Why the Low Numbers?

[ManUtd4Ever]

Faction DMs are a big no no!

Really? The perception amongst some of the players is that this already exists. If you want or need DM intervention concerning the Triumvirate you speak with Lotus. If its Eboncoin, then you speak with Grinning Death, and if it's Whurest or Exigo then you speak with Doubt, etc.

I don't see the problem with this approach personally. I believe a lesser staff position could be created to reduce the DM's workload by assigning folks to monitor and respond to RP posts on the forum. Events are great, but not everyone can participate in them... Use the faction forums to move the story along a few meters and events for the whole kilometer.

Cheers!

[Valhalla]

Whoever said factions need to work together for server wide events? If I run something and both the triad and black hand show up, they can duke it out before we roll out.

I wasn't really talking about factions with outright KOS hostilities. I was referring more to situations where factions don't really get along and have no IC reason to work together towards a goal, when it would be more IC for the secondcomers to leave or to strive towards the goal separately (which splits the group for the DM and is a huge pain in the ass). It can put players in the situation where they're forced to choose between compromising what they should do IC, and benching themselves for the event.

I'm not saying anything really needs to change, I was just pointing out that there may be sections of the population that miss out on the "big" events pretty regularly because they've reason not to trust some of the more prolific factions.

[jarlexel]

I would like to write a event regarding the Cult Site but I have no ideal on how to write a event, If it needs to be large scale or small, is perma death a issue?, what factions would it involved, I would like to hire some blackwood archers and scouts. Would it be PVP or PVE or a mix, I remember my first event with Michael, we thought it was PVE and all the big name PC vampires showed up and made us sad pandas. How do I submit it. ect ect

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Atmosphere]

I would like to write a event regarding the Cult Site but I have no ideal on how to write a event, If it needs to be large scale or small, is perma death a issue?, what factions would it involved, I would like to hire some blackwood archers and scouts. Would it be PVP or PVE or a mix, I remember my first event with Michael, we thought it was PVE and all the big name PC vampires showed up and made us sad pandas. How do I submit it. ect ect

Any advice would be appreciated.

I'm not sure what exactly is being asked. You want to write an event as if you were the dm running it or as a request?

I suppose writing one is like a story. Characters, setting, direction, plot turns.... get all choose your own adventure on it...

[[DM] Grinning Death]

Just as a note, all the DMs are well versed in every faction. I actually abstain from running EC events, because I have a character invested. But most of us have been here for over 3 years, and know pretty much all there is to know about the server's history and lore.

[Satoshi]

I bumped the 10th Legion Assignment post on the Legion forum, as well as added mission orders for each of the Legion specialist types. For those of you with Legion main characters, I'd ask you to get Legion forum access if you don't have it. For those of you with Legion alts, you'll have to shoot me a Pm or find me in game for mission instructions. I wrote them up so they would be more or less easy to convert into a DM request.

[Doubtful]

Ah! Home at last, the satisfaction of a proper keyboard beneath my fingers rather than the glossy screen of either tablet or phone!

It also means I get to exercise a touch more verbosity in my replies!

Server-wide events are never universally applicable, though. Why would anyone heavily associated with Port Avanthyr want to take part in an event in Mirakus Post? Or someone heavily involved with Blackwood take part in one in the Port?

If there's going to be real server-wide progress for the plot and for most (or all) of the characters, then the DMs are going to need to be aware of the fact that some factions can't or won't work together willingly.

Server Wide events are really just events (or preferably event chains) that have an impact across the server, they don't necessarily need to involve everyone at the same time working toward the same aims.

Just to side track onto differing agendas in events first...

Different aims and objectives are great - Having a bunch of people turn up all wanting to do the same thing for the same ends is honestly pretty dull. Having a bunch of people turn up with differing agendas and objectives for the same thing can be really cool.

For instance, Steven the Ferromancer has discovered a way of too quickly and easily bind iron rich things to his will, an impressive ability! Sadly Steven loves proudly Cyric and is Chaotic Evil through and through he's been having all manner of fun and entertainment teaching what he beleives to be important lessons in humility, hubris and the danger of pointy things all in Cyrics name.

Now, if everyone just rocks up and goes 'Steven is evil and should die because he's evil', well. That's all fine and good, the event goes ahead, there's all sorts of comedy, hubris and violent death then everyone goes home happy (except Steven).

On the other hand if you've got a group who are publicly saying 'Steve is a menace and needs to be stopped' but are actually working to their own agendas, The Triumvirate because they see Steven as an Evil Menace, the Secret Black Hand squirrel because Bane fricking hates Cyric, the EbonCoin because thieves in leather amour are frequently threatened by people in heavy armour, Exigo because they may be able to use his research to develop constructs, Blackwood because Exigo are paying for muscle, The Legion because he's a threat to the peace, the Hands because they want all the magic.. etc, etc..

They're all working toward roughly the same goal but with a whole lot more chances to push agendas and do interesting stuff.

We are very aware that some factions work better together than others, in fact we have the entire faction system in place to provide that sort of cross interest and conflict. During a Server Event story arc their are ideally going to be many small events that cater to smaller local interests as well as to the larger player body.

Likewise, it can be a bit weird being a servant of one of the State branches in an event with a bunch of randoms and mercenaries - because you have some amount of power over them, but it feels shitty OOCly to use that in a lot of cases (during an event).

Don't be afraid to use rank or faction affiliation, it's part and parcel of playing a character! Doesn't mean you can't come up with all sorts of legit sounding excuses for having all sorts of people mucking in along with the state. If you're unsure, discus it with the DM running the event. After all if they're of a mind you may find yourself getting pulled aside by Senior Officers and asked to explain yourself!

Really? The perception amongst some of the players is that this already exists. If you want or need DM intervention concerning the Triumvirate you speak with Lotus. If its Eboncoin, then you speak with Grinning Death, and if it's Whurest or Exigo then you speak with Doubt, etc.

It's an incorrect perception. Any of the staff can run events for any of the factions, as GD rightly says we have all been here for a substantial amount of time and have access to all of the staff side lore. While certain staff may favour certain factions (largely due to familiarity) there is no restriction on who does what.

There are numerous downsides to having DMs focused on specific factions - Laurk has nailed most of them. Timezones, knowledge, playtimes. To many things to go wrong.

I would like to write a event regarding the Cult Site but I have no ideal on how to write a event, If it needs to be large scale or small, is perma death a issue?, what factions would it involved, I would like to hire some blackwood archers and scouts. Would it be PVP or PVE or a mix, I remember my first event with Michael, we thought it was PVE and all the big name PC vampires showed up and made us sad pandas. How do I submit it. ect ect

Any advice would be appreciated.

Event requests are fairly simple in many respects, all you really need is a bunch of people and a clear goal!

List what your characters intentions are, what goals you're aiming for, what resources you have and where you're going to start:

Freslin, my rogue, has a plan to upset the meddling do-gooders of the Triumvirate. He's saved a lot of alchemical choking powder, alchemists fire and candles. Our characters are now engaged in keeping an eye on the Triumvirate temples (Hef frequents the services held their) as well as familiarising ourselves with doctrine.

Our plan is simple; infiltrate the temple prior to the daily services and replace several candles with onces laced with alchemists fire and add lots of choking powder to the incense censors. Then retire to window seats in the Inn across the way and wait for entertainment to come pouring out the door.

In addition to the alchemical stuff we have; an initiates robe (obtained in a previous event) and a comitted team:

Freslin, man with the plan. Rogue focused on diplomatic skills.
Hef, rogue/sd , has been attending the Triumvirate as a would be initiate. Has lots of stealth skills.
Klev, a bard, with rogue skills.
Emerald, rogue/cleric - Won't be involve in the actual heist but as a cleric of mask will bless the group before they depart.

Our plan is, after being blessed by Emerald the group will proceed to the temple, Klev, Freslin and Hef will head in to see the head priest, posing as a family unit, Freslin as the youngest son and theirfore destined for a life in the cloth. At a suitable point in the interview Hef and Klev will leave the office and attempt to locate the where supplies are stored. Klev will run interferance with his bardic greatness and talky skills while Hef deals with locked doors and other rogue issues.

Hopefully they'll be able to find it quickly, make the switch and head out. After Freslins interview is over he'll leave to think on matters, then it's over to the pub for drinks and merriment!

[Valhalla]

Wooooo walls of text.

Server Wide events are really just events (or preferably event chains) that have an impact across the server, they don't necessarily need to involve everyone at the same time working toward the same aims.

That's obvious enough, and not at all what I was referring to. My posts were aimed at Atmosphere's comment of (something like) "well I am running server wide events and people just want to do their own thing instead".

I personally avoid most events like that like the plague because my character doesn't trust a lot of the people who show up, or have legitimate reason to be well away from the City/PA.

I was merely saying that making a shout being like "there's an event going on at [Insert place], first come first serve!" is going to get a lot of the same groups pretty consistently and miss others.

I bumped the 10th Legion Assignment post on the Legion forum, as well as added mission orders for each of the Legion specialist types. For those of you with Legion main characters, I'd ask you to get Legion forum access if you don't have it. For those of you with Legion alts, you'll have to shoot me a Pm or find me in game for mission instructions.

Here's something I've a question about too. When does it become acceptable for a PC to start doing this sort of thing? I imagine it varies based on the faction, but there's no real indication of what your rank really means on the wiki, with the possible exception of the Legion.

In the Colibrites, say, rank was more or less irrelevant. In the Legion, it seems like it's more or less everything. But what about the Helmites? There's no actual explanation of what a Sentinel's duties are or how they differ from a Watchful's or a Vigilant's. A lot of that can be inferred or directly learned from DM events, but needing DM interaction to know what your boundaries are sort of defeats the purpose of having a PC-driven faction to begin with.

[Satoshi]

Honestly, I don't pay a terrible amount of attention to flag-based reputation. Anyone with enough time can get enough flags to have xyz rank in any faction. I've gotten to Sesquiplicarius on 4 different characters, Archmage, Aged One, and Blackwood Soldier. It's more about your rp with other people - both in and out of the faction. You go out there, you do it, and people with either go with it or they won't. Your Faction Association number won't make you a better leader if you can't actually lead.

[GodBeastX]

I don't login as much cuz there's not enough ERP.

[Jhickey]

I don't login as much cuz there's not enough ERP.

ERP? Forgive my ignorance.

[Doubtful]

Keep your ignorance intact, it's better that way. Things you cannot unsee.

[sonuvalich]

I don't login as much cuz there's not enough ERP.

"Erotic Role Play" and GBX, I got all sorts of crazy three-ways planned for Artemis, Thresh, and Maine...I just never see you on to get them started. My riding crops are starting to age and crack!

....

That aside, I am wondering about the faction forums again. I know metagaming is a concern, but if I make a post on Thayan forums, I then have to PM it to about 6 people who joined other factions first. If there was some way to invite usernames to view threads, we could communicate much more readily. Say I want to make a shady deal with Blackwood, but I don't want to make a public post for it. I could invite Byrun, River, Tyranus...whomever I wanted in the thread to that one specifically, but not to wander around in the Thayan forum reading all the other shady deals I have going on or my plots to murder them all if they ever betray me.

Ok, now back to finding a tailor who can make Artemis a leather catsuit...

[Jhickey]

Keep your ignorance intact, it's better that way. Things you cannot unsee.

Seems Sonuvalich ruined it! Now I can't unlearn it.

[jarlexel]

What the hell is with all the girl on girl loving going on in this Valley. If I knew this I would of never picked a paladin to play