Speaking out

[MrBubbles]

Spoiler:

As of last night, Saturday, April 23rd;

GM Island count: 1
Stranglethorn Vale count: 0



That is all.

[dastmo]

Spoiler:

As of last night, Saturday, April 23rd;

GM Island count: 1
Stranglethorn Vale count: 0



That is all.

This deserves some applause...
Basically, all that can be said was said in this thread. With risk of repeating some of it, I'll say - people are getting lazy these days! They also don't have too much time. That's why they just hop in the most busy zone, go to a tavern, etc, etc... but we can't blame anyone for this. It's our community, our choices, our control. If one doesn't want to help themselves, even their respective gods can't help them! It's up to us to bring back the previous glamor of CotH, or even create a new Golden Age of RPing.

[Jurkey]

OP, please do not take this offensive, seeing as I'm meaning to point fingers. But alot of threads like these have been here, and I believe that the final conclusion IS that it's up to the individual player to make a decision of moving RP. People complain about STV RP, but on the other hand, they go their themselves, right? It's rather ironic, actually. If people didn't like the RP there, they wouldn't go there.

I remember back when the Lawless Isle was up. It wasn't the GMs who made us go there, but the individual players. (The "version 1" used to be near Crossroads, in a small centuar camp). It was a sort of domino effect: one player goes there, another player goes there, more players go there. People log on, check the /who list and BOOM. We were atleast 15+ people there, in the end of the day. More than at STV.

Also, no offence, but threads like these tends to breed more drama than they actually "remove". When people read these threads, they get the impression that this server has more drama, than it actually does - and therefore, their actions are influenced by that. It's like musicians like Justin Bieber. If nobody bothered to talk about him, or diss him, he wouldn't be rich and famous. Aslong as people give something attention, it will only breed.

[ruwendje44]

We could also take a good look at the first post, think about what has been said. Try to see the facts and the opinions of the topic starter and take them into account. Trying to argue about someones 'views' is just trying to convince the topic starter from how you view these exactly same things.

We do not have to agree with everything, but responding in a way that comes off as... 'I will prove you the opposite' is not going to work either. We can all disagree on the topic and begin to back fire with answers like. 'The past is the past' or 'try to organise an event yourself.' But as I mentioned before, it is only working the opposite to what we all want to achieve together. This is indeed a RP server and we all want to enjoy the nice RP opportunities we can create ourselves. And indeed sometimes it -does- take more than one to make a change. But only complaining and backfiring on the one who speaks her mind is not what will make this all possible.

So instead of just flaming or trying to make the topic starter feel bad about what she said, we all could try and see what has been said, take it into account and use it to create some more RP scenarios which can benefit more people. ^^

[Rigley]

To be honest (while I've not completely read all responses), I don't really understand why people would be flaming or getting upset at this post. It's actually quite tame compared to some of the last rants or such we've seen.

[sunday12321]

I also want to point out that ever since that massive Booty Bay Plague event, Booty Bay RP is rather.. slow. And many times I got to see that the who list showed STV as -empty-.

[Esthrunil]

Ohai, guys.

I know that the whole STV/GMI thing has probably been resolved, but I'd like to take the time to share my own experiences.

I've been here a while. Almost three years, come this summer. Now, naturally I've seen a lot of good friends come and go, since the day I first came on here. The thing is - almost all of them have, actually. I never got the chance to readjust and make new friends, and in a way, I really didn't want to.

You guys have no idea how intimidating and frustrating it is to get on, look at the /who list and see 21 people in STV, 13 in GMI and the rest scattered around on their own. I say intimidating because I'd ALWAYS go to STV and say to myself, "Okay. Gonna RP and have some fun." and I'd immediately get blindsided by something completely offputting and end up spending the rest of the night hiding away. You see, I find it really hard to break into large groups of people, offline and online - and I know I'm not the only one. I always feel like I'm interrupting something when I try to join an RP, so I never try.

Furthermore, I've tried the, "Hey... Anyone want to RP in __________?" method... It didn't work for me. I dunno. It might just be me. I mean, this IS coming from the lady who didn't get Gruntship for six months (back when vouching was the way) because, hey! She was afraid to ask for RP (and actually hadn't had very many RPs within that six month period).

Maybe things come full circle, and you feel alienated when you first join and alienated when you've been here for a long time? Dunno. Up to you guys to decide, I guess.

Just keep in mind that some people are truly too intimidated to just approach an RP with so many people. Or in general. You guys do kind of make it hard, sometimes.

[sunday12321]

I often shout in the LFG for "LF RP" or "Anyone for RP in ________" and often get no reply, or it's BB. I agree with Esth up there that is not only frustrating and intimidating. Large groups of RPers don't often welcome a random stranger ICly. Just as in real life. It is easier to approach a single person and begin a conversation, rather than approaching a group that seems to be enjoying eachother's company perfectly fine without you. A tip for that is to /w some random person on GMI or some one that is alone in an area, and offer RP. I do that. Yes it may be considered slightly rude, but hey, no one complained quite yet.

[ruwendje44]

I agree with the two previous posters!
I honestly add however that I for one do not always ask for people to take the RP else where. Because I feel like RPing all the time I am around. And if you want to join the RP you can always send me a simple /wisper and I most likely be like: "Sure thing, just come down to ..."
Therefore it saddens me to see people RP in large groups and do not accept other players.

Frankly I find it interesting, because when I hop on 'Mistal's disguise character' and wander into Booty Bay, people never want to RP, unless they know it is Mistal in disguise. Then I begin to wonder... Is it just because I have a prestige and is that way more interesting than your regular Gnome Mage whom had to go to the Bay because he had to deliver a package for someone else?

Now I ask you, Coth... Is it really just the individual who causes these dramas.. Or is it the Community overall?

/ponder

[Kenshiro]

Frankly I find it interesting, because when I hop on 'Mistal's disguise character' and wander into Booty Bay, people never want to RP, unless they know it is Mistal in disguise. Then I begin to wonder... Is it just because I have a prestige and is that way more interesting than your regular Gnome Mage whom had to go to the Bay because he had to deliver a package for someone else?
/ponder

I have also noticed this. When creating new characters, I have no desire to level them so I RP them at level one, mind you with the RP gear on. I find it -very- hard to get into a group/join RP. I've even been flat out -ignored- by characters.

[Wuvvums]

I've noticed this too, when I got to Booty Bay it seems that everyone's very self-absorbed in their guilds, plots, or romances. Fortunately I can find a good buddy like Durahan to have some shenanigans and lighten it up. It feels like everything's too serious there at times. D:

To elaborate I have no problem with the people rping there, or having romance rp, it just seems that it's hard to be included in the table talks or the tavern stuff, and there's not a lot of reaction to new people trying to do stuff in the Bay.

[Jonoth]

Just wanted to share my experiences as a nub that's been here almost a year now.

RP comes in waves, with great periods and slows times alternating. I was in the Heretic Circus for all the mayhem as Sagi's gnomish knifer Sasslyn. I was involved in a high time of Draenei activity when Telah was running the Draenei Pilgrimage. I got to see the Regiment in action shortly before it went inactive. I got to make Ruthiva the Forsaken poet because of the recent plague in Booty Bay. And speaking of Forsaken, I've enjoyed quite a bit of guilded and unguilded RP from Bruhara the saucy witch. Recently Axestorm Smithing has been taking off, as I moved its planned center from Ironforge to Stormwind to accomodate for greater racial variety, and have found a wonderful band of mismatched characters that are a joy to RP with, some old and some new, and have some great ideas on taking them traveling all over Azeroth for some variety of locale. These types of RP are always available and start with a good idea. They start slow and build naturally, which is why they enjoy a good period of success. The bigger problem I find is the rapid recruiting for guilds, which pack on lots of people that lose interest a week later. Sometimes people forget that impactful storytelling doesn't happen overnight. The Circus had to start with Sagi doing his travelling show, people coming to watch, and then people slowly wanting to get involved in the performing aspect of it, the evil aspect of it, or in the case of the Autumns, the counter to it. So a little patience to let things grow is often the best medicine to the RP blues.

Initially it seems like the reason I've enjoyed so much RP is because of the plethora of chars I play, but this isn't true at all. I've enjoyed a -very- long and enjoyable ongoing stint with the Stormshade Clan, almost as long as I've been a grunt. What I love about the group is how different the characters are, how they all have their stuggles and inner turmoil, and help each other. Like any family, the members have their IC spats, but in the end, all grow and build. We've traveled through the Barrens, Ashenvale, the Outlands, and all over. And it all started because she was invited to sit with a couple of Orcs and Tauren at the Ratchet Inn. Not bad at all for Yvakara, who I made as a throwaway to test the DK class, and has turned into my favorite character to play. No matter what the general server RP state is, I can count on a few good evenings with a great group of people.

So for those who like to skip to the end of the book, there is RP out there. Great RP. It may not be the first person you see. It may not be that group of people laughing and chugging ale in the center of the inn. It may be that quiet person in the corner, the one who has great ideas and just needs a little soil to grow in.

[Jurkey]

@Est, Demi, Mistal, Wuvums

Y'know, I bet we all feel like that once in a while. And I do agree, Booty Bay RP is not always that fane, hell why I even bothered for Coriv to go visit Mistal, or Reigen, or go to Alcaz, or Lolshire, etc. Actually, alot of the time, I feel that I'm always RPing with the same people - which is good, no offense. But I feel that it's hard to really get to RP with other people, and as Demi, when I shout out in LFG, it's rare that I get an answer. I don't know if that is because people generally dislike me, or they have never RPed with me and won't give it a shot. My point is that we should all open up for new people, and quite often myself, whenever I see a character I haven't seen before and I get the impression that they are new, I usually offer them some RP. Whatever that means that Coriv offers them a mug of mead, or Grahouk begins to yell at them for being purple and have long ears.

Hell, to times I even stand in the starting zones to wait for new players. I know that is how Coriv got to know Aranthios and Nienge, originally(on coincidence being in Northshire just when they made their chars. :3)

Open up for new sorts of RP, new sorts of people. Booty Bay is good, had some of my best RP ever there(Butch, Nana'li and Coriv dressing up as each other), but sitting in a stinky ol' tavern all day, minding your own business tends to get boring.

[Dotsy]

I've read the original post and some, but not all, responses, I must warn in advance.

-I don't really think that this server is 'in trouble' because of another server spawning elsewhere. One of the reasons I've always liked CotH is because of the fact that the community and its people hardly ever poise themselves high on a pedestal and compete with other servers for popularity or member-count. If people are leaving, I say to let it be. People will do as they please, and one server may not be for everyone. The best we can do is make everyone who comes in feel welcomed. It's like the Server-MotD said some time ago: Enjoy your stay!

-"Hotspot RP" will always be there. It may be in the same place, but it will always be somewhere. When I first joined, the hotspot was Stormwind, and soon it was Ratchet, and then it was Azshara Crater for a week, and then it was Goldshire, and then it was Ratchet again, and then it was Booty Bay. And now, it looks like Booty Bay is starting to die down, too. It's true that not one player can change everything overnight, but one player can be the 'spark' that drags RP elsewhere. (Probably slowly, but it can very much so work.)

-As far as drama goes, I don't think there's been any incidents lately. It's another thing that just comes and goes. I feel like many things mentioned in this thread have been said before. (I probably repeated a few things, myself. ) The best we can do with drama is to just move on. It happens, and will happen again.

Overall, just be kind and patient, like so many others have already said. It helps players feel friendly towards one another and helps with 'moving' RP away from usual zones.