I thought the event was great overall, but here are just the things that I experienced and would like to comment on.
If it was raining, then there was a Mod going on. It sounds like a negative until you consider that it was raining ALL weekend. There was always something going on, this is awesome and I love the pace. Even if there wasn't something specifically happening, we got events like the Thirsters. I thought there was a really nice mix of things to do if players wanted to engage the plot and things to do if players wanted plot to come to them. We had it all this weekend!
The opposite side of this is that sometimes it felt like we had TOO much to do. I don't know if that is actually true, but that is just how I felt at the end of it, like there were some things that we didn't get to do because of time constraints, etc. This also made more important things feel less important and vice versa just because I wasn't sure which ones were the things we NEEDED to get done. I don't know if that is really a problem or just my perception of it, and I'm not sure there is a way to "fix" that, just something I perceived.
The campsite felt a lot different to me this time rather than last time. I realize that there aren't many places to run Mods, but I felt we made better use of the space we had. Using the fields, the ampitheather, and the road. Places that, at least I didn't, get a chance to play on last time. It mixed it up and that nice. Having the tent where it was, I felt, was a really nice position. A lot better than the time before. Although I heard a discussion about more advantageous places to put it (i.e. near the tavern) and that could have work out, but it was a lot better position than what we had the time before.
The only thing I can say is that this event it felt like there was a more lax attitude with respect to RP. I don't know if that is due to the tent being near the bathroom/cars, or if that is just because of the rain and people got caught out of character a lot with being couped up, or it was just me not being attentive to it, but that is just something I felt I noticed. I don't really think there is any "fix" for that either,.
Adventuring in a big mixed group was interesting since this is the first time that I've done that since joining I think. It is certainly the first time that it has happened the whole event. Usually it have felt like, higher levels go do their mods, lower levels go do their mods. It was fun to see everyone play and getting the chance to interact with everyone IG was cool. I know that some people really like this style of adventuring. But as a fighter, I really feel ineffective in that environment. I cannot stand behind the higher levels and try to affect the situation by throwing spells or arrows/bolts. I have to be up in the front line to do anything. That means for me that if I'm mixed with higher levels, if the mod is harder and they're getting pwned, then I'm most definitely going to get pwned. If the mod is easier and to my level, the higher level adventurers are going to pwn and I don't have to do anything.
On an IG level this is tricky, since why would my character not want higher levels to go with him? I want the adventure to succeed and accomplish whatever it is I set out to accomplish in whatever way possible. Additionally, what if the lower level plot is something that the higher level character is interested in from a story stand point. It seems like it would be unfair for me to say "don't worry about it, I'll fill you in" when they (or IG char) want to experience it. I understand that when there are only a few low level playersthere is no choice but to adventure with the higher levels, and the dependency/gap of power is something that is neigh unavoidable. I've been trying to bridge this dependency problem by buying (with gobos) a Ward item so we don't HAVE to rely on Tadron for warding our sleeping place and buying a COP so that when we/the gypsies adventure to other planes to set up wayfarer stones we don't HAVE to bring Mathias for the circle.
I just wish we (possibly read "I" since I can't speak for my group) could feel more effective for certain tasks. The one adventure where we did go solo (the first part of the double hook) we got housed. This is partly due to the group not working as a group and not being prepared (we should have stuck to the plan and started running as soon as we rifted). But that is just one of those poopoo moments where I felt really frustrated. So it seemed like my character (and possibly me) were really ineffective for this event. Either I had to hide behind the higher levels on the adventure because the higher level things were getting their beating sticks ready, or the higher levels were just roflstomping the easier things that I could possibly take care of, or I was getting housed.
Again (and I know this is frustrating since I'm only presenting problems and no solutions, sorry!!) I don't know if there is a "fix" for this, since it is mostly dependent on me and the characters around me (either higher or lower). Just sharing my experience.
Overall I really loved the event. Prop-Monster=awesomeness. I like that we had Jobs again, and Nigel holding them all could have been a lot worse. That is what his character has set himself up in the world to be (the inbetween so to speak) and I thought that it really good to alright. Instead of reading a piece of paper you got to speak IG with someone who tried to convey the situation with you and this maybe took some pressure off of plot to do it (maybe?? I don't actually know). Anyway, I thought that it was a well-received way to do jobs. And finally (my last comment) I find myself really enjoying NPCing because we have a great, friendly and enjoyable to be around group of plot (except for Chad, I hate that guy
). They have always been welcoming to me NPCing and helping me learn even though I probably screw it up more often than not.
Can't wait for November!!