[Poll] Familiarity (RPxp) Required for Finish

[Kinaed]

Note: I posted this poll out of curiosity regarding how players feel about the requirement. As I suspected, the pbase appears deeply divided on the matter, and there's no clear consensus amongst us.

As a result of our OOC Chat, we've put up a caveat that people can apply to be exempt from the finish requirement if it suits their RP via the Request Board. I would assume this would be used in situations such as being a hired assassin on behalf of someone else, for example - provided the person hiring the assassin has met our PK requirements.

Another note - Voxy, you have it slightly wrong... yes we had a problem with people coming in and killing people randomly, but... it wasn't always newbies or even new characters. We've had old, established characters go off the rails now and again too.

[Voxumo]

Note: I posted this poll out of curiosity regarding how players feel about the requirement. As I suspected, the pbase appears deeply divided on the matter, and there's no clear consensus amongst us.

As a result of our OOC Chat, we've put up a caveat that people can apply to be exempt from the finish requirement if it suits their RP via the Request Board. I would assume this would be used in situations such as being a hired assassin on behalf of someone else, for example - provided the person hiring the assassin has met our PK requirements.

Another note - Voxy, you have it slightly wrong... yes we had a problem with people coming in and killing people randomly, but... it wasn't always newbies or even new characters. We've had old, established characters go off the rails now and again too.

If it is old and established characters... Well frankly if they choose to have their character snap and become a crazed killer, I see nothing wrong with that. Unless of course they are targeting people who are new and they won't be able to put up a proper fight, then shame on them. Otherwise I'd encourage anything that makes the game a bit more threatening for the playerbase as a whole. Heck I'd encourage it to return to time when I first joined and it seemed like the death count on both sides, goodies and baddies, were about equal.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, TI is too safe, and the few times things happen that take and reinforce the danger of theme people go up in arms.


Also as for the caveat... I really think staff should create a command similar to Sacrifice show that allows a player to check if they could finish another character off, instead of finding out "Oops I can't kill you." after you've already beaten them into a pulp.

Though I also don't think I'd be as passionate about this whole matter if there were coded ways to ruin a character's day in a lasting manner other than death, or socially destroying them. If we manage to beat a character in combat, to the point that the finish command can be used, I think the option to instead maim someone should be presented. If my character could cut off the limb of another and it be forced upon the victim to rp out the loss of limb, I don't think death would be quite so needed.

[Starstarfish]

Depending on what that character did for a living, wouldn't that all but require they liquidate that character anyways?

I'm a blacksmith who can no longer smith, a Guard who can no longer fight. Are guilds likely to keep on a member who can no longer do their job? Otherwise losing your payday

There's plenty of games where PK and the ability to cripple/main people is likely the point. I've played those games, and there's a point where RP gets to feeling rather moot, it's like trying to RP on World of Warcraft. It can be done, but if it's just constant skill grinding to gain fighting skills so you don't get PKed, things start to feel really weak. Granted I haven't been here that long, but honestly if I thought people could without having an extended background with my character(s) simply go off the rails and start a clearly OOC murder spree or chop off my arms and legs, I'm not sure I'd be that inspired to want to play anymore.

Is the whole drive of RP meant to be how to "ruin other people's day?"

[Voxumo]

Depending on what that character did for a living, wouldn't that all but require they liquidate that character anyways?

I'm a blacksmith who can no longer smith, a Guard who can no longer fight. Are guilds likely to keep on a member who can no longer do their job? Otherwise losing your payday

There's plenty of games where PK and the ability to cripple/main people is likely the point. I've played those games, and there's a point where RP gets to feeling rather moot, it's like trying to RP on World of Warcraft. It can be done, but if it's just constant skill grinding to gain fighting skills so you don't get PKed, things start to feel really weak. Granted I haven't been here that long, but honestly if I thought people could without having an extended background with my character(s) simply go off the rails and start a clearly OOC murder spree or chop off my arms and legs, I'm not sure I'd be that inspired to want to play anymore.

Is the whole drive of RP meant to be how to "ruin other people's day?"

Comparing this game to world of warcraft is not exactly fair, as world of warcraft is not rp focused, but is focused on the killing ability of your character. It's like comparing apples to oranges, their both fruits but very different fruits.

The whole drive of rp is not meant to be how can I ruin another's day, but there also has to be conflict, or else it grows incredibly boring, and those players who stuck around for the excitement end up leaving, as we've seen in recent times where alot of the older players who played TI are just leaving, or barely rping at all because they have grown tired of the "Tavern" rp.

Maiming would spice up rp without resulting in death, It would force people to rethink the way they rp with their characters, resulting in possible new and exciting routes of rp. You don't want death but you don't anything that can put your character at risk.

[Starstarfish]

I know recently there was a role posted to make a character specifically designed for someone who had a hit out against them. Maybe offer more of those roles for folks who are interested, maybe with some even small QP award. I know some others games have a specific event or day where things are dangerous - and willingly going outside or to certain places that day is essentially opting in for PK. Some give a RPXP/QP reward for volunteering for that. Have some events or plots folks could participate in. Some different wounds ideas could be fun.

It's not that I don't understand the idea of danger, or even the enjoyment of it. I mean, I may or may not be pondering some folks I may or may not have a reason to "Finish" myself. I suppose it's just putting forth the idea to remind folks that what makes the game enjoyable or exciting varies for different people. And for the "killer" their story has closure and continues. Folks who are PKed, particularly with less storyline might never feel a sense of closure. If you are arrested I mean - you kind of obviously know why you are being tanked, through the full scope of why you might realize. But assassinations, knives in the dark? That's arguably (again just my opinion) far more exciting for the assassin than the victim, because there might be far less for the victim to RP on. It's sort of an uneven playing field in that regards, so that's something to keep in mind. That the assumption of what other people do or do not find fun or exciting might not be the same thing as what is indeed exciting for them.

As for putting myself at risk, I do in various ways, arguably. And in the end, I'm more than aware some of those choices might end quite badly for my characters for any number of reasons. I even agreed to a background connection that might indeed get rather testy. However as a player, I'd like to feel confident that if I am PKed for choices I make, it remains in the realm of the storyline and not that someone else feels OOCly "I feel like not enough death is happening" or that someone else feels they need to force me to do something with my character for someone else's enjoyment.

That's probably not what's really intended, but to hear that's how someone else thinks about PK, does kind of give pause.

[Voxumo]

Death of a character will never be satisfying, I don't care if you are a random victim or someone who has rped with your killer for sometime. Death always leave the victim with less rp in the longrun. But what right do we have to deny the killer that rp choice they've made? And frankly if a killer has planned out their kill and succeeds, fair game to them.

Also no one is advocating "Random killing" but what is advocated is how well the victim must know the killer. As long as cnotes exist and justify the pkill as one fueled by rp not "Random targeting" I don't understand the issue.

[Limonade]

I voted 'yes', because I feel like with the caveat discussed, it's perfectly acceptable. I will fully admit that I'm part of the 'there's not enough death to go around' crowd, just because the longer a character stays around, the harder his/her death is (and I am of a mind that it would solve a lot of the weird attachment problems we witness). But that's been discussed a lot and there's not really any point in forcing the issue if it won't just happen because the playerbase wants it to happen. Having the game we want to play and whatnot.

The only trouble I see with this is any issues which might arise when no staff is around to weight for or against a situation. There are probably only rare outcomes where that wouldn't end badly for the PKer and in favour of the PKee.

[Pixie]

While I voted "no, we don't need a familiarity requirement for finish", I don't feel especially strongly about it with the caveat in place. I think my viewpoint is most closely aligned with Limonade, albeit with different reasons. I'm not fussed about people getting attached to their characters; I absolutely get attached to mine. I feel that the less risk there is the less attached I'd be, so my opinion on "more risk please" is geared toward that. A strong risk of loss makes the reward more satisfying and such. Nobody wants to read a story where the protagonist lives happily ever without any of the adventure or badstuff(tm).

All else said, voted "no" but the caveat that was added covers all the reasons I voted that way. I think it suits both sides of the debate pretty fairly.

[Geras]

I'd be comfortable with the caveat in place so long as there's room for flexibility from the imms if RP calls for it. You might not know in advance that a knight is going to stumble across you in your mage hideout.

[Geras]

I would say too that I don't think killing people randomly is ever ok. That's what NPCs are for.