Guide to a Good Fixture

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Drogo Gyslain
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Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Drogo Gyslain » Sun May 02, 2021 3:03 pm

Greetings!

Good Fixture and Good Fixture Ettiquite can be broken down into several different categories and values that give the world it's flare. I've seen talk recently about how "some fixtures don't fit" or "Don't make sense", others who will willfully vandalize and deface things, or simply just put down crap.

As far as a fixture goes, There are a few criteria to making good, long lasting, or heavily impactful items that become part of server lore.

Starting with:

Originality

Is it an original piece? Did you make it yourself and if so, what do you want that piece to represent? Or did you just do some copy-paste bullcrap and paste another page and a half of Forgotten Realms Wiki-lore into a fixture and insert it.

The Originality and origin of a piece is it's heart and soul A fixture with no description is almost always worth more than a fixture that just blatantly tells you EVERYTHING you needed to know straight from a wiki (which may not even be the gospel truth, by the way). Your fixtures should tell a story, or make the observer ask a question. You should never see a fixture that just... rattles off an encyclopedia entry and if you want it to have a description, own it! Make it yours. If you are going to put it down, make sure that it tells a story or invokes intrigue in someone. Not everyone is going to appreciate it, but at the same time It will be seen by many, many people over it's existence and one day it may even incorperate into lore somehow.

Purpose

Does this fixture serve a purpose? Is it a Local Purpose, or does it have the makings of standing a test of time. IF you put down a fixture, please be courteous to your neighbors and when you're done with it, pick it back up. Noone likes seeing a row of unnamed, base description tents lining a road and be told "Oh, thats 'X,Y,Z"'s camp, don't disturb!!!". And Just renaming a set of fixtures to impose a camp does not a camp make.

Case in point, the difference between Camp Young and Camp Solarheart in the Heartwood Forest. Both camps were firmly established with an elaborate point to their creation, however when it came time to... Do... something with the camps, one camp was used and people visited frequently, the other... was pretty much just a set of flagposts. If you set up an RP hub, ensure it is used. Otherwise, it becomes a blight. When you're finished, break it down and take care of your temporary fixtures.

Other great examples of excellent Purpose would be Festival fixtures like the Myonian Festivals, or the Cordor Art Exhibits. Great examples of long standing, purpose RP fixtures to leave in place would be alot of the old lore Druid Menhirs, Statues (where tasteful), Altars in special locations.

Creative Community

However, following having Originality and Purpose, fixtures need creativity. Especially items that are meant to be left behind and you want to design them to remain. Y ou have to give people a reason to let them stay. Placing what in your mind is a 'permenant' fixture and being upset because someone tore down your work of art isn't fair to you or them. You can't expect that just because you put it there, doesn't mean others won't see it the same way and tear it back down.

Be creative and Involve People. Don't just slap down a bunch of random bookshelves and call it a library. Make a Fixture farm of 30 potted plants and call it a garden. Ask for help, express interest, hell Create a faction and hire people! Get people involved and use your and their creativity to make something. Express that creativity through clever wordings, riddles and phrases, or historic value.

Did a character (not only your own) fight a great battle here and need to be recognized? Did a plague happen? Did Wharftown really deserve to get map-wiped? Referring back to originality, don't just copy and paste something into a description. Take the time to make it beautiful, make it ugly. Hell, make it the most disgusting and wretching fixture out there (thank you burin). Creativity makes for great outlets, and can make your fixture stand out, from 10 tents called a camp.

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Example of a Terrible Fixture

Post by Drogo Gyslain » Sun May 02, 2021 6:25 pm

Image

Seriously, just the remains of fixtures that are bashed of a nameless or indescript item are nothing short of littering. Instead of just bashing a fixture you don't like, remove it. A Tent can be bought anywhere, by anyone and set up, but the remains of tents littering the landscape is just plain useless. Throw it in a trashcan or at least attach it to a dead body so it can respawn. Don't bash a fixture and just leave it.

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Kuma
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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Kuma » Tue May 04, 2021 6:36 am

I wouldn't hate on people that bash tents as littering more, seemingly, than the tent-ploppers themselves, considering Remains decay after a while.

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The GrumpyCat
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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by The GrumpyCat » Tue May 04, 2021 1:34 pm

Kuma wrote:
Tue May 04, 2021 6:36 am
I wouldn't hate on people that bash tents as littering more, seemingly, than the tent-ploppers themselves, considering Remains decay after a while.
I'm in agreement here. Honestly people should be more willing to bash than steal/remove. Even if you think the area isn't being used ect- it gives a chance for people to fix it if they want to. That said - throwing away a tent isn't the worst thing in the world either. Just try and be mindful.
This too shall pass.

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Drogo Gyslain » Tue May 04, 2021 7:45 pm

Personally after writing that I think that tents were a bad example anyway. They can be moved and a bashed fixture can be fixed and reset. But with the talk here and there about places being littered with low-quality, low effort items, A bunch of stock tents is about as low-value as I can think in terms of how easy they are to aquire and how often you see anyone do anything with them.

But you're both right, there are bigger fish to fry, and being mindful is a big part. My argument to that though is also, be mindful that what you set down and leave behind is going to give back, not take away from the environment as a whole.

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The GrumpyCat
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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by The GrumpyCat » Tue May 04, 2021 9:18 pm

Over all I think this post is truly excellent, and I can't but agree with pretty much every word for it! It's a very good post!
This too shall pass.

(I now have a DM Discord (I hope) It's DM GrumpyCat#7185 but please keep in mind I'm very busy IRL so I can't promise how quick I'll get back to you.)

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Edens_Fall » Wed May 05, 2021 12:57 pm

Would the staff be ok if we as players cleaned up these areas so long as we keep to the "one fixture every 24 hours" rule for theft? That or bash to see if they are cared about enough to be repaired?

I have at times thought about cleaning up cluttered areas, but always worry about getting in trouble for it.

If that makes sense?

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by The GrumpyCat » Wed May 05, 2021 2:14 pm

If you stick to the rules definatly.

Though I'd add if you see something being continuously fixed/ replaced please don't bash again.. as someone obviously does care about it.

(Aside and somewhat unrelated - one thing that always gives me the warm and fuzzies is when I see character gravestones still about. There's one that's been around practically for 100 Arelith Years. I love that - for the most part - people are actually really respectful of those.)
This too shall pass.

(I now have a DM Discord (I hope) It's DM GrumpyCat#7185 but please keep in mind I'm very busy IRL so I can't promise how quick I'll get back to you.)

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Edens_Fall » Wed May 05, 2021 3:59 pm

Thanks for the clarification! I agree. I do always get a kick out of finding a grave marker in some forgotten location out in the wilderness.

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Drogo Gyslain » Wed May 05, 2021 6:01 pm

The GrumpyCat wrote:
Wed May 05, 2021 2:14 pm
Grumpy, Would it be possible, for some of the oldest of these fixtures, to be converted over time into permenant placements that could not be?

And I mean, we're talking some pretty high criteria, the 5% of the 5% of fixtures that have significant meaning or have stood the literal test of time, lasting for IC decades and have become part of the Arelithian landscape for all who walk past them.?

Things like Grave markers that haven't been disturbed in Eon's, a few special statues and altars. Things like the Weatherstone Sundial, The Nameless Statue on the walk to Bendir, The Dragon Temple, etc.

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Anira » Wed May 05, 2021 7:48 pm

Drogo Gyslain wrote:
Wed May 05, 2021 6:01 pm
Grumpy, Would it be possible, for some of the oldest of these fixtures, to be converted over time into permenant placements that could not be?

And I mean, we're talking some pretty high criteria, the 5% of the 5% of fixtures that have significant meaning or have stood the literal test of time, lasting for IC decades and have become part of the Arelithian landscape for all who walk past them.?

Things like Grave markers that haven't been disturbed in Eon's, a few special statues and altars. Things like the Weatherstone Sundial, The Nameless Statue on the walk to Bendir, The Dragon Temple, etc.
The now destroyed and gone statue to Sheela which was there when I started playing Arelith 5 years ago before it went to EE. Then, last week, after constantly repairing the smashed statue - some decided to just remove it from the area that had been built around it.

I've used that statue as a landmark to give directions to people who want to go to Coole Park. I can't use it anymore because now it's just gone and I have no idea what was written on it as I just learned the other day how to make screen shots in EE.

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by The GrumpyCat » Wed May 05, 2021 11:55 pm

That's really Irongrons area tbh, it's him you need to petition about that and really up to him to say what criteria or situation - if any - he would consider doing that.
This too shall pass.

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Nitro » Thu May 06, 2021 8:43 pm

The GrumpyCat wrote:
Wed May 05, 2021 2:14 pm
Though I'd add if you see something being continuously fixed/ replaced please don't bash again.. as someone obviously does care about it.
But hold on, that's not quite right. If someone plops down an ugly fixture camp, and repairs it when it gets bashed, surely that doesn't just give them the right of way over the druid trying to remove it? There's nothing more inherently valuable or contributing in being able to put down a tent fixture than there is in being able to break the tent fixture.

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by The GrumpyCat » Thu May 06, 2021 10:51 pm

Nitro wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 8:43 pm
The GrumpyCat wrote:
Wed May 05, 2021 2:14 pm
Though I'd add if you see something being continuously fixed/ replaced please don't bash again.. as someone obviously does care about it.
But hold on, that's not quite right. If someone plops down an ugly fixture camp, and repairs it when it gets bashed, surely that doesn't just give them the right of way over the druid trying to remove it? There's nothing more inherently valuable or contributing in being able to put down a tent fixture than there is in being able to break the tent fixture.
Repeatedly bashing and especialy removing a fixture - yes ANY fixture - can be seen as griefing and as such is reportable under the Be Nice Rule.

To hone in one one part
There's nothing more inherently valuable or contributing in being able to put down a tent fixture than there is in being able to break the tent fixture.
A tent fixture? Maybe not so much? But definatly so in other fixtures and honestly I'm not in the mood to qualify rulings with every tiny single permiatation of a situation.

If you feel that there should be an exception, if a fixture camp is unfitting for an area, if something else is up then by all means contact the DM team and we'll look at that specific situaiton. But the above rule honestly suits most situations.

And even without this - if Denny Druid bashes a tent fixture, then Rory Ranger replaces it. Then Denny druid bashes it. Then Rory Ranger replaces it. Then Denny druid Bashes it. Then Rory Ranger replaces it... what essentialy has been avhieved in terms of fun or story or roleplay? It's just an escelating irritation to the two parties and at that point, perhaps a better option is to actually find out who owns said tent actually roleplay with them? Find a way to make things fun, interesting, and meaningful.
This too shall pass.

(I now have a DM Discord (I hope) It's DM GrumpyCat#7185 but please keep in mind I'm very busy IRL so I can't promise how quick I'll get back to you.)

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Hazard » Sat May 08, 2021 9:19 am

I like shorter descriptions on fixtures and PCs/NPCs.
Long descriptions are fun to write and can be a great read, but while playing the game and examining you can't do anything else, not even type/RP, and so it always feels like a bit of a rush unless you're all alone.

I like most descriptions to be short and sweet, and save the long stuff for special occasions.

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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Hobojoe » Tue May 11, 2021 11:14 pm

The GrumpyCat wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 10:51 pm
And even without this - if Denny Druid bashes a tent fixture, then Rory Ranger replaces it. Then Denny druid bashes it. Then Rory Ranger replaces it. Then Denny druid Bashes it. Then Rory Ranger replaces it... what essentialy has been avhieved in terms of fun or story or roleplay? It's just an escelating irritation to the two parties and at that point, perhaps a better option is to actually find out who owns said tent actually roleplay with them? Find a way to make things fun, interesting, and meaningful.
I've always felt that if you're going to bash/move something that someone has put some time into (Default description tents not counted) then you at least owe them a trail of RP to follow. It's quite demoralizing to find something you've worked on destroyed for seemingly no reason and with zero effort made to throw some fun your way.
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Re: Guide to a Good Fixture

Post by Skibbles » Sun May 16, 2021 3:40 am

If bashed things are being repaired, especially more than once, then it's maybe advised to try and find the character for RP. Maybe something could just be worked out instead of an anonymous passive-aggressive tit for tat.

Otherwise the OP seems like good info though I feel it spends as much time casting aspersions as it does being a guide for improvement. Honestly I think much of it should be reworded to have a neutral and instructive tone.
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