Hi! I'm new here. I looked over the player rule book and rolled up myself a drow last week. Been having a pretty good time with him and all the harshness that is his ELC. Been talking around in character to get a better understanding of the server/setting and everybody has been great, especially those who took the time to answer a lot of my dumb new guy questions. So thank you, thank you!
My question here is on communicating with the staff and how to go about it. The rule book says you should have goals for your character. Now if you need DM assistance on achieving a thing or two, how should you go about requesting aid, advice, or events? Is there a ticket system in place that I'm not seeing? I imagine with a server population of this size I should have a group of people for said possible event?
Thanks!
Character Goals and Communication
Moderators: Active DMs, Forum Moderators
Re: Character Goals and Communication
Welcome to Arelith! PM the Active DMs group or email the DM team (arelith.dm@gmail.com).
However, we don't promise to help with all requests - you need to inspire a DM to want to do your event because they think it will be fun (for them, and for the wider server). In general, if you can keep your requests of the team modest and drive most of the story yourself in game, your request is more likely to be helped.
However, we don't promise to help with all requests - you need to inspire a DM to want to do your event because they think it will be fun (for them, and for the wider server). In general, if you can keep your requests of the team modest and drive most of the story yourself in game, your request is more likely to be helped.
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Re: Character Goals and Communication
This isn't a what you should do reply, it's what I have learned and maybe it will help reply. Trying to get DM help with a specific goal for your PC in particular on a server of this size will normally not happen. It isn't because the DM's are nasty or mean, its just they don't have the time. Remember DM's have lives plus all the responsibilities of being a DM. Plus having been one, not on this server, running an event for a specific player is incredibly difficult. On a smaller server sure its vastly easier, but not one of this size. Again speaking as personal experience, not for anyone else.
With that being said, what makes Arelith special is the fact you don't necessarily need DM's for anything. You can accomplish all your goals with a little thought, preparation and social interaction. It just depends on what the goals are. Now, as someone who has RP'd a lot, I have found that having vague goals, a well thought out back story, and letting the RP dictate where you character goes works much better. That way its less about you and more about the enjoyment of the RP had. Let failures be part of your story. The best RP had is through horrible failures had by your character, and how it alters his/her story. Doing this also shows the DM's you are a good RP'er is worthy of a planned event.
Now, lets say you have a goal to rob Cordor's bank. You need a good amount of other PC's to partake in this, and it will generate a large amount of RP for many other players. If you come up with a good pitch to DM's with something similar, and how it will generate wide spread RP, plus you have already proven you are capable RP'er, this has a much better chance of being picked up by a DM.
So, take some time to get settled. Get known. Get a base of players who you RP with a lot, maybe start a guild or something. Then try hitting up a DM.
With that being said, what makes Arelith special is the fact you don't necessarily need DM's for anything. You can accomplish all your goals with a little thought, preparation and social interaction. It just depends on what the goals are. Now, as someone who has RP'd a lot, I have found that having vague goals, a well thought out back story, and letting the RP dictate where you character goes works much better. That way its less about you and more about the enjoyment of the RP had. Let failures be part of your story. The best RP had is through horrible failures had by your character, and how it alters his/her story. Doing this also shows the DM's you are a good RP'er is worthy of a planned event.
Now, lets say you have a goal to rob Cordor's bank. You need a good amount of other PC's to partake in this, and it will generate a large amount of RP for many other players. If you come up with a good pitch to DM's with something similar, and how it will generate wide spread RP, plus you have already proven you are capable RP'er, this has a much better chance of being picked up by a DM.
So, take some time to get settled. Get known. Get a base of players who you RP with a lot, maybe start a guild or something. Then try hitting up a DM.
Not a Harper
Re: Character Goals and Communication
Bank robbery is my happy words. If a group of players got together and came up with a good enough plan I would absolutely be on board for that.
Re: Character Goals and Communication
I've been wanting to rob Cordor for ages, and already have the perfect plan. (it's not air tight, so it has room to go soooooo wrong)
Re: Character Goals and Communication
This sums up nicely a point I wanted to share. Asking a DM for time for your own personal story is a bit selfish and is going to make you low priority. I have found however for faction or settlement events they are very open to working with you. Make your goals bigger than yourself and your gaming experience will be much richer, in more ways than one.DM_Tophat wrote:Bank robbery is my happy words. If a group of players got together and came up with a good enough plan I would absolutely be on board for that.
Re: Character Goals and Communication
I'd say be careful character goals which a) depend on a change to the server and b) require DM assistance.
The former rarely occurs. That's not cynacism, it's just how it is. As has been said above, DMs have limited time and whilst sometimes they will help out, it is by no means a guarantee.
The 'Changes to the server' is... occasionaly possible, but it really depends what you want. Mark you - I'm not saying don't have these more that... well... don't expect them to come true.
Keep in mind that your goals don't actualy have to be attainable, they just have to be there.
For example, you could make a Gnoll, who's goal is to enslave and/or make extinct every single elf on arelith. Well - that's perfectly fine. You can have some great roleplay capturing elves, being mean to elves, ect, ect... Just so long as you don't ever oocly expect that you'll own every elf!
.
To use another common example - by all means set up a plan to rebuild Benwick. Go for it. But do it for the joy of the roleplay towards that goal. Don't expect or depen don DMS to run events for you for the retaking it, and even less so for the Devs to put in huge extra areas.
But stepping aside from that! Which I suppose could sound very negative- often on arelith what is remembered is not neccesarly what people did, but how they went about doing it.
To use the Benwick idea - sure you may know ooc your plan won't work. That's fine. But you can still work towards it. You can make the goal of gathering fellow Knights to help you. Of 'dealing' with the Banite church. Of bringinglaw and Order to Wharftown (or not)
Basicaly - wihlst the'res nothing in herently wrong with having goals that require a DM/Dev aid, it's better to have goals that you can have fun with even without DM/Dev assistance. Talking to other players. Fighting Good/Evil characters. Personal growth for your character. Things like that.
And - now I've blerted out all that - I will actually answer the question you wanted
But firstly - a question o fmy own is your goal an 'event' or is it a 'change?'
To use an example: If your goal is to, say, fight the devils of Benwick, or to er... set a fire in Guldorand? Then it's a DM you need. This is a single event where, generally speaking, bar some roleplay reprocussions and such there is no long term change to the server. Sure you'll fight the devils of Benwick with a special genreal leading them ro some such - but it won't change benwicks 'situation long term. Sure you can set fire to Guld! And people will run about putting them out and rp panic, but Guldorand wil, in the end, remain the same.
To go about doing this, contact one of the Active DMs, stating your intent, working out a time, ect.
Sending DMs PMs or messages via Email is probably for the best. You can try using the DM option in game, but honestly this is pretty random as don't neccesarly know when there's a DM on, and they'll often be distracted. So I'd choose the Forum PM/Email rout.
If your goal has a long term change to the server (rebuilding Benwick, burning Guldorand to the ground, ect) then you need a Dev. The curreng head deav is Irongron. But Please keep in mind perminent server changes are very rare, require a -lot- of time, a -lot- of roleplay a -lot- of players. There's a thred around here somewhere about giving tips towards that if you need them. I'll happily put that here if that's what you're after.
Devs are rarely in Game, but should be contacted via email or maybe Forum PM> Irongron is probably your best port of call for that sort of request.
Hope any of this rambling helps.
The former rarely occurs. That's not cynacism, it's just how it is. As has been said above, DMs have limited time and whilst sometimes they will help out, it is by no means a guarantee.
The 'Changes to the server' is... occasionaly possible, but it really depends what you want. Mark you - I'm not saying don't have these more that... well... don't expect them to come true.
Keep in mind that your goals don't actualy have to be attainable, they just have to be there.
For example, you could make a Gnoll, who's goal is to enslave and/or make extinct every single elf on arelith. Well - that's perfectly fine. You can have some great roleplay capturing elves, being mean to elves, ect, ect... Just so long as you don't ever oocly expect that you'll own every elf!
.
To use another common example - by all means set up a plan to rebuild Benwick. Go for it. But do it for the joy of the roleplay towards that goal. Don't expect or depen don DMS to run events for you for the retaking it, and even less so for the Devs to put in huge extra areas.
But stepping aside from that! Which I suppose could sound very negative- often on arelith what is remembered is not neccesarly what people did, but how they went about doing it.
To use the Benwick idea - sure you may know ooc your plan won't work. That's fine. But you can still work towards it. You can make the goal of gathering fellow Knights to help you. Of 'dealing' with the Banite church. Of bringinglaw and Order to Wharftown (or not)
Basicaly - wihlst the'res nothing in herently wrong with having goals that require a DM/Dev aid, it's better to have goals that you can have fun with even without DM/Dev assistance. Talking to other players. Fighting Good/Evil characters. Personal growth for your character. Things like that.
And - now I've blerted out all that - I will actually answer the question you wanted
But firstly - a question o fmy own is your goal an 'event' or is it a 'change?'
To use an example: If your goal is to, say, fight the devils of Benwick, or to er... set a fire in Guldorand? Then it's a DM you need. This is a single event where, generally speaking, bar some roleplay reprocussions and such there is no long term change to the server. Sure you'll fight the devils of Benwick with a special genreal leading them ro some such - but it won't change benwicks 'situation long term. Sure you can set fire to Guld! And people will run about putting them out and rp panic, but Guldorand wil, in the end, remain the same.
To go about doing this, contact one of the Active DMs, stating your intent, working out a time, ect.
Sending DMs PMs or messages via Email is probably for the best. You can try using the DM option in game, but honestly this is pretty random as don't neccesarly know when there's a DM on, and they'll often be distracted. So I'd choose the Forum PM/Email rout.
If your goal has a long term change to the server (rebuilding Benwick, burning Guldorand to the ground, ect) then you need a Dev. The curreng head deav is Irongron. But Please keep in mind perminent server changes are very rare, require a -lot- of time, a -lot- of roleplay a -lot- of players. There's a thred around here somewhere about giving tips towards that if you need them. I'll happily put that here if that's what you're after.
Devs are rarely in Game, but should be contacted via email or maybe Forum PM> Irongron is probably your best port of call for that sort of request.
Hope any of this rambling helps.