For those fast leveling characters out there

[Nagash von Ritter]

I think people should look at this in two ways though, I love going in groups with many of certain parties and groups that I feel fit my character and his philosophies, charging valiently into combat to save a friend and so forth. I had a great and constructive RP session with the goblin tribe who I fit in really well with, but if there is no one I can find to party with what else can I do but either craft or kill nonstop? Many of the times I'm on the Americans are in bed so it'd me and 1-2 others....

However, I cannot help but feel that many of the higher level characters want to protect their turf.

Me and a friend recently joined Layonara, and we don't want to powerlevel, but just get high enough so we can explore the world and its rich histories more and also so we can actually join groups. Majority of the time any group I join I either just sit there and watch, or die; neither of which is fun. Many of the players here are already quite high levels so it doesn't apply to them the whole 'going slow' philosophy. But for the record I am against powerlevelling, but also don't forget the new and little people!

And anyone who has me met and my ingame brother will know that we both RP our characters heavily along alignments, beliefs and so forth, even to the point of calling one another brother. It is also worth noting that some people have no life, as of Monday I will be playing some 10-12 hours a day, so under those circumstances wouldn't I level a lot faster anyways, even with full RP and everything else. I agree with characters that just kill and kill some more, but what about people who do RP who write journals (I've made 6 posts so far in 1 week) but just play a lot?

[Gulnyr]

However, I cannot help but feel that many of the higher level characters want to protect their turf.

Can you explain what this means, please?

[Nagash von Ritter]

Well right now the powerful characters are all important, most of the quests are run for them due to long term relationships and friendships with DM's. They are status quo in every meaning of the word, they want to maintain what they have, meanwhile others want to challenge the satus quo and break into the upper eschelon of the society here. To many the only way they can see it being possible to take part in many quests is with levels and power. Someone with only a level one character I doubt will be allowed to play in any combat orientated DM quests which I imagine are all run for high level characters. The last quest I participated in consisted of DM friends and DM having a good old fashioned yarn whilst the new guys kind of sat there going, well then, well. We were too unimportant to be noticed.

New characters ascending to their status and importance means they have a challenge for attention and importance.

In a server like Layonara, people don't want to just power level for the sake of being all powerful. I have had many tell conversations already with people who feel the same way and are new to the server. They feel they can only take part if they are more powerful and a higher level. Hell, you can't even get the resources to craft or the money to buy them until you're a higher level.

I await the inevitable firestorm that will come as a result of this post.

[Weeblie]

The irony is that people with high level characters tend to make the argument that there lacks quests with combat fitting them...

The majority of the quests have two parts. A combat one and a non-combat one. Naturally, if the character is too low level compared to the average of the party, they will feel left out on the combat part. But that in no way prevents them from taking an active participation in the nom-combat part, which by itself generally occupies more than 90% of the quest time anyway.

Having had a character that has been quite known to have stayed at low and mid-levels for a very long time, and also having very weak power for her level until very recently (read: cleric lacking spells), I know from personal experience that it's not the DM or the high levels that tend to leave oneself "out of the loop", but rather oneself not trying to get into it.

It doesn't mean one should walk up to a long running quest and expect to become a "leader" by making as much noise as possible. Instead, something simple as talking with the other quest participants... asking around a little about what one doesn't understand, what one wishes to get clarified... and one will suddenly feel that one belongs to the quest as much as anyone else.

This is also one of the core reasons I would suggest new players to start out with a normal farmer boy... village girl... an aspiring mage who wishes to see more of the world... the homeless girl who have just realised a god or goddess have taken pity in her and granted her some gifts... or any other "simple" character who should preferable have a personality that doesn't make others angry. Build up a few bonds of friendship and it's good to go.

The character levels do mean something... But as some people has proven again and again, what means much more is one's ability to make others have fun around oneself. That is why it sometimes appears new players who have more active roles on quests than high level characters. And that is also why I'm fairly certain anyone who already feels like they are comfortable on quests could start a completely new character on a completely new account and still feel the same!

Layonara wishes people not to power level because one would rather have one well developed and superbly RP-ed level 10 character rather than ten shallow "hit all that moves" level 20 characters...

[Dorganath]

Well right now the powerful characters are all important, most of the quests are run for them due to long term relationships and friendships with DM's. They are status quo in every meaning of the word, they want to maintain what they have, meanwhile others want to challenge the satus quo and break into the upper eschelon of the society here. To many the only way they can see it being possible to take part in many quests is with levels and power. Someone with only a level one character I doubt will be allowed to play in any combat orientated DM quests which I imagine are all run for high level characters. The last quest I participated in consisted of DM friends and DM having a good old fashioned yarn whilst the new guys kind of sat there going, well then, well. We were too unimportant to be noticed.

No firestorm (at least not from me), but some inaccuracies I'll clear up.

First, quests are not run for high-level characters because of their friendship and/or relationships with GMs. This is the most important misconception to clear up. In addition, some quests are run with narrow level requirements, others are run with broad or open level requirements.  In the latter group of quests, there may in fact be extreme danager for lower-level characters but then those quests don't tend to be combat-heavy.  In fact, those quests tend to be more RP-oriented, where the contribution one makes is not always about levels but simply taking an active roll and attempting something.

I'm not sure which quest you're talking about, but if it was the one from last Wednesday, you need to understand a few things about it.  First, that quest has been going on for a long time, and is in fact, a continuation from a quest that started about a year ago...which I think ties into another quest that was run before that.  So yes, it's very difficult to join quests as those mid-stream, but it has to do with all that came before it, and not whatever friendships that the GM and players may have.  This is a danger with any long-running quest, and I know you just got here and probably don't know how long the quest has been running, but that more than anything is why characters who just joined this past week would be lost or feel marginalized.  

You only have my  word for it, but over the course of the last year, there have been plenty of contributions by all characters involved, regardless of level and regardless of how well a player may know the GM. For disclosure, yes, the GM is my friend, but that's not why I'm on the quest, nor why she's running it. The GM in fact has been all-too-happy to let my character and other high-level characters fail at their attempts because we did the wrong thing, failed our die rolls, etc. You don't always see this, because it happens in hidden die rolls and in Tells, but it does happen. For my own part, I try to include the party in that through emotes and comments, though sometimes these things are ignored or simply missed.  It happens. A lot goes on sometimes.  It's no one's fault really.

I cannot speak for all GMs, and really I can't speak for Rowana, but based on observation, she and many other GMs want to see players at least make an attempt to contribute, even if it doesn't work.  It's intimidating, I know. But levels are not the all-important thing on an RP-heavy quest.  For combat-oriented quests, yes....for RP, not at all.  However, in that vein, a lot of the high-level characters are more comfortable in stepping up and taking a chance, not because of their levels but because of the level of confidence of the player.  I have seen high-level "wallflowers" and low-level superstars.  On RP-oriented quests, there's always an opportunity.

Having said all this, some GMs do pretty much assume that the party will need some high-level assistance, whether on the quest itself or between sessions in some way. There's a very simple reason for this.  Many high-level characters, especially those who have achieved World Leader status, have worked hard for and earned status and abilities that others simply do not have.  This is more common on RP-oriented quests, unless the combat-heavy quests have open level requirements.

Anyway, point is that there's always contributions one can make as a low-level character.  That's something I learned a very long time ago on a quest long before I became a GM or had any GM friends, and my low-level character came up with a solution that was completely lost on the high-level characters in the group.  GMs will generally reward the creativity, but the attempt has to be made.

My best advice is to work with the group and the GM and try to contribute in whatever way befits your character's personality and abilities.

Levels and the power they bring don't equate to being favored on quests.  Simply racing up to high-levels won't guarantee that someone can become a prime contributor to quests.  I can think of a few really good examples in the player base right now, actually.

[Gulnyr]

Well right now the powerful characters are all important, most of the quests are run for them due to long term relationships and friendships with DM's.

Just to establish a baseline, what level is required to be a "powerful character?"

The majority of quest series start out open to all, though often limited by level range.  Somewhere around level 8 or 10 is the typical minimum on level-limited quests, but that's not because of any favoritism between the DMs and players.  It has to do with aiming for a large enough segment of the characters and leveling speed.  The first five or ten levels fly by, usually (there are scripted quests in-game to help make that happen), and a character who could fit into a level 1-10 quest when it is posted on the calendar will often be beyond that range once the quest is actually run.  Most characters are between levels 10 and 20, so that's where the level range on quests is often set.

There are a growing number of epic, post-level 20 characters, but there are very, very rarely epic-only, super-high-level quests.  With nothing run specifically for these characters, whose players have the truly long term relationships between themselves and the DMs, it is difficult to believe that quests are being run specifically for certain people because of friendships and favoritism.

They are status quo in every meaning of the word, they want to maintain what they have, meanwhile others want to challenge the satus quo and break into the upper eschelon of the society here.

I'm not sure "what they have," but I can speak for myself when I say what my character has she earned, whether that is goodies or rank or reputation.  I think it's only reasonable that other characters should have to earn their way, too.  My character didn't start out as anything special, but became special to some people through roleplaying.  It takes time and effort, but it's fun and rewarding to build something from nearly nothing.  If that's what you mean by status quo, then yes, there's going to be a lot of resistance to changing how difficult it is for a character to become important to the world.

To many the only way they can see it being possible to take part in many quests is with levels and power.

I think that's a common concern for new players.  I guarantee, if you have the time to invest in playing, that your character will quickly hit the mid levels and there will be quests to attend that are perfect for that level.

Someone with only a level one character I doubt will be allowed to play in any combat orientated DM quests which I imagine are all run for high level characters.

Actually, I think most combat-oriented quests are aimed at the mid levels.  That doesn't mean high-level quests don't have their share of combat, just that combat isn't really the point of the quest, usually.  

Besides that, though, if you really want your level 1 character to attend some bashy quest, and the lower level limit posted is less than 10, send the DM a PM and ask if it's okay to join.  The lower limit may only be a recommendation, not a hard rule.  Just understand that a character on a quest is expected to participate and not just stand there looking dumb, and level 1 characters don't live long when things get violent.  If combat is the point of the quest, you're going to spend a lot of time dead, which may be the reason a DM would ask you not to bring the level 1 character; it's hard to justify letting a dead guy take up a slot on the quest or giving him XP afterward, y'know?

The last quest I participated in consisted of DM friends and DM having a good old fashioned yarn whilst the new guys kind of sat there going, well then, well. We were too unimportant to be noticed.

Was this a one-shot or the first quest of a series, or was it a series that had been going for some time?  If you just popped into a continuing series, you can't really expect to be top dog immediately, or even especially important.  My character is level 30, and I'm involved in a series right now that has some background I'm not familiar with, so there are characters with far fewer levels who have a much bigger part in the series, and I'm still trying to untangle what's what.  Even high-level characters are the "new guys" sometimes.

New characters ascending to their status and importance means they have a challenge for attention and importance.

Everyone wants their character to be important, to fill a role, to belong, to be useful.  Everyone has to vie for attention.  A new character might have to do a little more, but that's to be expected.  People have to know who you are and what you can do before they will call on your assistance.

Hell, you can't even get the resources to craft or the money to buy them until you're a higher level.

Low-level resources are obtainable by a low-level party.  It can be difficult for a solo character to gather certain resources regardless of level, but the server isn't set up for soloing (though it isn't impossible).  Gather a party and you can gather resources.  Go out adventuring with that party and you will build up the funds to buy the supplies you can't gather.  It just takes time and effort.

I await the inevitable firestorm that will come as a result of this post.

Nah.  I think you're just misunderstanding what you're seeing.  While the DMs (who are also players) do often have friendships with others, they aren't doing things to play favorites.  Also, unlike a PnP game, not every character is going to get time in the spotlight on every quest or in every encounter.  That's just the nature of the medium.

[Nagash von Ritter]

I don't say how it is, I say how it feels for me and every other newbie out there. I won't argue with anyone I just wanted to share something with people that I thought they *may* consider before they judge people. You will find that the majority of the evil powerlevelers are often new to the server, so it shouldn't be too hard to wonder why and I daresay that many of the older players had their time at doing it, I'm guessing it's part of the reason why they know their way around so well.

I mention the quest thing not as an attack, but at the difficulty in a new player becoming a part of the server and the world here, it's very hard. Trying to fit into such long term quests is almost impossible and many of the quests feel similar to the new player.

There are already established friendships between the real people with characters so they easily and quickly group up, talk, explore craft etc etc. But the newbie is left with no such options, with limited interaction (relatively speaking) and with no crafting options, the new player is left with little option but to just run around wacking goblins and doing any quests they can find in towns and such forth.

So we end up with the inevitable result that the player becomes a very high level very fast, compared to others. Especially if that player plays a lot.

It is all fair and well to say "if level x by time z then power leveller".

But in reality, there is a lot more to think of, what options does the player in this case have? How many hours do they play each day? Do they kill a lot of monsters by accident (exploring) or through collecting, so it really depends on what the person is doing.

Also, I consider a level that is able to participate with the majority of players and groups somewhere around the 11-14 range, it differs based on classes, a wizard will need to be higher than a fighter and a cleric can participate at the lowest.

I'm sure that voicing my opinion means any classes I apply for in the future, any epic levels and any prestige classes will be rejected. But if I didn't say anything then people would never know how a whole group feels.

It's all about perception, none of the veterans, the admin team or gamemasters will even slightly agree with me, but I would imagine any honest newbies would agree if they wern't afraid of the banhammer.

[Nagash von Ritter]

I mention the quest thing not as an attack, but at the difficulty in a new player becoming a part of the server and the world here, it's very hard. Trying to fit into such long term quests is almost impossible and many of the quests feel similar to the new player.

There are already established friendships between the real people with characters so they easily and quickly group up, talk, explore craft etc etc. But the newbie is left with no such options, with limited interaction (relatively speaking) and with no crafting options, the new player is left with little option but to just run around wacking goblins and doing any quests they can find in towns and such forth.

So we end up with the inevitable result that the player becomes a very high level very fast, compared to others. Especially if that player plays a lot.

It is all fair and well to say "if level x by time z then power leveller".

But in reality, there is a lot more to think of, what options does the player in this case have? How many hours do they play each day? Do they kill a lot of monsters by accident (exploring) or through collecting, so it really depends on what the person is doing.

[darkstorme]

*grins*  Speaking for myself, I have never run a quest that was exclusively for any character over level 15.  I've only been a DM for a little while, but my (and osxmallard's) Thursday quest series has always had a level bracket that falls somewhere around 7-15.  Lower levels CAN come - but at their own risk, as it will be geared towards the higher level bracket.  These people are not high-levels; as the Starting Out section of LORE says, achieving seventh-level in a week, maybe two, is quite doable.  And then my quests are more or less open.

Speaking as a player, none of my characters are over level 10 (though I would very much like them to be! ).  I DON'T go out and kill things - I RP, I craft, I develop them as a character.. and occasionally, I get one of those influxes of XP that a quest delivers. *smiles*  Given that Narketh was only approved eight days ago, and is already further along than either of my secondary characters, I can only say this: soyez patiente!

A year and three-quarters ago, I was a newbie too.  Freshly minted Tiefling, killed by everything that moved.  (Seriously, the first time your character falls to a skunk, you learn to respect the animals of Layonara.  And wait, eagerly, for the chance to repay them in full. )  And bit by bit, by hanging around and playing my character, he made friends, and allies, and found people to go out and fight with.  (Alongside, that is.)  And frankly, while I've never been to most of the quote-really cool places-unquote, I'm very happy with how he turned out.

Just give it time.

Edit:

I'm sure that voicing my opinion means any classes I apply for in the future, any epic levels and any prestige classes will be rejected. But if I didn't say anything then people would never know how a whole group feels.

It's all about perception, none of the veterans, the admin team or gamemasters will even slightly agree with me, but I would imagine any honest newbies would agree if they wern't afraid of the banhammer.

While the rest of your post seems like quite reasonable frustration for someone new to Layonara, this seems designed to provoke a response.  So here it is.  Voicing an opinion that is reasonable and not designed to insult or antagonize will not, under any circumstances, harm chances for prestige classes or epic levels.  This is not how we work.

Nor do we threaten honest (and again, politely worded) frustration or comments with the "banhammer".  Layonara is not a community of fear, or oppression, and it doesn't have some sort of stratified caste system.  Everyone here started out just where you did... some of them only a month before you.  I sincerely doubt that the lions share of the newbies would  agree with your perceived slights.

As I said, you're experiencing frustration that might only be natural to someone who's used to a faster leveling world.  Give it time.  I've tried a number of worlds... and I've stuck with Layo.  It's worth it.

Edit 2: Huh.  So it seems that Dorg said what I said, only far more eloquently.  I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.    Regardless, my point stands.

[Dorganath]

I'm sure that voicing my opinion means any classes I apply for in the future, any epic levels and any prestige classes will be rejected. But if I didn't say anything then people would never know how a whole group feels.

It's all about perception, none of the veterans, the admin team or gamemasters will even slightly agree with me, but I would imagine any honest newbies would agree if they wern't afraid of the banhammer.

I'm sorry, but this is simply not true.

We're not in the business of holding grudges against people who ask questions and bring up concerns, especially not those who do so constructively, as you have done so far.  I don't know what you've heard, what whispers have reached your ears, but this simply is not how we operate.

You're right about one thing...it's about perception.  The problem is, perceptions are very hard to change, even if the GM Team does everything right. You have no reason to believe me, but I've seen this many times and in most cases, it's based on misunderstandings and bad assumptions.

But of course, I don't expect you to take my word for it.  I do request though that you perhaps alter your assumptions even slightly to let yourself keep an open mind about some things.

I don't know where this is coming from...perhaps another game world you were at before Layonara...I can't say.  Of all the people we've banned over the years, and there have been relatively few among the thousands of players that have come through in that time, none of them have been because someone voiced their opinions.  

We ban people for two main reasons: 1) they blatantly violate server rules or 2) they are abusive, abrasive or generally disruptive and harmful to our community.  Simply voicing opinions does not qualify for either of those.

Further, I want to point out to you that while any GM can temporarily ban someone, only a relative few can make that banning permanent, and if the banning is found to be inappropriate or unsupported by the GM who takes the action, then the GM will get disciplined.

We do not run around wielding "ban hammers" and seeking out dissension within the ranks. Frankly, I find the idea rather insulting.

As for whatever future submissions you might make...the applications of such will be decided based solely on the merits of your application and your RP.  Epic levels are no longer restricted, so you don't need permission for those either.

And despite what you may think, I do understand what you are saying.  I was new here once too.  It took me a while, certainly more than a week or two, in order to get comfortable and familiar with the world, with questing and so forth.  It's hard starting out, but it just takes time.  Play your character and just worry about what he'd do.  I think you'll find that a lot more enjoyable.

[Gulnyr]

I would like to add that just how fast "fast leveling" is depends on the player's schedule and the level of the character.

If a player is known to be logged in with a certain character a lot, then the team knows that character may have a faster rate of leveling.  

If a character is less than level 10, it's understood that the character could level pretty fast.  If you're actively adventuring, it can sometimes be hard not to level fast in the low levels.  Warnings about leveling too fast are generally aimed at players of higher-level characters who are zipping through levels by doing silly things like setting up crazy bash cycles, gaining levels at ridiculous rates without having the character grow and develop any depth along the way.  That's bad because all that's happened is that someone built a two-dimensional pile of numbers instead of a living, breathing, real character.

So if you have a lot of time to play, awesome.  No one is going to ban you for leveling.

[stolen]

I don't usually get involved in posts like this but I thought I would pipe in, seeing as how I have been here for a while, but dont have any super high level characters.

First of all, and someone correct me if I am wrong please, but when they talk about fast leveling, I don't think anyone is talking about going from, say, first to eighth to tenth, in a relatively short period of time. If you get in with a good same level group, which is paramount on an RP server, you almost cant help get there with some speed. And eighth level is about where lots of options open up to a character, but you still can't necessarily go solo or with just one other PC. But if you go from eight to twenty fast, then you couldn't, even if you spend many hours a day on, be doing a whole lot of RP, and in my experience, RP is what the powers that be want t see. I have occasionally had some, much lower level than the rest of the  group characters, out on a run, and have been rewarded with extra XP because of RP. Running with much higher level characters is generally discouraged and I can't do it all the time though, because that would be powerleveling, but the occasional run with good RP is still rewarded if a GM happens to be watching. I have also been chastised by a GM for just being with a high level group and running around just killing everything with hardly a word spoken amoungst the group. *shrugs* It happens to everyone I think. You just don't have the RP bug that day and who wants to turn down an invitation to go out with a group.

I have never gotten the feeling that any high level character is trying to "protect their turf". My characters have always gotten nothing but help from most high level characters. Have I had bad experiences with some? Of course, but that creates a dynamic in game that adds to the flavor to the world.
Everyone is not going to get along with everyone and I have had some high level characters try to push my characters around. Was it because they were higher level than me. I never got that impression. I always felt that it was because that was the personality of the character. Most high level characters have always treated my, even brand new PC's, with respect if my characters treated them the same way. But clashes between PC's will happen. Its up to you to determine how other characters will view yours through your actions.

I have been on a fair number of quests. Sometimes I felt completely useless and sometimes my much lower level character took a leadership role. Combat in open level quests pretty much has to be geared toward the higher level characters or elce the group would just wade through everything in their path. It was always the RP oriented, open level quests I, as a lower level, was most involved in. You just have to think of things in ways that other people arent and get involved. In ongoing quests, of course the high levels are going to have a more prominant role. Most high level characters have been around for a long time and they are the history of layo. Their actions in the path have brought the world to where it is today. If you can get your low level in on the beginning of an ongoing quest you can be just as important as anyone. Lately with the new GM's there have been plenty of quests. Find one that suits your character.

I think you can see why I don't get involved in these posts because i tend to ramble on, but I in my time here have not seen much of what Nagash is talking about here. I don't judge people on their level, but on their actions.
Power through fast leveling isn't needed to be someone important on Layo, good RP is. IMHO.

[Dorganath]

First of all, and someone correct me if I am wrong please, but when they talk about fast leveling, I don't think anyone is talking about going from, say, first to eighth to tenth, in a relatively short period of time.

Correct.  This whole issue refers solely to the "rush to 20th" that some people seem to feel the need to do, at the expense of developing their characters.  Besides being against the spirit of the server, a lot of people I've talked to who have leveled quickly have said, "It's fun, but it feels hollow."  In other words, there's all this increase in power without any real character development to support or justify it.  As a result, the character feels like "less" in a lot of ways.

[Falonthas]

in regards to the quest we were on where narketh felt left  out somewhat
my old character that has since permed was a part of this quest series and if he had changed one of his actions the villian might not even be the one we happened to run into, but of course they convinced the dragon not to eat them only scare the bejeezus out of them

since i couldnt bring drogo since he is in fact dead i brought my other char
a backup choice since my main druid is in jail

but still shows you dont have to be in a certain  rush to get anywhere

i have two drow characters one you have met
hes cynical, out for himself and gives paladins extreme indigestion
my other is very quiet , stays to himself and im sure if i had brought him about would have been much better recieved in the overall picture

the gms give everyone opportunities if you show up and are willing to make an effort
you will level
some level fast
some level slow
 but as long as you have a character that is more then his /her level and stats
it doesnt matter in the long run

your mage may become the archmage to beat all archmages of the past
or his steps may cause him to evolve into a very different image of the way you envisioned him at creation

bottom line i think dorg has said it a few times in the past
he made his epic char as a test to check things out and now most know who he is and not because he is played by dorg either
its because connor is connor and how he is is because of how he has evolved as a whole
not simply by level

[Nagash von Ritter]

What I don't like is the fact that if I do happen to play a lot and level fast I feel I'm at risk of retribution.

I've been on the server more than once where I'm all alone, I could roleplay a psychotic person who talks to himself but that would get old fast. There isn't much to do except run around killing things. But then someone might get angry and yell power level because I'm doing so. I love the world, its history and the server but often I'm waiting for people to be around, so I just run around either looking for componants to make some items I want, or killing things so that I'm able to collect said items in currently inacessible areas. In worlds like Layonara, what always draws me to the world is the size of it, the variety of cultures and towns, the ability to go to new types of terrain, see new enemies, resources etc etc etc. Constantly exploring and moving will also end up with a lot of xp due to random monsters, especially in the wilderness.

Maybe I was wrong in my perception of the area, but at least to begin with one is confronted with many rules, which also makes one believe in the possibility of many punishments.

[darkstorme]

*chuckles*  If you're running around solo, you're unlikely to be admonished for power leveling.  Likewise, as has been established, there is no "retribution", save if you've already ignored several warnings.  If the GM team believes that you're doing something against the server rules or spirit of the server, we'll talk to you first.  We're not sitting on high waiting to hurl a thunderbolt - we're here to help the community.

The rules are there to preserve the spirit of the server and the integrity of the community... and to assume that punishment results from a first violation (for the straightforward rules anyway) means that you've clearly gained the wrong impression.  The GM team, on the whole, doesn't like having to punish players, because a) it's not fun, and b) it takes our time away from doing things to enhance the world.  So we don't unless it's absolutely necessary.

As has been extensively covered in the resurgence in this thread, making your way to level 10-11 (a trick that took me a year and a half) is not considered power-levelling.  If you manage it while soloing, more power to you.  It's only when the levels start to blur as they go by that we might consider stepping in.

When this thread was originally started, it was meant as a gentle reminder to the community of the purpose of the server.  Not as a dictum from on high.  Try to keep in mind that Layonara is not a "punish first, and punish hard" community.  You'll get plenty of warning, if you're doing anything that might be considered wrong, before any sort of punishment is issued.

As I said earlier - just give Layo time, and you'll level before you know it.  (Or a year and a half later.  Whatever suits you.)

[merlin34baseball]

My two bits...

From what I know the rules are in place as they are because of a very few individuals that pushed the envelope over and over despite warnings, and therefor the rules had to be written down as they are so that no one could claim ignorance of the rules if they happened to be violating them all the time.

A case of a couple bad apples...

The GM team here in my opinion isn't a bunch of babysitters... you can do as you like until it begins to have a detrimental effect on the world, or start doing things that are not in the "spirit" of the server.

I wouldn't read the rules and think oh no! their out to get me! If you happpen to play alot more than others and level faster so be it (trust me when I say that they can tell if you play 80 hours a week or if you play 10 hours a week and level at the same rate, there is a difference...)

If you have 80 or 100 hours a week to play level away I say! But also in those hours you will be meeting many other characters and seeing events that will develop your character.

Again the main thing is the rules are all written the way they are because of people in the past claiming ignorance to them, having them all written out makes everyone on the same wavelength. And then no one can claim they didn't know they couldn't slaughter the guards in Hempstead, or fireball the crafthall!

[scifibarbie]

We cant fireball in the crafthall? Are you sure abou that?

That makes em sad..

I mean...what if the smelting furnace goes out and you need to relight it? Or your really really hungry and theres an ox..all alone adn you have just put the final touches on your ready made super special ultra tasty bar-b-que sauce. I personally think an exemption shoudl be allowed in that case. :p O.o

And also..theres no sense starving cause Delia isnt gonna go run to the nearest inn to fetch a snack for you. When your doing some really important crafting! She doenst get the you fly i buy rule..sheesh. :\\

Cheers!

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

Please keep this thread on topic. *Tips his hat.*

There've been some excellent points posted, notably by D&D (Darkstorme and Dorganath). (Though I'm by no means saying the others aren't just as grand - I just liked the D&D comment.)

Anything I would have to say would be rather redundant.

*Shakes his pom-poms and takes another sip of lemonade.*

[Nagash von Ritter]

*chuckles*  If you're running around solo, you're unlikely to be admonished for power leveling.  Likewise, as has been established, there is no "retribution", save if you've already ignored several warnings.  If the GM team believes that you're doing something against the server rules or spirit of the server, we'll talk to you first.  We're not sitting on high waiting to hurl a thunderbolt - we're here to help the community.

The rules are there to preserve the spirit of the server and the integrity of the community... and to assume that punishment results from a first violation (for the straightforward rules anyway) means that you've clearly gained the wrong impression.  The GM team, on the whole, doesn't like having to punish players, because a) it's not fun, and b) it takes our time away from doing things to enhance the world.  So we don't unless it's absolutely necessary.

As has been extensively covered in the resurgence in this thread, making your way to level 10-11 (a trick that took me a year and a half) is not considered power-levelling.  If you manage it while soloing, more power to you.  It's only when the levels start to blur as they go by that we might consider stepping in.

When this thread was originally started, it was meant as a gentle reminder to the community of the purpose of the server.  Not as a dictum from on high.  Try to keep in mind that Layonara is not a "punish first, and punish hard" community.  You'll get plenty of warning, if you're doing anything that might be considered wrong, before any sort of punishment is issued.

As I said earlier - just give Layo time, and you'll level before you know it.  (Or a year and a half later.  Whatever suits you.)

lol is there any other way than solo-ing? Not that I turn down a party when invited, just I happen to be online when most people arn't.