Request for the Event Times

[Petrifictus]

As roleplayer from Finland, I've lately noticed that the late events have been usually held in times that dont support many of us from the EU.

I know many good Arelith players who would love to take part and shine in the different events, yet the timezones never agree with them. It make us feel left out from all the fun and the recent Stone storyline sure sounded epic to join.

I always try to make sure everybody has a chance to join when I plan different events and I personally wish to request you would do such too whenever working with the events.

Thank you for reading.
Petrifictus

[The GrumpyCat]

Hello!

We do try to spread out events, but there are a few problematic factors involved.

I myself am an EU player, and I've noticed that when people request events, or if I want to include certain people in events, my times tend to shift more towards EU (or for me GMT) evening times, or even late night times.

The reason for this is because either the players requesting the events are American times, or they want players involved who are american times. Further more, I find the period between say, 6pm GMT and 3am GMT tend to be the busiest, and when my events (if not requested) gain the most traction.

Then there is simple Dm coverage. I'm fortunate enough that for now I'm mostly unemployed so I can be about at odd hours. Other DMs, even if they are Euro Dms, arn't so fortunate and have jobs to go to.

We do try to get some coverage on various events, but any event which is specificaly requested, or which requests a lot of players, tends to occur towards the 6pm-3am time period, I've found. Less out of malice and more because that's just when the bulk of the players are around, and are making requests.

Unless I'm missing something? Again a lot of events I've seen of late tend to fit between those times which, I would have thought (though again, I'm not too familiar with EU time zones!) is a reasonable bracket zone?

[Richørd]

Well, it's not a "Persistent World" for nothing.

Stuff will happen with or without some characters present, that's just how it works.

And even if we shift the event times to something more apropriate for EU people ... wouldn't it just in return discomfort the other timezones?

[Queen Titania]

Moving to Feedback.

Is this a message to ALL players, or just DMs, if just us, my response will follow below:

I'm usually on 7:00 P.M. GMT and later on weekdays, and early afternoon weekends. It's just how my RL Schedule is, and there is nothing I can do about that. Even still, we spent a solid ten hours on Sunday, eventing through many different time-zones. Even though I am "heading" the current event, the other DMs have been excellent at covering and adding creative things at times I am not able to be on, expanding coverage further.

Thus I'm not sure if I agree on what you are asking, or if it can really be done any more than we already are.

[Petrifictus]

Request was aimed at both players and DMs. I raise my hat to you all who work hard with these events and try to give everybody a chance to get involved, be they big or small.

Sometimes I just feel with some others that most of the events times favor non EU - players, giving them more spotlight than they deserve and next we hear later how awesome these characters are repeatedly, leaving us in their shadows.

[Mythic]

I find that most events start slowly around 6PM GMT, and really start cranking up once around 10-11PM. Right when it's getting good, most EU'ers (At least the non-crazies like myself who stay up until 3-4AM) would be logging off

I think the team is doing really well to accomadate as many players as possible with their times, as much as it sucks to miss the really good bits sometimes, that's just how it goes!

Others get a chance to Shine, and thats a good thing.


But as an Aside, I think having more "Set" times for some events, would go a long way. So that people could plan around it, rather than end up feeling obligated to see an event through to the End. Because their character would, instead of having to make up an excuse to bounce out (Which usually feels bad, and like you are missing out. I'm sure others can and have felt the same way)

Even if its just warning people who would be involved in an OOC manner, like "X is going to happen next on Y" It does not even need to be with details, Just enough to give folks a timeframe to work around?

[Queen Titania]

When the number of people is small, we usually can (and often do) set the next start time with the player, especially if the player is the event requester. When an event relies on the player more than us, usually the pace and time moves with them, thus if the player's character needs to pause, so does the event. This may seem more desirable, but these events can be more exclusive.

When the number of people is large, or no specific player is the event requester and we are not certain who will become involved, this is not very effective. Thus when any player can move the ball forward, "pausing" relies on multiple players, it does not make sense to do it just for an individual. This may seem less desirable, but these events are more inclusive.

Even if we put down a set time, not every player can stay the whole time, or make said time, even at re-adjustment. It wouldn't really resolve the problem. (Further, and especially for player requested, starting can take place as long as an hour after the intended scheduled time, players taking a lot of time to mobilize before)

It is just the nature of a persistent world in the end.

[Ebonstar]

it makes sense that all DMs would want to have small events, as well as global ones as well from time to time.

one place i played years ago had a calendar actually on a link to the forums like our portal page

DMs and players both could set up things they wanted to do both large and small in whatever time zone was best for them, and they could even have players sign up for smaller events, say if they needed a group at a certain time of eight people. Then those eight would be in the event time frame and be that DMs group until the end of the event.

There was even an hour setting, so say you wanted to only run the event from 5-9 local time, this was your event time and if the goal took longer than one day, the event and its lore was bubbled until the event came to a conclusion. This gave the DMs more feel to their event and even let them design special end event items for their group upon conclusion.

Now players were not bubbled to the extent of not being able to play other times, but event items were solely for the group until the events end and then you could possibly see changes happen in the greater aspect of the isle.

This method let the DMs run both global events like invasions like always, in a group of them, or smaller localized say a brog event, or a myon event, or a devils table etc.


One such event I was privy to be on brought an old noble family who had been locked in a time loop 200 years into the present time and caused a renaming of a town and it becoming more active. It was "bubbled" over a two month real time period meeting twice a week in the smaller group on the server.

Again the calendar and sign ups made all these things possible for all players who were in all time zones to be more included in overall bigger picture of the PW.

[Queen Titania]

A calendar is great for players, so they avoid scheduling on top of eachother (And for us so we avoid doing things around such scheduled events (Or the opposite, and intentionally crash it!), but I would not want an OOC sign up, that'd go against the grain of RP. I'd want to keep who comes to what entirely IG and IC.

[Memelord]

Just putting this out there - there is an event calendar for PC-run and publicly advertised events that is curated primarily by Mr. Rieper and myself; it's pinned on the general chat section of the Arelith 3.0 Discord. It has waxed and waned in popularity, but it used to have listings for just about every town's events - both recurring ones or otherwise - and is a fantastic tool to get a grasp on just how active certain factions are, what timezones they're most active in, and to help avoid scheduling overlaps.

[Ebonstar]

it should be attached here on the forums as not everyone uses discord

[Mythic]

An Easy to access calender so that folk could see certain events COULD be a really good thing, the only issue that arises from it as an idea is the risk of Metagaming.

[Memelord]

Yes, that's why it's explicitly only for publicly advertised events - it's 100% an "opt-in" situation. Any event that could reasonably be considered common knowledge? Go ahead and slap it on up (if Rieper has given you permissions to add events) or request one of us do it.

That being said, "metagaming" that makes it easier for people to get together and make enjoyable stories is good and acceptable metagaming - it's only when you're taking advantage of OOC knowledge to deliberately and maliciously screw over another player or group of players that it's an issue. I mean, heck, in the past when I was in charge of factions/guard forces I even listed all of our outings/maneuvers/training missions - just to encourage/allow our enemies to wander in and spice things up if they wanted.

[Baron Saturday]

Personally, I dislike the idea of explicitly stated DM event times, precisely because it would result in more people joining the events. Larger groups in events means more lag, and on the roleplay side of things, it also means that individual players have less potential time to shine, as more people are competing for the spotlight.

A calendar for publicly posted events (i.e. stuff widely advertised on message boards) is fine, though. That's just an OOC convenience.

[The GrumpyCat]

Sometimes I just feel with some others that most of the events times favor non EU - players, giving them more spotlight than they deserve and next we hear later how awesome these characters are repeatedly, leaving us in their shadows.

I dunno though. Whenever I see kudos for events it's often leveled around DMs and the funness of the event itself, less around players. And when I see kudos for players, it's often less due to what they did in 'DM events' and more what they did with other players.

Or if it is involving DM events, then it tends to be player lead DM events - e.g. a player saying 'Hay, I've this neat idea for an event, let's do it!'

At least that's how it generally occurs to me?

I mean, not to say that having more events around earlier euro times is probably a good idea, but this reasoning 'to make euro players shine' is well... it's a little odd? DM events arn't really where I tend to see most players shine. I tend to see them shine when doing their own stuff, or when working around a DM event, after and before. AT least that's my take on it.

Nowadays I very rarely do big events though. I seem to try and do requested events - so maybe if Euro players are concerned about this, try and request events that fit to their time schedual? I can manage earlier GMT times pretty well, for the most part if it helps! (-:

When I do other events, it tends to be 'when I wanna.' and without any hard schedual, or end time thought up. Because there's an old DM Maxim: "Players have two speeds. Too fast, and Too slow.'

[Queen Titania]

Personally, I dislike the idea of explicitly stated DM event times, precisely because it would result in more people joining the events. Larger groups in events means more lag, and on the roleplay side of things, it also means that individual players have less potential time to shine, as more people are competing for the spotlight.

A calendar for publicly posted events (i.e. stuff widely advertised on message boards) is fine, though. That's just an OOC convenience.

This is my line of thinking. I would not mind DM Events that are equivalent to common knowledge, I.E., the King of Cordor hosts a ball, having that scheduled makes sense.

Having: THE MURDER OF KING's BETHROTHED scheduled or even (Generic DM Event) would be more awkward, and it may not be the type that everyone would hear about, causing disappointment anyway.

Also agreed with everything Grumpy said, who beat me AGAIN posted as I was about to hit submit. So catty!

[Lady Astray]

Personally, I dislike the idea of explicitly stated DM event times, precisely because it would result in more people joining the events. Larger groups in events means more lag, and on the roleplay side of things, it also means that individual players have less potential time to shine, as more people are competing for the spotlight.

A calendar for publicly posted events (i.e. stuff widely advertised on message boards) is fine, though. That's just an OOC convenience.

I agree with Baron Saturday on this. It is a bit overwhelming when you have 30 players in an area talking over each other or having multiple different conversations. Best to just let the DM's work their magic and focus on one group of players at a time.

[Memelord]

Here is a link to the aforementioned events calendar - as you can see, it has somewhat declined in the popularity of its use. If you want permissions to add events to the calendar yourself, please contact Mr. Rieper - if you just want to have an event notice posted every now and again without doing so yourself, PM me either here or on Discord with the details.

[Marsi]

I don't like the idea of publishing a schedule, but one of my biggest pet peeves is poorly thought-through event timing, player or DM side.

I'm usually on 7:00 P.M. GMT and later on weekdays, and early afternoon weekends. It's just how my RL Schedule is, and there is nothing I can do about that.

Actually, that's great. A little after 7pm GMT and onwards is what I consider the timezone sweet-spot. Naturally, it's suitable for EU players, most US players will be home from school/work, and it's early (but not ridiculously so) morning for AUS players. The weekends of course are ideal. There are a few who will miss out, always, but this casts the widest net in my opinion.

Yes, it's a persistent world and you can't be there for everything, but I think some level of concern should go toward the timing of important events, especially ones that involve the physical change of the server areas.

I remember the Crown of Horns event circa 2012, one of my favourite DM quests ever. Despite being in the AUS timezone and attending school full-time, I got to be a part of almost every major stage of the event. I remember these major stages always occured in the before mentioned "sweet spot". The real magic of this quest was that there were several side-quests going on simultaneously designed to empower those who would otherwise miss out: lowbies, casual players and those whose character concepts didn't permit murder-hobo adventuring. These side-quests played a crucial role in how the story unfolded. It was important that everyone had the opportunity to get involved because the server was physically changed in a lot of big ways.

Conversely, I remember another DM quest also from a long time ago that felt an attempt to recapture the magic of the Crown of Horns event. Everything was subject to persisting changes and the consequences of the plot were unavoidable. The problem was that the DM(s) always held the event at a very particular time of the day that suited only one timezone to the exclusion of others. The result was that only one group of characters got to be involved, every single time (perhaps intentionally, but I wouldn't speculate), and for everyone else there was just a paper trail of "urgent" messageboard declarations and some new NPCs.

This isn't just a plea to pity-time events to make them more inclusive, I think everybody wins when they're timed well. More people get to be involved, and the event holder has a wider audience for their RP. Yes, zerg DM events are annoying, but I think they can be dealt with by unfolding the narrative differently, and are more the consequence of smooshing together all sorts of factions, alignments and interests and have them work together for some singular cause rather than delivering a component of the narrative to each seperately and have them play off each other rather than the NPCs.