IMM Poll: Backgrounds and Background Checks

Those of you with poor credit, you have no need to panic. This is not what you are thinking.

I am toying with an idea that I would like to open to the playerbase. A system, quite similar to descriptions but for your character's history and motivation. You would be stuck at an arbitrary level, say fourty or fourty-nine, until it was complete. Unlike descriptions, no one but immortals would be able to read it. It would be required for anyone sending a restring or quest race/class application. Perhaps it would also even be required before you entered a cabal. You would be allowed to use no more than 1/3rd of it to speak about experiences to your character that occurred during game play.

This would force players to think about their characters, further enhancing the transition into roleplay and not "roll play". What do you think?

I personally like encouraging "good RP", not enforcing it.

You see a character is good in his RP? Find ways to show the playerbase that this is how they should be like. There are so many ways to show that someone is special, this idea I do not like.

For my part I think that improvisation is the heart of roleplay. A set background may help flesh out a character but in the big picture I think it will be somewhat limiting to that character.

Don't we want to bring more players to this game not drive them away? Though its a good idea to force more role play not everyone plays for that reason or is into it as much as others.

I almost voted no, with the same reasons as tassinvegeta, but after re-reading Malch's post, I changed my mind after reading:

It would be required for anyone sending a restring or quest race/class application. Perhaps it would also even be required before you entered a cabal.

These are not things that brand new players will be doing. A players first character might get caballed, but I imagine most new players go without getting there first two or three characters caballed. Also, new players either won't be going for a quest class/race, or they'll be so psyched about RP, that they'd love to write up this background story.

I like it, and I'd like to see more details about it. How long will it need to be? Let's say a character gets into some RP with the immortals, several different times, way before he is required to submit this background, will an immortal just be able to go ahead and approve it based off of prior rp experiences?

I've seen this kind of system done on other muds, and I always enjoyed writing these things. It gave the character a bit of direction, but at the same time they could still be influenced by events that happened in their life.

On the other muds I've seen this system on, Imms would give little rewards and perks for them, and for subsequent updates that they liked. Just little things like 500xp and +1% to random skills, made it fun.

I do think that it would be better to make it optional, though. And different Imms can decide if they want to require them for qrace or cabal applicants.

I personally like encouraging "good RP", not enforcing it.

Though its a good idea to force more role play not everyone plays for that reason or is into it as much as others.

I do not want to seem contentious, since I did and am asking for opinions - you will either like the idea or you will not like the idea for whatever reason - but let us not forget this is a ROLEPLAY ENFORCED MUD. No offense to either of you, but those reasons are horrible.

It's a good idea. It'll keep people from playing shallow characters just for the PK.

It's a good idea. It'll keep people from playing shallow characters just for the PK.

No it won't.

It'll keep shallow Qrace/Qclass applicants out, it won't stop shallow pk.

Anyways.

I voted No.

I'm for the idea as an opt in, but as a requirement it seems like too much work for me to play the game.

I can understand qraces/qclasses. But cabals? It makes the game less like a game, and more like a project. Maybe this would work/fit amazingly for other people and what they want out of FL, but I don't need any more projects, I just need a place to chill for a few before work, maybe wind down for a few after. If my options are write a story to join a cabal, or remain uncompetitive, I'm hitting the highway. There are other games out there that don't require as much work for me to play. I love playing FL, I would prefer to stay, but I don't want FL homework.

Every day I play I do my best to stay in character, to rp to the best of my abilities, but I'm just not that creative of a guy that every time I make a new character I sit down and think about his motives, his history and family. It takes me over an hour to write a mediocre description, it takes me forever to develop solid RP.

I agree with what others have said, if you want more players you need to think about how friendly the environment is to the new players, but also you need to think about what kinds of players you want, and what kinds of players are available. If you make this change, you'll get not a peep from me, I understand why you'd make the change, but this change isn't all ups, It's going to drive away a certain type of player.

WC

What you're proposing, if I'm reading correctly, is that players have to write this background that has to be checked at a certain level for them to advance?

If that's correct, I like it as a requirement for qraces/qclasses, and POSSIBLY cabals, but not necessarily as a general requirement. Also, if it's something that I'm going to spend time on, I don't want it to be something only IMMs can read - that's what notes and applications are for.

My experiences with MUDs that used a system like this were always positive. But I do agree that it should be an optional thing, and up to individual Imms if they think qrace and cabal applicants should write them.

If it's an optional thing, I can see no reason to oppose it.

I thought this is what cabal apps, qrace apps, and restring apps were basically already...

I do not want to seem contentious' date=' since I did and am asking for opinions - you will either like the idea or you will not like the idea for whatever reason - [b']but let us not forget this is a ROLEPLAY ENFORCED MUD. No offense to either of you, but those reasons are horrible.

Exactly what I was going to say... Malch is actually my alter-ego.

Since I'm normally a "background" addict, I like this idea. I love coming up with histories and traits and cultures and all that jazz anyways, even if no one ever finds them out or hears them.

I like this idea.

It could be added as an optional feature, so that people who want to go more in-depth with their character have the option to do so.

It'll keep shallow Qrace/Qclass applicants out, it won't stop shallow pk.

That's not what I meant. People will always silently PK, but at least they'll be playing characters that they actually had to think about to create; it'll stop them from playing characters without depth.

Definitely as an option, but don't force it on people.

Small rewards are fine too.

It shouldn't be the defining factor for entering cabals/qraces, but it sure as hell should influence the decisions.

I like this idea. I can definitely see how sometimes it might be hard for an Imm to "get to know" a character. Especially if that char tends to lie or fake hes something that he isn't. A history and such could easily make this easier.

I like it though I also think that it should shorten the wait for qrace/qclass applicants. Since half the snooping work is already done.

And like everyone said, I think it should be optional for non-qclass/qrace so we don't drive players away... Even if they're shallow silent PKer types. We're too low on people as it is.

I for one, would be all for this idea. Mainly because I never make a character until I have a backstory down anyways.

I would also like to see these backgrounds made public. Maybe an opt-in public system? A "publish" command and 10,000g would make a copy freely available from the Library, or maybe accessible through the "bio" command.

But I can also understand why some people wouldn't want it to be a requirement to advance. It could be optional, but submitting one would garner the same style rewards getting one's desc approved would? Of course, it would be more generous. Maybe 10,000exp and a level's worth of hp/mana/move.

I love role descriptions... it will add a lot more depth to characters