Albedos: Q&A

Moirean

I dunno, I think destroying Sapience completely would be a bad business decision. It would alienate a lot of players, especially people who haven't played in a while and pop back in. There is something to be said for keeping a familiar skeleton to the game - Avalon tried extensively revamping a lot of its game and many people consistently said "This isn't the game I know. I can't get back into it" and lost interest in staying around.

Jenna

I have to agree with Moirean. I am new to this game as many know. I'm just getting used to Sapience, the politics, and such. Getting thrust into Albedo's will be starting the whole mess over again. The only difference, I will have more of a handle on the mechanics of the game. Otherwise, all my RP gets flushed down the drain XD.

While change can be good, massive change usually ends up bad. History proves that massive change usually makes things worse. Not better. Slowly changing things works the best. Moirean has a good strong point.

Also, I have to say bluntly, from what I have read and been told of the Drakethi (sorry if I spelled it wrong), they sound like nothing but a big bad walking dues ex machina the likes of the Ori from Stargate. That is nothing but a huge mistake waiting to explode in everyone's faces.

Rho

To be fair, we'd all be having our RP flushed down the drain.

Arbre

I don't think anyone's RP is being flushed down the drain.  The world changes and evolves.  Considering this change has been coming for an -incredibly- long time, I think it won't be a drastic shift - people will have a chance to get used to Albedos, and eventually we'll be having people learn Albedos -first-.

Atrapoema

Yah, I am equally baffled by people who feel the eventual changes will "flush RP down the drain". RP and characters change and evolve, it's only natural. This is just another arc in your character's story -- it just so happens that it is one we will all share and react differently to.

Haern

And who said Sapience is getting wiped out? It wasn't me! I think you guys are listening to the wrong sort of rumor mill.

Toz

It would be nice for there to actually be a real consequence to failure in the game again - I've not heard of anything since the war system. If you die, you lose some xp. If you lose an election, you ragequit your city and move to Duiran or something. If you lose, things go on just the same as if you won, minus some small setback. If Aetolia gets nuked, I hope that the event is 1) not some static 'you go here because somebody set you up the bomb and you can't do anything about it' - make us claw every step of the way. Make it as realistic as possible, if we find some way to save a part of the world/prevent it from being wiped/do something that effects the outcome somewhere, take things that way. I think that's one of the greatest strengths of the RPI game style, is that players shape the world more  than anyone else. I also accept that the admin have limits and a script, but places where that blatant 'this is a scripted event now die' bit is either skipped or concealed are greatly appreciated. And 2) I hope that it is played out in a long, painful, bloody struggle that injects some emotional anguish. Because that's always fun.

Mastema

Burn it all!! >:)

 

 

 

Honestly I am hoping it unfolds with lots of fun RP, and evolves into a great story arc.

Lin

Nah, there's just gonna be a news post saying "Albedos is done, you have a week to leave, lol"

And we'll use an airport they built in the Tarea Mountains.

Orisae

I bought first class. See HELP ALBEDOS AIRWAYS to pick up yours, too.

Lin

I just flew across the United States, I can't afford this crap.

Toz

Does that make the Carnifex the TSA?

Orisae

Does that mean that Moirean is in charge of picking out who needs to have a cavity search?

Edit- Sorry to derail! Done now!

Moirean

How high is Mount Gallows? The guild might already be card-carrying members of the mile-high club.

Lin

inb4 the Indorani fly a plane into the Citadel

Haven

My biggest question about the Albedos move is how different will the organizations and overarching conflict be during the continent shift?

Will Albedos still be largely a Bloodreach versus Enodui place or will there be a different set up? Will this set up be in the hands of the players?

Toz

Well we can't have Greytolia/ambiguous lines of allegiance between the four currently existing orgs. It's Duinorian and Bloodreach all day every day.

Moirean

Haven said:

My biggest question about the Albedos move is how different will the organizations and overarching conflict be during the continent shift?

Will Albedos still be largely a Bloodreach versus Enodui place or will there be a different set up? Will this set up be in the hands of the players?

I would imagine that's unlikely to happen atm, since combat would have to be completely re-balanced to account for outliers like vamps+lumies becoming commonplace.

Eleanor

My problem with the eventual move as it was slated was that I am not terribly interested in playing a refugee, and merely the idea of having that shoved in my lap was enough to pre-emptively make me cool on the game. That said, it has been a long time and I've had enough time to come to terms with the idea that I probably won't have a choice when it eventually drops.

Of course, that also said, in this thread we are hashing over rumours circa Galleus-was-still-in-charge-promising-project-awesome-and-win.

Which are three to six years old now, guys.

Corlin

I'm more worried about the loss of foundational lore for organizations.

I don't know if that's as important to some people as it is to others, and, sure, we can all still say, 'Back in x, while still on Sapience [foundation]' - but I can't see the move being literally a change in location and nothing else.

Which of course means that some orgs will get new lore, or -could- get new lore. The Luminaries, for example, it feels very important to me that they're the Light answer to the apathy and stagnation that was priests.

I'm sure everything will be kosher, I'm just sort of attached to the parts of Aetolia that drew me in in the first place - part of it being the schism between shadow and light - and every chance that might be upset makes me sit on the edge of my seat and mouth 'noooooooo' a bit.

Lin

The organizations will be as strong as the people operating them. If Lin was still in charge of the Syssin Syndicate? You better believe they'd be scouting out for the biggest building they could find for their new base of operations, pull a mass infiltration to kill everyone inside, and take over. Duiran could claim the entirety of Albedos' woodlands as their Gods-given domain, and fight off anyone who challenges their authority.

I know that sometimes it feels like we're in a movie theater watching Aetolia's events unfold before our eyes, but you need to understand that as players, we are in charge of what we do. The game is as fun as we make it.

Orisae

Maaaan, gonna be fun with the Order roleplay once we switch over.

Seir

Your roleplay shouldn't ever be centered COMPLETELY around another entity. This includes, but is not limited to: another player's character, a city and/or its ideals, a guild and/or its ideals, a God and/or its ideals, etc.

Your character should have their own ideals and the guild or city they're in should just be a collaborative "oh hey, we agree" thing. Not a "I LIVE, BREATHE, AND POOP THE RHYTHM. AMG DROODS". Your character should be able to relate to other organizations. For example, I know that if Seir ever left the Sentinels again (unlikely to ever happen) that he'd probably be able to mesh with the Shamans. Or, if I made him darkie, I know that he'd be able to relate with Iosyne's tenets pretty easily given his current personality.

As others have stated, your character's persona should be fluid, changing, and never static. That being said, if Albedos comes to pass and we're all moved there, just look at it as another chance for your character to evolve.

Haern

There are now two (relatively) new regional posts up. One for the Jalaja Rainforest and the Ironspine Highlands. Ask your questions here!

Haven

Can we expect the challenges to be real in a sense for some of these regions for the players or is it largely a backdrop for roleplay like a lot of Sapience's current 'dangerous' regions?

Like, I'm wondering if some of these areas are littered with aggressive mobs on the current Volcano mobs' level or if possibly there will be unique weather mechanics/obstacles implemented for us to overcome? Like maybe an avalanche season where we have to do something unique to pass through an area safely or something. 

When I read danger and death, I wonder if it's really deadly/dangerous for us players since most of us are super endgame beings now and if it is as dangerous as it sounds even for us mighty hereos then what about newbie areas? How is the newbie intro overhaul looking and are there lore concepts worked out already for the newbie introduction into post-Albedos Aetolia? I'm interested in what'll be like starting Aetolia in a post-Albedos move, the loss of Slavers Isle, etc.

Edit: @Lin, you say that and then I think about things like when the Syssin tried to make a shift away from Severn towards Damariel. There are certain expectations of us and I wonder if we players will be allowed to break free from old bonds/traditions to perhaps forge a new and interesting future for our organizations in the new harsh lands of Albedos. I wonder at the possibilities of new alliances and new conflicts, etc.

Lin

Haven said:

Edit: @Lin, you say that and then I think about things like when the Syssin tried to make a shift away from Severn towards Damariel.

That's a myth.

Haven

Lin said:

Haven said:

Edit: @Lin, you say that and then I think about things like when the Syssin tried to make a shift away from Severn towards Damariel.

That's a myth.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. :-P You know what I mean!

Corlin

Seir said:

Your roleplay shouldn't ever be centered COMPLETELY around another entity. This includes, but is not limited to: another player's character, a city and/or its ideals, a guild and/or its ideals, a God and/or its ideals, etc.

Your character should have their own ideals and the guild or city they're in should just be a collaborative "oh hey, we agree" thing. Not a "I LIVE, BREATHE, AND POOP THE RHYTHM. AMG DROODS".

I've found that by centering my character(s) in Aetolia around the grander ideals that they're associated with - Light, Undeath, Corruption, etc - that it's given me a lot of enjoyment as a player that I was lacking in my other mud experiences, where my characters were more fluid, and tended to be attached to something in a less forceful manner.

I mean, every character has their own reasons / motives for serving that cause/purpose, but I sort of like living, breathing and excreting a given ideal. I've tried to make certain that they're general enough so as not to be superglued to any one organization, but then again, if an organization is mainly founded within or because of my chosen ideal, it's only natural that I'd grow closer to them.

Haern

Haven said:

Can we expect the challenges to be real in a sense for some of these regions for the players or is it largely a backdrop for roleplay like a lot of Sapience's current 'dangerous' regions?

Like, I'm wondering if some of these areas are littered with aggressive mobs on the current Volcano mobs' level or if possibly there will be unique weather mechanics/obstacles implemented for us to overcome? Like maybe an avalanche season where we have to do something unique to pass through an area safely or something. 

When I read danger and death, I wonder if it's really deadly/dangerous for us players since most of us are super endgame beings now and if it is as dangerous as it sounds even for us mighty hereos then what about newbie areas? How is the newbie intro overhaul looking and are there lore concepts worked out already for the newbie introduction into post-Albedos Aetolia? I'm interested in what'll be like starting Aetolia in a post-Albedos move, the loss of Slavers Isle, etc.

Yes, the danger is very real in Albedos and it isn't just due to aggressive mobs. While aggressive mobs are fun to watch smack the crap out of people, they're a little short sighted for the grand scheme of bringing danger and adventure to the world. Players should be aware of dangers and take precautions to survive in an area, not just get run over by the train of aggressive mobs that don't have breaks. I mean, as fun as it would be to have a paintrain of wyrms descend on people, it's also a little unfair. Ten wyrms swooping in to eviscerate you and then flip you off as they fly away might be a thing, but it's surely not the goal of the area.

Several low level areas are scattered around Delve, but they tend to pose threats that go beyond that initial "newbie" experience. A small example; there is a low level area right off the Docklands of Delve that will receive a high level event release initially. It's known as the Maestral Shoals and the event will let the veteran players see the area and get a feel for what is exactly going on, tackle a threat and drive off some scary foes. Once the danger has passed, you'll see a change in the area and it'll be much more suitable for our lovely, lower level players.

As for the intro, that's something that will be covered outside of this Q&A in the future. Most likely Razmael and I will tackle that together, so sit tight for that.

Macian

@haern I love the idea of a introducing the Maestral Shoals to the entire world, and then switching it to a lower level. One of the things that annoyed me with some of the newer areas was that you didn't really have much reason to experience them as endgame.

Any chance you'd consider working this sort of thing in reverse, too? Where there's some kind of mechanic where lower level players are necessary to create some kind of change in the world? Some of the things that really stuck with me over the years are the events I participated in really early on, without the big guys coming in and running the show.