Have fun damnit!

[The Old Hack]

At least this has given me the perfect idea for my next character. He is going to spend all his time hanging out in front of the Kingsman gossiping with people.

...


...what? >.>

[Egon the Monkey]

Hack, Starless is saying that the Withering kills mood, not that you do. Responding with fear of it's a perfectly acceptable IC thing, but it's keeping people out of a lot of game. The thing is, the bottom ends of the Withering level on an area are negligible. Sitting around the Conclave or the Hold won't turn you into a zombie.

Furthermore, doing these quests did often draw the attention for spice and other things, and that in itself was often even worse

I am not exaggerating to say that this was what drove me away from playing Aorli Brakenshield who took on tough quests and areas, and on to a PC before Takao that just chilled out at L6 and played at herbalism. I didn't want frustration, I wanted fun and goals I stood a chance to succeed at. We tried do the hard quests and to build up supplies to hit the epic areas, but we kept being demolished by spice that had no bearing on plot. I mean, we planned to kill Father Michael the Psychopomp and you don't do that on a bunch of L6 PCs with 5 blurs between them. Nobody challenges NPCs to try and actually create a change in the server, as most of them can kick a PCs ass unless said PC has been powergaming like mad. When we take a risk on EfU, we're gambling. We're betting the time it took us to get those levels and supplies. The time IG that we're not spending plotting, and it's no fun if the house always wins.

Whereas yes, "anything is possible" it comes with the caveat of "If you can sell a DM on the idea and they're free to help". Looking back on the Order's defeat in the Bogs to the Rot Prophet, that offered a rare chance to fight an NPC group and harm them badly, even if it took a DM plot to allow it. The results of that, the exploration of Blackhearth and the rebirth of the Order garrison made SO MUCH GAME. Following various Conclave-related conflict both from without and within, it never seemed like any NPCs or the faction itself were in serious danger from it. Looking at the Withering, it doesn't seem like PC actions have any effect on it, even when I was playing an Order Footman who'd regularly go out and carpet-bomb Island Tumours with his Fireballs. Having just looked back over 6-7 months of IC rumours, I can't see anything about going out there and fighting the Lich. Most of it's internal conflict within Mistlocke.

Put some pointers out there for how PCs might be able to harm external threats to Mistlocke and see if they go for it. Whether it's that they can lower the Withering effect of an area by smashing Tumours or there's a small thermal exhaust port in the Machine that shorts out the Enclave's power if you shove a potato up it. Most importantly, allow significant progress without a DM, only needing them at checkpoints. I'm thinking of the Shards of the Crown plot and ofc H'bala's tower keys. People managed to get close to releasing her by means ranging from subterfuge, to muggings, to in the end convincing the druids they could definitely take her. Most factions worried about the stones, and resolution of who had then didn't require DMs except for specific ones.

[Bearic]

There have been some things that have swayed the withering, or had an effect to boast or reduce it; most are just in-game knowledge, as it were. =]

[The Old Hack]

Hack, Starless is saying that the Withering kills mood, not that you do.

Bah, you're just trying to kill my imba gossip in front of the Kingsman concept. *muttermuttergrumble*

Slightly more seriously, I still disagree. The Withering does not in and of itself kill mood. What does kill mood is far more 1) the OOC attitudes described above and 2) what you describe below, that nothing you seem to do out there appears to have any lasting effect. I once saw someone denounce the 'patrolling in Withered lands' idea that Sir Tremarus pushed so hard. Why? He was the one I saw who came closest to give the roleplay some feel that going out there and trying to fight the Lich's creatures actually mattered, that you were at the very least hurting its ability to just move around as it pleased and that it at least had to worry about strikes against its home territory.

Give us the feeling that questing against the Lich's creatures actually matters, the sense that the Conclave isn't just a collection of Wizard Overlords where nothing you do to resist them matters, and the like. Then it may show an upsurge in the kind of activity Howland seems to want. As it is, well. *sigh*

~tOH.

[Heavyfog]

EFU,  I still love you...even if you are all withered and green.

[Evaenir]

I think I understand what StarlessNight mean. I agree with him, and I also agree with the fact that both players and characters don't want to spend too much time in withered areas. The ideal thing here would be to ''rp while going back to town''. It is logical that (both in-game and OOC) people want to spend the smallest amount of time possible outside of Mistlocke, so they hurry up on their way back. But what isn't normal is that they do it quietly, they don't talk at all. I think this is where the problem is. People could always talk maximum for two minutes then start the way back home...more than that is like they forgot about the curse...which won't make sense when ''they are afraid to see their fingers drop on the gound while massaging them''. Why should they ''shut up'' while returning to Mistlocke? Maybe we tend to forget this part because for us it takes 10 minutes (depending where you are) but for them it takes one hour and more. It can be troublesome to write while walking too (while watching for possible dangers) and on that point, maybe it would be worth to sacrifice a few moments to stop walking and finish writing even if you're getting more withered.

I could understand for a bunch of stealthy characters, but who cares when there are three Mr. Clankalot in plated armors accompanying you...

Most of what I thought otherwise has already been mentionned by other people. However, The Old Hack mentionned something interesting here. Most efforts from Mistlocke's people seem to be invested towards factions bickerings, or we could also say defending the town (like ''clean the granary''). I understand for power-hungry characters, but at some point there should be some people out there realizing that they're all slowly dying while arguing between themselves. (P.S. - Do not generalize, I don't mean that NOBODY cares about that, but more like not enough people realize it, maybe I haven't played long enough too, I'm still new here.)

[efuincarnate]

Read or scanned most of the reply's, and Howland, it comes down to the withering for me.  Never really cared about levles/gold/potions...etc. Probably why I have only in EFU/EFUA/EFUM had two characters make it to level 8, the first for not very long and the second so far so good.  The death system here is one of the reasons it makes playing on the server so intense.  I do not feign to understand what SVB stands for or means..I do know that the withering is keeping me from exploring the server to the extent I would otherwise.  IC, I do not want to wither away. OOC,..I do not want to wither away..exploring the server seems to be compounding my withering, and the cures available doing little to abate it.  On EFUA, I think I saw the entire server, at some point or another, and exploring and discovery was one of the most fun activities done.  It was literally " Lets go for a walk and see what we find!"

Now, it is ..let's go for a walk..oh wait, do we really really need to go there, by the time we get back, I will be a puking, green, fly infested mess..(hyperbole to make a point) It is not that fast, but it is definitely a factor most focus IC and OOC staying out of the Withered zones. I think the withering system in place has worked exactly as it was supposed to..but perhaps a bit too well.

TL/DR  Withering is bad.  Exploring is good.  Death is inevitable. Choose the death that ends your character as carefully as you choose the character. No body gets out of here alive..

[TeufelHunden]

I did Sunken Enclave at level 9 on Alfred Thenson a few months back and got like 300 exp for turn in on a quest that took a few hours. I think that deters people from going down and doing the most difficult quest on the server. That coupled with the fact that at least one person always dies on the quest unless you get really lucky

[The Crimson Magician]

One of the coolest things you used to be able to do was go out with one of your buddies and explore almost the entire server and just RP off of each other.

Nowadays, you're likely to run into some assassin vines-like creature and end, well, there goes that.

I must say that there are some really awesome areas stil, of course, that don't have as much danger.

[sylvyrdragon]

When EFU:A started, we were told we did not 'fear' the withering enough, so a system was put in place so the players did 'fear' it.  Now, that we (the players) know fear of it, it seems we fear it to much?  *so confused*

anyway, here is why I think a lot of people don't do the higher end quests, for MOST of us the reward is not worth the risk.  I (as I'm sure others as well) do not have hours and hours to sit a play.  My time is limited, so for me to quest the reward must out weight the risk.  Between the Withering, the risk of running into some of those you are in conflict with, and the huge risk of death, it's just not worth it.


(to be continuted.. have to run.)

[Softie]

Meh. I got told that it was my own fault Kara got invis ganked and executed because there were defenses against an invis gank. Defenses I normally used but no longer had available due to level loss. Sometimes I feel that getting involved in server and PC conflict with a non-badass character is suicide. You will forgive me for not being eager to experience level loss after losing two characters to an invis gank they could no longer defend themselves against. (Two completely separate events, mind you, and the older one was totally awesome because it was committed by a single badass character in the face of Stygians, Militia and half a dozen other PCs.)

My point being, no matter what people claim, if you try to 'rock the server', levels will matter.

Going to have to agree with this.  If you ruffle feathers, you better be a badass or hide because you are likely to end your career being invis ganked by someone much more badass than you.

My current PC was born specifically of a desire to see the server and explore as much as possible and actually see what was out there, something I previously felt I could not do because I had to always be on the defensive from powerful invis gankers.

[morva]

bro don't taze me

[Greedisgood]

Starless Night pretty much spoke my mind, especially on point 5 of his.

On the other hand - I am actually not that against Withering. I'd say that instead of removing Withering, it should be simply exploration that is rewarded more - more lore finds (I know there's already a lot, but still), more treasure from random spawns, more random treasure coves (and treasure coves that'd perhaps "resupply " each time a new group enters an area, instead of the "first come first served", that enforces a bit of "let's not bother exploring until the reset" mentality, and the rush of the exploration in early hours after reset).

The most obvious  candidate for more treasure findings (perhaps utilising the Scavenging system used for Gnolls quest?) would, of course, be the Ziggurat itself. For me, the Withering feels a lot (as I suppose it was intended to feel) like radiation in a post - nuclear RPG - you venture into the Wastelands, you come back glowing green. Heck, we even have Rad - X (Sylvan Dryroots) and Rad - Aways (Remove Curse/Cures), to speak to the heart of all Fallout fans ;). But as I said - while I certainly feel the "everybody's dying from radiation poisoning" part of post - apocalypse, I feel that "we are salvaging the remains of a better civilisation" part is terribly underdeveloped.

[winter_is_coming]

Or Withering could be simply removed mechanically, but the messages would stay.

Would stop that psychological effect on people.

[The Old Hack]

Good idea. We could also remove damage from the setting but tell people that they feel hurt when they get hit.