rp-servers
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Connected Realms update for February 20
The list of US realms slated for the Realm Connection service has now been updated with new information regarding upcoming dates for the service, as well as status reports on realms that were slated for connection. Players on the Sisters of Elune and Cenarion Circle servers may want to make note that the connection for those two realms has been delayed -- Blizzard will provide updates on the status of that connection at a later point in time. The following realms are scheduled to be connected on Thursday, February 27. Alexstrasza and Terokkar Exodar and Medivh Frostwolf and Vashj Gorefiend and Spinebreaker/Wildhammer Gundrak and Jubei'Thos Mug'thol and Dragonmaw/Akama Read on for the rest of the connections and dates.
US Connected realms update for February 7
RP realms, your wait is nearly over. The list of US realms slated for the Realm Connection service has now been updated with new dates, and several of the RP realms mentioned earlier this month now have dates scheduled for connection. In addition to the updated dates, a fresh list of realms has been added, although no date is set as of yet for their connection. The following realms are slated for connection on Thursday, February 13: Azjol-Nerub and Khaz Modan Eldre'Thalas and Korialstrasz Farstriders and Silverhand Spinebreaker and Wildhammer Thunderlord and Azgalor/Azshara/Destromath Read on for the rest of the connections and dates.
US and EU connected realm and free character migration updates for February 6
Blizzard Community Manager Nethaera has posted the latest set of Connected Realm updates for US servers. There are currently three batches so do hit the break for more information. The first batch will be connected today, February 6, with the exception of Thunderlord and Azgalor/Azshara/Destromath: Hydraxis and Terenas Kirin Tor and Steamwheedle Cartel Shattered Halls and Executus/ Kalecgos Thunderlord and Azgalor/Azshara/Destromath- This connection is on hold and will be rescheduled for a future point in time. Uther and Runetotem The next set, scheduled for Thursday February 13 will be as follows: Alterac Mountains and Balnazzar/Gorgonash/The Forgotten Coast/ Warsong Azjol-Nerub and Khaz Modan Eldre'Thalas and Korialstrasz Farstriders and Silverhand Spinebreaker and Wildhammer Hit the break for the third, upcoming set.
US Connected realms update for January 31
The list of US realms slated for the Realm Connection service has now been updated with new dates, and a fairly lengthy list of new realms that will be slated for connection at some point in the future. The following realms are slated for connection on Thursday, February 6: Hydraxis and Terenas Kirin Tor and Steamwheedle Cartel Shattered Halls and Executus/ Kalecgos Thunderlord and Azgalor/Azshara/Destromath Uther and Runetotem Last week's revelation that RP realms have now begun to be added to the Realm Connections list continues, as the new list of realms without a date includes some fairly well-known RP servers. Read on after the break for the rest of the slated connections.
US Connected realms update, now with RP realms
A new update has been posted for Connected realms in the US -- earlier this week several realms were reported as having no date set as of yet for their connection. The date has now been set for Thursday, January 30 for the following realms: Alleria and Khadgar Anvilmar and Undermine Archimonde and Agamaggan/Jaedenar/The Underbog Cho'gall and Auchindoun/Laughing Skull Eitrigg and Shu'halo Mok'Nathal and Silvermoon In addition to this list, another batch of realms scheduled for connection has been provided for Thursday, February 6, as well as a third set of connections slated for some point after that. The most interesting thing about the list, however, is not the connection dates, but the realm types -- RP realms are now officially on the list. Players on low-population RP realms may want to check the lists out, because you just might have some new friends to say hello to soon.
Storyboard: Police state
Sometimes, column topics get away from you. When I sat down to write last week's Storyboard, I realized at the halfway mark that I had spent a lot of time not really hitting the core of the issue, and the overall article wound up being much weaker as a result. So I went back, started fresh, and instead delivered a column aimed squarely at the central question of whether or not it's important to have a flagged roleplaying server. But there is an issue that I didn't really address in that column but still remains relevant. If you're going to talk about having an RP server exist even if it's not policed, you do need to address what policing a roleplaying server actually entails. A lot of it is just plain speculative at the moment, given the overall track record of the industry, but that doesn't mean it's not worth discussing.
The Daily Grind: Do you expect a roleplaying server to be policed?
I roleplay a lot. This probably does not come as much of a surprise. As a result, I've spent time on a lot of different roleplaying servers and have long since given up any hope that I'll ever see any enforcement of rules by the community service staff. It would be really nice if GMs politely kicked people who didn't come to roleplay, but the fact of the matter is that it's just not going to happen. But even though I don't expect it, I might be in the minority. What about you? Do you expect that on a server officially designated for roleplaying, the customer service staff will be monitoring the game and taking steps to improve the environment? Do you just expect that the staff will take complaints about inappropriate names just a bit more seriously? Or are you happy enough that there is a clear, reserved place to start building a roleplaying community without worrying about the police element? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Breakfast Topic: Do you do RPish things on a non-RP realm?
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. I've been playing WoW for about four years now (holy crap!). It fills that need in me to play a hero -- someone who helps the little guy, rights the wrongs, etc. Quite often, I find that I /bow or /salute the quest givers I encounter in my journeys. I've even been known to go to the Lower City in Shattrath and /hug the orphan you escort during Children's Week (okay, well, it's not the orphan -- but it looks like her!); I need to get back to Shatt; it's been a while since I've seen little Dornaa. Whenever I happen to be passing through Theramore, I always stop by the graveyard just outside of town and /kneel, /stand, /bow and /salute (in that order) the gravestone of the woman and child who were killed at The Shady Rest Inn. Now, this would all be normal behavior for someone on a roleplaying server, right? I currently have my character on the Azuremyst (US) realm, which is not a roleplaying server. My son is always telling me that I should be on a RP realm. What sorts of shenanigans do you do that have your friends or family telling you that you should be on a roleplaying server?
Storyboard: Lore -- what is it good for?
Over the course of the long holiday weekend, I took the opportunity to apply to a guild. (That's right -- I don't get free passes; I have to apply just like everyone else. On a related note, keep an eye out for my list of guilds that I'm not in that are also horrible.) Among the many questions on the application was one that immediately made me sit up and take notice. To summarize, the question was asking how important it was to the applicant that all RP remain grounded in the game's lore. In my mind, lore has a strange relationship with roleplayers. On the one hand, it's rare that you'll start playing in the world if the lore doesn't interest you at least somewhat -- no one wants to play in a game that doesn't feel like a remotely plausible world. (Yes, we're using "plausible" in the sense that dragons, alien invasions, and human-like robots can all be accepted. Plausibility for unreal settings is an odd concept.) Yet at the same time, the lore is its own creature, not really actively supporting roleplayers and sometimes ruling out cool stuff. How do we deal with our simultaneous friend and enemy?
New RP, PvE servers open for transfers
Well, they promised a new RP transfer server, and here it is. Not only that, but to go along with it, they're giving us another brand new PvE realm, a transfer one this time. These transfers opened up last night at 11 PM PST, and are scheduled to close on Friday, 1/23 at 9 PM PST/midnight EST (but could close early if enough people transfer, so go soon if you intend on going). The details: Source: Aggramar (Alliance Only), Alleria (Alliance Only), Area 52, Argent Dawn, Azjol-Nerub, Blackhand, Bloodhoof, Cenarion Circle, Cenarius, Dalaran, Doomhammer, Dragonblight, Earthen Ring, Emerald Dream, Feathermoon, Garona (Alliance Only), Garrosh (to Wyrmrest Accord only), Hellscream, Icecrown, Lightninghoof, Maelstrom, Moon Guard, Silvermoon, Twisting Nether, Whisperwind, Zul'jin Destination: Winterhoof (PvE), Wyrmrest Accord (RP). Both realms are in the Emberstorm battlegroup and the Pacific time zone. There's a note in Zarhym's post to the effect that Wyrmrest Accord is in fact an RP server, and the RP rule set will be enforced there. Probably best to go to the other server if you want to grief RPers, roll a character named "Arthuss," or otherwise do non-RP-server-friendly things.
It's not that I wasn't satisified, but...
So it's been a while since I mentioned it, but I'm still pretty gung ho on helping to enforce WoW gameplay policies, especially RP server specific policies, and I will not hesitate to report anyone I see violating them by means of name or conduct. With the recent changes to the report system, I generally just stick their names and a few notes into the Report an Issue and move on, knowing that eventually, a GM will get the report and hopefully decided to be an enforcer that day. But even though I've elected not to speak with a GM, I still often get an email telling me the usual spiel: They looked into the issue, but are not able to tell me what happened due to privacy issues and whatnot. Then comes the customer service satisfaction survey that asks me if the issue was resolved to my satisfaction.
Funcom taking hard line on roleplaying rules
Roleplayers historically don't get a terribly large amount of respect. Despite the fact that the very roots of the MMO genre go back to dice-wielding dungeon crawlers, they're generally treated as abstract curiosities and legacies of a bygone era. Even within the servers designated specifically for their use, it's really rare to see players roleplay their hearts out.Perhaps mindful of this trend, Funcom is laying out some ground rules for Age of Conan. They're pretty standard fare; no cross-IP characters (sorry Sephiroth!), no ham-handed knock-offs from within the IP (sorry Kohnan!), a strict policy on out of character talk, and a reminder that the game is M-rated for a reason, and others. This is not so strange in itself, but it's nice to see them taking a hard line before the game even hits store shelves. For those interested, they're also soliciting feedback on these rules in the official forums. So if you've got any more brilliant ideas, now is the time!
AoC answers from 'Ask Kalanthes' #2
The second batch of answers from Age of Conan's "Ask Kalanthes" have appeared. This time around we're treated to a large batch of pre-launch questions such as system requirements, RP-PvE servers, what happens when you die and various class-related questions.RP-PvE servers are an interesting topic, as the forums have been in hot debate over the subject of whether or not AoC should have them. Some players insist that such servers are an absolute necessity, while others contend that players who want to role play can simply do so in specialized guilds.
Belfaire on community policing and GM subjectivity
As you may recall, a few days ago, I wrote a little Dear Blizzard letter on the subject of enforcing the RP and Naming Policy. Of course, Once one writes a letter to someone, it is a good idea to deliver it, and thus I delivered it, or at least the issues therein, over on the Customer Service Forum. I was lucky enough to have Belfaire, who you may remember from his post explaining Blizzard's stance on multi-boxing, answer some of my questions and concerns. I also got some pretty well thought out feedback from a couple other people browsing the forums, including some roleplayers who disagreed with some of my points, so I think the threads worth a read in itself, and I'll comment a bit more on what Belfaire said after the break, now that I've had time to digest it a bit.
Dear Blizzard: Am I your police officer?
Dear Blizzard, First of all, I really do have to thank you for changing the name of that guy called Longjohnson. Yeah, He sent us this pretty long rant about how it was unfair his name was changed, but honestly, it was a pretty clear violation of the naming policy against inappropriate references to bodily parts or functions (Sorry Jason, I'm only siding with you to a point here. Your character's name needed to be changed). That said, I'll give him this: It is pretty annoying that he was able to then proceed to the Armory and find 19 characters named Longjohnson and 60 characters named Bigjohnson. If a name is impermissible because of being profane or inappropriate on one server, it should count on them all, right? Every server has the same set of naming rules, except for RP servers, which have the extra "appropriate for an RP server" qualifier, so this shouldn't be a problem. Mike has actually observed that enforcement tends to be a bit lax in the past regarding both the naming policy and RP server policy, but I figured it was worth bringing up again.
To RP or not to RP...
I have always found RP-ing to be something of an alien concept to me. I do have a low-level rogue on an RP-PVP server that I occasionally attempt to play, but I'm never quite sure how to respond to other players who attempt to RP with me. I suppose I just don't approach the task with the right mind-set. However, these hilarious RP posts by Gnomish mage Whiffle amuse me to no end -- and strongly encourage me to give RP another try. While every entry on the site amuses, I have to say my favorite is about Fizzlelicious, Whiffle's Nightsaber-to-be...."Be gone, little Gnome, you know you have yet to gain the full favor of the Night Elves before I can give you the training you need.""Jartsem, ol' buddy, ol' pal, ol' long ears. Come on. I know a few Night Elf Maidens looking for a good time. Know what I mean? How about I arrange things for you."He smiled at me and for a second there I thought I had it."Whiffle, you have come here every week. Since you were in your 10th season. I know of your passion for Moonring.""Fizzlelicious""Until she is yours, she is Moonring. I will keep her for you, but you must earn the right.""Alright, I understand. You sure you don't want the Night Elf Maidens? One of them can turn into a bear, you know ... if you're into that type of thing.""Whiffle!"[Via Gitr's WoW Blog]
