Kaelyn

1. What are you missing in UO and could it be improved by us players?

2. Do you think we don’t do enough story lines for interactive roleplaying and character development?

3. Any suggestions what could or should be done overall to improve roleplay and get more people having fun at it?

4. For those that left, do you consider returning and what would ea have to do?


Why do I ask some of it?
At the moment player activity in uo is not so great also there is not a lot going on outside of Magincia story wise.

So I played with the idea that there are UO player run shards and could we make use of them and if how.

Most likely would be just a shard for events or some special storylines
Other option could be to look for an existing shard though doubt there is one most would like.
Third is to set up one, but that is lots of work and needs more maintaining.

So you players and ex players, would you visit for such storylines?
Do you think it could be worth the effort and would it help, or could such a thing be set up similar and easier on EA shards?

My opinion is that if there is interest to try a player run shard we try the event shard first. It would not separate the playerbase and if things do not work out it is easy to stop again.

Gwen Irima

1. What are you missing in UO and could it be improved by us players?
Roleplayers, Roleplaying Events, Storylines, in fact... anything roleplay related. There is hardly anything roleplayerish going on, hardly any people to roleplay with.

2. Do you think we don’t do enough story lines for interactive roleplaying and character development? There are enough story lines, but not enough story lines that are open to all. There are in my opinion only a few story lines that are open for all. The rest is either the usual clique thing (available for only people i like and anyone else gets ignored kinda storylines) or pvp thing (can only play if i can whack you into a grey screen every night kinda thing) I miss Balance, a combination of danger, mystery and again... i miss other roleplayers

3. Any suggestions what could or should be done overall to improve roleplay and get more people having fun at it? I think a good start is getting people to roleplay again, the rest will happen again when there is people about and roleplaying. You dont always have to have an long term event going on to get people to roleplay, just roleplaying might be a good start.

I've visited player run shards in the past. Great fun. But if we put events on the player run shard, what good will that do to our homeshard (europa) ?

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Kaelith

1. What are you missing in UO and could it be improved by us players?

I miss pre-AoS UO, when plate armour was worth wearing and there weren't all these crazy new skills! when magic items were simply, but significant and you could win a fight in NPC bought equipment. I maybe mentioning all game mechanics, but it's my belief that these mechanics helped to build the best RP world possible without TOO much crazy customisation. and neon was always the bane of my life!

2. Do you think we don’t do enough story lines for interactive roleplaying and character development?

I'm not playing atm, but by the sounds of it there are plenty of story-lines just no real incentive for people to play them out.

3. Any suggestions what could or should be done overall to improve roleplay and get more people having fun at it?

Remember years back when we had that big debate/arguement about CoRE needing one big story? I think it probably needs that. what is the big picture of RP? what are the relationships between the city-states? Is war looming? Is there some political scandal amungst the nobility of Trinsic?

I think with a over-riding narrative people feel more keen to emerse themselves into it. I remember the days when I was just a peon in Vesper and I always loved not knowing what was going on high up andjust logging on to try and find out!

With a few wise headed GMs at the top you should stop getting everyone involved in the running of the big picture of the community. get the storyline sorted at the highest level and don't reveal any of it to people below! this was how it was years and years back and I loved it! but one of my biggest gripes for the last couple of years as a player were that everyone knew every story and what would eventually happen.. and the excitement just drained away.

4. For those that left, do you consider returning and what would ea have to do?

I consider returning all the time! I miss RP so much, but the reasons I left are still too strong for me to come back; illogical weapon specials, crazy skills that every man and his dog can master, neon.

When I look at the basic structure of RP these days it couldn't be better! You have basically just 4 town/city guilds left: trinsic, vesper, cove and yew. In these places you still have concentrations of people.

What I think needs to be done is for the top dogs in at least vesper, trinsic and cove to get together and bash out the overriding narrative of the community. They need to figure out a political structure. From this comes intrigue and conflict (in many different forms). Cities will start to poke at each other and trade with each other, and most importantly, will seek to "one-up" on each other.

Once you get this in place the armies will start gathering, alliances will start forming and as long as you keep a check on it from a very few top dogs then you can twist all these factors into good stories.

Then your average smuck will want to login to raid another town with his friends, or be part of a political mission, or organise his own little event within the bigger picture, without knowing what effect the higher-ups might perceive to have.


I think a player run shard is a good idea, but we'd need someway of new blood getting in otherwise we'll have put the last nail in place for the end. If you did a player run shard it should be pre-aos for sure! But I don't think you need to use a player run shard. Just get the overall picture in place.


RP on Europa needs a good dictator!

Rabid Bogling

I haven't played in UO since around the time of AoS, though I do constantly find myself wandering back to peek in on the goings-on of Europa RP. It's a great shame to see it fall on hard times.


1) What are you missing in UO and could it be improved by us players?

What I miss about UO is that it was simple. It felt in many ways like a blank canvas, there for us to add to. As most of us seem to agree, the game's worth declined following AoS, in the face of competition. It's been steadily worsening ever since, from the look of things. The only redeeming element is it's player base. As such the only thing that can improve it is you and your fellow roleplayers.

It's always been my opinion that gaps need to be bridged OOC for things to really work. When IC conflict turns into RL hostility, you need to get on top of it instantly. I always grimace when I see guilds knocking each other in an OOC context. As roleplayers you should be a single community. No, that doesn't mean you all need to abide by certain rules, follow a uniform theme, hold hands, or have an extra tag by your names. But it does mean you need to respect one another; even if your characters are at each other's throats on a daily basis. Get that out of the way and things can only improve.


2) Do you think we don’t do enough story lines for interactive roleplaying and character development?

There seem to be a few in progress at the moment, and there's always potential for others. In many respects it's just a question of branching out in terms of who you roleplay with. That's why I've always liked the idea of an "events" guild, wherein people are urged to keep a character slot free, so that they can log in and roleplay with people, groups, and guilds that they wouldn't usually do for a couple of days a month.


3. Any suggestions what could or should be done overall to improve roleplay and get more people having fun at it?

I agree whole-heartedly with Kaelith. OOC cohesion, and something solid to build on can only benefit the community. Europa has many aspects that are unique to it; politics, constant conflict, and some truly great player-made lore. If that could only become more tight-knit and permanent, you'd have something brilliant on your hands.


4. For those that left, do you consider returning and what would ea have to do?

Part of me has wanted to return to UO ever since I left. Sadly EA just don't seem able to get it right. They make mistake after mistake, and only succeed in making a good game bad, and a bad game worse. I do have some sympathy for the developement team, but they frankly haven't got a chance in hell of putting this game to rights. That said, I do still feel a draw to this game. It's just a question of whether or not I acctually want to fork out the cash for it, when there are so many other great games with potential for roleplay out there.


I'll give a nod to the Free Shard idea, to boot. Some of the best RP I've been involved with took place on player-run shards (TS:SE, and Shattered Alliance, for example). There's a freedom there that is sorely lacking in EA's shards - quite simply because it puts the players in charge. The only down side is that new players are hard to come by - something that seems integral to the survival of RP in UO.

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Fargo

1. What are you missing in UO and could it be improved by us players?

Players! There was a time, not so long ago, that you could sit in a tavern and overhear several storylines that you could possibly interact with. I have my own rule about those, if someone speaks about a storyline in public, you can join in!
But without the numbers it's hard to do.

2. Do you think we don’t do enough story lines for interactive roleplaying and character development?

I would agree with Kaelith. A grand, overarching strategy, within which we can all develop our own little plots and stories.

3. Any suggestions what could or should be done overall to improve roleplay and get more people having fun at it?

See answer to question one. Be more inclusive with your RP and not too concerned if the people involved and the direction your storyline takes changes from that which you originally intended.

4. For those that left, do you consider returning and what would ea have to do?

Please come back! Without the player base there can be no RP.


Personnaly, I would not be keen on leaving Europa just for events, although if I were to find a shard that had a larger player base, at this moment in time I would consider it, which is a rather sad indication of how quiet things have now become.

Tanya

Moving to a player run shard even just for events seems like a very very big mistake to me.

Firstly, doing it just for events.. surely holding events on Eurpoa is the best way to get new blood? Holding them on a player run shard where next to noone that isn't part of the event can wander through? What'd be the point? Really, why not just focus on doing more with our current shard?

Secondly, moving their permanently would just split the community even further. A big proportion of players wouldn't want to leave Europa, so those that go lose them and those that stay lose those that go. Also, as someone else pointed out, where would you get new recruits from? You'd be reliant on the current players staying active at all times.

The other negative to a permanent move is you'd have to decide whether to move everyone as a 'fresh'. As in wipe everyones history/towns and such, or to move exactly as we are. If we move as we are, then we'd be in exactly the same situation as now. RP being spread very thinly over.

The only benefit to a player run shard that I see, is it's free. (Oh and you could make it all back to AoS etcetera).

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Hedlyn

1. What are you missing in UO and could it be improved by us players?

No. It's the players that are missing, UO's a dying game it's that simple. There are less of us, so less of us active, and less quality roleplayers. That simple.

2. Do you think we don’t do enough story lines for interactive roleplaying and character development?

No. I think the opposite. I think people, but Trinsic especially, are (or were) far too obsessed with story-lines and "developing" their characters in public. I think they over-looked that the average-joe roleplayer doesn't give a flying fuck what self-important, high-fantasy twoddle the great leaders of whatever shiney-knight guild or city are doing to crush the LATEST great evil. Or which laughable drow "super-villains" want to claim their eeeevviiiill superiority.

The most active remaining guilds are those that regularly keep their players and ALL of their players together. The newest RP guild on the shard, in Rbl, are more active than some of the oldest in -V-, DoT, LB and co'. Not because we're so much better or phat leet dudes, but just because we log on every day or two and give them ALL something to do.

Grd and BoC are still going and turning out double-figures because they cater for everyone, not just their higher ups. When the rest of you start learning you might be able to claw back some of your memberbase, but with UO on the brink anyway - let's face it - you're pretty fucked.

3. Any suggestions what could or should be done overall to improve roleplay and get more people having fun at it?

Yes. START DOING IT. Get the fuck off your forums making threads about how to improve roleplay and just go and sodding roleplay. There aren't enough people around to think too deeply about it, just get in game and start doing something. Can't find people then ICQ around.

Still can't find people, then I suggest you head to Yew. Because I promise you at any sensible hour of the day there'll be roleplayers in Yew from early 'til very late. Free shard's are the stupidest idea in the world, right now, you'll never co-ordinate a mass exodus from Europa so don't even bother.

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callumf

Very valid points which I agree with fully .

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Iljian

I don't. Without even wanting to cite the bold arguments of my pre-poster that used the context to have a swipe at those he thinks are doing wrong, I would just like to point out that those arguments, old as they are, are wrong, were always wrong and will always be wrong.

Its pretty much like the scientist that remarks what a strange coincidence it is that we happen to live on a planet thats suitable for us.

The "higher-ups" get more involvement in plots and stories because THEY TAKE IT. Not because the others are excluded and couldn't have just as much fun as all the rest.

I did a lot of events and things in my time and by now I can almost always predict a) who will take interest and b) what the outcome will be. It is just the huge difference in the mentality of the players that favour different things. hours spent on preparations went down the drain because the wrong people got it in their hands, people that neither cared nor wanted to invest effort without knowing OOC in advance that it would be worth it. In events, any events, its always one side fading themselves out. Its always the same crowd at tournaments and its always the same crowd at more high-fantasy events. Few though visit both.

Before flinging insults into either direction it is important to understand that good RP is a mixture of all of those elements. You need good day to day stuff so its always some place to go when you log in and you need a good, exciting overhead of "specials" that keep the boredom at bay. Because lets face it, we don't play a game thats as much a drudgery than a normal day job.

Learn from each other, let those that are good at one thing do it and get those that are good at other things do theirs. Then add both together. People that actually organise stuff and get others going are rare, so give them a hug and don't fling mud just because it isn't what you do.

Hedlyn

Fantastic. And that bollocks aside - take your head out of your arse and tell me what YOU'RE doing in UO at the moment?

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Tanya

Though I would have put it somewhat more diplomatic than Hedlyn.. I totally agree.

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callumf

Just to clarify.

What I am in favour of is getting in game and doing it.

I am not in favour of mud-slinging or flaming or criticism of any guilds.

Of course we should support those who are actually doing things and give them a hug.

"Learn from each other, let those that are good at one thing do it and get those that are good at other things do theirs. Then add both together. People that actually organise stuff and get others going are rare, so give them a hug and don't fling mud just because it isn't what you do."

Another good point

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Cal Soulshadow

I left because numbers plummeted and my guild died. I don't think there is any way to change this.
I actually did like UO as a game but a lot of the stuff I was doing when not RPing was based on supporting my RP characters and guild, so feels rather pointless now.
Still, I never did download KR, and don't like the idea of 2D being phased out. I'm not that interested in graphics (so long as something looks recognisible, that's good enough for me). I still enjoy playing back through stuff like Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale - the better graphics have got, the more shallow and lacking in narrative depth games have become.

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Kaelith

You've made your point Hedlyn about people getting into game, but I'm sure they know it already. Although I'm not sure where all this over-activity in forums is? They all look pretty quiet to me. Kaelyn's just trying to get some POVs, I'm sure she didn't want to offend you.

Congratulations having a active guild, but come back in a year and we'll see then. If you're still going strong then you've got something special going and that's awesome! But we've all seen new guilds pop up, do well, then die cos the leadership fails. So lets hope you don't suffer a similar fate!

Grd and BoC do well because they've always had a strong leadership and clear background narrative, which was the point I was saying in my post. For Trinsic and Vesper to pick up they need the same! They need to rally their leadership and sort themselves out; and it would be fantastic, and probably beneficial to both guilds, if their leaders got together and sorted the overall narrative between the cities. That way events occure naturally and the leadership can base IG happenings around something that everyone can relate to, instead of disjointed/random events.

Hedlyn

Who cares if we're still going in a year? I don't think I even want to be playing in a year. Will Europa RP actually exist in a year?

I really don't mean to come across as especially arrogant (hah. ahah. ahahaha) but I've really had enough of the talk. Is it any coincidence that 90% of the talkers are Trinsic, and Trinsic is dead? I don't believe so.

You want to get involved in Yew, there's about three other guilds hopefully about to get in on what's cracking off over this coming week and I'll happily see more of you join. That's great.

It's not about Rbl or being an "active guild" it's about being an active community and the way you achieve that is by getting in-game and making your own story. You want to sit on a forum or on ICQ or in party chat planning out your RP futures that's fine by me, but every hour you sit planning and pre-meditating in the CURRENT CONTEXT of Europa RP you are losing members.

I don't give a rat's arse what Iljian has achieved in the past or how many guilds you've seen fail, Kaelith. Then isn't now - Europa RP in it's current form is a whole new animal and unless you / we learn to treat it differently it's going to die all over.

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JOIN THE REVOLT!
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