How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

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Sartain
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How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Sartain » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:35 am

Hello there,

I'm Sartain and you might recognise me from butting my head into a lot of conversations on these forums 8-)

I've been playing the server for about a month and although I'm generally having lots of fun with it (otherwise, why would I?) I'm starting to get the impression there is definitely a glass ceiling of sorts, in terms of getting involved with on-going plots, factions, DM-events and having your RPR increased.
So I'm wondering, what do I have to do to become one of the cool kids? ;)

- Is it level-gated? I've created a bunch of characters trying to figure out the server both mechanically and socially. None have gone above their teens level-wise, so maybe that's it? Is it like World of Warcraft RP servers where the common philosophy is 'max level THEN rp? (or at least was a million years ago)

- Do I need an overly dramatic background story that I impose on other characters the moment I meet them, like so many other chars seem to be doing? I really hope not, I much prefer my characters to develop in-game rather than having pages of backstory from the get-go.

- Do I need to put my overly dramatic background story on the IC stories forum?

- If I hope to ever get my RPR increased, how is "good roleplay" determined? I see that 'playing your race and class' is supposedly a factor in having RP rating increased but how exactly does that work? My Lawful elf isn't exactly a racial stereotype so will that be considered poor RP? Who determines what is correct RP for classes and races?

- If I hope to ever get my RPR increased, do I need to prepare a roleplaying session with some friends in advance and then notify a DM? Seems like the constraints of server team and NWN system might require that. Of course in that case what you get is totally realistic and in no way polished picture of how we usually play ;)

While I guess its not the end of the world, it is slightly disheartening to feel like you've spent hours and hours RP'ing, even when soloing around, with absolutely nothing to show for it (and here I don't necessarily mean RPR increase, if a DM was watching my Duergar getting lost in Andunor, just tell would've been nice, for example).
I've had politically charged discussions, I've drank in the Nomad, I've discreetly signalled my hatred of humans and sought to find like-minded people, I've done so many IC misdirections to avert any suspicions on my shady characters, I've even been magically summoned to Sibayad by mistake and spent hours just playing that particular scene, and lots of other things. Obviously, when you're in the thick of it you don't really think to ping the DM channel with a 'look, we're RP'ing good now', at least I don't :)
I guess I'm just wondering, how long does it take to be noticed when you're not already one of the people involved with all the Faction RP/warfare and presumably tons of other things that take up a lot of attention?

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Marsi
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Marsi » Mon Mar 18, 2019 10:29 am

You get the DMs' attention by getting the players' attention. Those with high RPR are more consistently and more unselfishly impacting the world around them than those with low RPR. Consistency, because true behavior matters more than a single act. Unselfishness, because it's totally possible to impact the world negatively for unfun reasons. Technical ability isn't that much of a factor, it more or less levels off at 20 RPR.

If this is about getting to 20 RPR, chances are you're probably entitled to that you've just gotten unlucky with timing. If you're after a higher RPR, well, that takes time and effort.

It feels like what you're really asking is how to be a mover and shaker -- ie. a "cool kid" in your words. I'm not going to tell you there isn't a ceiling of sorts in the game world, but that's just ordinary social dynamics. In order to break that ceiling, your character needs to get noticed, and in order to do that, you need to devise some way to be impactful to the world around you. None of the scenarios you listed off really have that quality, however much they were enjoyable and important to you. Remember that all the current cool kids started off as nobodies themselves. It's true that some will have had an unfair advantage in OOC connections and group concept starts, but there's equally as many who did not have those things and got to where they are out of sheer will and storytelling ability.

The best way to accrue "importance" is by joining a faction and working your way up. This is a rather standard response, but it's true. Most of the important characters of today got there by just doing their duty and sticking around long enough to be memorable to those around them. The ones that start their own factions are the real power brokers, but this isn't really necessary to get a seat at a table. And once you're in a position of power, it always pays to remember where you had your beginnings and lift up underlooked characters.

Really, it's all a house of cards. It costs absolutely nothing to simply walk up to "important" people and demand to be paid attention to. Cause trouble, disrupt things, catch people on their back feet. It's astonishingly easy to fake it 'till you make it and bootstrap your own success.

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CptJonas
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by CptJonas » Mon Mar 18, 2019 12:35 pm

Quick and easy answer...all on Arelith is around factions....wana interact with world events? Join faction.
Wana have RPR up? Join faction.
Wana be cool kid? Join faction.

Small touch of personal experience...
I have played like 2 years of extremely RP heavy characters...friend of mine evem much longer...like 5 or so...
We had both 10RPR all that time...
I talked with one of my basicly "for sacrifice" character with one faction leader to join their faction (which I have done with that character basicly just for mechanical reasons) 10m talk...next hour I had 20 RPR....and its next year...and my friend with generaly better RP is still on 10...

Sartain
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Sartain » Mon Mar 18, 2019 1:11 pm

Maybe I've just been unlucky, and maybe this current conflict is kinda overtaking everything else but I've kinda gotten the impression that most would prefer to ignore a new player or at least instantly abandon any conversation as soon as their mates arrive. And other than that, they mostly seem interested in pushing their agenda in the current IC/OOC conflict.

In terms of "disruption", it's my impression that mostly leads to OOC tells trying to get you to confirm to their particular thing, and not always polite ones either.

I don't know, maybe I'm just boring and unlucky😅

TheRoyalMagus
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by TheRoyalMagus » Mon Mar 18, 2019 4:37 pm

Once you have the character you want, focus on them. Spend time on him/her. Get into one or two factions. Once people start seeing you around more they are more likely to invest time into your character. There are certainly groups that roll together, but most are not above adding new blood once they know you won't flake out on them.

Give it more time.

That's my 2 cents.

Sartain
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Sartain » Mon Mar 18, 2019 5:50 pm

But the character I want is dependent on the RP it gets, otherwise I'm just piloting a bunch of stats and, at best, rp'ing into a vacuum 😅

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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Astral » Mon Mar 18, 2019 11:45 pm

I will say that 'chasing' it too hard can also cause frustration. You need to actually ~want~ to be the kind of person who enjoys promoting stories of your character and others, and mostly others. being a 'cool kid' and/or having high RPR is about content creation for other players. Think yourself as a semi-Dm of your own story and use it to develop other peoples stories. DMs can only can only be online to a limit and interact with players within that limit. You sort of need to pick it up where they left off and create content. The perfect and most obvious example to this is to join a faction and climb up. Being a side-story character.. like some bodyguard of a noble for example, is as good as any big shot leader of a settlement if you create content for others and help them develop their stories.
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Sartain
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Sartain » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:42 am

One thing I don't understand actually is why there are no forum for the various guilds and factions here. I feel like you don't even know what's happening on the server unless you actually know the people involved in it.

Forum threads where factions could put up stuff about their group or events would be pretty useful in having an idea about whats going on in Arelith

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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Ork » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:45 am

Sartain wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:42 am
One thing I don't understand actually is why there are no forum for the various guilds and factions here. I feel like you don't even know what's happening on the server unless you actually know the people involved in it.
I think that's fairly accurate, and by design. A lot of factions will publish letters, crier messages, signboards, etc. in game to garner attention and that's where you can get to know the individuals that are moving-n-shaking the RP world.

It might seem imposing at first, but one of the lessons I learned early was that RP isn't going to fall into your lap. You have to seek it out. Find the names of the individuals doing things that you might want to be a part of and send them a speedy messenger, leave a note at their door, or post a letter on a frequently traveled signboard.

All factions will have to constantly recruit in order to stay relevant. If a faction is being reclusive & exclusionary, they'll die soon enough.

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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by CosmicOrderV » Tue Mar 19, 2019 3:11 am

I think Ork said it perfectly. Anyone who's worth playing with, will be wanting to find others to include in their stuff. You just gotta ask the right questions, and put the effort into finding the those people. In fact, a big shout-out to Magistrasa who plays Lorelei, for this sort of thing. If you want seedy dark magic university RP? Lorelei probably inducts a person a week into the Erudite Arcanam. It's just nonstop flow.
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Aelryn Bloodmoon » Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:43 am

Be willing to let other people know what your character's narrative agenda is (even if their character's is opposed to yours- trust the player to work with you to mutual benefit here, rather than against you), and find out what their character's narrative agenda is and see what you can come up with for your concepts to work together.

While some people are absolutely insistent on everything being "organic," I don't feel there's anything wrong with generating an outline for a narrative (or a fraction of one) in advance if it's done with the spirit of creating a better scene for those involved and present to witness it. I've generally found the people I reach out to in this manner to be overwhelmingly cooperative, sometimes above and beyond, to sacrificial extents I would never expect, much less ask of them.

It's all in how you approach people.

Good luck!
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lakhena
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by lakhena » Tue Mar 19, 2019 5:56 am

I think it's partially luck and partially being strategic at what your PC chooses to do and who you hang out with.

I don't believe there's a glass ceiling in terms of getting involved as a new player -- not on the surface, in my experience. I started playing last fall and got pretty involved in interesting RP plots in my first month at very low levels (under 10) just because I was lucky enough to hang out with higher level folks. But I made a conscious effort to make my PC useful to those higher levels -- by offering to do things for them (gather info, file reports, be a courier, etc.).

While it's a lot easier to join a faction, you don't necessarily have to. You have to put in more leg work if you don't, however.

That said, just go up and chat up random people or give people a reason to react to you (saying hello but not walking away immediately). You never know who will bite and help your PC along in terms of being a mover and shaker, too.

Also, if you're playing an elf, let's RP ;)
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Sartain
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Sartain » Tue Mar 19, 2019 8:29 am

Ork wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:45 am
Sartain wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:42 am
One thing I don't understand actually is why there are no forum for the various guilds and factions here. I feel like you don't even know what's happening on the server unless you actually know the people involved in it.
I think that's fairly accurate, and by design. A lot of factions will publish letters, crier messages, signboards, etc. in game to garner attention and that's where you can get to know the individuals that are moving-n-shaking the RP world.

It might seem imposing at first, but one of the lessons I learned early was that RP isn't going to fall into your lap. You have to seek it out. Find the names of the individuals doing things that you might want to be a part of and send them a speedy messenger, leave a note at their door, or post a letter on a frequently traveled signboard.

All factions will have to constantly recruit in order to stay relevant. If a faction is being reclusive & exclusionary, they'll die soon enough.
Well... I feel like it's pretty silly that you have to know the people involved to know there's apparently a war going on in the country you live in. Or maybe there's a ceasefire now? I don't actually know because my only source of information on this is a kudos thread and a bunch of posts scattered randomly across notice boards, most the messages on them being very partial to one group or the other.

As for the narrative agenda and the RP'ing with people instead of at them at hit n run pace, I certainly feel like I'm doing that already :)

It is really my impression that the server could do with a bit more available background information on the setting, provided outside of the game itself. Why do I have to roll a character and read in-game books or talk to in-game characters if I want to play say, a Brogendenstein Dwarf? Should there not be enough OOC information available for me to actually come up with a background, maybe even tie it into current events?
Not saying all groups need a write-up but the big stuff like nations, wars, knightly orders etc. could do with some forum representation

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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Emotionaloverload » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:30 pm

Should there not be enough OOC information available for me to actually come up with a background, maybe even tie it into current events?
http://arelith.com/ea/index.php/Encyclopedia_Arelithica


This is a source of info of a lot of IG stuff that can be used on Arelith either OOC or IG. It should have what you need there.



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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Queen Titania » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:58 pm

Also the general start of any character is someone who sailed from elsewhere to arrive on Arelith. So you are essentially learning, even if you are a Brogendenstein dwarf returning to his home, a lot can change in a year or more.
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Sartain
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Sartain » Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:05 pm

Emotionaloverload wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:30 pm
Should there not be enough OOC information available for me to actually come up with a background, maybe even tie it into current events?
http://arelith.com/ea/index.php/Encyclopedia_Arelithica


This is a source of info of a lot of IG stuff that can be used on Arelith either OOC or IG. It should have what you need there.



-S
Oh, that does look useful. Is it because I'm on a mobile or is the layout really weird, though?

Sartain
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Sartain » Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:07 pm

DM Titania wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:58 pm
Also the general start of any character is someone who sailed from elsewhere to arrive on Arelith. So you are essentially learning, even if you are a Brogendenstein dwarf returning to his home, a lot can change in a year or more.
Well either I missed that, or that's very much implicit rather than explicit because my newest character supposedly was born on Skal. I really hope that's not going to be an issue

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lakhena
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by lakhena » Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:51 pm

I used to feel the same way about wanting more info on the forums about things happening in game, but that was before I realized what was going on with the in game message boards. They're amazing, along with the letter writing system and ability to post notes on boards and doors. There's a ton of RP potential for information gatherers and couriers.

That said, historical records are a bit shady and will always be biased. I'm not sure you can really fix that or want it fixed, as the different perspectives and biases are opportunities for interaction and conflict with others. Everyone believes the elephant to be something else, depending on which part of it they get to interact with.

One approach with character concepts (perhaps not an ideal approach for everyone) is to make a temporary PC (expected life span of a month) within the settlement you're interested in, learn as much as you can about the history, etc in game, and then make the PC you want to play there. I think if I had done that with the UD, I would have had a better experience there. It definitely helped with really enjoying my surface experience with elf #2 now (I rolled #1 after a month of play).
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Queen Titania » Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:56 am

Sartain wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:07 pm
DM Titania wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:58 pm
Also the general start of any character is someone who sailed from elsewhere to arrive on Arelith. So you are essentially learning, even if you are a Brogendenstein dwarf returning to his home, a lot can change in a year or more.
Well either I missed that, or that's very much implicit rather than explicit because my newest character supposedly was born on Skal. I really hope that's not going to be an issue
Given the second part of my statement, it's not an issue.
Please don't feed my sister.

Sartain
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Re: How to become one of the 'cool kids'?

Post by Sartain » Wed Mar 20, 2019 12:06 pm

DM Titania wrote:
Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:56 am
Sartain wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:07 pm
DM Titania wrote:
Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:58 pm
Also the general start of any character is someone who sailed from elsewhere to arrive on Arelith. So you are essentially learning, even if you are a Brogendenstein dwarf returning to his home, a lot can change in a year or more.
Well either I missed that, or that's very much implicit rather than explicit because my newest character supposedly was born on Skal. I really hope that's not going to be an issue
Given the second part of my statement, it's not an issue.
I may also have invented a small, isolated Dwarven clan living under the mountains of Skal 😅

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