How to gain a title?

[Steve]

Much like Steve writes above with the decision of Maelir, he went out of his way to reward Valefort and though that is completely justified and I am not disputing the contribution of X player or character, it is the core of the issue for me. There are DMs who are focussed heavily on a selective group of players and drawn towards them

Guess I'm never going to give an example again!!!

But let me be clear: as a DM, I submitted a request for an official Name Tag title for Mealir Ostirel, and the entire DM Team approved it. During my tenure, there were other Titles requested that were NOT approved. Go ask Valefort himself if you will, but it wasn't as if he and I were friends, best buddies, colluding agents! By far! I spent most of my DM relationship with Valefort by torturing him!

Does this past/present reek of favoritism? Well, one should realize in most cases of Titles being granted, those Characters had many OTHER characters referring to them by title for a looooooooong time, in-character, and THAT equals merit, in my book. So, in short: a title may be a reward to certain Players, but it was based on IC and IG investment, and often for years of RP.

I can't help you if you find that unfair. Because as kleomenes rightly points out, there are many ways ANY player can document their in-character Role, and the title they RP, and THAT can greatly work toward gaining a title.

[Ithilan]

Oh I dont find it unfair at all, as I tried to state in my post as well, it was likely warranted and it was never my intention to sow any doubt about that.

It is the process there of that lacks a bit of transparency and as you formulate it, many players need to actively vouch for this request or contribute to it. Yet in other cases that is not so and the initiative comes from requesting it, according to what I can read.

I dont find it unfair at all, honestly I really dont care about titles or who has them at all, to me they dont do a lot and as I wrote in my previous post, the lack of IC immersion in bestowing said title upon SOME individuals or cases, makes me think of it as OOC vanity and just shrug and move on.

This was not at all meant to lash out at you for your tenure as a DM, or Valefort for recieving the title. Merely raising a point that the transparency is lacking and as I see it, it seems highly case dependant and the process of evaluation there by to me cant possibly be fair, since we lack DM coverage in a broad spectrum of the hours that I am usually active in. I wonder how the DMs keep track of everything.

Further more to add to Kleo's points, I find that all good and fine. But far from everyone wants to commit to forum RP or writing summaries of RP, this does not make them less eligible for reward as I see it. So the premise for obtaining a title as presented from various sources in this topic, is hard work certainly and I think that is all good and fair, but a bit exclusive perhaps and I am a big fan of inclusive RP, events and plots. Not something that seems the general stance and if you have to involved in these larger things, but is being barred from it, I find it unfair, yes.

But maybe I am just ranting here. I do recall a time when we had only two people with titles on the server and 9 out of 10 events revolved around them, to the point that they even admitted it and grew tired there of. But that was long ago and is completely unfair to hold anyone presently accountable for, I simply wished to use the example to raise my concerns that such people often become focal points for the servers stories and its dissuading for those that feel they can not impact things even remotely in contrast.

That being said, I repeat myself, I personally, truly, do not care It is the tendencies that comes with titles that worries me or the process of bestowing them.

[Valefort]

Go ask Valefort himself if you will, but it wasn't as if he and I were friends, best buddies, colluding agents! By far! I spent most of my DM relationship with Valefort by torturing him!

I confirm, Mealir had to go through hoops before becoming responsible for indirectly killing innocent people, among other things, that will forever burden him

And I didn't ask for the title either, it is however like Ithilan said, a title is mostly for OOC vanity as in game Mealir was already being called captain when it was relevant. Now make no mistake I'm not detached enough to not appreciate the title, I quite like the award :ahem:

Either way titles won't change your RP, if it happens, cool for you ! I'm confident the DM team won't fall in the mistake of only paying attention to PCs with titles.

[Steve]

Heck Steve just wrote that he had opened the discussion for giving Mealir a title, without Valefort even knowing because he had RPed with him and seen his playstyle throughout his own RP. How is that not Vale being in Steve's favor, and just as casually as because he had rped with him?

Try not to make a big deal about this, Chambo. What I wrote was:

I had not only RP'd with him player side for years, but as a DM, witnessed his great RP and direction as the actual Captain of the Whistling Wanderess

I underlined what was important: The character Mealir Ostirel was RPing as a Captain for many years, had made/purchased an ACTUAL ship (kinda important here to become a captain!!!), and had many PCs calling him Captain, either from under service or simply IG recognition.

With all due respect, Mealier Ostirel being THE example for why any PC should get a title, is more than apt.

I'm sure this is going to just drive Valefort up the wall, by keeping him and the Character in the spotlight, but let me end with this: Name Tags are essentially OOC devices. Not only is any PC NOT REQUIRED to call another PC by its Name Tag, those name tags don't exist for other PCs, in an in-character sense.

Call it a vanity reward, if you want. But I think a Title is actually a reward that matters...it just shouldn't matter if the issue is a any bit of jealously, or feelings of being "denied what you deserved."

Remember: the OP was asking how to gain a Title, which I think has been well outlined. It did not ask: why are others getting what I want, and some seem to not even deserve it?!?

[Ariella]

You have to keep in mind the staff is constantly changing, They won't always know what you have and have not done. If its your goal to reach nobility or something to that effect then you have to keep a list. There are way more players then DM's so its just about being helpful.

I find it flawed and always have. But I am also at odds with titles in the first place and find it basically OOC vanity since the format is you make the request (unless you are someones favored protege apparently) purely OOC and that for me breaks the immersion of it and makes me just roll my eyes OOCly while bending my head around it ICly, do I acknowledge the guy with a flashy title in his name or not, is it self proclaimed, where is the duchal announcement of nobility being granted, where is the usually courtly procedures, oaths sworn, fealty declared etc. or is this just another of the many I meet that introduce themselves so diligently by title, station, occopation or achievements. My character wouldnt be able to tell the difference and so I largely ignore them.

The request is actually made IC or brought to you IC, I am sure a fair few where around when the Duchess brought it up at the meeting for Erza. Following that she then had to petition the court including a list of deeds and or activity's, Once agreed she then attended court to swear an oath of fealty to the city, Dukes and law. Some people had been present for the oath. Now normally there would have been a celebration and or announcement, I will admit that didn't happen with Erza but that was my choice, DM Creo did offer trumpets.

[aaron22]

i would like to officially request that all my characters get the prefix: second fiddle to everyone else's RP goals. and the suffix: who doesn't say much in big groups.

edit: i can provide screenshots to validate my request

[kleomenes]

Chambordini, so you are saying DM's cannot physically watch everyone's RP, but also, providing evidence for RP they cannot see is "unjust and flawed" despite the fact anyone can do it?

So whats the system thats left? Just granting every request? I suppose thats fair from a certain perspective.

i would like to officially request that all my characters get the prefix: second fiddle to everyone else's RP goals. and the suffix: who doesn't say much in big groups.

edit: i can provide screenshots to validate my request

Its not a competition.

[metaquad4]

I'd say if you reach the top in whatever hierarchy you are in, you should get it.

For example, Candlekeep has two "tops". Guide and Warden. Each would get a title, but not readers or protectors.

This makes sure the DMs don't have to spend too much times changing names as people get promoted, and it gives a little credence to reaching the top of the food chain in a field.

It should be in for focal guilds and none-focal guilds who have been active for over 18 months.

[chad878262]

I think the OP was answered at this point and a DM came in and stated the appropriate steps (PM the DM staff with details of the request or any questions). I don't see any need to banter about presumed past (or current) favoritism unless there is evidence of such, in which case the HDM's or admins would probably be the appropriate folks to communicate with. I think Valefort put it right when he said that it was cool he got a title, but it didn't change the RP since it was already there.

When someone introduces themselves as DawnBringer, my PC's react according, regardless of the title not existing overhead (respect, aversion, annoyance, whatever). Same when I see the Khazark. Titles that exist IMO have been deserved. Maybe some deserving titles have gone un-awarded, but at the end of the day, DMs are and always have been short staffed, when you consider a standard table top group might be one DM to 4-7 players, we've never had that kind of ratio, especially when you consider in game numbers. Can you imagine if there were 11 DM's in game any time the server was capped out? Or even if there were 6 when 45-50 people were logged in (right now there are 48, how many DM's?)

Point being that sometimes there are probably just too many requests to handle at a given time. It pays to be patient and persistent. In my experience the staff is not going to get angry if you bump a PM request once / week...It gives them time to respond and gives them a reminder in case your request got lost/forgotten due to volume issues or whatever without crushing the team with so many PM's that it slows down the process for everyone. If you get a response you aren't happy with, instead of getting angry/aggressive, try to work with the DM(s) to determine what's missing, what you can do to achieve your goal and then work towards that. If you never achieve a goal such as a fancy title on your PC name then is it really going to lessen the stories you've told and been a part of? Remember that just like in a tabletop game the DMs ruling wins out and sometimes they are not going to agree with what you might consider the logical outcome to your RP, sometimes you just have to deal with it.

[AlwaysSummer Day]

I ended up PMing the DM team and forwarding screenshots and a dozen threads and PM's to prove we were active and trying.

This sort of makes me think of the most recent request I submitted, where I did this element with my first PM. I think its the only fair way a request system can work - that players have to do some legwork to provide evidence of the RP they base their request on.

Yes which is why all the initial RP that was ignored took place in a DM thread about the event. Trust me it wasn't as if it was all private RP. These were things said IG in events, in public threads, and even PMed to DM's. It wasn't until it was over that I had realized it had all been for nothing.

I am sure a fair few where around when the Duchess brought it up at the meeting for Erza.

You have to remember that DM contact for many players is an incredibly rare sight. I mean I have gone months at a time and not been able to partake in an event in the past. It all depends on what time you play, where you RP, and with whom you RP. You have to consider yourself quite fortunate to meet a leader NPC as you did. I think Maxwell met the King of Kraak Helzak twice in 4 years and both times were at meetings with a dozen other dwarves all just as important as him.

Currently I am fortunate in that I play during the daytime albeit only once or twice a week for an hour. I do not expect events or DM contact or anything at all because I am currently not putting much effort in (aka I am busy with work). This is fine. The problem is you can play for years and play for several hours a day and have nothing to show for it at all. Meanwhile a character can progress to a fancy title, meeting a god, and getting epic gear from DM's just because they know who they know.

Like I said it is nothing fixable, just something that doesn't sit well with some of us.

[Steve]

Meanwhile a character can progress to a fancy title, meeting a god, and getting epic gear from DM's just because they know who they know..

I find this statement inappropriate, because you're devaluing the effort of Players who are recognized with something rather unaffecting to anyone else, but them (i.e. A Title). It belittles the entire system, by essentially demonizing the DMs in general.

And mate, I can tell you from my own experience, that kinda attitude ain't gonna help you!

The last thing I'll say about this is: look at it this way, if you're concerned about fairness...nobody CANNOT get a Title for their Toon, but simply put, you may have to "work" harder for it, than another player. That is only a pity, but NOT a problem!

And maybe one should be carful of what they ask for...because I can think of a number of titles to give some Characters, and I'm not sure the Player would like it!!

[chad878262]

nobody CANNOT get a Title for their Toon, but simply put, you may have to "work" harder for it, than another player.

Ach! The horror of the double negative!!! Would it be so difficult to write "anyone can get a title?"

LOL, sorry Steve, just bustin' on ya!

[Xanfyrst]

You know, it's kinda funny... but I'm actually more proud of players/characters using the "The Deceiver" nick rather than his title.

"Dread Lord who? Which one? Oh... the Deceiver, gotcha."

[AlwaysSummer Day]

The truth isn't always appropriate. Oh and for the record I am not saying that the players with titles don't deserve them. Just that some players don't have to work nearly as hard to get them as others. Amongst other perks of course. Please do not twist my words to say otherwise.

[broham1]

Back in the day my character Dallenthel Wyndsoul gain a title of "Sir" through months of RP. Not just personal RP but server wide RP. It was a player ran initiative named "Tolerance is Treason". It changed rules regarding drow on the surface through in character RP. It didn't happen overnight. It didn't happen by request.

It was granted by the Dukes of Baldur's Gate, in character for actions taken through RP. Not by asking for it on the forums.

If you want a title, earn it. Take up a cause in game. Push RP through in character posts on the forums. Involve the entire player base. Don't rely on the DM team to push your agenda. Show them that players can generate RP without having their hands held in game. The power to change the Realms lies in the hands of the player. The DM's are there to add spice and flavor.

That is how I gained a title for a character of mine. It takes time and dedication to your RP. A presence on the forum through RP posts and a presence in game.