It's been brought up in a few threads that there is a trend of groups becoming so fragmented that times of low server numbers result in total isolation and, thus, boredom.
Some steps have been taken to try to act least stir groups up into cross-pollination a bit, but I'm wondering if anyone has any additional ideas.
Huge factional conflict is fantastic, and the fighting lately has made the setting a lot more interesting, but it'd be good to know if anyone knows how to handle that drawback.
What is the drawback for curiosities sake?
I don't really understand the question.
When 15 people are on, they can interact.
When you're part of a 5-person offshoot faction, and you anger the other 10, you are stuck with your four friends.
When your four friends aren't on, it can become tedious and dull.
The obvious solution is to avoid all conflict. But that would be terrible!
Hence, the thread.
*raises her hand*
I'm a victim! And a culprit...
... and no, I have no idea of how fixing that stuff. But a particular high lvl quest that I could take each new reset by myself helped me lasting a bit longer without doing anything stupid.
... of course, as time passed I did something stupid.
One thing I'd like to say, and this isn't really a cure but I still think it's worth pointing out, is that the server center, and the PCs in the factions that represent these, necessarily are somewhat high maintenance. Watchers and people in high status positions will often ask for DM oversight due to their standing.
There currently is no equivalent in certain other areas, so those PCs who pushed conflict and thus are now exiled or whatever, become somewhat DM attention starved. I certainly don't think this is in any way intended, but it's the result none the less.
One thing that I feel would really help the morale of the players outside server center is small things like random NPC possessions to add flavor, the occasional bit of XPs for RP, plotting, etc., and the occasional event just for those PCs who can't go into Upper Sanctuary to enjoy the "everybody in" sorts of events that sometimes occur there.
Again, I understand that this is in large part a result of necessity, and perhaps a bit lower DM activity of late. But just knowing that DMs are with us and lending a hand would make people feel better and stick with the difficulties longer.
Beyond that, there's this thread (//%22http://www.efupw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86897%22) that was started to give little scripted things to do. That would also help relieve new PCs as well as those who've died in quests and are struggling to gain their lost XPs back, as well as the lack of gold outsiders also sometimes suffer from.
I thought the new focus on lower was to combat all of the aforementioned problems with being in exile.
Putting so much emphasis on making lower sanctuary an alternative to upper sanctuary is a great step towards solving the problem.
I think people in both Upper/Lower/Nature/whatever have all suffered from the curse of loneliness. It's a natural result of the server population being divided as it stands right now - maybe have there be more obvious 'neutral ground' areas where the people could meet, or something, with some sort of enforced neutrality? No idea.
It's not just Lower PCs who go alone, for the record. There have been times when the entire server was in Lower and I was by myself in Upper.
I like the decentralization.
Actually, it is better being an exiled person in EFU R than it was in EFU M.
Although, I must emphasize the same as TBPO: DM presence has helped a lot. Even more when I could not survive the ganks and the PvP by myself. Much of the story that we managed to develop even when swamped by all obstacles was much possible thanks to DM presence.
Base all the factions around the same geographic location. That way they HAVE to interact with one another. I recall many times it being said that nature dwellers and Stewards especially "lived on a different server". There could be some changes brought about in game to fix that I would hope.
Quote from: Big Orc Man;366163When 15 people are on, they can interact.
When you're part of a 5-person offshoot faction, and you anger the other 10, you are stuck with your four friends.
When your four friends aren't on, it can become tedious and dull.
The obvious solution is to avoid all conflict. But that would be terrible!
Hence, the thread.
This pretty much nails it. Like Cap said, the suggestions made were in the mindset of trying to give people something meaningful to do if they are in the situation where they're all by themselves. If you don't have that, then that's when you see more alts, so that people can take their characters wherever the action tends to be.
DM presence is nice if you can get it, but I'd personally prefer it if it was a problem that you could fix yourself rather than counting on luck. After all, DMs are people just like everyone else, only so much time in the day and so on.
When Nature was relatively dead I got into herbalism. I justified it ICly by saying my PC was also bored so he picked up a hobby (more or less). Maybe try taking advantage of some of the EFUSS to have fun experimenting, or maybe the DMs could make some skills more interesting. (Like, maybe allow consecration, etc. be able to perform actual scripted rituals that might result in 1/day riddle quests with a demon, etc.)
Some ways to use the Archaeology skill with regards to all these ruins around Lower would be pretty cool, and fitting. The skill has no current use, and there's ruins everywhere where something could easily be done.
It was the same feeling that many outside of Mistlocke faced since that was where the focus was. Whereas if it was EFU:A and you got in trouble with one faction in the Dominion you could A) Ask docks to help B) Ask the order to help C) Ask the star village for help. There were set areas where people would gather and it allowed exiles from one place to know that there were still other people.
When I get bored I log off and go play outside?
All in all though a lot of it has to do with the dangerzone effect of EFU. When you're bored it can be a ton of fun to start an IC journal, update your personal character notes with some new plots, explore the furthest reaches of the Underdark with your four man crew, make up a new game (I once had a criminal who got bored and made up an entire dice game to con other PCs when bored.)
I mean even reccently I got bored and set up a cave with a cooking pot and a boulder for people to throw at each other.
What people are really looking for in EFU when they're bored is character interaction in a capacity of not getting their throat slit. Underdark can be dangerous, you can't go to upper or you can't go to lower. Upper PCs can be just as bored as lower PCs in almost every way shape and form when nothing is going on, or people are beyond.
Bring back SHELKIN RAUS to his home sweet home of the Pissing Crone maybe?
Lately I've been workning crazy hours 8pm-6am. When I log into efu, I'm typically one of three or four people on. So, this doesn't exactly address the point BOM is making, but I would say that being in the Auxiliary has proven to be a huge benefit even when no one is around. There are always repairs to be made, places to explore, etc that keeps me motivated to log in and run around a little.
I think if other factions could also provide the kind of quest/gold/exploration incentives, it would not be the end of the world if your faction mates are nowhere to be found. I imagine this is especially true with the "rebel faction". Give them things to do, gold to make, low xp or loot type quests that can keep people busy. I also agree with RWG, that mini games, gambling, etc are a good idea.
When I get bored I go out and slaughter the world and water the earth with blood. And fill peoples combat logs with script errors. It is busy work that also gives a chance to possibly bump into other PCs. Trying to find people to rp with is the great struggle so I go places to be seen and do little bits of rp'ing with myself in open places trying to find other characters to interact with.
It rarely works, but sometimes there is a questing party to cross paths with, or an explorer ^^ But yea that's what I do. Wander the 'dark trying to find people to chill with and maybe get rid of some of the bigger baddies that Sanctuary folk don't even know were sitting out there waiting to ruin their day when they go romping out. You're welcome. If you're bored try going out of your usual loitering grounds and exploring something new.
The main thing, to my mind, with regards to Lower is there needs to be more PC traffic and things in place to encourage people to risk playing outside Sanctuary. It's hard to maintain conflict if there's not this traffic, since they provide the potential recruits. There's been some new PCs around, but most of the time once they outgrow the newbie quests there you never see them again.
Certainly, things are being attempted ICly to recruit, but currently players seem very reluctant because of the obvious difficulties they'll face. Some of the things suggested here are great, such as some colorful NPCs that provide some unusual entertainment, and systems like PanamaLane mentioned that are unique to Lower that can get you a small amount of gold, and XPs past the "starter" levels and can be done alone. It would mean more traffic, and more traffic means people to roleplay with, and potentially recruit to your cause. People need compelling reasons to come to Lower so that interactions can be initiated between character who might not otherwise meet each other.
As it's been when the outlaw PCs in Lower lose someone there's no new PCs to step in and help keep the group going, which is a distinct difference from the way Sanctuary works. It means that this kind of conflict can fade very swiftly, and that's discouraging to those looking to step out on a limb and play PCs who are unwelcome in Sanctuary.
Do remember suggestion guidelines, boys and girls.
We are asking concrete suggestions, ideas, what not. This was not meant solely for discussion. Discussion has been happening for a long time. We need proper ideas and suggestions, if you got any.
MaimedGod said something very succint!
"MaimedGod" said something along the lines of an area of "Neutral ground", where the players could meet up to roleplay without ever having to worry about being ganked.
This just plum makes sense to me! Even the gods in Faerun do it! In a plane of existence known as "Cynosure" Here's a description:
QuoteAlso known as the Hall of Meeting, Cynosure is the only truly neutral ground among the planes. Unclaimed by any deity and uninhabited by any native race, Cynosure is nothing more than a small demiplane in the shape of a huge, majestic hall, adorned with soaring pillars and open to a star-filled sky. Surrounding the hall are portals leading to every divine realm in Toril's cosmology. This plane is the place where the gods come to meet when some pressing business demands a degree of communication among them. Whether the meeting involves two deities hoping to cement an alliance or the whole Faerûnian pantheon, Cynosure is a safe meeting place.
I saw something recently that really surprised me: (spoiler) talking to (spoiler). I expected the two to start wailing on each other but it turns out they were too busy discussing a DM/NPC plot!
It's not the most ideal solution as it does require a fair bit of DM attention/involvement, but sometimes PCs of opposing factions can be lead towards the realization that they need the help/advice/participation of supposed enemies to solve problems.
For example:
-Some great, dangerous threat endangering the people of both Lower and Upper Sanctuary
-A group of Upper and Lower NPCs (Doctors-without-Borders-esque group of Ilmatari, researchers, traveling bard troupe) who need help with something
-Some sort of structural/geological event where a portion of Upper Sanctuary is close to collapsing on Lower Sanctuary.
-A Romeo and Juliet scenario
These sorts of interaction, of course, also serves as opportunities for supposed enemies to form a sense of respect for one another. At the same time, it also provides an opportunity for hard-line PCs who are wholly dedicated to one faction or another to make a mess of things.
I'll preface this by saying that with my current PC, Lower has gone through a ton of changes that have made it substantially more supportive of different concepts than it used to. There are more places to spawn, more NPC's to interact with. That said, concrete suggestions
Exploration and locked doors: Lower Sanctuary has three back-alley areas, to my knowledge. Between the three of them, they have a TON of doors. Less than half of them can be opened, and then only if you have a spell or a rogue with you. When I tried to get people to explore the area with my first PC, one of the answers I got was 'don't bother, we've been out there and there's nothing.'
There isn't nothing, but there isn't much that inspires that kind of PC to keep looking. Open a few of those areas up, or create a few hidden spots for the persistent to find. Lower doesn't necessarily need to be 'accessible' but a lot of the most interesting spots- those which creates concepts and keeps people coming back- are locked off. There are keys on low-level quests that require you to basically farm them for access- and if you're an exile, you may find yourself motivated to grind for a higher level quickly. There are keys in areas far off the beaten path, which require a group. One time, I bashed my way past a locked door to find another locked door- that needed a key.
The freedom of Lower Sanctuary is that you don't have a million Spellguard directives telling you where you can and can't go like in Upper, and doesn't require you to brave the dangers of the Underdark like nature PC's. I've seen a few neat areas, but that hinged on me being in a group.
Finding other PC's to interact with: Yesterday, a cultist of the Ooze made a sending for his fighting event in the Pissing Crone from Upper Sanctuary. I assume this was because it was a relatively new concept, and he didn't have the 500 gold needed to buy the right in Lower. Maybe that changes for higher-level PC's, but the point is that unless you come into Lower with a group concept in mind, it's probably a lot easier to find a group outside of Lower- or you count on other people to make sendings to give you a chance to find them.
A reduction for sending prices have been suggested in the past. (//%22http://www.efupw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82503%22) Can you make five hundred gold in this setting? Easily. Is it as easy for a PC who wants to stay relatively grounded in Lower, and whose questing is restricted to Lower and beyond? I don't know.
I do know that while taking the more difficult route is encouraged if it fits your concept, it now also pretty much requires a five hundred buy-in to draw other PC's in. I guess you could forum warrior like a champ and set up your meetings OOCly. Sending prices could use a drop, or more ways to make money in Lower could be made available.
An equivalent of clowns in Lower.
With my time-zone, I am no stranger to spending my EFU experience alone (//%22http://i.imgur.com/r6kje62.jpg%22). Even if the rewards are broken (//%22http://i.imgur.com/LrCFe4X.jpg%22). When you are truly alone, all the sendings in the world don't matter and logging out doesn't really help either. It just means the next person logging in is alone, and ready to get discouraged.
EFU has a variety of scripts and events to keep you busy for a little while. Which admittedly, never match up to actually meeting another person to play with. It's just that these scripts and events are in Sanctuary or limited to levels. The only thing I can pretty much do when I am alone in the Lower ward is talking to NPCs repetitively until they come up with some new dialogue. That is why I propose to move a few of the already existing scripts to other areas. Perhaps in other forms to make them fit the atmosphere. These scripts don't even need to be rewarding. Just time consuming and lightly amusing or interesting.
The following things I would see made available to a larger range of people:
* Bounty hunting
* Rothe hunting (Preferably with a level cap on the exp reward, not a cap on the actual activity)
* Blackjack
* Customized Clothing Tailors
* Riddle Animatrons
Exploration areas that you can enter with one player!!!!
The docks was a pretty empty place before people accepted that it was dangerous and began rolling PCs who weren't bothered by that notion. I don't want to cast blame or throw any accusations around because it's a part of EFU that we have all experienced but it's the truth. A lot of PCs are worried that if they go into lower they will become a stain on someone's boot.
So as a result we have a lot of cool PCs who dwell in lower and eke out existence but their support structure is crippled by people not wanting to dive into that end of the pool.
My advice? Do what was done in the Docks. Put a DM faction in there. Doesn't matter if it is big, small, fat, brutal, peaceful.
Personally I love the disjointed sandbox feel that Lower has. Cults come and go, rise and fall, mayhem, peace.
It's like the Stewards but for city PCs. Not everyone looks at a Sandbox and says "YAY SAND".
Just something that has character turnover and is something people create PCs to pursue. A lasting DM faction is something that people will recruit for, that people will make PCs to join, and would populate lower sanctuary.
My advice to everyone is what it always is: More Cults.
I love it. I love that in our broken shattered world all the madmen, fringe outcasts, and other people turn to Cults. Gods are dying but Cults still grow. Some real, some charlatans, some madmen. It's glorious and we need more of it.
Cults cults cults cults. It's the way of the future and the future is now.
Bounty hunting was one of the coolest newer additions to the server imo. It wasnt limited by levels and gave good XP. It got people out in the game world rather than sitting and waiting around for a quest. I loved bounty hunting in Mistlocke. My suggestion to make Lower more interactive and decrease loneliness is an NPC in lower that pays the same or similar 'reward' for turning in a bounty posted by the Watch.
Maybe the paying NPC is a slaver, maybe the paying NPC and the NPC criminal are old friends or are in a gang together. Perhaps the paying NPC has a beef with the man the bounty was placed on and wants him dead for his own reasons. I think there is some potential here.
Perhaps 'rescuing' the bounty from the Watch and bringing him into Lower rather than upper unlocks some QA in Lower i.e. you get a key instead of gold.
Bounty hunting is something that can be done alone or in groups, locating the bounty could lead to conflict as both parties from Upper and Lower seek the same goal. Perhaps the two factions meet and agree to work together.
I'm not sure how hard something like this would be to implement but its a suggestion. :)
The isolation does get incredibly discouraging at times in Lower, yes.
I imagine it's likely the same elsewhere but in Lower it's pretty consistent. Upper has the benefit of new PCs getting funneled there by the module, so their population growth will always be higher.
And while I can explore, like Rose suggests, and do spend most of my time, alone or otherwise, exploring the module- wilds, machine, etc- this tends to consume supplies and not provide much if anything as a reward, EXP or goldwise. We also lack the support systems that Upper has, which means that if your supplies do repeatedly get burned up, they're really hard to replace because there's few brewers that are Lower PCs or even willing to come to Lower in the first place.
I've even seen a complete lack of Rusted Hatch explorables as of the last several resets, and I've been all over the Machine looking for them, including several less than safe areas in an attempt to find even one with little luck.
Not that I could do those alone, anyway, but they'd be something for me to hunt for, find, make a sending, and bring some friends or allies online or together to explore and thus gather players and generate roleplay... Which was a lot of what I did prior to their disappearance.
If I had a 'concrete' suggestion, it'd probably be more explorables and the other small stuff to do in Lower that you can do during the dead hours to generate gold and experience and supplies past level Six. A Lower/Exile PC can't merely go and make a sending asking to do a Kobold's run without expecting to get crowdganked by roaming Uppersmen, so... it's just not an option. We have to gather in the same room to do that sort of thing, and find a balanced group of similar levels, and that's significantly harder when our pool for potential players is so much more concentrated even if I think it does generate better roleplay than this:
::[ City Sending by Whoever : Come kill some kobolds with me, dawgmandudeguys! //3-7 ]::
We've also no equivalent to Druidic Patrols, or Silverfins or etc, so when you're alone there's little incentive to even stay logged in. Which in turn, makes the next person who logs in equally alone, and the cycle compounds on itself.
Alt characters are made because there's just little way to progress forward in any tangible way shape or form alone.
Not to mention, most of our players are of a rather high level, so quest groups and trains are just not happening, and the few that aren't struggle very hard to acquire EXP and gold as a result.
Perhaps the solution is more DM attention, as that is sparse, but the usual type of 'all in' DM quests you see aren't really made for Lower Sanctuary. They're made to entertain a large group of players, and the largest group of players you're liable to find at nearly any time will be those of Upper Sanctuary and that's fine that you cater to that.
It's just hard hearing something about like, some awesome DM quest for Upper PCs while I'm sitting alone in the Crone or exploring the Machine alone due to lack of anything to do or anyone to interact with that won't kill my PC on sight.
To be honest, I'm not sure if you can solve the loneliness problem besides making it worthwhile to keep at it, even when alone. Then, more people would be inclined to do so, I figure.
When there are less then ten people on the server I think randoms should open with one person, beyond this lets add some caravans from lower to elements on the shore of the dark lake, or even to the lizardfolk at the docks of Mur.
Lets get invasions in the docks district of lower, lets have more of the idle things that efu:A had, the skinning systems, the meat systems, the turn ins.
Have things like that, that allow for something to do when players are alone. And if your a new and low level player give them opportunities to find that handful of other people on the server.
Do not forget, although: the Lower is not the only center of isolation.
Not as rare as most think, you'll find PCs that will be isolated from Nature, Lower and Upper (aberrant dwellers, crazy necromancers and cia). It is important that these guys have access to some facilities to keep them going as well. If they managed to anger so many in the server, it is, in LiAH4 words at least, "because they did something right". So they should be rewarded and not mechanically punished (ICly they will be punished already, no matter what).
I really would like to see some alternative spots having options that are not available in any other area, many times excluding those that might have excluded you.
I mean, facilities that only evil guys would take. And evil guys that are willing to dwell somewhere far away. Or facilities for those that have their spot set in the Kuo-Toa island, or facilities for those that decided to live among the Shagga... or the duergar.
Not that suddenly they'll spend their time only at their exile and end up not being pushed into seeking some sort of interaction with other PCs, but some little things that will keep them pushing forward.
I like the smuggling quests (even if I've never truly tried them beyond opening the package and being kicked out of the business forever), maybe add more smuggling quests and caravan quests that would put central hubs in interaction with each others? Also the herbalist quest, it has a nice explorative format that could be used on these new spots.
Oh, please! Add more venom harvestable creatures around the server and make a talonite seller that would give you bounties for the venom collected <3
oh...
we need sellers outside the Upper areas with the following items (the list is bigger, but these are the ones that come to my mind):
cooking, herbalism and alchemy apparatus
syringe
potion cauldron
zurkhwood material
scribes
-Adventuring Gear (Ropes, Grappleguns, Climbclaws, Shovels etc.)
Quote from: granny;366262Do not forget, although: the Lower is not the only center of isolation.
All I can speak from is my own experience on this one, and it's been rough. I can't imagine what it would be like with even less.
When you have a limited player-base and that player-base is expected to create conflict with each other, you will always get a divided result. It all boils down to incentives, if you want a certain behavior out of a group of people, make that behavior more fun and rewarding.
There are a number of ways to approach these issues, but each one involves changing one dynamic or another.
If you decide that Lower is not getting enough fresh players to make it an interesting place to be, then provide QUESTS and FACTIONS that would attract and reward players. If you dont have enough players to scatter around in a given area, then create a HUB for all activity for players near that area. If you want Upper and Lower PCs to have conflict, yet both be able to interact without gutting each other, then decrease tensions between upper and lower so that the neutral players that get dropped off in upper feel more free to travel to both settlements. The same goes with nature.
Inspire reasons for conflict, but also inspire reasons for
cooperation. When you have groups that oppose each other only sometimes, you get some sweet dynamics that don't always have every conflict ending with one side or the other dead. ANYTIME you have a black and white situation, you're going to see more black and white results. Perfect division doesn't bend well. I suggest not employing it.
A good example of partial division was seen in EFU:O.
The Watch wanted everyone to survive that the city to stay hidden, there was always conflict between them and the attention grabbing seekers. But the Seekers also brought them warning of threat that were coming regardless. Some Watch liked the concept of seeing the surface again, while others just wanted to reform civilization here. (No need for alignment control)
The Seekers wanted to save everyone, they would bust people outta slavery, piss off mighty aberrant, etc, gave people who got here because of them a really good reason to like them. But then they also wanted to fuck the spellguard up, straight up revenge fiction. Then they wanted to get the heck outta the underdark. Sometimes however, the seekers and the spellguards would face mutually assured destruction if they DIDNT work together. (even if it was a competitive cooperation at best)
And the
Spellguards managed to piss off the Seekers, and the Watch, and then the seekers. All trying to rebuild the machine and improve their own power and control.
––> My point with the above was that the fact that these factions had reasons to both fight and help the other groups provided a more secure and stable dynamic. Even if eventually that was seen into ruin. Seekers Watch and Spellguard could all yell at each other in a more neutral town square. Lots of interaction. Then add in lower, you had the tigereyes being the spellguards tools, the seekers repping themselves down there, the watch going back and forth from banishment to uneasy truces. Edit: not to mention, that when the tigereyes fell (because they were so black and white conflict) the watch and spellguard both would try to append criminals down there, which only worked sometimes: BUT it provides the server with an extreme information underground where information and misinformation was the name of the game.
––––––––––––––––––––––
Summation
If you want more interesting conflict, create multiple points of reliance and competition without forcing the straight up death matches. If you want players to enjoy themselves and not be lonely, either don't put them in positions that make it so black and white, or provide them ample recompense for doing so. If you have a divided server, then setup some of the big factions with incentives to work with or aid those outside their current bubble.
- Create Neutral Ground (at least for the biggest of factions)
- Create unstable reliance and competition within the Factions
- Create enough boredom fulfilling games that a loner can do something to pass the time.
- Create centralized hubs that provide meeting places, communication, and fun between MORE then one faction.
- Let player characters have black and white conflicts on an individual basis, do not force those with the NPC factions (but maybe instead... with particular npcs within them).
- Do not support completely isolated concepts that you don't want to see. Support isolated concepts that you do.
- Above all, remove the KILL EM NOW AAAHHHHH motivators. If players see other characters (even their enemies) as a resource (alive~!) that can be valuable to them and their survival somehow, the conflicts will take on a political face with murder in the backalleys rather then all out take it or leave it warfare.
My two cents.
I have about a thousand ways to make these happen, however this isn't the place for that. If anyone wants to chatter with me, send me a pm and I'll find my way to IRC for some discussion.
Seconding that bit about "Cynosure", I'd like there to be a really neutral-ish place that's not too hard to reach. Maybe a myconoid village, maybe something like the Sleeping P., or like what Fort Mur or even the Blue Mushroom used to be (I remember quite a lot meetings there back in the day). I know some of those may or may not still exist.
Where you can rest, get basic supplies, spawn, without having to worry that the NPCs will murder you for being a
.
There are Three mega-divisions that have interesting factions within them.
LOWER: gangs, revolutionaries, ascessionists, scum;
UPPER: spellguard, watch, society, mortuary, civil groups, machinists, new comers.
OUTSIDE: exiles, monsters, druids.
I strongly recommend that NO ADDITIONAL FACTIONS or locations be added or supported. Simply build with what is here, and allow them to grow towards each other in some ways. For example: Myconids that join the steward faction move into the old canal... allowing a place nearby everyone that nature leaning people might go, or that upper and lower could go to talk under threat of peace. Or a place where some of the conflicts with the Natural can take on a more socio-political role.
Hmm... I mentioned this in IRC I think, or somewhere else on here an issue I believed. It seems that upper PC's, especially more active players have a great advantage over all others due to the population of Upper sanc. It seems like this gives them an unintended advantage, besides any aspects or advantages that were intended in the game creation. This specifically refers to finding quest groups and also being able to play for much longer should they choose.
Personally, I would think about some large IG events to address these issues, a renewed offensive against Lower by Sanctuary, or a ceasefire and some sort of amnesty. I've thought it out and there are many options, whether IG developments or new content or modifications.
I think balance is one of the greatest issues. I tend to almost always be a lot weaker and less geared up in PVP due to less active playing and an aversion to redo quests. I've said in the past that I tire of potion drinking contests as well, which in a way are also sometimes activity or grind contests overall in my perspective.
There's probably a hundred different solutions to get people to want to travel to Lower or other less active zones... It's good to see discussion and DM's deciding what might be the favored solution. I was thinking of a preponderance of content in and near the In-Between perhaps.
I mentioned the following before, but it got drowned out by this thread, so I'm reposting:
Salvage Buyers:
Scrapper NPCs who buy parts from animatrons and other things found within the Machine, so that Lower PCs can delve into the Machine with a greater purpose.
Rothe Meat Buyers.
Lower needs food, having an NPC who accepts rothe meat (as one does in Upper) would make great RP sense and be useful for PCs who can't access Upper.
Map Quest:
Rather like the Wyrm Watcher one in EfU:M where an NPC sends you to a certain area to map it. The NPC could be in the Cathedral of Ascension, since it fits the whole Seeker motif that’s present there.
Random NPC Merchants:
Similar to how Sis Liman used to be, where you’d have various merchants show up, different ones each reset. Of course these would have a EfU:R/Lower motif. Scrappers, Sewertown Folk, Causril Commune Traders, perhaps even wandering merchants from outside Dunwarren who decided to sell their unique wares in Lower from time to time.
I agree with the above post and i'm surprised how with scrappers about, there aren't salvager buyers already.
Also, being poor and hungry, wouldn't Lower accept meat of all kinds?
Because I've got all this great lizard meat that weighs a ton...
As a quick fix (with more to come) I've added animatron part and rothe collection to NPCs in Lower. Less gold, more XP.
Love you Howland. This will give me something to motivate new Scrappers - My PC can show them how to scrap, and they can be rewarded for it. :D