Concern

[ElderDithas]

Hey...

This isn't really a complaint this time the way most of my posts are and it's not a criticism but a CONCERN.

I've heard from a couple of folks oogly that they are loosing interest in playing and of course I've noticed that when I log on the Playerbase = 4 or 5 now consistently. I don't have a gripe for myself at this time - I've been having fun mostly and log on everyday like a true addict.

One person told me that they were frustrated with the Playtime restricted leveling in light of the fact they don't get to play much each week. I know the other person's situation too but this isn't a flame, I'm just concerned for the game, the playerbase.

I'd be glad to offer specific thoughts on the matter but I'm not trying to air out any dirty laundry. You know how to find me if you are interested.

Lime Jello Dithas

[blazeti]

At the moment, it's hard to determine if that's the problem cutting into the wholist or if it's the Winter Olympics. Give it a week, at least.

As far as leveling goes (since I'm one of those with a limited schedule) I'd say the leap from 19th to 20th is rather severe. You go from needing a million per level for the past five or so levels, and then suddenly you have to double that (on top of feats and skill points each being the equivalent of a level or even greater). It sucks... but it hasn't made me stop playing just yet.

Though I will say that having died twice in the past 24 hours, and realizing that I'd lost about 2.5 million xp which would have paid for my stat point, made me want to club a baby seal.

[ROD]

I think it would help if conversations over the lines were less restricted by the staff. Shadowgate requires substantial playtime. A little bit of chatting could help.

Speaking for myself, I tend to return more often to a mud if I make 'friends' there, meaning that I have some sympathy for the person behind the character.

Now when Shadowgate discourages interactions between players as it does, I get a cold, impersonal feeling about the mud in general. I hope it's just me, but I see signs that I'm not the only one that feels they could do with less censorship. More than once, I got interested in the beginnings of a conversation in inform only to be told by an immortal, in not so many words, to shut up and get back to the game.

A chat line (loggable, information rules enforced, possibility to be turned off by the players willing to do so) could help. I know this idea has been discussed and rejected before. But when a course of action has been pursued and the results are not optimal, intelligent, humble, open-minded individuals consider the possibility that they may have taken a wrong approach.

This post is meant as an attempt to contribute to the mud's general atmosphere. Please do not take it as anything else.

[nienne]

It's not so much a problem with what's being discussed - we don't really feel the need to censor. It's more the issue that it breaks up the RP continuity - there's nothing worse than being involved in a RP situation only to have your immersion broken by "so what did you see at the movies yesterday, yo?". That's not just an immortal opinion either, but one that's been expressed by several players in the past.

The alternative, of course, is some designated chatter/OOC line that can be turned on only for those interested in it - since inform really needs to stay put as a source of help and communication in general. But that would be in the hands of admin as I'm not sure how fussed they were on it last time it was suggested. Or if someone else has some other ideas of how to facilitate it without interrupting those who are here to roleplay? That does have to remain our first priority, after all, given the kind of game we're trying to run...

[ElderDithas]

It's not that hard to install a php styled chat room software. You could set it up to grant membership just like the board here and a continuous log. Make rules pertaining to ooc/oog abuse and how that relates to affecting the associated character to the player. This would allow a SG socializing without interfering directly with the game. If admin at least wants to "look" at it I could set up something temporary as a sample.

I have heard some of the arguments for keeping the non-ic contact to a minimum. I think at this point with all the water that's passed under the bridge most people that want to chat with or connect with each other already are. There is the likelihood that as MUDs become more obsolete it is the social networking that's missing which is hugely popular in today's internet culture. I don't particularly care if we get a chat room or not although if we had one I'd certainly participate.

I know that one of the perks for HM has been a looser less censored hm line - I get how that's based on trust, etc. One of the potential upsides to a chat room would be a social networking type spring board into the game for TRUE NEWBIES something we are in dire need of. So if someone stumbles on the game or is told about it by someone playing - there would be an EASY environment to go to that doesn't require you to read 10000 help files, get to level 6 and hope that you run into one of the 10 players online during a peak time.

[nienne]

Yes, but the problem here is that admin have expressed a specific desire not for shadowgate to devolve into a chatroom. It's supposed to be here for roleplay immersion; it's not part of what they're trying to run. Much of that I think is tied into the desire not to be responsible for some of the unsavory aspects of the web; if you players take the risk outside the game, that's up to you. I know I'm trying to speak for LAW here and I'm not one of them so I'm only going off what I've been told in the past, but unless that's changed more recently, this is my understanding of it. We lose the immersion more and more these days when everyone starts to know everyone. People pull their punches because of who the other player is. Which, I might add, is totally illegal

I dunno, maybe it's just resistance to the way the web is going. But the more this becomes a chatroom, the more we lose the immersion ICly, and it seems to be growing over the years. I'm not sure that I want to forgo the quality of the mud to allow excessive random chatter over what's already done on the lines...

/waits for flames

[blazeti]

I'll say that from my point of view, it's easier to rp a character properly when you have those social ties outside of the game. It's a lot easier to think of it as playing with a fellow player and that what the characters do is part of the story and nothing personal.

Before I knew many people outside the game... I was MORE likely to pull my punches, for fear that the other character wouldn't understand it was only what my character would do, and not a personal vandetta against them as a player.

Addendum - As a player who had gone after most everyone on the who-list in his prime, I'll also say that the players I had contact with outside the game were much more able to stick around in-game and react realistically, as opposed to the people who I had no contact with who took it personally and unfortunately some of them stopped playing, either switching to an alt or simply leaving altogether. (and this was not even a case of murder, or thievery, or whatnot... a simple grab, tag, and release most of the time; they kept all gear and xp, and were only granted a chance at some rp)

[ROD]

If the issue is keeping Shadowgate 'pure', why not giving Dithas' idea a try and creating a Shadowgate web based chatroom moderated and logged by the staff?

I do not believe it would require constant watching. With the logged content, some simple word searches and occasionally skimming through the logs should be enough to see that rules are not broken, or rather that those that do break the rules are punished for it.

I'd like to read the opinion of some of the players who are against such social interactions. As Nienne stated, there are a few out there, so it would be interesting to know what their arguments are (other than OOC chat distracting them from the roleplay, which an external setup such as the one suggested would not do).

[nienne]

Yah - something here on the website might be a more workable alternative, given the reasons I've been told it didn't go through last time a player queried it. Would really need confirmation from law to know either way. At least with some feedback out here, they'll know there's an interest and can decide accordingly