Vinland
May 11, 2018 19:22:21 GMT -6
Post by Vincent on May 11, 2018 19:22:21 GMT -6
After some thinking about it in the plainest terms I can put it, Vinland sucks. Its constantly touted as a high level area of play, far removed from the rest of Elibe and filled with natives that are distrusting at best and hostile at worse. All we really know is that it was a new land discovered and home to new strange people. There really is no REAL reason for anyone to want to send a character there beyond the novelty of it at this point. So I am here to talk about some of the issues and potential fixes/lines of thinking to fix.
First and Foremost is the danger curve: Players can come up with a reason to go somewhere without help just fine, but when you constantly tell everyone that Vinland is incredibly dangerous and you're likely to die it sets a bad tone for it. Why would I want to send someone to Vinland or make a character intended for there if they're just going to die? Even worse is the tier one Griffon riders. Like, what? They have to have connections to Vinland, got that it makes sense, but who is going to play tier one when you're constantly told you're going to probably die? Also, when you bring up a character from a tier 1/0 to a point they could 'safely' travel to Vinland their stories are so played out in Elibe that what reason do they have to go there? I think it would be fun to send Vin that way but I see no reason he would go.
To fix: While I understand the idea that its an incredibly hard place because that's how the Taguel and their culture came to be there needs to be safer areas that don't have the extreme creatures of the rest of Vinland. This way lower players can have areas they can actually do something.
How it helps: Obviously players can have newer character go to Vinland, and can create new people with the intent of Vinland bound adventures. That said it would also contribute to story because if foreign humans come invading the 'safe' areas of Vinland then the natives might have a problem.
Problem 2: Why? What is the motivation to go to Vinland in the first place? It is an island of death, and we aren't talking Australia, its 40ks Catachan death world. If you want people to go to Vinland there needs to be something of value to be gained there. Maybe hunters wanting Taguel fur skins or something of value, be it a plant with unique properties or an ore. Either way, I don't know of a reason to realistically go beyond look what we made, have fun. I know there are ruins and signs of a greater civilization there but we have no LORE on VINLAND itself, just the Taguel, so the lands feel a bit underwhelming and undefined beyond inhospitable hellhole.
To fix: Give us a bit of lore and some more insight into the locale. Even if the danger is not changed we need something to draw people to Vinland of enough worth to risk the dangers.
How it helps: Its a pretty obvious answer, helps spawn story and motive for characters. Taguel themselves have some stuff going for them to want to play but even if a bunch of players started playing Taguel then what's there to spur them to do anything beyond being xenophobic isolationists or get involved with the greater story?
Problem 3: This is the general issue of Vinland IMO. It has no purpose, or at least it wasn't given one. i don't see a plot around it to give it meaning and I see no reason for people to travel to Vinland. Was it in hopes of a better future? Its already established its more dangerous than the mainland, seemingly to include Ostia itself. Is it to find riches? We know nothing about what has value out there to prompt a migration of rough and business minded sorts. Are the Taguels' deep connections to the history of the world going to make them a centerpiece of greater plot? Doesn't look like it, they seem pretty abandoned to me.
Summary: Everyone wanted them, we got them but don't seem to know what to do with them. I think they're an awesome addition that I want to explore more of but in order to do anything with them you either have to be a taguel or overcome a massive barrier to get to Vinland realistically. I know there is potential but I feel like the implementation shot itself in the foot before it could really take off and anytime people look that way the aforementioned issues come back to the forefront.
Side note: If there are threads that address the issues I addressed I apologize, I did not find them and please link them to me.
First and Foremost is the danger curve: Players can come up with a reason to go somewhere without help just fine, but when you constantly tell everyone that Vinland is incredibly dangerous and you're likely to die it sets a bad tone for it. Why would I want to send someone to Vinland or make a character intended for there if they're just going to die? Even worse is the tier one Griffon riders. Like, what? They have to have connections to Vinland, got that it makes sense, but who is going to play tier one when you're constantly told you're going to probably die? Also, when you bring up a character from a tier 1/0 to a point they could 'safely' travel to Vinland their stories are so played out in Elibe that what reason do they have to go there? I think it would be fun to send Vin that way but I see no reason he would go.
To fix: While I understand the idea that its an incredibly hard place because that's how the Taguel and their culture came to be there needs to be safer areas that don't have the extreme creatures of the rest of Vinland. This way lower players can have areas they can actually do something.
How it helps: Obviously players can have newer character go to Vinland, and can create new people with the intent of Vinland bound adventures. That said it would also contribute to story because if foreign humans come invading the 'safe' areas of Vinland then the natives might have a problem.
Problem 2: Why? What is the motivation to go to Vinland in the first place? It is an island of death, and we aren't talking Australia, its 40ks Catachan death world. If you want people to go to Vinland there needs to be something of value to be gained there. Maybe hunters wanting Taguel fur skins or something of value, be it a plant with unique properties or an ore. Either way, I don't know of a reason to realistically go beyond look what we made, have fun. I know there are ruins and signs of a greater civilization there but we have no LORE on VINLAND itself, just the Taguel, so the lands feel a bit underwhelming and undefined beyond inhospitable hellhole.
To fix: Give us a bit of lore and some more insight into the locale. Even if the danger is not changed we need something to draw people to Vinland of enough worth to risk the dangers.
How it helps: Its a pretty obvious answer, helps spawn story and motive for characters. Taguel themselves have some stuff going for them to want to play but even if a bunch of players started playing Taguel then what's there to spur them to do anything beyond being xenophobic isolationists or get involved with the greater story?
Problem 3: This is the general issue of Vinland IMO. It has no purpose, or at least it wasn't given one. i don't see a plot around it to give it meaning and I see no reason for people to travel to Vinland. Was it in hopes of a better future? Its already established its more dangerous than the mainland, seemingly to include Ostia itself. Is it to find riches? We know nothing about what has value out there to prompt a migration of rough and business minded sorts. Are the Taguels' deep connections to the history of the world going to make them a centerpiece of greater plot? Doesn't look like it, they seem pretty abandoned to me.
Summary: Everyone wanted them, we got them but don't seem to know what to do with them. I think they're an awesome addition that I want to explore more of but in order to do anything with them you either have to be a taguel or overcome a massive barrier to get to Vinland realistically. I know there is potential but I feel like the implementation shot itself in the foot before it could really take off and anytime people look that way the aforementioned issues come back to the forefront.
Side note: If there are threads that address the issues I addressed I apologize, I did not find them and please link them to me.