Soul_Blazer

edit: I might just re-apply at a later date, thanks.

I just wanted to add in a good experience I had with banditry some years ago on LotC.

A friend and I were roleplaying nosy goblins and we happened to stumble upon a group of orcs that didn’t take kindly to us, I ended up being kidnapped and sent to their camp where I was “forced” to fight gladiator style against a giant scorpion (at least it was giant compared to a goblin!). There ended up being a crowd watching, many cheering to see the goblin die but with some struggle I came out victorious!

In return for my victory I was set free to live on and tell the tale, the orcs were quite surprised but excited to watch a good battle.

All of this is to say that there is good character development that can come from banditry, so long as all parties involved are willing to allow for some freedom between outcomes. There must be some form of give and take, just as with ‘regular’ RP as it were.

This morning I asked for a commission and Kimika had it done the same day! Wow! Not only that but I requested a minor edit and it was done quickly too. I’m quite happy to have a portrait I was able to pay for with minas I saved up. As one might say, a picture says a thousand words and having a character portrait compliments nicely with the experience I’ve had so far.

I’ve had some good and some bad experiences with banditry and with that said I have suggestions for how it can be improved.

Let’s try to be fair for a moment and compare the extremes of both sides of the argument. On one hand, elf-man is powerful mage and can 1-hit KO you in RP if you mug them, on the other it’s minas or die and we outnumber you 15 to 1. I’ve had far better banditry experiences when it’s equal numbers participating, especially that in 1-1 or 2-2 scenarios. There was a moment last map where I was caught in a forest by a bandit on a horse then suddenly I was circled by half a dozen more seemingly from out of no-where, I acted dumb because it was absurd to be surrounded by so many people with minimal interaction (no shouting, no signaling for other bandits to come).

So yes, there clearly is a problem with meta-gaming and bringing goons in to help especially when a lot of players use Discord while they play LotC. This happens to both citizens and bandits.

There should be clearer conflict rules on banditry and how regular citizens are expected to interact or deal with it. Right now I feel as though it’s fairly vague and open to the interpretation of those involved which can create problems based on meta-gamed information and interactions which can become a larger problem if you end up catching the same people on the road several times. You get to know what to expect after a while.

So a few points to make:

• Players should not be expected to halt on the roads at every call to being stopped by words or by pugsy combat (i.e. a bandit walks up and punches me while I’m running and tells me to stop). I’ve had bandits shoot at me with bows because I didn’t stop for them. Why would I let myself get mugged at every turn of a corner? I’m not interested in having a chat with every person I meet on a road. 
  • Consider working with event team members to create scenarios that are more interactive, i.e. a crashed cart turns into an ambush or a fallen tree causes a detour in the road forcing you to take an alternate path through troublesome territory.
  • Have banditry interactions optional. If you run past a group of bandits it wouldn’t be fair to rat them out to the nearest group of city guards.

• Keeping numbers relatively equal with minimal outnumbering encourages a more balanced experience. I can see how a 1 on 4 conflict would be frustrating, but it does make sense that a group of people could out-strength a weaker or lone mark. Consider having fewer people engaging all at the same time to give players a chance to respond to each other.
  • Have a +1 difference allowance between groups in bandit scenarios.

• Perhaps have rules on players joining in to banditry late, maybe as if those interactions were theoretically ‘instanced’. All parties involved are locked in until the conflict is over, then have a grace period where they are allowed to split and run off or sit in their shame of defeat.
  • In addition to this maybe allow city/army patrols to enter conflicts in the event they happen to find a citizen getting mugged. Again, allow a grace period for interaction so the bandits have a chance to make the decision whether or not to fight or run off.

• Maturity of OoC interactions between groups is important. If a bandit is yelling at me in OoC or PMing me because I didn’t do exactly what they wanted when they wanted it I would be less inclined to be compliant with them.
  • Strict rules on OoC engagement between all party members, everyone should be held responsible. These rules are already in place but appear to be very lax due to the nature of conlict RP scenarios.

• Edit: Maybe have some quick pre-determined interactions based on dice rolls to help speed up thieving and scenarios where bandits are trying to be fast.

I hope we can find some balance here with actual solutions because it shouldn’t be as much of a problem as it seems to be. It’s a shame that bandits and citizens are seen as two separate parts of the community, while we are all players of the same server who are meant to follow the same sets of rules to get a better experience all together.

Many moons have passed since the beginning of The Gilded Anchor, a restaurant ran by Anfroy, Fisherman of Ves. Business had increased substantially as the rising needs of the growing population would need to be met, because of this there would be desire to expand and provide more services to the people. Fresh cod and salmon would be pulled from Ves waters.

“A Fine Meal for a Fine Deal!” Anfroy would shout to the crowds of people roaming the streets. From hungry guardsmen to citizens relaxing and enjoying a game of chess, encouraging all folk to stop by to see his wares he worked tirelessly night and day. ”Fresh food for a fair price!” He would continue to bellow words into the air in hopes of attracting newcomers seeking to do trade within the city.

The Grand Bazaar of Ves would offer many goods to passerby, though one stall would stand out boasting a large patio with an outdoor kitchen. The new stall of The Gilded Anchor graciously stood behind the monument to Alfred Myre, Prince of Ves. A large selection of supplies and foodstuffs would be available on the front counters of the stall, cooked fish in salted dried kelp wraps to preserve the fish line the stall display bins near the baked goods and stews which on occasion would be replaced by a bin of miscellaneous oddities. On the other side of the stall would be a cold box of fresh cod in similar wraps, next to a bins of fishing rods, boat kits, nautilus shells and ink sacs.

It would seem things were going quite well, all Anfroy could hope for would be that business continued to grow. He would soon host a fishing contest to encourage the people of Ves to celebrate his success with him.

Upon entering the gates of Adria a stall covered in green and red cloth would greet them with numerous signs lined upon the posts. ”Nottingham Trading Co.”, “Ran by Anfroy”, “Fishing Supplies, Fresh Food!”. Although simple in the stall’s design it provides the amenities of a functioning kitchen with its cauldron, wood-stove and a work-table. It would also have several partitioned display slabs in which different foods would be assorted.

A voice calls out to passerby, most commonly to those leaving and entering the town. “Come trade yer fresh fish here! Cheap as bread! We have supplies for ye too!”

The smell of charcoal and fish being cooked would fill the surrounding air. On top of the stove there would also be a boiling pot of mushroom stew. On occasion a cake would rise from the cauldron, a specialty cooked by the chef using a special recipe that worked even for common campfire pots. One busy man would rush back and forth between these stations to manage the supply and would turn to the attention of a customer approaching the stand.

”Welcome to the Gilded Anchor, me name’s Anfroy. Can I help ye?” the stall owner asked a customer. “We have jobs for ye if yer lookin’ fer work, all ye’ve got to do is buy yerself a fishin’ rod an’ bring back t’e catch.”

The prices at the stall would fluctuate from time to time, only ranging with the few points of less than a single minas. Depending on the supply the prices would change moderately. To the trading side of the stall there would be more signs that read; ”Support yer local fishers!” and “We buy and sell fresh fish!”

Stall Goods:

[1] Fishing Rod (Fishing Rod) S:2.0 (20 Stock)

[2] Dark Oak Boat (Dark Oak Boat)  S:1.0 (5 Stock)

[1] Raw Cod (Cod) S:0.3 (128 Max) B:02

[2] Raw Salmon (Salmon) S:0.3 (128 Max) B:0.2

[3] Tropical Fish (Tropical Fish) S:0.2 (64 Max) B:0.1

[4] Pufferfish (Pufferfish) S:0.2 (64 Max) B:0.1

[1] Cooked Cod (Cooked Cod) S:0.4 (256 Max) B: 0.3

[2] Cooked Salmon (Cooked Salmon) S:0.4 (256 Max) B:0.3

[3] Kelp (Kelp) S:0.1 (64 Max) B:0.1

[4] Dried Kelp (Dried Kelp) S:0.2 (128 Max) B:0.1

[5] Mushroom Stew (Mushroom Stew) S:1.0 (10 Stock)

[1] Cauldron Cake (Cake) S:3.0 (5 Stock)

[2] Egg (Egg) S:0.3 (64 Max) B:0.2

[3] Wheat (Wheat) S:0.2 (128 Max) B:0.1

[4] Red Mushroom (Red Mushroom) S:0.3 (64 Max) B:0.2

[5] Brown Mushroom (Brown Mushroom) S:0.3 (64 Max)  B:0.2

MC Name: Soul_Blazer

Duty you'd like to apply for: Terraforming/general building work.

(I'm very keen on adding details and atmosphere to builds. I'm also very good at building military structures.)

Concepts:

Villages -

Each village would have a specific trade or duty in mind when built. For example, one village would be specifically made for farming and would be built around mostly flat field locations while providing housing for fieldhands. Another village like a mining town for example could be built by mountains or areas where accessing natural mines is more easy. Villages with their respective themes would also include fitting structures built out of plentiful resources like a sawmill or a large smithy. Overall the idea is to create a theme for a village, and to promote the idea of trade rather than independance.

Farmsteads -

A plot of land containing a log home for a family or noble who owns the land, a well for gathering water, one or a few barns for housing animals, a large range enclosed by fencing for cows, a chicken coop and several acres of land for growing different foods. Ideally a farmstead would be built on a flat plot of land with a river or lake nearby so crop irrigation is made easy. Farmhands could live in a nearby village or in small shacks built among the acres of farm land.

Port Cities -

Designed with trading efficiency in mind, port cities would be placed in locations that are easily defendable by sea and by its surrounding land; possibly on the waterfront side of a mountain. There would need to be access to areas where resources are plentiful and can be easily brought to the port town. A port town would contain a large area that is meant for commerce, a naval military base overlooking both port and sea (a citadel) and possibly an area meant for the building and launching of new ships.

War camps and temporary establishments -

Small establishments made deep within enemy territory or at a front of a commonly invaded area, war camps would be built out of simple materials that are easy to come by in the area it is built around. For example a simple war camp would contain several tents for military housing, a larger tent made for storage, an open fire pit for cooking food, one or several towers to overlook the area and a jagged wood wall to keep the camp protected from invaders. As these are not meant to be permanent camps it should be kept in mind that they should not be built using heavy or semi-permanent resources such as stone and should instead be built mostly out of wood.

Other works: Click this link for original build pictures.

Build Pictures

Do you have teamspeak?: Yes, and a microphone.

EDIT: I should also note that I have experience in terraforming with both Voxel and World Edit. I do a lot of my building work by hand.

Out-Of-Character:

Minecraft Account Name:

Soul_Blazer

Did you attend minecon and sign up at the LOTC booth?:

No, I didn't.

How old are you?:

Seventeen years old.

Time-Zone/Country of Residence:

Eastern Standard Time (EST) / Canada

Do you have a good grip on the English language/good grammar?:

Yes, I like to think I do. :P

Small 2-3 Sentence Description of yourself:

My name is Chris and I love to participate in forum and in-game roleplays. I like music and have three guitars and am in my school's cross country running and track and field team.

How much time could you be on the server weekly?:

Hard to say really, probably quite a bit given I've got a lot of free time. Although, I am working on a Minecraft map/game remake project with a friend so I may not always be around.

What do you know about Roleplaying? Give a definition of what it means to you.:

I know quite a bit of roleplaying as I've been participating in RP on serveral Minecraft servers, as well as the RuneScape forums and game. The definition of roleplaying to me is to act as a made-up character in a certain situation or event.

In your own Words, describe what Metagaming and Powergaming are.

I believe metagaming is a term used to describe a situation that has been roleplayed without a realistic way of it being known to the character. I.e., if Jimmy walks into the bar, he's not going to suddenly jump out to fight a group of bandits that are a sneaking into town without him knowing they were coming, if he did do that then he'd be metagaming. Powergaming, I think, is just another term for 'godmodding', being too powerful or playing unrealistically. Jimmy can't walk through walls or kick someone through a wall, if he tried doing so in roleplay he'd be powergaming.

What do you expect this server will be like?:

I've heard a few things from some friends, but I'm not entirely sure on what to expect seeing as how I've never been on a server that could accomodate so many people.

What other server(s) have you played on and why did you leave them?:

Played on a few servers in the past, I forget the name of one of them but I was jailed for trying to roleplay create a group of people in an apocalyptic/survival based server, there were no rules against it and I tried explaining what it was about but the owner of the server decided not to listen. I left since I didn't really want to be on a server where I was punished when I did nothing wrong. I played on a few other roleplay servers too but most have since shut down.

Have you read, understood, and agreed to the rules?:

Yes, I read, understand and agree to the rules.

How did you hear about us?:

I've heard it being discussed by a few people, but a friend named Xander512 convinced me to apply.

Have you voted for the Lord of the Craft on Minestatus? Which vote number were you?

Yes I voted for the server on Minestatus, I'm pretty sure I'm #761.

What is your The Lord Of Craft forum account name?:

Soul_Blazer

In-Character:

Character Name:

Kain Vayle

What is your Race?:

Human.

Biography(This should include the history of your character and his life as well as age, appearance and personality, etc.):

Standing 5'9", Kain has a healthy build for his size weighing average of most people. He is 26 years old and maintains proper physicality by hunting and scavenging out in the wilds. He has a dark brown hair colour and has similar coloured eyes. He appears well-kept by being shaven and having his hair cut fairly short and dresses often in lightweight armour. He wears a plain grayish tunic and pants under his armour. On his back (will sometimes carry his weapon his hip) is a leather sheath with his sword resting in it. He also tends to carry only the most necessary things with him, amongst his possessions are his sword and hunting dagger as well as his journal. The dagger was given to him when he was old enough to begin hunting, and has since kept it well maintained and in good use.

Like most humans, Kain has adapted his personality from life experiences. He can be kind and giving to those he trusts well but tends to keep away from people he believe would make enemies with rather quickly. He's also a forgiving person when it comes to honest mistakes and tries to hold an honourable standing amongst other people. He easily holds grudges to those who mean to cause intentional time to innocent people. If the option is possible, he will try to avoid violence in a conflict and will try to resort to fair compromise. In short, he can make a good friend and a strong enemy.

As a young child, Kain grew up in a small village ((unsure I can make up a place)) far in the forests of the Kingdom of Renatus mostly known for the trading of hunted goods. It was there that he learned to hunt and survive in a place far from mass civilization. He was born by his mother, Sariah Roseth and his father Taren Vayle. Kain was a month younger brother to Jace, and his two year younger sister Leliana.

((To be honest I haven't much knowledge on locations, and I'd much prefer to get a view of places before I go into too detailed of a history in terms of where he lived, could easily be solved if I get a short look around first.))

He's not very skilled in bartering in a sense of trade and can be very generous, however, he has average skills in most means of survival. Kain isn't a very good miner, but he's done a lot of work outside by fishing and collecting lumber. Although, he is a hunter by trade and prefers the use of his blade when in combat. His archery skills are not bad but could use improvement, but in all preference he would much rather keep hold of a long bladed weapon.

As he became older, the thought of remaining as a hunter in his village didn't appeal to him so much. He'd often heard of travelers and adventurers taking travels through dangerous lands and making a name for themselves. Opportunities were available in the Kingdom, and he felt he would be in the right place to find something for himself there. Kain often considered service in the Army of Renatus, he felt he could use his skills to do good work for the people. Bearing this in mind, he set off to embark on a new journey as a new chapter in his life.

Your characters ambitions:

Kain has interests in joining a military organization or a guild of some sort. Although unsure on his final choice, he's yet to explore and discover possible opportunities.

Out in the Wilds, your character comes across a small cottage. Outside, there appears to be an elf struggling combat with two bandits. What does your character do?

Kain, out on a trip in the wilds in an attempt to forage and hunt, stumbled upon the sight of a small cottage a short distance away from his path. As he approached to get a better look he could see a figure seemingly fighting what appeared to be bandits. Almost instinctively, his hand closed onto the pommel of his sheathed sword. With a quickened pace he steadily ran towards to clash and flanked the position of the two bandits, effectively sneaking up behind them without their knowing. The rustle of the tallgrass under his feet was almost unheard due to the clanging and clashing of blades during the fight, giving him a perfect opportunity to make a strike. With one quick fluid motion, he drew his blade and swung his weapon down at one of the unsuspecting bandits with a fierce arc, slicing the man from the back of his neck down to his side.

((I'll leave it at there.. No sense in writing more or I'll have to make a story. :P ))

Your character walks up to a shop in the middle of Al'Khazar. "Hello, my good sir!" says the shop owner. "What may I help you with today?" How does your character answer?

"Greetings", responds Kain as he approaches the counter, seeming a bit uneasy of the sight of the shopkeeper "I've eaten all my bread on recent travels and I'd like to buy some more food, have you any for sale?"

A screenshot of your skin:

Both the backside and front of my character's skin.

Other Information:

Thanks for taking the time to read my application, it can be a bit dry at points but for the sake of roleplay and that it's meant for joining this server, I'd say it's worth it.