I'd like to know the feelings of players in EfU, with the Chosen, Drow, Rebels, and Spellguard stealing children.
No spoilers!
I'd like to know the feelings of players in EfU, with the Chosen, Drow, Rebels, and Spellguard stealing children.
No spoilers!
I don't dislike it, I think it's a nice feel of impending doom. But at the same time from an ooc perspective I can't comprehend how any of our current or future characters are going to survive at this rate unless there is something odd at play!
It's hard to get around as an outlaw without 5000 invis potions. The chosen are insane.
I hope Dan wont mind me posting this, but it sums up my thoughts nicely -
<DangerousDan> What'd you think of the plotlines that are going on? <Scrappayeti> Somewhere between awesome and sublime. <Scrappayeti> Been years since the server felt so edgy, dangerous and alive. <Scrappayeti> The world is interacting to players in a complex fashion, and I feel scared of the dark again. <DangerousDan> Heh. <DangerousDan> We're very pleased with what's going on. <Scrappayeti> Dunno who is the brains behind it, but three thumbs up to the, all. I haven't predicted a single twist so far... the dragon thing... the feeder colony... so clever. <Scrappayeti> them* <DangerousDan> It's mostly a group effort.
<Scrappayeti> I like the way the pressure keeps building. <Scrappayeti> I mean it was bad with the chosen... <Scrappayeti> Then the civil war... <Scrappayeti> Now the dragon... <Scrappayeti> All we need is a biblical plague of frogs and we will know the apolocalpse is nigh. <DangerousDan> Lol.
Awesome
From a story point of view, it's quite awesome. If this had been a book, I know I'd have picked it up and not closed it until I was done.
Though, it's also very difficult as a player to make it around with certain characters, quest givers have been moved, vendors wandered off or been slain etc. This all makes it pretty difficult to advance in lvl, power or create factions.
There's also the point where there is -so many awesome things- going on, but you as a player have certain difficulties getting involved in them. Making sendings for quests or running errands and stuff feels inappropriate and out of place when Doom is nigh, and the playerbase is so divided new characters are very difficult to implement.
I voted Good. I love books, and OOC hassle should never be priorotized higher than IC Epicness.
I'd say that some of the best RP i've experienced on the server has been in the last few weeks. That being said, I do feel a little bit like if I can't be IG for 6 hours a day that I am almost getting left behind by events. That isn't a complaint, just is what it is, I wouldn't want to hold back those that are rockin' out with the current plots.
I really feel like I am witnessing a really cool fantasy novel unfolding in front of us and if I had to predict the end state of the server when it is all over I just flat out couldn't.
As a player of rebels, I voted Good. In hindsight, I should have voted Awesome.
From an OOC advancement perspective it isn't the best. It throws a monkey wrench into quest grinding, good group formation, and easy access to goods normally kept at hand to survive the underdark we had grown used to.
And it all changed, and for the better. Now it's about living in a story-line, where before the plot lines had been more static feeling. Very good plot job.
It's a challenge and it's awesome.
Tip: Swearing does not make you funny or cool. - DangerousDan.
I voted good. I think everything is awesome, but at the same time I am unsure of what it is like for a completely new player to the server. I think it might be a bit overwhelming because they aren't going to have a clue what is going on. (Spellguard who? Etorix what? Chosen where?) Then of course the first people they're going to meet is the regime. :P
For older characters and players though, I think it's awesome.
I went to the Canal Ward from Fort Mur on a mission. By the time I got there I needed some more crossbow bolts. Anyway, low and behold there is nobody that sells basic run of the mill crossbow bolts around (Mickey wasn’t in the bazaar for some reason). So I march my happy ass through the low way to Upper just to buy some silly bolts and march right back down. I get PvP ganked on my way back down for some reason I’m still unsure of. Actually, I’m not that upset about the PvP so much as the fact that it only happened because I needed to get crossbow bolts. Had they been available in the Lower/Canal bazaar I would have been fine. Whatever it is the DM team is doing with Sanctuary has cut off the basic necessities of normalcy for a PC in EfU and has taken the fun out of the game for me. And I refuse to create a new character to get ganked by the Nazi Gestapo in Upper, the Chosen of Lower or the inability to do anything in the Canal Ward. And to tell somebody to have his or her new low level character ‘change things’ is ludicrous, hell voted in council members cant even ‘change things’. So unless a player was to create a character with an “I need to create a PC that will get along with the Nazi Spellguard or die” attitude, they’re kind of s.o.l..
Not to mention my PC that was PvP’d was 5th level. How would a 2nd, 3rd or 4th level PC survive?
Some may call it awesome, I call it I only wanted a couple stupid crossbow bolts ffs.
I second Meldread's position, but from the perspective of a newbie. Having recently returned to the server after years away, OOC I'm finding it quite difficult to get my bearings or to find opportunities for my character. This probably has a lot to do with my own difficulties joining the few groups that are at the same point in development and such.
But. What I do catch wind of or oversee while lurking on the outskirts of conversations, etc., is absolutely engrossing. It feels overwhelming in the best of ways and far more dangerous than my recollections of the past life of Sanctuary. Every step feels resolutely uncertain as the order of the day may shift with a few hours notice. I don't recall ever feeling that the entire existence of the city was actually in danger, but now...And when i do catch glimpse of a plot, it seems a vertiginous depth opens up beneath. This is to say: bravo to all involved from an fascinated observer.
I think its good and a bad thing. However think it sucks for wiards and noncombatant builds because its even more impossible for them to quest then it already was. And I think this system utterly sucks for chars rolling new chars during this believe me ive ran so far 2 chars since after the rebellion.
RIPnogarD I went to the Canal Ward from Fort Mur on a mission. By the time I got there I needed some more crossbow bolts. Anyway, low and behold there is nobody that sells basic run of the mill crossbow bolts around (Mickey wasn’t in the bazaar for some reason). So I march my happy ass through the low way to Upper just to buy some silly bolts and march right back down. I get PvP ganked on my way back down for some reason I’m still unsure of. Actually, I’m not that upset about the PvP so much as the fact that it only happened because I needed to get crossbow bolts. Had they been available in the Lower/Canal bazaar I would have been fine. Whatever it is the DM team is doing with Sanctuary has cut off the basic necessities of normalcy for a PC in EfU and has taken the fun out of the game for me. And I refuse to create a new character to get ganked by the Nazi Gestapo in Upper, the Chosen of Lower or the inability to do anything in the Canal Ward. And to tell somebody to have his or her new low level character ‘change things’ is ludicrous, hell voted in council members cant even ‘change things’. So unless a player was to create a character with an “I need to create a PC that will get along with the Nazi Spellguard or die” attitude, they’re kind of s.o.l..Not to mention my PC that was PvP’d was 5th level. How would a 2nd, 3rd or 4th level PC survive?
Some may call it awesome, I call it I only wanted a couple stupid crossbow bolts ffs.
Believe it or not I think this might be foig to say but here it gos. Yes Pcs change things because believeit or not tons of Pcs where in on this plot to make sanctuary the gestapo/nazi it is. and YES it is Nazi Gestapo what do you expect? You can chage things! To say you cant chage thing is absoloutl ludricrouse.
You can do Tons of things! Also you say you returned from a mission what mission was it exactly? ALSO IT IS NOTED CONSIRNG AD ASSOCIATING WITH REBELS IS A CAPITOL CRIME!
Good, overall.
The brinksmanship and lack of discipline on the part of the ruling elite has made the entire regime unstable and the external pressures have mounted to a degree that the entire society is on an collision course with disaster. It's a very interesting and rare narrative in the universe of NWN persistent world servers to be seen done, nevermind to be done -well-, and I like that. It's grittier, which is always something I've liked about EfU. There are a lot of things about EfU which I've nit-picked given my previous experience trying to play here, but for a gritty dynamic setting that takes its story cohesion seriously, there is -nothing- in the NWN persistent world universe that beats it. It's just no contest.
It also presents a somewhat unique situation for characters in a NWN persistent world to confront and that can make for interesting RP. EfU is one of the few servers to take character mortality seriously. To combine that with an impending sense of doom where characters and players know the risks are REAL can generate some very interesting play.
So yeah, I'm a fan. Frankly, hearing about the current narrative from a friend who plays here is the whole reason WHY I am back right now. You can't find this stuff on other servers.
Kudos to the staff.
Lorloth pretty much nailed why we're doing this. We think we can offer something unique in NWN storytelling, and desire to immerse players not in a game of numbers where they do quests to level up, but in a story that is in-depth and reactive to their actions. We knew some of the changes would be controversial, and difficult for some people to deal with for a time. But my personal feeling is that any times of trouble do not cause the players to react in an interesting way if nothing changes for them. There are dozens of servers which offer a static storytelling experience without much opportunity for players to influence the outcome of events, or true consequences to one's actions. I'd wager there are very few indeed like us.
If you're having difficulty connecting to the events in some way, feel free to talk to a DM as how to get more involved, or to bounce ideas off. Otherwise, I am sure Garem (Lt. Dentra, Loyalist), core (Rebel Watchman) or Meldread (Independent dedicated to fighting back the emergent threat of the Chosen) would all be willing to take time to talk with you and help you get involved.
If you've any more questions, don't hesitate to PM me.
Absolutely, I'll help get people involved who want to be! This week is a REALLY crazy-busy one, so shoot me a PM IC or OOCly on the forums and/or IRC and I'll try to help guide you into all the stuff going on. Alternatively, any Loyalist can get help get you involved!
Anyways, I voted Awesome to counter-balance LTS's vote. I'm somewhere in-between. I think the only negative thing I really feel towards these events is rooted in the fact that I really have NO idea what will happen to my beloved gameworld. And I'm not getting to be as intimately involved with the action as I want to be. It's a great problem to have.
I missed a week of this, and thus missed the stuff with the dragon and the rebellion, (which I'm not quite clear on, but you know.) Still, when I got back I was pleasantly surprised. The suspense is killing me. and we can all feel the pressure. It's excellent. So much to cool things to do that OOCly I'm not sure what I want to help with, or which side I want to join.
Mixed feelings :
Pros : The server certainly feels more alive and dangerous than before. Nobody used to be scared of Chosen. They were just another scripted quest monster. Now they're frightening and despised on a whole new level, and it drives home the point that Dunwarren is really dangerous.
I like this feel of what will happen next being based on PC actions, and whether or not the rebels or spellguard will make the future. I like the possibility that the DMs are willing to change the module so much that Sanctuary will "be allowed" to fall unless the PCs can save it.
Cons : The server feels a bit stifling with drow patrols and chosen everywhere. I think more areas need to be added, the Underdark is vast and enemies cannot possibly cover so much of it. PCs should be able to run to somewhere further away than is possible now. Any direction except north of sanctuary leads you Closer to drow and illithid cities. East was never opened up, perhaps some new areas could be added there, that have some predators drow fear.
I think things are happening too much too quickly. Sanctuary is getting loaded with catastrophe after catastrophe, when even one or two of them would've been plenty to deal with.
Lack of Moderation (con) Sometimes the gradual or halfway road is better, so that PCs have more of a chance and more time to make a difference. For instance : Instead of Abruptly shifting Etorix onto the Illithid team (if that actually happened) you could've made it so that he became frustrated with the lack of worship from Sanctuary and simply just withdrew his protection. Perhaps if Sanctuary still would not repent he might've begun to make attacks that destroy some of the main buildings in town. More of a buildup, and more of a chance for PCs to make a difference in that respect.
In general, its great that you guys are putting time and effort into server changes and making things more suspenseful and immediate for PCs. I just think there is too much rush and too much at once in a few of the events.
As others have stated, much of what we have done makes it tougher for new characters and new players. I am very sympathetic. I have attempted to mitigate this somewhat by vastly increasing the the exploration XP offered, increased some quest rewards, added a new absurdly rewarding low level fedex, and other things. However, I realize it is tough. My best advice is to hold on as best you can for a while and try to enjoy the ride.
I have added at least one safe, neutral safe place that offers basic needs. If there are essentials though that just can't be found feel free to make a suggestion post letting us know.
In terms of plots, we're not really adding new ones - we're just ramping up ones that have existed for years, just maybe weren't quite as prominent in the life of your average character.
EDIT
Although I welcome feedback about the server always, I think this poll might be misleading. "The State of EFU" may have been better, as likely some will interpret the poll question to be like, "How well do you think Sanctuary is doing?" and of course the answer would be that it is doing poorly.
I happen to be playing a higher level (9) PC so i am fine with the Greater Chosen everywhere... if i was lower it may be different, hard to say...
I have now saved/rescued 4 groups of level 4-6 who have died to Chosen / Other Nasties. Whilst new PC's maybe getting a little extra help at low levels the server is deadly atm and for newer players that is very tough, and maybe a bit frustrating?
I like it, but i can compare it to the easier ride we have had before, i guess as long as the 'ride' isn't too long maybe?
I would hate the thought of great new players getting frustrated at a world they can barely explore due to the difficulty level...
Since I can't resist, I do have another comment. EFU is a tapestry with hundreds of threads, rarely with one player seeing all of them. If things don't seem to make sense, that doesn't mean they don't, but rather that you may be missing something. Trying to puzzle it all together is, I hope, fun, and now in particular is a time in which more and more threads of the tapestry are coming together.
It's great. Having quite some fun with it. [sarcasim]Now I just need to find a Clone Army with AT-TE's and other heavy equipment. :lol: heh[/sarcasim]
I feel sorry for new players...
But this would make for great RP, if any of my characters were more involved.
This poll is ridiculous. I need something better to vote than 'awesome'.
All the stuff going on before this was awesome, I don't have words to discribe what's now going on. It's just pretty amazing, best feeling I have ever had playing a game.
Just thank you all, DMs aswell as players.
I have to say overall, for me personally I like it. I've said in previous posts in this forum in the past that it felt like certain plots (such as the Traensyr Civil War) just lagged on forever. Sanctuary as a whole seemed to feel completely secure and safe. There were good IC reasons for all of that. They should easily be uncovered simply by reading the general rumors thread.
My PC and his faction are working toward some things IC. I'm hoping that if we're successful we might be able to create some "breathing space." Especially for new players.
I also have to say, that the DM's have definitely ramped up the XP being given out for RP. This is likely to compensate for the issue with the quests. I've gotten a great deal of XP for simple RP that likely would have otherwise went overlooked in the past.
My suggestion for everyone is simply to get involved. It does not matter if you're just level two. Just get involved.
I will try harder to make my PC available to new characters.
I think the changes made, while controversial, embody the spirit of EfU in many ways. EfU has always been a dynamic server, a world that responded to and could be changed by players and events that took place. Over the years it has changed, immensely. Perhaps not as quickly as things seem to be happening now, but it has.
This is one of the things that keeps me coming back to play here (that and the amazing roleplayers that congregate here and run the server for our entertainment).
The server has never felt more alive and dynamic than it does right here and now. People and events are causing widespread change and upheaval and this is exciting and terrifying! And while I am not nearly as involved as I would like to be (who is really) I applaud the DM's running this, and all the players that are participating and contributing to these "interesting times" as the Chinese curse puts it. :wink:
Awesome..no other way to vote imo. The server is more dynamic and deadly then I have ever seen it. The oppertunities for epic RP are literaly at every corner. I am sure this is all going to come to a crashing end, but what a ride!
Now if I could just get a char to live more then 15 minitues in this new land of Epicness, without metagameing all the stuff I know but they wouldn't...
Silver weapons are extra rare.. that's a con. I mean, now it makes more sense than ever for them to be rare, but I do think that the makeshift spears with montezzi silverware would be a welcome sight.
You too? I put it on the suggestion thing. :( Also, as for bolts in Lower... Send a letter to Harrison asking if he can start forging them.
It would've been nice if I could've voted something between "Good" and "Awesome". I finally decided on "Good", as there is room for a little improvement. I echo the comments on the difficulty for new players or low level characters to survive, and the problem of finding the most basic of supplies in some areas. But, overall, the end result of events has been intriguing and fun!
Hmmm, it accured to me the story line of current events is on the edge of Star Wars Episode 3. So as such I want to see more laser-swords and sorcerous ways!
Egon the Monkey said:
You too? I put it on the suggestion thing. Also, as for bolts in Lower... Send a letter to Harrison asking if he can start forging them.
Yeah I was giving full support to that idea. I just forgot who suggested it and was too lazy to look it up. But yeah, your idea would be grand. In fact, I would even be open to earning the right to those weapons. A DM quest perhaps.