Death of an Alchemist (and a general rant)

[quantum]

1. Yes I know that if you dont log in every 30 days you can lose your character.
2. However...

I found RP hard at first.. Boy did the DMs give me crap for that.

I worked at it and once got a reward for persistance rather than creativity.

I have played on the Lands since Flint beta (with gaps - some long gaps)

I made some good friends here and for that I am grateful.

With one of these friends we made a pair of alchemists. These were pure RP characters, played 99% of the time IC. (1% to tell ppl we are IC)
They were well recieved and we were often mistaken for returning RP masters of legend. While we were not rewarded much, we had come to expect less as we were not "extreme" characters, we kept true to our roles. The RP persona became a glove which fitted well and was enjoyable to play, greatly at the expense of out other characters.

Due to personal reasons on my part, gaming became a low priority for several months, so I did not log in ALL of my characters. Quantum the Alchemist was a casualty of this. You may ask: why not ask for a restore? My response is: I should not have to ask for a restore of a character at L10+ as it should not be deleted by an auto-bot. L10 in any class takes a LOT of work. And if you need more disk for storage I will Mail you one..

The Lands is all about RP and RP with yourself is a sad and lonely use of your time. Muds in general are suffering from neglect by players and by staff. In this respect LoS is not alone. MMORPGs have made a devestating impact on the MUD environment.

After the loss of Quantum I stepped away from RP mudding and entered the gaming world with pictures. It is addictive even tho focussed on achievers and less on RP.

I hope the staff review the auto-bot deletion process and fix the damaged areas or the dual wield issue.

Until then I can be found on Isengard (Rogue - L19 rogue/hunter) or Flyff MIA server (accursed - L45 mercenary/blade)

[Ghandi]

The autobot function is something that has affected some of my old characters as well. Only my paladin is left and when i log, i find the lands left alone. Me as well has stepped to a game with pictures, though the experience this game gave me, could never be replaced by another game, same can be said about the players. These can never be found in other games and that's what makes this game unique. Maybe when i log again, i hope to see you there.

[Valiant]

The autobot function is something that has affected some of my old characters as well. Only my paladin is left and when i log, i find the lands left alone. Me as well has stepped to a game with pictures, though the experience this game gave me, could never be replaced by another game, same can be said about the players. These can never be found in other games and that's what makes this game unique. Maybe when i log again, i hope to see you there.

Hehe, I'd say most of the same. Except that both my paladin and alchemist have not yet suffered deletion.
Ok, actually they have, but these two could be restored at that point. I wouldn't let them go just yet. My other characters are permanently gone...
It takes quite a bit more than 30 days by the way to get a level 17 or 18 character deleted.


The idea could spring to mind that we could all just start a new character and head off to adventure doing everything in team. But being realistic, that would only last for the first run...

There are just so many other great games that consume quite a bit of time at the moment. A RPMMORPG would totally rock, but it's not gonna happen, as it won't appeal to your average consumer and thus not turn enough revenue.


If it makes you feel better, Guild Wars is pretty much dead too now as far as I'm concerned (and many of my guildmates along with me).

[Erill]

Guild Wars was destined to die as soon as people realised the level cap was 20 in my opinion. I played for a day, got to level 20 and got bored. Never went back. LoS does seem to be kind of empty, the only people that i know still play are myself, Morag, Jagg (On occasion) and Bruno. And i haven't been on in ages anyway. Rakion is stealing my time away. Maybe we could organise a big get together some time after it's fixed?

[Shadowchaser]

Los has been empty of late of older charecters but there are still people who join and play. The worry there is that they find a RP game with no one to help them out. When I joined there were numerous people around who showed me the ropes. Good or bad!!!

Interestingly people who havent played in a while still keep there chars "live". So don't we need in some way to entice them back into the fold so to speak. A few months ago Tipsy Jagg Erill Bruno and myself all grouped and what a laff it was. I spent a number of hours playing with Szoreft last week and that was interesting!!!

So arranging a time for everyone to meet up sounds good to me. Surely an hour of your time on Los would be well spent - When its fixed that is!!

[Scorpion]

I agree on Ghandi that this game has something special, but the mmo-rpg is very popular, but with little RP. But those games are designed to keep the mass happy. If you make an mmo-rpg where if you die you will lose 1-2 months work, you won't have much players.

I think i lost about all my character now, including my 3 lvl 18 chars. But i'm not feeling to lvl up a new character.
I've solod a lot a bosses, most of the time alcohol was telling me to do it . Also Solod Galvaug, if you don't believe me, i still have the combat log .
Managed to get the RP title for a short period of time. Found a lot of secrets, but some are still unknown to me.

But if there is chance for me to ever come back, then LoS must have improved more. Better combat mechanism/tactics, more area's to explore, different area's too lvl: Rather strange that a barbarian has to lvl up inside the city, while they kinda dislike the city. But it's still a good game.
But for now i'm playing World of Warcraft (server=Emeriss)

-Scorpion

[Bruno]

I agree with Shadowchaser, we should all set a time to play together. I may not know all the old players but it would be nice to have a reunion of all the past players. Just call it, Legen (Wait for it) dary.

Seems like we havn't given up on LoS, as we still log in and play at times, some more than others, but LoS has given up on the players. LoS seems to have more technical difficulties as of recently. I play pretty often and the down-time of LoS kills me.

I also agree with what Shadowchaser stated earlier:

Los has been empty of late of older charecters but there are still people who join and play. The worry there is that they find a RP game with no one to help them out. When I joined there were numerous people around who showed me the ropes. Good or bad!!!

For maybe if more people played, the "new-comers" would see the lands with a few travellers/adventurers and decide to stick around. Thus, making LoS a social playground once more, with loads of RP done and tons of adventures to embark upon. As Quantum stated:

The Lands is all about RP and RP with yourself is a sad and lonely use of your time.

Which couldn't be any truer.

Anywho, Please fix LoS!

-goes into Lands of Stone withdrawls-

[Broken]

though the experience this game gave me, could never be replaced by another game, same can be said about the players.

I couldn't agree more. I'm 19 now, I believe I started playing LoS around the time I was 13 or so, that's just an estimate though. I still consider it the funnest game I've ever played. Although I don't play often anymore, I still poke my head in from time to time for a trip down memory lane.

All I can say is LoS has the same problem it's always had: a lack of new players. The DMs haven't been around, and even if they had I'd rather they worked on an update than advertisements. So responsibility for that falls on those who care. Make your own banners for LoS, advertise on MUD forums, go into other MUDs and spam mud.landsofstone.org 4801! It would be slightly hypocritical for me to say all this and not do anything, so I'm adding an Ad for LoS to my signature on all the forums I post at. I'll post the completed banner when I have it ready if anyone else would care to use it. There would then still be a need for experienced players to be online, ready to accept these newbies and show them the ropes. Refer them to http://www.landsofstone.org/guide.html, show them around Amethyst, and accompany them while they explore beyond the walls/look for their training grounds. If a new community of players can find it's way in, maybe old players will notice, "Hey, people are actually logged", bringing more guides in to help the process. Furthermore, having more active players should catch the DMs attention, leading to the updates everyone's dreamed for.
I've typed this up a couple times, having trouble puting it all together, but I have to go now and don't have time to even proofread. However, I hope at least 1 person found this motivational.

[Bruno]

Yeah, only one problem with that. LoS would need to be fixed before that can become possible. *sigh*

[Erill]

Poke your head in for a trip down memory lane? WHERES MY MONEY! Memory lane better be paved with gold. I've been saying we should advertise for who knows how long. Sadly the people that i find to be interested stop after discovering they need to use their brains to play. Modern day computer games have killed their attention span. Still, saving LoS sounds fun. Lets do that. ;p

[Nitro]

Well, this has motivated me to start playing again. Only if it where up now...

[Kampfer]

Despite the fact people don't like my character and too often think my character is the reflection of the guy behind the keyboard, I will give my thoughts on the subject.

I was playing Szoreft, teaming up with Gemmel and not long after that LOS when down since then without any clear warning or intentions. Not knowing what truly happen and I hope it won't die this way, but if it's the case I'm sure it's for good reasons.

If it's only a temporary situation, what do you expect from the game now on, more players? more play time? more RP? It's hard to gather all of these things since LOS stagnate for years now. Like Scorpion said, LOS need some expansion like any other game to not become mechanical or pointless to play. I've been playing less as the months goes, as the people on LOS became as rare as pope's !&$# and the engine couldn't allow more particular change/enhancement on a capped lvl 18 already boosted character.

This bring me to ask you if you truly gonna put the effort some of you are want to do? and how do you deal with a fact that maybe DMs can't help the health of the Lands at the moment and maybe for a while? Personally I can deal with the lack of features and lvl cap, and I could ask for a retirement of my character (which I already talked with Kaedan and some of you) and start a brand new soul with all of you, but is everyone ready to work their ass out to bring the lands more alive, filled with continuous action. I tried to do it several times but my approach didn't seem to please others, or sometimes misunderstood my real intentions

I haven't lost hope, but its frail.

I've put years in building a legacy for other players, something that people would come in the land and see what a player could achieve, what are the possibilities for that great game. I got myself build a crypt, well fed with npcs, magics, items and more, I put so much of my time and my feelings in it that, if it end right now I will have plenty of awesome memories of that game.

JP

P.S. Arnaud, I didn't knew you were soloing bosses drunk lol, nice one!

[Shadowchaser]

Its good to see the amount of interest this thread has generated. Talking to a few of you last night and subsequent posts proves that people have not totally given up!!!

Many of the points that have been made are valid and are difficult to rectify for some. The older more experienced chars being most stuck. Ghandi and Scorpion having experienced most of LOS done everything they can - why would they come back to LOS as it stands now.

Thats not the case for most of the players remaining on LOS. I still have places to find, quests to undertake and mobs to meet.

The point of this whole discussion was to see if players wanted to help out in some ways to make a diffrence and not just sit back and watch the demise of the game. Actually sorry Quantam I think your post has been some what hi jacked but it seemed a good starting point!

If we can help the DM's out in some way and not just expect things to change. If we can get new players on by advertising I will make the effort to help them out in the beginning with RP and getting started. I am on most nights when its up and running. I am also up for starting from scratch again with others to find all the things I havent so far. I spend a lot of time on LOS as it is so I am prepared to work my "ass " off as so quaintly put by JP!!!

[Ghandi]

Many of the points that have been made are valid and are difficult to rectify for some. The older more experienced chars being most stuck. Ghandi and Scorpion having experienced most of LOS done everything they can - why would they come back to LOS as it stands now.

Yeah, but i think one of the reasons we stopped was that we couldnt get any further with the current items and questlines we knew. Getting some rare items, doing some quests and finally get an item like a monocle, which seemed rather useless and was really fragile. Either the info we had stopped or the alignment of npcs prevented us to go any further, certainly if minus points of RP were to given if we wanted a certain item. My quest was to know all secrets in the game. Found a lot, but i regret i didnt found more. Though mapping out the astral realm together with Naud was really fun to do. The DM pulled out some tricks of their sleeves in that place.

BTW JP, now LoS is down and you dont use irc anymore, is there a way to contact you. Im planning to go on a trip to Canada this year. You came to Amsterdam, now it's my turn to go there

[Keezheekoni]

Hello folks,
Been a good 2 years or so since I have said anything on yonder forum, but I keep up with it. I wish LOS good luck, it has been with us for a long time. I have been trying to find some time to play of late. If anyone wants to orchestrate an everyone get on at such and such time just let me know and I will try and find my way on. Send me an email if you want to play: pguingon@uvm.edu

It is funny that Broken said that he started playing when he was 13 or so... come to think of it I was something like 15 or so and in a couple weeks I am looking at 22. It has been with us for a long time. Thanks LOS, thanks friends that I have met while playing, I have had such a good time!

Best wishes to everyone,
Phill