PC Plot And Activity

[The Beggar]

Taken from:

PC Plots are a lot less common these days, and there are a small few players that still go out of their way to give things for other players to do. The real problem with EFU these days, is not enough players are taking an active role in the server. Most poeple are just waiting for something cool to roll around they can relate to or jump on board with.

I concur!

Personally I fail to contribute secondary to me dropping characters quickly, usually after some lame non-pvp associated death in the wilds or on a quest. I state this because I think others do the same thing, and may gain some benefit from what others have done to get past it.

The questions I would pose for an open discussion are:

What can we as players do to change this and improve interaction and pc plots?

[CunningPlan]

Make more unusual chars and play to their builds and personalities. Get some attention.
My current char, Bishop is a Str rogue with heavy armor, made as a highly skilled mercenary strategist as opposed to a sneak. I wanted to build something very different to the usual Rogue, and it's a versatile class. I've been trying to use him to coordinate parties more, give quests more direction than "silently pwn mobs".

There are a lot of fairly standard ways to play a PC, but the unusual ones stick out and give you different options. Try a 8 str, 18 WIS priest of Eldath who refuses to raise a hand to anything. A conjuration specialist "minion master" Wizard or Cleric. A fat female elf, a halfling barbarian, a bard with max tumble who RPs bardic music as interpretive dance...
Characters almost totally opposed to the normal expectations of a class or race are fun and can involve others with "how did you end up like that?"

Set up an alchemical research lab, and "accidentally" explode it.
Play a character who is utterly convinced that what the world REALLY needs is Beer Golems, or that Dual-wield Bastard Sword-jutsu is the combat style of the future, and people Must Be Trained.

Start a bar, a brothel, a hospital, a seedy underground Summoned Creature Pit Fighting Club. Something that a variety of PCs could get in on.

That's a few ideas.

[ScottyB]

I'll throw in an idea, and an old favorite: insist that what the guard really needs are really mini mini-skirts.

Take it a step further... don't limit it to women. >_>

[dragonfire9000]

I made a ranged fighter... then he died... repeatedly... on the orc quest... due to a bug...

Does that count?

No, I agree, this needs to change. There are a lot of good factions, but I don't see very many poeple taking active roles in the server. I know for sure that I don't, because I'm not a stable enough player to do so. However, I'd love to see more of it!!

[Underbard]

Beer Golems!

[Garem]

You know, I think a lot of PC plots are squelched because there's a very peculiar feeling of vulnerability on EfUA as compared to EfU.

People stood up against each other ALL the time on EfU:
-Upper vs Lower
-Spellguard vs Seekers
-Lower Thugs wanting freedom vs Lower Domination-types/Uppersmen
-Upper Goody-Goodies vs Upper Evil types

On EfUA, these clear distinctions are, well, not so clear! Things are very muddled right now. How could this change?

The one very clear step is open rebellion. Right now, people don't see much influence by the government, Old Port, Sharboneth, etc. If the DMs nudged this a little, maybe an Old Port merchant stopping by the Colony with a slave train in tow behind him, people might be roused into action.

Let's take it a step further. Why can't this merchant be an application PC? For the most part, PCs in this new world of ours are underwhelming and not influential, barring a few extreme examples like Ortred, de Olid, and maybe Tanith or Symme. I'm definately not saying that these people being so influential is bad, no, quite the contrary, it's great! But notice, they're all (for the most part) on the same "side"-- the mostly lawful, mostly evilish corner. The Spellguard were great, but that's because there was an equally great opposition (in it's own unique way!) that wasn't hopelessly overwhelmed by the shadows of Serena Tower.

Some implementation ideas?

Make the Seekers open to PCs again, and visible. We can branch away from them in time in an effort to make EfUA "newer" as it should be, but they would (and for our story, really SHOULD) be fighting much harder than they are against the Sharboneth and Old Port faction.

With the opening of the Seekers, open Sharboneth too to PC characters.

One thing I do kinda like is that Sharboneth is NOT the Colonial Guard. Just me, maybe.

I also think being less "pidgeon holed" into NEEDING the support of Old Port to survive is helpful to relieving this. This is highly debatable, though.

That is the conclusion of my scatterbrained effort of thinking about this weird problem. Although I focused on the Sharboneth vs Seeker idea, the point I hope to have made is that there aren't clearly defined groups right now, or ideologies, for PCs to just fall into. Except the pro-Necromancy peoples and the anti-Necro folks, I suppose...

[Garem]

I like cunningplan's thoughts too, btw. Doesn't really address this on a server-wide vision level though, which is what I think Beggar is talking about.

[I can has fun?]

I think Garem's muddled post was sufficiently on target that I'll second what he said.

[Sandstorm]

It might be nice if there was some more DM support for PC plots, as well! It does not need to be amazing perks, but even an enterprising Old Port merchant who DMs use to make uniforms for PC factions that the DMs feel will not just fizzle, at a price. Or even just XP and kudos, or a tiny thing that shows that someone thinks it is cool. Most plots seem to fade because interest in them fades, and if someone is honestly trying to do something cool, it should be rewarded.

[Mort]

All this and MORE is in the work. Just that it is fairly ambitious and requires a lot of time to implement.

But I want to do it right at my own pace and not deliver an half-done product this time.

Power is for people.

[Garem]

Word. Mort and the rest of you guys, I love you, oh baby, oh baby.

[maons]

[I can has fun?]

But I want to do it right at my own pace and not deliver an half-done product this time.

This inspires much confidence in me.

[derfo]

i think in old sanctuary place it was all like, the four main dm factions had pretty obvious reasons to hate and/or like each other, but everything here is like sup

[Howlando]

Just posting to register my disapproval of the idea that unusual builds is in any way relating to "PC Plot and Activity."

Perhaps it'd be constructive to consider what a PC plot might be.

Some possible examples just off the top of my head of the sort of things that players could independently work on for a while before needing DMs -

- Establishing a society devoted towards (1) caring for the unfortunate victims of the Ziggurat, and (2) disabling the mysterious teleportation aspect of the Ziggurat as it has ruined the lives of so many

- Establishing a band of bandits and highway-men that tax and steal from lone travelers, with the hope of using these funds to start an insurrection against House Sharboneth

- Offering treasure for trophies from particularly rare beasts

- Founding an adventuring guild to organize and adventurers and put in practice certain rules and regulations

- Duelists Tournaments, Controling all crime, rivalries between PCs, etc. etc. etc.

We certainly do have plans to encourage additional Player Plottage, though, to be sure!

All of this is separate from some of the other points touched on in the thread relating to the political position of the Colony and design of NPC factions, which maybe could be discussed in a separate thread.

[Underbard]

Beer golems aside,in all honesty, I see lots of PC related plots and the DM's seem to be taking notice as well, throwing a hook here and there, to keep things interesting.  Granted, with the new setting, it will take awhile for the faction rivalry's to take hold.  In the mean time it is up to us, the PC's to make something happen.

  Just my two cents.