Best Of
Re: Game Balance
Rehashing ascension and the decision made is beyond flogging a dead horse. We've heard it all by now several times. Can we avoid the dreaded A word for now?
Sapphira
5
Re: Game Balance
I'm still surprised by how boldly people state that they only participate to make the other team (or player) lose, as if it's not wildly unsportsmanlike and unacceptable in... well, every other competitive environment.
Listen, it's a text game- there are ties at the Olympics, you'll live.
This politics-level animosity for the "other team" is gross, especially considering how niche a community we already are.
(Delete ascension, descend everyone, VAs only!)
Melech
6
Re: Gurashi Draws: An Autobiography
It's always the quiet ones...Gurashi said:Drawtober 16: I did not expect @Lantra to be the one of the TLC Divine to scare my pants off, but She did.
( 
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Lantra
6
Re: What are you playing?
So, someone did actually talk me into trying Hades. Cue... hours later. Alright, I already do enjoy this game very much, even if am not particularly good at it.
Aeldra
6
Re: Absence Thread
The trend of "being in charge of everything" continues, including safety concerns and pandemic response. I want to say it will get better but I honestly don't know now that my city's in a red zone. The worst of enrollment month is over though so now it's "only" a matter of moving the entire school back online/remote and I should have more time? Yay? 
Drocilla
13
Re: Absence Thread
Not feeling particularly well, flu shot is shaking me rather badly this time around. May be MIA for a few days.
Aeldra
5
Re: Lack of Raves VI: Rave Today, Tweet Tomorrow
Just to sweeten the pot
The Wheel of Tzaraziko crackles with a brilliant display of colours, rewarding you with 2 Wondercrystals.
Lawrence
5
Re: Game Balance
Mboagn said:I disagree; the other option would just have switched the sides involved. The end result would have been the same: one side is stacked and the other is left to languish.Jason said:This was the expected outcome and consequence from the admins failure at making correct decisions months ago. I honestly don't believe Lusternia is sustainable anymore and I believe it will slowly become obsolete.
In fact, not all of the orgs on the 'losing side' are actually in a bad shape. Celest is remarkably active, as active (if not more so) than Serenwilde and Gaudiguch, even. And even Hallifax manages to regularly send in at least one person to contested quakes. If anything, the issues are largely plaguing just Glomdoring most perceptibly.
In any case, there is a real problem with how Lusternia approaches conflict mechanics. Losing is devastating - there's a reason why Hallifax and Gaudiguch have an OOC understanding not to kill each others' smobs. Gaudiguch even vetoed a Spheres raid because, in the end, both orgs lose out.
Villages are another manifestation of this: not having villages means you lose out on commodity production, which is a huge part of guild researches and is essential for crafters.
Wildnodes have less of an impact because of the abundance of power, but the tendency of alliances to put all their eggs in one basket diminishes the potential of this system.
Aetherflares are the one conflict system that, I think, is on the better side. This is because, even without bubbles, orgs can access at least one construct through their nexuses. Winners win, but even losers don't lose too much.
There's a lot of fixes that can be made, of course, and I look forward to discussions between players and the admins on how best to address these issues.
P.S. One could argue that Lusternia (and MUDs, in general) had already become obsolete in the 90s. They're still around because they fill a niche need.
Want to chime in on a few minor points to this.
Celestian numbers are a little deceiving, I'm seeing a lot of influx of random newbies that I see a couple of days and then never again. I also see the same die hard core of celest attend most timequakes despite all odds, but that's always the same odd few people, plus whatever stragglers are around. Compared to how many people we had on a given day when I cam back, I'd say it's likely 1/3 ? 1/4? a lot less. When I came back to playing, I usually did see like at least 7 to 8 people online at any time, now there's a lot of times when I log in where am either by myself or only see like 3 or 4 people in manses and one outside. But yes, we show up more then other orgs do, maybe due to a higher original base population?
I will agree easily that one issue with lusternia's conflict is that losing is really losing, yes. Many of the conflict mechanics are "the winner takes all", which makes thing somewhat unfun if you're going 2:1 involvement ratios at some points (regardless of side). Not sure what actually can be done here.
I find Villages particularly devastating, because you frankly can't do anything without a village that is remotely involved with crafting. Some commodities are just unobtainable or so unreasonable priced that you don't even feel inclined to craft anything. Main reason I've given up running my aethershop, no one wants to by a throne for several 100k gold just because I can't buy the commodities it's made of at a reasonable price. Not to mention the impact on aether trading due to not having access to halfway okay priced commodities.
Wildnodes and Aetherflares I think are less devastating, because while losing hurts a little, it's not an end of the world type deal. Whereas the whole alliance not having a single village is a huge deal.
Personally don't think Lusternia is doomed either, I think it still got a future and it's not like the few issues we're seeing aren't fixable. Right now I think it's largely a morale problem on Celest/Glom/Halli's side, which is a kind of downward spiral. No wins for long periods of time, less people feel inclined to even try, even less wins. To lose a large amount of your combat leaders over a single event isn't helping either. We're all in this together, yes? 
Aeldra
5
Re: QUOTES 8: THE QUOTING
Kethaera said:You choke back a laugh as Gyorn releases a painfully accurate kick to a healing shrine of Thax's shin in retribution for its behaviour.Now I'm wondering where are the shrines of all of Thax's other body parts.
(c) Iron Realms Entertainment 2012.