What would you like more of?

[Serilliant]

What do you think Althanas is missing? What do we have that you want more of? Let us know and then post some additional comments!

[Red Lightning]

Althanas is defenitely one of the more mature and "realistic" of any Roleplaying site on the Internet. The sheer amount of members can testify to its popularity. Mostly this is because unlike in most RP's, godplaying isn't just discouraged but mostly prohibited, making sure everyone has a fun time playing a character that they develop over time, not just some super powered uber-man who you post with for one thread then throw away into the ashes of your past.

That said, one of the things I think Althanas could have more of or improve upon is its rewards system. Not IC awards, but OOC. Things like the member title, avatars, signature, and I heard OOC gold being mentioned quite a few times earlier today. The lack of freedom and choices that these have are some disappointments for some people, who especially like moving avatars and sig pictures. While i'm not saying that it should be possible for everyone to get that at will, I do believe it should be easier to achieve than recruiting 15 people into Althanas and forcing them to type out ten good posts just to get that point.

And there was something else I was gonna say but I forgot. xP

[Doomsday]

I agree with RL, there needs to be more little fun things that average players have access to. Like having a reasonable way to earn custom titles and the like. Also something to help with people to feel a little more appreciated would help too.

[Godhand]

I would like more polls because God knows there's certainly not enough of these fucking things.

[Red Lightning]

Oh yeah. Now I remember: while I know Althanas is based on a free form system where basically everyone can develop their own histories and Althanas stories, I've gotten and heard alot of complaints that there isn't really any backround to go on, or major history. I think Althanas should have a defined history to go by, so that people can reference to it in their own stories. Of course they can add their own little details and things, but there should be a defenite backround plot to go by.

Just my opinion.

[Breaker]

More Tournaments! Those are awesome.
More Features! Fun things to do.
More Players! I'm lonely sometimes.


Those are more energetic than my opinions, but they're close.

1) I"m somewhat biased because I like writing battles a lot, but then again, I think many others do as well. Tournaments always create excitement and generate user interest.
2) I'd like the ToW back. For essentially the same reasons as the tournaments. Also, I always looked at the ToW as a more active Citadel. It kept people looking for new opponents and original ideas.
3) A wider base of members would be terrific; it often seems like there's only around twenty active RPers. Besides, it'd be nice to see some new avatars out there.

[Raimeiken]

Maybe some sort of OOC contests?

In fact, I haven't seen any around here. Well, not counting that "Worst Pick-Up Line" Contest. That's just bland.

Do you really think you can use any of those and get something out of it asides from a swift kick in the ass?

EDIT: OK, maybe that just happens to guys when they do it to me.

-strikes an innocent pose-

[Artifex Felicis]

In an effort to make something known. Probably all the posting I'll do today.

Gild had an old contest for Vignettes, a short story, all centralized around a common theme. I always loved the idea, especially since it could be a quick little excuse to explain a plothole, or pick up a weapon or MacGuffin, or anything really. At the same time it could also be considered cannon and get a widdle exp for it. Wouldn't be hard, just a central theme each month. Winner gets 500 exp plus regular (and minimal story exp0, second place gets 250, and third gets 100 exp. A bit of number crunching yes, but maybe a nice idea for some who simply cannot get other quests moving in order to still get a nice story finished.

[Call me J]

In an effort to make something known. Probably all the posting I'll do today.

Gild had an old contest for Vignettes, a short story, all centralized around a common theme. I always loved the idea, especially since it could be a quick little excuse to explain a plothole, or pick up a weapon or MacGuffin, or anything really. At the same time it could also be considered cannon and get a widdle exp for it. Wouldn't be hard, just a central theme each month. Winner gets 500 exp plus regular (and minimal story exp0, second place gets 250, and third gets 100 exp. A bit of number crunching yes, but maybe a nice idea for some who simply cannot get other quests moving in order to still get a nice story finished.

I really like this idea. I'm going to draft a proposal for it.

[Herald]

Power Groups. Group quests. There was a time when PGs really mattered, now barring Imperial's gambling, only the House of Sora is really an active PG, and while I applaud them for that, they're not broad enough in scope to have appeal to every character. There needs to be more options for people to join, and there should be something to do once your character is in one.

I mean, the entire point of coming to this site rather than writing short stories all on my lonesome is for the interaction with other people, and what better way to facilitate that than with our too-oft-ignored PG system? It has a lot of potential, but I can't help but feel that's not being exploited.

[Cyrus the virus]

like moving avatars and sig pictures

I'm just speaking for myself and not the staff (though some have shared their opinions in the past), but I'll pretty much fight against sig pictures until death. I like the poetic, basic signatures we encourage now. They get the point across, and separates us from other forums. Not that all sig pictures are lame, but the vast majority are distracting, purposeless and make the forum look a lot uglier.

I think moving avatars would be totally fine, though, as long as they fit the size limit we currently have. But I can't tell you how happy I am that we don't allow sig pictures.

And just an FYI, you can upload a photo to your profile somehow. Not as many people see it, obviously, but I think that's a good thing.


Oh yeah. Now I remember: while I know Althanas is based on a free form system where basically everyone can develop their own histories and Althanas stories, I've gotten and heard alot of complaints that there isn't really any backround to go on, or major history. I think Althanas should have a defined history to go by, so that people can reference to it in their own stories. Of course they can add their own little details and things, but there should be a defenite backround plot to go by.

Though it's not really out in the open, we have a pretty good outline of the way Althanas' history has gone. Check the timeline, Thayne mythology. We don't have a canonical "creation of the world", "these are the Gods that exist", or "this is why magic/monsters/whatever exists", but I think that's good.

If anything, I think we should do a series of Featured Quests that slowly reveals the history of Althanas. For instance, one where a group of adventurers quest somewhere to find ancient knowledge/some other generic thing. Maybe even a quest that takes place in ancient history, with each character's ancestors. I think that'd be neat.

[Slayer of the Rot]

I pretty much agree with what Cyrus said. Especially on ther signature pictures.

GUA has signature pictures, and GUA sucks. Case closed.

[Sighter Tnailog]

Power Groups. Group quests. There was a time when PGs really mattered, now barring Imperial's gambling, only the House of Sora is really an active PG, and while I applaud them for that, they're not broad enough in scope to have appeal to every character. There needs to be more options for people to join, and there should be something to do once your character is in one.

I mean, the entire point of coming to this site rather than writing short stories all on my lonesome is for the interaction with other people, and what better way to facilitate that than with our too-oft-ignored PG system? It has a lot of potential, but I can't help but feel that's not being exploited.

One thing I would say about PGs, after spending a good deal of my working hours the past few weeks trying to hash out a rule retooling, is that ultimately there's not a whole lot we mods can add to PGs that will make them work. It's gonna take players who want to work on their PGs and make them succeed.

So my suggestion to you is this: if you don't like what you have available in PGs now, found one that suits your needs and fills a void in Althanas. PGs will ultimately succeed or fail based on players wanting to do them; no number of carrot incentives the mods create will get people to do them.

[Max Dirks]

One thing I would say about PGs, after spending a good deal of my working hours the past few weeks trying to hash out a rule retooling, is that ultimately there's not a whole lot we mods can add to PGs that will make them work. It's gonna take players who want to work on their PGs and make them succeed.

So my suggestion to you is this: if you don't like what you have available in PGs now, found one that suits your needs and fills a void in Althanas. PGs will ultimately succeed or fail based on players wanting to do them; no number of carrot incentives the mods create will get people to do them.Amen.

Of course, underlying that is a genuine need for new players. Everyone go recruit and I will give you money.

Edit: There is one thing the moderators can do. I notice clans went inactive shortly after HQ rewards were abolished, and clan activity completely halted after the HQ's were abolished. Lesson to be learned: reinstate HQs WITH original rewards. Bulk EXP and GP. Technically, we weren't giving either of them for nothing, because people actually fought hard to keep those rewards. That was why PG's were active.

[Bullet Witch]

I'm not a big fan of sig pics my self Cyrus and Slayer, but moving avatars would be a big plus. Well, maybe just for me, but I"m a big fan of moving avatars. Always have been. In any case, I do agree, it is one of the reasons Althanas is so different.

I always thought of PG's as guilds. That's why I usually avoid them. So I got no opinion on what you guys do with the PG's.

[Sighter Tnailog]

Amen.

Of course, underlying that is a genuine need for new players. Everyone go recruit and I will give you money.

Edit: There is one thing the moderators can do. I notice clans went inactive shortly after HQ rewards were abolished, and clan activity completely halted after the HQ's were abolished. Lesson to be learned: reinstate HQs WITH original rewards. Bulk EXP and GP. Technically, we weren't giving either of them for nothing, because people actually fought hard to keep those rewards. That was why PG's were active.

Check the most recent rewards, they've been updated.

Clans holding HQs get 3000 GP/month and 1500 EXP/month to divide amongst their membership as they see fit. Players who choose to work for a single clan also get 300 GP per month and 100 + (50*level) EXP per month if their clan owns an HQ. For fighting for control of more than one HQ, both clans and their single clan players can add to these rewards.

[The Architect]

Almost everything here goes back to us needing more members to interact with, and the commitment of the members who are currently here. It's not the system's fault that the PG forum is full of a bunch of dead threads. It's the people, or lack there of. Not only that I see all these people voting for the power group but the same group of players have joined pg's with multiple accounts.

I voted for more players because if I were a part of the staff I'd discourage us from starting more than one feature because it cuts the entire active player population in half. Instead of having someone to play your first quest with, every one is occupied with a tournament or other feature. If we had more players, we'd get more of everything you guys have voted for.

In terms of lore, I'd just like a historical account between the end of the last featured quest to present day. A whole bunch of stuff went down in the past couple of years in which the players were a part of.

[Ashiakin]

In terms of lore, I'd just like a historical account between the end of the last featured quest to present day. A whole bunch of stuff went down in the past couple of years in which the players were a part of.

I like that idea a lot, Architect. I'm not really sure how we could organize something like that, but maybe something like way Ithermoss's Thayne stuff was done would work for it. People posting events with mod verifications, other people correcting on who was present and the like.

[Sighter Tnailog]

I'd like that too, but I'd want some clarification.

Are you talking about historical events, vis-a-vis important happenings in the continents? Or are you thinking more of player histories, who did what, etc?

I mean, I could whip together Raiaera's history since the end of the first Featured Quest quite quickly.

[Ashiakin]

I'd like that too, but I'd want some clarification.

Are you talking about historical events, vis-a-vis important happenings in the continents? Or are you thinking more of player histories, who did what, etc?

I mean, I could whip together Raiaera's history since the end of the first Featured Quest quite quickly.

I interpreted it as more of the player history thing, although that idea is a good one, too.