Changes To The Main Antagonist

[Viper3X 1056]

Greetings, lovely community! Warning: Large incoming walls of text. Nonetheless, I guarantee you that it is good to know and I suggest reading it!
 

Today I would like to announce some major (yet minor) changes to the main antagonist. You might find yourself thinking "We went through this already! Why fix what can't be fixed? Bring back the Undead!" However, I would like to take a moment to (try to) prove you wrong. While it may be true that any antagonist we introduce will never live up to the Undead -- at least in the eyes of our veteran members due to nostalgia and all that -- we can introduce an antagonist that is successful and entertaining for the playerbase. Before I was leader of the main antagonist, Mau5noize worked with Chaqery (the lore writer) to spearhead the main antagonist into action. At first things went great, but it didn't take long for it to go downhill from there. With Mau5noize off on hiatus and Chaqery leaving the server, the main antagonist needed a new leader. I stepped in to offer whatever I could to help, even though I was already very busy with many other responsibilities. I will be the first to admit that I am not the perfect leader out there, but no one is. I do what I can to help, and I do what I can to make sure that the main antagonist is enjoyable -- to a certain extent, however, as not everyone will enjoy a faction that causes you to lose your belongings. Right away I began to notice many elements that made the antagonist (let's name it Anthos Antag 1.0, or AA1 for short) slip into failure. This, a revamp was on the horizon. After spending much of my time working on lore and changes to the structure of the antagonist, we had something completely different. AA1 focused on large amounts of antagonist players and a few big guys with big buffs. We quickly saw what was wrong with this, so we cut out the amount of players that we needed in order to be strong. This led to what I will refer to as Anthos Antag 2.0 (AA2 for short).

 

We listened to what the players wanted, and we changed the antagonist completely. We introduced magic (mechanics-based magic thanks to Tyrion and Arzota!) and PvE (mobs). Things quickly went uphill from there. The players loved it, and many people finally began to enjoy the antagonist again. However, we didn't realize what we had done wrong that would make AA2 fall into failure just like what had happened with AA1. The amount of antagonists. Once we started recruiting again, we quickly grew in numbers. Cults were formed and many cultists joined in during our events. With a good army of players, a few very powerful magic users, AND mobs, this made things extremely difficult for players to cope with during mechanics-based fighting. While not everyone had magic, this was /exactly/ the problem. We had too many numbers, and players couldn't distinguish the powerful magic users from the lowly cultists with no magic. While we usually made our magic users not wear armor, it was still difficult to distinguish them in battle. Some players enjoyed it, but the majority didn't. Tack on the mobs being quite powerful, it's safe to say we "roflstomped" when we went all out. This led to us having to restrain ourselves during encounters so that we didn't kill everyone too quickly. However, it's tough to do when multiple people accidentally spawn two groups of mobs on top of players at the same time a group of non-magic users rush in with clicky clicky mode activated. It just didn't work. There were too many variables at play and the encounters were too complex for mechanics-based fighting. Thus, I now announce to you the third version of the main antagonist.

 

While I wouldn't necessarily consider this a version three of the main antagonist, I will refer to it as such due to some of the major changes that have been made. Most of these changes will not affect you guys as much as it affects the actual antagonist's daily activities, but that is what it's meant to do. Why do I not consider it a "AA3"? I do not consider it as such because this really isn't as much of a revamp as it is a word that I like to refer to as "restructurization." We aren't completely changing almost every aspect of the main antagonist as we did from AA1 to AA2. We aren't redoing a majority of the lore. We aren't adding a bunch of new shiny things (boo!). Instead, we are cutting off the fat. We are effectively removing many aspects of the main antagonist that aren't fun, or at least hinder the fun that may be had. I have had Undead members come to me with advice and feedback, and I have spoken with a notable Ascended member as well. Each of these people provided me with invaluable feedback, so thank them for their good words (I won't call out their names for their own sake). I started to notice why AA2 wasn't working, and I also started to note player feedback that made me realize what was wrong. With the former Undead/Ascended members reinforcing these beliefs, I began to make some changes. Now before I continue, I would like to say to many of you naysayers that yes, you can't please everyone. So long as the main antagonists on Lord of the Craft cause players to lose their IC belongings and kill people, there will be complaints. You can't avoid it -- people don't want to lose. However, there are many of you out there that don't mind losing items. You're in it for the RP, not the hoard of loot that you can seal away in a chest deep underground or the stack of minas in your virtual wallet. You enjoy the events associated with antagonists; you like the feeling of fear, unpredictableness, mystery, teamwork, and sense of accomplishment that you get when you win or roleplay with them. You enjoy the sense of having a purpose. Something to strive for or work towards.

 

Enough of me rambling on about the past or how you should feel. Let's talk about these changes -- the moment you have been waiting for! As I said earlier, we are trimming the fat off the steak. In a way, we are making the structure of the main antagonist simpler. Most importantly, less ranks. Before we had the Dark Tyrant, Dark Lieutenants, Dark Hands, Dark Followers and Dark Servants. Why so many ranks? Each one used to represent different tiers of magic and levels of responsibility or authority. However, this led to the same problem with AA1 -- too many antagonists! Let's be real here, people don't like fighting an antagonist that has as many players as their army does. Too many people and you start to lose organization, and you as a player start to feel like these guys are in it to win it. Thus, AA3 is what AA2 was meant to be. I'll put it simply; AA3 focuses on the things that made the Undead successful, while still remaining unique in itself. AA3 only has two ranks now, the Dark Tyrant and Dark Lieutenants (and of course Setherien). They have both been renamed (keep reading and you will see), and they will also start to have a bigger presence in the world of Anthos. In case you aren't thinking it already, there are a lot less antagonist players as a result of these changes, but that's what you guys wanted all along. The former antagonist players will still be able to play an active role if they choose to, but it will be on a much smaller scale. Rather than being involved in almost every event or battle, they will be used in a similar way that the Black Hand were by the Undead during Aegis. They can be used by the main antagonist to do their dirty work and such, but they will not be considered a part of the main antagonist as a whole. That means that they can no longer avoid raid rules, villain applications, etc. However, these exceptions will still apply to the main antagonist. We want to keep the feeling of uncertainty in the minds of players, rather than having someone think "phew, we have successfully defended our settlement and are safe for three days." On the other hand, keep in mind that we aren't in this for ourselves. Players that are a part of the main antagonist may not abuse this privilege. We don't take advantage of the fact that we could theoretically attack you back to back, but there's always a slight chance so that you can't predict attacks. I went off on a tangent -- where was I? We will also be including more PvE aspects in our events and attacks. What's PvE, you ask? Mobs! Lots and lots of mobs! The powerful magic users have to keep you at bay somehow. There's also a lot more reward involved when you finally manage to clear your way through the mobs and fight the main antagonists face to face. I could go on and on about the changes, but why don't you see and experience them for yourself? These changes will go into affect immediately, so there's no waiting involved. Keep in mind that the main antagonists may be distinguished by their magical staffs that cast, well, magic, so don't fall for the OOC imposters! IC imposters are perfectly fine, however. If you have any problems with these antagonists, feel free to come to me to express your complaints. However, if it's a cultist or follower that you're concerned about, they aren't related to antagonist feedback at all -- they get to do exactly what the rest of you get to do.

 

A small note before I finally reveal the main antagonist lore. This is more of a notice to the previous antagonist players, but feel free to read it if you want to know what kind of a role they will now play. To the cultists: You guys will still be involved with the main antagonist if you stay in your cults, but you won't be considered main antagonists any longer. The (previously known as) Dark Lieutenants will still contact you and give you missions and such, but you won't be involved in too many battles or major events. You guys can wreak havoc all you want, but it has to follow any and all server rules. You are essentially player-run guilds now, but we'll assign main antagonists to you as liaisons. You aren't purposeless -- we have all kinds of stuff for you guys to do. However, you are meant to act as followers and worshippers of Setherien, not the driving force that is attempting to kill the mortal races. This also means that those of you that have magic will not have it any longer. Sorry, but Setherien's cutting you off! We want to keep the magic limited to the main antagonists only. If you haven't already been contacted to join the main antagonists, do not fret! We are a much smaller group now, and I will contact people as I need them (this includes non-former antagonists). Okay! Here's the public lore. Keep in mind that a lot of it has been cut out due to the changes, as you no longer need to know a lot of the outdated stuff anymore. The lore was last updated on the 3rd of December (which was yesterday), so it is completely up to date with how we are running things now. Enjoy!

 

The Harbingers

Setherien the Black Wyrm

Setherien is a powerful and malevolent Drakaar. His true form’s size is fivefold that of a corrupted drake; he towers above those that would dare stand against him. Twisted and tainted by the grip of all-consuming corruption, Setherien seeks to rid the world of the fragile mortal races. His lust for knowledge drives him to slaughter humans, orcs, dwarves, elves and kharajyr alike so that they may no longer taint and ruin knowledge with their lies and petty wars. While Aruzond the Dragaar seeks to preserve knowledge and share it with the mortal races, Setherien wishes to hoard knowledge for himself. The flame of Setherien can either be used to outright destroy his foes or ensnare one’s will to perform the Drakaar’s bidding. Such is the fate of those that dare stand against him.

Once members of the valiant Order of the Golden Lance, the Harbingers now serve Setherien without question. The order was originally created to purge the world of corrupted dragons, namely drakes. Once the very first Drakaar began to roam the earth, however, their purpose became that much more vital. Drakes were easy prey for the dedicated order, who had been warding them off for decades. Drakaar, on the other hand, were a force to be reckoned with. Chysteria was the first Drakaar the Golden Lance had ever slain, but he was a mere youngling that was no where near his full potential. The order chased Setherien from continent to continent for many years, until one day they cornered him on top of the highest mountain in some unknown land. The Order of the Golden Lance fought heroically against the dark beast, but by then they were too late. Setherien had grown with too much power and they could not conquer him. The order fought for over a fortnight before they were finally vanquished by the might of the Drakaar. It is there that the Harbingers were first forged in the flames of Setherien. His dark tendrils of twisting corruption devoured the remains of the order and recreated them as wraith-like shadows, forcing them to serve under him forever. He granted each of them a unique set of armor that would enable the Harbingers to interact with the physical world. Setherien, now badly wounded from the recent conflict, scoured the frozen wasteland for a suitable place to recover. To this day he still dwells in that land, now known as Anthos, the North. He lies in wait, licking his wounds. Biding his time and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Drakaar lore: http://www.lordofthecraft.net/topic/91187-official-dragonkin-lore/

Setherien’s Inner Council

Vak’thuul the Keeper - Similar in appearance to the Harbingers, Vak’thuul is Setherien’s right hand man. He acts as a commander on the battlefield and receives orders directly from Setherien himself. The Keeper holds authority over the Harbingers and guards Setherien’s intents with his life. He is Setherien’s most trusted follower and is often referred to as Setherien’s blade. Little is known about him, other than the fact that he is a truly menacing champion that rules over the followers of Setherien with an iron fist.

Harbingers - The Harbingers are as fearsome as they are fearless. Born in the dark flames of the Devourer, these ghastly brutes serve Setherien with zealous devotion. With little connection to their former selves, these beings walk the earth with one purpose: to carry out Setherien’s infernal wishes. Harbingers possess a hive mind with each other and can communicate instantaneously. Due to their ethereal form, they communicate with others through illusion. Harbingers forcefully strike into the minds of those they wish to confront, with their voices resembling a high pitched scream. Underneath their immolated plate armor and cloaks lies a shadowy form that reeks of sulphur. The enchant on their armor provides them with a means of interacting with the material world. Without it the plane around them appears as a colorless blur, with physical beings resembling floating shadows. In addition to this, they lose their ability to interact with the physical plane and cannot touch non-enchanted artifacts or be touched. When prepared, however, Harbingers are truly terrifying foes.

 

--

That's everything for now! I would like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read this and for putting up with all of the hassle! This has been a long process, but I know that we can make it work. I have considered a ton of feedback and done my best to make this a success, so I hope everyone enjoys the changes. I guarantee you that this is the final time we will be making any major changes to the main antagonist; we are riding this one through 'till the end. I'm still open to suggestions, feedback, complaints and critique, however, so keep it coming! I can't wait to reveal what we have in store for the server. I do all of this for you guys and so does everyone else that pitches in to help. Keep being awesome LotC and don't forget to have fun! That's what it's all about, isn't it?

 

TL;DR to summarize all of my main points: The main antagonist is much, much smaller now. It only consists of powerful magic users known as Harbingers that take advantage of followers and cultists to do their dirty work when they can't be bothered to (in RP, of course). Harbingers will play a vital role in the main antagonist -- think of them as the Undead. The cultists that used to be considered main antagonists now consist of smaller guilds that could be compared to the Black Hand in Aegis. I am listening to player feedback while avoiding the feedback that results from players upset about losing items. Search the thread for the lore regarding the main antagonist, although I will be making a separate post in another forum with the lore in it as well. I would also like to mention that it is still possible for players to gain magic. However, only a few individuals will be given this ability if they prove themselves through RP in the various cults under the Harbingers.

[Vekrus 396]

First! Nice, thanks for the update on the changes.

[Cyndikate 2303]

I find this difficult to understand.

[Heero 4092]

#Reforms

[CommunistSpy 441]

Wonderful! A well thought out post, and I think it explains our motives and addresses problems that we've had. I look forward to seeing how things work out.

[Telanir 6975]

Awesome. A little all over the place, but the point is there. Great work Viper, and thanks!

[Drazker 307]

That lore made me smile.

[Wretched 2075]

A new name without the word 'Dark' in it :3

 

I approve for this reason. And for all the other stuff too.

[Viper3X 1056]

TL;DR added.

[Lathros 377]

That lore is hard to read.

 

Please add a TL;DR.

 

Thanks.

 

Edit : You just did.

[Snoop 365]

I wish we actually called the Antagonist something other then Antagonist in RP. Like how Undead attacks happened. Not antagonist attacks.

[SparehoeCakes 547]

[Cyndikate 2303]

Can a lowly cultist still climb the ranks and join the main antag if they somehow prove themselves?

[Wretched 2075]

Can a lowly cultist still climb the ranks and join the main antag if they somehow prove themselves?

 

Yes

[cruzazul 2815]

This looks very, very good. Hopefully it'll be an improvement on the server and prove all the critics wrong. Good luck guys.