In my mind WL's put the community first in most cases. WL's understand that it is the community that makes the world tick. WL's do not travel in the same "group/cliques" day after day after day and never alter this travel and/or adventure. WL's branch out and work with others in the community, not just their friends, to welcome them and to help them out when and where they can.
WL's set the standard for role-playing and do not get carried away in hack and slash and/or doing the same routine over and over. WL's support the teams, the world, and the community, they don't tear it apart; that does not mean they can't disagree with decisions or that they shouldn't give CONSTRUCTIVE feedback because they should.[/COLOR]
World Leaders are players that support and protect the community as well as enhance and define RP in the world. They are some of the ones that the teams rely on in order to keep this a great place to game for families and friends as well as the community as a whole. These players will have shown that they are first-rate role-players as well as the fact that they support the community and world. Your actions in game and out of game reflect on Layonara and as such you will be held to a high standard. If these standards are violated then the World Leader status of the character and the player will be revoked.
World Leaders must continue to be active in the world at all times. Once a character becomes a World Leader that means the player must continue to play in Layonara at least somewhat frequently or that status will be removed at the discretion of the GM Team. The World Leader character must be played at least five hours a month and not just played during GM ran quests. They should be a part of the community and not just on GM events.
The World Leader player must be in the game or within the community environment (IRC, Forums, game) at least ten hours a month.
WL's are held to a higher standard by the GM Team and most assuredly me. They do not break community or server rules nor do they "stretch" the rules to the point of nearly breaking them. We expect them to be great RP'ers and to be constantly RP'ing and setting the standard and TEACHING others how to RP better; not meta-gaming or any of that silly stuff. They take in to account (and RP) deity relations (as they are listed), they take in to account factions, lore, history, and all of those things that would cause situations to be altered. We expect them to take others under their reach to teach them the world and introduce them to new things, without breaking server rules of course. We expect them to support the team and the world and the community, not tear it apart and/or spread rumors and gossip behind the scene.
WL's work to ensure others in the community stay around and have fun while helping them improve in RP'ing and making new friends within the community. They are friendly and they communicate well with others and they help out where and when they can and it does not interfere with something they are doing at that time or coming very shortly.[/COLOR]
WL ALWAYS put community before fun and/or action and/or RP. But quite often this would happen as that is what a WL does.
WL never travel with the same group or friends. Far from it, they have friends just like all of us and should be able to travel with them just like everybody else. But when they do they allow others to travel with them when/where it makes sense and they do not allow those that are not a "friend" of the group get kicked around or disrespected by said group. They try to help the person along to make sure that individual has fun.
It is a violation of Port Hempstead law, not server rules, for any member of a race listed on that sign to enter Port Hempstead who has not been given an exemption by the city's authority.
Just a clarification though, when characters are flaunting the fact that they are a banned race in Hempstead, constitutes metagaming/exploiting the mechanics to the extent that it is against server rules, correct?
The reason I asked for clarification in the first place is exactly this. To me this means that -every- race listed on the sign (halforcs, orcs, goblins, kobold, halfgiants, drow, etc.) and those not listed (human, elf, etc.) would all be required to RP that they were asked by the guards to show their faces. If any monstrous race enters Hempstead it is in fact metagaming.
Quote:
[table=head;sort=1a,2,3] It should also be assumed that if you're wearing full robes, gloves, and hood or helm, that the Gate Guards or Port Authority would have already asked you to show them your face as you enter town in order to police this law, correct? |
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Yes, you can assume that. But as you know, we do not have GM possessed guards 24/7, so if everybody just waltzes through the gate and pretend nothing happens then there's little we can do apart from having a GM presence there all the time or actively enforcing it should we become aware.
And I would think people would agree that GM time is better spent on running quests, then policing Hempstead 24/7.
Cost/benefit assessment: high cost, low benefit.
Half-giants are explicitly excluded from Port Hempstead, so you'd be turned away at the gates, as would a dark elf.
Just a clarification though, when characters are flaunting the fact that they are a banned race in Hempstead, constitutes metagaming/exploiting the mechanics to the extent that it is against server rules, correct?
Since the other thread didn't address the OOC aspects of the issue, I would suggest that this is a similar kind of issue to defacing a temple in absence of a DM, that should not be accepted by the community as being within the spirit of the server.
It is, however, an entirely different thing to get past the guards by, for example, sneaking or going invisible.
I have two comments about this.
you can't hide in the open.
How did Drizzt become accepted? :)
Simple answer: No lone action makes you OK. It's a pattern of well recognised events.
Quote from the other thread...
The reason I asked for clarification in the first place is exactly this. To me this means that -every- race listed on the sign (halforcs, orcs, goblins, kobold, halfgiants, drow, etc.) and those not listed (human, elf, etc.) would all be required to RP that they were asked by the guards to show their faces. If any monstrous race enters Hempstead it is in fact metagaming.
I personally don't like this inability to disguise oneself. Of course there is no disguise for a massive halfgiant so either way my PC(s) would be excluded. (Which I agree should be the case.)
Largely correct. It's definitely metagaming to simply walk in the front gate as a member of a monstrous race and expect no sort of resistance. It is, however, an entirely different thing to get past the guards by, for example, sneaking or going invisible. And yes, it is similar, though not quite as serious, as defacing temples in front of the temple staff when there's no GM on.
On disguises....the "disguise" of a hood might work well to shadow one's features making it more difficult to recognize their face, but during the day, it would not even come close to concealing their skin color. A decent spot roll can defeat a hood-only "disguise". Half-orcs and half-giants are big and shaped oddly, and no amount of hoods or helmets are going to change that.
I'm kinda surprised no one has bothered to remember the city was destroyed BY Dark Elves and Giants and Orcs a LONG time ago. Why would they want those kinds ANYWHERE near their city? I think it makes sense, the sign. And since this debate has started I keep my "Dark Elf" away from Hempstead, unless I have to go through the docks from Mariner's Hold or Leringard
Right. Alantha's WL status has absolutely nothing to do with her admission to Port Hempstead. And yes, she was excepted before her WL ran.
It has more to do with the individuals proving themselves in some way and being well-known as good people rather than any other sort of status they might have attained.
As an example, if Daralith were to become a WL, that wouldn't automatically grant him free access to Port Hempstead.
2, 3 and 4 are about right though.
The issue I have with the whole disguise thing is that everyone should get a spot check on you. And since we dont have a GM on 24/7 how do we deal with it? You can say that just by the magnitude of the numbers alone your chance of getting spotted should be very high. So we come back to it. How do we handle this? There are many ways for you to make your way through to the port, sure. But if you intend to hang around in the center of the city, the crafting hall, the docks, or the inn getting spotted should be inevitable. The only way around that is staying invisible the whole time.
Now as for getting across the city you can go invisi, you can dress like some hero of note (if you are a female dark elf it would be easier), you can get by with a hood and well covered skin (unless you are a HG or HO). But these things would be only for pass through. And ANY PCs about should get a spot check on you. Now what do we base that spot check on? I am sure we can come up with something that works for all.
What you are failing to understand is that Dark elves, giants and orcs are not allowed anywhere in any city period. Sure you can say vehl and prantz, but even there they are not welcome or "accepted".
The only difference with hempsted is there is a sign stating the obvious. I have never had the issue of not understanding what it means to play a hated evil race. I have always know my PC is not allowed anywhere and always RPed him in hiding and sticking to the shadows rather than openly walking around as a DE, knocking on gate doors, and asking if he can play with the local children at the day care.
First, NWN sneaking is broken. It is silly to think someone could "hide" and walk along an open road and through a narrow gate without being seen. That doesn't mean it isn't possible to sneak into towns, just that what we usually think of as sneaking in-game would not work; you can't hide in the open.
I have two comments about this.
First, NWN sneaking is broken. It is silly to think someone could "hide" and walk along an open road and through a narrow gate without being seen. That doesn't mean it isn't possible to sneak into towns, just that what we usually think of as sneaking in-game would not work; you can't hide in the open.
This is a opportunity. right now the only place a monster race can go a buy gear is in Hempstead. Time to open a shop else where.
Vehl, you mean? Don't think anyone is arguing monster races being banned. It's not like orcs could just open one up in Leringard. Vehl is the exception to the pretty much global surface standard in regards to pure monster races, and they're hardly well-treated there anyway...
I dont think that sneaking is so much broken as that game mechanics dont allow you to do what would really be happening. When I am in sneaking mode with a character, even though on screen I am simply walking down the middle of the road or through an open space, I always see my character as darting from place to place, shadow to shadow, taking advantage of places to hide that non-sneakers wouldnt think of. But game mechanics dont allow this on screen.
For instance if I was to sneak into Hempstead what I really see as happening is my character waiting for the oppertunity of a delivery wagon or large group entering the city and using that to gain admittance.
It is not that sneaking into Hempstead is impossible.
But rather that it is not up to the sneaker to decide whether he is successful or not.
Hence the need to actually have a DM present for doing so.
Entering the city through the gate or via pier would be something like going through the airport. People who go there a lot know the drill and have things set up to get through as quickly and smoothly as possible. Since weapons and such are fine in Port Hempstead, that basically only means having your face visible and not looking too suspicious. The size of the group means nothing. If there are thirty people walking together to get in and any of them have hoods up (or are otherwise covered, like a Halfling with a large-brimmed hat looking down), then the guards will say something and act if the hooded people don't respond. And since there are surely more than two guards at such an important gate, some handle that and some watch elsewhere, since they aren't stupid and understand the concept of distractions. If you're bringing a wagon, you should expect it to be inspected, and if you're trying to sneak in on one, you should expect to have to do more than wait for an opportunity. Guards watching from the walls above would see you dart in to jump onto the back after an inspection, for example. You'd need a more elaborate plan, usually.
Ok... so to add on to this, I have a problem when a group of people who are allowed are standing in Hempstead having a conversation and a banned raced character walks up and just stands there and nothing is done about it. I understand that if a GM is not on, then there's not a whole lot we can do about it, but I think it is poor rp, and I've seen way too much of it lately. Just my 2 cents worth...
Just for clarification, which part is poor RP, that the original group says nothing when at least the Lawful ones probably should or that the banned-race character is there despite what should be better detection at the gate preventing it? Or both?
I just wanted to add, sorry for getting on my soapbox about this. I have played too many games where people get away with things simply because they say "well, if a gm wants to do something about it, let them" and I think that is cheesy. GM's can't always be around, they have lives and jobs and everything else too, and I think that players should just play their characters and stop being cheesy. This extends to more than just the laws of port hempstead, but I love roleplaying, and when people start acting cheesy in any way, even if it is simply to think that they can be a jerk and then roll a charisma check and if they roll high people will like them... it doesn't work and it makes things frustrating and difficult for others. You have to back things up with your actions in play. And as far as the laws go... just follow them or expect and ask for the consequences.
And yes, this is coming from the person who almost tried to get herself kicked out of the city or arrested herself :) I don't have a problem with people breaking the laws as long as they're playing with a full deck of cards, and haven't just taken out the Aces so that they feel they are invincible.