(08-14-2011, 09:08 PM)Kretol Wrote: [ -> ]So, now that the drama has let up for a bit, I think it's time to get some more opinions (but hopefully not more drama).
From what I've been reading in some folks' absence threads (and some folks' introduction threads on other forums), people seem to be of the impression that we are restricting roleplay like crazy. Therefore, I would like folks that have this opinion to elaborate on what precisely has influenced their view to this degree.
Is it the announcement of the impending prestige system removal?
Perhaps the denial of conquest RP?
Or maybe the lack of the world being changed by every character's actions?
Or could it be us no longer considering the RPG books canon? (We're simply following Blizzard on this)
Please elaborate!
Yay! I'm
so glad the initiative to ask this was taken. Hearing the plights 'n causes of of the community is a great thing to do!
...My excitement aside, here's my general idea: RP does not feel
to me as being extremely restricted; Why? Well, back in my 'younger days' here, the GMs paid insane amounts of attention to what characters played and did, and if they broke racial stereotypes, class stereotypes or did 'iffy' things via spells, abilities or enchanted objects, they'd get reprimanded. I should know...
Anyhow, such is present no longer, it seems. No one blinks twice to evil Draenei(I remember someone being specifically told 'No evil Draenei.' - in those words as they tried for the first Fel-sworn on the server), or TechNElves/NElves that break every moral convention of their society and so on.
Is this all a good thing? Well... this will sound rather mean of me, but I don't think it's a good thing that the way people's characters act is no longer under scrutiny, to the point at which rather silly situations may occur. I don't think people shouldn't try to deviate from the norm. I think fewer people should be the 'special snowflake' or 'rebel', and more the 'Stereotypical member of X race and Y class' - Even if you follow Stereotypes as a guideline, you will end up with unique and well-fleshed-out characters, mainly -because- society offers a context and background for your charrie. Think of an Army. In every movie/game, the soldier that disobeys orders ends up saving the day. Now, if every soldier in an army disobeyed orders, would there be an army? Who would safeguard everyone?
As for the latter points; Prestiges are nice to have, I like them, but I can live without them - especially if they are handled in a system that is broken or otherwise impairs the 'fun-factor' of RP. Yes, they are great tools for character development, but they should help, rather than hurting.
Conquest RP and Changing the world(For they are related).... Hmm, I've heard so many wonderful stories of the Sin'sholai, Arathi War, Retaking of Stromgarde and so on, and experienced the incredible storylines that bloomed thanks to those events, and even had RP in Stromgarde - at one point for every day for weeks on end, when the Expedition was camped there. All I can say is, that I would want more of that. Please. I realize that with the advent of Cataclysm, we generally want to do 'nothing but Cata' but, really...
Conquest RP does not have to be PvP! It can easily be done via PvE mass events - For example, at one point, long long ago, the same Expedition wanted to do an IC raid of Ymiron Keep, and conquer it, and while the project was obviously denied, it was a fair attempt; We're missing out on so many things that we could help out with via that good old tool: Imagination.
I loved 'Old CoTH' mainly because it didn't try to be Blizzard. It was always 'CoTH Lore > Blizz Lore' and CoTH was doing its own thing, and being that epic rebel about it, fist in the air like a revolutionary sticking it to the man! At least, such was the attitude when I came... And frankly?... I loved it. I still love it, even though the footholds and places to cling to are becoming fewer and fewer, I will not let go.
And this brings me to our last point: The RPG Books. I've long heard it said that we're 'Not playing a MMO but rather, we're using WoW as a medium to play a Role-playing game'. That's stuck with me thus far, and I doubt it'll go anywhere anytime soon. I like the RPG books, and I wish they were used by more people, more often, because of the spice they add to RP. Small, but important things. I mean, stuff that in normal life don't really have an impact, but which in certain situations can prove essential.
As an example, the Paladin/Warden spell Zone of Truth, attempts to force the creatures inside it to speak the truth, and makes them unable to lie knowingly. In most RPs, this wouldn't really have any use, right? But what happens when your, say, crime-fighting Paladin has the enemy in their grasp, and the latter is trying to deceive them, or the Paladin is trying to interrogate the Big Bad? The Pally pops a Zone of Truth! That is exactly the sort of situation for which it was designed.
It goes on for a while as such; I would like more emphasis to be placed on
Non-Combat spells and abilities, because I feel that the current stand on this is too restrictive. This is also one of the reasons for which I heartily support an alternative(Variants and Specials, for instance) to the Prestige system: It allows you to Role-play a character in a lore-wise correct manner, differently from the norm.
The RPG books give that. They hand you tons of non-combat spells and abilities. From clairvoyance/clairaudiance, to dimensional doors, to passwall, to hooks of binding, Gates, illusions, Sending, Divination and so forth.
I personally think CoTH should stop trying to be Blizzard, and resume the rebellious attitude of the days of yore. Either that, or try to be Blizzard, but accept the downsides that come with that; With the lore-failure, and the catgirls, and everyone with Warglaives and the Cursed Vision of Sargeras RPing a Demon Hunter, and all those other things that make Blizzard's servers known far and wide - Such deviations only really appeared
because of how Blizzard gave people few things to work with.