My char concept/exp dilemma

[Ithildur]

It's simple. You make characters that are really nuts/flaky/incompetent, don't expect to lvl. Rarely, if at all. Don't expect them to live long if they go into combat regularly. I think it's rather silly, rolling PCs like this and complaining that they don't keep up with 'adventurer' type PCs, unless you get a lot of DM attention and supervision.

Don't play for XP; play for RP, especially with such PCs.

I'm thinking about makin a 2nd PC who's totally inept in all but one area; I fully expect he'll get pummeled in combat and not lvl very much at all.

[IKSDoomsday]

Just because a character is insane does not denote that he is unable to fight and will be killed easily in combat. More likely he is just the first to run in. Khan is actually a very good fighter...if you have ever been in battle with him you would know this point is clear. More over since he is a bit unstable he would be a whole lot more likely to be paranoid all the time and always be ready for battle. The point is that if you are evil or neutral on Sundren..meaning you dont want to stand around with all the elves plotting the deaths of the drow you will have a much more difficult time earning exp. Rp is fine though I would consider myself a grinder/rp'er but really if you are above the curve for weeks then sooner or later you will run out of things to say. You can only plot against the drow so long.

To many goody elves and paladins running around preaching about the power of Tyr and such lol. Maybe they need their numbers thinned out.

[VanillaRose]

I think it's all about perspective. Right now I'd argue that evil has the upper hand on Sundren - and that's because I play a "do-gooder" that seems to run into drow, warlocks, and Thayans at every turn - usually with PvP involved, which is something I personally detest unless there are decent roleplay reasons. I've encountered more people that snub my character than befriend her. I had actually written up a post the other day which asked where are all the good-aligned people, because from my point of view all I see are evil or near-evil characters. I deleted it because I didn't want to debate with people who like to nitpick.

I think the problem will be alleviated when there are more quests, dungeons, story plots, and other things to do. Right now we all have the choice of competing for that same goblin spawn or talking about the weather; even the best of roleplayers can become frustrated when there are limited options. (And yes, before some smarty-pants says to "create your own fun!" - I am in the process, thank-you-kindly. I, however, am not everyone.)

[Saulus]

I am like 16660 xp above the curve and have died twice...this means if I were to die again I wouldnt even be lvl 8 anymore lol. And I look at all the lvl 10's going wow..sure wish I was strong like them. Oh then I kill something and get 1xp! yay.

Dying will never remove a level from you.

[undeadsteak]

mmm, i dont even get xp from monsters, so watcha complainin about? The only xp i get is dm xp, and there are alot of evil chars that help in dm quests, because they find themselves involved or seeking adventure. Or.. your char can just help the evil side? I play a good char because I havent played a Good aligned char for a while, its usually True Neutrals that have killed one or two people for small reasons. My char did it secretly, and she was never accused of killing.

[IKSDoomsday]

Secret kills *thinks* yes....now that may be fun. The Viridale forrest makes the ideal place for an ambush!

[VanillaRose]

So... more PvP? Don't we have way too much of that here already?

[Pulseczar]

The common theme I seem to be hearing a lot is "I don't get XP anymore." But I really think people don't undertand the curve and XP systme. I'll hopefully get through to you guys so you can realize what's going on.

Your character is level 8. You shouldn't be level 8 yet. Those level 10s? Shouldn't be level 10. Were this system put in place from the beginning, people would probably have no problem. The problem arises when people were playing, having fun, then suddenly find themselves getting no XP per kill because the time it takes to leel was DOUBLED (actually more than doubled I think).

Do you realize what that 16K XP curve means? It means you are 16K XP AHEAD of where you should be. You can't be falling behind when you're ahead. And the reason why you get so little XP per kill is because you are so far ahead. Give it time, a few more weeks, and your XP cureve will drop. I watch mine, it drops every day. Heck, I watch it drop by a couple numbers sometimes when I'm logged in because all I do is sit around and RP now.

Bottom line is, you won't be getting such little XP forever! You are just WAY ahead of the curve. Once the time catches up with your character, you will start getting normal XP again. So please, keep in mind, the whole reason this system was put in was because people were leveling too fast. However, it is percieved as a much harder hit because it greatly limits every character untill they catch up to where they should be.

So again, one more time. Be patient. You won't be getting 5 xp per kill forever. Once your current XP is in line with the XP you should have, you'll get full xp per kill. Untill then, RP, or keep dying. The more you die, the less XP you have and the closer you are to the XP you should have >.>

[IKSDoomsday]

*points up to the post before this one*

Yep..I understand. Like all humans though and even a few elves I dont like it and feel the need to say it. I only wish I had gotten to lvl 10 before this all happened lol j/k.
Oh and more pvp...I was just kidding..maybe?

[Belwas]

Just because a character is insane does not denote that he is unable to fight and will be killed easily in combat. More likely he is just the first to run in. Khan is actually a very good fighter...if you have ever been in battle with him you would know this point is clear. More over since he is a bit unstable he would be a whole lot more likely to be paranoid all the time and always be ready for battle. The point is that if you are evil or neutral on Sundren..meaning you dont want to stand around with all the elves plotting the deaths of the drow you will have a much more difficult time earning exp. Rp is fine though I would consider myself a grinder/rp'er but really if you are above the curve for weeks then sooner or later you will run out of things to say. You can only plot against the drow so long.

To many goody elves and paladins running around preaching about the power of Tyr and such lol. Maybe they need their numbers thinned out.

Your right it seems Sundren is pretty saturated with lawful good (or at least lawful good acting) characters and it would be nice to get some balance.
My character is neutral and often ends up joining with good groups because he respects society. However, the righteousness of the Goodies makes him a bit ill. They are good to adventure with because they usually hold up their end of the deal.
On the other hand wanton Evil characters who do not interact in a constructive way he will shun or fight if no other options can be found. If they can be dealt with reasonably and have a little honor he'll work with them. He won't take a known sociopath into his group.
Druids as a whole should be more concerned with nature and it's laws than what I am seeing in game. So far they seem to team up with the Elves and do good deeds. In theory they should be the most neutral group of characters. In my opinion they should be a very balancing faction in game, more concerned with balance than right and wrong.
I continue to try and bring up neutral factions and if you guys want to put something together I'll help.

[reemixx]

This has been on my mind for a while, since I see it on these forums all the time, and if I don't speak my mind I'm going to explode!

Players often get so engrossed in playing their characters as realistically and true-to-life as possible. For a roleplayer, this is the ultimate goal, but it comes with a price. Roleplaying is easiest achieved by conversation mixed with actions to tell the story. So what happens when you play a character with low charisma? Or a character that is a loner by nature? In creating these characters, you're potentially cutting yourself off from character socialisation, which leaves you having to roleplay more actions than conversation.

ie: *Goes and sits under the tree by himself*

There's a conflict of action going on here. As the player, I want to be a part of the action or the situation that's unfolding. But it would be out of character to go and mingle with the large group that's chatting away in front of me.

These characters tend to be the most difficult to play. And not only that, but they're generally not as fun to play as sociable characters because they're often discluded, (most often by their players' choice more than anyone elses), because it would be out of character for them to do something.

So what I don't understand is why players of these characters complain about being bored or alone and discluded from stuff, when it wouldn't be 'realistic' for their character to be included anyway, and this realism is what they're striving for.

The only workable way for these types of characters to be a part of the fun is to create in-character reasons to get brought into active situations all the time. If you think about most fictional works, the protagonist who tends to be a bit of a loner is usually forced into a situation against his will, and then has to deal with it.

Now, I'm far from saying people shouldn't play these types of characters if they want to have fun. In fact, these characters are often the most desirable because of the mystery that surrounds them and the hidden agendas they may have. But I think many roleplayers just need to play characters that they enjoy playing. I think that's what should take priority. If being alone and often left out of things really bothers you, I wouldn't recommend a 'loner' type character as your first choice.

As for the other topic about playing Evil characters:

This is a topic that I see come to light soooo often on these forums, it's getting slightly ridiculous.

Evil-aligned characters shouldn't be any more difficult to play than the Good-aligned ones. The difference is, if they're meant to be played as outwardly Evil, then they're often not going to hang out with the do-gooders, unless they wish to draw attention to themselves for one reason or another. They're going to be elsewhere, doing what they do.

If your character practices discretion with their Evil tendencies, then that's even easier, for obvious reasons.

But those who are forthcoming in their Evil actions would be hanging around with like-minded individuals only, or by themselves, depending on their motives. For example, a gang of thieves compared to a serial killer. It's all good if you want to play the serial killer, but lose the expectations of easily finding a group. Everyone always goes on about realism. Being a lone serial killer seems pretty realistic to me.

So, the Evil characters should never expect the Good characters to be accepting of them UNLESS they're discrete about it. A police officer is always going to be slightly suspicious when a guy rocks up wearing black clothes and a balaclava. What's the difference between that and a Paladin being suspicious of the Halfling rogue dressed in black clothes that seems to be lurking about? I don't understand the amount of people who complain about this. You can't expect realism and not accept a realistic attitude towards your Evil characters.

Perhaps the only reason why players of Evil characters think it's difficult is because they can't find other characters with similar motives to roleplay with. This baffles me because everyone keeps going on about how the Evil characters are taking over Sundren. But then, I suppose, it comes down to whether they're discrete or not about their Evilness. But that's all part of it, isn't it? Two bad guys from different gangs aren't suddenly going to be pals just because they both enjoy shooting people. Often two Evil characters are just as against each other as a Good character and an Evil character.

[undeadsteak]

more pvp? i barely see pvp. Heck, id like to see some evil chars atleast, that dont go in town and shout they're evil, and acutally work in secrecy.

[Acheron77]

This is a great thread. As it has been stated before: don't get discouraged because your character isn't the lawful-good-human-paladin-who-never-has-trouble.
We all have felt like you feel.

I also second the movement for more evil-aligned guilds. And maybe it's time for an evil guild that's blatantly out in the open? It would be a lot of fun to be a in-your-face type of evil guild, instead of the secretive kind.

...id like to see some evil chars atleast, that dont go in town and shout they're evil, and acutally work in secrecy.

If they work in secrecy, then you wouldn't see them, now would you?

[IKSDoomsday]

Noted...kill the girl in red armor *laughs...Khan goes back to talking with the trees*

I agree though a little pvp helps make the plot thicker. And Jinx,....I agree with ya *scared that if he didnt she would slice him with her hair*

[Tratz]

As for the other topic about playing Evil characters:

This is a topic that I see come to light soooo often on these forums, it's getting slightly ridiculous.

Evil-aligned characters shouldn't be any more difficult to play than the Good-aligned ones. The difference is, if they're meant to be played as outwardly Evil, then they're often not going to hang out with the do-gooders, unless they wish to draw attention to themselves for one reason or another. They're going to be elsewhere, doing what they do.

If your character practices discretion with their Evil tendencies, then that's even easier, for obvious reasons.

But those who are forthcoming in their Evil actions would be hanging around with like-minded individuals only, or by themselves, depending on their motives. For example, a gang of thieves compared to a serial killer. It's all good if you want to play the serial killer, but lose the expectations of easily finding a group. Everyone always goes on about realism. Being a lone serial killer seems pretty realistic to me.

So, the Evil characters should never expect the Good characters to be accepting of them UNLESS they're discrete about it. A police officer is always going to be slightly suspicious when a guy rocks up wearing black clothes and a balaclava. What's the difference between that and a Paladin being suspicious of the Halfling rogue dressed in black clothes that seems to be lurking about? I don't understand the amount of people who complain about this. You can't expect realism and not accept a realistic attitude towards your Evil characters.

Trust me it doesn't matter if you're discrete or not. Hell it doesn't even matter if you do anything evil! The second you put the notion that your character is evil anywhere, in or out of game people suddenly become paranoid around your character. Not making any accusations but this has happened in the past. Also, NOBODY TRUSTS YOU. Not even other evil characters, and why should they? After all it'd suck to be taken out by your own medicine? Try disagreeing with every one of a billion do-gooder perspective and overtly retort every time someone labels you a thief and yet never having done *anything* (that they could have possibly noticed, bluff check wins) yet? Suddenly everyone is paranoid about you. I could walk through Sundren city during the day in the Jestures outfit and people will still stay out of arm's reach. Try character progression like that .

officer is always going to be slightly suspicious when a guy rocks up wearing black clothes and a balaclava.

I'm never gonna stop rocking, I'm just hardcore like that.

Perhaps the only reason why players of Evil characters think it's difficult is because they can't find other characters with similar motives to roleplay with. This baffles me because everyone keeps going on about how the Evil characters are taking over Sundren. But then, I suppose, it comes down to whether they're discrete or not about their Evilness. But that's all part of it, isn't it? Two bad guys from different gangs aren't suddenly going to be pals just because they both enjoy shooting people. Often two Evil characters are just as against each other as a Good character and an Evil character.

Us evil characters are *not* flooding the servers. There's actually very few of us...but we're proud. The bottom line is you cannot stay in characer as an evil character and maintain a regular flow with the moral majority. It's impossible. Everything my character believes in clashes with the next paladin or do-gooder warrior. And like me, all the other evil characters are no-where to be seen or blending in with society to a degree that I cannot notice them.