Author Topic: Character limit changes  (Read 57695 times)

feyeleanor

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Character limit changes
« Topic Start: October 28, 2015, 10:29:22 AM »
It would have been nice to get some advance warning of the changes prior to login this morning.

You also might like to consider the impact of the changes on the Colonies where a number of players (myself included) have two nobles.
« Last Edit: October 28, 2015, 10:31:03 AM by feyeleanor »

Naidraug

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #1: October 28, 2015, 11:20:05 AM »
Yeah, what is the actual benefit of lowering the character limit in a continent from 2 to 1?

Aren't we having issues with players and noble density? Won't this just hurt the realms instead of helping it?
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Medron Pryde

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #2: October 28, 2015, 12:03:04 PM »
It seems to me that this will just further reduce the number of nobles in each realm and make it even harder to do anything on any of the continents.

Dante Silverfire

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #3: October 28, 2015, 02:05:26 PM »
This change won't have anything to do with player density, but it will affect character density. The point from what I understand is to get rid of characters that are just blank slate troop leaders and placeholders.

I personally don't think two nobles per continent adds anything to the game but allow realms which shouldn't be able to function to function.

This will likely further reveal where problems exist that were simply covered up beforehand. It will also encourage people to use their noble slots to actually contribute new characters to realms on different continents. Providing an overall boost to interaction.
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Fuchs

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #4: October 28, 2015, 02:16:14 PM »
Is this on every island?

Naidraug

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #5: October 28, 2015, 02:19:18 PM »
According to the message, yes it is.
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Indirik

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #6: October 28, 2015, 02:46:01 PM »
Yes.
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jdsiii

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #7: October 28, 2015, 03:13:21 PM »
there have been some sh*tty changes in the past but this change will all but drive me from the game.  I have no desire to have characters on some islands and now I'm forced to chose whether to pause characters for an artificial reason in game or ship them to a new island where I have no desire to play them.  what a crock.


Indirik

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #8: October 28, 2015, 03:59:57 PM »
All limits are artificial limits. Like two characters per island. Or five active characters total. Or four nobles for non-donators.

It's not artificial limits you're complaining about, but a change that will affect the way you play the game. I'm sorry that the limits will affect you in a negative way. (Fwiw: they hit me, too. I have to pause one of my characters right now before I can even play again.)

However, no one is forcing you to play on any particular island. The island you play on is your choice. The limit of one character per island is one that the dev team, and many experienced players, feel is an overall positive change. We hope that if you give it a chance, you will feel the same way.
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daviceroy

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #9: October 28, 2015, 05:07:54 PM »
It is true the complaint is about lowering the artificial limit from 2 to 1.  It is true that the complaint is that this seemed to happen out of left field without any communication with the players.

It is true that no one is "forcing" any of us to play on any islands.  Then again, if we follow that logic, one can also point out no one "forces" us to play in BM either.  We all choose to play here and choose the islands we are on for a reason.  There are sometimes reasons why some players do not play on a particular island including the fact that they have tried it and didn't like that continent.  Has this been considered?

I'm not yet sure what "positive" this will give.  Perhaps you can point out what they are so that we can see them better?

I'm having a hard time seeing how this will help the game.  I could see if we were having an issue with new players not being able to get positions because of the overcrowding, but honestly, it's the exact opposite.  We are trying to fill up the basic slots to be able to keep enjoying BM.  This change seems to be done to remove our ability to help keep islands afloat within the specifications that the BM administrative team gave us originally.  Will we have the dev team or others fill those spots?  I believe the answer is no.  So, when will you be announcing the sinking of islands or more ice coming?  That's the only thing I can see happening when the character count drops and it's not being replaced, right?

Hyral

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #10: October 28, 2015, 05:28:17 PM »
Question.

Do advys count towards the character limit? They didn't on Dwilight so I'm not sure.

If they do:

1) Why?
2) Will we be allowed to move them?

Dante Silverfire

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #11: October 28, 2015, 05:33:59 PM »
One character per island is a concept which Dwilight had been testing for a long time. The results of that test have proven wildly positive. Interactions are better. Every single character can be expected to respond to people and have its own view on things. There are no placeholder characters. There is no "filling out" of realms. The characters you have are your realm. This allows you to know you're interacting directly with a character a player cares about each time.

Finally, the main benefit is that it removes blank slate characters. It seems you don't see this as a problem. Which is fine. My question would be: Do you dedicate he same amount of time and planning for both of your characters when they share a continent or do you have a primary and a support character? If you are like most people you have a primary and support character. I have done it myself. However, the evidence has shown that in the vast majority of cases (not all) this dynamic hurts the game instead of helps it.
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Vita`

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #12: October 28, 2015, 05:41:44 PM »
First of all, apologies for the confusion. It wasn't intended for continent-restrictions to be live *yet*. There was a bug (or more accurately, I overlooked something), that resulted in the GM messages being distributed for anyone with 2 characters on an island (whether they were noble or advy). Tim has rolled back those changes for now.

When they *are* live, it will be one actively-played noble and one active-played advy per island. Emigration restrictions/penalties at that time may be temporarily softened.
« Last Edit: October 28, 2015, 05:44:01 PM by Vita »

daviceroy

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #13: October 28, 2015, 05:47:10 PM »
When I played on Dwilight as a noble, I often got no responses to mails.  I now have just an adventurer and I still often get no responses to mails.  From my perspective this hasn't changed.  Perhaps since the character is an adventurer, that may be why as well.  So, if it's helped on the noble side, then that's a great improvement.  Dwilight was miserable in my experience.  It was stale and didn't welcome any changes to it.

Do you dedicate he same amount of time and planning for both of your characters when they share a continent or do you have a primary and a support character?

My two characters on AT are Susan (CE) and Cymore (Strombran).  They each have their own goals and objectives.  Susan is a diplomat and Cymore is a Hero/Warrior.  I dedicate a bit of time and planning for each of them to achieve their objectives.  Neither are just a support character.  Their objectives have clashed at times, but mostly they do not even interact any more.

I can appreciate the fact that some may not be able to handle 2 characters on the same island.  It takes a bit of dedication and perhaps should be a reward for more active players?  I dedicate a good amount of time to BM partly because I like the style we have here and some of the fun I've had here.  I can remember a time when there was enough people here that 2 characters on an island wouldn't even be something that bothered people.  Heck, I didn't even know about a number of them until recently.

Vita, that was another concern of mine regarding the penalties of immigrating.  When will this be live?  We will have to start figuring out what to do next.  I don't like the change right now, but just because I don't like something doesn't mean I couldn't be won over.

Vita`

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Re: Character limit changes
« Reply #14: October 28, 2015, 05:58:06 PM »
A series of larger changes to BM, including the continental restrictions, should be going live throughout November.