Skaldjard Conversation

An area to facilitate free-form feedback on systems (in-game or out) related to Arelith.

Moderators: Forum Moderators, Active DMs, Contributors

marine436
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2018 7:08 pm

Skaldjard Conversation

Post by marine436 » Wed Aug 22, 2018 8:45 pm

Community thoughts on the following Idea's crowd-thinking before I post in the suggestions fourm.


1.Expanding Skald, including Writs for up to level 22 (Writs still stop at level 20)

2.Disabling teleport\Summons on the entire island " - or possibly increasing cost to 30 + Spell components (thus making Skald, truly, cut off for the winter)
Allowing all types of crazy Situations !

3. Portal Network that is small (Like 2-4 portals) That is only for Skaldjard, and completely separate.

User avatar
Baron Saturday
Posts: 2364
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:34 am

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Baron Saturday » Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:43 pm

The issue I have with this trio of suggestions is that I worry they would disconnect Skal too much from Arelith, effectively making it a separate server with very little connection to the Arelith setting. This kinda goes against what it was designed as, which was an introductory server for new players to get their feet under them.
Rolled: Helene d'Arque, Sara Lyonall
Shelved: Kels Vetian, Cin ys'Andalis, Saul Haidt
Playing: Oshe Jordain

User avatar
MissEvelyn
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 1584
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 8:43 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by MissEvelyn » Thu Aug 23, 2018 4:23 am

Baron Saturday wrote:
Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:43 pm
The issue I have with this trio of suggestions is that I worry they would disconnect Skal too much from Arelith, effectively making it a separate server with very little connection to the Arelith setting. This kinda goes against what it was designed as, which was an introductory server for new players to get their feet under them.
I agree with this.

Writs to level 20, like on Arelith would be nice, but essentially Skal is meant to be a stepping stone for lower level characters, a way to push them off to Arelith.

2 things I enjoy about Skal: No portals on the entire island (save the one stragglers who have already been on Arelith can use to escape). It gives the island a true wilderness feeling.
Secondly, no Speedy Messengers. Characters are forced to find each other in the center of town (unless they use Tells of course, but there are those who play with -notells on). Again, no speedies reinforces the feeling of a true wilderness world.


Tourmaline
Posts: 308
Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2017 7:51 am

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Tourmaline » Thu Aug 23, 2018 6:04 am

Baron Saturday wrote:
Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:43 pm
The issue I have with this trio of suggestions is that I worry they would disconnect Skal too much from Arelith, effectively making it a separate server with very little connection to the Arelith setting. This kinda goes against what it was designed as, which was an introductory server for new players to get their feet under them.
A disconnect doesn't have to be a bad thing if enough players are there to make it work.

If you're tired of the same old same old (whether it's people or places) on regular Arelith having a second place to go that's very loosely connected, has a whole different thing going on but doesn't require learning a new set of NWN PW house rules is pretty cool.
Last edited by Tourmaline on Thu Aug 23, 2018 6:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Party in the forest at midnight
Posts: 1384
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 4:55 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Party in the forest at midnight » Thu Aug 23, 2018 6:04 am

I really did not enjoy Skal, it was a very unpleasant new player experience. I had no idea how any of the server systems worked, and Skal is not set up for people who have no idea how any of the server systems work. Cordor is. I ended up abandoning Skal in hopes I could run into people I knew, and had a much easier time in Cordor. The rats were easier and not farmed out constantly (I had no idea about the summoning changes here and was using a familiar and shelgarn's), and the sewers were way easier than the areas surrounding Skal. There was more actual RP and intrigue going on in Cordor too, not just sitting outside in the snow.

I'm not the only one either, a number of people I know tried playing Arelith when EE released and ended up giving up because of the Skal experience. I'm still trying to convince one of them to try it again. She doesn't want to give up her character, but she's stuck in Skal and due to having a busy real life she has a hard time being around for the narrow window where you can actually get off the island.

I had no idea how teleporters worked until I got to the end of a dungeon and couldn't teleport anywhere and someone sent me a tell asking why I wasn't clicking on them when I came across them (Why would I click a portal? I don't know where it would go!), and it wasn't until after I started working for the Cordor trade ministry that I sent my first speedy, so I don't think those are necessarily important factors. As a new player area, it just doesn't feel as friendly as Cordor gameplay-wise.

monkeywithstick
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 264
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 8:54 am
Location: UK

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by monkeywithstick » Thu Aug 23, 2018 7:54 am

I've actually run into a fair few problems wrt Skal as a new player experience myself also.

It's mechanically not so bad for new players, the challenges are well suited and the area design is grand.

But I've lost track of the number of PCs I've met who reach the mainland and then disappear within a week because they keep going like they have learned to on Skal. Stuff like not understanding the IC objections to things like undead and summons/wards within settlement limits.

I guess in short it prepares for the format of PvE content and to a lesser extent for PvP and conflict but it certainly doesn't prepare for a lot of the social game that occurs on the mainland: how to not be a pariah, politics, making lasting contacts (contacts on Skal are easy enough because for the most part everyone is there to get xp, so grab a writ and wander and most will not voice objections even if you start murdering children in front of them along the way), even leadership styles, that kind of thing. It results in a sort of culture shock when leaving Skal and arriving in Guldorand and suddenly everyone acts rather differently. It's possibly made worse when you arrive as a group of Skal-ites because you will be within a little clique who don't necessarily see anything wrong.

And before someone interjects, no, of course this isn't the case for every new PC that makes the journey, but it is certainly a recurring theme that I've observed.

I think the lawless aspect of the island is great actually, and I'm not sure how to address any of that practically, but that's my two cents...
Characters: Izzy, short for Isabel. Shaena Ash.

Nevrus
Arelith Platinum Supporter
Arelith Platinum Supporter
Posts: 367
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2018 6:18 am

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Nevrus » Thu Aug 23, 2018 8:05 am

After seeing Arelith as a whole, I do greatly agree with all of this. Skal isn't set up to have a lot of systems that facilitate a lot of different types of RP. There's only a few real options with it, mechanically:
1. Grind your way to 20 and leave.
2. Be a merchant and exploit the limited economy and lack of high-level competition.
3. Get in on some PvP as heroes or villains.
4. Run your own events with your own initiative and ignore anything that would get in the way of it until a DM says otherwise.

Everything beyond these four options requires DM intervention, and DMs are a precious resource. There's so much built into everything else in Arelith to provide an interesting, dynamic, and non-intervention-dependent experience, that Skal really does feel like a vastly inferior server with the same crafting system.

I've been playing NWN for many years, and stepping into Skal gave me a very negative initial impression of Arelith. Then I stepped off the boat into Guldorand, and my paladin saw posted laws and cried tears of joy with her husband.

The biggest problem with Skal is that characters have no official stake in it. They're there as mercenaries and the people there actively encourage them to leave, and actively discourage them from setting in roots. It's an ephemeral experience of adversity and suffering and want, and once a character leaves and finds so much built up for themselves to get invested in on a mechanical level, they feel like they can start actually having an effect on things.

My biggest suggestion for Skal, which I've raised OOCly and ICly multiple times, is to at least experiment with allowing players to have some agency with the village beyond "whoever can win a PvP brawl gets to set terms until something disagrees from on high." Have some actual rules posted up that can be used as baselines for behavior beyond oral tradition, and have a limited number of PC guards, and have a limited amount of PC influence on the rules of behavior. Just start very small and see if it goes terribly when actually executed.
Ganus- Riding the Isle (Active)
Aura Bigstep - Got Out Ahead (Retired)
Egos Ironhide - Shelved
Consult a medical professional before believing anything Nevrus says.

User avatar
MissEvelyn
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 1584
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 8:43 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by MissEvelyn » Thu Aug 23, 2018 12:11 pm

Nevrus wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 8:05 am
The biggest problem with Skal is that characters have no official stake in it. They're there as mercenaries and the people there actively encourage them to leave, and actively discourage them from setting in roots. It's an ephemeral experience of adversity and suffering and want, and once a character leaves and finds so much built up for themselves to get invested in on a mechanical level, they feel like they can start actually having an effect on things.
That's a very interesting outlook on it. My take is the exact opposite. Having played many, many years on Arelith before EE, I've gotten invested in politics, character agency, and so forth.

Over the years I've only been getting older, and my playtime has been reduced compared to then. Having a place like Skal where you don't have to worry about the entire town changing the next time you log in is refreshing and offers a form of relaxed stability. Call me lazy, perhaps, but I've come to enjoy easygoing Roleplay sessions more than the intriguing never-ending struggle politics - or maybe I've simply gotten fed up with it, and so Skal offers a breath of fresh air, a break if you will, from that.
And in addition, the fact that it's a haven for new players means that it's quite simple for us veteran players to help out those new players and make them feel like a part of the world.

I don't think Skal was ever meant to be a place where your character settles down permanently, though there are the few oddballs who do; kudos to them. But I do very much like how Skal is all about adventure and survival within a free self-governed town, rather than having to worry about the constant ongoing events.

Like I told it to a friend, Skal feels more like D&D, where the politics on Arelith feel more like a Civ game to me. Nothing wrong with that, but there's just something unique about gathering in front of the fire and getting ready for yet another adventure without a worry or care. I really don't think Skal should be changed in that regard. Taking that away from us would, in my humble opinion, be a mistake.

And yes, I've been outspoken about this before, but I do enjoy that nothing short of a DM can evict you from your character's property on Skaljard. That kind of stability is simple and refreshing.


Fionn
Posts: 237
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:35 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Fionn » Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:08 pm

Party in the forest at midnight wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 6:04 am
I really did not enjoy Skal, it was a very unpleasant new player experience. I had no idea how any of the server systems worked
I found the exact opposite experience - on Skal I always found a couple people for light RP around the fire, and usually a ready group to head off and do writs with (or just explore). I did make extensive use of the wiki to learn the server systems, and yes Portals waited until i got to Arelith.

Largely I find Cordor/Andenor all about clique politics and less about D&D partying. I've found a couple PCs I regularly group with, but it's mostly meta to find them when we're both logged in. I found Skal far more IC as there was only one hub and toons were far more likely to be in your level range.
~~~~~~
Badger
Wynn
RIP: Paddy

KrishnaGirl
Arelith Gold Supporter
Arelith Gold Supporter
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 4:35 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by KrishnaGirl » Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:33 pm

monkeywithstick wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 7:54 am

But I've lost track of the number of PCs I've met who reach the mainland and then disappear within a week because they keep going like they have learned to on Skal. Stuff like not understanding the IC objections to things like undead and summons/wards within settlement limits.

This. I totally hate going to Arelith because of this kind of attitude. I wish I could stay in Skal because it is way more laid back. When people harass me I shut down and leave. If Skal had writs to 30 I wouldn't leave except short escapades for exploration/different loot tables in the summer months.

Seriously I do not want to deal with the stuff on Arelith and it kills the fun for me. Skal is way more fun for me at least.

I can understand no undead in towns. I can understand no fire elementals in Guld. That is where my sympathy ends. My experiences with the main server Arelith community have been unpleasant and when I leave Skal I am planning to just go Sibayad and explore the cool area so I don't get harassed. No idea after that.
Olivia Webb - Gnome ShadowMage
Emma Caen - Retired

Tourmaline
Posts: 308
Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2017 7:51 am

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Tourmaline » Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:50 pm

...
Last edited by Tourmaline on Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:07 pm, edited 3 times in total.

User avatar
Party in the forest at midnight
Posts: 1384
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 4:55 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Party in the forest at midnight » Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:03 pm

Tourmaline wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:50 pm
I do tend to agree that solely as a place for new players Skal may not be ideal. I'd almost prefer a separate level 3-5 area where no-RPR newbies have to start that held their hand a little more explaining how things worked, then sent them right to Cordor or Anundor.
That is an awful idea. I really dislike lowbie segregation areas, I came here because a bunch of my friends are here. I enjoyed the Cordor low level experience significantly more than Skal.

User avatar
Ork
Arelith Gold Supporter
Arelith Gold Supporter
Posts: 2488
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2014 8:30 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Ork » Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:09 pm

KrishnaGirl wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:33 pm
monkeywithstick wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 7:54 am

But I've lost track of the number of PCs I've met who reach the mainland and then disappear within a week because they keep going like they have learned to on Skal. Stuff like not understanding the IC objections to things like undead and summons/wards within settlement limits.

This. I totally hate going to Arelith because of this kind of attitude. I wish I could stay in Skal because it is way more laid back. When people harass me I shut down and leave. If Skal had writs to 30 I wouldn't leave except short escapades for exploration/different loot tables in the summer months.

Seriously I do not want to deal with the stuff on Arelith and it kills the fun for me. Skal is way more fun for me at least.

I can understand no undead in towns. I can understand no fire elementals in Guld. That is where my sympathy ends. My experiences with the main server Arelith community have been unpleasant and when I leave Skal I am planning to just go Sibayad and explore the cool area so I don't get harassed. No idea after that.
I think this is all the more reason to shut down skal or make Skal more like the main server than defend it, honestly. "Harassment" is kind of the name of the game.

KrishnaGirl
Arelith Gold Supporter
Arelith Gold Supporter
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 4:35 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by KrishnaGirl » Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:10 pm

Then I am not welcome here.
Olivia Webb - Gnome ShadowMage
Emma Caen - Retired

User avatar
Ork
Arelith Gold Supporter
Arelith Gold Supporter
Posts: 2488
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2014 8:30 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Ork » Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:36 pm

KrishnaGirl wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:10 pm
Then I am not welcome here.
A little melodramatic. Arelith is built on Faerun lore and with that the dynamics and conflicts inherent in the system display themselves on a daily basis. If you summon undead, it's good practice to prepare to defend their use. If you are a warlock, researching what a warlock is and how they've received their powers is a good idea.

I am curious what challenges you encounter on the mainland are not being challenged on Skal. I don't mean to dissuade you from playing, but encourage you to research the challenges you've encountered to see if they have merit.

KrishnaGirl
Arelith Gold Supporter
Arelith Gold Supporter
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 4:35 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by KrishnaGirl » Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:04 pm

Ork wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:36 pm
KrishnaGirl wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:10 pm
Then I am not welcome here.
A little melodramatic. Arelith is built on Faerun lore and with that the dynamics and conflicts inherent in the system display themselves on a daily basis. If you summon undead, it's good practice to prepare to defend their use. If you are a warlock, researching what a warlock is and how they've received their powers is a good idea.

I am curious what challenges you encounter on the mainland are not being challenged on Skal. I don't mean to dissuade you from playing, but encourage you to research the challenges you've encountered to see if they have merit.

Mostly just social norms being enforced that weren't laws. Like having a water elemental when walking through one side of guld to the other. Sorry I left out through the wrong side of guld for my level. Now I have to desummon and wait until I can rest again.

Another was walking through the burrowhome on my way to the arcane tower and having to dispel my greater stoneskin. Except at the same time I didn't know about the special arguments for -dispel so I lost everything. I never returned.

These kinds of things when you first arrive in a town are not good impressions and do not make me want to rp with the people there. They make me want to leave. Skal is fun because all of this baggage isn't there and it fits with the environment. I just log in and find whoever to rp with. It is very inclusive and allows for a lot of players who are new to rp or have bad English skills to have somewhere to play. I have had tons of fun rping with people whose fauxpas wouldn't be handled well at all in Arelith.

What really bothers me is how homogenous the playerbase has to be if Skal's deviation is play style is such an atrocity that it must be eradicated. When I am melodramatic and say "Then I am not welcome here." I mean I am going to have fun with other types of rp than politics. I'm actually totally not interested in the citizenship system at all that I have read about in the wiki or politics. Its pretty fun playing my magic merchant and exploring tombs and uncovering secrets of the setting though.

I also don't take issue with people having a problem with demons or devils being summoned in town or celestials being summoned in a Zhent Stronghold. You get the idea. I am quite familiar with the fr setting although I dropped out of fr for pathfinder golarion/homebrew pf settings since 4th edition.

What I am getting at is there is a certain level of people having sticks up their butt that I totally am not interested in, Skal doesn't have that. I honestly have no idea how else to describe it.
Olivia Webb - Gnome ShadowMage
Emma Caen - Retired

User avatar
MissEvelyn
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 1584
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 8:43 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by MissEvelyn » Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:30 pm

KrishnaGirl wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:04 pm
What really bothers me is how homogenous the playerbase has to be if Skal's deviation is play style is such an atrocity that it must be eradicated
That statement pretty much echoes how I feel. Skal should remain Skal and not try to be more like Arelith ('Arelith' being the archipelago, not the entire server).

There's plenty of people who have and are enjoying Arelith for what it is and Skal for what it is. There's no reason for the two to become identical. For some players, Skal is a haven, a time away from regular Arelith. In the past I'd leave the server several months at a time for such breaks, but now we have Skal and that's wonderful.


Fionn
Posts: 237
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:35 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Fionn » Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:46 pm

KrishnaGirl wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:04 pm
What I am getting at is there is a certain level of people having sticks up their butt that I totally am not interested in, Skal doesn't have that. I honestly have no idea how else to describe it.
You're not alone. I have found it's a small number seem to be a large part of that stick issue however. Give another Bendir a chance (especially if you're earthkin or even HOrc).
~~~~~~
Badger
Wynn
RIP: Paddy

Hinty
Posts: 327
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:03 am

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Hinty » Fri Aug 24, 2018 1:33 am

99.9% of the people in a town are not adventurers. Summoned creatures, weather evil or not, would cause unrest, fear, maybe even panic.

That is why people don't want you walking through town with a summon. And stoneskin.. How would you react if you were stood in town and a man walked in with a flak vest on? Especially if he had an AK slung on his shoulder.

User avatar
msterswrdsmn
Posts: 1314
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:33 pm

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by msterswrdsmn » Fri Aug 24, 2018 4:03 am

My thoughts on Skal

My first time on Skal was lackluster, though that was on Mifune (remade for the 10th time). My focus was mostly "level up while waiting to get off the island" and didn't interact with people much. So go figure; I didn't like it much the first time.

When I made my second character on Skal, Sei, I made a real effort to play with other people. And it was a lot of fun. The playerbase is smaller, but since theres only one small town, it helps concentrate people together.

One thing I really found that HELPED with the enjoyment was the complete and utter lack of large guilds/faction buildings (and factions). Seriously. There was very little in terms of groups "enforcing' anything or the ongoing faction wars that blew up everything around them. Most of what went down when Sei was around was usually done by people who banded together in sometimes shakey alliances. The only time this got really broken up was when large, more powerful groups came from the mainland to assert themselves until winter hit again.

Personally, I like it the way it is. Though the smaller sizes less forgiveness for mistakes (difficulty can jump to "easy" to "murderous" rather quickly) and its -not- friendly to people who have never played nwn or are really unfamiliar with the basics of pve. The adjustment from Skal to the mainland in terms of both the rp setting and the pve can be really jarring as well if you don't know what to expect.

Some of the areas aren't really well balanced in terms of difficulty/payout, to the point where i'd see people in the mid-to-high teens farming single-digit areas because they paid stupidly well. So that might need to be worked on.

User avatar
Marsi
Posts: 549
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:34 am

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Marsi » Fri Aug 24, 2018 10:05 am

KrishnaGirl wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:04 pm
Ork wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:36 pm
KrishnaGirl wrote:
Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:10 pm
Then I am not welcome here.
A little melodramatic. Arelith is built on Faerun lore and with that the dynamics and conflicts inherent in the system display themselves on a daily basis. If you summon undead, it's good practice to prepare to defend their use. If you are a warlock, researching what a warlock is and how they've received their powers is a good idea.

I am curious what challenges you encounter on the mainland are not being challenged on Skal. I don't mean to dissuade you from playing, but encourage you to research the challenges you've encountered to see if they have merit.

Mostly just social norms being enforced that weren't laws. Like having a water elemental when walking through one side of guld to the other. Sorry I left out through the wrong side of guld for my level. Now I have to desummon and wait until I can rest again.

Another was walking through the burrowhome on my way to the arcane tower and having to dispel my greater stoneskin. Except at the same time I didn't know about the special arguments for -dispel so I lost everything. I never returned.

These kinds of things when you first arrive in a town are not good impressions and do not make me want to rp with the people there. They make me want to leave. Skal is fun because all of this baggage isn't there and it fits with the environment. I just log in and find whoever to rp with. It is very inclusive and allows for a lot of players who are new to rp or have bad English skills to have somewhere to play. I have had tons of fun rping with people whose fauxpas wouldn't be handled well at all in Arelith.

What really bothers me is how homogenous the playerbase has to be if Skal's deviation is play style is such an atrocity that it must be eradicated. When I am melodramatic and say "Then I am not welcome here." I mean I am going to have fun with other types of rp than politics. I'm actually totally not interested in the citizenship system at all that I have read about in the wiki or politics. Its pretty fun playing my magic merchant and exploring tombs and uncovering secrets of the setting though.

I also don't take issue with people having a problem with demons or devils being summoned in town or celestials being summoned in a Zhent Stronghold. You get the idea. I am quite familiar with the fr setting although I dropped out of fr for pathfinder golarion/homebrew pf settings since 4th edition.

What I am getting at is there is a certain level of people having sticks up their butt that I totally am not interested in, Skal doesn't have that. I honestly have no idea how else to describe it.
Arelith is a roleplaying server where players make the rules. It has nothing to do with exclusivity or sticks up butts. The non-mechanical social norms you're complaining about are an expression of player agency and can have much more historical precedent than you might know. There are plenty of new or ESL players who have no trouble with this. It just sounds like it's not your cup of tea, that's perfectly fine, but there's no need to try and spin it as "humble Skallian vs. snobby Arelithian".

Why should the great bell of Beaulieu toll when the shadows were neither short nor long?


monkeywithstick
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 264
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 8:54 am
Location: UK

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by monkeywithstick » Fri Aug 24, 2018 10:41 am

Whether or not Skal RP style or mainland RP style is "valid" (and i think this question actually is unrelated), the point I was trying to make is that Skal doesn't adequately prepare a lot of people for the mainland.

On the one hand as others have said, this is making for an alternate style of game within Arelith, this isn't neccesarilly a bad thing, though it certainly can be seen in either light.

On the other hand it is also making the transition between the Skal and the mainland harder than it needs to be. Which up to a point reinforces the perception of a mainland "clique".
It also runs the risk that if Skal's intent is to grow the Arelith community, and the recommended new starter area is totally different to the mainland then we attract the kind of players we want on the mainland to Skal and they are more likely to arrive, decide it's not what they seek and never go to the mainland *or* people arrive, love it and then run into a brick wall at full tilt every time they reach the mainland and get frustrated, thus either staying forever in Skal or wandering off to pastures new.
Characters: Izzy, short for Isabel. Shaena Ash.

User avatar
Marsi
Posts: 549
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:34 am

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Marsi » Fri Aug 24, 2018 11:35 am

I think the point raised about the culture shock could have more to do with the current influx of ENHANCED lads than any actual design philosophy. I think being made to acclimatise to the mechanics first and then ease into the realities of persistent roleplay later works adequately. The current state of affairs is temporary in my opinion. There's a point in the future where Skal is less dominated by equally new players who form their own culture at odds with the Arelithian culture waiting for them and incoming players aren't misled about how things are going to work.

If the proverbial band-aid was ripped off sooner rather than later, would it really make a difference? I say this because I don't think you can usher in settlement mechanics and other more persistent measures into Skal without the kind of crowd who'd immediately set about domesticating and rules lawyering everything. Skal's pointlessness is what safeguards it. However, I wonder if there's a middle ground. It could have something of a "lite" version of the sort of systems you'd like players better prepared for. A drastically simplified, almost tutorial-island esque settlement system designed to prevent characters over the max writ level from interfering for example.

Why should the great bell of Beaulieu toll when the shadows were neither short nor long?


Pakito
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 3:11 am

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by Pakito » Fri Aug 24, 2018 1:25 pm

monkeywithstick wrote:
Fri Aug 24, 2018 10:41 am
Whether or not Skal RP style or mainland RP style is "valid" (and i think this question actually is unrelated), the point I was trying to make is that Skal doesn't adequately prepare a lot of people for the mainland.

On the one hand as others have said, this is making for an alternate style of game within Arelith, this isn't neccesarilly a bad thing, though it certainly can be seen in either light.

On the other hand it is also making the transition between the Skal and the mainland harder than it needs to be. Which up to a point reinforces the perception of a mainland "clique".
It also runs the risk that if Skal's intent is to grow the Arelith community, and the recommended new starter area is totally different to the mainland then we attract the kind of players we want on the mainland to Skal and they are more likely to arrive, decide it's not what they seek and never go to the mainland *or* people arrive, love it and then run into a brick wall at full tilt every time they reach the mainland and get frustrated, thus either staying forever in Skal or wandering off to pastures new.
Phew I'm getting confused reading this post. Are you talking about Faerun when you're referring to the mainland? Or do you mean Arelith? Because Arelith is not a mainland, it's an archipelago.

monkeywithstick
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 264
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 8:54 am
Location: UK

Re: Skaldjard Conversation

Post by monkeywithstick » Fri Aug 24, 2018 1:46 pm

Pakito wrote:
Fri Aug 24, 2018 1:25 pm
Phew I'm getting confused reading this post. Are you talking about Faerun when you're referring to the mainland? Or do you mean Arelith? Because Arelith is not a mainland, it's an archipelago.
It's the mainland of the archipelago, or at least that is how I generally see it referred to in game.
Characters: Izzy, short for Isabel. Shaena Ash.

Post Reply