Beaufort Bay / 2nd phase

[Kretol]

I really have no issue with creating a destination on the RP portal to get there.

(Posted from teh phonez)

[Rosencrat]

I really have no issue with creating a destination on the RP portal to get there.

(Posted from teh phonez)

...You're killing me here, Kretol! And here I was trying to be serious...

Alright! I'll mock up a draft of some events for GM/Admin Approval. We'll...Have some reconstruction event. And...Something like that.

Bah.

[Holynexus]

Aww Kretol this is sweet of you. I could help with a reconstruction event! I'm sure I have...interested characters.

[Wuvvums]

I just feel like it's another Booty Bay/Ratchet by the beach. I know it's probably bad for me to think or say this but I would have to side with Rosencrat that we so far have had a ton of towns that fell into disuse. I know I'm being a debbie downer with this, but I feel like having a story or event line isn't going to change much in the long run.

Also for those who say the location got plenty of rp, do you think it would have had the rp it did if the town was not infested and there wasn't an event or story line with it? Would people have been as interested in the spot if it wasn't new, or if it wasn't having some big epic event behind it?

[Holynexus]

That's why I advise not a lot of work being put at first into the town. No need to waste the GM time, the buildings are already there, there really is not much to add, if just a teleporter to Phase 2... It is a problem with the mobs, though, upon relogging. Not such a hard one, if there is a spirit healer nearby, and portals in the normal phase back to Phase 2.

It does change from Goblin towns, that's for sure.

[Jonoth]

The difference between this town and Ashholme and the Anchorage is that the latter were very specific types of towns, on for engineers mainly and the other for fel users, demons, warlocks, etc. This new town seems much more open to anyone who just likes their fill of delicious rum, has a mayor thats just absolutely wonderful, and would even benefit from having the current setup of that small etheral area/bar, the town itself, and the ships all for RP. And there is even some nice wide open sand in between and other places where if people wanted to meet in secret they could. And with it being a custom area, it is open to some interesting monthly events, some simple (the mayor lost his wallet, or some special coin, and offers a ridiculous reward for it in his drunken stupor), or some as large as the plague event.

I love this town and see it as an opportunity to get some regular RP outside of Booty Bay. And with it so much closer to Orc and Tauren territory it will seem to be less of a stretch ICly to see more of those races there. It's not going to replace Booty Bay, nor do I think it should. I just think this will be the best opportunity of establishing a second RP hub that will allow the server to build from there.

[Wuvvums]

I think that was the point of the other rp hubs; they served a very specific purpose, though I won't get into Asholme, places like Mimiron's Anchorage, and Azshara Crater, and the Catacombs followed being a town-like location but with a specific theme, like engineering, or evil rpz.

If we're going to make an rp location it should serve for some specific use instead of making towns just for the sake of having towns. We have plenty of towns that are essentially like Beaufort; all of the goblin towns, for example, so why make another? It also keeps reminding me of Alcaz, which essentially was the "lawless city." People said the idea of it was that it could be a utopia for rp without guards, but it gave me the impression that it was more a town that could be "theirs."

I think that's the vibe I am getting right now. People want a new town to have a place that feels like is theirs because they were a part of its creation, and they get a little bit of a custom area over that of retail-established locations like Booty Bay. I'm not saying that's the reason why people want the town, but I do feel like every time this subject comes up, that's the vibe I get.

[c0rzilla]

I think it is quite natural to want "their" town. One of the main complaints for the Booty Bay plague was, after it was over and done with, nothing changed.

People like making differences.

People like their differences being shown in the world.

Is that so bad?

Even if no one uses the town after a time, is making a portal to a phase that much of a tradeoff? I don't know coding, or how one makes these things, but...it doesn't seem that challenging. How many other portal places aren't used? Beaufort Bay is no worse.

[Rigley]

People like making differences.

People like their differences being shown in the world.

Is that so bad?

Eh. In a way?

I recall when I was doing my Khaz Modan events this sort of thing was brought up. I asked in response if people really would have cared if the final Dark Iron base (a buffed up and in the event, torn down Dwarven home) would have really made a difference if you could have the mobs removed after for RP use.

The response was that while it probably would never be used for RP, people would enjoy being able to look at the now unpopulated, effectively useless plot of land there and say 'I did that'.

Which... Eh. To me just feels very selfish. Alright, sure; what happens in RP shouldn't be discarded, I know. People want to feel like they've accomplished something, I know. But RP itself is just one big exercise of imagination, and if there will really be no use from something then why is it needed? By no means would it be -hard- to make another city. We've done it multiple times. The thing is that I feel if we're going to go through the trouble though, we might as well make something new. Something you won't find everywhere else on Azeroth, or something not represented by the game. That's why, even though I had gripes with Asholme, I could kinda be alright with what the town was meant to be about. Same for Catacombs, same for that conversion of failure and frustration known as Mimiron's Anchorage. They were made different for a different kind of RP; as it is, another port town would just be dividing the RP crowd of the goblin ports.

I apologize if it seems like I'm singling out this one post, but this sentiment has always been one I (perhaps specifically so, as someone who does a lot of building) have never understood. If you want something, want it RP, not for the sake of reminiscing on what was once done in RP.

[Wuvvums]

"People like their differences being shown in the world.

Is that so bad?"

It really depends because of what's seen as making a difference and what constitutes a world change. The thing is that if we changed the server every so often just so people have the opportunity to make a difference, then we would have to keep doing it to be inclusive of the new members who miss out on this opportunity. How much could we customize the world just for the sake of making it feel like a piece of it belongs to your character, that your character had meaningful impact on?

If I recall we didn't want to make too much customization or custom lore because new players would feel lost having to read an encyclopedia on how our server is different from the standard wow. By keeping it close to the standard, it makes it easier for new people to dive right in.

I think server customization should be saved for very special occasions and for very specific purposes. They should also be done in a way that it would not have serious impact on Azeroth and the Lore. What's the point of making a difference in the world if it's just something like springing up towns just for the sake of people feeling like they have a special place? After awhile I think it'd just get a little cluttered.

I think we have had a lot of additions lately and people still aren't satisfied. We have all of zul'gurrub and zul'farrak as rp locations. We have the monastery. We have GMI for personal mansions. We also have Alterac as another personal mansion. We even had a town made in the past just for the sake of town rp without guards. We also had homes and farms added to some of the Overworld like Duskwood, Elwynn, Westfall, Durotar, the Barrens, and so on. At what point will people be satisfied? Or do they feel like they need to have some personal hand in the making of the location for it to be truly special? And why do it if it's only going to matter to a handful of coth veterans?

[c0rzilla]

I feel like your example (Rigley's, that is) and Beaufort Bay are not quite equal.

In your example, mobs are deleted, the place rendered empty. No matter who goes there, it's the same. So, yes, I can see how that is viewed to be "selfish".

In Beaufort Bay, it's a phase. One can go to the same spot in Phase 1 (right?), and have it be exactly as Blizzard has it. Ready to use for...whatever one wants to use a pirate town for. Phase 2 (Yes? I don't know Phase names), and it's Beaufort Bay like you remembered purging.

Now, should GMs make phases for every happening? No, that's a waste of time. But, I'm seeing two different things here.

And, Wuvvums it isn't that people aren't satisfied. The monastery and other places see use. I'm sure with Immy's approaching Path of the Horde, Zul'gurub and other Horde-ish places might see use. I don't see asking for the Phase for Beaufort Bay to stay as adding more and more and more.

It's a significant event that people would like to remember. Not a guild asking for their own house.

Hey, maybe Rum Day can be a yearly occurrence if CotH lasts long enough.

[Rigley]

The place would have been stocked with Ironforge guards, but does that really make it that much different?

And, well, I'd really contend that they were of equal importance from a story perspective. Zombie outbreak / war on Ironforge soil, etc.

Eh. I honestly probably won't keep up this debate much longer, as (as said before) I simply don't understand the other point of view here. I just can't wrap my head around it, and in past experience it's impossible to try to see eye to eye on the issue of conquest / claiming of an area / etc.

[Wuvvums]

I don't mean to criticize but the event lasted from Monday to Thursday about and then ended and everyone went back to the same old after. It was scheduled around the holidays too so it had relatively low attendance. A few key players stuck through most of the event that would perhaps like to remember it, but I can't imagine them being but a small minority of the server population and mainly coth veterans.

As mentioned before the town had very little to no use. People insist it was because the town was dangerous and I think that was the point missed in the zombie event. To be honest it'd be like playing Resident Evil being the person who just watches Raccoon City from a camera while making a cure. I know it's a little off topic but I feel like the event itself was mainly just sitting outside and occasionally going into this town and that's it. I spent most of my time inside the town and it was pretty boring and lonely, I must say.

[c0rzilla]

Yeah, I don't have many plans to debate either.

Agree to disagree.

[Jonoth]

I don't mean to criticize but the event lasted from Monday to Thursday about and then ended and everyone went back to the same old after

This is because...

Beaufort Bay is being moved to Phase 2. However, to my knowledge, it will -not- be implemented as a location for RPing. As it was told to me, we are keeping it only in the chance of re-using it for other events and the like.

Things may change, however! But that is in the hands of the Admins.

That's why everyone went back to the same old, Wuvvums.