[ST] MAP ANTAG & RECRUITMENT

[Aesopian 1079]

[RaiderBlue 609]

:0 kubo post

[Unwillingly 11096]

41 minutes ago, ScreamingDingo said:

yes how do you move an entire continent of people from a place without them using the justification "I'm staying here to live here nothing bad is going wrong"

 

map transitions require this because people don't move otherwise and no-one can stay on a map longer than two years without having tantrums.

I wasn't suggesting we don't have map transitions at all, I was pointing out that we can mechanically have a new map but remain on our canonical continent instead of the same regurgitated world-catastrophe eventlines that sends us overseas at the behest of the monks once every 2 years that id argue a good chunk of the established playerbase completely ignores because it's gotten so dull flavorless at this point

 

for example, building map lore around the exploration of the descendants discovering new land and constructing eventlines in such a way that they aren't constantly a giant world-event boss battle with 130+ players. this isn't even something that would require tech intervention, just the story teams willingness to try something new and write map lore in a way that actually encourages players to incorporate it into their day-to-day RP 

[Aesopian 1079]

Maybe 

2 minutes ago, Unwillingly said:

I wasn't suggesting we don't have map transitions at all, I was pointing out that we can mechanically have a new map but remain on our canonical continent instead of the same regurgitated world-catastrophe eventlines that sends us overseas at the behest of the monks once every 2 years that id argue a good chunk of the established playerbase completely ignores because it's gotten so dull flavorless at this point

 

for example, building map lore around the exploration of the descendants discovering new land and constructing eventlines in such a way that they aren't constantly a giant world-event boss battle with 130+ players. this isn't even something that would require tech intervention, just the story teams willingness to try something new

you could empower a nation to be the antag 

[ScreamingDingo 16791]

Just now, Unwillingly said:

I wasn't suggesting we don't have map transitions at all, I was pointing out that we can mechanically have a new map but remain on our canonical continent instead of the same regurgitated world-catastrophe eventlines that sends us overseas at the behest of the monks once every 2 years that id argue a good chunk of the established playerbase completely ignore because it's gotten so dull flavorless at this point

 

for example, building map lore around the exploration of the descendants discovering new land and constructing eventlines in such a way that they aren't constantly a giant world-event boss battle with 130+ players. this isn't even something that would require tech intervention, just the story teams willingness to try something new

Yes but what factors would the descendants have to move from a continent that's already good enough. We don't have resource struggles or any factors that would pull players towards those continents organically abandoning everything that was left there prior. Other transitions have done exploration and stuff, but the main push factor for the descendants leaving needs to be something big enough to dislodge them completely from where they live. Otherwise, it just doesn't work. The way we run with rotational maps and how things are push us towards the way of having to do a scorched earth policy on everything we touch so no-one tries to say they're camping in the map previous and just go on nice adventures back and forth.

It'd flop pretty hard if we spent two months preparing expeditions just for everyone in roleplay to just go, "yeah thats cool but we'll stay here". It's the way it works on here and gives some people the time to shine doing catastrophic things which go back to the roots of the server. Each transitions had something where players have gained a lot, whether they've PK'd to fighting these 'giant world-event boss battles' or even the struggles of moving to a new continent and knowing how to pack up and go.

[Xarkly 12567]

41 minutes ago, ScreamingDingo said:

yes how do you move an entire continent of people from a place without them using the justification "I'm staying here to live here nothing bad is going wrong"

 

map transitions require this because people don't move otherwise and no-one can stay on a map longer than two years without having tantrums.

 

We have characters sail off to non-playable islands and continents or whatever all the time. The playable continent isn't the entire world, and we don't need to constrain ourselves to that. If people were so inclined to stay on Almaris, then I don't actually see there being anything wrong with that.

 

Instead of forcing a transition through an exhausted map-end formula, we should instead present compelling reasons why characters might move but not to force them. This could be a whole range of things, from some America-tier colonisation where "the map event" is the discovery of a rich and bountiful land that dwarfs Almaris and expeditions travel overseas and eventually become new capitals; or, on the flip side, maybe Almaris' resources become exhausted that devastate the economic opportunities of the land; maybe they're colonial settlers sent to settle this new land (that again leads to it becoming the new seat of power for their homeland); and so on and so forth.

 

Not everyone needs a motivation to move, and it can instead serve as an opportunity to retire/shelf/PK characters and start a fresh slate on a new map. There are plenty of complex questions to figure out like what becomes of nation territories that remain on Almaris, but I think this could lead to interesting eventlines like communication being lost with Almaris or those powers falling into delapidation or being overtaken by an NPC/event faction. Plenty of natural options that could offer a fresh approach to LotC worldbuilding.

 

Granted, there are problems with it sure, but there are definitely major issues with the same formula of map-end disasters again and again that would benefit from a change.

[excited 10833]

1 hour ago, ScreamingDingo said:

yes how do you move an entire continent of people from a place without them using the justification "I'm staying here to live here nothing bad is going wrong"

 

map transitions require this because people don't move otherwise and no-one can stay on a map longer than two years without having tantrums.

you know where to find me if you want a person who can swing in and assist with acting or setting the stage just lmk

[Arafel 107]

Why would you make new antagonists each map, if no one can ever hope to be as good at antagonising the playerbase as the players themselves?

Edited January 18, 2023 by Arafel

[Aesopian 1079]

6 hours ago, Arafel said:

Why would you make new antagonists each map, if no one can ever hope to be as good at antagonising the playerbase as the players themselves?

 

14 hours ago, Aesopian said:

Maybe 

you could empower a nation to be the antag 

 

[argonian 12836]

zhulik is the map antag

[Abyssus 486]

I hope that I get to use said antag event character for personal use + slice of life rp when its over and done with

[Acostrob 254]

On 1/17/2023 at 11:25 PM, ScreamingDingo said:

yes how do you move an entire continent of people from a place without them using the justification "I'm staying here to live here nothing bad is going wrong"

 

map transitions require this because people don't move otherwise and no-one can stay on a map longer than two years without having tantrums.

justify the mass exodus by the fact that we've been here long enough that natural resources are getting depleted and people start starving

 

it doesnt always have to be "bad guys kick our ass so we run"

[Mannamannaa 1626]

Hell, maybe the worm ends up rotting in the ground and causing grain and wildlife across the land to fall ill. It would be a speading famine from Balian and just obliterate the fiod supplies of major nations irply, causing greater conflict between playernations and giving a motive to leave Almaris without the whole "oops continent blows up" thing. Not to mention a softer exodus would allow an eventual return in the far far far future...

On 1/19/2023 at 2:07 PM, Acostrob said:

justify the mass exodus by the fact that we've been here long enough that natural resources are getting depleted and people start starving

 

it doesnt always have to be "bad guys kick our ass so we run"

 

[Hearth 873]

I seek an audience with your leader! We've a city to burn.

Harley#8753