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Messages - Filuviel
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« on: July 27, 2011, 04:26:34 pm »
When I read this, I suddenly got the image in my head of Ragrian swimming through a sea of necklaces like Scrooge McDuck. 
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« on: November 06, 2009, 07:49:37 pm »
Dorganath, our friendly administrator, can always be found hard at work in these forums. Dorg works independently, without wasting valuable time resorting to pettiness. Dorg never thinks twice about assisting fellow forum members, and he always finishes given projects on time. Often he takes extended measures to complete his promises, sometimes skipping healthy breaks. Dorg is a dedicated individual who has absolutely no vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that Dorg can be classed as a high-calibre contributor, the type that cannot be dispensed with. Consequently, I truly recommend that Dorg be promoted to Supreme Leader of Layonara, and a proposal will be executed as soon as possible.
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« on: August 26, 2009, 11:22:23 am »
Wasn't going to make a public post about this because I didn't think it was really that necessary, but I guess I should make people aware that I have stepped down from the GM team and will no longer be running any quests etc. I will still be here as a player, as much as I can spare the time for, but sadly it's best I step down as I can't dedicate the time I used to be able to writing/running quests, it has been a lot of fun and a big thanks to the team for letting me a part of it. Makashi.
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« on: June 10, 2009, 05:46:37 pm »
Version 3.21.3 is online! - Systems and support for Storold's WLDQ reward
- Tweak pipe smoking code to apply skill bonuses even if at full health
- Recently-added spells now included in crafting code
- Remove rust monster spawns from Arindor's
- Fix Daze duration on Acacea's WLDQ reward to be properly short.
- Wizard and Druid teleports will no longer work in wild or dead magic zones
- Umberhulks should no longer daze each other
- Update Rock Spiders slightly
- Fix North Point bank chest
- Fix facing when transitioning from Dalos Lake to Prantz Main Gate
- Slight fix to Shindaleria donation center in Creedo
- Bank chests in Creedo now use new system and are once again persistent
- Remove the “Huangjin only” sign from the bank chest in Huangjin
- Added temple donation center to Katia's temple in Vale
- Fix some Great Forest locations to be properly tagged as “natural” and “above ground”
- Added new GM utility tool
- New perma-death sequence that should not lag out or lock up people
- Mass Disorientation should no longer affect non-hostile creatures and party members
- Illusion fading rune tweaked to adjust handling of Invisibility Sphere
- Tweak the reflection timer message to more accurately represent the remaining time in both minutes and seconds.
- Rebalanced Understraits Scavenger creature
- Minor spelling fixes
- Add Tinker's Device to the Xin Smithy *
- Fix a house door tag that referenced Leilon instead of Leringard
- Visual tweak to an area in the Spirit Dunes
- Add an additional code path for loading a house's furniture through the door.
- Adjust encounter trigger in Wandering Dunes cave
- Added second warning to the old emerald cave
- Added another spawn of Spinning Bebiliths as CNR creatures somewhere **
- Housing remodels for 125, 170, 173 and 189
- Adjust bullet recipes to make more sense with adjusted arrow recipes
- Pawn merchants fixed in Krellin's tents. (OK, one fixed, one removed)
- One other secret but really cool thing that I'll tell you all about once I'm sure it's working and not causing other problems *grins mysteriously*
* As this has been the effort of some forum RP, I personally thought it was a good idea a add. See the Rumors post for what got the device added in an IC sense. Thanks to all who contributed to the RP. ** I added this in response to feedback that people thought places to get Bebilith Silk didn't exist in-game. The original location for Spinning Bebiliths is still where it's always been for the last couple of years is still there. It is perhaps not the most traveled or explored place, though in my opinion, that's kind of a shame. The only clue I'll give is that they exist in an “old” set of areas that used to be home to something very large before it was killed in the last campaign. Both the old location and the new one I've added are actually rather conveniently located to prominent cities. So put on your explorer's caps and go some place you've never been! Thanks go to orth, Chongo and Script Wrecked for their contributions, as well as Alatriel and Nehetsrev for their remodel submissions.
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« on: April 23, 2009, 09:38:06 pm »
[SIZE=13]Layonara is a world built for entertainment and community. Years of diligent volunteer effort on the part of the Layonara team has generated extensive and engaging environments, compelling and unique game dynamics, a vibrant and supportive community, and a universe overfull with history.[/SIZE][SIZE=13]
[/SIZE] [SIZE=13]
To maintain Layonara's entertainment factor and sense of community we strive to:
[/SIZE]- [SIZE=13]ensure an equality of opportunity for players to enjoy and be entertained by the abundant resources Layonara has to offer[/SIZE]
- foster and promote an open, supportive and engaging community
- continue to develop the stories which make Layonara the vibrant world it is while at the same time respecting and ensuring historical integrity
- ensure the consistency of the world setting (pantheon, cosmology, geography, races, classes, etc.)
- [SIZE=13]ensure the intended and reasonable functioning of game dynamics[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13]Layonara's popularity and longevity has also meant that we've faced many issues and conflicts. To address these challenges we've developed a set of policies and procedures which embed the above objectives into world, game and community in a consistent and clear manner. The contents of Layonara Rules have been deliberated many times and some have seen multiple manifestations. With each revision, as with this most recent, we intend our policies to promote and defend our shared vision of community and entertainment while being mindful that the rules and procedures should not become cumbersome or overwrought. Layonara should be fun and inviting while at the same time consistent and just.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13]
We urge everyone to read the updated policies in this thread. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask them in our "Ask a Gamemaster" forum.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13]
- The Layonara GM Team
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NOTE: The policies below represent that which has been updated. It is our goal to merge these into LORE so that there is consistent information both on the forums and in LORE. This process will take a few weeks likely, so please bear with us through a brief period of inconsistency. These policies will also be cross-posted in the applicable section of the forums for convenience.
The policies given below are best segregated into three main categories:
[/SIZE]- Behavior -- related to player actions while in-game
- Character submissions and approvals -- related to getting new characters started
- Grievances -- related to the Disputes, Grievances and Requests for reimbursements process
For the below, if a pre-existing policy is not explicitly discussed, it should be considered to be still in-effect. Where there is a pre-existing policy covering something in the new policies, the new ones will take precedence. And now, without further ceremony... [SIZE=24]Behavioral policies:[/SIZE][/B][/COLOR] Area level restrictions – Effective immediately, we are lifting all area level requirements. This means that there will no longer be any level-based stipulations regarding where a character may travel. After much internal review, the GM Team feels that most, if not all, places in the game world effectively enforce their own sort of level restrictions, both in difficulty and degree of reward, and it is not beneficial to the Community or the GM Team to police or enforce such limits artificially. The following is a guideline for what each area is designed for danger wise, so that players may knowingly choose their destinations.[LIST=1] - Travel to Central server, generally, is meant for those level eight ( 8 ) and above.
- Travel to north of Miritrix, Isle of the Glittering Mists, and all underground areas on Belinara is meant for those level seventeen (17) and above.
- All caverns north of the Thunder Valley Crossroads is meant for levels seventeen (17) and above.
- Travel on Voltrex is meant for levels seventeen (17) and above.
- Travel beyond K'halziras is meant for levels seventeen (17) and above.
If you travel to one of these areas with a character below the recommended level, you acknowledge that to do so is risky and may result in a higher rate of character death. Party level spread – Effective immediately, we are rescinding all previous statements regarding the level split between the highest- and lowest- level character within a party or grouping. The GM Team feels this particular rule has been misunderstood, misinterpreted and misapplied at all levels of the Community including by members of our own GM Team. As a result, it has been damaging to roleplay, it has caused animosity between the Community and the GM Team and has made people feel like criminals just because they associate with a character more than 10 levels different. Special note on the lifting of area and party level restrictions – While we are effectively removing all restrictions regarding character levels, we are hoping to encourage better grouping, better roleplay, a greater sense of adventure and an environment where roleplay is not unduly bounded by out-of-character issues such as level and arbitrary lines on a map. Having said that, the GM Team maintains a single request that can be summed up briefly as:[INDENT] “Don't drag, and don't kite.”[/INDENT] It is possible for a low-level character in a group of higher-level characters to contribute in some form, whether by flinging spells, tossing potions, firing arrows or any number of other contributing things, even if they're not terribly effective. The important part is that they attempt to contribute. Similarly, a high-level character can escort a group of lower-level characters without doing all the work for them. So, in this spirit, we ask for the Community to respect this and to keep these things in mind when going out and about. We're not going to break up a party on Dregar that contains a 5th level character just for that fact alone, nor will we go on hunts when we see a wide party level spread. However, if we see little or no roleplay among the party, if we see non-contributing lower-level characters or we see a high-level character being the primary application of force among a group of otherwise lower-level characters, we may request a modification to the party's behavior. If the behavior persists, we reserve the right to disband the party. We want everyone to have fun, to adventure and explore, and we no longer feel it appropriate to keep these restrictions in place. We ask only that the Community enjoy this expanded freedom and request that it be used responsibly. Muling – Another often misunderstood rule is that of muling. Our official definition of muling, effective immediately, is: “Muling is when you have items (in the bank, in your inventory, in your house, etc. that you have earned or fairly traded for), and then you give those items to a newly created character of your own for free. This also applies to having a character you control gather CNR or other items for another character you control. It is fine to RP a 'sales person' or whatever you may want to call it but from this point forward please do not let that 'other person' be another character under your control." To put more plainly, it is muling to give items, gold or any other assets from one character under your direct control to another, whether you have multiple Bioware accounts or not. You, as a player, are the common factor between them, and giving one character an advantage that another has earned is not something we tolerate. If you must transfer goods between two characters under your control, then do so through a third-party and conduct the exchange like a business transaction, meaning exchange goods or coins in trade. This applies as much to unassociated characters as it does to characters who are directly related (i.e. parent/child relationships). We believe all characters deserve to accumulate equipment and wealth in line with their own accomplishments, and it is unfair to the rest of our Community if some take it upon themselves to give benefits to one of their characters by the work of another. We ask everyone to respect this philosophy for the good of everyone in the Community. Looping and Camping – Looping is defined as going through the same few areas in a short period of time in order to keep continually harvesting CNR, reaping XP and loot from killing the creatures there, etc., and then repeating this sort of thing over and over in a given span of time. Camping is defined as staying effectively in one place, typically one single area, usually for the purpose of waiting for CNR to respawn so your character can harvest another full load, and then waiting again for the next respawn cycle over and over again. Another form of camping is to enter an area, kill the creatures and/or harvest the CNR available, then log out for a time, log back on and repeat the process. We ask the community to limit any looping behavior through a small number of areas to 60 minutes. We ask the community to limit any camping behavior in a single area to 30 minutes. In the case of logging in, harvesting and logging out, we ask that you simply do not do this more than 3 times in a row. The GM Team understands that not everyone has a lot of play time. Sometimes there is only a small amount of time to log in, take care of a few things and then log back out, and we do not wish for people with limited time to feel like criminals. However, we also believe that players should exercise some degree of self-restraint when doing such things. While we will not be actively policing for camping and looping behavior, if we observe such in excess of the stated guidelines, we reserve the right to intervene and inform the party that they have pushed the boundaries of what we would like to see. Unless taken to the extreme, the GM Team will not be applying in-character or out-of-character punishments to any groups caught looping or camping in excess, however we may remove the group from the situation if our requests are not respected. In Summary At no point will there be in-character consequences to the breaking any of these rules; no effects, no spawning of creatures, no going to jail or being tersely corrected by NPCs. There will only be out-of-character actions, which can range from simple warnings to banning, the latter being the most severe of course and only at the extreme abuse of the rules. Please do not associate in-character consequences to out-of-character actions as they are completely separate. iIn-character choices will generate in-character consequences and likewise for out-of-character choices. [SIZE=24]Character Submission and Approvals Policies:[/SIZE][/B][/COLOR] First and most important to the community: by submitting a character, whether or not it is approved, you agree to adhere to all the rules of this server both in game and out. If you have not, by this point, read the rules of the server, it is recommended that you do so now (please follow this link). Name – All names of character submissions must be the original creation of the submitting applicant. They can not be copyrighted names from a game, book, television show, movie or any other medium not covered in this list, nor can they be names belonging to existing characters in Layonara. Race – There are numerous races on Layonara. Not all are available as player races, but there are many options in game at this time. Only the sub races Wemic, Brownie, Ghostwise Halfling, Sea Elf, Dark Elf and Goblin will require additional justification for choosing this race in the biographies. When you chose one of these races, please take into account that the review may take an extended period of time. Due to lore reasons, Tiefling and Aasimar will no longer be an option for new character submissions. For the same reason, no half races (Half elf, Half orc, Half giant, Half ogre) can be born after the year 1421. You can find the current year here. The following races must start out with an alignment of CN, TN, NE, or LE: Dark Elf, Half Orc, Half Giant, Half Ogre, Orc, Goblin, and Deep Dwarf. There is one exception to this; a cleric character that follows Az'atta (regardless of race) may start out with a good alignment. (see further down for more information on alignments in general.) Please see the racial LORE pages for further information. Age – When selecting the age of your character please keep in mind that many age at different rates and some races naturally mature slower as a result. As well, each race has a minimum starting age since we do not allow child player characters. Classes – The mechanical classes of Layonara have several wide interpretations and some have very specific needs. Most standard character classes do not require anything in the way of justifying the choice of class over some other in the character submission. As such, a detailed justification for a particular class is an optional thing, and we will not overly scrutinize them, excepting for very obvious glaring issues (I.E. a submission where a sorcerer studies his magic rather then innately acquires it or a level one fighter is taking on whole mobs of orcs on his own, etc). Clerics and paladins however, must give their stated commitments in their biographies and we would still like them to make clear in their biographies their respect for their deity's dogma and/or organization. Druids also have their own submission requirements, and we would like to have any druid players read the druid information page. Additionally, applications asking for dual classes are not expected to include more then what a single class of the same would require. Resubmissions to add a second or third class after initial approval (excepting druid, paladin, cleric or monk) need only be a resubmitted biography with a few additional lines explaining the IC reasoning. Resubmission to add druid, paladin, cleric or monk (especially if the starting class was monk or druid to begin with and a character is returning to this class) hold the same requirements and stipulations as above with potential extra requirements (such as CDQ, CDT or other need). If you have a character with multiple classes, you must have 5 levels minimum in each class before level 20 (e.g. You cannot have a level 3 rogue, level 17 fighter, you need at least 5 rogue) Monk, Paladin and Druid classes have restricted multi-classing. Policy on Applications for Additional Class and/or PrC past level 20 –Characters approved for an additional class beyond what was established prior to level twenty-one (21) must take five (5) levels or more consecutively upon initiating levels in the new class. This rule reflects what should be inherent of all applications for a new class. By pursuing a new class, the player is pursuing a new avenue for character growth. This growth should be reflected by an investment in the new class beyond a simple label. Taking one level in a new class and then going back to the initial class(es) shows a limited drive to pursue the path for which you were approved. Once five (5) consecutive levels in the new class have been taken, you are free to level as you find appropriate, provided there are no multi-classing restrictions for the new class. Alignment – Most alignments are unrestricted and will not require special support with in the biography to be approved so long as there are no glaring conflicts.(For example, a Neutral Good rogue who mugs and robs travelers indiscriminately to make a living.) Chaotic Neutral remains a special alignment, and the submitting player must have had an active character in the world for four (4) months prior to the submission of the Chaotic Neutral character. There is no minimum level requirement for this active character. You do need to submit, in your own words, an acknowledgment stating your acceptance of the rules of the server and giving a statement acknowledging that Chaotic Neutral is not carte blanch act randomly, expecting to be free of penalty. In the game and in our community, actions have consequences, and if you are not willing to accept the consequences, do not make those actions. Evil too is special and with the heavier requirements. Lawful Evil and Neutral Evil require an active character for at least nine (9) months. There is no minimum level requirement for this active character. As with Chaotic Neutral, on the character submission the player is required to state in their own words that they accept the rules of the server. As well they must state that they accept that the alignment of Evil may put them at odds with the majority of the player community as well as the NPCs they interact with, and that they accept the consequences to their actions. Chaotic Evil is not available to player characters on Layonara, and if a character's alignment shifts to Chaotic Evil territory the character becomes property of the GM team and is no longer playable.
The actual approval of these alignments lays ultimately with the GM team, based upon appropriate roleplay of previous alignments. The team holds this to protect the community as a whole and not to target any particular members of it. Realize that by choosing these alignments the review time is longer than for standard characters, as input from the GM team will be sought. Deity – Deities are an active, if indirectly so, power upon Layonara. When a character passes from the world the deity may choose to call their souls to their domain. Some classes require a deity choice but most do not. Do not choose a deity to enter in the deity field unless your character is truly devout as it will bring consequences (both good and bad) to your character. If you do select a deity for your character please use common sense where dogma and your character's worship is concerned and if there is an extreme case, such as a dwarf worshiping Lucinda, make certain the details are touched on in the biography. A final note on deities: The GM team will enforce the accurate portrayal of a character who is devout. If they are caught doing something their deity disapproves of, there may be consequences. These include, but are not limited to, helping the enemy of your deity, doing something strictly against the dogma of your deity, and furthering the goals of an unfriendly or enemy deity. General Biography details and lore – The primary focus of biographies is RP and lore. Despite the above leniencies, lore will still be strictly adhered to and possible conflicts with lore will receive the most scrutiny. In the case of reapplications for alignment shifts, secondary classes, etc, an RP justification will be requested as always, but a few lines should suffice (as long as they are explanatory). When applying using your own format, please link all pertinent information along with your request. Optional questionnaires will be posted for use for both original submissions and reapplications to simplify the process for the player. Character backgrounds can comprise pretty much of whatever you wish but should cover the following:- A bit on where your character came from.
- A bit on their family and its fate.
- Some finer points on why your character thinks and acts like it does.
- All characters must be from Layonara. There are no off-world biographies permitted.
- Be creative, as we are open to lots of things.
We do not accept characters that:- have direct ties to gods, dragons or royalty of any kingdom.
- have direct contact between themselves and a deity (this includes visions or dreams provided by a deity , a deity walking the lands and visiting the player or their ancestors, physical markings by a deity or an agent, or gifts provided by a deity, or anything of this nature).
Some of the GM Team will be keeping a stock character applications that will be in a pool to use by players who do not wish to write their own. Some adaptations may be necessary if chosen for submission depending upon current standards for the applications at that time. A small amount of customization will be asked of the player (mostly to adapt the character to the current events of the world). Languages – Available Ears: Elven, Halfling, Dwarven, Dark Elf, Gnomish, Thieves' Cant, Wemic, Animal, Brownie, Underwater, Sign Language, Orc, Goblin, Draconic and Florane (T'oleflor). Everything except Draconic and Florane are available on initial submission with some additional support in the biography. Races receive their specific ear on creation. Dark elves receive both the elf and Dark Elf ear. Sea Elves get the elf and underwater ear. Druids and rangers start with the animal ear, while rogues start with the ability to use thieves' cant. Certain clerics may also begin with the animal ear depending on domain. Half elves will be able to understand the elven language but the biography and intelligence must support the ability to speak it. These default ears do not count against your bonus languages. Languages may also be learned in game from other players. They cannot be learned from familiars or NPCs, and after creation, your character journal must reflect the learning of the language to have it approved. Approval after initial creation involves submitting a request and a link to your character journal as well as the support testimony of your tutors. In any situation, except for automatic languages and where specified to be outside of the norm, all applicants wanting additional languages need to make certain they have the appropriate intelligence to support the request. The maximum number of additional languages to be requested on submission is two (2). The maximum number of non-racial/non-class languages that a character can learn is equal to the character's base Intelligence (INT) modifier. For example, an elven Druid would automatically receive the elven and animal “ears” when the character first signs into the world. With an INT score of 12 (+1 modifier), the character may learn one additional language, if desired. This language may be granted on the initial approval or learned over time in-game. Restarts/Rebuilds/Relevels – The definition of a restart, for the purposes of this server, is: starting one's character completely over from scratch without any benefit of the previous incarnation's inventory, coin or experience. That is to say you start over from level one with nothing. In addition we will require you to post for a deletion of the old incarnation and create the new version with a slightly different name. Add an extra space, perhaps change one or two of the letters or some other minor change. If the change is not made the database will think it is the same character and will not allow for static quests to be completed, among other issues. It is further recommended that any variation of name be noted in your original character submission thread. Sometimes it happens that we find ourselves not liking how our character has turned out, mechanically speaking, for a wide variety of reasons. Level five (5) and below seems to be the most common areas where this occurs. To that end, all level five and below characters will be granted one (1) free restart when requested in the Character Submissions forums. Between the levels six (6) and ten (10) the Character Approvals team will still consider the merits and problems with a restart at that point and grant or deny based on the result on their findings. After level ten (10), or if a denial after level six (6), a character may use one of their Graceful Pleas for a restart. Once a Graceful Plea is used, it cannot be rescinded and anything needing changed (re-name, re-description, etc) after this restart will count in their normal capacities as if it was the original character. This means whatever Graceful Pleas and freebies previously used will count against the restarted character. The character restart does not refresh the count. Please go slow and pay attention to the details as when recreating the character. A restart does not clear the loss of Soul Strands (see: Soul Strands and the Layonara Death System) and they must be reapplied for once the new character is made. Please post for this action in the Grievance Forum. A rebuild is when a character is allowed to restart and then gain all of their experience, items and equipment. This is only granted for an extensive reason, such as a CDQ or quest that results in the deity change of a cleric or something of that magnitude, or when the development team makes mechanical changes to classes that require such action. They are extremely rare and require the support of at least one GM in the capacity of GM not player witness. A relevel is when one level is removed and given again. This is only granted for reasons such as accidental clicks, misunderstood feats or spells and the like. This falls under the jurisdiction of grievances requests and must be dealt in that forum with the guidelines stated in that policy. Prestige Class (PrC) resubmissions – PrC submissions are changing as follows: - Weaponmaster, Duelist, Undead Hunter and Battlerager can be approved on initial submission, providing the application supports the extra class (again, not asking much but a few lines added in for the note of RP.)
- Bear Warrior, Skald, Shifter, Arcane Archer, Spellsword, Shadow Dancer and Sacred Fist require an updated biography submission and either a well kept CDT for a minimum of two (2) weeks (explaining the how and the why) or a CDQ.
- Mistone Alliance Scout, Dwarven Defender, Champions, Palemaster and Assassin are a multi step process that require an updated biography, a well tended development thread and either a WLDQ or one or more CDQs, depending on the character.
- Red Dragon Disciple remains WLDQ only.
Please make sure you carefully read the class information on your desired PrC so that you may quicken the approval process. Organizations and Ranks – With all of the above stated there are two very important points to keep in mind. Firstly, just because a player is a Toranite Undead Hunter, it does not automatically mean they are in the order of the Shining Hand. If a character desires to be part of an organization likely a Character Development Quest (or CDQ) or other GM acknowledgment is necessary. Either submit this with the matching class/PrC request or submit for a CDQ to attempt to join the desired organization. Some organizations have very specific procedures and requirements to join (such as the well established Knights of the Wyrm) and can be handled as a group function or as a personal CDQ. Secondly, most level one characters start out as the lowest level above 'student' in any organization they might be a part of. For instance, most starting clerics will begin in their acolyte phase (where applicable). This does not afford them any special treatment beyond being a priest of their faith. If a player wishes to advance in rank within their church, or any other organization it is squarely on the shoulders of the player to initiate CDQs to attain this goal. At present there are certainly some complications, lore availability wise, with knowing what to ask for, but any GM has access to the information and the player need only ask to find out what steps are needed or what general possibilities are available to them. It should be noted that character level is not related to rank in a church. Character Development Quest Rules –[LIST=1] - A player can only have one (1) CDQ per two (2) month period.
- A character must be at least level ten (10) to have a CDQ.
- The only exception is a character looking to move into a PrC before level ten (10).
- A CDQ must have a valid purpose, and this will be enforced by the GMs running the quest. Do not request a CDQ just because you want your own personal quest or a quest for your friends. Examples of valid purposes for CDQs include: To take a PrC, to start/work on a long-range character goal, to explore unknown details of a character's past, or any other sort of goal or event that requires GM intervention to realize is valid.
- CDQs can not last more than a total of six (6) hours or two (2) game sessions, whichever comes first. On top of that a CDQ must be completed within three (3) RL weeks once the first session has been run.
- CDQs DO NOT HAVE ANY XP REWARDS. Not to the person having the quest run nor its participants. This was done to avoid player abuse of this process
It is important to note that while a player may make requests for the purpose and goal of a CDQ, a player may not fully write or dictate the outcome of the CDQ. How the CDQ is conducted and the final outcome is for the GM to decide, especially in cases where the outcome may be in conflict with world lore. One last note: While you wait for your character to be reviewed, perhaps you might look around the forums at some of the in-character threads and more at our Layonara Online Reference Encyclopedia (also called LORE, but should not be confused with 'lore'. Tricky aren't we?) Looking forward to seeing you in game![SIZE=24][SIZE=13]Please note that as of this date, all previous policies for this forum are no longer valid. The relevant threads will be removed shortly to avoid confusion.[/SIZE]
Dispute, Grievance and Requests for Reimbursement Policies:[/SIZE] Graceful Pleas – For some months the team has pondered various options for dealing with the inequalities that the current grievance system suffers. Along with several other polices, this particular aspect was given much thought. The issues and potential for abuse are too numerous for an open return system, yet the current restrictive system created a sense of unfairness and inequity within the community. What follows is a compromise added to the system to grant leniency without making the system as a whole too cumbersome to support. Effective immediately, all players have the right to three (3) “Graceful Pleas” for each character. These Graceful Pleas can be used for a “no fault” return or reimbursement. Graceful Pleas can be used for things such as (but not limited to):- Soul Strand reimbursements
- Item replacement due to loss from inventory mis-management, accidental discards or the like
- Name, description or appearance changes with no IC justification
- Relevel beyond the normally-allowed thresholds
- Fulfillment of any other Dispute, Grievance or Request that has been denied (excluding denial by lore reasons)
- Returning of a previously permed character that has not been deleted from our server vault (see special note below)
- Any other request denied for any reason
Once a Graceful Plea has been granted, it cannot be reversed, except through using another Graceful Plea. There will be no refunds of Graceful Pleas for any reason. Once all Graceful Pleas have been used up, you may not use any more for that character. You may not use your Graceful Pleas for one character for any other character, whether under your control or not. For players wishing to restore a permed character, please read the section below titled: Special note regarding the loss of a character's final Soul Strand. In the event that a player commits a bannable offense, all Graceful Pleas for all characters are subject to forfeit. A Graceful Plea may not be used to reverse a banning decision. Soul Strand and XP Loss– Effective immediately, there are only three scenarios for Soul Strand and XP reimbursement:[LIST=1] - GM Error: In the case that a GM makes an error, whether on a quest, impromptu event or simply a random mis-click, which causes a character to die and lose a Soul Strand or XP, this loss will be refunded with the approval of the GM in question.
- Module/Spawn bugs: As has been the case for many years, Soul Strand or XP losses due to bugs in the module, inappropriately designed or placed spawns or similar mechanical errors, oversights or other errors on the fault of the development staff are reimbursable. The GM Team remains the final authority on what is and is not a bug that fits this category. Bugs related to Bioware issues and problems are not reimbursable under this category.
- Disconnection, crashing and unexpected jumps: When deaths occur due to an unexpected disconnection, crash or unexpected jumps (whether short or long range), resulting in a Soul Strand or XP loss, players will be able to petition for a return of such a loss given the following limitations:
[INDENT] - The player must solicit the testimonies of three (3) other players to support his/her claim, preferably those that were present at the event in question and the loss.
- The testimonies given are accepted by three (3) GMs, who need not have been present at the event. The GMs need only to accept the story as given and state their approval.
- The player may not request more than three (3) such reimbursements for any given character over the lifetime of the character, starting with the release of this policy.
[/INDENT][INDENT] This removes the requirement of needing to travel with World Leader characters or characters of GMs and puts some trust back in the community itself. At the same time, it imposes some practical and reasonable limits so that the system is not abused. This is very similar to a policy we used to have, but it was abused, and so was made more restrictive. It is our hope that our faith in the community and the practical limits set down by this new policy will be beneficial to everyone. [/INDENT] Special note regarding the loss of a character's final Soul Strand – When a character loses his or her final Soul Strand, the player will be given a one-time choice to request a reconsideration of this final death, given that the above criteria have not already been enacted for the event in question. There does not need to be any special reason, justification or evidence at all for this request. The only requirement is that it comes after the loss of a character's final Soul Strand and the player still has at least one (1) Graceful Plea left for this character. The player will be given a choice between one of the following:[LIST=1] - The character may sacrifice one or more magic or enchanted items with a combined lens value of at least 100,000 True, and sacrifice XP equivalent to 2 character levels (with resulting loss of character levels). This reduction will put the character at the same relative place between levels, based on the XP difference between levels. For example, if the character is half way between level 22 and 23 when this option is exercised, the character will be half way between levels 20 and 21 after the reduction is made. The item(s) sacrificed in this option must be on the PC at the time of death.
- The character may sacrifice XP equivalent to 5 character levels (with resulting loss of character levels). This reduction will put the character at the same relative place between levels, based on the XP difference between levels. For example, if the character is half way between level 22 and 23 when this option is exercised, the character will be half way between levels 17 and 18 after the reduction is made.
Whichever option is chosen, the character will be automatically unplayable for a period of 6 game months (roughly 1.5 RL weeks). This can be considered a period of recovery, during which it should be RPed that the character has been incapacitated, comatose, catatonic or otherwise uncommunicative and unable to act. Exercising this option will also cost the character one (1) Graceful Plea. If the character has run out of Graceful Pleas, this option is not available and the character cannot be restored through this method. For the purposes of this contingency, if items are to be sacrificed as part of returning a permed character to life, an item will qualify to be counted if it is: - A +2 or greater item, or has a lens value of 10,000 True or greater, AND...
- the item can be equipped, AND...
- the item is not some form of ammunition
So this means things like +2 or better armors and weapons, +2 or better stat jewelry, cloaks, bracers and other such equipable items will qualify, but infused gems, Enhancement Rods and other similar things, regardless of lens value, will not be considered. The exchanges made with either of these options are permanent, and cannot be re-gained through use of a Graceful Plea. The option of this choice will only be available once over the lifetime of any given character. If a character who takes one of these options loses his/her final Soul Strand again, this option will not be available. While it is possible that the XP loss could drop a World Leader (WL) character below the minimum level for WL eligibility, exercising this option will not result in the loss of WL status already gained. If the character's WLDQ is in-progress, the GM Team will evaluate whether or not to continue the WLDQ or wait until the character has regained sufficient XP to qualify. However, the approval to attempt a WLDQ will not be rescinded as a result of exercising this option. The concept behind this idea is to give players that “one last chance” while preserving the concepts of permanency and the gravity of death. If a Graceful Plea is used to restore a character that has permed before the advent of this policy, the character will only have two (2) Graceful Pleas remaining. In addition, we will impose some RP restrictions upon such a case:- Under no circumstances may such a character or anyone associated with the character RP that the Soul Mother was lenient, forgiving or otherwise beneficial to the character in restoring them to life. Such claims will not be supported or tolerated by the GM Team.
- Under no circumstances may such a character or anyone associated with the character RP that any deity restored the character to life for any reason. Such claims will not be supported or tolerated by the GM Team.
- We ask both for the player making the request and for those present at the character's final death, that memories of the final death and the associated ritual and cut-scene are either not RPed at all or RPed as happening to a nameless NPC adventurer or the like.
- If a will has been executed on behalf of the permed character, that execution will remain. In other words, the character is not entitled to get back his or her house, furniture, bank balance or other possessions disbursed through the action of the will. The GM Team will not assist in or approve such efforts. If the character wishes to pursue these things in-character, that will remain an available option.
The GM Team asks that a player wishing for such a restoration provide some concept of what happened during the time since the character's final death and the present. Reasons can include being found by locals and being nursed back to health, eventually returning home years later, or perhaps the character was brought home right away and led a sort of isolated life after the trauma of nearly dying permanently. Whatever the reasoning, it must plausible, fit within the boundaries of world lore and be accepted by all involved, or it will not be approved. If applicable, any statues, monuments or memorials placed in-game in dedication to the dead character will be removed with the restoration of the character to life. We ask these things simply for the sake of continuity. Wills – Over the last couple of years, the prevalence of character wills, distributable upon the final death of a character, have become more popular and unfortunately more complex, intricate and difficult to adjudicate. There have been several in relatively recent history that have become very time-consuming for the Team to decide upon and handle. As a result, we have decided it is necessary to set some realistic limits on what can be included and distributed by a character's will. [LIST=1] - Houses – A character can gift his/her house and all its contents as a single unit to a single beneficiary. This beneficiary must be a player character, not a guild, group or family. When multiple houses (except guild halls) are owned by the character, each house must be gifted to a different character. The GM Team will absolutely not approve or participate in any partial distributions of housing contents. This applies also to donating the contents of chests and things to various causes in-game. With the advent of our generic in-game donation system, such donations will become the sole responsibility of the beneficiary.
- Bank account – A character can gift the entire balance of his/her bank account balance in True to a single beneficiary. This beneficiary must be a player character, not a guild, group or family. Any splitting of gold between other potential beneficiaries becomes the responsibility of the named beneficiary. The GM Team will not disburse gold to more than one character.
- Items in possession upon death – While a will may include the stipulation that items in the character's possession at the time of death be given to one or more beneficiaries, there will under no circumstances be any items retrieved or distributed by the GM Team as a result. This means we will not be allowing a permanently dead character to be logged in for the purpose of distributing items in the character's possession to one or more beneficiaries, nor will we be creating new items from the palette and handing them to characters as a representation of their inheritance. For example, if a character wishes to leave an heirloom sword to his/her offspring (who is another PC), that beneficiary will have the RP of having received that sword, perhaps delivered by the companions who traveled with the permed character or some other reasonable explanation. The GM Team will not provide any such physical item in any way. If the beneficiary wishes to obtain a like item through other means, it is acceptable to RP that item as the same one received through inheritance, but the beneficiary is not required to do so. (I.E. purchasing or finding through looting a sword that is the same as the item given to the beneficiary from the permed PC and roleplaying that it is the same item.) It is perfectly fine to RP the item intangibly as well (see #4).
- Intangible items – A character will may specify any number of intangible, RP-only items to be given away on death (i.e. a treasured book, a collection of sketches, etc.) to any number of beneficiaries. The GM Team will not, however, hand out anything as a result. Beneficiaries should assume they received these objects and RP their possession.
- Donations – A character will may stipulate gold and/or items be donated to a deity or other cause. If the items are accessible, such as in chests or crates within player housing, then it falls to the beneficiary to see to the donation. If they are intangible items, then they will be considered to be donated as specified.
- Timing – All wills, without exception, must be posted on the forums prior to the final death of a character or else they will be null and void.
Graceful Pleas may not be used to alter the terms set above. Item reimbursement – Unless caused by a GM error or a bug (as defined above under the Soul Strand policy), all item reimbursements will fall under the policy regarding Graceful Pleas. As previously stated, a Graceful Plea may not be used to get back an item sacrificed to return a permanently dead character to life. Experience Point (XP) reimbursement – Unless caused by a GM error, a bug, disconnection/crash or unexpected jump (as defined above under the Soul Strand policy), all XP reimbursements will fall under the policy regarding Graceful Pleas. As previously stated, a Graceful Plea may not be used to get back any XP sacrificed to return a permanently dead character to life. Gold (GP) reimbursement – Unless caused by a GM error or a bug (as defined above under the Soul Strand policy), all GP reimbursements will fall under the policy regarding Graceful Pleas. Bannings – [SIZE=13] GMs and World Leaders are able to temporarily ban a player in-game, pending a full review by the GM Team. Such bannings will not be dispensed lightly, and the burden of proof will fall heavily upon the individual doing the banning. As part of the process, a temporarily banned player may state his/her case here. However, we will require that all arguments, both supporting and refuting the banning, come supplied with ample evidence, in the form of chat logs, screen shots (if available) and witness testimony. Decisions on the reversals of bannings will be made based on presented evidence, testimony and information gathered by the GM Team from in-game observation and server logs. If a banning becomes permanent, the player will be banned from the forums as well, and the only recourse is by contacting Leanthar directly. Historically, very few permanent bannings have been reversed.
To help assuage any fears that may come from this new capability, if a GM or World Leader temporarily bans a player for a reason that is reversed and if it happens in a blatant or abusive way, then that GM or World Leader will be reprimanded and perhaps lose their status as a GM or World Leader. Every temporary banning will be logged, and the GM or World Leader who bans someone bears an urgent responsibility to provide the evidence and justification behind the banning action to the GM team shortly after the banning takes place. Banning is something that we take very seriously here, and as such it requires a lot of responsibility and proof. As such, bannings, temporary or otherwise, will not be dispensed lightly.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Graceful Pleas may not be used to dispute or overturn a banning.
[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Character Rebuild/Relevel –[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Rebuilds and Restarts fall under the jurisdiction of character approvals and must be submitted in that forum for consideration with accordance to the listed policy.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Relevel requests due to an honest misclick will only be granted within 48 hours of the level being taken AND if less than 10% of the XP needed for the next level has been earned.
[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] If you find yourself outside of the normal limits for such a request, you may still make the same request with a Graceful Plea by providing the same justification and reasoning.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Character edits –[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] This is not so much a new policy but a codification of precedent so that it is clear to the community. Character edits cover a rather broad set of tasks, including:[/SIZE] - [SIZE=13]N[/SIZE][SIZE=13]ame changes[/SIZE]
- [SIZE=13]Description changes[/SIZE]
- [SIZE=13]Appearance changes[/SIZE]
- [SIZE=13]Portrait changes[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13] Regardless of the type of character edit, they must be requested in keeping with world lore and server rules. Inappropriate or copyrighted names or descriptions will not be allowed, nor will changes that are contrary to world lore.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Name changes – Changes to a character's name requires the character file to be edited as well as about a dozen database updates, and only a small handful of staff are able to perform such changes. As such, we will permit only one (1) “free” name change for a character without a strong RP reason (i.e. marriage, quest outcome, etc.). This allows one to fix an oversight or error during character creation or to reflect the course of RP. Outside of these guidelines, a name change is still possible by using a Graceful Plea.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Description changes – Changes to a character's in-game description requires the character file to be edited, and only a small handful of staff are able to perform such changes. As such, we will permit only one (1) “free” description change for a character without a strong RP reason (i.e. marriage, quest outcome, etc.). This allows one to fix an oversight or error during character creation or to reflect the course of RP. Outside of these guidelines, a description change is still possible by using a Graceful Plea.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Appearance changes – Changes to a character's in-game appearance, such as a change in tattoo, skin or hair coloring or a change in head model can be affected in-game by any GM. As long as these requests remain reasonable and are not requested on a whim, we are content to allow players to request these changes from any available GM directly. Please note that wings and tails as permanent character appearance traits will not be approved or given unless as a result of a WLDQ.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Portrait changes – Changes to a character's in-game portrait can be handled easily in-game by any GM. Please request all such portrait changes directly from any available GM. When requesting a portrait change, please have the name of the portrait file handy. We cannot set portraits with a description (i.e. “The one with the blonde girl in plate armor”). Unless you have the portrait's file name, we cannot set your portrait.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Housing and furniture transfers –[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] This is not so much a new policy but a codification of precedent so that it is clear to the community. Characters may transfer houses and/or furniture to another character provided both parties are in agreement with the terms of transfer and can state as much as part of the request. However, a character cannot transfer a house or its contents to another character under the control of the same player. This would be muling. [/SIZE] [SIZE=13] In the case of absentee home owners the new policy stands as this: Absentee house and furniture transfer requests will only be granted if the owner has not logged into the game or forums for six (6) months and cannot be contacted/doesn't answer by most viable means. The requesting party must have some sort of legitimate claim to the property such as marriage or co-investment. Rental contracts are not considered legitimate proof.[/SIZE] [SIZE=13] Properties of banned players are considered immediately forfeit and only in cases of marriage will the properties be passed on to another player.
[/SIZE] [SIZE=13]----------------------------------------------------------------------------[/SIZE] For convenience, I'm including the link to an " Ask a Gamemaster" thread here for asking questions and discussing these new policies.
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« on: October 01, 2008, 11:36:47 pm »
Hello again, I've received a couple queries to the status of donations which I wanted to address with the upcoming changes to the servers. Essentially what we've always hoped for in terms of donations was enough to offset the costs to host NWN. That was five servers and their bandwidth. At its peak, Leanthar was paying over $500 a month for these servers. Over the summer it was closer to $300, but the charges were going to be over $1000 a month with the new billing structure. An impossible price. The donations always helped and each of us was always afraid of the potential of Leanthar just really not being able to cut it any more. I lost sleep when he told me of the new pricing and the inevitability of the downtime. In the end Leanthar and I both had many reasons for finding every way possible to keep NWN going. Despite the financial weight which could be better spent, the occasional stress, the time lost better spent on future development, we really want NWN to keep serving our world. There are a lot of people who help right now, the developers, the gamemasters, the character approvers, the lore team, the writers, the mmo team who have all helped us in the direction we seek and to continue to serve Layonara as a magnificent world realized in the form of a video game. To not bridge the time from now until the release of the mmo with a video game entity of Layonara would in our minds have been a disservice to everyone who helps out. Then there's the rest of the community, those who have been here for long times and those of you who have just fallen in love with Layonara. Despite the very limited amount of rotten apples in the orchard, we really enjoy hearing about the great times you've had. Your creative outlets both in game and in the forums. Your community spirit and support. It is also no secret, we are hoping each of you will see NWN to the other side, and give us a chance in our future generation. Having even a fairly small starting community will be a boon to attracting more folks. Especially those very well versed in roleplay and its potential for enjoyment. And I certainly know the benefits in terms of seeking beta testers with technical aptitude. I truly hope we can carry this weight that NWN can sometimes be across the bridge. There are still concerns beyond the financial strain. The most important being time dealing with the inevitable issues that serving the world brings up. Finally on a personal note, where would I be without having some Plenarius time? I'm not ready to just write him off in a story, I want to play it out where it all started. So we have taken quite a downsize, we've lost 7 servers, 5 for NWN which will be combined into 2 in Montreal. 1 for DB and fileshare, and 1 to run West and Central. We'll probably have to do without a Quest server unless we can run a third module on the one server, which Dorganath and I doubt. We also lost 2 of our development servers. All of our hosting, 5 servers, is now in Montreal. 4 of these are paid by OneST8, one of them is piggy backed with some of our (him and I) other personal pages. The 5th one we're getting tomorrow/Friday will be paid by me. The tasks the 2 development servers from San Jose handled are now squeezed into the 3 remaining servers in Montreal. We have assurances from EdTheKet, Dorganath and Thak that they can help the financial strain if necessary. So here's the deal, if you want to keep helping out to say thanks for fronting the cost of the bandwidth and server for NWN, keep donating. With that said, the truth is that we will continue to eat the costs ourselves regardless if you donate or not as the servers will be used for our future whether they host NWN or not. NWN Layonara is in good hands for now, but be willing to accept its inevitable departure, hopefully with fair warning. If you want to say thanks to Leanthar for all he's paid in the past until now then donate. (Expenses incurred are over $20,000, that is minus all past donations.) If you want to help OneST8 and I foot the bill, hey thanks... donate. (Average monthly bill for the two NWN servers will be $200) If you're excited about our future and wish to help us in that regard, donations are welcome. To recap, you owe us nothing but continuing to enjoy the world, or if you have the time, continuing to volunteer as you can and hopefully you will give us a chance with the future generation of Layonara. If for whatever reason you just can't donate. It's cool, don't feel bad, we'll do our best to stay alive. Alas, all good things eventually come to an end, but we're pretty confident we'll have a phoenix rising from the ashes. Hope to see you there to witness it! -James
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« on: August 30, 2008, 10:45:59 am »
There are a few people reporting that they could not connect to the server last night and a few are still reporting that for today. I have also seen reports of the server being laggy. A few things. 1) The company hosting the servers had problems yesterday with their core router. They sent me an email at 5:59pm stating they would be doing emergency repairs on their core router at 6pm. Sadly I did not check my emails until early this morning so I did not know this was happening and could not give you any updates. Sorry about that. 2) It seems that their emergency maintenance took quite a long time (at least 30 minutes) but the servers are up now. 3) I have restarted the world servers so the lag should be cleared. I don't know why they would be laggy due to the down time that the company caused but perhaps they did, I rebooted them just to be safe. This should cure the overly laggy issue (see #4 below though). 4) I don't know what is going on with the some of you not being able to connect to the servers via gamespy or via direct connect. I am able to direct connect just fine (just did a few minutes ago). Currently there are 17 players online (after the server reboot). I am thinking that perhaps the company did something that is causing DNS to update across the internet (though our server IPs remain the same--so perhaps something on their router). If this is the case it will take a while for the information to propagate to the world (no more than 72 hours and probably less than 24 hours--of which it has been at least 12 now)....if this is the problem. I am not sure how else to help here other than to suggest waiting. Sorry for the inconvience.
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« on: August 08, 2008, 06:35:01 am »
A MESSAGE FROM THE QUEENTo the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In light of your failure in recent years to nominate a suitable President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy). Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary): 1. Then look up aluminium, and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. 2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour', 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise'. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (Look up 'vocabulary'). 3. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as 'like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as US English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize. 4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. 5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not ready to shoot grouse. 6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public. 7. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side of the road with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour. 8. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it. 9. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar. 10. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. Australian beer is also acceptable as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting Nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion. 11. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience we care not to experience ever again. 12. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full Kevlar body Armour like a bunch of nancies). Don't try Rugby - the South Africans, Kiwis and Aussies will thrash you, like they regularly thrash us. 13. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the Aussies first to take the sting out of their deliveries. 14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776). 15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season. God Save the Queen!
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« on: June 13, 2008, 08:54:56 pm »
This question has seemed to come up quite a bit lately, both within the community and the GM Team. As such, it seems appropriate to clarify things for everyone so that there is no confusion. First, let's define what, exactly, a Dead Magic area is. Dead MagicDead magic area is an area where there is no Al'Noth so you cannot cast anything. Also anything that requires activation by magic, or magic to maintain itself would not work, because there is no Al'Noth to support it. So, the casting of spells, use of scrolls, activation of wands and other things that produce magical effects and any other sort of action that requires or calls upon the Al'Noth to activate, function or maintain simply do not work in dead magic, nor will they continue to work when entering such an area. However, there are some things, items and spells, which, while magical in nature, are not affected by dead magic. For example, spells cast on weapons and armor prior to entering a dead magic area bring about physical changes and/or energize the objects such that they do not require the Al'Noth to sustain them but rather sustain themselves for as long as their energy holds out. The same can be said for summons. A creature that is called to the caster will remain for a set amount of time. Entering an area of dead magic does not banish the creature. Other examples are items such as jewelry and other worn items that enhance stats and skills as well as enhanced/enchanted weapons. Again, while magical in nature, their energy comes from within, not without. As such, the effects these kinds of items do not get removed when entering an area of dead magic. Everything else should be considered to not function at all in dead magic areas. This includes supernatural abilities and feats that come as a result of class and/or subrace bonuses and which are linked to the Al'Noth in some way. While this is not necessarily a comprehensive list, things such as Darkness, Divine Might, Divine Shield, Epic spells, Bless Weapon, Holy Sword, Deafening Clang, and Blade Thirst are examples of abilities that should not function in places of dead magic. To this list I also add the arrow-enhancing abilities of Arcane Archers and the weapon-enhancing abilities of Spellswords. They are very dependent on the Al'Noth and simply do not function at all without its presence. One item-based example that I wish to point out is Ioun Stones. While possessing a power of their own to a degree, their energy to remain in the air around the user and impart their benefits comes from the Al'Noth. As such, Ioun Stones would not work within dead magic zones. Any such active stones would fall from the air upon entering.
I'm sure this will raise a few questions as well as a disagreement or two based on what can be observed in-game, so I will continue. Mechanics vs. RPBioware, whether by design or oversight, has left us some mechanics which are often difficult to work around. On the same token, they have also left us some rather nice things, which make other things possible. Among the most relevant to this topic is the spell hook system. This nifty little system gets called at the beginning spells and spell-like abilities and lets us have things like dead and wild magic. However, and this is more often true for our custom content, not all such things are properly "hooked" for dead and wild magic. This unfortunately may leave some instances where something may appear to work mechanically even though the RP of it all says otherwise. There are a wide range of things we can adjust and easily manipulate, but there are also some things which are needlessly difficult. Of the things I've listed above (and which will also be listed below for ease of reference), some can be corrected easily enough, while others cannot. Regardless of whether they are possible to use in a dead magic situation (i.e. the mechanics permit it), in these cases, the RP limitations and denials shall take precedence. At the moment, we're aware of several abilities that should not function in dead magic but do. Whether these will be fixed and the timing thereof are not known at this time. It is currently a matter of available time and resources versus the benefit gained. So we ask for a bit of common sense in the decision as to whether or not something should work or be used in dead magic. The Bottom Line:Now that the GM Team's position on this matter has hopefully been explained, here's a list of things which are and are not permissible in dead magic areas. Note that this list may not be comprehensive and that we may add to it or change it as new cases are found or as our opinion shifts on the matter. - Allowed -
The following are permitted uses of magic and magical items, effects and abilities in relation to dead magic zones. These things are not considered exploitive and are in fact considered acceptable. - Temporary weapon enhancements applied prior to entering a dead magic area. This may include, but is not limited to, spells such as Greater Magic Weapon and Flame Weapon and abilities such as a Spellsword's Imbue feats.
- Temporary armor enhancements applied prior to entering a dead magic area. This may include, but is not limited to, spells such as Magic Vestment.
- Items that enhance stats, skills and/or saving throws that are worn or equipped (clothing, jewelry, accessories) and that provide a "permanent" benefit to one's attributes and bonuses.
- Summons of any kind, provided the summoning is performed prior to entering the dead magic zone.
- Permanent weapon and armor enhancements, such as elemental enhancements, silver and titanium coatings and elemental resistances.
As mentioned above, the key here is that these things do not rely upon the Al'Noth to sustain or maintain them, having received all their energy from either the casting itself or the energies inherent in the application of the enhancement. - Not Allowed -The following are not permitted uses of magic and magical items, effects and abilities in relation to dead magic zones. Even if mechanically permitted to do so, the cases below are prohibited, and players should not knowingly engage in such practices. - Ioun Stones. It does not matter whether or not these are activated prior to entering the dead magic zone or not, they are simply not permitted to be in use in dead magic...at all. They rely upon the Al'Noth to keep them circling around the character, and in its absence, they will fall to the ground. Bioware does not enforce this mechanically, but we will enforce it administratively.
- Active magical and supernatural abilities that would draw upon the Al'Noth in some way, whether divine, arcane or natural. They may possibly persist when moving into a dead magic zone, but should not be activated or used from within a dead magic zone. These may include, but are limited to:
[INDENT] - Racially-granted feats and abilities (i.e. Darkness)
- Class-based feats, abilities and powers (i.e. Divine Might, Divine Shield, Bless Weapon, Holy Sword, Deafening Clang, Blade Thirst). This also includes the abilities of Spellswords and Arcane Archers to imbue their weapons and/or ammo with special enhancements.
- Epic spells (i.e. Epic Warding, Epic Mage Armor, Hellball)
Again, it is possible that these things may be activated or used prior to entering a dead magic zone, but they should not be activated while within a dead magic zone. [/INDENT]The basic gist here is that any ability or item that requires the Al'Noth to activate or maintain cannot be used within a dead magic zone. The GM Team hopes that this clears up the various questions, for GMs and players alike, on the subject of dead magic and what should or should not be allowed. Especially in the "Not Allowed" list, there are probably a list of things that are not explicitly stated but which still fall into the category. Again, we ask that players apply common sense to these things and err on the side of caution, or at least ask about a particular case if it is unclear.
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« on: April 23, 2007, 11:22:39 am »
I am surprised I am having to type this but after five years of doing this I suppose I shouldn't be suprised. I want everybody to keep in mind the server and the community when they are submitting an evil aligned character. This is a family server and as such young adults and in some cases children may be reading these submissions. There is no reason to get graphic or gruesome on the submissions, none at all. There are multiple ways to get around the "need" of writing graphic details in a character submission, just use your head and a little common sense and you will figure out a way. I do not want to see the graphic descirptions in submissions any more, they are unacceptable. If we continue to see them evil aligned character will once again be removed from the world. Thank you.
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13
« on: March 19, 2007, 07:44:41 pm »
[SIZE=18]Tired of trying to type in battle? Tired of repeating your introduction to the umpteenth person? I have the solution right here![/SIZE]
Those of you that have travelled with my PCs were probably thinking to yourself, "That fellow can type up a storm!" While I can do that, I've added to my repetoire by taking advantage of this nifty software: AutoHotkey - Free Mouse and Keyboard Macro Program with Hotkeys and AutoText. This free bit of software allows you to write rather complicated hotkeys and macros. The nice thing is that it can intercept the keystrokes before they reach your game. Take my paladin of Vorax, Wanark. He had a dozen or more short blessings that he'd say (some in dwarven) when just prior to casting bless or equipping his waraxe. Then he had longer blessings that even included him kneeling. Finally, he had the entire Vorax paladin credo he'd use when he visited the temple. All of these I had assigned to hotkeys outside the game. Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it? Beautiful. I'll give an example from my current PC that you can use to build your own set. (Careful of line wrapping if you cut&paste into your own file.) [INDENT] [SIZE=16]
;; ------------------------------------------
;; A utility routine to say something
;;
[/SIZE][SIZE=16]Say(s)
{
global prefix
SendInput {Enter}
Sleep 250
IfInString, s, /tp
SendInput {Raw}%s%
else
SendInput {Raw}%prefix%%s%
SendInput {Enter}
}
;; ------------------------------------------
;; This will send yourself a tell with some help
;;
::/o help::
SendInput {Raw}/tp "Pen N Popper" name, description, wearing, ^f
Send {Enter}
return
;; -------------------------------------------
;; Give your name
;;
::/o name::
SendInput {Raw}rolan tennesen... *bows* sellsword in the employ of the freelancers
Send {Enter}
return
;; ------------------------------------------
;; A random color emote of walking along
;;
^g::
Random, num, 1, 5
if ( num == 1 )
Say("*hurries along at an uneven pace, pausing now and then to catch breath*")
else if ( num == 2 )
Say("*moves along at a steady pace*")
else if ( num == 3 )
Say("*hurries along, gaze taking in his surroundings*")
else if ( num == 4 )
Say("*marches along with quick strides, sounding a bit out of breath*")
else if ( num == 5 )
Say("*moves at a deliberate pace*")
Sleep 100
SendInput {LControl}
return[/SIZE][/INDENT]I save this to a file called "rolan.ahk" and then run it. Ingame, when I hit Ctrl-g a random description of walking will be sent. When I type in /o description the verbose description of Rolan is output. You can see that this can have as much flavor as you can think of. It is especially handy during battle when all I have to do is type Ctrl-f for a fight emote. (I even have it setup to fill in which weapon he is using to the emotes are correct.) Good luck!
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