Posts Thanked By User

21

General Discussion / And thats it....

« on: December 21, 2010, 10:15:37 am »

Well, this might have been seen coming, but its time I hung up the GM gloves.

RealLife has took a wonderful turn in the form of two crazy, mad-cap spawns of Mini-Me's, whom continue to suck and drain every ounce of will to live that I have ( kidding of course!  )

Add to that various other things, and sadly I just don't have time for GMing anymore, so I'll put the GM Wand back on the self, and hope someone else will pick it up and have a wave.

But I do thank you for the opportunity I had to bring about some chaos, fun and laughs to this wonderful little world you've all created. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for the MMO when it's released, and likely bring about some great ancestor of the Tempest's to see it.

I wish you all well, and of course a Happy Christmas!

22

General Discussion / A Special Day

« on: December 20, 2010, 03:27:37 am »

Happy Birthday to Lynn1020!  Hope you had a great year and I wish you the best in the year to come.

23

Implemented Ideas / Server Status

« on: January 27, 2015, 11:09:49 am »

A thought occurred ... *watches as people duck for cover* I know GMs get additional information when looking at the server status re locations of characters, deity info, level splits, etc ... and also when a GMN is on a server. Is there any reason why this is not shown to players? I know players can see when GMs are on at the login screen but maybe, for some folks, the decision to play Layo (or pursue some other activity) is made when checking the server status. People might be more inclined to jump in-game when a GM is online thinking there is at least some chance of GM interaction? You can come out from cover now. *waits until Dorg has left whatever shelter he'd been hiding behind* Ha! Fooled ya! I also want poison duration extended further!

24

General Discussion / Announcing NWN log stripper alpha

« on: September 23, 2010, 04:26:11 pm »

Hey everyone,



Per request of Cinnabar way back a few months ago I created a small tool for stripping log files of combat and only displaying what selected people were saying. The project is now(Actually it has been for some time) at a stage, where I can allow people to test it out and give feedback on how it works for them.



There are still features to be added and things to fix but it should at least in it's basic form give people a useful tool for processing huge logs with lots of combat.



I am aware that one such program already exists(Search for nwStory: Tools for the Story Writer), but I am mostly developing this as a little hobby project while learning some techniques and such for software development. Therefore I hope that at least a couple of people would like to try it out and tell me what they think.



At the moment the project page is really bare, but go to the project page and give it a try if you ever need to get a quick overview of a special log. Just remember that it is still an alpha stage project and there may still be bugs and other quirks. Right now the windows application is available, download the packing.tar.gz file and unpack it, the executable is in the packing/bin directory.



The way the program works should be rather easy to figure out, but I will try to make an update tomorrow with instructions and such.

25

Just for Fun / Warchild's Motivational Posters

« on: September 02, 2010, 09:42:06 pm »

When "LFG" really works out to your advantage....

26

General Discussion / Ideas

« on: September 01, 2010, 09:14:42 am »

Was just reading akata's post and Dorg's responses ... to be truthful, got me a little disheartened. One of Layo's longest serving players (and world leaders) obviously not happy about some things ... anyways, you can read that thread.



I really want to write a long, well-written post with lots of good ideas and an accurate, sensible summary of some of the thoughts that are in my head ... that said, I don't know where you guys get the time!



I was going to jump on tonight and had a peek at the server status .. again, only 2-3 characters on across both servers. I ended up watching TV and playing Bejewelled on Facebook. Unfortunately, that is becoming the preferred option more and more often - and it seems like not only for me?



Why?



I have my thoughts on the matter ... forgive me they aren't couched in loquacious (*nods to darkstorme*) paragraphs. Hopefully the gist is clear.



1. More scheduled quests please! I know GMs are doing it on a volunteer basis, I get it, I do. I did it for a couple of years and know sometimes you really can't be bothered or RL is busy or you'd rather jump on as a player ... but 2-3 a month is achievable, no? How can you incentivize the running of more quests for GMs? Give them XP for their chosen character for their time spent running quests? I certainly wouldn't begrudge a GM earning the same XP for one of their characters at the same rate my character does attending the quest they spend their time running. I don't know ... maybe others have got some ideas to encourage GMs to run quests?



2. Please change existing areas every now and again. Just a tweak, that's all I need. Does it take that long to shift a spawn two inches over? Add another goblin archer around the corner there, some warhounds with the hobgoblins there, a trap in the minotaur caves, a vampire in with the mummies, a treasure chest here, a carrion crawler there, whatever ... I contemplated making (another) new character the other day and had the thought if I have to run them through the same 100 areas that I have done literally hundreds of times previously with other characters I will seriously do myself in. I'd do it myself, honestly I would but ... *hugs his Mac*



3. Less rules, more fun! I have played here for over 4 years and I don't know the rules anymore. If people wanna make a goblin to join in on Lonn's gobbie night, go ahead! The will system and inter-character transfer of assets and house remodels and restricted classes and 4 CDQs to move from A to B and 2 CDQs to change from Y to Z ... I dunno, maybe it's just me but i'd rather play with 20 people, half of whom play as NG when their approved alignment is LG than play with one person who plays their alignment by the letter of the law. If someone is ridiculous with relaxed rules, kick em out ... but do the excesses and abuses of the past have to erect these impossible barriers for entry for new players?



4. More positions for characters! Ongoing responsibilities! Ability to change the world! I know this has been gone over numerous times elsewhere ... don't think there is an easy answer and I understand the lore books are to be released at some point and lore needed to be crystallized at some point and for various dramas lore has had to be re-written but it is a little demoralizing. I think Acacea has written about it elsewhere, all the challenges of the world are these new things that for whatever reason weren't a danger to everyone last week? WLDQs especially. I don't want to go into the ins and outs of all the WLDQs of the last few years but prior to Blood's fall the WLDQs run seemed to affect existing plots and people ... now it seems as if each WLDQ tackles a newly introduced foe so as to not affect existing lore? Fenrir's mithril-eating Balamti? Never heard of them prior to his WL. Daniella's unhappy God. Was it a concept that was created for her WLDQ? Alandric's child of chaos? Never read about him in lore. If other WLs agree, maybe this topic is better taken into the WL forum for dissection?



5. Re-attachment of DTs. Again, it's been spoken about to death elsewhere ... but again I keep coming back to how many of those players/characters now gone due to their character perming would have remained versus those people who remained because of the existing DT system? I'd put money down that the former is more numerous than the latter. Ark is on 9 tokens, if/when he loses No 10, there (most probably) goes yet another player.



Please read this as written from the perspective of a player who wants to get excited about Layo again. Do they read as criticisms? I don't mean them to be. Read them as from a player who wants to look at the server status of a night and jump on and go for a run with a dozen others on west or a different dozen on central.



Dorg, I don't need a response from you individually addressing these points, it's cool.

27

Roleplaying / WL frustrated with options offered

« on: June 28, 2010, 10:11:21 am »

So now that I have played for quite a few years I have seen a rather strange tendency over the years. Seemingly the player get less and less influence on the world, the WLs(/epics) in particular.

Back in the day epics were really really epic, I mean they were the leaders of their churchs, almost avatars of their gods, dragons, you name it...

Now it is all about handing XP out to people who are doing a great job in the gameworld... Not that this is bad for anyone, however the change is...

I agree that there was some point in Layonara history where there were too huge a gap between what "normal players" and WL's could do. But right now no one can do anything which seems even more silly than someone can do something.

Maybe it is just me, but besides one event that took place a couple of years ago I have been unable to do -anything- what so ever to affect the gameworld. I mean really, it has even gone to the point where even if I don't do something things will happen anyway. So now playing is more like getting told, oh you know this thing will happen in the future, you don't have to do anything it will happen no matter what.

((What I have tried so far:

Contacting GMs
Involving other players
RPing IG
Answering IC forum posts))

Well alright, if that is the case why even play, because one of the reasons I really liked playing here was that every action has consequences.. Well that is cool, as long as you can actually do something that matters in the first place.

Instead I feel stuck in a place where GM's can make a character ten times stronger than mine and with a hundred times the options while having their morning coffee(At least it feels that way to me, I have no idea how NPCs are approved, but just the fact that Storold doesn't actually have a rank as such makes it very easy to make something better.). So all you are left with is following the arrows on the floor and kill the occasional monster in your way, or of course join the eternal grind towards having all upgrades on all your gear and watch your XP counter tick up towards infinity.

28

Rumour Has It / In loving memory

« on: January 13, 2010, 06:46:14 pm »

~In loving memory of my dear wife, Amanda Doesscha~

[/size][/b]

Whose life was cut unfortunately short by Trollocs.
May the Lady of Spells forever watch over her soul.

Amanda's Layonaran remains are being transported to her home town on Voltrex where it will be buried according to the wishes of her family there.

~Storold Doesscha

[/color]

29

General Discussion / the sound of a whirring fan...

« on: January 10, 2010, 06:13:58 pm »

Yay! Just a quickie for those wondering, i finally pieced together a new pc and it seems to be working... so far.

Now for the arduous task of reinstalling windows and all those lovely drivers and stuff. :rolleyes:

Figures, I get one thing going and then the heater in the apt conks out. I just cant win sometimes.

Hopefully the pink haired one who communes with squirrels and snacks on the grubs will be back after shortly after these messages.

30

Development Related Topics (DRT) / Points of Interest

« on: January 10, 2010, 09:36:41 am »

Would it be possible to have the Points of Interest be more desciptive ?

A bit of text perhaps at each one that conveys it's significance.

A further thought would be to reward a character with the completion of a 'series' of Ponits of Interest ( ie  Mistone Badge ?) with an increase in lore ability of 1 point.
 If this could not be done directly , perhaps  it could be accomplished via an item ( akin to an elemental resist) that the character could then add to an existing equipped item .

31

General Discussion / Catastrophic system failure....oh how i love thee

« on: December 16, 2009, 07:01:26 pm »

Hi guys,

Sorry I havent been around much. Of late..been fighting the ever evil pc destruction thinger. First it works..then it whirrs...

My system recently had a umm...meltdown for lack of a better term. O.o A word of advice...burning plastic is never a good sign.

So my pc is now DOA until i can get a new one. After 10 long years of replacing parts and much love (and hate) it finally kicked the bucket.

I am now surviving on an old mac laptop (how you macheads use these things i will never understand..im sooo confused). The right click button seems to be missing... :\\ O.o

Oh well, thank goodness for xmas (I have been a good little girl..mostly)!  Hopefully the new year will see me back with a shiny new pc.

Happy holidays everyone!

32

General Discussion / I'm not dead!

« on: December 10, 2009, 02:44:04 am »

I am, however, busy busy busy with a new job.

Know though, my thoughts are with you all[SIZE=10](1)[/SIZE].

Regards,

Pseudo


[SIZE=10](1) occasionally ... when they're not engaging in some fantasy involving Megan Fox.[/SIZE]

33

General Discussion / What I like about Layonara

« on: December 09, 2009, 02:00:07 pm »

Er, first of all, apologies to all of you folks out there who are working on the MMO and have put so much time and effort into it, but...

Duchess was on her way to Dalanther to meet up with some others, and tooko the boat to Hurm, with her horse, as usual.

When she disembarked, she could not ride her horse past the captain, so she dismounted and tried to walk the horse past.

No luck.

She tried a few times, and a few other options, when suddenly, her horse started to sway on her legs and looked really unwell (seen as a series of "talk" messages" from the horse).

Duchess gave the horse some water to try to settle her, but she quickly threw it all back up again. She tried various things until eventually her horse felt well enough to travel again.

And this is what I really like about Layonara and what makes it so special!!

Lord Cove had come on, seen me travelling, and took an impromptu decision to throw in some rp for me and my horse - fantastic (once I got over the shock of seeing the horse objecting to move and reacting tot he voyage).

I really, really enjoyed this diversion and even though I was going to meet some other people, it was great fun and a great change from normal events.

Thanks LC and kudos to you for the idea.

34

General Discussion / Happy Birthday Drizzlin!

« on: December 07, 2009, 07:40:17 am »

One of the great Dark Elven players I've known throughout my stay on Layonara! We may have failed in the WLDQ, hey you're still a WL in my book! Have a great one, Drizzlin!

35

General Discussion / Dew of the Universe

« on: December 04, 2009, 11:17:28 pm »

Now I don't want to start another debate on the value of the Soul Mother. I happen to think Layo's death system is part of what makes it so fun to play. It gives real consequence to our character's actions. However, it does have an unfortunate side effect. After a player has invested so much time in a character, and that character begins to run out of SS, they either become overly cautions or perm. The alternatives are to either leave Layo or start another character. Having started 7 characters since I joined Layo, I am not sure I want to start another. Although the RP associated with growing another character is appealing, what keeps me with Layo is being able to explore new areas and experience new challenges with a group of PCs that I have spent months (if not years) playing with.

There has been discussion of quests to recover SS. Great idea. But what about the idea of gaining strands back as a result of the time since your last SM visit. This may even be mechanically easier and less burdensome to the staff. We might even be able to come up with an IC reason for such an approach. I don't want to do away with perming, but just want to give players a path to continuing to play their characters in Layo and not lose interest.

Obviously this is selfishly motivated as my character Flynn is perhaps the most unlucky character in Layo. Dying four times since level 20, and losing a strand each time. But I am interested to hear everyone's opinion. Thanks.

36

General Discussion / Had a great time last night!

« on: December 04, 2009, 07:32:42 am »

To all who took me under thier wings last night and showed me around, I give you sincere thanks.  I apologize that I do not mention everyone in this thread who did lend a helping hand to Shadowleaf.  Two names that I will mention though are Ferrit and Dragnar (sp is correct i hope?).  

Ferrit was first to greet Shadowleaf and made him feel welcome even though the Port is in a state of emergency.  Ferrit instructed Shadowleaf on the needed areas in Port for supplies, food and shelter...very important things in Shadowleaf's eyes... She lead him to an area with a good number of deer for meat and skins...."didnt like the skunks in that patch of woods though....made my stomach turn" he says...  

Then we met some musicians near a tree with a nice warm fire...  The sounds from thier insturments were very pleasant to the ear and hopefully be able to hear them play again soon...  Again, more helpful hands here also.

Then Ferrit made her departure into the night air as Shadowleaf thanks her for all of her help and guidence in a troubled world...   Dragnar tells me of undead and that thier knuckles can bring some coin..so we embark down into a crypt of somesort..  The undead met us with swords swinging...Dragnar laid his sword into them foes as Shadowleaf sends arrows into thier body cavities, shattering bones in the process.  After clearing the walking dead...Dragnar leads him to an Inn for a good nights rest...and till another day of exploration.


Thanks again all, had a blast last night and look forward to many long nights adventuring.  You seem to have a great mod here with great players...looks like I found my new home.....


Warchild

37

Important Layonara Announcements / All Servers Back Online

« on: December 03, 2009, 08:47:52 am »

Greetings everyone!

After a bit of a struggle and a bad power supply, everything is back up and running across the entire Layonara domain. This includes LORE (which is doing a character update as I type this).

So, thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding during this time. It's sincerely appreciated.

-- The Management

38

NWN Ideas, Suggestions, Requests / Hlint

« on: December 01, 2009, 01:45:42 am »

LOL, this probably will give Dorg a heart attack after the last prolonged discussions about tweaking Hlint, but I couldn't help myself.

I was driving on the freeway today and was pining for the days when Hlint was a hub of activity and roleplay. I of course know the people of Hlint are more than happy to be rid of troublemaking adventurers and am familiar with all of the reasons behind those feelings. Anyway, I was just thinking it would be sort of cool considering all of the destruction caused by tidal forces if the opportunity was taken somehow to shift things in the direction of how they used to be with a little town having all of the craft halls and other things that would cause us to gather in one particular area more often. Perhaps some sort of additional plot twist in the campaign... It was a lot of fun logging on at any point and time and having several people waiting right there to RP, or putting together expeditions, etc. I guess this is a little more like grasping at some nostalgia than a real suggestion, but what the heck. :rolleyes: And yes, I know all the arguments for doing what was done before as well, which were, and in some ways still are valid.

39

Rumour Has It / Short notice trip and destination change

« on: November 29, 2009, 09:16:38 pm »

[INDENT]She crosses her arms and looks skeptical towards the man in front of her, having to crane her neck to do so properly. "You are the third person to ask me of the First in a week's time! I have decided to just put an end to the questioning and run a wagonload with me to the bridges and have done with it then." She winks at her comment, the bells on her wrists chiming together."Besides, it is not so inconvenient for me. I have been crossing the bridges almost every quarter for the last few decades..." She trails off, a hint of melancholy in her melodic voice, though she is smiling. "They do not yet open the door to me, nor has the Hierophant or anyone else decided yet to let me guard the key, but for now to stand singing outside the door is enough!"

She says this in confident tones, as though it were only a matter of time before the key is given to her, despite the listener's skeptical look. She toys with the easy hundred others hanging on her as she listens to the response, then frowns and throws her hands in the air. "What good is taking a wagonload to the bridges if none of the askers can go?" The halfling woman pouts and turns, making for the glowing portal beside the Shack.

"What about bridges? Who said anything about bridges? We are going to the Rift, silly. Haven't you ever heard of Shalic Layor?"[/INDENT]

[SIZE=10]((Short notice change if any intended to go to the bridges in about 30 minutes from this post. Reorienting to head for the Rift. All levels welcome and encouraged; we may go for a jaunt around inside but depending on who shows are unlikely to go further.))[/SIZE]

40

Important Layonara Announcements / Immediate Maintenance

« on: November 28, 2009, 01:25:38 am »

Greetings everyone,

There is a hardware issue with one of the Layonara servers and at this time. In order to mitigate the random downtime of the forums; we're disabling the LORE character updates for a few days.

As well, at some time during the next two/three days the entire layonara.com domain will be taken offline for general maintenance reasons. This downtime will last anywhere from a few hours to possibly more and there's no way to forecast this accurately.

These things have nothing to do with the MMO development and there are no hidden announcements here. About the only thing that's related to the MMO with all of this is that we've been so busy working on the MMO that we haven't had the time to do the needed housecleaning that's now in a state we cannot ignore.

Nothing "bad", just need to make things "right" again.

So, just to clarify, the following services will be completely offline at some point in the next few days and you should all rest assured we're going to try and minimize the downtime as best we can.

• The World of Layonara
  
• forums.layonara.com
• irc.layonara.com
• devlog.layonara.com
• lore.layonara.com
• NwN Server (xora.layonara.com)
• and any other service layonara.com provides that I've failed to mention in the above...

Currently the only planned means of official communication regarding status updates during the outage is via twitter.

Please stay tuned.