I don't think I understand why people say Hallifax is hard to navigate, actually. We have a fairly regular structure that you can learn and use to navigate. It was Serenwilde that drove me mad on navigation, simply because everything seemed to be placed more or less at random and I couldn't find any structural landmarks to rely on.
It's because the in-game map only shows one square of space around you, and almost everywhere you stand, you're somewhere on a square. It all looks the same until you have a mental picture of the shape of the city. Then it just clicks.
Yeah I hate that too, but actually most of the time they disappear because they went through the hour long tutorial and probably have other things to do.
In my day the tutorial took only 10 minutes (15 if never played before). Oh, and IT WAS OPTIONAL.
If only this could happen . We're pretty much stuck with the monstrosity we have today, as far as I know.
Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"
Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
In my day we didn't HAVE a map function. Bunch of young whippersnappers. Hallifax is pretty easy to navigate, since all the trade rooms are in the same area, the directory is all one room, the laboratory is in the northwest, collegium is north, etcetera and we have a help file with the vnums.
If you look at certain maps, such as Earth or others, you will see that a few coders took shortcuts because they probably didn't know there would be a map function one day, so the room placement doesn't work as well as newer areas.
I used to have to navigate Earth with no map, up hill both ways in the snow mud, barefoot and leaking golden dragon milk, to steal essence.
Everiine said: The reason population is low isn't because there are too many orgs. It's because so many facets of the game are outright broken and protected by those who benefit from it being that way. An overabundance of gimmicks (including game-breaking ones), artifacts that destroy any concept of balance, blatant pay-to-win features, and an obsession with convenience that makes few things actually worthwhile all contribute to the game's sad decline.
I used to be pretty newbie-oriented, but then it just kinda fell flat for me. I get annoyed every time I pull out all the stops for a newbie and they disappear after day 1. It also depends on what mood I'm in.
One thing I will always help with is navigating Hallifax, at least. It's a big turn off for casual players to have to understand a 3D map. However, it serves as an intriguing filter: those who strive to figure it out on their own tend to be serious keepers, and serious about staying in Hallifax/Lusternia. And I'd postulate that that is one of the reasons we have a quality playerbase (ex. Saaga, Nihmriel, Portius, Daraius, Vivet, Talan). Not to toot my own horn or do the forumrp propaganda -- I seriously believe this.
I guess I should include some actual newbies that have been good for Hallifax that I'm not entirely sure are alts: Aruin, Luce, Juste, Varyx.
I'm not precisely new to Lusternia but Aruin is the first char that I've liked enough to stick with for more than a month or so. I blame Hallifax. But yeah, not new to IRE.
And don't worry, Aruin, by all accounts, should be around for many months to come.
3
EveriineWise Old Swordsbird / BrontaurIndianapolis, IN, USA
I used to have to navigate Earth with no map, up hill both ways in the snow mud, barefoot and leaking golden dragon milk, to steal essence.
I knew it was you all along.
Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"
Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
I agree with getting tired of doting on novices only to have them never return. I used to devote so much time and energy to novices in the Nihilists - not just answering questions, but taking them shopping to buy gear, roleplaying with them, hunting with them. It's a lot of energy and it is draining when the novice just disappears. Worth it when they stay (and I can think of a few of my proteges that made a good go of it at least!) but I'm generally reluctant to go on too much of a limb these days unless the novice seems genuinely interested in my involvement.
It's just hard to get all passionate and roleplay-ey and then get basically shut down by the novice disappearing (or worse, hopping orgs). These days, I'd only ever consider running for CL, GM or GC because GA is burnout territory for me.
Sometimes I don't know how @Delphas does it. I think I worked out I was GA of the Nihilists for something like 15RL months before deciding I needed a change and moving to GM, and by the end of it I was fairly over novices. Delphas has to be coming up on two years by now I think, and he still gives every novice he sees, from any guild, personal attention. Amazing. (That's what I have @Tremula and @Pectus for.)
GAs keep their sanity by proper delegation >.> MAke sure you have Secretaries, undersecs, and teachers aplenty, make sure they know their stuff, and don't be afraid to help a novice or two if no one else is around. Fania more or less perfected this in the Aquas, and I was able to reap the sweet, sweet harvest.
@Delphas is an RP helpful machine. I dont know what he drinks in the morning to keep up the hype he has.
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EveriineWise Old Swordsbird / BrontaurIndianapolis, IN, USA
I have no one to really delegate too, but worse, I have no novices really to teach . I've started sending them all letters when I'm not around to greet them when they first come around.
Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"
Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
Just piping up again, Gaudi and Halli weren't actually the orgs I was complaining about. I'll be less vague next time, I just didn't want to start hard-slamming anyone in particular.
Hallifax and Serenwilde, actually, were the two best orgs I've tried in the last few months. Gaudi wasn't bad, but it's hard for me to alt in Gaudi to get a decent testing-pool. Hard for me to get into the Spirit of the Org (tm) in general.
Edit::
Well, let me clarify. Seren was good. The Shofangi were kinda just dinking around. At the least, my questions got answered by other people and junk.
I make a point to always reach out to novices, even if they aren't in the same guild - Though, while many people are 'busy,' as you've said previously, some people actually are busy working on things for real. I know for a fact that Hallifax and a bunch of other orgs have good players who are striving to improve the reaction of other players. I think without judgements being made on each orgs response, we should just simply put it down to its something we all should be mindful of.
Her storm-coloured eyes a muted blue, Lisaera, the Silver Goddess says, "Only sorrow can come from a rotting thought, My child, just like roots that have been drowned. You are a paragon of the wisdom I would see spread throughout the Serenwilde, but even the strongest minds must find release." - A shimmering liquid appears in your inventory smelling sweetly of something carbonated. It vanishes in a puff of silver smoke seconds later. - I write things
@Delphas was the first one to introduce me to Magnagoran roleplay, and to this day he helps to maintain my love for it. His awesomeness really can't be overstated.
If I'm not running around influencing, writing stuff, and the like, I generally approach novices if I have the time. Novices disappear but eh, there's always that rare novice that stays and eventually becomes someone.
Viravain, Lady of the Thorns shouts, "And You would seize Me? Fool! I am the Glomdoring! I am the Wyrd, and beneath the cloak of Night, the shadows of the Silent stir!"
#bringShikariback
2
EveriineWise Old Swordsbird / BrontaurIndianapolis, IN, USA
I swear, the idiocy behind the respawns in Hifarae will make me kill centaurs soon.
I've been having a bit of trouble in Hifarae, too.
Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"
Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
I just wrote a sentence of which I am endlessly proud and endlessly ashamed. Or else it's enough past my bedtime that everything seems way funnier than it is. I-)
Everiine said: The reason population is low isn't because there are too many orgs. It's because so many facets of the game are outright broken and protected by those who benefit from it being that way. An overabundance of gimmicks (including game-breaking ones), artifacts that destroy any concept of balance, blatant pay-to-win features, and an obsession with convenience that makes few things actually worthwhile all contribute to the game's sad decline.
Comments
Ixion tells you, "// I don't think anyone else had a clue, amazing form."
Estarra the Eternal says, "Give Shevat the floor please."
snowmud, barefoot and leaking golden dragon milk, to steal essence.Ixion tells you, "// I don't think anyone else had a clue, amazing form."
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A shimmering liquid appears in your inventory smelling sweetly of something carbonated. It vanishes in a puff of silver smoke seconds later.
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I write things
No lie. I thought I could do it too but alas, I closed the book on my story.
You rule, @Delphas! Keep fighting the good fight!
If I'm not running around influencing, writing stuff, and the like, I generally approach novices if I have the time. Novices disappear but eh, there's always that rare novice that stays and eventually becomes someone.
Estarra the Eternal says, "Give Shevat the floor please."
...
IT IS FINISHED!!! Never have I felt so close to Sainthood. If you need me, I'll just be sitting here like this.
Ixion tells you, "// I don't think anyone else had a clue, amazing form."