the lucky and the well connected managed to make it to Sundren City as it made off like the last chopper from the US embassy in Saigon (Yeah, I know that happened in '75, but it made for a good metaphor).

For Fortress America, uh, Sundren City things looks bleak. The country is swarming with commies and the neighboring states are watching closely, if Sundren falls much further then they'll have to deal with the Banite problem - Already some states are probably thinking it'd be easier just to glass the beleaguered nation-state than have to wade in and deal with it.

Inside the floating city things are pretty desperate; sure they're safe enough for now, but the city is floating and surrounded by enemies who probably want everyone inside dead or subjugated. It's paranoia fuel, not all of the city made it, some bits fell off on take off, some building collapsed, immagine all those fuugees around the city desperate for salvation who got crushed by falling debris, people and houses as the city rose above them. Inside the city people now have some pretty damn legitimate concerns about every day issues; Food, clean water (thankfully sanitation pretty much takes care of itself now with the new gravity draining sewers), not falling off the edge of the city, and that nagging feeling that if someone interrupts the magic the city will smash into the ground like a few thousand tons of mud and brick killing everyone inside.

The security forces have a nightmare on their hands, the city is fully loaded up with people, many of whom aren't security vetted. Don't be surprised if they begin to clamp down hard on things, or if people who seem to be the wrong type disappear into governmental black bags.

Until good security has been established then passes to the city really aren't going to be handed out like sweeties. If you're known to be a good sort to the security forces then yeah, they'll ask a few questions and give you a pass. If you're known to be a bad sort then they'll tell you your not welcome. If you're friends with someone with a pass they can let you in (via being in the same party) BUT, they take ultimate responsibility for your actions within the city - Bottom line is that your actions have consiquences. If you want to be a spy, act like one (Think Len Deighton or John le Carré rather than Fleming/Ryan or other Bondish superheroes). If you're an obvious risk to society or just not the right sort, then really don't be surprised if you don't get in.

I say lets use the server mechanics for the passes, for the persons who would receive it, instead of IC. I could play the same scene of getting the pass for all my 4 characters. The same thing again and again. Boring for me! How boring has it to be for DMs. Not that I want to speak for them.

You know what's really boring for me? When players ignore, whine or bitch about stories and set ups that the staff have worked hard on for months. I'm sure every one of our staff would rather go through four different IC encounters exploring the motives, intentions and facets of your characters than set up some derived OOC mechanic that pisses all over the hard work that's been put in by the DMs, DEVs and players.

If anyone wants a pass to the city, or access via a companion, then DEAL WITH IT IC.

The flying city is an IC development, deal with it as such.

Lastly, let me make one thing clear: If I catch anyone deliberately letting themselves get killed as a route to enter the city, there will be severe consequences. It's pretty obvious that it's an exploit, so don't do it. As with other bug/exploit fixes introduced by the update this one'll be fixed shortly.

[caterpillar]

... Screw any attempt at introducing a tense and nervous atmosphere, I want to go shopping ...

No, I am not saying that, you do.

... if you are friends with a pass they can let you in ...

Does it mean something like ... hey I am banite spy ... oh ... I was able to obtain the pass and now ... I ... CAN ... take 20 of my friends up there? One by one? Because I will just say by the portal, "Hello, guys, this are friends of mine. Do not worry, I WILL keep my eye on them."

... if you're an obvious risk for a society or just not the right sort ...

Does that mean, that every member of Ebon coin, who does not play/looks like posh noble will be said, "You .. dirty one, buzz off, for good citizens only!" or "You there! I saw know you .. from the market, stealing apples! No way you are going up there!". In real life, good measure. In server where Ebon coin faction is based in the city it either means, for the petty criminals, never to leave the city or stay out forever. They are "Poor", no one will probably ever buy them/give them/borrow them noble looking dress to get them up. They would even need a bath! Good manners what would correspond to their noble looking dresses, etc. Who would risk for a low level criminal. Again in real life, perfect measure. I'm sorry I forgot ... if I have a friend with the pass ... it doesn't matter, what the Legion guy thinks.

In my time zone, when I log in, mostly 3-4 players (two of them I consider my personal "position spell detecting, tell sending" stalkers so I really am trying to avoid them now). DM's just log in and log off. Just peaking. Sometimes they have 10 mins. I know, that because of the update everybody is excited and there will be more DMs. For a while. I do not want to be rude, because I understand there is something called "real life", but I bet that in 7-14 days the situation will be the same.

There are many things, that could be dealt with ICly, done by server mechanics. Why not this one. I do not promote to take the right and will to obtain the pass ICly from anyone. Just thought, that it could take care of it in the same way, the memberships in factions are. Of course, it would be nice to handle the membership in factions only due DMs, but .. I think there probably was a reason to make it a part of server mechanics.

My closing words:

"I love shopping!"

[caterpillar]

Spoiler warning, big thoughts here! Worth of my genius! Gate. I am maybe, perhaps a bit out of my mind and dare ask a question:

What is the portal leading to the city, a ... do not throw things on me here ... a gate? Magical ... kind of gate?

The city is flying, good. It saved it from the army on the ground. On the ground, the city could close the gate. I bet the portal could be shut down in the state of emergency, right? So it's just a gate using air as the fortification.

Did the ordinary folks, in times of war I mean, had the free pass to the city, when it and its gates were still landed in the mother earth? Or was there some check point/pass control by the gates? To avoid those banite spies enter Sundren? What can force a banite agent not to threat/continuing threatening some of the merchants/nobles with the pass to bring their messages in/out of the city? To their contacts?

By the way, if there are such security measures you should not allow anybody to enter the portal room. One dedicated suicidal banite with appropriate magic powers and your portal is gone. Bring down the roof, damage portal somehow, Sundren will die out because of the lack of food. I think they are dying already, because those few nobles allowed to travel up and down won't bother to bring sacks of potatoes. I would! What is the better reason for the popular uprising in the slums than the hunger!

That's posted because of 1968 part , if we are talking realism ...

[[DM] Grinning Death]

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[caterpillar]

It was not a complaint, it was my suggestion, please read the number 1 article, for us to democratically discuss the topic. I do not argue about the server rules. I just had to answer DM Doubtfull's impression, that I said "Screw any attempt at introducing a tense and nervous atmosphere, I want to go shopping." which I didn't and a bit of reaction on his



If anyone wants a pass to the city, or access via a companion, then DEAL WITH IT IC.
___________________________
It's pink, because pink is the colour of love!



which he probably meant for those of us, who forgot to put on their glasses. I could write something like, that "I will gladly wait for him to appear in the game and do some of tho ..." but won't. I am a decent person, who just loooves to have the last word. Before it gets locked . Gosh, why are my reputation points always sinking! I used to have 3 green point up there! I think!

[Cornuto]

I don't understand anything going on in this thread.

[Fezzik]

No real banite would commit suicide to destroy something that oils be used for subversion. That being said most of the banites (baring Clive and that yahoo in Sestra now-there that's my ja. For ya adeo !) are really cyrists in disguise (they act that way anyway)

[Cornuto]

Could it be possible to let this handle some NPC?

I think I've discovered the suggestion at the heart of this suggestion thread. The answer is yes, and we're working on it.

Closing thread and nuking from orbit, its the only way to be sure.