OOC: Players closer to the storyline

[_______________Avary]

OOC:
What about bringing RP-loving players closer to the story-line?
Every player, who really wants RP should get the chance to get more involved, like being killed in raids of clan/omni soldiers (NPC).
When creating a new char there might be a check-box if the char shall be up for this kind of RP. All the RP-chars might get some advantages, like speciel items, only they can use, or trade with other RP-chars, but for this they must be prepared to get involved in any kind of event, FC planned. Once i saw a meeting between Henry Radiman and some clan-leaders. But more than being there and listen, they couldn't do.
In my opinion, every RP-char should get the chance to have a voice in such meetings, and other chars, like pure power-levelers, who don't like RP that much, wouldn't be able to join those meetings.
This way the main-story of AO wouldn't be just a story, everyone can 'read'. Then i'd rather read a book or so.
RP-orgs already try to do RP, but even this isn't much more than talking about it. If a group plans do rob a bank, then all i hear from other players is "it's not implenented in the game, you can't rob a bank", so if i want to do so, i have to 'tell' that i did.
Shouldn't be RP in a (MMO)RPG more close to players?

Only suggestions, thx for reading.

[___________-=zISKo=-]

Well this thingy would be very cool.
I think this is "Real RP" as it should be.
In this case the storyline would be not only a subject in Anarchy Online, it became an objectiv state in the game.

I think many longtime players might be interested in this "new" part of the game.

[_________Lexusstreak]

yeah I wish, the idea is sound but you'd never be able to implement it though. People will critisize whatever you do while in game. Many shout for things to be more versatile and different, and when people try to roleplay different from others, they got hell to pay for doing so. Funcom unfortunately is about money, the leet gamers unfortunately outnumber the casual rpers, it would take a huge draw of funds for funcom to devote this type of thing tot he rp community. You'd just end up with something like EQ where you have to pay like 50 bucks a month just to enjoy something that should be in the game already. Over the last few weeks I've been monitoring the forums, hoping that something new has happened to rekindle my interest in the game, if something like this was implemented I'd certainly return. Alas though, nothing new is going on, the "dream date" thread is still floating out there for heaven's sake.

[Aimes]

Originally posted by Lexusstreak
Alas though, nothing new is going on, the "dream date" thread is still floating out there for heaven's sake.

The "dream date" thread is still out there? I thought it would have died of old age a long time ago.

Lex, from what I've seen most of FC's effort seems to be going into getting SL into shape, consequently I don't think they're devoting all that much time into progressing the storyline, though they have had some nice recent updates (including chapter 16 to Prophet Without Honor.) As such if you're looking for a reason to get back into AO I would suggest just putting Lex on the level treadmill for a little while, I especially suggest it if you haven't seen the new missions yet, they certainly are a break from the past. The introduction of shadowlands should add some life to the storyline so there's still hope yet .

Now to post something on topic so I don't feel like a complete hijacker...

The idea you have is very nice, but I just don't see how the implementation would be feasable. It would require a lot of resources (both human and technical) for FC to do and, quite frankly, roleplayers are too small of a fraction of the population to really justify the expense.

[Aerinyi]

I like the idea, I wouldn't count on it happening but I'd really dig it if it did. I'm really not down with the idea of RPers getting advantages though, as that would lead to non-RPers signing up as RPers to get those advantages. The only way RP in games like this one can really work IMO is if it carries no other special benefits aside from the RP itself. If there is any way, however miniscule, that non-RPers can benefit from identifying themselves as RPers, they will do so. Look at the "RP tag" in Everquest, for example. By activating the roleplay tag, a player can hide his or her class, race and level while still displaying a guild tag. Because this is the only way one can do this in EQ (EQ's anonymous function hides guild affiliation), gaggles of non-RPers use the roleplay tag and yet make no attempt whatsover to roleplay. I think it'll be like that no matter what whenever you offer any advantage whatsoever to roleplayers, and so to keep the quality of the roleplay and the roleplay environment reasonable you can't give roleplayers any extra bonuses whatsoever.