World of Warcraft®

12/09/2015 12:27 PMPosted by Araceli

I would love CC to get an influx of members... maybe instead of closing CC they close WrA and force WrA to join us or move to another server -

^just a snap-shot of the overall discussion about the idea of realm merging.

I'm of two minds on that^ opinion. Let me lay this out.

I agree with the notion that CC is largely dead. At least when compared to other more populated, more active, servers CC is fairly dead.
I don't like reading or using the term "dead" because I feel it crushes hopes and dreams for those of us holding on to optimism that perhaps people will start flooding back one of these days for whatever reasons. Also (call it vain optimism perhaps) but I personally don't think CC is all that dead. We're just small and tight-knit, and such is the way of all small tight-knit communities. I did hope that our merger with SoE would breath new life, and in certain ways it has, but not in the ways I'd hoped. Regardless it is up to those of us who decide to stay to make of it what we can, and I actually think we're doing a pretty good job of it.
Then again, I don't see everything that goes on, so what do I know? ^.^ Right?

I disagree with the idea of shutting down any servers and forcing players to migrate one place or another. That destroys community.
I really do like how Blizzard handled these past mergers because they approached it in terms of "Realm" and "Community", rather than a physical "server" which I always found had a cold and disconnected feel. If Blizz approached the issue in this same light, then I wouldn't mind CC-SoE being connected with WrA, because then at least we could maintain our own identity, by and large, and still benefit from the increased population. I could get behind that.

12/11/2015 11:01 AMPosted by Araceli

This is true, but we can't join WrA guilds (which IMO are pretty damn awesome looking). And I know quite a few people who won't RP with people that aren't on CC/SoE. As in, they will put them on ignore and act like they don't exist because they aren't a part of the server.

I know, right?
I'd tinkered with the idea some time ago, swapping over to WrA, because so many of their guild RP ideas looked really neat...but I would have missed CC and Conclave terribly so I decided against it. Though I still do poke around now and then just to curiously see what's going on.

I must admit. I'm one of those people. I mean, I'll RP with anyone that approaches me (and I get the sense that they're not leading me on) regardless of server, but I don't go out of my way to contact anyone not in CC/SoE. The only time I put them on ignore is if they're somehow being unreasonable, and lets face it. There are plenty of them that completely ignore us as well, simply because we're not WrA or MG. So the knife cuts both ways. :/
A lot of my personal aversion has to do with the sour pallet I'd been left with thanks to trolls, griefers, and the unreasonable. I admit that I feel being separated (just CRZ'd) only promotes that sentiment because it still feels like two separate realms. There's not been much interest in out-reach in the past, that I can recall (maybe I'm wrong), and so it's always felt to me like two warring siblings standing on opposite sides of a room divided by a line of tape who won't even acknowledge each other. Rather silly.
When CC and SoE merged it felt (to me) like Dad (Blizz) finally tore the tape off the floor and walls and made the siblings hug each other. We still have our own space but we're sharing the same room now so we had no other choice but communicate. Maybe that's what Blizz has to do again for us and WrA?

12/11/2015 01:41 PMPosted by Caileanmor

A lot of my personal aversion has to do with the sour pallet I'd been left with thanks to trolls, griefers, and the unreasonable.

This. More then anything, is the issue plaguing things for me.

Putting us in with WRA wouldn't fix this issue for the bulk of people on CC. It would just bring the baggage with us into a new place, that has it's own baggage, and do nothing but make everyone angry.

We have the legacy of the Old Guard to get past. Until we do, we're not going to see forward movement.

No one did anything if they weren't either in the Old Guard, part of the Old Guard Guilds, or had their tacit approval.

And now, for the most part, they're gone.
Or have turned bitter, jaded, and yet still, utterly adorable.
Preens.

So it's up to the people who want to see things improve, to stop waiting for people to make their story lines for them, put on their DM hats and get to work.

And, if I'm truthful? It's not gonna be all fun. Plots are going to bounce, or not get picked up, or go in ways you don't want them to go, but you, like the crazy old folks before you, have to work past it, and keep chugging until you find the ones that work.

I'm not going to say I'll be making up plots or storylines, I've tried it before and I guess I just don't have that magic. However, I'll help as I can. Feathers will help, I'm sure.

Moving us won't fix things. Constantly bringing up another server as if it's the Marsha to our Jan won't fix things. Telling people who want to RP to join another server won't fix things either.

So stop bringing up WRA as if it's the only bloody answer.
If you're happy there. I'm happy for you.

Stay there, and let us fix our server.

I was going to make a big response and thought it over. Everyone has said some form of what I would have said so instead all I say is this. I have my main horde side, and I have a main ally side. If you ever want to rp or chit chat or figure something out. Feel free to hit me up!

Also if you can't find me just ask one of the guard for my battletag. :)

We are what we make of the community, and I'm here to have fun.

So, I've actually been working on a plot to involve others outside of my itty bitty circle (of...three people), and the events are currently on-going to *lead up to* getting others involved. The main reason I haven't posted the events on anything but my guild website forums is for two main fears:

1) The public folks will like it, and run with it, and it will take off to the moon to the point where I no longer control any of it.
OR
2) The public folks will reject it, find all the holes in it, and simply make it no fun for me and my blissful/ignorant peeps.

So I currently feel there are a few ways to mitigate these fears:

1) Design a plot that, *if* it takes off and becomes a bigger thing, it doesn't matter if you control every aspect, you just set the premise, and you've done your job as an RP enabler (and just watch it ride).

2) Ensure everyone who wishes to take part in the plot agrees on the lore/premise beforehand.

3) Write out certain rules, lore guidelines, and such to basically micromanage the crap out of the plot (at which point...it's a little less fun for folks that don't wish to read it and just want to run with it.)

Keep in mind that while I am not new to RP in general, I am very new to MMORP. So my questions for the veterans out there that have done this "since the beginning" are thus:

1) How does one gauge interest/acceptance of an idea with a crowd without spoiling the plot line?

2) If I want folks to be, say, captured for extended periods of time, how do I get that end result eventually without denying someone their main character from weekly events?

3) If there are parts of the story that are impossible to actually act out in-game (like interaction between several of my characters, your character AND a naga), what venue do we use instead, or do we just use the game as a supplemental visual aid?

4) How does one recruit villains and victims?

To begin my reply, I will copy/paste my thoughts on the situation as I posted it on the Doomguard website...

"Originally, I fought to get Doomguard back up and running just for the revival of the premise. I didn't want the purpose and spirit to be forgotten. But since then, its grown larger than I'd hoped an has become a strong force in and of itself. If we gained this much internal momentum in the space of a year, what can we do for the community of the Horde as a whole? What can we do for the entire CC/SoE community, Alliance included?"

"Personally, I've been spending a portion of my time A-side so I can get to know people and make connections. My vision of seeing each side become less insular and more cooperative in cross faction involvement is very possible. As the days go by, we are seeing the lines blur. We now have several people who have alts in guilds of opposing factions that are developing friendships. This is an important step, but it can't be the only one."

"We need to get involved with the rest of the community like this on a larger scale. I would urge everyone to consider that we have a powerful tool to help facilitate that already... The AAMS. They've been regrettably underutilized. Also, Lili has done quite a bit to find connections for RP opportunities on a large scale. Ultimately, the responsibility of growth and involvement falls on us all..."

Now, with that said...

Roleplaying is a community effort. It lives through our participation. If only a few neurons are firing in this brain of a server we have, it works, but only technically. It appears dead as so many have stated. Guess what? There is RP here, folks. And plenty of it. It just needs to be better advertised. But I think that if each of us, every one of us, ALL RP'ers come together and demonstrate what a community means, this server will ignite with activity. I know that when I first came on the scene here around 2009, I didn't know where to start. I spent two months just walking around trying to see people who looked like they might be RP'ing. (Thank God I didn't go to Silvermoon.)

New players on this server can be equally confused. Hell, even folks that have been around can find it frustrating because there is no communication about the when/where/why about events. It's an easy rut to fall into, letting your core group come together for a bit of evening fun. I'm guilty of it, not gonna lie. I'm sorry. I would challenge others like me to consider what the server would be like if we came out of our shell just a little bit and told other RP groups about some events or plots... the general public? Imagine the players who are not part of a guild, whether it be for IC and/or OOC reasons. What missed opportunity do they have by RP'ing with us? What missed opportunity do WE have by including them?

There are so many of you out there that I don't know. But i'd like to. For example: Liabelle, I've never met you but after reading your post two lines up, I think I'd like to. I like your attitude. Caileanmor, you're another one I have had zero contact with and I regret that because I read your posts and you seem to be a very thoughtful person. I can extrapolate that RP with either of you must be entertaining. And it CAN be if we open the door. You, me, everybody. Unlock, unbolt, and unbar the thing and throw it open. To hell with the comfort zone of our familiar faces, let's build something exciting and new!

I feel like i'm rambling, I apologise, it's been a long day at work so i'm bushed... But folks, PLEASE. This is our server. This is our home that we've levelled on and stayed true to. Our established friendships and alliances are already here... Let's make it better by opening the door.

Aside from the weekly events, the RP does seem much quieter than when I first started coming to the Recluse several years ago. I remember walking in and seeing multiple 'people' at each table on any given evening. Good times, and I'm not sure how or if that will ever come back...

Last night's RP brought up another good point for RP!

Remember we have IC channels!

Hearthstone on the horde side
HearthstoneIC on A side

Even if folks may not be able to get Physically involved in the RP it gives them a chance to join in the chatter and get an idea of what's going on.

12/14/2015 05:45 PMPosted by Cerulana

So, I've actually been working on a plot to involve others outside of my itty bitty circle (of...three people), and the events are currently on-going to *lead up to* getting others involved. The main reason I haven't posted the events on anything but my guild website forums is for two main fears:

1) The public folks will like it, and run with it, and it will take off to the moon to the point where I no longer control any of it.
OR
2) The public folks will reject it, find all the holes in it, and simply make it no fun for me and my blissful/ignorant peeps.

So I currently feel there are a few ways to mitigate these fears:

1) Design a plot that, *if* it takes off and becomes a bigger thing, it doesn't matter if you control every aspect, you just set the premise, and you've done your job as an RP enabler (and just watch it ride).

2) Ensure everyone who wishes to take part in the plot agrees on the lore/premise beforehand.

3) Write out certain rules, lore guidelines, and such to basically micromanage the crap out of the plot (at which point...it's a little less fun for folks that don't wish to read it and just want to run with it.)

Keep in mind that while I am not new to RP in general, I am very new to MMORP. So my questions for the veterans out there that have done this "since the beginning" are thus:

1) How does one gauge interest/acceptance of an idea with a crowd without spoiling the plot line?

2) If I want folks to be, say, captured for extended periods of time, how do I get that end result eventually without denying someone their main character from weekly events?

3) If there are parts of the story that are impossible to actually act out in-game (like interaction between several of my characters, your character AND a naga), what venue do we use instead, or do we just use the game as a supplemental visual aid?

4) How does one recruit villains and victims?

I did a huge plot line years ago with Armaya. Basically she sent (anonymously) a bunch o fcursed relics to people and guilds. It was up to people if they wanted to participate or not. A lot of people didn't, a lot of people did. Some people said it was godmodding despite me writing down the specifics of the curse effecting everyone differently. Some people went so far as to kill off some of their toons that got cursed, others were cursed heavily and for a while.

I actually went to go find the thread in case you wanted to read it and get some ideas of how people may/may not react:

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2489081320#17

As far as finding villians and victims, Modas Il Toralar is always a villian guild. I'm the GM (Armaya), and Trenetir is normally around at least every other night if you want to involve us.

Victims, I have quite a few that I wouldn't mind involving. :-)

12/16/2015 11:34 PMPosted by Micah

As far as finding villians and victims, Modas Il Toralar is always a villian guild. I'm the GM (Armaya), and Trenetir is normally around at least every other night if you want to involve us.

Add Gorehand onto that list, too. I don't have as much of a presence as Tren (yet) but I do log her for garrison maintenance at least once a day. I also have two other horde alts I'm working to level whose RP I'm still working out. Two orc and a forsaken villains available ^.^

12/16/2015 11:34 PMPosted by Micah

Victims, I have quite a few that I wouldn't mind involving. :-)

Ditto me on that list as well! ^.^ I have a myriad of fleshed out alts who I wouldn't mind involving as a victim. Contact me however you can (bnet, mail, email if you have it) and I'm more than happy to chat about it!

I will be floating around. Come to me. We'll start something on the spot. I've got a thing for long-arching plots with absolutely minimal OOC contact. IC- 5man dungeons, utilizing the broad variety of available locations. Sort of thing.

WfC is still kicking around Hordeside, but we've outgrown it. Onwards to something more befitting.

Having not read every single post in excruciating detail, I'll throw my bit in here.

Some of you may remember me from way back when. I was guild lead for The Rising Sun Fellowship (RSF) for a handful of years before it fell apart. I've been playing on CC for a while now (since early Cata, pretty much), and I'm one of the, still barely kicking, WfC folk floating around now.

I've vanished off of the server because of RL, namely design school, but I plan on being around more and more. As I have no home guild at the moment, I'm looking around and poking for a more active guild to be a part of, but that's not really the point of this.

My two cents:

I watched CC fall off a bit, and I ended up leaving the server (and game) because of RL. However, the community drama that went on is something I'm familiar with. I've had a presence horde side and ally-side (Bravery), but I am more then willing to start ANYTHING up.

I think that there's a lot going on here, and I think that this thread is a great start. I've been talking to a couple of friends about starting something in an entirely spare time, whenever you're on kind of deal. Not reliant on anyone else. Still sorting out exactly how to make that tick, but I'm more than happy to work on anything with anyone.

If I'm not on CC, you can probably find me on Elrynn Ally-side on Alleria, or for those of you with my btag, on there.

EDIT: *Waves at Lio*

I left the game for over a year due to life and other commitments, upon returning I have found it hard to get re-intergrated.The reason I initially came to CC was the RP and the community. I joined at the invitation of friends who had moved here from Moon Guard, Sadly they have left the game for the most part and I am pretty much on my own once more. I have played on other servers, but still find CC the most welcoming and easy to get involved in. It's frustrating though that RP seems always limited to the same small areas. I am happy to see the cross realm site. Hopefully this will help me to get reconnected with people. I prefer smaller simpler stories, mysteries and lesser quests. I would love to have the time to write up a story line and run people through it, but sadly life is keeping me too busy to be able to commit to it or sustain it. I will do what I can in a support role just let me know what you need and I will do what i can.

12/16/2015 11:34 PMPosted by Micah

As far as finding villians and victims, Modas Il Toralar is always a villian guild. I'm the GM (Armaya), and Trenetir is normally around at least every other night if you want to involve us.

If Trenetir lives that long <sharpens sword>

12/16/2015 11:34 PMPosted by Micah

As far as finding villians and victims, Modas Il Toralar is always a villian guild. I'm the GM (Armaya), and Trenetir is normally around at least every other night if you want to involve us.

If Trenetir lives that long <sharpens sword>

*stuffs Yuuko in a box* Bad!

Considering the importance of this thread, and since I like to believe I am an active member of this community, I'll toss in my few cents for those willing to read it.

The main point I want to drive home here is "Community". I get that that term has been tossed around a lot inside of this thread, but I don't think anyone has really defined it or brought up what it means and how we go about strengthening it. As someone who believes in noting all aspects of an argument, I'll bring up both positives and negatives in regards to our community. And with all my points, I will tie them back to 'community' in the sense of being together.

First, to define community, I'll provide two definitions that fit. (Taken from google)

1.a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common

2.a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals

I think we satisfy the place and purpose of each fairly well. We live on a RP server, and we all enjoy RP. Here's where I get critical. Despite being on CC and enjoying RP, we rarely group to share our common interests and express our goals.

One of the easiest cases to make for this is our weekly events. We have three of them. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday with Medic/Trouby, Tavery Night, and Sermon respectively. All three are fantastic events. All three promote RP and a sense of community. However, with the exception of Feathers of Iron, no guild actively participates in all three. In fact, outside of Feathers, almost no guild really participates in any of them. I don't consider 1's and 2's to be indicative of guild participation. I call that personal player interest.

If our server is serious about RP, then we should all begin taking a more active role in these events. These are weekly, scripted, easy. We have the manpower (assuming that running joke about 15 players and 60 characters isn't true). My challenge to those griping is come to these events. Be active with what we have and then we can talk about making more.

Now, when looking at non-scripted event RP, which is very healthy for a RP server because it tends to be spontaneous and involve really anybody there and willing, admittedly we have some work to do. And admittedly, we got screwed in WoD. Garrisons are in my opinion the worst possible thing that could have happened for RP servers because instead of bringing people together (Community!) they tear players away from each other and isolate them in their own mini-worlds.

While RP is appealing, there are other aspects of this game that are 'also' appealing. I for one, enjoying raiding, pvp, and doing work on my alts. The choice to go and engage in RP is weighed and balanced against these others, and I'm sure its the same for everyone. We could have a server meeting and discuss ways to "make RP more appealing", so that #'s participating in RP go up. Or we could something that seems so natural and yet so rare here and combine them. Why do RP, PvE and PvP need to be separated? And frankly, "elitist a-holes" is a terrible excuse. Why not farm Kazzak as a RP community weekly? Why not raid an enemy city as a RP community? Why not raid as a community? These activities all bring members of our community together. So unless the members of our community don't really like each other, and we aren't as 'tight knit' as we seem, all of these should also be happening.

Severs are based around community. Our community is supposed to be RP, but RP is a very abstract niche of the game that really doesn't progress characters in any way. Allow for other aspects of the game to be incorporated into RP and I think participation may increase. Honestly, I think the stress on RP is misplaced. Let's get our 'community base' intact, and then we can worry more about setting up fancy RP events.

Thank you for reading.

Well said, Boh! Also don't forget Horde side stuff as well: The Doctas also holds a med clinic, and AAMS holds a Lounge Night on Saturdays (which a lot of our A-side folks also attend on their horde toons). And again, Feathers also holds a Thursday Night open office mercenary hiring. LOTS of weekly events! (that's a lot of work)

I'm kind of curious though - what about RP events/plots? Short term, non-routine, 3-5 week plotlines? Could have each one hosted by one guild/individual or another. Bards would hold a multi-day show, someone starts up a rumor about an item of chaos, or that Red Mage thing we had going, or a sickness going around (that one was done recently), or a big scavenger hunt thing. Or those into RPPvP could hold a big contested multi-day battle we all join in, make friends, make rivals, kill a few people, rez a few people, fun times.

Routine events are great as predictable RP settings where plots and events can start off, but I think it's those big plots that really make things fun and allow us to mix better.