Cre 73 Posted July 28, 2018 (edited) Evening Epsilon, I'd like to encourage a healthy discussion regarding start zones. Recently (this evening) a lot of comments have been made toward the amount of individuals sitting in start when several phases are hosting. At the time of writing this post three phases are hosting: Light's Harbor, Emerald Island, and Evancrest. At the same time 14 people are sitting in start on a server with 68 people online. That is 20% of the online players sitting in start. So, what are the benefits of start? Would life on private RP servers be better without a start zone? Would it encourage people to go to phases more? Discuss below. Edited July 28, 2018 by Ross Formatting Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mithaniel 66 Posted July 28, 2018 There's no benefits. Please do away with it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Firestorm 16 Posted July 28, 2018 i actually support this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Insomnia 76 Posted July 28, 2018 I believe whilst they serve their purpose to some extent they also give people the opportunity to sit around idly. I believe abolishing them would be the best move to encourage people to gather somewhere else - IE, public phases - this forces people into roleplay scenarios and out of sitting about idly. This makes a more active community and if it were REALLY wanted, someone could simply make an OOC phase and list it for people to gather in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zach 14 Posted July 28, 2018 Actually a pretty solid idea come to think of it, I like. start removal when? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gork W. Bush 36 Posted July 28, 2018 People bitched and moaned about them not being able to RP without 7.3. (Yet RPH is in 7.1 and they seem to be just fine RPing there.) Since 7.3 has come I've seen the same repetitive annoying bullshit, people still whine about a lack of RP yet when it's delivered to them sit in start and complain about something else like children, or simply go silent. I believe that the removal of the starting area would help encourage people to RP more, or they're forced to make a phase of some sort. (But that requires effort, something people don't really like putting into things.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Firestorm 16 Posted July 28, 2018 the community is too small for a start zone. everyone just flocks there and then there's no RP, and then they complain about no RP. maybe in the future if the population has, say, doubled, and RP activity isn't an issue, then we should look into introducing a start zone again. also the start zone was built by LTB burn it please. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Silcore 22 Posted July 28, 2018 Without a starting zone, new players (and new characters) will instead be greeted by a lifeless native starting zone for their race. Not seeing nearby players masks how many players are actually online, and in a server with an already sub-100 peak population, this could greatly diminish players' eagerness to remain on Epsilon. This is especially detrimental in situations where there are no phases being actively hosted. What are players left with if there isn't RP to immediately jump into? A world without interaction and no central location for them to convene at. All in all, it seems like it would hurt the server if the starting zone wasn't present. Rather than removing the zone, people should simply be encouraged to participate in the RP that is happening. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mithaniel 66 Posted July 28, 2018 Your argument is invalid when people are just going to congegrate to a start zone and -not- go to a phase hosting, just like tonight. There's at least one phase thats open 24/7 - DMing not always there, but you don't always need a DM. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Void 33 Posted July 28, 2018 I don't think that having a start zone prevents people from RPing. If people want to RP then they will go to a phase that is hosting. The purpose of start, is first of all, for new characters to sit and gear up/set up their TRP. It also offers a place for people to sit around and do nothing. Yeah, that sounds useless. But what's the harm? If we get rid of start zone (which doesn't make sense to begin with, unless each race just spawns in their respective faction capital) there won't be more RP, there will just be less people online. Because there's no collective OOC area to gather when either there isn't RP available, or they don't want to RP. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Silcore 22 Posted July 28, 2018 Just now, Mithaniel said: Your argument is invalid when people are just going to congegrate to a start zone and -not- go to a phase hosting, just like tonight. There's at least one phase thats open 24/7 - DMing not always there, but you don't always need a DM. But if people aren't interested in visiting the phase that is being hosted, why should we punish their lack of desire for RP? The starting zone gives them a place to congregate with other players in an OOC manner. Removing it only encourages them to play a different game between interesting phases being hosted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Void 33 Posted July 28, 2018 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Mithaniel said: Your argument is invalid when people are just going to congegrate to a start zone and -not- go to a phase hosting, just like tonight. There's at least one phase thats open 24/7 - DMing not always there, but you don't always need a DM. So if I want to play on Epsilon, I have to sit alone in my own phase or join another one I don't like? Edited July 28, 2018 by Arbiter Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gork W. Bush 36 Posted July 28, 2018 There are phases that are brand new that get absolutely no attention because people want to sit in start and continue to COMPLAIN, it wouldn't be a probably if people just sat in start and didn't complain, but it's the fact that people that complain choose to stick their thumbs up their asses in start, and regarding the new players? Simple really, have a book spawn in their inventory that lists commands or having something that directs them to a forum post listing every single command. The population issue, well it's not hard to do /who. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Insomnia 76 Posted July 28, 2018 Granted, you may not always like a phase but as of now we need to find someway to encourage RP. There have been many coming and passing phases and guilds over the previous few months. Nobody has really joined them and they've all died due to inactivity. What's more unencouraging than the world feeling empty? The world being empty, no RP. If the rate of RP continues as is, Epsilon will die within two months tops. Cool features and tech will only get you so far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gork W. Bush 36 Posted July 28, 2018 2 minutes ago, Arbiter said: So if I want to play on Epsilon, I have to sit alone in my own phase or join another one I don't like? Yeah, deal with it..Do you not have friends? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mithaniel 66 Posted July 28, 2018 What should be done is people trying to bring about more RP, not sit around in a ugly half-assed start zone doing nothing to contribute to the RP community. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Void 33 Posted July 28, 2018 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Gork W. Bush said: There are phases that are brand new that get absolutely no attention because people want to sit in start and continue to COMPLAIN, it wouldn't be a probably if people just sat in start and didn't complain This isn't the fault of the server having a startzone. It's the fault of individual players not having the initiative or desire to actually get involved in RP. 1 minute ago, Gork W. Bush said: Yeah, deal with it..Do you not have friends? Nice argument. Edited July 28, 2018 by Arbiter Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gork W. Bush 36 Posted July 28, 2018 Just now, Arbiter said: This isn't the fault of the server having a startzone. It's the fault of individual players not having the initiative or desire to actually get involved in RP. Nice argument. Thanks man, I'm not wrong. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gork W. Bush 36 Posted July 28, 2018 Just now, Arbiter said: I don't feel the need to humor your own justification for my point; it said more about you than me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogos binted? 15 Posted July 28, 2018 After giving it some thought, I think there isn't really harm in a communal area for people to spend time in OOC. However, that doesn't mean that area shouldn't be changed at all. The people I've invited to this server have a really poor opinion of the starting area. From the outside looking in, Dranosh Valley in the main phase is where trolls loiter and sling stupid insults and crass comments back and forth at each other. Dicking around OOC can be fun, but there are people who come to servers like this primarily for RP, and I know two people who were dissuaded from getting involved in the community by the way people act out of character. I'm sure they are far from the only people who have been turned off to this community too, and it stinks, because there are a lot of cool, creative roleplayers here. Start is the absolute first impression people have of Epsilon. I actually think it's good that it is populated, after a little consideration. I wish the ratio of people in start to people elsewhere wasn't quite so noticeable, but it's not something that can be fixed in a day, or even in a week. In start I often say, "What if someone who is new here sees you acting like that? Do you think they'll stick around?" It's preposterous to try to change people outright, but maybe changing some expectations of people here through minor rule changes would help. Also, you want your photos printed? Bogos binted? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gork W. Bush 36 Posted July 28, 2018 2 minutes ago, bogos binted? said: After giving it some thought, I think there isn't really harm in a communal area for people to spend time in OOC. However, that doesn't mean that area shouldn't be changed at all. The people I've invited to this server have a really poor opinion of the starting area. From the outside looking in, Dranosh Valley in the main phase is where trolls loiter and sling stupid insults and crass comments back and forth at each other. Dicking around OOC can be fun, but there are people who come to servers like this primarily for RP, and I know two people who were dissuaded from getting involved in the community by the way people act out of character. I'm sure they are far from the only people who have been turned off to this community too, and it stinks, because there are a lot of cool, creative roleplayers here. Start is the absolute first impression people have of Epsilon. I actually think it's good that it is populated, after a little consideration. I wish the ratio of people in start to people elsewhere wasn't quite so noticeable, but it's not something that can be fixed in a day, or even in a week. In start I often say, "What if someone who is new here sees you acting like that? Do you think they'll stick around?" It's preposterous to try to change people outright, but maybe changing some expectations of people here through minor rule changes would help. Also, you want your photos printed? Bogos binted? I love you, you are my spirit animal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tachyon 5 Posted July 29, 2018 As a new player, any time I've been in start it's been a bad experience. Going to phases and roleplaying is awesome. Being in start just feels like it's only a matter of time until someone says something awful and then I just-- really don't want to be a part of that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Firestorm 16 Posted July 29, 2018 1 minute ago, tachyon said: As a new player, any time I've been in start it's been a bad experience. Going to phases and roleplaying is awesome. Being in start just feels like it's only a matter of time until someone says something awful and then I just-- really don't want to be a part of that. New players should not need to experience that from this community. Usually players are just toxic towards eachother and most of the time it's a joke, however, (sometimes it's serious) but regardless it's never a good impression. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gork W. Bush 36 Posted July 29, 2018 7 minutes ago, tachyon said: As a new player, any time I've been in start it's been a bad experience. Going to phases and roleplaying is awesome. Being in start just feels like it's only a matter of time until someone says something awful and then I just-- really don't want to be a part of that. You are a blessing, welcome to Epsilon my friend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites