Posts Thanked By User

61

Introduce Yourself / *cough cough*

« on: July 24, 2007, 09:12:21 pm »

Heya Folks,

Not sure how many old timers that I know are still around, but I thought I'd drop in and hit the Forum with a quick thread anyway. Life sorta took off without me a while ago and I'm trying to track it down... bugger's pretty elusive though. Just thought I'd give props to whoever is keeping things going on the GM and Content side of things now adays. It's a very large and demanding job and one that I always respected.

I also wanted to say that out of all the entertainment and media (music, movies, TV, or literature) that I've ever come in contact with, Layonara has had the most profoundly positive effect on my life. I started playing here when I was thirteen. I'm seventeen now and two of the most important things I've learned in life, that I attribue to Layonara, are moderation and the power of dreams. I was always allowed, even encouraged to let my imagination run away with me here. It's allowed me to drift off to places I didn't know existed, to keep my sanity in real life, and to approach everything from a different angle. It was good for me.

Layonara's a peaceful oasis in a busy and harsh world. That's not to say that it can shelter you from it. But, as it did for me, it can refresh you, maybe even teach you something, and ready you to face it again. I miss all of the friends I left behind with I stopped playing, I wanted to say that, and I wish everyone who's still here the best of luck with everything. Keep it going guys; maybe you'll affect someone else like me.

Long Live Layonara!
~ZV~

62

General Discussion / Weary of Friendly Fire

« 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.

63

General Discussion / IC and OOC

« on: June 21, 2007, 06:31:35 pm »

IC and OOC. There's no blurry line, but a thick black and white difference. A difference every roleplayer is familiar with. Yet as much as there's a difference between IC and OOC, at times, negative emotions from the character can travel into OOC. Whether it'd be a misunderstanding, something not quite clarified, or an argument leaving a few things left untraded etc, sometimes even the best roleplayers can find themselves irritated at another in the real sense.

But we are human, we all make mistakes. It's not about making the mistake, but moreso learning from it and becoming a better roleplaying individual through it.

I've been playing the less getting along side and more conflict seeking individual as Kinai lately, and the responses have left a rather bittersweet conclusion. The roleplay is fine, the reactions in character, yet I've seen nothing exchanged OOC.

Now, I usually do this myself, but there are times I don't, for example, when I notice my real life mood gets a bit sour. I usually refrain from IC and OOC conversations when I'm not at a decent or my best because I've always focused on being a good person to discuss with.

This is a reminder to those who roleplay conflict to keep a VERY clear connection OOC. It's fine to have conflict and the reactions, but you realize that by playing conflict you can just as easily tread on the fun factor of the players.

For both sides, be it the action or reaction, my request is that both parties send the occasional tell inbetween with a smile or a "good roleplay" or anything, and then make sure both have no questions about the outcome and the further actions that will be taken when all is said and done. You don't need to ask the other player's permission about "Hey, can I go to the law about so and so you did?" No...Just tell them hey, this is OOC knowledge, but my character is going to be "action here" to your character, so just a head's up!

You'd be surprised over how much happier some people will be.

64

Introduce Yourself / This is orth

« on: March 12, 2007, 06:35:25 pm »

Hello everyone,

This seems to be a popular forum and since I don't have a GM introduction I thought I'd take the time to let everyone know a little more about myself too.

My names is James, 32 years old living in a Toronto suburb.  I work as a Bookkeeper/Office Manager.  I have no wife nor children but 5 brothers and 4 sisters. (Yes all from the same parents).

I found Layonara in October 2003. I had spent many years on MUDs since 1994 but Layonara was my first graphic roleplay experience, (unless you count Diablo, which you shouldn't).  For those of you unfamilar with a MUD, it is a roleplay experience where all actions are typed, all interaction is text based. The deity I worshipped on one particular mud was named Orthwein, the God of Fate. Later on in my online life, I started using orthwein as a username, and it eventually got dropped to orth as that was all anyone would call me.

Anyway, Layonara blew me away, I found a creative outlet that was missing and was able to write a story with many others whom I developed strong friendships with plus have a lot of action and problem solving stimulation.  Plenarius was always there for me when I needed to just enjoy myself and escape for a while.

After a few months in Layonara, on the suggestion of Nita Thompson I applied for GM along with OneST8 and we were both accepted. In hindisight, I still think it was kind of early with my Layonara experience as some of the mystique is lost once you become a GM. But I don't regret the choice one iota.

I took a sabbatical in the summer of '04 and returned to find Leanthar having his hands full with development.  Many of the team had moved on to WOW and bugs were piling up.  I offered some suggestions to Leanthar privately on how to fix some bugs and we soon began communicating daily on issues before I eventually took up the whole Lead Dev position for NWN in early 2005.

Since then I've spent many hours in many areas of development and play time in this world.  It is a very large part of my life and I love it. There are so many people here I would call my greatest of friends and the memories overflow.

Thank you to everyone for making this world what it is and thank you to Leanthar for all that have you entrusted me with.

Enjoy your Layonara experience!

In case you want a face to the name: