Balance new players

How about a plaque for new payers telling them which fort needs more aid at this time? Or well you get the idea al weekend its been like a steady 18 axfell v 5 cleaven ;p

Yea I have thought of this. I guess we could just manually change the sign with each update as it doesn't need updating that often.

Might not have this problem if the module was set up differently;

lvl 1-10 everyone begins in Ranz and MUST, manditory.. chose a side.. at lvl 10, in game once they talk to a recruiter in the city (which is sometimes what people roleplay anyways; talking to a recruiter in the city...) they can then get the proper alignment adjustment.. and one recruit might not accept recruitment or spawn if numbers are unbalanced...

I'm no scripter but supose there is a building where recruiters spawn, if there are more axfells on and someone enteres the building (manditory lvl 10 and faction; ranz... or they wont get in..) then a cleaven recruiter spawns and the player shall just need to accept the life of a cleaven!

Then again it would be cruel to force which side players play on...

And it wouldn't work because of alignment restrictions.

Professor Plum wrote:And it wouldn't work because of alignment restrictions.

TheeVals wrote: in game once they talk to a recruiter in the city (which is sometimes what people roleplay anyways; talking to a recruiter in the city...) they can then get the proper alignment adjustment.. and one recruit might not accept recruitment or spawn if numbers are unbalanced...

Its alright i don't blame you. I know the way i write is not the most understandable.


(Further explination; On char creation if a neutral char enters the dream the sphere offers an adjustment to good or evil.)

Hope its more understood now, but i agree with you that it probably wouldn't work. If a person is determined to play on a side its best just to let them play that side.

Oh, I thought mine was self-explanatory.

Paladins / BG's etc = no alignment change.

Yes, the alignment change option only applies to neutral alignments. And the cleaven recruit only allows good and axfell evil, much like the portals... yes?
I figured that was self-explinatory. xD

what kind of noob would try and pass off a paladin trying to join axfell? Thats silly!

Choatic Evil paladin blackguard in cleaven!

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perhaps if you consider how certain cleaven players count as three... it wont seem so imbalanced, lol.

Most people would pass-off classes given half a chance. Alot of advantage could be gained in 10 levels.

Then what's the point in the recruiters? You just force a, potentially level 10, person to not be able to progress because it has a restricted alignment class and Axfell/Cleaven is full.

I dont care just give me more cleavens this is boring!! ;p I even made a cleaven myself but i cant be arsed to level up any more characters alas but i did try...

TheeVals wrote: Hope its more understood now, but i agree with you that it probably wouldn't work. If a person is determined to play on a side its best just to let them play that side.

Was just brainstorming solutions really. but there isn't really a solution to this, if its even a problem. Depends on interpretation. Some people like that axfell is plentiful. Where as it might suck for axfells not having many cleaven's to pvp against.

TheeVals wrote:

Where as it might suck for axfells not having many cleaven's to pvp against.

They already lose all the time! Why make things worse for the Axfells?

well only one axfell player's oppinion, they claim to find the lack of cleavens to be boring?



at least pvp exists compared to before.. went a few weeks where no one wanted to pvp for many different reasons xD

Well let me bank some axfell chars give me the exp on a cleaven ;p I like pvp true I also like the risk and having to watch your back etc when you go out ;p adds spice

Yeah, we could start people off in Ranzington. But it's not so simple as dropping people in and calling it done.

We'd then have to find something for characters to do in Ranzington until level 10. I can't imagine that Seris Island and Grand Forest - South would make for the most welcoming experience to a new character.

For that matter, we'd have to add lots of new direction, to give players an understanding of their end goal. It's one thing to drop a player into a city and tell them, "go forth and quest 'til level 10, and then find a faction!" It's another one entirely to explain to them precisely what that means. The current setup works nicely because players get in game, and then they don't have to think about it much. Generally speaking, the fewer important decisions a new player has to make, the better.

If the goal is to let players get a feel for which faction is more dominant before committing to one or the other, then it seems to me that we'd be retooling 50% of the module for something that could easily be accomplished by hitting the 'p' button. And making things more bewildering to boot.

It would be awesome if there was a choice to start in Ranzington so that the RP of recruitment could happen. If we could make it work I don't see why we shouldn't do it. It is however a big if. There are many many things the would need to be considered and changes made to go down this road.

I really like the idea of giving a choice to start in Ranzington. I remember when it used to be that you would start in Ranzington, and I really disliked it. But if you were to be given a choice to start in Ranzington versus forcefully starting there it would be quite a bit better.

J. Persinne wrote:
We'd then have to find something for characters to do in Ranzington until level 10. I can't imagine that Seris Island and Grand Forest - South would make for the most welcoming experience to a new character.

Seris island 1-10 lvl. Basicly take seris island and put the critters that are around each fort for the progression of 1-10. and make it a free boat ride for ranz citizen's, could even have relatively the same quests from lord sten.

It could literally be seris island, copy and past layout with transitions and encounters replaced. Encounters that already exist in the mod, or new ones if you care for variety. As i see it, though i am by no means a scripter so sorry if i am ignorant to the work that is required... the only work that needs to be done is making new transitions so that lvl 10 can't get to daron's by killing a few goblins or wtv... or get to the desert and be what-the-f***-pwned. xD

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Only reason i suggested this whole Ranz-faction idea is because some players are so anti pvp they sort of "ruin" the module's rp by having a character being part of a faction and blatently acting like a pacifist. But thats just my oppinion -people playing anph should make a character with the soldier idealistic.
The only downside to having the recruitment happen ic in game is an individual player's rp of how they're character got involved in the war could be compromised; Sometimes people rp that their character did not "willingly" sign up for war, weither forced as a prisoner or paying of debt through servitude. xD

Semi wishful thinking that all those special players with special characters whose rp conflicts with the module's setting would remain lvl 10 and in the city, but its already a possibility that they'll join a side anyways just to be able to get more levels and pay no attention to the server's atmosphere.

-Also opening up a ranz faction is only one step closer to opening a drow faction and our nice war torn island gains an epic underground tunnel system ;D

It'd also kill the very sparse hunting grounds for certain level ranges.



Any PC in Axfell of Cleaven is part of the militia. If they're not doing militia duties, then it's a matter for the council.

I'm quite willing to preside over a hearing and enforce punishment.

When ever this is brought up people refer back to other attempts at a 3rd faction and remember how it failed and ruined the mod. I think with the proper handicaps for Ranz citizens it wouldn't be a popular thing to remain neutral. You would really have to do it for the love of RP.

RP != People who live in Ranzington cannot be as powerful as people within a militia for no reason.

Common Plum. I can think of reasons why a neutral city in between two warring factions wouldn't want to bolster troop numbers to a threatening level.

I'm fairly certain his argument is more along the lines of, "entirely arbitrary restrictions on characters do not coincide with roleplay."

That said, you could handwave it if you wanted. "Ranzington lacks the training facilities that each fort has, ergo, Ranzington characters cannot progress past level 30."

Not that I'd want a third faction. Sure, with proper restrictions, not many would go that route. But X minority number of players is still X number of players not involved in one of the two main factions.

J. Persinne wrote:I'm fairly certain his argument is more along the lines of, "entirely arbitrary restrictions on characters do not coincide with roleplay."

No one wants entirely arbitrary restrictions.

J. Persinne wrote:That said, you could handwave it if you wanted. "Ranzington lacks the training facilities that each fort has, ergo, Ranzington characters cannot progress past level 30."

Here are some ideas as well. Ranzington relies on its tremendous walls for defense not a large number of troops. Lord Sten would never want Axfell or Cleaven to think its raising a large army of its own to take the island for himself. Even though Ranzington is a rich port city Lord Sten is stingy and doesn't want to pay a large army to stand around for nothing. He doesnt feel threatened by Axfell or Cleaven and knows that decades of hatred and fight between the two could never allow a pact to attack Ranzington. Lord Sten also has his trusted guard and is not looking to hire any new ones (aka pcs) and as a citizen of Ranzington you are not allowed to train in advanced combat (what ever level cap we think is appropriate) or carry certain weapons that a citizen has no business having(perhaps any DM noted item). The idea is a PC Ranzer is strictly a citizen and is not a soldier. If they want to become a soldier they must join a fort or they are free to stay at a lower level and not use powerful gear.

J. Persinne wrote:
Not that I'd want a third faction. Sure, with proper restrictions, not many would go that route. But X minority number of players is still X number of players not involved in one of the two main factions.

I think ideally if a Ranzington citizen PC stayed one and didnt eventually join a side they would be involved with both factions in an RP way. There are many powerful things that a low level Ranzer could potentially do through RP means. This would really be the only way to power as it were as a Ranz PC. In my mind if we foster this type of life long Ranzer the benefits of their RP would outweigh any loss of not having them in either of the main factions.

Yeah, I suppose it'd be workable. The question then becomes whether the gain from having a third, small faction outweighs the losses of having, well, a third faction. You could certainly go back and forth and that one, but I don't think it'd be productive to niggle over at this point. Without seeing it in action, it'd be hard to conclusively say either way.

don't do it.3 factions dont work.