Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

Couldn't we just positively reinforce behavior desired rather than negatively? For example: Have people get double loot in the areas that staff want them to be most often. That way no UD PCs would be doing loot runs on the surface in OOC grind mode but if people end up there they can still get something?

Here is one idea:
I know a lot of the guilds have dealing on 'the other side'. So what if we make it a little more official and create cross surface/UD guilds. A merchant house whose biggest customer/supplier is S'shamath. Or a mercenary guild that has a sister guild in the UD.

If Ebon blade merged with Bregan D'earthe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The S'shamath school of necromancy has started a foreign exchange program!!

So guild meetings would require players from both sides. DM events the same. Its a great way to bolster the number of members of particular guild and would create some great RP. It would also give the UD players someone to actually interact with, and something to do other then Ogram runs.
Maybe some DMs could volunteer their time or maybe some regular UD players can volunteer to promote the idea and get it going. Sort get the guild on its feet.

Whenever there is a stable base of players start something in the underdark it draws other. Then guild without support implodes. Everyone then leaves. This goes on over and over again. With an anchor on the surface- the guild might last, players might stick around and things could actually stabilize.

Asmodea wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:49 pm Couldn't we just positively reinforce behavior desired rather than negatively? For example: Have people get double loot in the areas that staff want them to be most often. That way no UD PCs would be doing loot runs on the surface in OOC grind mode but if people end up there they can still get something?

There's nothing really wrong with the loot tables on either side, the problem is reliably finding groups in the UD to loot with.

There's really no need to contort the paradigm just for the sake of loot. The simplest solution here is: if you want to RP and loot on the surface, select it as your starting point, problem solved.

Oh no, please don't open the floodgates. We wouldn't want those pesky drow (all 5 of them) with their scary spell resistance and bonus stats to start shaking things up on the stale surface. Better that we keep in place the completely arbitrary mechanical rule that runs counter to lore to keep them all corralled in the RP gulag that is the Underdark.

The Whistler wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:46 am Oh no, please don't open the floodgates. We wouldn't want those pesky drow (all 5 of them) with their scary spell resistance and bonus stats to start shaking things up on the stale surface. Better that we keep in place the completely arbitrary mechanical rule that runs counter to lore to keep them all corralled in the RP gulag that is the Underdark.

What about the horde of lootaholics on the surface? Are we as opposed to them trundling down to that big bad underdark in their daily runs, and zerging through UD epic areas like it was just another day at the office? Sounds RP-ariffic to me, and totally setting appropriate... or have we forgotten what Kros was like before that "arbitrary" restriction?

(And for those who weren't around, it was a swath of surfacers ripping through the UD looting, then campfire RP'ing about it like their UD trip weren't no thing but a chicken wing)

No issue with that whatsoever, provided that the RP out is waived. I have faith the community will regulate itself.

Shadowspinner70 wrote: ↑Mon May 31, 2021 5:31 pm There were issues in the past regarding drow players in particular, which is unfortunate.

lets not put all the blame on the drow, who in fact were the only civil parties back in the day, there were plenty of surface elves that had a hand in things as well, and who were the cause of grieving on a much larger, serve wide, scale than anything the UD did during drow raids - which is where all the hate for elves came from in the first place

are the rules still needed tho? *shrugs*

Tekill wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:36 pm The S'shamath school of necromancy has started a foreign exchange program!!

The School of Necromancy is again insulted by such comments and slander, we do in fact contrary to popular belief have such a program!

We accept corpses from all manner of races and locations throughout the coastal region! If you would like to join the pile crew, you need only apply!

There is many players motivated by mechanical things like gold, exp and loot and it wont change. I belive if the restrictions were taken down we would See quite crazy and not really immersive behavior on both sides.
How about making a quest or two where you would have to travel to the other side to accomplish something, it can be anything from simple fetch quest or a missions to kill a certain individual. This in fact would encourage conflict and interaction between UD and Surface without changing the loot rules.

Blackman D wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 2:21 am

Shadowspinner70 wrote: ↑Mon May 31, 2021 5:31 pm There were issues in the past regarding drow players in particular, which is unfortunate.

lets not put all the blame on the drow, who in fact were the only civil parties back in the day, there were plenty of surface elves that had a hand in things as well, and who were the cause of grieving on a much larger, serve wide, scale than anything the UD did during drow raids - which is where all the hate for elves came from in the first place

are the rules still needed tho? *shrugs*

Tekill wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:36 pm The S'shamath school of necromancy has started a foreign exchange program!!

The School of Necromancy is again insulted by such comments and slander, we do in fact contrary to popular belief have such a program!

We accept corpses from all manner of races and locations throughout the coastal region! If you would like to join the pile crew, you need only apply!

On rules still needed, a bare 3-5 years ago we've had drow coming to the surface to enslave and sacrifice players to Lolth with DM support to ruin people's ability to play.

So yeah, we still need those rules.

The Whistler wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 1:42 amI have faith the community will regulate itself.

That is excessively optimistic, given history.

Hoihe wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 2:50 am
On rules still needed, a bare 3-5 years ago we've had drow coming to the surface to enslave and sacrifice players to Lolth with DM support to ruin people's ability to play.

So yeah, we still need those rules.

There are already rules in place to prevent this: slaves cannot be players, a captive cannot be imprisoned for more than 72 hours and a player cannot enforce lasting consequences without the consent of the other party. Keeping UD and surface sealed just for this would be redundant.

In regards to the loot/exp restrictions if the purpose is to prevent grinding on the surface then only the loot restriction should be in place and RP experience should be allowed cross realm.

Deathgrowl wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 3:25 amThat is excessively optimistic, given history.

It is a more mature and sadly much smaller community now than it was 3 years ago. OOC rules don't foster good sportsmanship and they don't allow people to improve from their mistakes. The world reacting to your deeds is what makes you grow as a roleplayer. Then again, if it were up to me I'd turn the Underdark into a huge theme park with monsters and chests and relocate the UD races to sensible locations on the surface. (Vhaeraunite enclaves, Eilistraeen glades, Duergar Updk outposts etc.) The server plan for the Underdark is not sustainable for the current population.

I would just like to remind everyone, and highly encourage, the following from the PvP Rules of BGTSCC:

Underdark and Surface PvP >>


- Underdark players on the surface, and surface players within the tunnels of the Underdark, who have been identified are considered to have consented to PvP and may be killed on sight.

Tolerance is Treason. That will be all.

Few years ago circa 2017(before we cannot loot and get XP on the other side), i level my Surface ranger to lvl 21 and took Elves as Favored Enemy.

Surprisingly, once i got Bane of Enemies, i spend most of my time in Oghrann Ruins(CR24-CR30) because there are concentrated elves mobs there.

i kill elves fast, i get high XP, and i get amazing loot with my surfacer in Oghrann(triple times faster than normal run on the surface).

i play during downtime so rarely i will find any drow PC.

imagine if im lvl 29, and bunch of lvl 21 drows come to Oghrann trying to lvl up and see a surfacer there.

thats all

yes, back then groups of do-gooders, were harassing those lonely UD players (and stealing that few bosses, that are available in the UD) on a daily basis.