Improve racial backgrounds?

Well, I've been playing around, getting more adjusted to the game again. And I've started trying to figure out what to play for a serious role. I've been scowering the alternate page (http://irumeru.genesismuds.com/index.htm) and found some good info I had forgotten.

However, when I'm making a character, I like to read as much about the races as possible. This is great if you want to make a Fire Giant, or a feral, but when I became curious about an Avian character, I didn't have much to base my history on.

Basically, some of the races have really good information on them pertaining to history, social makeup, normal racial quirks and temperaments. While others are just a basic rundown of statistics in word form.

What I was wondering is, how does the populace of this game feel about maybe creating a more in depth angle on some of the races? Something to give new players, or old, returning players, an idea of a direction to take RP?

Before some people get up in arms yelling the, "Don't pigeon hole RP! Let it be whatever the player wants!", I agree with you. But at the same time, are Avians a warlike species? Are they essentially humans that grew wings and became sensitive to air currents? If it's the latter, let us know so we have some form of continuity.

Maybe we could go down a route like this: Give examples of a more indepth sect of each race. Maybe the Avian's of Ariea (I think that's the city, can't connect right now) have certain characteristics that are unique to them? (attitude wise, nothing that will change their vulns/resistances) And then say, "Avians of other regions are known to come from many other walks of life."

What this does, is it gives a sense of FL's own, unique background on some races. Sure, everyone coming into this great mud is probably going to know that Dwarves live inside mountains, are angry little guys with beards and hangovers, but what makes the FL Dwarf different? If anything?

I hate to compare FL to WoW, but the one thing I pretty much enjoyed about WoW that FL didn't do better was the whole unique story line for a lot of different facets of the game. FL has a GREAT story to it. An amazing history and great, constantly changing one that is changed and maintained by us the players.

And I'm sure a lot of players would be willing to take up the call in helping to develop the history of some of these races. Maybe, also, doing a wiki of sorts? That way, we could keep an constantly updating history of the social and racial backgrounds of FL. So, say in five years when a bunch of people decide to make Fire Giants from warring clans, they can put info about their clan on the page and people can take it from there, making an extension to the "Smolder Skull" tribe of Fire Giants three months after the first one dies for good.

I've blathered enough about this topic.

a-g

I did not read your full thread, but it has been an idea we are tinkering with. However, improving the backgrounds requires a certain amount of compliance from the playerbase. In a world where everyone wants to be the exception, how much sense does it make to fully describe the norm? A few members of the staff have expressed their desire to flesh out certain things about the races. Suffice to say, this is a project that I am interested in pursuing fully.

However, when I'm making a character, I like to read as much about the races as possible. This is great if you want to make a Fire Giant, or a feral, but when I became curious about an Avian character, I didn't have much to base my history on.

More information on the avians would be nice. I bet you more than half of our pb think that Avians are human with wings.

Absolutely! I agree with you 100%. This has always been my complaint about Fl; there are not enough details and history for the races. One important facet of this is to give each of the non-human races a specific kind of temperament that they should behave with. If you want to be unique with anything goes be human, those are the guys which vary in almost everything.

More information on the avians would be nice. I bet you more than half of our pb think that Avians are human with wings.

I've seen both types, there's no right or wrong answer. I've always thought full birdmen were a bit dorky, so my avians are mostly humanoid with some birdy features.

I also like the wiki idea, though it shouldn't be so open to modification. Let the imms modify it as Fl's story progresses.

I agree with everything a-g said. I recommend you read the full post.

Yes. Avians (In my mind) are humans with wings. Humanoid birds I always thought were really dumb. In fact, I may have asked this question to the Imm staff wayyy back. Avians = Humans with wings.

I did not read your full thread' date=' but it has been an idea we are tinkering with. However, improving the backgrounds requires a certain amount of compliance from the playerbase. In a world where everyone wants to be the exception, how much sense does it make to fully describe the norm? A few members of the staff have expressed their desire to flesh out certain things about the races. Suffice to say, this is a project that I am interested in pursuing fully.[/quote']

I did mention how to make it open ended, but still have continuity and what not, but I didn't do it that well.

Basically I suggested that give an example of one sect of that race. Maybe one tribe of Fire Giants does things where they are a matriarchal society, then say that other tribes may do things differently. And that Avians of this region are known for the intellectual pursuits of combat magics, while others from different regions are known to vary and such. And continue on with this with many races.

edit: Also, everyone has the ability to be extraordinary now. With the race restrings, anything is pretty much possible. Anyone that wants to be totally unique and stand out goes this route anyways, while people who want to be the more "(Wo)Man among (Wo)Man" plays the typical race. At least that's how I've always looked at it.

Basically, we're number four on TMS now. That ef'n rocks. I just think that FL should have more in some categories to act as the glue that keeps new players here. We're a pain in the *** on the learning curve, which drives some people away. Aside from great PK and RP from players, what do we have that other muds don't?

Please don't consider this as mean criticism. This MUD has a lot to offer, and I'm never going to play elsewhere. I just want to see this mud get larger, as this is where I've had the most fun of any game I've played with other people.

How many of you have made decent friends from this? I remember for my 20th birthday meeting up with Anoneemus and badassing around Niagara Falls. Scaring the crap out of a group of asian tourists when we let out a "primal birthday yell", heh. (wanted)Ninja (aka: Calandra), WC and I have been friends for years. And I'm Anume's and Isadora's boy toy. See? It's also the community that makes this game the best, it is full of a bunch of cool people.

a-g

All of my avians were the bird humanoids rather than humans with wings. I prefer it that way too.

And how is that more dorky than humans with wings? Winged humans aren't even bird-like, might as well call them angels, Seraph, or something else then.

I'm just not fond of the idea of a talking parrot. Not offense to the "Eagle" restring people I see around..

It just reminds me of the Fire Giant descriptions that are made of "Lava." And Stone Giants made of rock.

How many of you have made decent friends from this? I remember for my 20th birthday meeting up with Anoneemus and badassing around Niagara Falls. Scaring the crap out of a group of asian tourists when we let out a "primal birthday yell"' date=' heh.[/quote']

I remember that, lol. Every half hour 200 japanese people would deboard from a seemingly impossibly small tour bus. I still don't know where they came from.

I think they game from Russia.... can't be sure though.

a-g

I always considered avians looking more like birdlike humanoids in the fashion of what the bird fighters in Shining Force looked like.

Heh...I had to pull out monster manuals to figure out what the f*ck a storm giant should generally look like....you get a better idea of what avians look like than stormies.

Has anyone played Heroes 2 Might and Magic?

I always thought the Giants and Titans from that game were what a storm-giant was meant to look like, big blue giants with like electrical currents floating through his body.. correct me if I'm wrong

I myself use Monstrous manuals for general ideas.