Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Comments
What is stopping RP players from controlling a node a small node or a large one on any server. I mean it wont be difficult by questing and increasing the node. It would be your RP town or w/e. I understand you want a safe haven for your RP. But even on RP servers you have trolls people who log on to bug or tease you. It would be no different if you were on a normal server or an RP server.
Controlling a node having it as your own with people who dont share your view point is part of playing a game. The problem with opening large amount of servers are that this game requires a population base, if you have a low pop because a lot of servers the nodes wont progress,locking alot of content. Also makes for the game to die faster, especially since there is no dungeon finder, no fast travel etc.
By opening more servers that will be low pop will open the flood gates to other issues they are trying to not have or need. I understand that this viewpoint my come across hard but its true in the fact that low pop servers kills games and opens up for fast travel dungeon finders etc and people not really playing the game anymore. This is why I believe that Intrepid wont segregate servers.
But regardless of any of that. Slap an RP label on it. Nothing changes, except those who like to RP know where to go. And so will new players. It's ridiculous to have to go on a Google search for an RP server, only to later discover it changed, and you could read it on some obscure Discord.
Two types of servers
PvX
RP-PvX
I don't understand why none RPers are opposed to this. And I find it shocking that Steven, as a roleplayer himself. Doesn't see the value in this
On RP servers, in any/everyone's experience, about how many strangers (non-guild/friends) do you meet and RP/converse with weekly?
Or, after a month or two, do you only RP with a small group?
I am not against an RP server, and if they designated one, that is likely the one I would choose. My thought is that if IS announced an RP server it would legitimize (even if "not really") the claims so many have made for a PvE server.
I for one think the small RP badge next to a server would be a good thing.
Nothing is preventing non-RPers from rolling on an RP server. NOTHING. It is not segregating people in any way. Nothing needs to be changed regarding the mechanics of the server. There is nothing enforced, it is just a place for like-minded people to more easily find each other.
This discussion is one of those strange things where people seem to have an issue against another group having something they don't have simply for the sake of saying "now, I want one too".
Having a single server with the RP tag next to it changes NOTHING for the players who don't RP but is a huge boon to those that do.
The only real consideration for Intrepid is - "Is there a large enough population of RPers to designate a server for them?".
Having the RP tag does steer people clear, either because they see it, nod in empathy and choose a different server, or see the letters, say eww and choose a different server.
Past experience from other MMOs tends to lend the data towards a Yes on the population question, so not sure why literally anyone has a problem with the idea.
The only problem I would see would be that there appears to be some weird misconception that RPers don't actually play the game and just sit around and chat. I think some people might be tempted to roll on an RP server in Ashes because they would see an opportunity to steamroll over the inactive RP players and dominate the node structure and ultimately the server.
I think anyone who tried that would find a pretty nice surprise. Just think of the roleplay opportunities that being able to be the King of a Castle and fly a dragon, or be the Emperor of a Metropolis would present! I think any server with RP players on it will be pretty popping.
Having seperate areas for specific groups only creates segregation and loss of potential social interactions which occur from it.
Thoughts?
This scenario includes other problems too. Mostly the shifting of server populations when there are no official RP tags assigned. So finding said un-official server is going to be a pain, and dare I say a much bigger barrier.
If you have two servers. You are splitting the playerbase.
Now, if they launch with multiple servers to begin with. Adding an RP tag to one of them changes nothing for you nay-sayers. But it means the world for RP'ers.
RPers need to rally together and the easiest way to do that is by simply putting two letters next to a server that reads R. P. This will make it easier for RPers to get together and consolidate. And as far as segregation goes if you want to argue that point. RPers are targeted and often treated as outsiders because in several people's minds RP= ERP, and when I am on the forums or on discord and someone makes a comment about ERP it just makes me angry. RPers, will always segregate themselves trying to find more isolated locales for their RP. But this is not why I want an RP server, but segregation will happen and why not segregate the community in such a way that will be beneficial the more RPers together in a given server, region, node what have you means the longer those RP narratives will last.
Longer RP narratives means more long term subscribers who stay during the low points where there may be a lack of content or the expansion or update rush populations have vanished. Long term subscribers mean more money for intrepid to improve the game and keep it going.
For example I have seen populations fluctuate like crazy on several games in between new content, but there is one population that seems to stay the same which is the RP community. It does not need a narrative or new content to enjoy the game for months and months or even years they build their own stories, in a way their own content. So why not bring together the RPers on one server so they may better survive, build, and prosper through the years to come. RPers work unlike any of the other types of MMO gamer. They do not grind the same boring dungeon 1,000 times to get some random loot. They don't get bored because the meta has changed in PVP and now a certain build just wipes everyone killing pvp. They build up stories and narratives on their own regardless of the state of the game.
ESO for an example. That game was terrible in the beginning. But what I noticed is that the RPers stuck with it not because they necessarily enjoyed the game and all its failures but because they enjoyed each others company and what they were building. In WoW you seen populations drop off after a few months when a new expansion comes out but RPers tend to stick around for more stories.
Rallying the RPers together by having a designated server is the easiest way to ensure that at least that one server will remain active and populated.
That RP would happen regardless, I doubt he operates under the same definition of RP as most RP'ers. He says he's an RP'er. The example he gave was him holding a speech, a revamped version of the Independence day speech. Which even the non-RP'ers found cool. I believe his vision is that people whom will be a full-time crafter for example. Say a Blacksmith, essentially RP within the world as being a Blacksmith.
And, yes, this is absolutely true, but that's not all that RP is. RP goes so much deeper and further than that. Building relationships. I see a lonely dwarf sitting on a park bench, me, having had a good day, ask what's wrong.
Depending on the response, a conversation is formed. I decide to keep the Dwarf some company. Then decide to. "Yo, my throat's getting a little dry from all this talking, what do ye' say we hit the pub? I'll get first round."
This is just a random RP encounter, encounters which RP'ers thrive in, and live for. Regular PvE/PvP players do not, so even if they are fulltime blacksmiths, magi, whatever. These encounters only happen amongst RP'ers. And walking up to someone, thinking they may be a RP'er only to have them bunnyhop away. Gets progressively more depressing for that player. And they'll eventually look elsewhere.
To put it in financial terms. I've had an active WoW subscription since 2004. With only brief pauses due to taking time off for school, or lack of funds (When I was young)I keep it active for RP, and RP alone. As do many, many others on the Argent Dawn server alone. This is steady revenue. Steady revenue IS can easily lose. Or gain. Simply by adding (or not) an RP tag in front of the PvX servers.
Once the lore of the game is known, RP'ers will start writing characters, with entire backstories, and probably skills not represented in the game, but possible in the universe itself. I know I will. And I know, that I will probably leave the game if there's no real RolePlay.
Now you might say, well, good riddance or whatever. But the point is content created by the developers will get stale eventually.
But what about an entire city somewhere in the corner of the map? not tied to a node, kind of like an RP Sanctuary. Everyone could go there but there would be a special report system for that area in which if reported by people with good standing they would lose standing and eventually be banned temporarily from the city.
You don't have to RP there, but you just can't troll and disrupt someones RP without consequences, if you did they report you and again you lose standing for that city. Repeated offenses could end in permanent ban from the city.
I understand not only the issues of such a thing.. from not just how plausible it would be from a technological standpoint, but also how abusable the system may be.. not to mention the issues of having to explain such a place in the lore?
May be a stupid idea, but I had a thought and decided to share it, maybe something can come of it, if not just pretend I didn't exist. I'll go back to the shadows now.
Ok, assume, you get RP server, where PvE and PvP are disabled. What do you do? Running around empty forests?
And if PvE and PvP are not disabled, those evil PvXers will come and spoil everything, buuuu.....
I personally think seperating the community like that is a bad idea, but I won't be trashing it, should you guys get a server for yourselves. And even if that doesn't happen, I'm sure a place like Goldshire in wow will pop up. Hubs for RP'ers to have a good time and be part of a community.
With all of that being said, Most RP servers excluding a few like Moon-guard usually have Low pop servers. Maybe the reason Steven and Intrepid are hesitant is because without a large population server different nodes wont progress and constant conflict wont arise. Meaning players will miss out on all other aspects of the game essentially.
Maybe its not about forcing RP players to normal servers maybe its more of there weird way of making sure you get access to all the content available?
Thoughts?
Then what difference will have your "RP" server from the rest of servers, if all other systems are the same. Do you want everyone, who logs in there to sign some official document, promising to... to do WHAT? Anything done in RPG is RP. Even EVERYTHING is. If you think that silent PK, who loves to jump around your group, shouting some crap (as it looks to you), behaving different from the other crowd is not RPing, you just don't understand his role...
So, once again, what is RP server, you discuss here?
All this server would be different from others is it would have an RP next to it.
Nothing else would be different. It is not some weird RP exclusive world or even a place where RPers can be protected from trolls what it is is one place where RPers know other RPers will be to make it easier for their community to get together.
Your counter argument, I don't agree with either.
PvE and PvP are in-game things. The two, in Ashes especially are intertwined. A PvE server can't exist simply by the nature of the game.
Even if it could exist. PvE and PvP are in-game systems. You can't do either without the game.
RP is fully player driven. You can do so on forums, via pen and paper. It's essentially what Dungeons and Dragons is. Which is the base upon which RPG's and MMORPG's are built on.
What you are doing is comparing apples and oranges.