Start Locations

Aristeaus · Post by **Aristeaus** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 8:51 pm

Short and sweet proposel, im going to have a nap

No perhaps about this one.

All characters should start in trollsbane. If a new player joins the game say for example as an elf. They will find themselves in the middle of nowhere. With no idea of where to head to and no one to speak to. They will log in wander around and never log in again.

p.s Down with the skill cap :p

Llama · Post by **Llama** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 8:53 pm

That is true, today i found a new character who didn't know what to do... i say that all new players should be given a map to find their way through..

Or an NPC which will tell you , "Welcome to xxxxxx trolsbane is to the XX of here"

RE: skill cap... there is a cap????

Devrah Liioness · Post by **Devrah Liioness** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 8:54 pm

Well, that problem would be solved if more people would hang around in the other cities.

Japheth · Post by **Japheth** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 8:57 pm

Counter proposal. An NPC that is near the starting area of each race. Jamal already exists for the dock, but isn't much use.

Upon a simple command, "help", "directions" or somesuch, the NPCs give directions to Troll's Bane, or other towns.

We could give a short message if possible, after a character has been teleported to the starting area.

Text for message:

"Welcome to the home land of your race. Here you will find many items exclusive to your race available from the various vendors. If you seek to go to the capital of these islands, then consult the vendor next to you, he will provide you with directions to Troll's Bane."

Edit- Better to be more precise when posting proposals. Give concrete ideas and even provide a potential text. Dark Lord Martin (

) is more likely to actually use the proposal then.

Llama · Post by **Llama** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 9:15 pm

My idea for a message

"Greetings welcome to XXXXXX , home of the XXXXXX; just ask the XXXXX next to you for 'help' and he will guide you onto your path, whatever that may be"

[i have noticed that many new people have no idea of what they need to do or what tools to get, they should provide an informaton NPC at each town which you may consult.. what must i do to *********?, what tools do i need]

Misjbar · Post by **Misjbar** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 9:50 pm

"Welcome to the home land of your race. Here you will find many items exclusive to your race available from the various vendors. If you seek to go to the capital of these islands, then consult the vendor next to you, he will provide you with directions to Troll's Bane."

I highly loathe such a message Japheth. Troll's Bane is not the capital at all. It is a town, as many of you will tell you, while Varshikar for instance is a city. Thanks to the fact that every single player spends their days sitting/crafting over there, is not my problem. =3

I just think such a message would be highly inaccurate. But, you could ask mr. Damien or such.

Japheth · Post by **Japheth** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 12:10 am

I was giving it as an example. I couldn't care less about nit-picking and semantics. Just as a note, Jamal already provides this service for lizards. Although he only points out the way to Greenbriar and Trollsbane and only reacts to these key words, or the word town.

Edit: Removed a silly point.

The-Puppeteer · Post by **The-Puppeteer** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 12:23 am

Yeah I was thinking about the starting locations when I entered the game and to me, the orcs one isn't very good... It's in a cave, which actually belongs to the skulls, which means that you should be a bloodskull or if you manage to explain this some otherway rpwise. The cave by the way is in the middle of nowhere which is good aslong as there was somebody else there. Wouldn't it be better if all races started at the docks and from there you could chose diffrent routes. Not only trollsbane.

Llama · Post by **Llama** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:07 am

Better if you got a MAP item... just look at it, see where you started, where trollsbane is,. and increases with time...

Aegohl · Post by **Aegohl** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:13 am

This is what I personally proposed:

All characters start at the docks. There, at the docks, is the NPC teleporter that is now in Trollsbane. On the main homepage there is a link to the world map (which does exist and is complete already) as well as descriptions of each of the places on them, so even newbies can make educated guesses of where they want to go.

What is all of your opinions on this?

Post by **Nitram** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:55 pm

yes...the dock would be realistic. Because the new characters come to the island by ship

Aristeaus · Post by **Aristeaus** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:56 pm

The docks would be a good idea, and perhaps a character could start with one of the teleportation devices. I personally have not experimented with the item in question. But it would leave the player access to the towns from the start.

Djironnyma · Post by **Djironnyma** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 2:15 pm

I think it is better how it is at the moment. So the diffrent races get to know there homes.

Galim · Post by **Galim** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 2:33 pm

But not every home is really the home of the individual racemember. silverbrand is a dwarventown, but not every dwarf can enter like he wish. just citizens. to become citizen you must perform some rp in the beginning. just because you are a dwarf doesn't mean that you are immediately a member of the dwarventown Silverbrand.

So it would be better to have the dwarf ariving at the harbor and give him some informations about the dwarven culture on the isle threw the man at the harbor.

Llama · Post by **Llama** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:12 pm

1) You start on an island.. so a dock there would be realistic.. and you could have him seeming to be sailing

2) Jamal is already good for the job.. "Where am I?" "the dock, where else would you expect a ship to bring you?"

Pendar · Post by **Pendar** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:54 pm

I actually think the best answer would be, A character enters the game with a message.
"Your travels bring you to the gates of trollsbane" or what ever.

Many reasons for this.
1. It is really a long walk to find any one if you are an elf or halfling.
2. This game is daunting enough with out getting lost in your first 5 minutes, even with directions people will get lost.
3. We are not spoiling anything to do with "racial" citys as a an elf arriveing on the island would realistically have to find out there was even an elf city. They were not born here.
4. Even with directions the map is big enough now that when you are looking at a black mini-map with no idea how far you may have to walk you will get worried you have missed your location. Do as I did when i created a new character haveing never been to X point on my map and takeing a guess find a troll.
5. Be of the opinion this is the most underpopulated game ever as you cannot find any to play with at all.

Trollsbane has been for as long as I have played this game a relatively safe area. With generally the most helpful characters hanging around the well area.
I think it is over complication to have new players spawned so far away from the "bulk" of current players.
If at a later time Vanima, and greenbriar have players active nearly all the time in them by all means change it back.
My 0'2
Brian

Aegohl · Post by **Aegohl** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:06 am

The problem there is that it gives an unfair advantage to Trollsbane, which already has another unfair advantage.

If it was just a newbie town like it was when this game started (the only town, at that), then fine, but when there is an in-character government which claims the buildings, which they don't have to pay for, and makes laws on that basis, well... Seems like OOC favoritism, doesn't it?

Especially so when you consider that the other towns *do* need to pay for their buildings, infrastructure, and such, and also have to come up with a roleplayed reason why their NPC's are there, when Trollsbane has all of the above free of charge.

If we want to reward players by giving them the option to build cities, well, we need to go the same distance to make sure that those places are not a waste of our time and the players' time--especially when they actually own it.

To that end, the teleporter NPC should be moved into a fair and neutral territory--the docks come to mind. Then dropping newbies there gives them the option of choosing where they want to start playing. Perhaps, rather, as Aristeaus put it, the NPC on the starting island could offer a teleporter to wherever the player chooses, thereby giving them even more of a choice.

Sure, those cities are empty most of the day now, but it's for lack of doing something about it. It shouldn't be used as an excuse to make the situation worse.

Pendar · Post by **Pendar** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:03 am

I could not agree more than the NPC selling teleporters should be moved from trollsbane. From an OOC point of view i would love it TB did not contain any "vital/unique" advantage npc or resource wise. It is allready the games central point which needs to be balanced this wont happen by upgradeing it with more technical features. I am not sure weather buildings really dictate as much about were players gather. How ever it is also a seperate issue

.

Until we have a sever with more players or more played in towns I would have to say staying with TB is still the best idea for now. Infact a even important one.
The teleporter may be the answer but...I know nothing about this game. So I first teleport to the elf city to find no one there, so I think to try greenbriar there I also find no one. Now i am just as lost as ever or have potenially put dangerouse creatures between myself and players online.

I firmly believe a new players wants to start playing one place, the place were other people are bearing in mind the issue is not second characters but a true first time players entry into the game. I would have been lost entirely and I would imagine they are to.
A starting point is not lightly to dictate were a player makes there in game home any way. Strong rp expierences how ever will..
As other towns grow and we collectively find a way to breath some life into them the rp will emerge from those places and draw characters to set up camp there.
if some one starts in an empty Vanima it is hardly lightly to endear it to them ?
Brian

Edit: In closeing please move the teleporting npc lol "forgot to mention how keen i was on seeing that moved"

Aristeaus · Post by **Aristeaus** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:41 am

As to advantage to trollsbane, it shouldnt be seen as thus, its not a competition, as the player plays he grows, and to what he grows to will determine where he lives in the future

Aragon · Post by **Aragon** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 11:07 am

I prefer the docks as starting point for all newcomers. Senseful and logical for RP.

Furthermore put the teleporter selling NPC at the docks.

There exists a good map of the whole iland, which should be made public in the near future. Good place should be Moonsilver and a link and hint in the account section to this information.

@Aegohl: Most of the buildings in TB were also bought and build by guilds, long ago (Seahorse Inn, magic tower, library, tavern, silverstar merchand shop [now jail]). But only few remember it and claim them as theirs. So there is no advantage, that this town has free buildings.

@Pendar: Technically it is only possible to have one log in text, which will always appear, if you log in.

Aegohl · Post by **Aegohl** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 11:36 am

I meant such things as the shop and the workhouse, but even the others count. Other towns, such as Greenbriar, lost buildings due to inactivity by their owners. Trollsbane did not.

I also don't mean this as though it is competition, but it doesn't make it any easier on the others who have cities, or at least, I would assume that is part of the problem with why the cities are, more or less, dying.

Llama · Post by **Llama** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:03 pm

Idea... have more quests [and random events] happen in other cities...

Most of the things start in TB...

TB is most popular as it seems to be in the middle...

Against starting from the dock... you would have people asking "where is my hometown?" and that would kill the RP...

Shandariel el Lysanthrai · Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:09 pm

No, because they have no hometown yet *Smiles*.

They just arrived on the isle, have no information about it. Not every elf is immediately citizen of Vanima, same with dwarves, Varshikar, Greensbriar. To become citizen, and to be able to call one of the towns your "hometown"needs roleplay. You don't start with a hometown in Illarion.

Llama · Post by **Llama** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:13 pm

Ok, but if you go into a tavern and ask? Where is the elf island i've been hearing about? it seems kind of weired.... especially if you are an elf....

Shandariel el Lysanthrai · Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:16 pm

No, because you just arrived. You are a stranger, a greenhorn (or ear,for the elves

). That is RP. Greenhorns, new ones, strangers ARE strange. Thats normal, and okay so.

Of course the man at the harbor may tell you that there is an elven isle, and how to reach it.so you dont have to ask around in tavern

Llama · Post by **Llama** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:29 pm

How to reach it, turn back were you came from, and go left... simple::

Doesn't sound good to me... also some newbies might accidently reach the edge of the pier... and get lost somewhere else...

Shandariel el Lysanthrai · Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:37 pm

Thats the danger of being new on an isle without real knowledge of the geography. that is realistic roleplay.

Llama · Post by **Llama** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:39 pm

Not really.. we are trying to help new players.. not teach them how to survive the hard way....

There is another isle from the harbor.. i never explored it... it could be dangerous to newbies.

Shandariel el Lysanthrai · Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:46 pm

That are the isles of sirani,the isles of the goddess of love.no danger is there *smiles*

Aegohl · Post by **Aegohl** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 6:39 am

That is why part of my proposal entailed a map being placed on the homepage with descriptions of the various places.

As a sidenote: There is nothing against playing a native of Gobaith, especially if you are playing a younger character. I would reccomend it to people who know the island a bit already.

I just had to say that because I've tried this very thing in the past and always got this "You're new to the island and don't know what you're talking about" crap. It kind of stunted my ability to play the character when my character voiced concerns about things that happened years back in the history.