Cormyr is more than Greatgaunt...

[The Supreme Watcher]

I think he was noting it as an exception based on the map, not any faction affiliation.

[jujumojo]

Dec 7, 2010 18:21:12 GMT -5 fred said:

Oh... it's this topic again.

Dec 7, 2010 17:59:11 GMT -5 Savoie Faire said:

Perhaps you can think of one. If so, let me know.

I can think of downsides!

Sitting around in the Wheel for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours, when the only people who come by come in to go upstairs, rest, and leave again.

Sitting around in the Five Fine Fish for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours, when the only people who come by come in to go upstairs, rest, and leave again.

Sitting around in the Lecher for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours, when... oh, wait, nobody comes in at all.

Well, you get the idea.

Yes, if other people came to do that, too, it would work. But trying to be a trend-setter is mind-numbingly boring, and it doesn't actually lead other people to follow you because they have no idea where you are. All they know is that you are not where they are.

DMs don't come by and encourage this trend-setting, either. They ignore you, because maybe they come and look to see what you're doing and say, "Oh, person sitting by themselves not doing anything, boring," and leave again. Yes, yes, it is boring, isn't it!

The other towns are, as SF says, full of places with the potential for interaction... if you bring someone with you to interact with. Otherwise, they are empty and sad.

Now, after I've said all that: I agree that it would be nice if we had good ways to find people that didn't involve going to GG. However, to say that going to GG is stupid and we all should leave, well... hanging out in empty inns is sad, depressing, boring and unrewarding, and as long as it stays that way I'm not really inclined to do it very often.

My thoughts exactly.

[Roseanna]

I tend to hang out in another town. Today earlier, there was someone else in the same town inn, and my character and theirs chatted. While it was short because both of us needed to log out for RL issues, the fact is -- search and you might find some RP awaiting other places.

Don't give up looking.

[soulfien]

the way to make people clear out of greatgaunt is to have all the high level stuff outside of greatgaunt.

Have an event elsewhere. If no heroes show up to deal with the problem, let it decimate the city for a while.

This is part of what drew people to Greatgaunt. Having dragons and demons attacking it all the time.

Once they lose their high level areas a couple times they'll learn. They are the heroes who are supposed to be there to deal with the problems after all.

Instead of the "Events follow players" mentality, try a "Players follow events" one. Might get better results.

[highknight]

Jan 1, 2011 17:54:29 GMT -5 @soulfien said:

the way to make people clear out of greatgaunt is to have all the high level stuff outside of greatgaunt.

Have an event elsewhere. If no heroes show up to deal with the problem, let it decimate the city for a while.

This is part of what drew people to Greatgaunt. Having dragons and demons attacking it all the time.

Once they lose their high level areas a couple times they'll learn. They are the heroes who are supposed to be there to deal with the problems after all.

Instead of the "Events follow players" mentality, try a "Players follow events" one. Might get better results.

This has been discussed by the DM Team and this is now the general practice.

[Lady Frost]

Greatgaunt will always be a place that people gather, there is nothing that can be done about it. Characters over level 10 or 15 can be in any number of 20 towns. Suzail being 2nd most likely and on from there. However Suzail is big and even if you pick Suzail and there are other people there you have to find them. In Greatgaunt its almost guaranteed that people will be outside the inn. Low levels basically -have- to be there and that means its a near guarantee to find someone to RP with or at least be around. Greatgaunt also has a number of things that no other cities offer or offer as well as GG does. The gathering area in GG allows for a number of groups to gather and hold separate conversations. It allows people to come and stand around while not looking out of place or appearing to "interfere" with other conversations. All towns offer this with an inn, but people don't want to sit in inns as often because you can't see the people that pass by the inn or are outside talking. Suzail and Valkurs Roar had small efforts made for places to sit outside the inn but both places simply are not enough. Suzails table is a good start but it lacks many things that GG offers that I listed above. The table basically holds one conversation. If another group came by they have to stand. If one person sits at the table there is a chance nobody else will because its "taken". Also, if other people come by they then have to stand against a wall or go inside. Going inside separates them and that's not what many players want. Standing against a wall is too suspicious as you appear "watching". Sitting is better as its easier to appear "occupied with something" like a book or something. Instead what should happen is Suzail should get rid of the table and put in a number of small tables spread out enough so people can whisper. Allow places for multiple conversations to happen without putting lone PC's "out of place" by having to stand in unusual places. A small park outside the Wheel with benches and a few trees and a couple spread out tables would be much more inviting to PC's to come settle down either on their own and read or hold a few different conversations. The same with Valkurs Roar. If you went across from Talbot's where the old man stands and took out some buildings and added a small "park" area with benches and tables that allowed for multiple parties to sit and do their thing separately there'd be more success. Getting people out of GG is a mental game. GG is comfortable for many players and to get people to consistently leave they need to find the right mesh of things that GG has. However, even with that, in the end, GG will always be the best chance to come across other PC's because its where low levels -must- be. As a final note having more than 2 or 3 gathering places won't work. You're simply spreading characters too thin. GG, Suzail and maybe Valkurs Roar is about the best you'll get.

[Rane]

I totally aree with this post, I may venture into gg to empty my inventory, or to gather some adventurers on a grand quest, but thats about it. I actually find it quite boring to just stand there. And that fact alone is strange to me. There are so many great areas out there that are just waiting for us to loiter them.

[Spells]

GG is the gathering areas for those that have nothing better to do most times, it is where they go to find something to do usually. DM events often happen there, if players are going to start some long RP thing between them it starts there, if someone is recruiting to go do something it starts there, and it allows them to see new characters rolling it.

In all I think it is the "groupless" that go there (not meant to sound as.. mean or whatever as I am sure that does ) On Alora who has to ask strangers to help her with things usually, GG is where she spends 99.9% of her time. Aleasha who has several friends however only really goes there when nobody is on, so she goes there usually just to visit people, such as Rin hin or any of the others that just happen to be there.

at least that is my 2 cents. (is worth 0.25 cents at the store.. maybe)

[828stingstingneo]

Here are a couple more ideas: I have seen other servers where fishing spots give a little xp for catching the fish and tend to be popular. I'm probably biased because I'm the only one who actually sometimes logs in to FRC just to fish, but maybe putting a fishing spot somewhere in Valkur's Roar or Suzail would give people a place to gather or at least something to do if no one else shows up. Alternately, there has been talk of putting in other harvestable items such as healing herbs or spell components. Putting things such as these in a gathering spot might also draw people.