Old character possibly returning; time management

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A fly~s fart in a sandstorm
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Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by A fly~s fart in a sandstorm » Tue May 22, 2018 8:04 pm

I'm debating buying this again or another steam title, but its a matter of availability on my part.

I have two kids, with one on the way, and I work from 730 am to between 4 and 10 pm.

How do you guys manage to find time to play without interruptions (kids arguing, needing you to help them with stuff, all the things kids do)?

I rarely get more than an hour a night uninterrupted between dinner, kids, spouse, fighting to the death at bedtime, dishes, etc.

I find it unfair to other players if I'm constantly walking away for 5 to 10 mins at a time every 20 to 30 minutes.

Advice? Ideas?

MoreThanThree
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by MoreThanThree » Tue May 22, 2018 8:11 pm

I manage that by working part time.
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Xerah
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Xerah » Tue May 22, 2018 8:21 pm

You have to realize that the time you can invest will limit the type of character you can play and plan accordingly. So, more like a passenger style character than one who can lead and drive a faction (which is fine!).

With an hour a day, you can eventually get enough time invested to get into a faction, but the people will likely pass by you in levels. Not much you can do about that aside from hope they can help you when they are able to and try to keep finding new friends to travel with.

I've run into the same issues, but I've been trying my best to sneak in time here and there to keep my faction running, though, I'd never say it was easy.

I'd probably recommend a mage type for a few reasons, you can summon something to solo with, and you have haste+invisibility to catch up when you're with others.
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Emotionaloverload
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Emotionaloverload » Tue May 22, 2018 8:29 pm

So as Xerah said, keep in mind the type of character you can play as this will help a lot. It is also important to set out to play at a time when you think you'll be least busy (I also schedule it so everyone knows that I will be playing and please try not to interrupt me unless its a 'crisis.') The problem with that is that the time you can play won't always be the time your faction is on so consider OoC communication (I like to use the forums) to get requests to be on or event times/dates which allows you to schedule what you can.

I hope that helps!
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Opustus
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Opustus » Tue May 22, 2018 9:28 pm

As previous posters have suggested, I've adopted a sidekick playstyle of less serious characters, often spending time delving in dungeons alone. A positive about Arelith is that you can log back in to finish the dungeon from where you left off. The dungeons have offered me a lot of enjoyment even solo, especially as more experienced players tend to be just grinding them by rote. When I do run into people, the encounters are often friendly and fun.

The constant disturbances aren't as common in my life, but they are in my brother's. He's arranged "playtimes" or "playdays" for himself, negotiating with his spouse practical boundaries for when he can relax to play as a hobby. When I try to pull off from my own rather hectic life for a day in Arelith, I often find myself too spent to concentrate properly to enjoy the RP; it requires attention and energy, which I'm exhausted of.

Depending on where you live, it might be possible to get some help in the form of hobbies for children or some au-pair arrangement to stow them away for regular hours which you can then dedicate to yourself. It's a tough spot, to be sure, and I can't know what goes on in your family. And all that "time management" nonsense is exceedingly difficult when you just don't have the time.

EDIT: A good thing about the "busy years" is that they might elapse sooner than you think, when the kids aren't as needy or quarrelsome anymore or such and they've got friends and school to keep them busy, or if at some point the spouse can work more so you won't have to grind such long hours etc etc. So, uh, hang in there?

EDIT2: An annoying thing about being granted the sanctity of playtime might be that it's often viewed as extraneous, sort of foreign to what can make an important part of a person's life or wellbeing. It's probably easier to make a case for needing physical exercise, therapy sessions, a good long bath, and so on. Playing is just stupid kid stuff.
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Tathkar Eisgrim
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Tathkar Eisgrim » Tue May 22, 2018 10:03 pm

Ideas for the OP:

- Create a barfly type character. Hang around within an Inn and add flavour to conversation RP going on there.
- Create a crafter's apprentice character. Spend the short time IG and spare minutes OOG creating custom descriptions for items.
- Create an information broker character. Fashion a bulletin board. Have folks post rumours / gossip to you.
- Create a message master character. Log in/out next to Speedy Messenger. Use your time sending constructive / destructive / threatening messages.

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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Sanctus57 » Tue May 22, 2018 11:47 pm

I'm a dad of a young child too and I often run into this problem. I spent alot of years with only a few hours a week to play Arelith, and I can tell you it is difficult for people to understand you can't be as fully engaged in RP as they are and I've lost alot of potential friends. I also have learned to avoid confrontations because people expect you to invest in being their antagonist. So many people in this game are begging for a foil, and if you think you might fit the bill, they will set you up for alot of spent time on RP unless you can avoid them. I recently told a semi-hostile person I needed to leave to care for my daughter and they just straight up killed my character. So, anyway, it's just best not to get involved in much RP as others have said and I would also advise to avoid the PVP stuff. Things have gotten better for my playtime as my little one has grown, the sun will come out again on your hobby. Best of luck to you

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Iceborn
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Iceborn » Tue May 22, 2018 11:52 pm

Having IC excuses that allow you to wander off at any time is essential.
You can even macro an emote that you can quick use whenever you need to drop rapidly to deal with some emergency;
IE: *Suddenly he looks distraught. His hands tap and struggle to open a pocketwatch, his face pale* "Oh no. Not again!" *He exclaims, and promptly turns 180º to flee at maximum speed, the gods know what the hells he was late for*

Being part of a more stable group of players, like a faction, that know you are short of time and know you may need to drop at any moment is good too.
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Void
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Void » Wed May 23, 2018 12:01 pm

A fly~s fart in a sandstorm wrote:
Tue May 22, 2018 8:04 pm
I'm debating buying this again or another steam title, but its a matter of availability on my part.

I have two kids, with one on the way, and I work from 730 am to between 4 and 10 pm.

How do you guys manage to find time to play without interruptions (kids arguing, needing you to help them with stuff, all the things kids do)?

I rarely get more than an hour a night uninterrupted between dinner, kids, spouse, fighting to the death at bedtime, dishes, etc.

I find it unfair to other players if I'm constantly walking away for 5 to 10 mins at a time every 20 to 30 minutes.

Advice? Ideas?
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EE has bugs that haven't been addressed in months (audio issues to this day) and performance is worse than in original game. It is playable, though.

The server is decently populated around the clokc, and in case of kids and family you could try either playing very early (like waking up at 5:30), or very late. A hour or so would be enough to maybe run one quest and interact a bit with people. Just keep your sleeping pattern sane. You could maybe try playing a bartender (not sure how to do that, but it can be done), or join some faction where you'll bump into plenty of people anyway. You'll get your RP fill this way.
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ReverentBlade
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by ReverentBlade » Thu May 24, 2018 2:41 am

I'm struggling with this as well. I find Arelith's design to be inherently hostile to casual play. Selling loot and restocking consumables requires multiple stops over a large area. Writs don't give very specific directions to a lot of time is spent wandering and searching for where you're supposed to me. Quick and convenient travel is rare, and using the carts requires waiting for specific times. Its just...extremely inconvenient for adults with responsibilities.

The idea of time sinks and time gates works well for an MMO where they are trying to extract as much subscription time as possible from players for profit, but I feel like Arelith could use a bit of consolidation and streamlining.

perek586
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by perek586 » Thu May 24, 2018 7:14 am

ReverentBlade wrote:
Thu May 24, 2018 2:41 am
Arelith could use a bit of consolidation and streamlining.
Please no :'(

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Marsi
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Marsi » Thu May 24, 2018 11:11 am

Trying to wrangle the Great Arelithian Timesink has been my holy grail for years now. There have been some suggestions for playing ambient characters and while I've always loved the idea, I think it something of a fantasy. You'll play catchup every time you log in or spend large chunks of time wandering aimlessly through empty areas. I find that those able to pull off well-loved "ambient characters" have done so not out of necessity, but by design -- they, ironically, have as much time to spare as anyone else, or have convenient time-windows available to them always.

Those sidekick/ambient roles could be fun, but I feel that there will come a time when that becomes unsatisfying, where you wish for bigger things, where you become frustrated as you see early acquaintances move off and up in the world and forge epic tales for themselves.

Personally, the most fulfilling role I've played is a historian. That frustration at the moving-on of the world turns to excitement as it effectively becomes a massive story for me to unravel, salvage meaning, cause and effect from, and then turn into a linear narrative. All in my own time, too -- I get to "set my own hours". I'm a spectator who has forfeited their participation and is thus liberated from the stress of keeping up. I need to be logged in only to interview other characters and macro-paste text. There's no punishment for lagging behind unless something was left so late that all the characters involved rolled!

And it's performing a service too, I think. Often the big movers and shakers have little time to reflect on and condense what's happening around them and ultimately offer no more than hazy and jaded post-career recollections, losing so much to the void. Doing something so small as recording what's going on and considering why it happened, crafting the "aesthetic" of the episode, can in turn affect the future. Parsing the chaos can be really impactful for new players, turning "100 million disparate things, happenings and names" into real myths and legends which colour their characters perception of the world. Which is really cool.

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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Seven Sons of Sin » Thu May 24, 2018 1:57 pm

^

I think Marsi hits the nail on the head. Building off of Tathkar's point too.

For time management, play a character who is strongly aligned with a profession. Make your profession what you do the majority of the time, in-game. Especially good if the profession absolutely requires interaction with other players.

You could play a priest that spends his time proselytizing;
a reporter for the Cordorian Press;
an apprentice smith that gives away free weapons and armour to fulfill his "blacksmithing hours";
a student at the Arcane Tower who is always doing experiments (and needs other characters to help do those experiments);
a Guard who likes to question people's comings and goings;
a brigand;
a bartender who tells too many stories;
etc.

I don't like the language of "ambient character." You're more like playing a location-based character. This actually can be very effective in the long run too. If you're a regular bartender, people will (I guarantee) come out of their way to say hello.

The restriction of movement awkwardly creates a lot of flexibility in how you approach the game. You can realistically, some time, log in and have tons of stuff to do because there's just a busyness to the place. Othertimes, no one is around so you can just log off.

Ironically, if you make your roleplay almost conditional on other players, you can approach Arelith with more efficiency in time played.**

**because this is actually bad practice if you want to make a character and have lots of time and are aiming for longevity, because you can end up really bored.
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Duchess_Says » Thu May 24, 2018 9:03 pm

Play a character built for survival and exploration and be a merchant/crafter, plenty to do alone with gathering and crafting and plenty of RP potential to sell your stuff. If you're a forger or enchanter there's always someone who wants to talk to you.

If you want to play a caster aim for transmutation focus to teleport around, I can't think of any better ability to aid with short or abruptly cut off playtime.

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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Ebonstar » Thu May 24, 2018 9:29 pm

ReverentBlade wrote:
Thu May 24, 2018 2:41 am
I'm struggling with this as well. I find Arelith's design to be inherently hostile to casual play. Selling loot and restocking consumables requires multiple stops over a large area. Writs don't give very specific directions to a lot of time is spent wandering and searching for where you're supposed to me. Quick and convenient travel is rare, and using the carts requires waiting for specific times. Its just...extremely inconvenient for adults with responsibilities.

The idea of time sinks and time gates works well for an MMO where they are trying to extract as much subscription time as possible from players for profit, but I feel like Arelith could use a bit of consolidation and streamlining.
not sure where in the server you play, but all market hubs are in very small areas to sell loot and normally have a bank very closeby.

the only loot that you have to go across an area on the surface to the peddler for the odds and ends and the city port to the fence for the underdark for the same items.
if you only sell the mainline goods and restock your within what 30 feet of doing all in a two minute period.

for your writs, ask around, as everyone i know doesnt mind a tell asking for help, or stopping someone on the road or tunnel

and dont worry about popping in and out, everyone understands things happen and you may need to poof
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by StrykerMontgomery » Sat May 26, 2018 1:26 am

I have trubkes ven doing a single quest withing a few hours ofnolay as improvising a party with other high level strangers who have all their friends established is often in itself a task i can't complete in time. So i hear you. Sometimes the solution is to waitntill you have more time and do other games/hobbies.
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by The Kriv » Sat May 26, 2018 2:52 am

Time can be difficult thing to find. I used to have tons of down time to spend regular hours every evening after work, but since I've gone back to school, I am lucky to get an hour at the end of the day before I am too fatigued to pay attention to the game, or drift off half-asleep at the keyboard. ;)

You can always keep a hearty supply of paper on hand to correspond with your group-mates that way. You can have a character that is an organizer and delegator and also only spend a few hours per week if that's all you got. There's plenty of us out there fighting the same battle.

PS:
Big shout-out to my co-Rangers who have been very supportive of my extremely limited time. It's made all the difference to me!
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by rat0a » Sun May 27, 2018 9:31 am

perek586 wrote:
Thu May 24, 2018 7:14 am
ReverentBlade wrote:
Thu May 24, 2018 2:41 am
Arelith could use a bit of consolidation and streamlining.
Please no :'(
Arelith it's easier than ever, I will say it feels almost like a MMO with RP

With the Writs system and XP storage you will be able to level even sitting around Cordor

I work 8 to 5 and I managed to level my current PC to level 22 in a month, granted I sink between 2 to 5 hours every day

but before the Writ System and adventuring XP the same level used to took in my particular case 3 to 4 months
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Rigela
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Rigela » Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:46 am

My experience with this is that you need to temper your expectations and goals - grander things need more time dedicated to them, so keeping to simpler things is often easier. Making their goals focused helps as well, as a wider net can stretch you too thin if you are on a limited time frame.

My own characters have withdrawn from a number of their grander expectations for example, as no longer got enough time that is needed to get what I might once have liked done (which is fine, some things shouldn't be so easy/simple to get done) And as suggested by others, are a few simple things you can do - work as a bartender, lurk about and gather tales from others to add to some "to be published" collection, some sort of entertainer, a drill sergeant etc, depending on particular character.
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Mithreas » Fri Jun 01, 2018 8:54 am

Personally, the most fulfilling role I've played is a historian. That frustration at the moving-on of the world turns to excitement as it effectively becomes a massive story for me to unravel, salvage meaning, cause and effect from, and then turn into a linear narrative.
This is exactly what I have done. It also gives more raw material for the EA - plenty there was written by characters of this sort :)
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by DeflectiveQuestion » Sat Jun 02, 2018 8:11 pm

Unfortunately, as it's unplayable due to the Intelbug, and I don't feel like buying a dedicated graphics card just yet, I've refunded until a fix happens.

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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by thingsicantdo » Sat Jun 02, 2018 8:20 pm

don't worry about it. enjoy the game for what it is. i play about an hour or two a week (less last week because i died early on and didn't want to waste my time on the death penalty).

an hour a night might be pushing it if you have kids. do two or three hours on the weekend, instead. just make a character who can solo when you want to adventure, and just have fun role playing with others! (but i generally avoid roleplay in town... an hour or two of talking to someone you may not see again isn't my idea of "fun")

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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by Tryn Dralar » Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:25 pm

Rangers are known to travel alone, wander off in a moments notice and even not been seen for long periods. If you have gone the ranger route, feel free to join the Bramble Watch faction as we dont mind having folks with limited time to play. In fact, most of us are limited. If interested send me a pm and i csn give you some details that may work great with you play time.

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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by JediMindTrix » Tue Jun 12, 2018 2:31 am

ReverentBlade wrote:
Thu May 24, 2018 2:41 am
I'm struggling with this as well. I find Arelith's design to be inherently hostile to casual play. Selling loot and restocking consumables requires multiple stops over a large area. Writs don't give very specific directions to a lot of time is spent wandering and searching for where you're supposed to me. Quick and convenient travel is rare, and using the carts requires waiting for specific times. Its just...extremely inconvenient for adults with responsibilities.
Play in Andunor

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ReverentBlade
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Re: Old character possibly returning; time management

Post by ReverentBlade » Tue Jun 12, 2018 4:17 am

Drow and other obvious evil isn't really my cuppa. The RP is just too creepy, and I'm a filthy casual that avoids PvP. Andunor would just be trading one casual-hostile environment for another.

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