Montaron Alagondar wrote:Could you verify if the Dungeon Masters on this server are still using the AD&D material for server lore instead of the 3rd edition material?
(2nd edition material is closer to the server time line, it is more detailed, ect.
Lore =|= Game Rules.)
Question brought forth by this thread:
http://bgtscc.net/viewtopic.php?f=10&p=477014#p477014
From the thread, Well, one could argue that it is not part of the "lore" but rather game mechanics.[/quote]
I think this is the crux of the argument.
Lore has more to do with chronology (i.e. DR timeline) and the major players and events within it. Think of lore as the period, setting and characters for a book.
Rules are different. When we apply rules in the game, some of them are replacing older rules, some of them are enhancing or clairfying them, and some just don't make sense anymore. Dungeons and Dragons has had several versions since it was first put out, and some rules have changed, some creatures modified, added, or been removed over the years. Reverting to older rules, or using older sourcebooks does not necessarily negate or change the lore of the server though.
Key points to remember:
1. There is a lot of reference material out there, and not all of it is customized to FR.
2. The symantics of NWN2 is limited by what is available, what we want to introduce, what we DON'T want in our server, and the interpretations the dev and dm teams take when adding content that hass lore or rules implications.
3. WOTC or other people who write stories/timelines/adventures or introduce new matierial don't always intend it to be "stackable" with respect to being a continuation to over-all FR lore or game play. Sometimes it is just stand-alone material.
4. The game was intended for dm's and players alike to modify lore and rules to suit their gameplay. Obviously, the further we deviate from what would be considered "core" rules or lore the more different the game is going to be, but that is part of the beauty of the game is that we can intruduce our own.
If we HAD TO include or incorporate ALL of the reference material that exisists from version to version of this game I don't think anyone would be able to do it. There is a) too much stuff out there, and b) some of it contradicts older rules/lore items. In terms of what I am getting from this thread, if you are playing a Paly, have a great bio and back story, interpret your relationship with your god in light of that and those you interract with (i.e. if you are a member of a guild you will have to agree/subscribe to the guilds tennets, codes, etc.) and RP it out. Handbooks, reference guides, even edition rules are helpful resources in making and playing your character but the only restictions should be on what NWN2 game content allows, what our server rules say about game play, items, etc. and server history. Are there going to be differences in opinion? Yes! That is one of the things that make playing this game so much fun is that we can do what we are doing right here and talk about how we see how things should be played. Lore and rules are necessary so that we knnow what the framework is that we can play the game in, but sometimes too much definition disables rather than clarifies.
Does it matter if we play v2 rules or v3.5 rules? I would say it would depend on the rule. As the DR date has progressed well into the future of where we are now, there is little, older source material being introduced from a lore perspective other than what we generate ourselves. If, years ago, we interpreted some rules based on an older version of the game, it does not mean that there cannot have been discussion and evolution of the rules since - the server rules are always being looked at by the dm team to make sure that they provide the clarity players need to be able to interract with each other and we make periodic changes when we find things are not working, or if some fine tuning is needed.
If there is a specific rule that needs clarification, or if you are wondering if you can use lore found in older sourcebooks or previous editions concerning a specific character or situation, drop anyone of us a line and we'll talk about it.
Ark
