Maxondaerth said:
Oh right, now I remember why I hate trying to make reasonable arguments via text and long distance. I did not intend to flagrantly say "you're all cheese eating monkey-gamers" and don't really think that I did, unless you were hoping to take it that way. So, I'm sorry you took it that way, but not that I said what I said because what I said is not what you think I said. I think. Anyway, once more to attempt reasonable discourse.
Yeah, the internet can be a poor forum for sharing opinions.
We all choose the characters we play. NONE of them turn out exactly as we envisioned them unless you made them intentionally one dimensional skill-wise (ie pure healer or prof monster), usually due to either changes in our outlook on the character through roleplay, changes in our understanding of the rule sets and what they'd ulimately let our characters do, or changes in our expectations of our character goals and whatnot. There is already a ritual in play in the game that allows for this to happen. Yes, it's rare, as it should be. If you are one of those people who's characters have gone through alot IG and for IG reasons see a need to change your skill sets, either a little or completely, you should be able to work with a plot team somewhere and make it happen. In Game, where it belongs. If you have been trying for years and haven't been able to do it, then that should be something to take up with your plot team and ownership, it does not mean there should be a game-wide shift to accomodate it. Yes, I have had one of my characters Spirit Forge before. It was for reasons of character development through plot and character interaction, which is exactly why it should happen. IMO OOG player yearnings should not. Those should be done by making a different character with those different skills you want to play with. That's my vision for the game, and I've gotten several IMs in the last 24 hours from players and staffers alike telling me they feel the same way.
Here is my issue, and it is a vicious one.
Classes are OOG. Right? Am I wrong here, or is it true that nobody in the real world refers to themselves as a "fighter" to indicate that they are not a rogue or caster? Aren't we discouraged from using the terms "fighter" and "rogue" in game? Classes are a mechanic of the game necessary to help distinguish characters and provide some variation to characters, but they are also restrictive: if you think you want to play a templar, get to 14th level and realize really you just want to be a fighter with some spell shield scrolls, you have no recourse but to TRY and get a spirit forge (nigh impossible, especially if you don't have a team to back you up on it) or make a new character. It is my opinion, and I hold it very strongly: the mechanics of the game, save those designed for safety, should take a backseat to people realizing the role play situation they are looking.
To sum up: Classes are an OOG mechanic, and shouldn't be as important as people being able to play the character they want.
Now, everyone wants to talk about the business side of Alliance and how it's a customer service issue. Well, the problem with getting service as a customer is if you voice a complaint one person at a time it takes a long time for the noise to build up and get noticed. I'd say to those persons who feel very strongly about an issue like this is, get a petition going at the next couple of big events and get people to sign saying "If you don't let us all Forge at the rules change, we WILL stop playing your game". If you want free market treatment in this game society, then use a free market tactic to get what you want. If a company is facing a large enough drop off in customers, they will change. It happens all the time. If one or two people rail against that company all the time, they just look at all the seemingly happy customers who continue to do business with them and figure everything is all right, even if a lot of those people are silently on your side of it.
Sniping back and forth and undermining each others opinions solves nothing, and makes us all seem like that is in fact all we're doing. It'll accomplish nothing. I hope that anyone who has such deep rooted problems with this game will either take my advice and get that silent majority (if it exists) to make the change, or I hope that you are able to find a game that is more suited to your playing style, because I really do hate to see people not enjoy their time at Alliance, especially when I am.
It's not that I don't enjoy Alliance, I DO. My issue is that I hate PCing, because it feels restrictive. Given that I am a plot writer and full time NPC for Deadlands, this isn't an immediate issue, but I would
like to be able to enjoy a full half of the game that I currently do not because I thought I wanted to be a scholar, but really really REALLY want to be an adept. I have no options. I don't play my PC enough anymore to merit a Forge because I don't like playing the character because of his class. This is infuriating. I like the role play and history and relationships of my character, all of them very much. But because I cannot stomach playing the character during combat, which I also want to enjoy, I just NPC instead. This annoys the people who want me to play my PC because of the role play that is getting sidelined because I don't like the mechanics of the character as I first envisioned him.
I've played many scholars and adepts now in combat, built specifically like my character or how he would be as an adept. I like adept better. Straight up. Yes, my fault for not doing the research first. I want to keep everything about my character except his class, and I can't do that right now. There is NO option for me to rebuild my character to better suit the vision that I always. I know a lot of older players dislike forges, but the fact is I think not having them available diminishes my ability to enjoy the game, and I don't apologize for that. If there is a reason that in the past there was a problem, I'd be happy to hear about it, but as things are, I don't see any reason I should have to sacrifice my role play and character concept because I didn't base it of a class, but a back story.