How many people will still be here at relaunch?

[Rand]

I will be back and my cahracters will be just as active before, nothing stopped them from talking to themselves before lol. And even if they do get bored with the empty cities I have a feeling the remaining players will coagulate in some form or another. I am still in withdrawal mode, one fo the symptoms of withdrawal is anger, so I know I'm still craving .

[Axim]

I'll be coming back for relaunch!

[Alladinsane]

I am not sure about the 'coagulation' theory. Only because there a quite a few strong personalities here and we have all heard the stupid cliche (and will hear it again!) about "too many chiefs". There may be some migration to popular or centralized spots which will lower the # of spawnpoints initially, but every 'Chief' will eventually make their way outwards (which is a good thing!), but the # of characters they take with them could be crippling to the original spawn cities. I actually like this idea, but it depends on how many new players we can draw into the Cantr addiction.

I can see myself (and others) as the smarmy pusher who hangs out in chatrooms trying to get the 'kiddies' to just try my product. Maybe they will stay. Regardless, I think that we as players (though its arguably not true RP) should go out of our way to be nice to new-spawns for a undetermined period of time, even if the newspawn might be a veteran. Word of mouth. Look what just 12 apostles did!

And as for you, snick! I cannot believe that you are lecturing me.


Be well

[BrentW]

Being more nice to newspawns would be nice. In FTO kids more times then not were treated like shit if they did not do everything perfectly. players were like oh we treated our kids great yea maybe one out of ten. A lot of players left cause of that. I would guess the same thing happens here. And I get it they are a pain in the ass but hey one more player means like what 15 chars?

[Miri]

From my Cantr experience a newspawn that is not a) sleepspawn or b) notethief and shows some will to live will, in about 95% of cases, be treated as a godsend. In most places there's an abundance of basic stuff, free for newspawns, and there's always some work to do. The most difficult thing is for the newspawn to find himself an aim/way to live. There are many town leaders who would give such a bare-butt with nothing but a vision everything he would possibly need, just to make something finally happening in their town.

I find the worst thing in Cantr that people are getting sleepy because there's nothing happening around - because other people has got sleepy because there has been nothing happening around them - and so on and on. Luckily, there's a suitable amount of people who are doing their best not to let others around them fall asleep sleep. Thanks to you all

[Snake]

How many people will still be here at relaunch?

No one. Cantr is dead. [*][*][*]

[Doug R.]

I spawned 5 on the same day. My rule: I'd only play the ones that were directly spoken to. Only two survived. The rest were ignored. So, don't put everything on their shoulders for them to prove themselves - a simple hello can go a long way.

[chase02]

Yet another thread on the newspawn problem! I'd be curious to know what percentage of threads here touch on the same issue!

This really is an issue that lies more with the mechanics than the player base. Players are bound to get tired of new characters at some point - that much is inevitable. So you ask yourself, why is this? Thievery, random attacks on other characters, uninteresting roleplay or just plain 'sleepers'. Many of them are looking for 'quick wins' to climb the power ladder in an often-times slow-moving world.

In a world without hard coded levelling or quests, it is far too easy for characters to stagnate. Games are played for enjoyment and escape, but without story arcs, highs and lows, conflict, or a specific goal or target, things are going to get dull very quickly. This is the category the majority of characters in cantr will fall into, unwillingly. In terms of a society simulator, it is quite successful - the sad truth is most people lead unremarkable lives. This is not inherently *bad* per se, but it must be appreciated that people turn to games to find that notoriety - to play the hero or the villain. To be remarkable.

Now, when I say hero, I do not necessarily refer to combat. Some may be negotiators, politicians, conquering by the spoken and written word. Some may be the scientists, striving to map the lands, or the herbal medicinal combinations. The drivers here are very varied, and part of understanding the newspawn problem here requires an intimate understanding of the player base make up here.

To cut a long story short, cantr needs to look at this problem from a mechanics side, make some changes and watch the effects flow from there. These are design issues I am taking very seriously in Reveri.es, with a many pronged approach to this behaviour.

Early reward and milestones are critical. Continual and complex conflict. Making the individual powerful and truly unique from spawn, so they can really make things interesting, in more rewarding and lasting ways other than thievery.

[Snickie]

Okay, so I just got home from rehearsal.....I was going to post this before Snake's very uplifting post, but I didn't have enough time to type it all out. So here it is.

one more player means like what 15 chars?

I've been playing since the end of May, and I only have seven characters. Granted, I have plans for more, but it's a tough job keeping those characters consistent and distinct from each other (unless you like playing only one style, but to me that defeats the purpose of the game). I know people on here who still have only two characters, and they've been playing longer than I have. But not everybody here has fifteen characters, so we can't realistically expect every new player to have fifteen characters.

It's hard. I'm probably outing myself here, but here is a summary of my characters:

1. Weird, hardly any personality, bad accent.
2. Blonde, in love, sings
3. Blunt, formal, sarcastic but knows when to be courteous
4. Formal, courteous
5. Somewhat mute, perpetually frustrated, formal
6. Quirky, sings, not much of a personality
7. Sweet, perpetually happy, illiterate

I started out with 1 and 2. I never really had a plan for 1 other than the accent, and 2 I had more of an idea of her personality and whatnot with. I made 3 (Snick) eleven days later, with a much clearer vision of her personality in mind. Twelve days later I made 4 (who is obscure enough that I feel no need to describe her since probably nobody here knows her), followed by 5 ten days after that. Both I had clear visions of them when I spawned them, but the circumstances altered them into something else, something almost completely different. 6 I made a week afterwards, an attempt at a decent male character. Finally I made 7 two weeks later, allowed myself to see her more clearly once I knew her skills and other traits.

Today, 1 is my worst character in that he has no distinct personality. Sure, he's nice, but there hasn't been much of a chance for him to develop, and honestly I don't know what to do with him as far as personality. 6 and 5 are closely tied for my second worst: both are based off of real life people, and I do a terrible job with them by my standards, IMO. If 4 were in a more populated area, she is what 5 would most likely be if 5 could talk properly, so they're very much the same. 3 and 4 are also very similar, but in different ways than 4 and 5 are similar. Recent events (er, not so recent anymore....) have made me severely dislike 5, although it should be getting better soon (game-time, obviously). 2, my blonde, was spawned as not very smart.....this is not the case today, but I love who she has turned into, obsessions and all. 7 is probably my best character in terms of consistency, not to mention she is unbelievably fun to play. Originally I thought her difficult because she is so unlike me in almost every way, but since she is more developed now it is easier and immensely more enjoyable. I am actually proud (I hate using that term, I feel like it makes me sound arrogant) about what I have done with that character as far as personality.

But if I were to create another character (which I have plans for one, but there are still things I need to work out to make sure 8 doesn't become a clone of one of my other characters), I'd have to be able to keep that character's personality separate from my other chars' personalities. It's difficult. There are situations where certain characters of mine would respond exactly the same way. Three of my characters like boats, for example, and have considered getting their own boats somehow to go sailing. One of them might actually get to do that. Four of my characters might have feelings for another character, but they're all too afraid to show them. (2 does not count in that statistic, as she is, in fact, engaged, and she loves it and she loves her fiancee and she's not afraid to show it.)

So for me, I plan my characters very carefully (now! it's obvious I didn't do much with 1) and how they turn out in the end is based on the context of their situation. I can't just spawn characters in mass quantities and keep only the ones that interact with people. If a planned character spawns in the mountains with no food and sleepers, I'm going to travel that character to find sustenance. Fortunately for me, this hasn't happened to me yet; the closest was with 4, who spawned in a place with only two other people and the rare visitor. Which is fine because it means I can spend more time with the characters I really like playing, and with the characters I am making an honest effort to like playing.

......I'm going to stop now, before I give myself away any more.

[Alladinsane]

I like chases' post but have to ask what types of things you could program in? I am quite ignorant about it, so dumb it down for me if you deem my inquiry worthy of a reply. I also have to wonder that if you alter the 'mechanics' of the game, are you narrowing or otherwise influencing the personalities and forcing them into a somewhat stereotypical mold? I like the mutes, the crazies, and other imaginative characters I have met and would hate to see them overly limited by whatever 'mechanics' are. (this isn't an attack, so please forgive me if I offend anyone. I'm just curious)

Like Snick, I try to have a vision of who my characters will be in the personality category at least. Locations and other circumstances may affect how they develop, but the internal flaws remain dormant until, or if, conditions allow them to rise. Some are also spontaneous I guess...I know one of my characters is homophobic, I didn't envision him that way, he just wasn't in the mood to play some grab-butt games with a few guys who were bored. I am still developing this one, but its not a major driver within the game and he is not predatory, only defensive, in his 'condition'.

So far, I haven't cared if I had any 'heroes' in the game (8 characters now, 7 are male), I mostly just wanted to enjoy the interaction with an intelligent group and my spiritual gift in these area's is mostly comedic. If I can get people to laugh with stuff I do in character, then its a good day. 3 of my characters use regional and physical accents as a prop device and 2 of those are the first characters I have ever had. Apparently people kill the funny guy last! The quest for a laugh has drawn me OOC a few times, be patient, I am still relatively new at this...and it was funny, so I had to say it!

My characters elsewhere have eventually migrated to a bland sameness though Part of it is due to the environment as I need somebody to do or say something before I can get a zinger in, and some of them are just as bland as myself. Nice enough, just not inclined in the same manner. I have one somewhat quiet guy, except when women are around, who really creates some opportunities for deadpan humor, but thats always a risky proposition if nobody gets the punchline...they just think you're wierd and to a degree they are right.

I hope that the opportunities resume soon and haven't posted my October "Thank You" to all the people who work on this project/world (till now). I know that you work hard for little reward at times and want you to know that its appreciated by so many of us. We are still here and are glad that you are too. Thanks!

Be well

[Snickie]

So far, I haven't cared if I had any 'heroes' in the game (8 characters now, 7 are male), I mostly just wanted to enjoy the interaction with an intelligent group and my spiritual gift in these area's is mostly comedic. If I can get people to laugh with stuff I do in character, then its a good day. 3 of my characters use regional and physical accents as a prop device and 2 of those are the first characters I have ever had. Apparently people kill the funny guy last! The quest for a laugh has drawn me OOC a few times, be patient, I am still relatively new at this...and it was funny, so I had to say it!

....deadpan humor, but thats always a risky proposition if nobody gets the punchline...they just think you're wierd and to a degree they are right.

I KNOW WHO YOU PLAY.

Just lettin' ya know.

And yes, it was absolutely necessary that I post that first sentence in all caps.

[DylPickle]

Is it sad that I wish cantr would relaunch with a reset and a new map?

[Miri]

It certainly would be interesting - a completely new world, a history to write from the very beginning. The islands could be made smaller, and resources could be reorganised to diversify regions more and promote long-way trade, for example.
But the bad thing is it could cause a disaster for our 'players' resource. I'm sure there are many people hanging around just because of their bond with their current characters. Without it...

[Snickie]

Is it sad that I wish cantr would relaunch with a reset and a new map?

Oh, please, no! I've worked too hard with my existing characters to completely start over! D:

I would miss 2 and her fiancee and the lovely story they have going on.
I'd miss 7 and her random (but consistent) stories.
I'd miss 5 (shocking!) because of everything I have planned for her.
3 I would miss; her town is just so interesting and whatnot. And she's probably my most successful character in terms of how many things she's somewhat good at.
I have so many things planned for 6, despite my being terrible at roleplaying him.
I'd miss 1 and his random malapropisms and jokes. ( "THEM! -points at nothing-" ) This is despite my being absolutely horrible at roleplaying him.
Even 4 I would miss. She's such a nice character, but nobody gets to see that.

I've put too much work and thought into those characters. Please don't reset the whole game.

[Chroma Key]

But the bad thing is it could cause a disaster for our 'players' resource. I'm sure there are many people hanging around just because of their bond with their current characters. Without it...

Precisely.
One of my chars walked for 30+ years just to find some wood. Because of him and his companion, the area has now progressed from a primitive land to a more modern one. His friends and he did not even have a bloody hammer before he set off on his journey. I really have no wish to go back to that or worse. He has a car to make, for goodness sake! And a proposal!
Not to mention the others' chars to whom mine are attached.
If you want a reset, I can point you in the direction of a lot of unexplored land (There is too much of it, is my understanding. I might be wrong) for you to rewrite the history etc. But please, even the mention of a reset is enough to raise my hair!