Consolidating the gameworld

[Siek]

Originally Posted by Vladmir

To sell the rafters into slavery, force them into their crew via press gang, hit up them for food or information, or because they were feeling contrary or thought it'd be funny to knock over a raft with a bunch of people on it.

Now that's a pirate spirit!

[PBandJ]

Also because the fancier ferry has guards on it

They go for the easy targets!

[Ilaxandus]

I honestly can't figure out why there is only one drover to Rock Valley and one ferry to everywhere with one. It drives me insane to barely miss a boat or drover and have to sit idly and wait for a half hour. If one came every few minutes I'm sure people would complain much less.

[killboy25]

Why not just trigger the ferry/drover to arrive when someones been standing there for a few minutes? Then they make the trip out to the destination, and sails/walks off until someone re-triggers it/him. It could even be made to only allow one trip at a time, anyone caught waiting would have to wait until the trip is finished to trigger the ferry/drover again.

[MrSelfDestruct]

Originally Posted by Vladmir

Here's an idea though, for those that'd like to find themselves in the middle of furious combat if they head to Rock Valley via the theoretical short way.

First of all, increase the frequency of caravans to Rock Valley. Even with another option, I feel they're too slow. A 15 minute wait, even, would be an improvement over the current situation.

Second, allow people to 'Walk to Rock Valley' themselves via a shorter, but still automated route. Along this route, various encounters are possible, and they could be fairly difficult, because I'm about to get to how to avoid them.

Third, if people decide to walk the short way to the valley, their Outdoor Basics skill can offer them the chance to avoid those encounters completely if they so choose. Grandmaster it, and you never have to fight a landing party of Tuchean pirates again...but you can if you want too. The choice could look something like this.



Pick 'yes', and you might see something like this.



Pick 'no' and you can trip the ambush, but since you know it's coming, you avoid the Oak Forest-style snares the bad guys have set up.



This would work for either people walking solo, or people 'following' you, so those with OB could hire themselves out as a guide or something.

Could also add multiple encounter types. (Attacked by wolves, attacked by a bear, ambushed by tribals, ambushed by pirates, propositioned by Culexus in a Hugh Hefner robe, etc.) Whatever it is, detecting it ahead of time means you can go into the encounter with an advantage, or it can be avoided entirely.

Thoughts?

I really like this idea!

[Tweninger]

I also like that idea.

Also, Monlon needs a wooded area.

[Insigniared]

Originally Posted by Tweninger

I also like that idea.

Also, Monlon needs a wooded area.

Yes. Now we just need someone to @request it.

[Tweninger]

Originally Posted by Insigniared

Yes. Now we just need someone to @request it.

I don't @request anymore. You go ahead.

[Insigniared]

Originally Posted by Tweninger

I don't @request anymore. You go ahead.

Not it. Rock, paper, scissors.

[Tweninger]

One two three, not it.

[Insigniared]

No, but really, I highly recommend that you, Vlad, @request it. It's a really great idea and definitely deserves some consideration from the GMs.

[Lexi]

I thought Monlon was an island all this time, because of the ferry that goes to to it.

I guess you can still learn something about this game after so long. *eyeshift*

[Vladmir]

Originally Posted by Insigniared

No, but really, I highly recommend that you, Vlad, @request it. It's a really great idea and definitely deserves some consideration from the GMs.

I can do that.

Edit: I did that.

[roadstrom]

Originally Posted by PBandJ

I also want to re-bump my older idea to have 2 options to get to Monlon - the for-pay ferry, or a free "raft" which can be hit by pirates on the way.

Moar Pirates! MOOOOAAR!

A fine idea!

One suggestion -- downstream. from Monlon, the raft is free. Upstream, to Monlon, they pay you a small sum to walk the towpath and tow the raft. It's grueling work in text, but you eventually arrive in Monlon restored of all fatigue and invigorated by the exercise.

A second suggestion -- If the pirates attack and your party as a whole loses the fight, they take some random item from you and sell you for a ridiculously low price in Monlon (Or in Iridine, whichever way you were heading). Your new master has you work for a short time (sewing, skinning, preferably something you can do for SP) and then frees you. If you are attacked early in the voyage the result could be that you wind up free and where you want to be, quicker than the ferry.

A third suggestion -- A little woolier -- if pirates attack and at the end of the fight, you and your friends are the only ones standing, you *can* choose to take the pirate ship and sell everybody else in Monlon. Then you are the pirates. You can't attack more than half the rafts that go by. If you lose a fight to PCs or NPCs you find yourself at the Monlon or Iridine slave market, just like a good-guy loser. The original owners get first-refusal to buy back everything you stole, or else it gets auctioned. You had no opportunity to hide it or pass it off to a raft passenger who is not in your gang. This is definitely bandit-lite. If you go more than a couple of days without raiding anybody, you wake up in the slave market just like you lost a fight, with all the items you started with minus one. You really shouldn't suffer serious legal penalties when the rewards were so scant. Lots of room for roleplay, though. You hardly need to attack people quick -- there's nowhere for them to run and if they think out nobody can come help them.... The most they lose is one item (which they can eventually get back for a price) and some time unconscious and time roleplaying a slave. They might just submit. [Will they roleplay suffering personal indignities such as intrusive strip-search, rape (or at their choice seduction, you can't rape the willing) or would they call the GMs? Get that straight ahead of time.... [OOCly]]

If you want to roleplay banditry, as opposed to efficiently get loot and grief players, I can't think of a better opportunity.

[roadstrom]

Originally Posted by Attica

I guess the main issue I find IS the rolepoints. It is hard to accomplish a lot, or feel like you're playing a real character without it.

In other MUDs, it is customary for people to roll up with specialized, unique descriptions. Custom items are able to be crafted by players.

Yes, you can play one character, but with no rolepoints and the inability to submit events. This game only rewards you for the time you spend (probably idling) only if you pay for it.

Somebody has to pay something or it shuts down.

How about this -- if you have a free account, paying players can give you RPs if they feel like it.

So the better you serve the actual customers, the more they feel you contribute to the game, the more of the stuff you want becomes available.

People might give tips for great or amusing roleplay. They like to be entertained.

They might give RP for excellent cybering. I don't suggest that, but mention it because it's an obvious choice for people who lack imagination for anything better.

If you can truly excite people by banditing them, to the point they give you RP for the experience, then it's a win all round. Perhaps there should be some safeguards built into that, like you both have to sleep before you find whether you have been awarded RPs or not, so that people won't be coerced into awarding RPs for fear of what will immediately happen to their characters if they don't.

Players could award RPs to more-experienced free players who give them tips about mechanics or how to use the text engine etc.

There could be some excellent possibilities here.