Goblin Squad Member
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A small deviation from all the PvP oriented threads.
One of the things I plan to do in PFO is manage my own player-made quests and story lines (I tend to call them plots) and to help others do the same. From years of doing this in other games, I can say from experience that one invaluable asset is having a few other players who are willing to play the often needed "extra" roles. Though most players (if they choose to get involved) will understandably want to participate using their main characters, these unique characters are often not the roles needed to get the story rolling, nor will they be willing to risk permanent death, which is potentially the fate of such extras when trying to create a sufficiently dangerous scenario.
Proposal:
I would like to start collecting a running list of players who would be willing to create alts to play these extra roles in fellow players' quests and plots. If we can establish a community pool of "extra" actors, those of us who like to create this kind of content would have a bank of potential players to pull from. One really nifty thing about PFO, one that I think will greatly benefit role-play, is the way PFO will work experience and skill gain, since your main character will not be falling behind in experience acquisition while you're busy playing a much needed role in a plot.
Who the plot manager is, what role you'll play, what kind of alt the plot manager will need, how scripted will they like their plots, etc., is all left for the future. All I'm looking for at this point are the names of people who would be willing to create an alt now and again to play such roles so as to help promote more player generated content and community entertainment.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I'd like that. So count me in, and let's see how this works.
At this point, I'm just hoping to create a registry of players who are willing to play such roles. If we have enough names, then no one player is taking too much time away from playing their main, yet this very important form of player content will hopefully thrive due to a healthy level of community participation.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I should be able to do this. I wont promise that the character will have much if any training.
leperkhaun,
Quite often, these extras need little if any skills since they are most often acting as messengers, quest givers, or people in need. It is because they lack a main character's skills that they are asking for help and thereby put a quest into motion.
For the quest manager, more important than skills (as oxymoronic as it sounds) is having the equivalent of player NPCs - fully interactive characters that help flesh out the world (especially in a game that will have so few NPCs), are custom crafted for a particular occasion (today we need a female human named Gwendolyn), and can, if needed, be permanently killed off. At least for role-players, nothing raises the stakes in, say, an escorting situation as much as knowing the people your escorting aren't "marked by Pharasma" heroes...if you fail and they die, they aren't coming back.
It is possible that some quest givers will need skilled extras. For instance, I've taken time in other games to work up stealth skills so as to sneak into the heart of a mob camp and role-play a person who has been captured and is in need of rescue. Another extra would flag down the passersby and asked for help. I (playing the captive) would drop out of hiding as soon as the rescuers had engaged the mobs. But instead of asking other players to spend their valuable experience gain time for something like this in PFO, I would likely do it myself and ask them to play the extra flagging down the heroes.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I'll certainly get in on this if I get the chance. I've always enjoyed my 'quest by mail' I did in WoW, where I'd send my 'players' quests via the mail, requesting they get me X items from Y Map/Dungeon/Creature, and I'd reward them with gear/crafting materials/gold.
Quest by mail sounds like fun. It also caused me to think that I should clarify the difference between what I call a quest and a plot, in that the roles played by extras would likely be slightly different. Also, for those who already know this stuff, or have even run such, I apologize...but in that I spend a good deal of time in MMOs working with new players and introducing non-role-players to role-play, I would rather not assume anything and thereby leave such people out of the loop.
Quests:
These would function pretty much like most MMO quests. An NPC (in this case, an extra) would gain the attention of another player, pitch their situation/need, and let the events take their course depending on the questing player's success. Unless the quest is one that makes sense to be reissued to others after being completed once, that extra character could most likely be deleted (we would want to avoid seeming like game generated quests where the hero comes back the next day and says, "Didn't I already save you once?"...or for those who have played WoW, "Didn't I already kill Hogger?"). The need for these kinds of extras is to provide a fresh face presenting a unique task/situation. Once that task/situation is finished, we're likely done with that extra.
In that I tend to run unscripted activities once things are put in motion, it's possible that unforeseen events, progressing story lines, etc., grow out of what was intended to be a one-shot-and-done quest, but I think most quest managers would make an attempt not to tie up their extras for too long...these players are already being generous enough with their game time.
Plots:
First - plots, as in book plots, not evil plans to take over the world.
Plots might require extras to invest more time, learn more back story for their role, and play a more important part within the interaction of main characters than in a quest. Often, plots target individual players and/or groups, are larger in scope (think story arc as opposed to a single quest), often involve out-of-character communications between players behind the scenes of the plot, and as participants develop the course of the plot (in my plots - organically and unscripted) through their actions, reactions, and interactions, plots might require a particular extra to play a significantly more important role that covers a longer period of time than a quest extra would. I've actually seen some people's extra characters become meaningful enough to them that they became one of those player's main characters.
In short, the quest or plot manager will need to make it clear what the role requirements and time commitment are for the extra needed.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Hobs I have plans for a #3 type who will have just enough cleric training to move around a bit. He is an ideal NPC-PC type. River Kingdoms native, mid level crafter, 5 of his 9 children killed by bandits and ogres, yadda yadda. He's a hang around town type designed to help out new guildies and all he'll be missing is a friggin ? over his head.
He will be very available for this kind of stuff.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I may have occasional interest, assuming we can create extra alts without monetary charge.
Additionally, I would be willing to sponsor quests from my Main as well. Even skilled characters get busy and need help managing a broader picture. And my character does have some broader picture interests in mind.
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Goblin Squad Member
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One of the things I plan to do in PFO is manage my own player-made quests and story linesWill you take requests for specific story lines? :)
Depends on what the request is. I often run quests without any out-of-character contact with the players who are being offered the quest. Plots, given their longer duration and more personal nature, usually find me passing the basic story starter idea past at least some of the players who might be involved, though quite a few past games trusted me enough to skip that OOC step. Often they wanted to be as surprised as their characters.
Again, I don't script my quests or plots. Players want their actions to affect the course of the story and its outcome, so though I might get the ball rolling and periodically toss wrenches into the action, I don't have any more clue than anyone else as to how things will end.
So if by "specific story line" you're asking if I would help start off a plot, and play and/or contact extras to make this "requested and specific" type of plot (e.g. kidnapping), sure. If you mean would I run a plot where "requested" and "specific" meant that it had to work exactly the way it's requested to run, I'd have to decline. At that point, player-made content is reduced to that of a game designed quest with predetermined results. Now, would I be willing to point you in the direction of someone who would, and if needed, would I play an extra if it, sure. I just don't want to get the reputation for creating/managing scripted plots.
Sorry for the long answer, but I wasn't sure exactly what you meant, so I tried to cover all the possible bases.
I would love to see GW do something using the idea of players taking on the roles of NPC's officially.
Allow anyone who enters the game to play the bad guys in randomly created monster versus player content. It could be raiding parties, people playing monsters in instanced dungeons, or any of a ton of other ways.
Put in some kind of a rating system allowing players to gain 'ranks' as NPC players. When they reach a certain point, they get to play instance bosses, the end 'boss' of an escalation, perhaps even at some point allow the most dedicated NPC players to take on the role of other important NPC's in the game.
This keeps even the PvE content as more involved and exciting!
All this aside, I'd like to help out with your idea as well. :)
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Goblin Squad Member
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Also Id like to add my main will be a paladin, well until paladins come out he will be a paladin's squire.
I have no objections in having my main being included as part of his RP as long as the story is a good fit for him and doesnt cause him to do things he wouldnt do.
So if you need a LG punch people in the face type he is there.
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Goblin Squad Member
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First, thank you to those who have offered.
Just wanted to clarify again that this would be the community's registry - not my personal registry - of players willing to play "extras" for player-generated/created quests and plots. the hope is that by making such a list available to the community, anyone wishing to create their own role-played content could fill their needed roles via this listing of generously offered talent.
My intention is to let this list keep building until we get closer to EE, then touch base with those who have offered, and get whatever means of contact they want made available to potential quest and plot managers. I'll then look for a nice, community accessible spot to post that information. Someone will need to be willing to manage the list (deletions, additions, changes to contact info, changes to character specific information if a player is offering the services of a more permanent character, etc.), though given its nature, I don't foresee that being a huge burden (and would likely do it myself).
Again, thank you to those who have already offered and to those still considering doing so.
Hobs
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Goblin Squad Member
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How much do you pay?Papaver,
Sorry it's been so long since you posted the question. I must have missed the first time through.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure what exactly you're asking. Is that a personal question of me or are you asking how big a particular "extra" role will be?
Gah...apparently reading too fast this morning. You typed "pay"...I read it as "play".
Now I'm even more confused. Are you asking how much a quest/plot managing player will pay someone to play an "extra" role? I don't know about anyone else, but my personal answer would be nothing. I'm looking for a group of fellow role-players who are willing, when they've got time, to flesh out needed roles because they love to role-play and because they value player-made content. I would actually be rather suspicious of a player who offered to help out, but only for a price.
Again, the problem with text as opposed to a conversation - if that's not what you meant, please put me straight.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Additional to this, though as a side-comment; the "Monster Cast" I have high hopes for especially if it's already "in" in EE. I'd be 100% happy if the devs allow this ability (and guidelines) 24/7 for the 57 (37+20) that qualify for it - so there's always the chance a mob you run into has 'more to it than meets the eye'.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Hobs,
Hopefully my #2 has contacted you about this already, if not I do know that we intend to incorporate many of our resources to aid in this endeavor. I'll get with you on the teamspeak in the upcoming week. We're going through some changes in the guard and this is part of it.
V/R
Deacon
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Goblin Squad Member
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I am not sure how this would work. Does this mean I 'buy a second character (at same monthly) that grows and develops within your plot?
I MAY be interested when I have better handle on cost in time and money. If I provide an alt, do you specify or request "class" or development tree? I do not really fully understand what the request is, but am interested, maybe. 8-)
I have not been able to get into some of the team speak et al. I am not a Luddite and use to be on technology edge (ACM CHI and NASA teams). But RPG has been PnP since 1972 (fantasy module in Chainmail grew into the three books). When 4.0 came out, I played 3.5 with other adults and then to 3.75 (a.k.a. Pathfinder)
I am not fully sure how some of these are costed, but had planned on giving this a try. I suspect I and not in first month, but second month of EE.
Lam
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Goblin Squad Member
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Deacon,
Yes, I received the PMs, and thank you for the offer, though again, this is not just for quests and plots I plan to make, but that anyone might need help in running.
Lam,
In most cases, I would expect that such "extras" would be alts that you make on your main character's account. Likely, they will need no specific skills, though that will depend on the plot manager's needs. Often these extras may need to be expendable (if they die, they stay dead), so they wouldn't be the type of character that you would have any real investment in. Quite often, the extra plays only a relatively short role in a plot, just to move a particular part of the story along (a one-time messenger, a person needing an escort or to be rescued, etc.). Again, a great deal of the requirements depends on the plot, so it is difficult to say in advance what the needed character would be like. Most of the time, such a character is deleted once their part is played, allowing you an empty character slot for making a future extra.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I would like to participate in these Hobbs.
It would be a benefit when we are closer to EE to post the roster of volunteers somewhere, for example PFOFan unless GW has our own forums up by then.
The reason it would be good is that an author should have clear understanding what characters are available as well as what role each is prepared to play.
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Goblin Squad Member
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...
Gah...apparently reading too fast this morning. You typed "pay"...I read it as "play".Now I'm even more confused. Are you asking how much a quest/plot managing player will pay someone to play an "extra" role? I don't know about anyone else, but my personal answer would be nothing. I'm looking for a group of fellow role-players who are willing, when they've got time, to flesh out needed roles because they love to role-play and because they value player-made content. I would actually be rather suspicious of a player who offered to help out, but only for a price.
Again, the problem with text as opposed to a conversation - if that's not what you meant, please put me straight.
I suspect Papaver Is just pulling your chain, Hobs. I also expect he will deny he is.