The Way Inn peristent world

[Legacy_Varanon]

               The Way Inn is a roleplay persistent world set into the Sword Coast area
around the small village of the same name. The server covers the area
from the Delimbyir River in the north to the Winding Water in the south.

Server location: Gamespy, roleplay tab
Direct connect: 85.10.206.18
Website, Forum and download: The Way Inn Website

Features include:

• CEP 2.2 and custom HAK required (easy to use one-file installer)
• Level range: 1-20
• Alignments: Any, evil players possible with certain restrictions by application
• Races: All standard races (unusual races with DM approval)
• 
  
   No class restrictions (multiclassing restricted for Paladins and
  
  Monks), prestige classes requires sponsorship (for example, a Divine
  
  Champion must be accepted by the appropriate church), divine characters (like Paladins, Clerics and Druids) need to be applied for
• Low magic (+1 common, +2 rare, +3 findable but extremely rare)
• 
  
   Semi-Permadeath: Respawning possible at low level, resurrection at
  
  later levels (respawn/raising with XP penalty, no gold or item loss)
• Dead players leave (non-lootable) corpses that can be brought to temples for raising
• Bleed-to-death system
• Medium monster XP, XP awarded for role play
• Medium leveling speed (a bit faster at low levels)
• Lots of highly detailed areas to explore
• Lots of dungeons for all level ranges
• Six new prestige classes (Dragonslayer, Cavalier, Kensai, Sword Dancer,
  
   Spirit Caller, Hexblade), modified standard prestige classes (Champion
  
  of Torm is now Divine Champion, Dragon Disciple can choose color)
• Lots of new spells (for example, Water Breathing, Leomund's Secure
  
  Shelter, Mass Bulls Strength/Cat's Grace etc, Polymorph Other, Weather
  
  Control and more)
• New feats (for example, Two-Weapon Defense, Detect Evil for Paladins)
• Base classes adapted for DnD 3.5 rules (as far as it's possible in NWN)
• 1200 unique items (you won't find any standard NWN items)
• Over 1000 all new monsters (all made as closely to the Monster Manual as possible)
• Ridable Horses
• Armor/weapon look modification without skill check
• Player houses with persistent (look retaining) storage and mailboxes
• Lot's of smaller details, like persistent map pins, writable books,
  
  scheduled NPCs, per character preference settings (like, turn off stone
  
  skin effect if you don't like it), travel system (caravan/ship routes)
  
  and more

For more information, see our website
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Arinoch]

               I'm mostly a reader here and don't post much, but I noticed the new entry for The Way Inn never got replied to here (whereas there's plenty of posts in the NWN Vault), so I should go ahead and post something as a long-time player. This is a quality RP server and I've been enjoying it now since it got out of beta over a year and a half ago. I'm posting here because I'd really like to see an influx of new players, so I wanted to talk about the server from a player's perspective.
 
I'll preface with this: I used to play on a PW elsewhere, and did so for about three years, before I got bored. I'd achieved an epic level 21 character, and epic was only acheiveable through the DMs, having judged long-term, quality RP. I by no means had a power build, and was more interested in character. Still, I was finding the place boring, and was relying on DMs for a challenge. I loved the people, but as old players left and new players came in, there wasn't so much plot going on that wanted to involve a level 21 character like mine, or even some of my other level 20's. The exploration was dull because nothing was challenging, No, I couldn't fight a dragon on my own, but I knew where the dragons were. So I poked around and was lead to The Way Inn, which was literally exiting its beta stage a few days after I found it. Everyone would start from level 1, and I'd be in a fresh quality server.
 
So I tried it, and now it's been over a year and a half. The world immediately made me think of Baldur's Gate. There was very little linearity in travel in the overworld - in most cases you can go off to the north, east, south, or west, and you can find all manner of caves and ruins to investigate. The world itself has been designed with care and detail, and it's a testament to the building that everything feels right. Farms on the outskirts of a fortified town feel appropriate. Following streams to a waterfall and up the side of a mountain feels as it should. Forests in the middle of the night feel dark and foreboding. And size is large. The High Moor has been added recently, adding even more to explore, and to give some kind of impression, in the past few days I've been to two new areas I'd never visited before - in a year and a half of being here and playing pretty often...and I've barely even touched the new, expansive High Moor region.
 
Geography aside, there's two systems in particular I love that deserve attention. First, the more boring one: magic items are rare. +1 items are all that'll be found for a long while, and usually only one at the end of a dungeon. Of course, it's not just a +1 longsword. It's something with a proper name and proper description that adds life to the item. You feel like you found a magic relic, and magic is to be cherished. You level slowly, and magical items actually add power, whether they're minor skill boosts or giving you a +3 defense vs mind spells, it all matters, and it's always exciting to find something new. I've been here a year and a half and we found a helmet yesterday that I'd never seen before. And it was still of "+1" quality, no less.
 
My favorite aspect of the server, however, is the monster scaling system. If I find a kobold-infested mine, and I'm level 1 with a pair of other level 1s, those kobolds are going to be a challenge, obviously. But if I didn't find that same mine until my friends and I were level 4 and we brought two more level 4s with us? What then? Well, the numbers and quality of the kobolds would go up. Maybe there'll be a shaman or something. Maybe there'll be more archer-type kobolds. I'm not a DM, but I've played long enough to know that not only have they balanced things amazingly, including the scaling of the creatures, but because of this there's constantly a feeling of "I'm on an adventure and I have no idea how it's going to go." That's what there should be. You can feel powerful and safer because you have improved expertise, but maybe that pack of medium earth elementals you had to run from five levels ago is now a pack of large earth elementals...and there's a huge one behind them. Have fun with that improved expertise, because if that huge guy rolls a 20, you're feeling a pretty big thump anyway. Obviously kobolds don't scale up to level 20, just as vampires don't scale down to 1, but I've also found that the spread of dangerous creatures is such that you won't find the excessively powerful creatures unless you go pretty far from town (as one would expect).
 
It's this scaling and wide open world that has kept me excited and pushing ahead for the past year and a half, and it's the quality of the roleplayers there that supports the entire experience. Of course, everyone who's played on PWs for a while knows there are lulls in player numbers (which is why I'm here now), and lulls in DM activity at times. That's just life and human nature, especially when so many quality RPers are generally older and thus busy with school and families. My favorite part about this world, on top of the quality roleplayers and DMs though, is the fact that the world will always be there, interesting and potentially dangerous, no matter how high level I get or how many people are around.
 
I'd encourage any solid roleplayers who are looking for a new home to give The Way Inn a try. I'd encourage groups of friends, even, as especially at low levels this is not often a solo-survivable server. Nor should a place like the Sword Coast be! We need new players to keep the place fresh and growing, and this PW is a sand box for quality RPers.

http://www.thewayinn.net
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_NWN DM]

               Scaling is a double edged sword.  

On the up side, anywhere you go shouldn't be too easy or too hard for any player.

On the down side, you get an Oblivion-ish situation where "lowly" bandits were equipped with so much high level magic that they should be able to take over the country with ease... all the while they're trying to supposedly steal a few coins from unsuspecting travelers.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Arinoch]

               Agreed - I disliked Oblivion for that reason (and several others...don't get me started). In TWI's case there are maximums and minimums for the scaling, so goblins are never level 20, and vampires are never level 1.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_TSMDude]

               Well written review btw, Arinoch.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_NWN DM]

               

TSMDude wrote...

Well written review btw, Arinoch.

Concerns about scaling aside, yes, he provided a good amount of information.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_cmwise]

               I played TWI for a while before and after beta...I liked the layouts of the areas, transitions were natural like and immersive(meaning;  you just walk from one area to the next without really thinking about the transition). The maps were accurate and true to lore. The builders are ambitious and detailed orientated.

The DM's seemed to change frequently in my time zone anyways, and found my encounters with DM's to be more chastising than instructive(at first). Their player base in my  time zone (west coast USA) is limited and going solo is costly and boring as you spend too much time dead.

There are some good systems in place and the scripting is very clever. Most things there hold your interest. Although i have logged on and have not  been able to hook up with other players even though there is a player locator feature (widget). Friendliness is not always evident even though i had played there for near a year. I have sat in the inn and tried to RP with and venture with others and actually logged off without any interest from others. I admit that might be due to time zone differences.

The down side for me was the "over regulation" mentality..to keep players from exploiting this or that. Just gives a feel of distrust, that was my first impression from the very beginning. Progress prior to beta was decent and fun, after beta things slowed to a crawl..I go back and check and some players are still the same level as 6 months ago. Due to you can lose a level through dying. As far as the death system way to repressive. Keeps you cautious for sure.

Gold is tough to come by and you find yourself supporting the local healer a lot longer in levels than needed. Good gear is tough to find but the requirements are low enough through monster scaling that not much is needed to get by.
I have a couple of friends who still play there, one loves the RP, the other is bored to death. Both have made good progress and enjoy the other players there.

If nothing else, TWI is a good server to start on and to learn good habits. But the boredom factor for players like myself who dont mind getting to epic levels, keeps me from coming back.

Hope this helps.'>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Arinoch]

               I'd agree that it's definitely not a server for the epic-minded. I consider TWI to probably feel like pen and paper would, where each level feels like an accomplishment, whereas in contrast I've seen servers that level you up to 4 by the end of the tutorial area (which is just fine if that's the kind of server you're on - especially an epic level one). Most of cmwise's concerns would be moot with a higher number of players, which is what the server deserves and what I'd hope to attract. I would argue that the "over regulation" he spoke of is more that level is partially skill-based and partially about reknown your character has garnered in the game world, but it is indeed also about caution.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Builder_Anthony]

               Ya its not a bad server and is intresting.Nice layout and unique.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Varanon]

               

cmwise wrote...

Gold is tough to come by and you find yourself supporting the local healer a lot longer in levels than needed.

It's true, it's not easy to gain money on the Way Inn. However, we reduced prices for healing potions a few weeks back, and the cost for crafting items (especially potions) has been greatly reduced so that a cleric can now produce healing potions cheaper than the shops will sell them, making it a viable alternative.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Greyshaft1]

               I know players who claim that they were put off by a clique base on The Way Inn and another told me they left the server as 'thier style of Rp didnt fit in with the percieved idea of others'. My own experience was a friendly player base and a nice crafted if some what small world9I have been told new areas gave been aded now)but as much as the slow leveling and low gold did not bother me the FORCED level cap did. Not every player can make in house events and so appear to be penalised by the xp given to raise above level 4 and I find this off putting.

Overall not to everyones taste but a freindly, well crafted world a good place to start or experience rp.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Arinoch]

               Agreed that I can think of many who would be put off by TWI's style. To address the points noted: I think cliques pop up anywhere where groups of people play, and I can definitely name a few that have existed on TWI in the past. That said, lately I've seen a lot of new characters and can't really think of anyone playing who's not welcoming to new faces.

I don't know how small the world is (the High Moor got implemented several months ago and is massive, but dangerous), but I consider TWI pretty big. I haven't played on too many servers, though, so I'll at least say that the one thing I know is TWI is detailed. Many things can be large if things are spread out, but when you have lush, detailed areas, each containing links to multiple others, density is preferable to size (though I still think TWI is big '>).

I can only speak to the level cap by saying that what's looked for is quality RP and signs of character growth more than in-house events and the like. Higher caps are a bit more difficult to qualify, as higher levels are partially related to how well-known your characters' actions are (if not the character's personality), and it's really impossible to talk to how they apply to a character that doesn't exist yet. Leveling is slow, but feels important.

Just to note, my main character is implementing a guild of sorts (very loosely called that..you'd understand IG or on the forums) whose partial goal, OOCly, is to help give new characters ways to be involved and noticed by long-term characters. It's difficult, like Greyshaft says, to get your character seen at all times, especially with larger gaps in player levels, so by providing situations where new characters can be trained, or offer their assistance, etc. it gives more notice to the DMs by having them be noticed by long-term players. At least on my part, when I see someone with quality RP, I'll usually mention it to the DMs I see.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Varanon]

               

Greyshaft1 wrote...

a nice crafted if some what small world

Uhm, it's over 1200 areas. We recently added 200, but when we started out, it was already well over 800.

... and another told me they left the server as 'thier style of Rp didnt fit in with the percieved idea of others'

Well, everyone has different ideas of what is right and wrong. The DM team has an open mind about other styles of play, but in the end, the DM's decide what they want on their world. If that does not fit somebodies style, then of course the world is not for them.

...  as much as the slow leveling and low gold did not bother me the FORCED level cap did. Not every player can make in house events and so appear to be penalised by the xp given to raise above level 4 and I find this off putting.

Passing the level cap does not require a player to participate in DM events. The only requirement is to play your character. There is no need to have a certain amount of XP from DM events. It does not matter where the XP comes from, even if it's all monster killing.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Varanon, 06 mai 2011 - 10:52 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Fergoose]

               The Way Inn is definitely an action roleplayer's Mecca, with a ridiculous number of fiendishly designed places to adventure in a huge module, and a variety of "low magic" items to customise your characters inventory.  It's a place to be challenged rather than swan through and you'll find yourself looking at your opponents; what armour they wear, what weapons they wield, what defences they have set up and constantly gauging how to get the best out of your party in order to overcome the challenge. Adventuring can therefore be slowed down, but is all the more immersive for it.

Besides action, it is also an excellent place for those of us who don't have quite as much of swashbuckling bent. Those who are usually left behind XP and item wise on many RP servers. Here, if your character starts at the same time as another character and play roughly the same amount of time, you can broadly expect to level at roughly the same speed too. With the level caps (which I like) its a case of tortoise and the hare. No more shall your 6 month old, level 3 social animal who adventures from time to time be overtaken by a wet behind the ears, fortnight old slaying machine who hits such a high level so quickly, that you can never party with them again.

The server is also particularly welcoming for non-human characters (due to languages and racial bases), and devout divine characters (due to RP encouragement to stress the benefits of having a god looking over your shoulder).


In response to some of the posts above, scaling here is brilliantly balanced and a definite bonus (as Arinoch says). You can easily level without ever visiting the same place twice (e.g. I got to level 4 having visited 19 distinct dungeons - although probably only completed 10 of the 19). However, if you do visit a place twice (say with different characters) you will likely find the experience subtly different, which prevents familiarity breeding contempt.

The server could be considered a bit rules heavy (mainly in relation to character creation), but this is now my personal preference compared to having too little regulation. The rules are neatly laid out on the forum (lore & annoucments) and in the journal and the vast majority frankly, make sense In Character (IC). Once you pass character creation, you shouldn't receive too much interference if you RP consistently IC (and nobody is going to demand oscar winning performances).

As for a lack of inclusive RP and difficultly hooking up with others, this undeniably can be an issue. To be honest though, this issue is increasingly rife most places I have been. It does appears, as someone pointed out in another thread, that we are increasingly creatures of habit, like what we know and know what we like - fostering and preserving OOC cliques (bad) rather than IC cliques (often good). The player base is definitely friendly though - after all, wanting to hang out with your chums doesn't make you a bad person. Besides there are several players who will actively seek out any new players and try and throw them an RP bone. Hopefully I'll get a chance to clobber you over the head with one sometime.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Fergoose, 28 mai 2011 - 11:10 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Svneati]

               My issue with this server is that it feels like you're playing a supporting character, and that the DM team's PCs are the main campaign characters.

It is undoubtedly a well-crafted server, but it seems wasted on the, quite frankly, terrible administrative and interpersonal skills of the staff.