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In my opinion, the playerbase is spread far, far too thinly. Considering we struggle to reach 30 online players at once, having everyone divided between so many settlements (10ish?) seems counterproductive.

I would rather see a single main town, where all characters would be based out of. RP suddenly becomes easier to find. You open up all sorts of different roleplay possibilities. Conflict between races. Conflicts between those from different settlements previously. Conflict between groups vying for power within the city. Governments actually have citizens (other than themselves) to govern. Quests are easier to organise and get people involved in. New players are less likely to leave on account of finding an empty game.

I imagine a lone settlement will be seen as too extreme, but surely at the very least we could cut down a few?

There are no ten settlements, we got around 5 : Bane, Silverbrand, Varshikar, Vanima and Greenbriar..and yes Zhyathis, Caelum and Northmark do not count as a settlement..

While I understand the basic view of your argument->one place to be evolves into roleplay opportunity and thus the rp would increase, I disagree with just taking away every other town, those towns where build in hard player work, well except Vanima, that one just appeared after the upgrade, and taking them away would be a hard blow against the game as such, because one meltingpot is just not preferable. Bane is "the" town to rp anyway and the other player seem to spread across Vanima, Varshikar and Greenbriar anyway, I have seen it times and times again that one of the three towns suddenly have a burst of activity, in this case Vanima is the most lively one currently, which results in other towns to just die out, than something shifts and suddenly one of the other towns flourishes for the next few months, leaving the former to die out again.

Something I always disliked in Illarion is that "we are all friendly" stuff when it comes to towns and guilds, everyone is allied with everyone, even a hostile take over like the prince didn't evoke any major warfare from the other towns, because ooc they knew that they won't win...something that might be the biggest problem in the game itself, to many people just listen to what they are told via engine or game master, there is barely anyone who lets their chars get suspicious about things.

But this is already off topic, so to your proposal..I say don't do it..for once the map will need to be shrunk, there is no actually reason for several settlements to disappear from the face of the map, it would be a step backward and only a dirty fix.

I see both sides. But you certainly can't just remove towns...each has it's own history...
Perhaps just make the map proportionally smaller? In any case, the VBU was started a long whilee ago, and it's probably way to late to start making big proposals like that now...

I did not mean simply deleting them off the map. There would be a quest involved, of course. Perhaps some settlements would be destroyed, turned into ruins. The settlements would still exist (or at least existed in the past), they would just be unlivable. People would be forced to move together for protection. It would not need to be permanent either. If more people join, let them rebuild a settlement or two, but with more restrictions than before.

Ah. Then I really, really, REALLY like this idea! ^^

The Staff already know, and agree with the fact that we have too many towns. A solution will be found, don't worry

What it looked to me was that each town is for each race......like its where they originated from...not nesisarily where they HAVE to rp
Like the halflings from greenbirar, English human from Bane and German human from Nordmark, Lizards from zyanthis, Elves from vanima, Orcs from......the Orcen moutains? ... Dwarves from silverbrand, .....wasnt sure about fairies, but i have only met 2 IG so...I hear their scarce.....and mages from Varshikar.....I like the big map thing though.....give sight to exploration....You can actually GO to these towns and meet the people unless its Nordmark hehe..... I kinda like the idea of the map being sooo big.....If it were all one town then it would leave ONE man under control of EVERYTHING and I think thats unfair....If my char is upset with the prince why not go to vanima or varsh and stay for awhile.....If there is made one big town I vote on NEW town officials...not just automaticaly use the bane officals....that in my opinion gives the normal player WAY to much authority......this game is supposed to be fun......for all players.....if my char is rped to not be in likings with the town officials of bane and you make this new SUPER town and have the officals of bane over it then where is he or she to live? am I to change the rp? It will cause confusion....

just trying to clear up a few things

If you destroy/delate my cave i will be pissed. ... seariously honestly.

The orc one? Or is this a secret hideout of yours?

The secret pink halls of eternal happiness, also called the Mountain-where-you-die-if-you-come

Rincewind wrote:If you destroy/delate my cave i will be pissed. ... seariously honestly.

Actually current plans point towards converting the orc caves into an elven flower shop, together with the nordmark. The vote was unanimous.

The cave of the orc-clan. Its as large as a settlement. And its our Chars home.

The PO's and Chars of each settlement/house did much to get it. I guess eaveryone won't be happy if someone propose to "just delate" some of them.
Hope the VBU-people found a better solution.

VBU spoiler: Orcs will be moved on Tol Vanima, each of them being granted 1-3 sexy elven wifes. Elf males will be transformed into goblins to be slaves for the newly formed, happy couples.

The Staff already know, and agree with the fact that we have too many towns. A solution will be found, don't worry Wink

Does this mean that there is a serious possibility that a now again lively town like Tol Vanima, one a dozen players involved time and effort to rebuilt, may be gone in future cause we have "too many" towns? That the elven settlement will be gone so that more characters will be found in Trollsbane?

I...don't like the idea really much...

Netsirk wrote:
and German human from Nordmark,

so every german human is some kind of backwater want to be Viking with a lame as excuse for a town?

Netsirk wrote: and mages from Varshikar

Ughh get some history lessons please?


Anyway as I mentioned before destroying and thus reducing the towns itself is a bad Idea in my opinion and as recent history has shown letting a gm overtake a city reduces said city to nothing more than a "place to be" no rp with politicans, no collaboration between towns to take another one out, no actually development of the town itself..so yeah basicly as it stands bane is political death, but I guess thats "so much better than before".
I know that a few people will be pissed if you just destroy their towns with the gm "because-we-say-so-destroyobanohammer +2".

see? this is exactly why the devs say nothing about the VBU to come. To avoid threads like this.

Hadrian_Abela wrote:

Rincewind wrote:If you destroy/delate my cave i will be pissed. ... seariously honestly.

Actually current plans point towards converting the orc caves into an elven flower shop, together with the nordmark. The vote was unanimous.

I would vote for that!


I can see @Netsirk's point. I think if people don't want to roleplay they simply won't or very little to satisfy game requirements, no amount of "shoving" together will work. There has to be a desire. To make it easier to find people that DO want to roleplay however, reducing or eliminating obstacles that allow people to find others would be the best answer. Paying for a transporter/journey to go where you know someone is, versus using the system to go to different towns hunting people around to roleplay with is less likely to happen unless your char has plenty of coin ( added: or you have plenty of time to walk). Make the transporter system free to use, and in more places. Those that are in towns will be available for roleplay and others can find them easily.

We just blow everything. All towns. Nobody needs them anyway. Then we dump Gobaith and have all players playing on N00bia. Because this is where you belong!

Nitram

Nitram wrote:We just blow everything. All towns. Nobody needs them anyway. Then we dump Gobaith and have all players playing on N00bia. Because this is where you belong!

Nitram

Thanks guys, now you gave them an idea.

If anything at all gets deleted we can all thank Shandariel and Pellandria and blame them for it.

Edit before the hate-wagon rolls in:

Nitram wrote:....Then we dump Gobaith and have all players playing on N00bia. Because this is where you belong!

Nitram

What a great idea!! Everything you want in Noobia gets handed to you, Everything you don't know they tell you and rp is unnecessary there.... What a little Utopia that is. I Vote for Nitram as town leader in Noobia... Hey how about just starting everyone off with yellow skills too!! And you have to smile and say hello to everyone you see or you get a ban....

Orioli

If anything at all gets deleted we can all thank Shandariel

um...what have I done? o_O

I can see the orcs dying ig before their cave is buggered

lol, Darkshade says if they turn the orc cave into a flower place he`s bringing back Ksiksin to burn it down

Here's my two coppers on this its not a rant, flame or anything just some constructive thoughts.

@Grokk

Destroying the towns won't don't anything the characters and even the PO's have their friends who they wish to deal with forcing everyone in to one spot will make them go else where any way Because Group A doesn't like Group B or this Po don't like this Po in game or not.

I will give you an Example using Drakon as an example.

He has many friends In Trolls Bane if I were to list them all it would surely fill this page.
He does not go there because to him Trolls Bane is Corrupt in his eyes to say the least also there were a few actions that took place there that he questions the higher ups there in their choices and judgments.

put that same combination together in one town and guess what will happen. he won't go there again even if it is the only town in Gobiath.

If your looking for Rp's their around but its not the number of Towns that are killing it. its just the way things are people wanting to do other things other then Rp. or it could be that their characters don't like who is around or it may be a ooc Po thing it could be that someone don't like the style of someones Rp because it isn't enjoyable to them so they avoid that place.

There are many reasons the towns are not to blame its a collective of things
PO Drakon Gerwulf

Drakon Gerwulf wrote:Destroying the towns won't don't anything the characters and even the PO's have their friends who they wish to deal with forcing everyone in to one spot will make them go else where any way Because Group A doesn't like Group B or this Po don't like this Po in game or not.

That is one of the main problems that this would help solve: people deliberately avoiding one another. A character disliking another is no reason for them to stop RPing with each other. If anything, the conflict should encourage them to RP with one another more. Seriously, who would move town because they do not like someone? Living in the same town would not be forcing anyone to hold hands with their mortal enemy. You would still be able to remain in your previous groups, as would no doubt be the case. You could still stay in one spot together, perhaps in a building owned by your guild. But you would be forced to roleplay with everyone else. Note that this does not mean you must speak with them. Nor embrace them.

Drakon Gerwulf wrote:He has many friends In Trolls Bane if I were to list them all it would surely fill this page.
He does not go there because to him Trolls Bane is Corrupt in his eyes to say the least also there were a few actions that took place there that he questions the higher ups there in their choices and judgments.

put that same combination together in one town and guess what will happen. he won't go there again even if it is the only town in Gobiath.

A quest or three could easily solve such problems. The Prince could be overthrown. The island would have to unite together to defend themselves from the evil that had lay ruin to the settlements. It would be impossible to leave the island as the residents of the harbour had heard of the approaching threat and fled to the mainland in the island's only boats. How each individual character reacts in such a situation is not an issue, reasons and excuses for their actions should not be difficult to think up. What is an issue is having settlements with only two people walking around in them.

Drakon Gerwulf wrote:If your looking for Rp's their around but its not the number of Towns that are killing it. its just the way things are people wanting to do other things other then Rp. or it could be that their characters don't like who is around or it may be a ooc Po thing it could be that someone don't like the style of someones Rp because it isn't enjoyable to them so they avoid that place.

I can find RP, the problem is that it is with the same 10-20 people and only ever 1-6 of them at one time. Roleplaying is not sitting around a campfire, speaking to your friends. Roleplaying needs conflict. Your character must acknowledge those characters who are disliked. They must be influenced by them. Yes, they may avoid them, but they must roleplay avoiding them. Turn your nose up. Spit on the ground. About face.

POs disliking each other OOC is not a reason to avoid roleplay. It is against the rules, in fact.

Thank you for one of the few serious answers, Drakon. It is a shame most people are only saying no because of their individual OOC feelings. Protecting pixels and such.

sorry forgot to check who said this and too lazy to check but @whoever said you cannot find people, thats why my brother created the thread where is the rp at, so dont bitch about not knowing where people are, and start posting on the thread!

Grokk wrote: A quest or three could easily solve such problems. The Prince could be overthrown. The island would have to unite together to defend themselves from the evil that had lay ruin to the settlements. It would be impossible to leave the island as the residents of the harbour had heard of the approaching threat and fled to the mainland in the island's only boats. How each individual character reacts in such a situation is not an issue, reasons and excuses for their actions should not be difficult to think up. What is an issue is having settlements with only two people walking around in them.

Well there be a war with the ablarains or whatever they be called right? Maybe its time for that salk and alb conflict to outreach this little island. Just an idea, I can only see towns being abandoned as a last resort, and if that means destorying them in war... well can anyone come up witha better idea?

this is what i think of this .

Grokk
I can find RP, the problem is that it is with the same 10-20 people and only ever 1-6 of them at one time. Roleplaying is not sitting around a campfire, speaking to your friends. Roleplaying needs conflict. Your character must acknowledge those characters who are disliked. They must be influenced by them. Yes, they may avoid them, but they must roleplay avoiding them. Turn your nose up. Spit on the ground. About face.

umm.... how is sitting by a fire and talking with people not rping?
you do not need to have conflict to rp. but you do need to use emotes every now and then wile sitting by a fire to show what you are doing. you also do NOT NEED to acknowledge characters you dislike you can always walk off if they come up. we do not need to "destroy" towns and make people live in one town to rp if there is no one you know online meet new people.

zda wrote:umm.... how is sitting by a fire and talking with people not rping?

Of course it is RP. It is just not all there is to RP.

Grokk wrote: A quest or three could easily solve such problems. The Prince could be overthrown. The island would have to unite together to defend themselves from the evil that had lay ruin to the settlements. It would be impossible to leave the island as the residents of the harbour had heard of the approaching threat and fled to the mainland in the island's only boats. How each individual character reacts in such a situation is not an issue, reasons and excuses for their actions should not be difficult to think up. What is an issue is having settlements with only two people walking around in them.

Wow, that sounds like every last major quest this game ever has. You either unite the isle to battle the evil, or one unknown person favored by the gms does it all on their own. On top of that you always get people who avoid major quests like that or act like nothing ever happens. People will unite if you do this, but only for the short period of time it takes to get the isle back to the way it was. After that you go back to people ignoring each other.

Also there are many kinds of rp towards characters yours don't like. Some people don't want conflict while playing a game, they don't want competition, so they won't let it happen and will avoid it (there are people who do this in real life too). There are a lot of people who want their own private fun and don't care about the group, or groups who do something similar. On the other hand, if your character doesn't like another, and your character doesn't like conflict, you can still show that you know they are there through rp, even if you don't actively rp towards them.

Nice try, but it will probably create greater losses than gains as Illarion players as damned stubborn and dislike change.