Apathy

[Mykey]

There seems to be an epidemic.... granted I`ve only been playing a little over a week, and I`m only running 8 charries at the moment. But seriously.... Why is nothing going on? Short of some fairly poor RP with only one noticeable exception, there really seems to be nothing happening. Sure, some people are working, but they seem aimless in their labors. Is it because all of my chars are newspawns? There is no government, no history, no grand schemes, very little discussion. The only written records consist soley of maps and religious rantings. Where is the hiearchy, conflict history, and character aspirations. A day or even a week for that matter is just one long attempt at finding someone who talks. When, and if you can get them to do that, you had better only be speaking of juvenile flirting and self-pity or noone will talk to you for long.

I find it all very discouraging and contagious. Just once, instead of a town dictator very boringly passing out mundane task with no implied sense of direction. I would like to see someone go off on a rant about politics, motivation, warfare, social issues, goals of the state or corporation, anything but random guy in thirties nudges up against random girl in fourties, or I need x, y, and z done if you got time and I don`t have time to explain why or if there is any purpose to it.

Ehh maybe I`m just expecting to much... too much caffeine today....
I really do see why this game has trouble keeping new players though, things should be more exciting and interesting. I remember 8 years ago you had atleast 3 or 4 people in EVERY town trying to coerce every newspawn they saw into joining them on some high and mighty ideal.

Even 5 years ago You`d easily find a clique inside of 3 days. I`m really hoping my judgement is premature, but for the most part all I`m seeing is a big hippy-fest. Alot of whispering and absolutely nothing happening, sure some oil gets pumped, some steel is being refined, but to what end ????

Where are all the plotters and schemers? I do realize it`s probably not wise to go announcing your plans to anyone, but hell would anyone even notice if you did? It`s all rather dull and bland. Maybe nostalgia is clouding my perspective.

Whatever it is, I`ve been infected by it. Where several years ago I would have written up several speeches IG to address this issue, now I`m like eh.. w/e.

Maybe as my characters get older, I`ll be willing to do more. But at this point with the speed of events, if I use one new word a week, I feel like I may be going to far and crossing the line. God knows people hate shakers and movers and everyone seems way to comfortable.

</rant>

Am I just being a douche, or do other people recognize the complete lack of motivation, creativity and activity?

If anyone has any ideas on how I can pull myself out of this rut, it would be much appreciated, thanks.

[Addicted]

It's bee an exceptionally quiet week, but yes things have changed a lot since I started. Less intrigue and plots, less radical goverment plots, less courageous and active leaders. But Mykey, I will if you will?

[lulkoek]

The interface doesn't lend itself to much action, in my opinion anyway. Having to scroll for ages to read through discussions of people and then a load of walking, dropping, pulling and taking messages kind of make me go meh whenever I check on a char that lives in an active town. The interactions with your character easily can get lost in that onslaught.

[Pure_Dunga]

Mykey, Addicted...don't leave me out.

[Addicted]

No way!

[mojomuppet]

In the last two weeks I (and the others with me of course) have saved 12 people from prisons in different areas, killed a pirate, became a pirate, stole some ships, bought some ships, started a government meltdown, landed in some new towns to met some new people, threatened, and scared the sh*t out of a few....I dont know what the rest of you are doing but Im busy.

[Doug R.]

Mykey, since you last played, the number of players has dropped to 25% of the levels of what they were. There is a critical shortage of characters, and the closed-ended game mechanics don't work in an open-ended world (every town has already achieved every mechanistic goal). But, we're working on fixing that. Until then, there's not much that can be done. The game has become what it has become, but I still love it.

[Mykey]

Mykey, Addicted...don't leave me out.

For sure...

It's bee an exceptionally quiet week, but yes things have changed a lot since I started. Less intrigue and plots, less radical goverment plots, less courageous and active leaders. But Mykey, I will if you will?

Oh I`ll get there.

In the last two weeks I (and the others with me of course) have saved 12 people from prisons in different areas, killed a pirate, became a pirate, stole some ships, bought some ships, started a government meltdown, landed in some new towns to met some new people, threatened, and scared the sh*t out of a few....I dont know what the rest of you are doing but Im busy.

I need some of this..... *drools*

Mykey, since you last played, the number of players has dropped to 25% of the levels of what they were. There is a critical shortage of characters, and the closed-ended game mechanics don't work in an open-ended world (every town has already achieved every mechanistic goal). But, we're working on fixing that. Until then, there's not much that can be done. The game has become what it has become, but I still love it.

Wow, Doug I had no idea....25%..... depressing..... I don`t really see it being a problem with mechanistic goals. My issue isn`t with the game mechanics, while I have had in the past and still do have many... My main issue is with the pervasive dullness of cantrian life. Especially since all the foundations have been laid, I would think that would make real drama much easier to come by. I just don`t see any.

I still like cantr alot to, no matter what happens with it.

[Doug R.]

My main issue is with the pervasive dullness of cantrian life. Especially since all the foundations have been laid, I would think that would make real drama much easier to come by. I just don`t see any.

Mykey, the foundations were laid when you were playing, that's why it was the "Golden Age of Cantr." Now everything has run its course. Everything that could be done has been done. Anything that could be built has been built. People won't stay awake and active unless they're striving for something, and there's not much left to strive for, or, it has become so easy to achieve your goals due to the massive quantity of surplus, that characters simply go quiet after achieving them because they can't think of anything else to do. There's nothing to go to war over any more. Every town has tens of kilos of iron and steel sitting idle.

Case in point: One of my characters was just handed leadership of a town they had never set foot in. Why? Because leaderless towns are a dime a dozen now. Back in the day, you actually had to establish yourself, and possibly even resort to a coup to get a town.

When the RD finalizes it's recommendations, nothing in Cantr will be permanent anymore. Abandoned towns will collapse into rubble, allowing for foundations to once again be laid and built upon. Life will not be as easy as it is now.

[Theda]

Many times is oneself who must cause situations of RP in game and not expect others to do it for him. Nor do we gain much if everything look so negative.

Come on..., the imagination is a powerful weapon.

I dont know what the rest of you are doing but Im busy.

Me too!

The game has become what it has become, but I still love it.

I still love it, too. I still love it a lot

[Addicted]

I was trying to say what Theda said so well.

[Mykey]

Many times is oneself who must cause situations of RP in game and not expect others to do it for him. Nor do we gain much if everything look so negative.

Come on..., the imagination is a powerful weapon.

Agreed.

My main issue is with the pervasive dullness of cantrian life. Especially since all the foundations have been laid, I would think that would make real drama much easier to come by. I just don`t see any.

Mykey, the foundations were laid when you were playing, that's why it was the "Golden Age of Cantr." Now everything has run its course. Everything that could be done has been done. Anything that could be built has been built. People won't stay awake and active unless they're striving for something, and there's not much left to strive for, or, it has become so easy to achieve your goals due to the massive quantity of surplus, that characters simply go quiet after achieving them because they can't think of anything else to do. There's nothing to go to war over any more. Every town has tens of kilos of iron and steel sitting idle.

Case in point: One of my characters was just handed leadership of a town they had never set foot in. Why? Because leaderless towns are a dime a dozen now. Back in the day, you actually had to establish yourself, and possibly even resort to a coup to get a town.

When the RD finalizes it's recommendations, nothing in Cantr will be permanent anymore. Abandoned towns will collapse into rubble, allowing for foundations to once again be laid and built upon. Life will not be as easy as it is now.

That`s very interesting. Scary and yet exciting.

I don`t think I`m getting my point across though. Once all material needs are met, what needs are left? In my opinion egotistical ones. In the places I`m in, there is very little "cult of personality" What I`m saying is most characters lack charisma...... no matter what lines of code you implement, this can`t be fixed by programming.

Permanency isn`t really even an issue. I mean how exactly will more enthropy lead to the formation of culture ???

I don`t need more mind-numbing zombie work, there is plenty of that going around, if that makes any sense.

[Armulus Satchula]

If you want to make something happen. Make it happen. Don't complain about it. Cantr is still a slow paced game, so don't expect results instantly. From my experience if you break the silence, others will too. If nothing forms from it, move to somewhere else.

[Andu]

Building/vehicle/machine rot, Cantr need more destruction.

[Mykey]

Building/vehicle/machine rot, Cantr need more destruction.

Seriously? Sure primitive buildings should rot.... but stone structures last centuries...... machines and vehicles easily last decades, the only reason some don`t in RL is due to planned obsolescence, which really is nothing more than a ploy to promote consumerism.

I`m gonna have to disagree , Cantr needs more people. A lot more, and creative ones at that.