Itzquahpilli said:
Is it just me (which is quite possible), or does it seem like this site has lost its... excitement?
You're not the first to say it, won't be the last to say it either. But excitement is always what you make of it. If the site isn't exciting you anymore, do something about it proactively. Storylines don't suit your main character? Come up with a hook to get others interested in his interests. If you can't keep yourself entertained, you can't expect others to do so for you.
Have we run out of ideas for storylines?
Considering that proper storylines last for months or even years at a time, I'd say that the answer to this is an emphatic "No!". Not only are storylines that I took part in three years ago still going on (even if they are only active by one or two characters, due to time concerns of other players involved), but new ones are always starting up. Often enough, the ones that aren't overtly happening are the best ones, because that probably means that they're happening somewhat believably, and won't crumble within a week.
The Game is still active, even if it's not being brought up on a daily basis. Why? Because it's a major plotline that takes time to build up, and because it's being played through logically by players who understand that rushing the story cheapens the end result. And you know what? It's still an open storyline, as long as I'm given the minimal information that I request so that I know how to work unfamiliar characters into it.
Have all the good ideas for characters been used?
This is, and allways is, up for debate. Some can claim that all characters are derivitive of older ideas. Some can claim that as long as room for variation exists, good ideas are still unused. As long as people are able to feel what they're doing, I lean toward the latter.
Have we just fallen into unbreakable ruts?
For some, sure. But it happens to everyone. But this ultimately goes back to my statements on storylines: Just because some seem to be stagnating, doesn't mean that nothing is going on.
Saera's entire posts would be quoted for truthery right here, but I'll save the bandwidth by simply stating how right she is.
John aka Sir D said:
*laughs* Yes, that is right, I laughed. I find a lot of this advice laughable, I am sorry. This has all been done a billion times over and over again.
If you find the advice laughable, then honestly, maybe that's part of your problem. No offense intended, but if you don't see how true the advice offered is, that could very well be the source of a lot of issues you seem to be having. Of course it's been said several times; because it's accurate. If people would take the advice, maybe it wouldn't bear repeating.
The same storyline seems to be happening again as from the past, and I have not seen a good fight in ages, or been in one for a long time.
On the surface, maybe. But this also goes back to my earlier point. And also, Saera covered this quite well already.
Whatever happened to the really good evil people?
Define your opinion of 'really good evil', and I'll happily answer that. Asking a weighted question like this without anything to support your opinion does about as much good as swatting at a fly with a silk scarf. And, sorry to say, but with your tenure at ISRP, you likely haven't seen the same really well played evil characters that most veterans have - the quality and quantity really was quite a bit higher in the old days.
Until then, I'll give you an example of 'really good evil' from my perspective: Xerneth Karjen, lead villain behind The Game plotline. He's not highly active, he's not well known, he's got most of the characters who haven't dealt with him directly at the disadvantage of not knowing him; and yet he's been played with a consistent method of operation for close to four years, with proper amounts of dormancy. Xerneth is clearly displaying how different he is from many villains that have walked the CRT/Emporium/Rotunda/Sigil in the ISRP's history. By this, I mean he's
taking his time, the way that intelligent evil should. There's a reason that he's survived as long as he has, and a reason that he's reached plot-mastermind status now: he's proven himself to be smart enough about picking his times to act, instead of throwing himself into nova-mode and attacking at random. How does he operate? Keep an eye on the boards and his rare in-chat appearances, and you'll see. A lot of what he's going to be doing over the next several months will be entirely off-screen. Why? Because it's the intelligent thing for a villain to do. Evil isn't always stupid. Effective evil is rarely unintelligent. More importantly, well played effective evil isn't seen for what it is, until the knife is already being twisted.
They all turned good or are never on here much, if they are, they are committed OOC to others.
Maybe some have turned good. Most of the good villain players from my days of peak activity are either busy starting families now, but those true villains never turned good. So quite frankly, this looks like another point of contention reliant on your opinion of 'really good evil'.
As far as being commited OOC to others? Got news for you: People have friendships, and are likely to place some degree of priority on those friendships. Using the fact that people are bonding as part of a community website to complain about the lack of villains is as senseless as it gets in my eyes. Just because intelligent villains go after targets that they understand, and befriending other players can help those villains to understand their would-be victims better, does not mean that those villains can't just as easily turn their attention elsewhere,
with the cooperation of other players. Honestly, the main problem that villains have always had in the ISRP is when your random everyday superhero decides to make a plotline their concern and tries stomping around like Superman during a cloudless summer day. There is absolutely nothing wrong with basing the center of a villain's goals around characters played by your friends, where you can actually estimate the outcome to a degree rather than roll the dice on getting a reasonable player or a godmoder.
I think that taking the restrictions off the tavern would in fact, make the RPing style a lot different.
...
Anyway, I think that a shake up of the rules and restrictions would be a perfect way of enhancing the creativity levels and the overall greatness of RPing.
Since no one else has played the experience card on this one, I guess I get the distinction. Something that I swore I'd never do, but I've got no choice here.
Many, many of us were around before the restrictions were made, while you, quite politely, were not. In those days, we had far more concerning matters to deal with than "The Magi won't let my character have a tail!". We had regular occurances of werewolves in wolf form, talking tigers, demons of all shapes and sizes, at least one dragon riding paladin that insisted on bringing his mature adult red dragon mount into the tavern for a drink, rodent swarms, regularly reoccuring barnyard animals, and god only knows what else.
No restrictions =/= better roleplaying atmosphere.
The restrictions were tightened up to improve the atmosphere of the tavern, to make it seem like it actually is located in a human settlement in a xenophobic land. To drop the restrictions would require moving the tavern, and I somehow don't think the tavern staff would enjoy moving it again in or out of character.
