Rigley Rambles: On .addrp and Profiles

[Rigley]

know of quite a few players that are content to run around at level fifty or lower, many because the character concepts might not be approved if they went through the profiling process.

This above many other points is my greatest concern when it comes to the devaluing of profiles, aye.

There are simpler ways of finding a remedy to this issue than trying to roll back the clock. It's just a GM brainstorming session away.

I miss the Silver Token system, but let's be honest Rig. It was annoying. No one ever did serious Merchant RP anyway. When I think of Silver Tokens, my brain instantly realizes I'm looking through nostalgia goggles.

And those goggles distort your view something fierce.

Chiefly I was speaking in terms of using IC currency-- I did have plans to make a merchant, but then .addrp came about.

And again, this is written mostly from my point of view. I freely admit that I may not be on the same level when I say silver tokens were not an issue.

One solution I've had presented to me would simply make the .addrp items require profiling to use-- as in, make them require level 80. Personally I like that idea, but I have the feeling that as a whole this would be much less warmly viewed.

I personally think it would strike a brilliant common ground, though-- that being that level 80s would be able to get gear as they please, but would need to be profiled. It fixes nothing concerning the IC gold, but honestly I'm not certain anything could fully mend that.

[Piroska]

I just figured we could outright lock a character if we felt it didn't fit within the lore.

Problem is that you'd either have to witness those characters yourself or have someone relay it to the staff. In the case of the latter, something similar to the bystander effect comes into play.

Things would be much easier if people chose to operate within the admittedly lax rules than try to find ways to work around them. Then the staff could focus on more beneficial things, like organizing those events that many people complain don't happen often enough!

[LostStranger]

Could there be a way to restrict .addrp to level 80's only?

There's a line between incentive for writing a profile and penalty for not.

...Much like there's a line between IC economy being more than deadweight and IC economy burdening the population with chores.

[Cressy]

Some days, I miss the old ways.

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As a sidenote: I've noticed that a lot of cool looking weapons and armor that I have tried to sell at the auctions, have been denied for the fact that they have RP items. So it is hindering some people. :C

[LostStranger]

I miss the old ways.

There was a time where characters without a profile were woefully stigmatized against, if I recall correctly.

...Ironically enough, the common complaint was elitism at the time.

[Harmonic]

Could there be a way to restrict .addrp to level 80's only?

There's a line between incentive for writing a profile and penalty for not.

...Much like there's a line between IC economy being more than deadweight and IC economy burdening the population with chores.

And what's wrong with there being a penalty for not writing one? You could still get armor, you just gotta find it yourself.

This would create incentive for people to get approved profiles.


Edit: God, this made me giggle though. All I could think of is Pay to Play games.

CoTH could go P2P. Profile to play.

[Rigley]

I see Wuvvums actually posted that idea on here before telling me. Derp!

Could there be a way to restrict .addrp to level 80's only?

There's a line between incentive for writing a profile and penalty for not.

Perhaps, but I feel that some balance is necessary. And in reality, I'm not certain I would enjoy the idea of changing of the .addrp command to be called a penalty. It's changing how the system works, yes-- but it is something that can be managed through by making a profile. Nothing is being taken away, there is simply a restriction placed upon it.

Though it would be naive of me to suggest that opposition will not be voiced in this manner.

[Sersay]

Some days, I miss the old ways.

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As a sidenote: I've noticed that a lot of cool looking weapons and armor that I have tried to sell at the auctions, have been denied for the fact that they have RP items. So it is hindering some people. :C

I still RP like it is the old days, tbh. I used to rarely... RARELY ever RP a character at all until a profile for them was posted. I did little to no RP with Sersay because of this. That and I tend to be oblivious of the current 'whats happening' these days.

[Cressy]

That's what we used to have to do. I remember grinding out silver tokens when I had free time, had no issues with doing that.

But we weren't spoiled then. :C

And yes, in comparison to what CotH used to be, we are incredibly spoiled.

[Piroska]

CoTH could go P2P. Profile to play.

That is brilliant. Horrible, but brilliant.

[LostStranger]

So it is hindering some people. :C

...I find the groans over auctions being unappealing.... Well, unreasonable.

Stop trying to sell sand in the desert. Hold auctions for things that can't be so easily acquired, those items that can't be added by command, like rings, trinkets, lightshow consumables...

...

CoTH could go P2P. Profile to play.

That is brilliant. Horrible, but brilliant.

[Reigen]

I agree that profiles have been made a bit unimportant...but at the same time I really like dressing my characters as I please. I don't want to have to run around farming gear just to make my character ready to be role played. Most people know that I don't RP a character until I have them outfitted which means I don't often make spur of the moment characters because I need to dress them first. I'm personally glad I was never around for the Silver token system. Taking this away just for an IC currency system just does not sit well with me at all.

I really do hate it when I know people don't profile their characters because they know a concept won't get approved, so I'd love to see profiles more of a necessary thing that just something you do because you're bored. I also feel like making it so people cannot dress their characters will sorta discourage them from making alts thus making the race barrier even more defined. "Why roll an alt? It just means I'll need to profile it and have it sit there for a week because I hate how the starting gear looks." I guess it's kinda a catch-22. Encourage people to make a ton of unprofiled alts or lessen the amount of alts made. I know I'd stop making alts simply for the fact that I like playing dress-up.

I'll also admit I'm not wholly found of the IC currency system because there's no system in place to make up for what wealth a character may have had before the restart. I know how much gold my character has, not anyone else. There's really nothing i can offer to fix this beyond an application system, but that seems more trouble than it's worth. I would however love to see more auctions and ways to use IC currency in a fun way that's engaging for everyone.

Auctions, casinos, maybe even a fair like thing with games throughout the day that people can buy tickets to attend. Gather a few people to do an IC play. If not for my tablet being broken, I would make an artist character and exchange drawings with others for IC currency on the context that my character drew it for them. More people robbing others for IC currency would be rather amusing too, though not as many people wander around these days. Maybe even have guards start charging IC currency if people do stupid things in the city. Player run bars that charge IC currency would also be a way to do it. Yeah, it may exclude some players, but sometimes that has to happen. Maybe even a lotto that's a bit more advertised ICly and OOCly.

[Do note that just because i'm unsatisfied with IC currency does not mean I fail to see how it can help RP. I know I'd kill to buy real versions of my items, cept for the class restricted ones.]

[Harmonic]

Hey. I asked that question in my blog the other day. "Are we spoiled?"

I guess I got the answer, eh?

Edit: Good gravy you lot posted fast. Cressy was -just- above my post.

[Aadora]

Personally, if I wanted to play the princess of Stormwind... I would do it at level 1 with the starter clothes if I had to. Though I don't want to.

The way I see it, if someone wants to play a ridiculous Lore breaking character and plans to do so, they aren't going to care if they are level 1 level 50 or level 80.

And on profiles... I personally don't make them for any sort of reward.

I make them so that when people see I am level 80 hopefully they will respect that it is a concrete, set character with an approved background and that everything I say they can know I'm not just coming up with stuff out of nowhere. I also have a lot of serious level 1 characters that I play.

If it were limited to only level 80s getting .addrp, then I would have a lot of non-lore breaking characters go without a good look, simply because I haven't even been around long enough to get them approved.

Sure, it adds new importance to profiles. But it takes away from those that just want to RP a new concept and try it out.

[LostStranger]

But we weren't spoiled then. :C

And yes, in comparison to what CotH used to be, we are incredibly spoiled.

It's easier to RP on CotH now.

The only spoiled part about us is the instinctive outcry against losing ground gained.

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