Posts Thanked By User

601

General Discussion / Wanted to Thank You all

« on: April 03, 2008, 10:35:23 pm »

Well when I started here, I knew nothing of the rp world.  I read everything slow and I typed even slower.  As time grew on, I like to belive I grew as an person and a player.  

I was like this is to cool.  I can not belive this world and these people.  The GM's were great.  Heck I even remeber my first 3 day banned and only (I was a bad boy that did not read the rules and leveled in something I should not of) by L himself.  I could go on forevery about the Quest's.  The time it takes for the gm's, mind blowing.  The RP great, but I do like a bit of bashing.  Heck after all I am a fighter/cleric/undead slayer.  

I can tell you this, I have learned to read faster and type faster with fewer mistakes.  My spelling has gotten a lot better, now I need to work on my grammer *belly laugh*.

I want to thank everyone here for everything it.  I can not wait to see the next verison.  I am sure it will be just as great.  I guess I just wanted to get this off my chest.  

*waves*

602

General Discussion / Seasonal Reminder: Inventory Lag

« 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.

603

General Discussion / A Slice of Life

« on: February 26, 2008, 12:12:09 pm »

I've always thought of Layonara as a never ending movie where we the players get to puppeteer the stars, but what does puppeteer really mean? Well, I believe that when one plays a character, regardless of how much effort is put in, we are exhibiting characteristics of our own mind, personality and soul. There is so much depth to every single one of us that is often left completely undiscovered. Some people prefer to not explore themselves and so we only get to witness a sliver of their true self but the ones that do explore are often the ones that pour themselves into their RP and do so over the course of more than one character.

While we all tend to act differently in RL than our characters IG, even in RL we are playing the role of our real lives with real stakes at hand. This is why RL Always Comes First.

While Layonara is Just a Game there is none-the-less a bond that's seeded, nurtured and grown through the life we breathe into our characters. I like to think of this bond being represented by the 10 Soul Strands. When a character is first created, the bond is fresh, new and full. As we explore the world through the shoes of the character we're able to learn about ourselves in ways not available to RL. We are given the opportunity to explore the truth and consequences of our actions in a setting where when it really boils down to it, there's absolutely nothing to loose and everything to gain because it really is Just a Game.

As the strands wilt over time [be it short or long] we are all hit personally with that pang in the chest and burning of the heart. We are tangibly loosing a slice of that bond between our heart and our alternate self; the character. Having that bond broken by a permanent death will inevitably impact the RL self to some degree. Sometimes the break can be so extreme as to bring one to the point of rejecting the mere thought of allowing one's self to grow another bond. This is natural, we are only human and our hearts can bleed in more ways than one.

However, we must always remember that with each and every permanent death; a void is born in the world and a new chapter in the history of Layonara is waiting to be opened. Regardless of how big or small the chapter is, there is a new slice of your self just waiting to be given the chance to see the first light of a new Layonaran day. Rejoice in the accomplishments of the past slices, learn from their mistakes... where there was an avenue blocked from your exploration due to alignment or other RP restrictions, perhaps now that avenue can be explored through a new slice of life in Layonara.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with maintaining the characteristics of a past slice in the new personality. In fact, I'd highly encourage it. Take the best aspects of every character you've ever played and imbue them into a new one. Inevitably this will cause a new mix of experiences which bring out new traits you'd never even thought of before.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm speaking for myself and I'm not trying to hype Layonara up or push anyone to continue playing when they in fact do not wish to do so. All that I want to do with this posting is to share with you all how I feel about the inherent impermanence within the realm of Layonara. It forces us to come to terms with emotional transitions in-game that mimic similar emotional cycles and transitions found in real life but in such a way that allows us to adapt [and / or harden] ourselves to the realities of real life in a positive and relatively risk-free environment. I've always loved D&D of old for this and in our modern day D&D has given way to learning opportunities on a massive scale with the advent of multiplayer RP games.

Hoping this made sense to someone out there,
OneST8

604

Just for Fun / Hey, no recursing

« on: January 25, 2008, 10:10:05 pm »

605

Wild Surge Inn / Looking for...

« on: January 07, 2008, 02:33:52 am »

** Sall nails this up on the wall of the Wild Surge... seemingly unconcerned at the late hour he seems to be doing it. Chakar stands behind him, arms folded, trying to get Sall to nail it to the wall straight*

Looking for a man named Jeran....

Said to live or once live in the Leringard Arms district for many years.

Contact Sallaron Tempest
or Chakar.... ** the rest of the name is unintelligable, as though the writer didn't really know how to spell the rest*

606

General Discussion / Strike Text Out!

« on: December 30, 2007, 10:40:09 pm »

This isn't anything special, just a quick fix for a missing BB Code tag. As you can plainly see, [strike]this text[/strike] has been crossed-out. To start crossing out your own text, see our forum's vB code page.

Enjoy!

607

Trade and Market Hall / A box of eggs

« on: December 27, 2007, 07:12:19 pm »

A box of eggs for those interested.  I ask for nothing in return for the eggs, but a receipt of donation from the Our Lord Protector's Temple in Vehl dated on or after this day, Satari, Seplar 7 in the year of His Golden Grace 1426.  The sum of the donation shall not be less than three thousand true.  Should the donation be generous and exceed six thousand true, a ring to bless you with The Gold One's wisdom will be included with the eggs  (//ring of owl's +1 wisdom)

Tariana, servant in the Golden Grace

*impressed in wax, flaked with gold, is  a claw and shield*

608

Wild Surge Inn / The Traveling Bard's Tavern Reviews

« on: December 18, 2007, 11:05:38 pm »

Soaked to the bone, aching from head to toe, and parched as a desert? You need the warmth of a good tavern, the company of an eye catching beauty, and the flowing spirits of Xeen to recharge your batteries. But wait, what’s this? A bunch of old drunk sailors, drafty walls, and swill you suspect came from the latrine. Well fear no more, the Traveling Bard is to the rescue. This is your guide for finding your tavern, your home away from home. Is it good company that gets you going? Or is it the fine concoctions of a master brewer that you crave? Perhaps you prefer to be pampered and are looking for that unique luxurious experience. Or perhaps it is the melodic hymns of a master bard that is what you are looking for. Look no further, the Traveling Bard will set you straight. Here you will find reviews for all the taverns across the lands, using a unique four stein rating system. No more wasting the night at a hole in the wall drinking swill and waking up on a hardwood floor. The Traveling Bard is your guide to your place of refuge and relaxation.
 
  Four Stein Rating System:
  Each tavern will be given a ranking between 1 & 4 indicating its quality. 1 is the worst, 4 is the best.

[INDENT]?}                            - Best to avoid
[/INDENT][INDENT]?} ?}                   - Ok in a pinch
[/INDENT][INDENT]?} ?} ?}                   - Worth a visit
[/INDENT][INDENT]?} ?} ?} ?}           - Not to be missed
[/INDENT]
  To come up with a tavern’s overall rating, it will be evaluated in four different areas...
[LIST=1]

• Establishment: The quality of the surroundings, the building, and the accommodations.
  
• Food & Beverage: The quality and assortment of its various food and beverage offerings.
  
• Entertainment: The quality of the entertainment. Jukeboxes, pianist, musicians, gambling, etc.
  
• Patronage: The quality of the folks that you can typically find at the establishment.

Overall rating will be an average of all four areas rounded to the nearest half based on The Traveling Bard’s discretion.

“Eat, drink, sing, and be comfortable.”

  - Courtesy of Flynn de Ballard

609

General Discussion / Vendar's leave of abscence

« on: December 18, 2007, 12:02:44 am »

Hey GM team and players,
Just wanted to let everyone know I love the RP world here and would spend much more time in Layo if I possibly could. Trouble is, I received orders to deploy to Iraq for one year and will be leaving the beginning of January '08. I'll be taking my laptop (which has NWN and Layo haks of course!) overseas with me, but I have no idea if I'll be able to login and play during my time there.

So if you don't see Vendar following you around with his trusty quill and parchment, he is on an extended quest for Knowledge in unexplored lands and hopes to return next year. It's been great playing with you all.

610

Rumour Has It / A last goodbye...

« on: December 12, 2007, 05:05:09 pm »

* Three dwarves are seen by many as they pass from Hlint to Spellguard carrying an old man in blue robes reverently on a shield, held high on their shoulders. The dwarves are recognized by some as Varka Cleaveson, Gravas Hrendhamar and Kobal Bluntaxe, while the lifeless body on the tower shield is that of the well known wizard Godim Harjumaa.

His long silvery-white beard looks to have been carefully groomed and his robes repaired in many places. Even so, clear evidence remains of the sword or spear thrusts that must have killed the old wizard.

One last time Godim Harjunaa enters the splendid city of magic - Spellguard. His retinue consisting of the three dwarves and others who knew him, follow the train as it moves towards the temple of Lucinda.

The clergy here were already notified because a priest stands at the entrance, seemingly waiting to accept the old man into the loving embrace of the Lady of Spells. Two acolytes step forward to accept the burden and carry the shield into the temple grounds, where the body is to be prepared for burial.

The adventurers and dragon-called remain to pay Godim their last respect before his body is returned to the earth. *

611

General Discussion / For all of those still trying to get the log rotator working

« on: December 03, 2007, 01:05:12 am »

Here is how I set it up on my computer and it is working fine.

1- once you downloaded the program and started the install, make sure to install the log rotator to your main nwn folder like so



2: once the program is installing it will launch the configuration tools. I personally choose the text mode with the date and time.

3: I then check the ask for text

4: I save and exit the configuration tool



5: You will now see on your desktop an icon that will be called NwN.



6: You have to take that Icon and put it in your main folder of NWN where the exe is. It will ask you if you want to replace the previous exe with that file. Select Yes.



7: Once that is done, create a shortcut of the new exe that you just placed in the Nwn folder.



8: Always start the game with the new shortcut. It will make a dos application start. DO not close that else your logs will not save. Once you close the game, it will pop you a box where you can enter the name of the log. Voila! tested and has been working for me for over a year.

Enjoy!



You can then change the icon image to one that fits more the NWN icons. Also if the game crash use debug to be able to save your logs

612

General Discussion / Life is Short

« on: November 04, 2007, 11:39:00 am »

I was woken up to a phone call this morring from my mother.  It was a phone call you never here want to hear.  There was a huge car pile up comming out of Selma on 99.  Caused by a drunk driver (not sure if the fogg was bad but usuall is).  Something like 108 cars.  A child was killed, but a young man was killed also.  This young man was a family friend.  

My best friend that usual goes to work on saturdays that travles that same road, he desided to stay home.  I am thankfull for that.

Life is to short.  Bad things happen to good people all the time.  I say no, not this time.  Drinking and driving was the cause.  I begg any of you, if you go out to a party, dinner, or just out with friends and have any drinks at all.  Call a cab, have a sober driver take you home, call someone.  

Dont think just becouse I had two or three drinks I am fine to dirve.  I am sorry to tell you, you are not ok to drive.  I am not perfect by anymeans.  I learned the hard way many times over.  This is not the first friend to die becouse of drinking and driving.  I wish it would be the last, but in all reality it wont be.

613

Wild Surge Inn / Orienteering: New Player Welcome Event

« on: May 26, 2007, 05:18:05 pm »

A dusty gnome walks into the Scamp in Port Hempstead, a distracted look on his face. He climbs up onto a stool, deftly pulls a map out of one of the many cases tied to his pack, and begins to examine it. A slight mutter can be heard as he measures some things on the map with his fingers.

The low rumble of gnomish coming from his mouth is suddenly punctuated by a wide eyed shout, "Dryd ruma ec silr mynkan dryh E aqbaldat, yht silr taaban!!" Almost frantically, Efficace pulls a fresh sheet of paper from one of his numerous bags and begins to write on it. He writes for a moment, stops, then writes again. He then grimaces and writes a third time. Once the writing is complete, the gnome pops from his stool, walks to the message board, and posts the paper at eye level for a gnome. The paper appears to contain the same message three times, first in Gnomish, then Dwarvish, and finally Common. The Common version reads as follows:

[size=+2]Diggers Wanted[/size]

Efficace Brown, the Gnomesapper, needs people who can dig. I have a big digginjob. I cannot pay much of the Truecoins, but you will get to see digging done the very best way, the Gnomish way. Yah. So bring your shovels for the holediggin.

The bottom of the note contains instuctions when to meet at the Stormcrest Shack if you are interested in joining the work party.

// Tuesday, May 29th, 7:30 PM Pacific, 10:30 Eastern, 0230 GMT (Wednesday morning), Stormcrest Shack

Calendar Link

// For this event to meet its objectives, the following ground rules are necessary.
// Base your decision to participate with the correct expectations in mind:
Levels 1-6 only please
Party Size Limit: 6 Max (Probably won't be a problem, but too many people can ruin these things)
No running (except from monsters)
There will be a "mandatory role-play period" at the beginning and during at least one "campfire intermission"
Please arrive with arrows/bolts, food, water, potions, flint, tinder or whatever you need to last the trip
The goal is for everyone to survive the outing, so patience, restraint, and caution will be necessary
The "bashiness" rating will depend on who shows up and other 'special' factors, but will probably be very low

This IS:

• A chance to see a little more of Mistone and learn how to move safely between Hempstead/Vehl and the wide, wide world
• A chance to pick up (but not complete) about 5 NPC quests
• A chance to learn the Player Map System
• An opportunity to ask in-character questions about world events and locations, NPC quests, where to find CNR, whatever
• A good place to ask in-character those questions people on the forums tell you to "ask someone in-game"
• A great time to trade crafting items and resources with people who can't use items better than the ones you can make
• A setting in which to meet people to go adventuring with later
• An acceptable time to use OOC tells to ask questions about the more frustrating aspects of the game's mechanics (eg I just can't get my character to fish! )

This is NOT:

• A GM run event
• Run by a player with extensive knowledge of many in-game happenings (I learn at each of these, just like everyone else)
• An opportunity to "kite" or "draft" behind a high level tank character, soaking up XPs for fast leveling
• A chance to quickly group up and go 'hunting/bashing'

614

General Discussion / Greensburg, KS

« on: May 06, 2007, 11:24:00 pm »

I am not sure if any of our community members live there or know people there, but I send my best wishes to the people of Kansas, who have had their lives up-rooted by recent tornadoes.

615

General Discussion / Partying: a personal request

« on: April 04, 2007, 06:31:38 pm »

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experienced this:

You invite someone, or someone invites you into a party. Someone else wanders by, initiates conversation, inquires as to your purpose, and joins the party. You are about to set off to smack things. Suddenly, and without warning, another face appears on your sidebar... you mouse over their portrait, and see that they're on another continent . . . Strange. . . . And then, another person is added and another.  More people join (none of whom are actually present) until the entire population of Layonara is in a single party!  All of a sudden, everyone has a reason to wait before setting out, "One minute, it is vital that I stare at my navel before heading into battle." Lo and behold, all those little faces in the party bar just happen to wander by, having the urge to kill the same things at the same time at the same place.Funny how that works.

Seriously though, there is a big difference between:

Me: This is a strong foe we aim to battle. Perhaps I should send a bird to Lady Pwnsalot, to see if she would be interested in joining us.
Other Person: Indeed, her sword would be welcome!
Me: *summons a falcon and writes on some parchment*
[Tell] Falcon message: Myself and a few others aim to slay the fearsome rats in the sewers, but we cannot do it alone, would you care to join us?
[Tell from Lady Pwnsalot]: Verily! I would never turn down such an opportunity, I shall be there forthwith!
*invite Lady Pwnsalot*
Me: *Receives a not from a bird, reads it and nods sagely* She will be here to aid us as fast as her legs can carry her.

And:

[Tell]:Hey, wanna come kill some stuff with us?
[Tell from Lady Pwnsalot]: Sure, I'm in Allindor, just wait there for me, ok?
[Tell] n/p
*invite Lady Pwnsalot*

There are plenty of legitimate reasons why one might invite someone who isn't there at the moment, but please have the grace to ask the rest of the party members, and at least make an attempt to have some RP justification. Too often, this kind of thing just spirals out of control (although my initial description may be a tad exaggerated ). I know I'm not the only one who prefers small parties, so please try to remember when everyone wants their friend to come along, it can ruin things for many of us. If you want to have large parties that can run roughshod over anything, there are plenty of people who enjoy that too, but to make every gathering like that is disrespectful to the rest of us, in my opinion. It really doesn't take much imagination to invite people in an RP appropriate way that allows the group to have their input. Maybe character A will refuse to travel if character B  goes along. Maybe Character A is shy and doesn't want to fight with people he doesn't know. And maybe some of us just have OOC preferences, and feel left out when people are invited without some IC dialogue. A little bit of communication and courtesy go a long way.  Thanks.

*I hope this doesn't sound too whiny and ranty, as the title says this is just a personal request, based on my own play style, and I realize not everyone is going to agree with me here*

616

Introduce Yourself / Anamnesis

« on: April 03, 2007, 10:12:10 am »

Most of you know me as either Amireana Mandrine or Elohanna Min A'Litae, although I admit I am working on a third character which will hopefully be a delightful change of pace from the normal characters I tend to play. I am not revealing anything yet.

In realife I am married to Frank, also known to many of you as Lyle Underoot, Melanna, Treana, or most recently the crazier of his characters Emwonk. My name is Nancy and I live in Oklahoma where I work in a call center environment for the banking industry which I have done for over 8 years now.

Frank and I met over the internet in a poetry chat room back in 1998 and hit it off well. We were married in august of the following year in a little park near the beach. Frank is a blessing and we have a beautiful daughter to show for our faith and love for each other.

I enjoy writing as a creative release of pent up emotions. I am for the most part very easy going, although I do get angry occassionally. I like to write poetry, short stories, and role playing.

The first time I seriously got involved in RP was through a game called Freelancer, a few years ago. I still consider myself very much a novice and feel most comfortable sticking to characters that most closely mimic my own personality type.

I am however trying to broaden the scope of RP and possibly in the near future, take on an slightly evil character.

I am 29 years old and love to read books such as TS Eliot, Robert McCammon, who my husband encouraged me to read and I now love to read. Robert Jordan, John Grisham, Dan Brown. There are wide variety of genres in both books and music that I enjoy as well as many different types of movies I like. My favorite Sci Fi series are ST: TNG and Stargate: SG1 and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I have a huge list of movies I enjoy but I will not go into each and everyone of them.

Anyway This is just a small part of the person behind the characters. Feel free to ask any questions anytime. I am usually very approachable.

617

General Discussion / Zelda1, Some Clarity, Layonara Balance

« 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.html

I'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)