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Author Topic: Longevity Rewards  (Read 698 times)

twidget658

Longevity Rewards
« on: August 30, 2007, 12:23:15 pm »
Request one SS be returned to a -- player -- for every year that they have been with layo.
 
 I recommend for it to go to the player so the player can apply it to the character(s) of his/her choosing. If a character is played for several years, then a return of a SS(s) would probably be most welcomed and probably needed. It also would encourage staying with the server.
 
 Or
 
 It could go to each character as the character reaches his/her 'birthday'. It would be a great 'birthday' gift. Happy birthday to [Character Name] you have been with for a/another year.
 
 Some people say that the loss of SS is an OOC thing, so a RL year SS reimbursement would not be metagaming or cause significant hardship on players trying to figure out how their character would RP getting a SS returned. The other players that see it as a IC thing, then they can just RP it as a 'healing' or a gift from their deity.
 
The following users thanked this post: Stephen_Zuckerman

Falonthas

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2007, 01:22:18 pm »
a nice idea but i see about a half a dozen permed chars appearing not having a clear  idea of what has transpired for the last period of time
 

twidget658

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2007, 03:12:30 pm »
Happens all the time in RL. People coming out of comas after many many years.
 
 But, I was not thinking about bringing back perm'd characters. Not much soul healing could happen when the soul is not in the body. It would take something huge for that to happen, like say a grand cleric named Athus. However, soul healin can happen gradually...like every RL year of the character.
 

SteveJW

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2007, 03:26:05 pm »
Falonthas...don't think it would be retroactive for those who have permed. But...it would be nice for those who are on the verge to get a new lease on life.
 

twidget658

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2007, 03:30:14 pm »
Heh, you caught me editing mine, SteveJW.
 

LynnJuniper

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2007, 03:38:45 pm »
I actually like this one. Rhynn is fine where she is (6/15 I think) but it's still not a bad idea. Going just on time and nothing else; its free of favoritism. Its like saying "You need ___ months for CN and ____ For Evil"
 

ycleption

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2007, 03:49:33 pm »
I like this idea in general, I think that there should be some sort of mechanical recognition of longevity, whether it's a returned soul strand, or x quest-hours worth of xp, or whatever. I would caution that it should be structured in some way so that it doesn't encourage behavior like not logging on for a month in anticipation of getting that reward.
 

twidget658

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2007, 03:53:42 pm »
Quote from: ycleption
I like this idea in general, I think that there should be some sort of mechanical recognition of longevity, whether it's a returned soul strand, or x quest-hours worth of xp, or whatever. I would caution that it should be structured in some way so that it doesn't encourage behavior like not logging on for a month in anticipation of getting that reward.
 
 The same rules would apply that is for WL's apps and such. 12 months of plat time and not 3 months here, 2 month break, 3 monthsplaying, etc...once the character has hit 12 months of being played. Something like that. Not sure on all the specifics, they will come out during the discussions. Great point, though.
 

ColtCommando

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #8 on: August 30, 2007, 04:46:04 pm »
Would be hard to keep track of that kind of time, for fairness and equality and such.
 
 
 I.E.  Cideous the charector was created a little over three years ago.  But I played consistantly just over a year after I created him, then was gone (well highly intermitent) for about a year, and now I have been back for a year next month.  
 
 
 So under this ruling I would be "eligibable" for 2 right?  But how dooes the team go through the headache of figureing out the times for everysingle PC on Layonara, would be on major headache.
 

twidget658

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2007, 09:45:01 pm »
A post for reimbursement would spur the check...I would say that it would only go back so far; maybe the past year. A character with more than one character, the lost SS could go to the player and he/she decides which character gets the SS returned. It is the same check that they do for WL. The player has to be active or they have to wait until they accrue 12 months.
 

Tobias

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #10 on: September 01, 2007, 10:49:09 pm »
Considering I just got my 14th SS.. I am starting to really like this idea..  :)
 

Gulnyr

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #11 on: September 01, 2007, 11:36:06 pm »
What is the basic unit of time measurement, and how many hours per unit is considered "active?"  For example, if the basic unit is a month, how many hours per month in-game counts as an active player?  Can it be broken down into hours like that?

If it can be broken down into hours like that, then could the total hours per year be used instead?  Could it then be a measure of a certain number of hours required rather than a certain number of months?

If it can't be broken down into hours like that, then what objective measure would be used to determine activity?

There was a character, who I haven't seen in a while, named Bandicoot Baittoes (aka BB), whose player could only play on Friday nights (in US timezones).  He probably averaged about 12 or 15 hours a month, which is 3 or 4 hours a week.  Despite his bare minimum schedule, he was always fun to have around, and I would call him active just for his addition to the RP.  There are players here now who can probably rack up 12 hours a month just during normal, short afk breaks, so it's hard to imagine that a time standard would be set so low.

I'm just curious what objective method would be used to show that a player is active without unnecessarily shafting the players with less time, especially those who would be judged active by subjective methods.
 

twidget658

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #12 on: September 01, 2007, 11:48:19 pm »
Quote from: Gulnyr
What is the basic unit of time measurement, and how many hours per unit is considered "active?" For example, if the basic unit is a month, how many hours per month in-game counts as an active player? Can it be broken down into hours like that?
 
 If it can be broken down into hours like that, then could the total hours per year be used instead? Could it then be a measure of a certain number of hours required rather than a certain number of months?
 
 If it can't be broken down into hours like that, then what objective measure would be used to determine activity?
 
 Are you a nuclear trained person? If you are, you will know what I mean, if not, then just disregard the question.
 
 I would suggest that active would be defined as 'normal playing routine.' For example, if a player played every Friday and Saturday, then that would be his 'active status'. Another example of something that would not work would be a player taking about a month or longer break. That players SS could be returned once the player accrued 12 months of play, therefore it could be rewarded at the players 13th month. This information could also we requested in the 'Annual SS Reward Request.'
 
 For example, questions like below would assist the team and make their verification easier and more focused:
 
 Normal Playing Routine:
 List the Breaks from Normal Playing Routine:
 

Stephen_Zuckerman

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2007, 02:40:33 pm »
Why not just an honor system, or a blanket return of Strands? The strands from Athus were returned for everyone, regardless of activity, and I think that with this, that would be the better idea, too.

Even still, giving SSes based on how long someone's been here is still a headache for the Team - not everyone got here at the same time, after all. For me, I've been here two years and a couple of weeks. For others, a year and six months... They'd have to go in for each and every player to figure out how many SSes they're entitiled to, and THEN find out which characters they wanted the SSes returned to.

With all of that said, however, I really like the idea, and would even if Pyyran wasn't on his last. The RP and history is all the reward I need for longevity, but a little mechanical recognition isn't something I'd object to.
 

EdTheKet

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2007, 03:06:55 pm »
The loss of a Soul Strand is by no means an OOC thing.

Souls are attached to the body with ten Strands. Each time you die there's a chance a strand will snap/be cut.

If the last one is gone, your soul will lose the connection with the body, and proceed to the Harvester of Souls as mentioned here:
http://forums.layonara.com/histories-content/96859-planes.html#post557442

In the section on "The Thread and the Desolate Frontier".


So, I could argue, as you age, your strands get weaker, and you should lose one ;) But I won't :)
 

Shadowblade225

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #15 on: October 09, 2007, 08:42:24 pm »
We all know the world would go to heck without the elders keeping the young whippersnappers in check ;)
 

Stephen_Zuckerman

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #16 on: October 10, 2007, 12:09:20 am »
Quote from: EdTheKet
The loss of a Soul Strand is by no means an OOC thing.

Repeated for emphasis, and for the basis of comment.

While the loss of Soul Strands is definitely an IC thing, and time that a player's been at Layo is definitely an OOC thing, I still have to say that I would support the idea of returning the SSes. Yes, I am one of the most stringent (some would say to the point of nazism) adherents to a separation of OOC and IC, yet... With the workload it would cause the team aside, I think that this "reward," this... Acknowledgment of the Team and the Community (assuming the Community agrees that it's a good idea) would be a huge boost to the morale and server pride of some of the longer-playing players. Add that to the fact that they'd get to play their favorite character that much longer... The regrowth of SSes doesn't take away the RP that's already happened for the loss of them, and certainly gives opportunity for further RP revolving around the regrowth, and eventual reloss.

That's probably all the elaboration my point needs... It's something I could go on redundantly about for a while, but it's already out there.

Thoughts?
 

Interia_Discordius

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #17 on: October 10, 2007, 12:20:53 am »
It's hard to restart a character, and having them live and be your favorite thing for some time and then having them perm would honestly be enough to cause me to quit. Although some would say it is best to move on and switch characters etc, and I do agree with what arguments are given, I still feel that long-term rewards are a good thing, and like Stephen said, a good way to up the spirit.
 

Lynn1020

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #18 on: October 10, 2007, 02:41:58 am »
I for one won't start a new character. I have two now and both have lost several SS.  If they were to perm I would have to find something else to do with my time. (Like my housework maybe :p ).  

Its just to hard to make a new one get them to where you want them.. end up attached to them to have them taken. :(
 

DMOE

Re: Longevity Rewards
« Reply #19 on: October 10, 2007, 03:14:19 am »
This is probably going to sound a bit harsh and for that I am sorry but losing characters is simply part of RPing.

I get attached to my characters, so much so that when they die I have cried and trust me, my PnP DM's all hated that but even getting that attached I have actually done things IC that OOC I knew would effectively suicide my character to play the character properly.

As much as we love and become attached to our characters, they do not live forever.

To me, if I have played them properly and stuck to their personality and values from start to finish, while I am gutted they have died it is time to pay homage to them and slide their character sheet into the 'dead' file while the DM tosses the source books at me and tells me to roll up the new one in a different room so they don't have to listen to me cry ;)

While I can understand the desire for returned SS, I do think they are a good thing and can totally understand the team's desire to not have them returned out of hand and therefore in a sense 'cheapening' the whole point of them.
 

 

anything