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Messages - Kirbiana
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« on: April 13, 2010, 09:16:49 pm »
*tacked to the door and various other locations around the building* [SIZE=48]To our loyal patrons everywhere:
The Leringard Arms will be hosting a grand reopening party, complete with song, dance, drink, and door prizes.
We'll even be choosing a new Gypsy King and Queen to commemorate the opening.
Be watching for the announcement of the grandest party of the year![/SIZE]
[SIZE=24]Until then, the Arms is closed for further renovation and refurnishing. On the other hand, the Derrick Loadson and Cole Norseman Creature Card Room is fully open and ready for patronage. [/SIZE] [/I][/B][/COLOR]
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« on: May 27, 2008, 05:08:09 am »
Weary traverler (Mariners hold): If you find that the portal is not in the first locked room on the right of the bar. Go out and close the door. Now walk to the right side of the building, you will see a door there. Use it. Once you did that, go back inside, buy a new key, and go back to the first locked door at the right side of the bar. Voila! Orcs Bashers shop (Hempstead): The same principle applies, close the door, then go to the Alurial district. Turn left after coming out of the At and access the first door you meet. Once that is done, go back inside the Orc Bashers shop and Voila!
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« on: May 22, 2008, 08:12:08 pm »
Last night my son and I were sitting in the study and I said to him, "I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle to keep me alive. That would be no quality of life at all, If that ever happens, just pull the plug." ... ... ... ... ... ... So he got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my coke.
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« on: March 30, 2008, 10:16:12 pm »
Hey folks, many of you have been causing impressive lag when you log into the server. Upon looking in some folk's inventories, the 300 boxes filled to the brim is not a good idea. Let's do some personal house cleaning for the betterment of the server. I'm going to begin pulling folks aside that are above and beyond on the jam-packed inventories pretty soon, and I'll encourage the rest of the GM staff to do so as well to try and help with server lag. We have exceptional servers that Leanthar and company have established for this world. They are far and away beyond what most gameworlds will offer and we ought to all do our part in helping their performance. Just because that aloe leaf is there waiting to be plucked... or that 7th iron shortsword is sitting on the dead creature - it doesn't mean you *have* to pick it up and store it away for eight months before realizing that you've outgrown it. Or realizing that you are perpetuating your own problems in an economy where you won't ever be able to sell it due to supersaturation. Thanks folks.
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« on: July 20, 2007, 11:51:10 pm »
I hope you folks find this constructive. I'm getting a little weary of the blind pokes from the wings. And it's towards one thing in particular: That roleplay has depreciated on this server. I don't care who's saying it or whether they have more or less experience on this server then I do, I'm just a bit weary of that sentiment. Now, I haven't been here as long as a few of you, but I've been playing NWN since it came out and Layo for the majority of it. Here's what I've noticed of what goes on in any module: - There are new players - There are old players - There are plenty of players in the middle - There are young people - There are old people - There are those suffering from college omniscience - There are snotty people - There are brown-nosers - There are anti-establishment ranters - There are quiet people - There are nice people - There are people that rp more then adventure - There are people that adventure more then rp - There are people that think adventure can not be rp - There are anti-progressionists or those edging towards it - There are powermongers or those edging towards it - There are people who play 10 hours a day - There are people who play 1 hour a week - There are people who get along - There are people who don't get along There are people you end up loving, likewise there are those that rub you like rough grain sandpaper. There are all sorts of personalities and people and varying tenures and maturities that have been on Layonara at any given point in its online existance. Same goes for every other server. These roles and this variety has never changed in it's overall percentages from what I've seen, it's always a true mixed bag. Likewise, there are the all too common sentiments always bouncing around: - We don't roleplay enough - We are too harsh on rules - The cliques are unbearable - There isn't enough community - Things aren't balanced - Devs need to be more open - Devs need to use more discretion - XXX gets preferential treatment - XXX shouldn't be where they are - XXX dev(s) are out to get me - And of course: Us versus them, in any of it's myriad forms - And finally: Times have changed for the worse If I spent more then 5 minutes hatching this I'm sure I could list a hundred more, all bouncing back and forth against each other in the ongoing pendulums of opinion and emotion. The same themes passing by, generation after generation of players and devs alike. It's the last one that usually makes me chuckle, but as of late is growing tiresome on my ears. "Times have changed for the worse". I've heard this many times, and it comes in generation-based waves usually. The thing that always irks me is not so much the ignorance or self-righteous tone it usually takes, but the contradiction it typically puts on their grievance. Whatever their issue, most often depreciation of roleplay or playerbase, they usually voice this before or during their departure from the server, which is usually just proving themselves quitters who never quite got it. And here's why. Generations come and go. They attain server lore, they participate in events changing the server. On a server like Layonara where there is so much player impact, the server shapes itself around them. Usually it's a particular era of players, people that became their own little adventuring company during those times. They become the center of roleplay focus, not based so much on their *ability* in roleplay, but by the fact that they are so engrained in things and happenings on the server. And in these little era's coming and going, there seem to be a few trends. Many head towards development for the server since they've helped shaped it during their era. Some get sucked into development so far that they don't re-emerge. Slowly the adventuring companies of 'old' wither, "this dev doesn't log onto play enough, this guy got bored and left, this guy started playing another game, we can't do anything without the people who don't play as much anymore," etc etc... while there's still a core group struggling to hold on. Some adapt, some leave. And I honestly can't forgive the excuses of 'the server has changed for the worse' before departure. The correct response has luckily happened for the majority, and can be summed up as: What did XXX player do when his favorite RP and adventuring buddies left or moved onto pure development? He picked up new players, gave them a chance, brought in new generations of server shapers, and continued to have fun. Generations come and go. Eras of lore come and go. It is not an easy thing. It is not easy to find your favorite individuals moving on. But get off the high horse, roleplay is not depreciating, the server is not changing for the worse. The excuse of roleplay caliber is age old inaccuracy. If you simply let new people in they find their ground, probably at the same pace you did. People saying this have just lost their immediate reminders of identity. There are always going to be the different types of players coming and going; good, bad, experienced or inexperienced. There is always going to be the same percentages of those types of players coming in. These sentiments are a pretty simple matter, you think the community has lost it's sense but it's you that has lost your sense of community. Community is always going to be changing. To be a long standing player on any server, you need to accept this. Community is bigger then just one generation, just look at the progression of Layonara. Now, in all of this I will make one concession. A significant chunk of the Bloodstone era generation, the people that shaped a lot of the lore we have grown to know... they are gone. Some left around or immediately after the fall of Bloodstone, Reventage for example. Some have just recently not so much left, but have moved into development of the new Layonara, Rhizome or Orth for example. They log in now and then, but not like it used to be. And hey, I get it. It's a downer, those are the people I really miss adventuring with. And they do hold a lot of the server lore for their eras of gameplay that we currently regard as Layonara history. Our personal sense of lore has definitely hit a struggling point due to this change. And yes, it's a downer. And in this concession I will say that we could in fact use some change, that some of the "let-down" complainers may have some footing, however poor their delivery. Plot quests need to be reinvigorated, perhaps redelegated to bring forth new and motivated blood. Generations of players need to be fostered through a server-wide cause. Once it was Bloodstone, the mainstay of plotlines to maintain that community gathering point. I will conceed this, that things could be worked on in this sense to bring forth some cause. There are so so many players just waiting in the wings, waiting to find some cause to get back in there. For some it's the update. Fair enough, I can't say I can criticize that heh. For others it's apparently roleplay, and the simple solution to that folks is to just log in and try it. But yeah, I'll go with it, we could use some plotline cause, so however misguided this roleplay sentiment may be, I can somewhat see an issue in it all. But the community is still there. The caliber is the same as it's always been and there are a lot more individuals waiting in the wings to surprise you with their roleplay. It's not like the people sticking with NWN after all this time are the click-happy powermongers looking for more. More graphics, more monsters, more killing! No, it's the people looking for community. To any of you calling out the depreciation of roleplay, wake up. Find your sense of community instead of needing the last generation of players to hold your hand through it. Honestly, step it up. Instead of floating on the outskirts proving yourselves not of the caliber you preach... step it up. Talk to the new player, the younger generation, do what the generation we hold in such high regard did before us and continue to help the Layonara community find new roots.
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« on: June 05, 2007, 12:00:53 am »
[SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16] [/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]I've always found pictures to be a good snare for you unfortunate readers.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]I've been on three servers where they announced plans to at some point end their module progress. What I've found is a typical response from the playerbase, including myself. Interest in progression of your own character lessens, and the sudden reminder of the server mortality usually hits me for about a two week depression.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]There's a lot of major differences here however. First, the timeline put on NWN is of our own making. The new medium for Layonara is a massive effort very good people are working on. But it is going to take time since it is such a massive effort. And it's not two months, or six months... it's a long time. I hope the team working on it doesn't mind me saying that. NWN truly is in the hands of the players here. And this brings me to the second major difference. Layonara is continuing. The campaign and histories are continuing. The histories your characters are creating and helping to build are continuing. Characters of your own making are going into the very written history of Layonara. Look around. We *are* Layonara. This is not a plug pulled.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]What is going to keep us going is simply the continuation of motivation. Any way you slice it you're playing Layonara, be it this generation or the next. Had you found out that v3 would've been a character wipe, would you have fled? How many of us have started new characters since that discussion and found them in late stages of their life, engrained in the server, fulfilled. A lot of us I'd say. This is absolutely the same thing. I mean, Ketil is barely over a year old. I think of the time I've had playing him, and sure I want more, but that was a really really good year I've had with him. The same opportunity is in front of each of your characters right now. People just tend to get down when they see some finality to a character, it's something we don't like to admit as being possible. But we're talking about a *long* time here. Get over that sense of impending closure and realize it's not changing the game for you whatsoever.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]We play here for the community and that is what we must retain. Levels, progression, everything tangible to a single character ends up falling back on your interest in the community when it's said and done. When you've seen it all, when you have no more surprises around the corner, it is the surprise from a trusted and dynamic community that you will find your interest has been in this whole time.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16]I know what the pessimists will pick out of the big announcement post, as they like whispering it in my ear now and then. Timelines, character closure, last update... things of that nature. [/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]So let me shed some light on some realities on the update side of it that you haven't been able to see yet. For you players playing here in the years of 2004-2006, think of the updates you witnessed. The new scenery, it wasn't all that major. Mind you, a lot was going on, the game was being refined, scripting was allowing greater diversity and variation of gameplay, on the whole the NWN engine was being perfected for Layonara. Then came the V3 announcement. The initial update for V3 is what you have seen so far. It seemed like a significant change for some, the pessimists did their pessimism thing and probably complained about rangers or barbarians or bards *winks*. Some were blown away by the change in appearance. Most were merely excited about the newfound source of motivation.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]I usually stick to that middle crowd, complaining. That said, this "final" update, this conclusion to the major push for V3 of NWN, it's been worked on for several months. Several months where wives, husbands, coworkers or bosses of those working on it narrowed their eyes at the bags under eyes or the far away looks. I know for a fact that my wife is plotting a detailed sabotage of the server machines, bioware, Leanthar's house, and the developer of our computer to top it off. It's a big update that took a lot of work.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]This update is more substantial then what you're used to. It's quite likely the most substantial percentage change of material in NWN Layo to this point. And that's what I'm mostly going to be talking about here.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16]Updates come and go, and with version changes they hit surges. We didn't hit all the changes proposed for the V3 vision. That's clear to everyone. Kingdoms, farming, etc.... they never hit home. But updates also hit lulls. Lulls where there's not a ton to do. I can say with confidence that in the grand scheme of what V3 was realized as, this is the typical final stroke before the standard lull. We've made the important stuff hit home, we've made the core of V3 hit home. So to hit the stuff we should be concentrating on...[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16] [/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=18]The Scope of the Final V3 Update[/SIZE][/U][/B] [SIZE=16]What's new, what's different, and why should I be excited? Well Leanthar detailed the percentage changes on the servers. Bear in mind that this is a massive amount when compared to other updates you've seen. I don't want to go into the unknowns and mysteries that are in there waiting, it ruins most of the fun, but I can detail what they mean for you as players.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]Belinara and Dregar[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE][/U][/B] [SIZE=16]These have been merged. I actually view this as a plus because communication and grouping will be on the rise. Green tells or not, being a server apart limits grouping, and I'm glad to see the merge. More importantly, you are looking at huge rebuilds and added material. The first time you travel to Arnax you are going to immediately be hit with the changes with some impressiveness. Travelling north, you will be lost. It's a good thing. Dregar has likewise seen some major changes, I'm not going to tell you much about them. I can just say that the adventure is going to be new, exciting, and if you thought the new Firesteep was something... you ain' seen anything yet.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]Obviously new material is great, but a lot more has been done. Traffic has been funneled in ways that will pool people for roleplay and roleplay adventure. Thematic environments have been added, those places that naturally attract people for myriad reasons, and promote that magnet for roleplay.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]A few ambassadors for lore that we have all grown accustomed to listening to over the years have been made aware of the specific histories and themes of some of these grand new schemes on Dregar and Belinara. Look to them, you know who they are. Follow them to the new focal points for roleplay and adventure, prepare for the new adventures, and better yet the new campfires and places we'll come to know and love and gather at.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]The New Balance[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE][/U][/B] [SIZE=16]The balance of the world has not shifted in any wild manner. What has been done is the empowering of particular classes that until now have been left wondering why they are so unable to deal with the world around them. It's not a matter of changing a class, or limiting another. It's a matter of creating environments that foster certain character types that may have been limited before. Where and how? You'll figure that out quite fast I'm guessing. To what scale are we talking here? A massive scale. I'm fully aware of the woes of melees, the fact that a party of one class can do all while the party of all another class can do naught. You'll see role reversals in this regard, without taking anything away from a certain class. But it will be a new and dynamic set of environments that will let all characters have their shining moments instead of being left in the dark on all occasions. Additionally, a slight shift in magic level will be realized. It's not profound, since anything profound would be a true mistake. But some class characteristics have met with limitations given magic levels, and the bar has been slightly raised. Be patient, meet the adventure head on, and look forward to a big smile here and there. Even you rangers. I am very proud of what people have come together to achieve on this front, and all I can say is that I'll see you all at the crossroads.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]Epic Themes and Adventures[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE][/U][/B] [SIZE=16]Creating themes for epic characters has always been a problem, everywhere in NWN, whatever roleplay-based server you might be on. There seem to be only two speeds in epic adventure and challenge: 1) Everyone in your group dies ultra fast, or 2) Everything you're fighting dies ultra fast. NWN is what it is and it's hard to combat the tempo of adventure in epic levels. Roleplay is limited due to the tempo of epic grouping. [/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]But there are themes, hidden themes here and there, that will bring new dynamic to epic adventure. Thought process, lore, decision making, the demands of what roleplay servers should be. It's the best possible that people can do with NWN and I'll say that in full confidence. Look forward to those massively epic adventures, and enjoy the new style of play. That said, good luck finding them.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]Oh, and additionally, the bar has been raised all you epics. Every CR abounds, finally. Have fun, and don't be hasty or the soul mother will steal your company from the rest of us.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]Leanthar's courtesy in informing the community of plans in motion that will not be seen by us for a long time I deem a gesture of faith in the playerbase here. Our server here is made by the motivation of the playerbase and the higher standard of gameplay that continues to grow. Realize that Layonara is here to continue, in two ways. In one, NWN will keep going for some time to come, Leanthar was just gracious enough to share the full picture of things. A long time! Don't get down because the doc just told you that people typically don't live past 100. Appreciate your time and the people you're sharing it with. And in the other way, Layonara persists. It has blown through the roof of being held by a single game engine, and the histories we have all come to be a part of look as though they will continue far beyond the lifespan of a single engine. And this is something we should all be grateful for.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] [SIZE=16]I'll see you at the crossroads soon. There's a lot of new adventure for us to enjoy. Oh, that's right, and it's coming in the next few days.[/SIZE] [SIZE=16][/SIZE] 
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« on: April 01, 2007, 05:35:57 am »
Okay this is a combination of quite a few things so bear with me here. For some reason I decided to keep them all together though it's kind of three posts in one. Many of you were left wondering just what the heck was going with regards to this thread: http://www.layonara.com/general-discussion/114789-messenger-bad-news.htmlI've been in communication with Zelda1 and she had a few things to say and a few confessions at the same time and has asked me to relay them. First off, in regards to the mentioned thread, she insists she has no idea where that came from and was no part of it. So we're still a bit up in the air on just where that all came from. But Zelda1 does want to clear the air on some things anyway and has asked me to relay them. She originally came to Layonara and was instructed to pretend she wasn't as young as she is. She, like many of us have had at times, got a little too caught up with her character, but also the persona she had taken up and decided to take a break. She returned again but due to some more conflicts left once more. She returned in V3 and the new forums under a new username to set the record straight on her age and who she was but that never came to fruition before this event with the alleged coma took place. She is upset and sorry for the grief she may have caused for this mistaken identity, she didn't realize how caught up one could get. I have asked that she focus on her studies and keep in touch, but she will not be playing. I believe also she has a few friends to contact to set the record straight. Layonara is going to leave this episode to those who are very closely involved and step away from it. Now onto a few of my thoughts...I thought about some things and while my initial anger probably was a fuel for the harsh tone I had in my post that closed that thread, I think in retrospect I should have handled it better. Obviously there were some people who would be feeling great emotion if they have been going through this thinking it's the full truth and for me to "slam" the door with terms such as "sick joke" might not have been the best. I think a more calm "Something is not adding up here and I fear some people are not hearing the truth as the evidence of this story's fabrication piles up" might have been a bit more sensitive. So to those who I may have offended in that regard, I'm sorry. I also want everyone to know that we have a protective nature here as well and are looking out for the best interests of the community and we'll use all the information that is available to us to protect Layonara and it's community. Some of you may not know but when you connect to the forum you leave a trace of your internet connection. This sort of information is viewable to the Administrators of the forum who can be viewed on the User Groups Page. When you're in game you also leave this information and Dorganath, OneST8, Leanthar, Nibor21 and myself have access to that information via the database and Pankoki and EdTheKet through server logs. One person asked me about Forum PMs. OneST8 and myself have access to this information only via the database though, there's no "Read this person's Private Messages" or anything like that. It's on a database, it has to be stored somewhere... But that's the risk you take when you submit most information over the internet. That is why you should always make sure your network admin gets cookies. With that said, we're not going to read your PMs. Unless a law enforcement agency asks us for them or we have an extremely strong suspicion that you may be guilty of something illegal or very detrimental to the Layonara community. All poll voting is private but the information is stored on a database so once again OneST8 and I have access to that information. No one can see tells in game. No one can see private IRC communications. I want everyone to understand that even though to some it may not seem so evident recently, we do really care for the players here. Our number one goal is for you to have fun and enjoy yourself. We want you also to meet new and interesting people in a family friendly environment where the magic of our fantasy world can help us feel young and creative and for us to be able to take out some of the real world woes on monsters. Emotions can flow in every single direction when a group such as our playerbase joins up. Many relationships have evolved from Layonara; great friendships, confidantes, mentors, coworkers and even love. Alas these emotions bring along other ones though. There is indeed a Balance to the Layonara community too (oh no here comes the Plen!), and things go on tilt. Scores of differing opinions rise, rumours flow, relationships end, people fade, deception behind the computer, envy, frustration pile up then to add to that, there has been a lot of change recently to Layonara. Very balance upsetting! I've talked to a few people who are concerned about this and I find a rather large irony in the fact that these people approached me much like I think characters would approach Plen. I as a person can do for the community what Plen has tried to for the game. Because like the cycle of Layonara's Nature, there is the one with the Layonara community and I intend to help keep that balance in whatever capacity I can  -orth(y)
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« on: March 25, 2007, 02:50:14 pm »
I have to admit I love the new design for the game. Its interesting and exciting. I do also have to say I am beyond frustrated. I spend more time dead then anything else. I cant even get to most low level crafting items. Now you cant even craft while your dead. I don't have the luxury of getting into a group, because I don't have control over how long I can play. I loved this server because I could pop in and pop out and do my crafting and enjoy it. Now.... I just don't have a clue what to do. I just think you forgot to plan for those of us who by the dictates of RL must spend most of our game time alone. I don't want to find another server to play on. I like the people here. I like the world and I love the crafting. Its the main appeal of this world. I just wish it were fun to play again.
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