MD Clan officially no longer into RP

[Windguaerd]

Sad to say, that aspect of our org which was how we originally started (100% roleplayers) back in 2001 is going to be officially gone.

About 80% of those who joined since 2009 mentioned in their interview that they were interested in RP (that percentage has remained to this day), however there has been low to little RP events and activity in the game for a long time (player run & ARK run).

Where we could RP with other players almost every day now has become work... to hunt down people to roleplay.

It's been a long time coming, where we no longer can afford the time and effort it takes to write, produce and do a RP event for only a handful of people.

We've switched the resources which were placed on RP and instead refocus it on helping new and returning players so they stay in the game (regardless if they join our org or not).

I had a lot of hope for the Roleplaying aspect of AO to come back, and I don't mean the monthly token CoT Meetings, but the real old skool events which every week would cause a zone to crash because everyone would run to join up.

We'll continue to encourage people to RP if that is what they want to do with their time, however as of the end of this year, MD and MDA (Mercury Dragons Academy, our lowbie/froob org) are no longer officially RP orgs.

In related news. The new AO Universe site which is likely to hit in 2012, is probably not going to have the RP areas which the current site has. This can be changed if enough Roleplayers ask for those areas to remain when the site is upgraded (I suggest you speak with Silvana, new AOU Site Manager).

I wish I had better news, really I do. I miss the old days, the fun when we ran around being in-character, making friends and foes, allies and fiends... the crazy MD and CAS alliance and then conflict, the times when MD and Omni-Pol went head to head, the 6 hours long battle for the OT Base in Avalon which I lead... that ended when ARK Events decided to drop about 50 Elite NPC's on us and dozens of corpses littered the ground and clanners were retreating in every possible direction (and the NPC's would continue the chase until you zoned or die).

The best times I remember in AO, was when I was roleplaying. But, we got to move on.

I will continue to support the RP efforts you guys may have through AOU and the main MD website if you can drop me a PM ahead of time.

[Towerblock]

Yeah. Events are deadz. Other then random log ins, and vacant legacy meetings.. .ain't much of anything happening at all. RP has disappeared completely, with very small and obscure things that players are doing together. I don't think i've chatted a LTC much less other roleplayers in the past 6 months.

I wonder what Kintaii and company promised to deliver quite a while ago, ever come to any fruition?

[Mrmol1]

Well, for the most part i agree with you, but its not completely dead, OTAF just recently fought a Borealis freedom fighter. it was very unexpected and fun.

[Towerblock]

Maybe, but one blue name login doesn't make RP magically come back from the grave. I appreciate the effort that ARK went through, but that doesn't change the current state of things.

[Kotts]

The main problem stems from the complete and total lack of new blood coming to the game. The events team is incredibly small compared to what it was several years ago. RP community is the cake, and the ARK-Events are the icing. The Icing is what draws the attention, and curiosity of a person to try the cake.

Right now it's one small slice of old bitter jaded stale cake, with half spoon full of knock-off whipped cream. That and maybe one person if you're lucky even walking by... who *would* want to eat it.

(And yes I'm including myself in the cake analogy too.)

AO is an old game, and most of the people it did appeal to have grown up and moved on either because they had to or wanted to. We're pretty much waiting on the new engine, balance, and ad campaign. Even then that won't fix everything on the RP front. The field might be tilled but if no one plants seeds, nothing will grow.

PS: More power to you OTAF!

[Gunfytr]

Well, for the most part i agree with you, but its not completely dead, OTAF just recently fought a Borealis freedom fighter. it was very unexpected and fun.

That was a blast. And Law is still looking for a rematch.