State of Roleplay, and other questions!

Osrichas

Hello there, Aetolia!

I'm not exactly brand new to IRE games, but it's been a long, long while since I've played one, so I'm seriously rusty and out of the loop, particularly with Aetolia as I've never really dipped my toe in these waters before. So! I have a query or two, if you would be so kind as to answer them for me.

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, how is the general state of roleplay these days? I've seen Aetolia lauded as IRE's prime roleplay game, but that was some time ago, and a bit of snooping around some of the (admittedly outdated) topics on the forums has shown that a number of people are dissatisfied with the roleplay in the game. I would very much like a current opinion, though! Is there a particular city or guild that is active in regards to roleplay? Any particularly active or amazing Gods? And, I suppose, which Gods are active in general these days!

Lessee. I'd like to play one of the Knight classes, though I am admittedly torn between Templar and Carnifex, as my love for shiny, holy knights of light and inky, dread knights of dark is equal, generally speaking. Could any of you help sway me to either side?

Speaking of classes, how bound to cities are they? I made a quick Carnifex just so I could ask questions (Sorry Carnifex greeters ), and noticed that the GM, at least, wasn't a member of the starting city I was plopped into. What's the deal with swapping cities and the whole city/class dynamic?

I'm in the GMT timezone, and I am somewhat concerned about population levels during my playtimes. I, typically speaking, will be online from 7PM-10:30PM or so most evenings, and from 4PM on the weekends. Is that sufficient time to dedicate to the game to get anywhere significant? Are there even many people around and roleplaying during those times?

Also how difficult is PvP to learn, as a complete and utter newb at both it and coding? What's the recommended client and suchlike these days?

I'll doubtless ask more as I think of them, but these are the meat of what I'd like to know! Thankya in advance, folks.

Areka

Roleplay fluctuates between communities and sub-communities. There are pockets, and certainly there are folk who can help direct you to a pocket for easier immersion.

I am the GM of Templar, so I can only speak from my perspective. We are a small-to-moderate guild at present (it's a fluctuating time of year with school returning, end of vacations, etc), with a pretty solid core. I am usually multitasking, but I do try to check in with everyone and if anyone particularly wants roleplay I am more than happy to oblige. We have some really fantastic people and a really solid class.

As to sway you, it would depend upon the other aspects of the game you're looking for. We are getting some interesting newer RP with the city (Enorian) recently being completely rebuilt and given some cool new toys, as well as some new races and characters integrating with our society (Like the Duamvi and Aban, beings from the Spirit plane who have crashlanded here and are setting up shop, or the Arqeshi, a populace of corrupted beings purified after their emperor was slain invading our lands).

We have some other Europeans in the city so you would not be alone. 30 minutes a day would be sufficient time to make some form of progress, though again, it depends upon your progress desires! Social? Level/exprience? Wealth?

The first-aid system makes curing a lot more accessible, and we have several folk able and willing to help you learn how to approach things. Mudlet is the dominant client right now, which I cannot speak much more of because I'm stubborn and I like my nice and comfortable and outdated CMUD setup.

Edit: If you have any specific questions, feel free to hit me up in messages here or in game.

Edit edit: As for guilds/cities, most guilds are open to membership within either of the same-tethered cities. A large population of Carnifex are based in Spinesreach. Templar allow Duiran citizenship after either a petition for non-Knighted folk, or freely for Knighted folk.

Aarbrok

Having been part of multiple organizations before finding my niche, alot of it is exploration and seeing where your character develops, there is some amazing Roleplay opportunity as well as combative opportunity depending on what you fancy, even some RPK in some organizations or cities even (Spirean fight night - and spats in the Black Flagon in Esterport) which you can find.

Being a Cabalist I like to toot my own horn as a pretty legitimate Roleplay organization, though we have a small membership which does hurt us in helping people get involved sometimes, so most of our guild work is independant study. I have been part of the Daru(Now Illuminai) which is an organization based on purity and a strong pull towards the spirit tether. One of my most fun organizations I was ever part of was the Shamans, though the roleplay for the Spirits and Nature is beautifully written there are only a few who really delve beyond what is surface deep.

As I tell most new folks, its really considering what you aspire to see from your character and going with developing it towards a set of ideals, read over the guilds and respective Cities carefully, as you will likely be involved at a greater scale more often then have personal independant roleplay based on where you fit in, so its finding what you want to represent first then how you want to represent it, some go full white on the spectrum, others black....but there is grey area and alot more than you think.

I hope that makes sense. If you have questions you are more than welcome to bother me in game as well.

Xenia

Hey, so with the Carnifex, for a time they were not a Bloodlochian guild, nor a guild belonging to any particular city, they were based out of the Tarrean mountains. Members were free to reside in either city, but their loyalties were pledged first to the guild. While they are currently now a Bloodlochian guild, it's viewed on an RP level as something more akin to a sponsorship from the city while this older mindset of being technically a guild loyal only to itself persists somewhat.

As for why the membership is split this is because to remain in Bloodloch you must be a vampire but the guild does not enforce this on its members. Those who choose to remain living end up in Spinesreach, while those who take on the undeath subrace have the option of living in either city.

The Carnifex is an active guild with roughly six people who are consistently active and interacting with the guild members (newer and older). As for the roleplay, it could be described as niche, but I enjoy it and I'm pretty sure that those in the guild do as well. There is a strict culture of peerage and discipline within the guild with a military theme. People being referred to only by their titles, Recruits living as grunts, so to speak, until they rise up. It's a lively guild, and right off the bat a person will receive roleplay once they have completed the Academy through the form of an in person introduction (it's how we introduce the culture of the guild and give the person a chance to decide then and there if this is something they wish to embark on).

As for roleplay, I know that some exists in the various cities, but by far and large, I've seen Spinesreach to have the most consistent public interaction and random, player created events or situations. This is coming from having created various alt characters in the other cities and noting that there is less chance of getting involved in random interactions beyond a friendly face offering you some help.

Dristin

Xenia said:

As for why the membership is split this is because to remain in Bloodloch you must be a vampire but the guild does not enforce this on its members. Those who choose to remain living end up in Spinesreach, while those who take on the undeath subrace have the option of living in either city.

Should be noted that you only have to be undead, not a vampire, to remain in Bloodloch. Figured I'd throw that out there!

Xenia

ah that's correct, thanks. Sometimes in my head undead=vampire but that's certainly not the case!

Osrichas

Wow, that was fast! You guys are certainly on the ball. Colour me impressed!

That does sound like some intriguing goings-on, @Areka ! I admit to being curious about all these different beings that have shacked up in the city. What can you tell me about the Templars themselves, roleplay wise? What sort of atmosphere and interpersonal dynamic is typical? As for progress, I'm fond of social progress! I play IRE games pretty much just for the roleplay, so levelling isn't a big deal other than to become one of those swanky end-game races, honestly. I do love climbing the various social ladders, though, and making an impression with folk!

I hope those people are quite patient, because I've balked at the idea of PvP for years now. I mean. Sure, I've thrown myself into the virtual meatgrinder and flailed a little, but I'm no, uh...Whoever your go-to big scary names are. And thank you for the offer of asking you questions directly! Mighty kind of you, ma'am/sir.

I do like my grey areas, but I'll read over the various files and mull it over some. I don't want to dive into a decision and regret it later.

Thank you for the response, @Xenia ! That helped clarify things muchly, so that's greatly appreciated. Is switching from Bloodloch to Spinesreach right out of the gate difficult or frowned upon at all? And I have been hankering for some militaristic roleplay, so that aspect of the Carnifex certainly appeals to me. If only they used swords as well as hammers and polearms. A small quibble, though, really, and an aesthetic one at that! The in person introduction sounds like a fine idea! If they're anything like I've come to expect such things to be, it'd be a less than pleasant experience for a fresh recruit.

How detailed do people typically make their backstories, by the way? I generally go with very vague until I need to do otherwise and/or become familiar enough with the lore to craft something coherent.

Areka

Much of it depends upon who you are interacting with - a range of personalities are meshed together in the guild, from grave and serious Areka, to more personable and flexible @Isande, to brash and blunt @Rashar, to friendly and ice-breaking @Urial. We equally have a range of stances for just how far and to what means we can and will go to ensure our people are safe. We also have a new wave of novices coming in that have been really awesome.

Overall? Templar are expected to be fairly self-sufficient. There is a hierarchy and order to what we do, some of it both of earned respect and part simply that people can die if you are arguing in the field, so there needs to be a clear chain of command.

We have a uniform for people up to gr3 (or after, if you so choose, and for formal functions). RP can easily range from field logistics, forging, martial training, patrolling protected and unprotected regions, RP curing/healing practices, and studies of ethics and how to handle yourself in difficult situations, to administering to refugees or discussions of the Divine in the new Temple. We have a few special quests that keep us tied to past events (like when we trained Goblins in Azdun and helped rebuild their village after the vile Chiav attacked), and a more adaptable space now for different kinds of roleplay and other sorts of perks, like a working mess hall and minipet-falcon aviary.

I love a good prop and tend to make some just for these kinds of things (I've done little outings with folk to show how to dig a jacks/latrine trench, set up a campfire, and string up scouting hammocks when surveying in the wilderness - that was a fun session).

Templar are also closely entwined with the Duamvi, having both been initially re-trained by them from their Paladin days, to also being in the military quarter.

As for back stories, it is entirely up to you. Some are simply the product of simple villagers in some unnamed village seeking adventure in a new city. Some of us have really latched onto racial roleplay (I do quite a lot with Trolls) and have further developed that out. Areka is one of Ugtar in Three Rock's nieces, and grew up among the bandits. She was an Infernal for a good while and her backstory has developed more as RP pushes for new information or consideration of her pre-Infernal days, as well as simply through the playing in itself. You can decide how grand or how humble your birth-to-18 years old origins are. You can also just simply 'not want to talk about it' if you want to become part of an existing player family, and work with them to flesh out your story.

Xenia

Osrichas said:

Is switching from Bloodloch to Spinesreach right out of the gate difficult or frowned upon at all?

From the side of the Carnifex there is not much of a push towards either city. They tend to see it as a personal decision that each member makes and give it little more importance than that. Within the guild there is a focus of strength in Fealty. This Fealty being first to the Carnifex, and by extension, the city's that one another are part of.

For example, if there is a threat to Bloodloch, this would be a threat to the Bloodlochian guild members, and as such all Carnifex would be expected to respond to the concern. The same is conversely true for Spinesreach.

Luna

Osrichas said:

If only [Carnifex] used swords as well as hammers and polearms.

Preach it, brother!

Osrichas said:

How detailed do people typically make their backstories, by the way? I generally go with very vague until I need to do otherwise and/or become familiar enough with the lore to craft something coherent.

A smart approach. Be particularly careful about the in-game backstory editor, cause when you've submitted your background you can't edit it, only add new chapters of character history.

Ashmer

As far as the state of roleplay in the game, people really do still enjoy and deeply get involved in really great RP. There will always be people who complain, but often it's the people who complain who hang out on OOC clans and the like and don't actually go find someone to RP with.

It's easy to pick up RP with people but it's also very, very easy to play an entire session and not interact with someone in-character at all. Between OOC clans, webs, bashing, PK, ylem, quests, resource gathering, running organizations, and now fishing, you can spend the entire time literally just inputting commands into the MUD and not writing a single emote. I recommend doing these things (except for OOC clans and webs) WITH other people and emote/breathe some serious fucking life into the activity with the way your character would go about, say, fishing. Carnifex? BRUTALLY FISH. Templar? HONORABLY FISH. Joking aside, I think you get my point.

Edited to add: Hit me up in-game. I personally don't respond to any OOC communication in game as a recent policy, but I'm almost always down for in-passing RP.

Veovis

Roleplay is alive and well in Aetolia. Bloodloch isn't the bastion of RP that it once was, but there are a number of Bloodlochians who roleplay. For me, it has been much easier to slip back in to character with @Ashmer, @Blanche, @Asaraii, and @Akirash around.

I'm also always game for roleplay, no matter what side your character is on.

Riluo

We do rp in loch. It is just a "different type" we tend to be more brutish, niche and less in-depth discussions around the gods, denizens or philosophy of the day. Does this mean you will not find it? Well no it just requires more work to find a type you will enjoy. However keep in mind that interacting with other cities, guilds is a great way to change the world around you. I always encourage my novices to speak to people even if all you gain is a "bugger off" or chased away with pitch forks, as it is something to shape your future interactions.

Emelle

I'll pitch in my two cents, which is that often it feels it takes some work to find people who are amenable to roleplay. It absolutely doesn't mean they're not there, it's more just that people get comfortable in their niches and don't always actively branch out. Don't be discouraged if you find that's the case! Throw emotes at people and see what happens.

Especially me. Throw all of the emotes at me!

Osrichas

Areka said:

Much of it depends upon who you are interacting with - a range of personalities are meshed together in the guild, from grave and serious Areka, to more personable and flexible @Isande, to brash and blunt @Rashar, to friendly and ice-breaking @Urial. We equally have a range of stances for just how far and to what means we can and will go to ensure our people are safe. We also have a new wave of novices coming in that have been really awesome.

Overall? Templar are expected to be fairly self-sufficient. There is a hierarchy and order to what we do, some of it both of earned respect and part simply that people can die if you are arguing in the field, so there needs to be a clear chain of command.

We have a uniform for people up to gr3 (or after, if you so choose, and for formal functions). RP can easily range from field logistics, forging, martial training, patrolling protected and unprotected regions, RP curing/healing practices, and studies of ethics and how to handle yourself in difficult situations, to administering to refugees or discussions of the Divine in the new Temple. We have a few special quests that keep us tied to past events (like when we trained Goblins in Azdun and helped rebuild their village after the vile Chiav attacked), and a more adaptable space now for different kinds of roleplay and other sorts of perks, like a working mess hall and minipet-falcon aviary.

I love a good prop and tend to make some just for these kinds of things (I've done little outings with folk to show how to dig a jacks/latrine trench, set up a campfire, and string up scouting hammocks when surveying in the wilderness - that was a fun session).

Templar are also closely entwined with the Duamvi, having both been initially re-trained by them from their Paladin days, to also being in the military quarter.

As for back stories, it is entirely up to you. Some are simply the product of simple villagers in some unnamed village seeking adventure in a new city. Some of us have really latched onto racial roleplay (I do quite a lot with Trolls) and have further developed that out. Areka is one of Ugtar in Three Rock's nieces, and grew up among the bandits. She was an Infernal for a good while and her backstory has developed more as RP pushes for new information or consideration of her pre-Infernal days, as well as simply through the playing in itself. You can decide how grand or how humble your birth-to-18 years old origins are. You can also just simply 'not want to talk about it' if you want to become part of an existing player family, and work with them to flesh out your story.

I was pretty much decided on Carnifex after sleeping on it, but man, this makes me want to play Templar so hard. I don't know if trying to run two characters at once would be a good idea, but it is so very tempting. Stupid sexy Templars.

Luna said:

Osrichas said:

If only [Carnifex] used swords as well as hammers and polearms.

Preach it, brother!

How lame/frowned upon/etc would it be to acquire a sword and pretend that my guy uses it to fight? I just really dig swords. Like. If it were feasible (I know it's not), I would totally pay the credits to customize a polearm into a greatsword just so I could use one properly.

Ashmer said:

As far as the state of roleplay in the game, people really do still enjoy and deeply get involved in really great RP. There will always be people who complain, but often it's the people who complain who hang out on OOC clans and the like and don't actually go find someone to RP with.

It's easy to pick up RP with people but it's also very, very easy to play an entire session and not interact with someone in-character at all. Between OOC clans, webs, bashing, PK, ylem, quests, resource gathering, running organizations, and now fishing, you can spend the entire time literally just inputting commands into the MUD and not writing a single emote. I recommend doing these things (except for OOC clans and webs) WITH other people and emote/breathe some serious fucking life into the activity with the way your character would go about, say, fishing. Carnifex? BRUTALLY FISH. Templar? HONORABLY FISH. Joking aside, I think you get my point.

Edited to add: Hit me up in-game. I personally don't respond to any OOC communication in game as a recent policy, but I'm almost always down for in-passing RP.

Man, that is a ton of stuff that I am going to have to learn. Worry not, though, I am a hardcore sucker for RP, so if I can finangle my way into roleplaying something out, I will! I'm one of those people who have roleplayed at NPCs or by myself before, so, uh. Yeah. I'm a nerd. And I totally will hit you up for some sweet, sweet roleplay, @Ashmer , @Veovis and @Emelle ! Though I'm going to be making a proper character with a different name, which I still need to decide on. Names are hard. Asarian? Draskain? Desarius? So many choices.

I think I'm running out of questions. Hm. My friend would like to know if Indorani can play in Spinesreach as well, as neither of us can find confirmation of it anywhere bar assuming it's fine because of the whole tether thing.

Question for you, @Xenia ! Is it possible to play a more refined and elegant character as a Carnifex? Not a simpering fop, or any such thing, but someone civil and polite, that keeps their savagery under control until it's necessary, kinda dealio.

Areka

Templar are the 'weapon masters' and can switch around between a ton of weapons!

* Small Blade: shortsword, longsword, rapier, battleaxe, scimitar,
broadsword, flyssa, falchion / falcata, sarissa,
spear
* Small Bludgeon: club, mace, flail, morningstar
* Thrown: javelin
* Large Blade: bastard, falx, glaive
* Large Bludgeon: warhammer

Each with their own variety of attacks (sword and board even if it's not really feasible for PK, dual-wielding single handed, or two diff attacks for large/2handed weaps).

You can certainly run two characters, alting is a common practice.

Xenia

@Osichas: Yes, this is entirely acceptable and we get a range of archtypes within the guild, and typically we try to shape their progression experience around that. Some Examples: @Jura who plays the highly disciplined, cold Kennelmistress (Novice Head), @Satomi the inquisitive deathlore researcher, @Aren meek and unsure of themselves with a desire to grow strong, @Grimdale a constant within the guild, old and secure enough to no longer feel the need to impose authority in harsh manners, etc.

The point is, there's not a specific sort that we seek out for the Carnifex beyond someone who has a desire to become involved and grow.

Edit: Forgot to answer the question regarding Indorani, yes, there are indorani who reside in Spinesreach.

Osrichas

@Xenia : Splendid! Thank you for clearing that up, I wasn't entirely sure on how viable such a character would be. I am very much looking forward to meeting the people you mentioned. They sound wonderful. I know that the Carnifex gave up Chivalry as a skill when they switched from Infernal, so I've been curious about how they view honour? What's their stance on it? Generally speaking, of course.

Thanks for that, I'll let my friend know!

Man. Now I need to pick a name.

Xenia

@Osrichas The view on chivalry is that it is a shackling way to live ones life. The Carnifex try to perpetuate their strengths, and in doing so, their dominance over Sapience. While there are some that may act honorably at times, it is not so much driven out of a strict adherence to code. Essentially, the Carnifex instead embrace the freedom that comes with taking the actions that one must to ensure forward momentum.

Ashmer

@Osrichas it IS a lot, and that's my point! I wouldn't try to do ALL of the activities - make sure you spend some time just socializing with people and purely RPing. There's a ton so that a wide range of people can appreciate and enjoy the game.

Also, Indorani can play in Spinesreach unless we've changed the laws super recently. Ashmer's in the guild. He thinks Bloodloch is superior.

Edited to add: The Indorani is a really cool guild with a small group of pretty awesome players. They're fantastic thematically and as far as I can tell in fiddling with it so far, the class is very strong and very complex (high skill cap) in PK.

Asaraii

Feel free to hit Asaraii up for RPs too, I enjoy tinkering around with folks acting weird and social awkward.

Ashmer

Except when you ignore me, @Asaraii. :frowning:

Luna

Osrichas said:

How lame/frowned upon/etc would it be to acquire a sword and pretend that my guy uses it to fight? I just really dig swords. Like. If it were feasible (I know it's not), I would totally pay the credits to customize a polearm into a greatsword just so I could use one properly.

Absolutely feasible. While it's a long time since darkie-knights had class skills that let them use swords effectively in coded combat, there were certain tie-ins in the pre-revamp Savagery skillset (Mastery, Duality) that makes it completely legit to pick up a sword proficiency and play it off as an archaic (and, for now, somewhat inefficient) fighting style.

Osrichas

Luna said:

Osrichas said:

How lame/frowned upon/etc would it be to acquire a sword and pretend that my guy uses it to fight? I just really dig swords. Like. If it were feasible (I know it's not), I would totally pay the credits to customize a polearm into a greatsword just so I could use one properly.

Absolutely feasible. While it's a long time since darkie-knights had class skills that let them use swords effectively in coded combat, there were certain tie-ins in the pre-revamp Savagery skillset (Mastery, Duality) that makes it completely legit to pick up a sword proficiency and play it off as an archaic (and, for now, somewhat inefficient) fighting style.

This gives me hope. I can dream that someday, ten years down the line, I'll be able to actually use it effectively, but I can make do with being inefficient until then!

Another thing that I'm curious about ;Families. I've always been intrigued by the concept in IRE games, yet I've never been able to properly sink my teeth into it, so to speak. Are there many families out there that are very into their roleplay, that would be accepting potential children at some point?

Also Divine. Who's alive and kicking these days?


Edit:I'll respond more throughly to the other messages when I get home from work, trying to be coherent on my phone is a struggle!

Aishia

ERF that doesn't paste very well uh

Gods of Spirit -----------------Gods of Shadow
-------------------------------- --------------------------------
Damariel, the Unbound -----------------Avareti, Goddess of Symmetry
Dhar, the Underking -----------------Chakrasul, Goddess of Corruption
Ethne, the Rekindled -----------------Iosyne, the Malevolent
Haern, the Hunter -----------------Ivoln, the Earthen Lord
Omei, the Beast Queen -----------------Maghak, the Sovereign
Slyphe, the Tempest -----------------Severn, the Manipulator

THESE ONES ARE ALIVE but can't speak to activity levels.

Osrichas

Thankya kindly, Aishia! I'll have to do some research tonight and see who I'll go with. I love me some Divine rp. 

Edit :Severn seems like a fine candidate! Maghak as well, though he seems to favour very direct action, from what the wiki tells me. 

Teani

@Osrichas : When it comes to families and RP, I think your best bet would be to get a feel for people in general before making any commitments. RP a lot around people and see who responds and how. That way you'll have a good time while at the same time making connections and potentially gaining a family.

There are a lot of people out there, snatching up children left right and center, but sometimes that's it, sometimes it becomes something more. Take your time!

Osrichas

Oh, I fully intend to, @Teani! I never rush into such a huge commitment, and working up to it via rp is half the fun. I was just curious as to what's out there, is all. 

Sessizlik

@Osrichas I love how excited you sound about Everything and I really hope to see you in Spinesreach soon. I'm in the GMT timezone as well, so make sure to hit me up for rp and Sessi will stuff your character full of sweets.

Osrichas

There is much to be excited about, @Sessizlik ! I haven't properly been involved in a roleplay community since my Midkemia days, so I'm really hoping that my experience here comes close to or, dare I hope, exceeds it! I shall be in Spinesreach tomorrow night, barring catastrophe, so perhaps I'll run into you then. If I'm not terribly distracted by flailing around and going OH GOD I'VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO MUD and drowning in stuff to re-learn, of course.

Alrighty, folks, I think that about covers all of the questions I have for now. The rest, I can discover in-game. You have all been exceedingly helpful, and if the playerbase is even a fraction as friendly and pleasant as I've seen here in just this one thread, I will have a very happy home in Aetolia. I am looking forward to meeting every single one of you and getting to know you, so if any of you ever wish to roleplay with me, you are more than welcome! If any of you like, I am quite willing to add any of you on Skype, or a messenger of your choice. I can also provide some old RP logs from MKO, if you'd rather get a feel for my writing style before actually RPing at me. Thank you all so very, very much for being so patient and helpful.

Ah, and I managed to pick a name, somehow, so instead of Osrichas, I'll be under the guise of Sevarius in-game!

Asaraii

Sorry @Ashmer I didn't intentionally! :P WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.