Convenience vs immersion

[zavox]

As the title reads

I've been wondering, how far does convenience go before you've lost all immersion?

I cant really complain about things like the recent addition to the caravan system, thats a convenience that adds, since it takes more players around the server meaning that more players meet up which equals more rp. <- good shit!

Convenient things that detracts from gameplay which i've posted about before is Mudds auction, it takes away rp, but its already so ingrained, it would just lead to more complaints than the hassle was worth it to remove.

One thing i think could be altered without anyone having a reason to cry about it is day and nighttime length on the server, which i think now is around 20-30 min or so in total (someone will correct me) it could stand to be increased to 1hr for day 1hr for night, my argument for this is that nights and days are so short that during the span of a conversation in game the day and night cycle spins around so fast it goes by several times, giving the day and night cycle no weight.

An addition to this would be to make nights more special by adding scripted night events such as bandit holdups on roads, wild animal attacks, stronger alternative monsters during night, more monsters during night and so on. (note that there are a few such events already scripted, but they could stand to be bettered.)

a great reason for people to seek groups and initiate roleplay, It would add greatly to the athmosphere and it would make for a more exciting world to travel within.

I'd be glad to hear your thoughts about this, whoever reads this!
I'll post more later, depending on if you guys out there want to hear more of my thoughts on what i think could be better as this is only one of my many many ideas of what i'd like to see on the server.

[Garnet]

I love this idea! I don't know how long the day/night currently is but I agree that the cycle feels pretty insignificant. Having the nights be 'more dangerous' would be a lot of fun-- maybe even taking the caravan at night could have a chance at getting stopped by bandits (adjusted for the parties level) where you have to defend it .

My only fear though is it may be a lot of work for the staff when it feels like most people just teleport around, or now, ride the caravans. Not to derail from your suggestion here, but... if there was some sort of discouraging factor to always fast traveling around as the regular mode of transportation: maybe a cooldown, or the cost raises with each use until a server-reset. Teleport1 cost 850, Teleport2 1700, Teleport 3, 3400, Teleport 4 and beyond maxed at 5,000 but resets when the server-resets, Caravan a similar deal. This may encourage people to be like "hey it's not that far, maybe we should walk it and deal with the horrors of the night!". Although thinking this through again... This may primarily hurt new players, so maybe characters less then level 25 are exempt from cost increases

Anyways to circle back around, adding a little more variation depending on whether its day or night sounds like a great idea to me!

[zavox]

I would not mind if more areas were teleportation locked, Teleportation does trivialize and damper potential rp, it fits in on my ongoing Convenience vs immersion theme as well! (I'll be making more posts soon, same theme!)

[MissClick]

I personally prefer the explanation of Teleportation over the handwave of travel time on foot or by wagon. It happens, we all make allowances and find ways to accommodate it, but I do find the latter more immersion breaking than the accuracy teleportation affords on a maps as large and far reaching as ours.

That is not to say I do not find enjoyment walking the roads, it is quite the opposite: the organic potential for roleplay in such a manner is often sought and well-received. However, to speak my opinion in relation to urgency or character action that would be otherwise restricted by time constraint, it is better explained and accomplished through magic. Is it narratively cheap? Yes, but may also be more realistic - or as realistic as something can be in a fantastical setting.

When time can be afforded a bubble and wandering is done in the spirit of adventure and interaction and/or the journey is roleplayed around in some degree - be it wagon or steed - that is when it is at its best. When several players have Haste and run through several transition because a DM has indicated some strange phenomena via shout and the answer to any question related to the speed of arrival is "we ran", that is when immersion is weakened.

Unfortunately, due to the distance and spread of the server's destinations there is no easy way to resolve those inaccuracies.

[zavox]

I personally prefer the explanation of Teleportation over the handwave of travel time on foot or by wagon. It happens, we all make allowances and find ways to accommodate it, but I do find the latter more immersion breaking than the accuracy teleportation affords on a maps as large and far reaching as ours.

That is not to say I do not find enjoyment walking the roads, it is quite the opposite: the organic potential for roleplay in such a manner is often sought and well-received. However, to speak my opinion in relation to urgency or character action that would be otherwise restricted by time constraint, it is better explained and accomplished through magic. Is it narratively cheap? Yes, but may also be more realistic - or as realistic as something can be in a fantastical setting.

When time can be afforded a bubble and wandering is done in the spirit of adventure and interaction and/or the journey is roleplayed around in some degree - be it wagon or steed - that is when it is at its best. When several players have Haste and run through several transition because a DM has indicated some strange phenomena via shout and the answer to any question related to the speed of arrival is "we ran", that is when immersion is weakened.

Unfortunately, due to the distance and spread of the server's destinations there is no easy way to resolve those inaccuracies.

I cannot help but agree, the ingame maps cover an insanely large part of the coast for what we physically have displayed via the ingame areas, I'm always taken out of the immersion whenever someone says they ran as quick as they could a distance that would take weeks if not months by foot, but teleportation leaves little actual roleplaying to be had if everyone just keeps teleporting to wherever they want to go why do we even have a big beautiful world out there?

I'd like to have some kind of middleground say, established teleport hotspots say you can teleport from wherever but you can only teleport to certain anchor spots, example would be a specific building within baldurs gate, for that immediate area, and similar for other areas.

Immersion does not always have to be comfortable.

[Garnet]

Hey that Anchor idea sounds like a really good one! I like that, maybe the "Wizard Towers" have set teleport locations that are needed to 'land in'. Example:
Baldurs Gate Eastgate wizard tower
Gullykin Wizard Tower
HighHedge Estate
Candlekeep
Even Bentley has been holding out on us with his Shady portal in the basement
I'm sure there are several other magical portal places that would make sense too--- that was just off the top of my head.

Everything I've learned about D&D rules has been learned in playing here, so I'm not sure if making teleport work in this fashion is just a blatant disregard for D&D lore? I'm sure many would be upset losing that ability to set locations using that 'mark location' scroll too, so maybe not such a good idea...

It would be nice though to see less of:
1) Teleport to Skull gorge, kill loot
2) Teleport to Wide, Sell sell sell,
3) Teleport to Pirate Stronghold, kill loot
4) Teleport to Wide, sell , Auction
5) Adventure over Logout.

But I also recognize that maybe that is how some wish to play the game, and that's totally okay too. We are all here to have fun and that's what really matters. BG is just starting to feel a little more like that "City of Doors" world where everyone just hangs out in 1, 2, or maybe 3 spots for RP, then steps through the various portals (in our case teleport scrolls) for dungeon runs.

I also recognize though it's just the sign of the times of having a smaller population than what I'll call the 'golden era of nwn2'. . I'm sure many people remember those days of clicking the "connect" button over and over when the world was 96/96 hoping that you will luckily get in! Okay I'll quit while i'm ahead, the nostalgia is setting in! ( I never thought I'd miss that "Server is Full" notification.... but here we are!)

Coming back around to the original post though, those anchor points would also encourage people to get out and walk more between destinations and deal with the horrors of the night!

[selhan]

The one thing you can guarantee in the world....

Is the laziness of man...