TSMDude wrote...
But it is happening. There is numerous servers I have seen dying of and while some of it has benefitted us in the long run it benefits none of us to lose players to other games.
It comes down how do we compete and make it so Role Playing Worlds or any type of PW stay in the hunt?
I think the OP orginally hoped for this exact discussion and bailed too ealry.Nothing ever happens quickw ith PWs and anytime and PW guy tells you one week add two weeks to it just cause, lol.
I really hope to someday see something were we get together and can acomplish this but heck, two of the servers I have even talked to are on this thread and regardless if they see it are not we all are on the back nine and to prolong and go another 18 holes we need to some way figure out how to adapt.
I think the best way and have seen it echoed a few times in other peoples post would be to combine groups and such. Pool our resources and Server Vaults. Have a true PW Community Counsel.
Sorry....I work for nonprofits and actually organize for a living in places like Hattai and Darfur so this just seems natural to me....so if I come off a little heav handed it is not my intention.
I think the best solution is to use the approach Avlis did. That is to have core rules and systems that all the linked PWs use and let each module have its own flavor after that.
It was mentioned earlier that two FR modules, one in Cormyr and the other in The Sword Coast wouldn't mesh well, but I disagree. Just because the Western Heartlands and The North are missing between these areas of Faerun doesn't mean the first two should never be connected. This is a fantasy game first and foremost and sometimes we all spend to much time worrying about scale and reality. I think that two such modules would entice others to fill in the gap between their map boundries. So distance is less of a concern, to me at least.
My own PW is in the Forgotten Realms and borders with some overlap the one TSM Dude has. We'd and others had discussed mergers, but it comes down to several issues which all parties needed to agree upon. Knowing what hindered us could help others here though.
1 - Hosting: TSM's original desire was to host all of the modules that would be linked. While this makes maintaining a common server vault less of an issue, it was also something I was personally wary of. My own PW has a dedicated server already and having to rely on someone else who at the time was having issues keeping theirs up just wasn't comforting. (Though that seems less of an issue nowadays)
2 - Rules: Rules were a big issue too. My own PW uses fairly strict rules on classes and builds. Stricter than TSMs own. We also don't allow anything but standard races as characters and TSM was adding subraces. Since we wouldn't consider allowing "their" subraces to visit "our" PW, that hinders alot of possibilities. Rules regarding multiclassing, prestige class requirements and deities I think we could have came to aggreements on, but "no subraces" was something I was firm on.
3 - Mechanics and Systems: Both of our PWs have modified spells, custom resting and foraging systems and crafting. Compromises here would've also been possible. XP though a big issue. Well, not XP gained, but how it's gained. TSM has a timed XP system that provides players with the lions share of XP gained IG. Ours does not. We instead use XP gained from quests, combat, foraging and fishing along with DM rewards to advance PCs. I'm not faulting TSM for it, they simply have a core group that differed from my own as to how best to handle this. A merger without addressing the XP issue would have led to players visitng my PW to get more XP while adventuring and then visit TSM to get XP while sitting around a tavern chatting about the adventure they'd just finished.
Our economies and general character advancement were on par otherwise. Our PWs border each other nicely. The few areas of overlap could easilly be negotiated. Both PWs use CEP 2.3 though my own uses a few others as well. This wouldn't hinder a merger much as only players wishing to visit mine would need the extra haks. (you can check before allowing them to portal and players without the right haks would simply see a message stating they are missing them) We shared more similarities than differences, but still ... the differences were wide gaps to be bridged with no easy solutions. While I never haved completely ruled out a merger with them or others, those same three numbered concerns would cover most PWs I'd consider a merger with.
Anyhow, hope this sheds some light for folks. My advice? Agree on 1 thru 3 above before you even make your first areas, then the rest is cake. Merging existing PWs is just too hard otherwise.
