Third Black Wave: Electric Boogaloo

Athelas

Synthus said:

To say I'm burnt out on this event is an understatement ... I just wanna see what the damage is gonna be so I can determine where I go from here as a player. 

Time to take a break Synthus. Playing Achaea is only a job if you work for IRE. So take a day or two and just chill with something that isn't Achaea. Then come back in and sew your own brand of carnage, after getting the latest updates.

It's kind of like taking a break when binge-watching a series. It really helps

Armali said:

People have become too efficient at clearing Tide and now I'm sad.

Not people, @Azuros

Since he started coordinating the White Wave clan's efforts, about 3 or 4 days ago, shrines have been dropping hard and fast. The man has been a bloody machine in this regard. Before I logged off last night, there were only four active shrines left.

I'll be surprised if there are any left when I log in tonight.

Rangor

I remember when we did this in the last wave, they increased the spread rate and it became impossible.

Asmodron

Cut down in a vain attempt to flee, a party of Cyrenian would-be escapees perishes miserably at the hands of a runic knight, the sanguine tones of their lifeblood subsumed by the amaranthine Tide.

Synthus

Athelas said:

Time to take a break Synthus. Playing Achaea is only a job if you work for IRE. So take a day or two and just chill with something that isn't Achaea. Then come back in and sew your own brand of carnage, after getting the latest updates.

It's kind of like taking a break when binge-watching a series. It really helps

That's the thing though, it doesn't matter if I take a break for a couple days, it's still there. I can't log in and wander to Centre Crossing to engage in whatever chit chat is going on, I can't go grab a mug of frosted Kawhe and lounge in Blu's Den, and I can't just walk around the shops and look at all the neat things.

I'm at this point just waiting to hear if Cyrene is gone for good, because if it is, then so am I.

Athelas

Rangor said:

I remember when we did this in the last wave, they increased the spread rate and it became impossible.

I cry foul! Foul I say!

Seriously thought, if the players are kicking butt by pulling together and pushing the way that the White Wave has been, their boot prints should be made visible on the event.

Altering the spawn rate should only be done as the result of IG action, on the part of those creating the Black Wave IG.

i.e. They should feel the results of this amazing effort within the event.

Personally, I'd love to see the Tsol'teth taking an interest in the White Wave and more specifically @Azuros himself. As I understand it, the White Wave efforts have been making a severe dent in the tide, and very noticeably so, since @Azuros started coordinating things.

So, unless something else is happening that I'm not aware of, it would make sense if they took note of this relatively sudden change.

Cooper

That's a very bad attitude to have, both IC and OOC. Edit: Synthus not Athelas

Jiraishin

Synthus said:

Athelas said:

Time to take a break Synthus. Playing Achaea is only a job if you work for IRE. So take a day or two and just chill with something that isn't Achaea. Then come back in and sew your own brand of carnage, after getting the latest updates.

It's kind of like taking a break when binge-watching a series. It really helps

That's the thing though, it doesn't matter if I take a break for a couple days, it's still there. I can't log in and wander to Centre Crossing to engage in whatever chit chat is going on, I can't go grab a mug of frosted Kawhe and lounge in Blu's Den, and I can't just walk around the shops and look at all the neat things.

I'm at this point just waiting to hear if Cyrene is gone for good, because if it is, then so am I.

If a few days isn't enough distance, my advice (which comes with a 'your mileage may vary' disclaimer) is to take a break for something more like a month or two. Do that and I think one of three things will happen when you return:

1. Structures will be back in place for Cyrene players: either Cyrene itself or something new.
2. You'll have enough distance from the last events that have happened with your character, and people's memory of your character, that you can easily make a transition and slide into new avenues of RP.
3. You'll discover you just don't miss Achaea that much.

If you do this, though, don't read forums while dormant. It's like all the stress of being in game without the interactivity of being able to do anything about it.

Shub

"Trusad'an says in a smooth, baritone voice, "Designation Shub shows intelligence.""

Synthus

Cooper said:

That's a very bad attitude to have, both IC and OOC. Edit: Synthus not Athelas

Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I'm not going to hold my tongue anymore on how frustrated and draining this event has been for me as a player. 

Palusa

Synthus said:

Cooper said:

That's a very bad attitude to have, both IC and OOC. Edit: Synthus not Athelas

Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I'm not going to hold my tongue anymore on how frustrated and draining this event has been for me as a player. 

You could do what Palusa did IC and sent a VERY well written letter of complaint direct to the source.

She even drew a picture! Tru-Tru even came by to deliver a personal response! 

EDIT: I.E I get that its incredibly devastating, while also probably not being able to fully appreciate it because it didn't happen to me. All we can do is try our best to give you alternatives to feeling bad and explaining why others aren't feeling as bad. I'll add this piece of pure speculation: Cyrene, historically has been ruined twice by my count and then populated again after this. The town is physically still a thing, it's not a crater. Further, did Cyrene become something newly accessible to players? Is it now a new Tsol'teth bashing area? Is there some mechanic there that looks like it's going to stick around and justify a huge, huge part of the game and one of the largest population of players having to do something new? 

Consider those questions, notice a pattern. If that doesn't comfort you, consider that out of the game, there is a team of people who, while I am sure want to keep this as open-ended as possible and have been daring beyond my personal belief, are also not stupid enough to leave a huge portion of players out in the lurch on a permanent basis. I understand Shallam blew up, but from the look of things that was part of resolving the problem, not just a factor in an event. While Palusa gleefully delights in the force hardship you're all suffering, I am pretty sure Cyrene isn't seen as a problem to remove from the game, or a problem that can be solved by doing so.

Babel

You're perfectly entitled to have such opinions about things, but do note that repeatedly stating them can sometimes wear away at the enjoyment of others in subtle ways.

Accipiter

Cyrene is good for a game that is tending towards having aggressive factions everywhere. It gives the non-PKing people somewhere to go so they don't dilute the aggressive factions and complain about them being aggressive/baiting PK. I doubt that the Admin will remove that sanctuary completely without giving some alternative.

Caelan

Palusa said:

Makarios said:

On the subject of organisations: there aren't really any genuinely moral cities in Achaea as we'd understand it other than Cyrene. There are certainly more overtly immoral ones, but even the good guys are an extremely radical and murderous bunch by any irl standard. Claiming otherwise is very much buying into the IC propaganda of the organisation (which, admittedly, some organisations do extremely well).

Even Cyrene is pushing it. Name a single IRL state that has a "It's okay to kill mostly anyone not us, leave the locals alone, not because we're humane, but because historically we don't want to annoy them" law. Non-interference and let the world be in terms of the adventurer class, but denizens are still fodder! 

California?  New York?  eta: Massachusetts

Athelas

For those who are interested, I've compiled the data for Shrines up and down, from the current available data in the White Walker's clan, into something that makes the war effort a little more visible. I hope this makes it clear that the shrines have actually been going down DRAMATICALLY!

Cooper

The first spike starts the day Mhaldor stopped clearing tide. Take that!

Asmodron

Maka and Ictinus probably looking at that graph and agreeing that it's time to crank it up.

Jinos

@Synthus

There was an impromptu concert hosted last night, and pockets of people gather in one place depending on the time of day just to hang out and relax. The community is still there.

My advice is to log in for short bursts. If there's nothing currently going on that appeals to you then qq, and check in again awhile later.

I know that it's tempting to log in and just linger, waiting for something to happen, for any hint of news on Cyrene, but that'll wear people down twice as fast. I know I'm guilty of this at times.

If that doesn't help find me in-game. Synthus and Jinos can grab a drink and grumble about the current state of affairs. Which is a cathartic past time since the dawn of alcohol, and crazy batshit things happening in the world.

Palusa

Jinos said:

@Synthus

There was an impromptu concert hosted last night, and pockets of people gather in one place depending on the time of day just to hang out and relax. The community is still there.

My advice is to log in for short bursts. If there's nothing currently going on that appeals to you then qq, and check in again awhile later.

I know that it's tempting to log in and just linger, waiting for something to happen, for any hint of news on Cyrene, but that'll wear people down twice as fast. I know I'm guilty of this at times.

If that doesn't help find me in-game. Synthus and Jinos can grab a drink and grumble about the current state of affairs. Which is a cathartic past time since the dawn of alcohol, and crazy batshit things happening in the world.

Think of the war stories! The times you gather the younglings around and tell them that this present wave was NOTHING compared to waves in YOUR day! Back then tunnels collapsed, guards turned on citizens, and by GOLLY we respected our elders! 

Alternatively:

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Dragon raining fire off the battlements of Ashtan. I watched fragments glitter in the font near the icerune crater. All those moments will be lost in HONORS DEEDS, like tears in rain. 

Ryssa

As a new player, this event has been thoroughly confusing, hahaha. But at the same time, it's given Ryssa a lot of opportunities to grow.

In the early stages of the Tide, she found her family, and the chaos has drawn her closer to them. More so than if things were peaceful. Some family members are on the front lines, and she worries about them greatly, wishing she could fight by their side, but cannot for she isn't strong enough. So she's got the goal now to get stronger, to protect those she cares about.

At the same time, she does her best to give support, whether it's a hug, talking, singing, harvesting, or culling the Tide. She's not at the forefront of world happenings, but supports those leading fiercely.

And a motto seems to be developing for her, as she looks around herself at the chaos. As naive a hope it may be, she'd rather not have enemies in the long run, at the end of things. She keeps saying in her head, 'I'd rather forge unlikely friendships than make eternal enemies.' Of course, it's impossible to not have one or two at the end of this, but she keeps hopeful.

"Hope and courage are the lights that will lead us to the end of these dark days." That's something she'd definitely think.

Kiet

@Synthus

If a permanent state of stasis is so important for your enjoyment, then I'm not sure Achaea--or any game with roleplaying--is ultimately going to make you happy.

For one, of course Achaea openly advertises that it's an ever-changing world, you can see that in help files for cities, etc.

For another, though, the very concept of roleplay necessitates change. Roleplay is, however indirectly, meant to be an emulation of real life. There is not a single person who's ever lived a life of perfect stasis, because, as a book I've been reading says:

“The point is: what happens in heaven?'

'Unknowable wonderfulness?'

'Nonsense. The answer is nothing. Nothing can happen because if something happens, in fact if something can happen, then it doesn't represent eternity. Our lives are about development, mutation and the possibility of change; that is almost a definition of what life is: change.'

'If you disable change, if you effectively stop time, if you prevent the possibility of the alteration of an individual's circumstances - and that must include at least the possibility that they alter for the worse - then you don't have life after death; you just have death.”

While you can debate on the exact metaphysics of heaven or w/e, the point is more that life is about change, and that necessitates, sometimes, change for the worse. Roleplay is meant to imitate life, and if you remove this from the equation it is no longer imitating life at all.

If you aren't prepared for change, which is sometimes negative, then you aren't prepared to actually roleplay.

And give it up with the idea that others just haven't experienced this or can't understand. The entirety of Shallam got deleted and they spent rl months just living like refugees. People, as I pointed out way earlier in the thread, have lost everything from orders to cities to guilds and houses. The vast majority of these people moved on, because that's what you do when bad things happen in both real life and in a roleplaying game.

This isn't to tell you that you should quit Achaea or whatever, of course. Simply to evaluate what exactly you want out of Achaea, and ideally to just move on with your Achaean life and let your character grow from it.

Lenn

While you're correct that Achaea features change quite prominently, plenty of people roleplay to escape from life's troubles rather than to simulate them, so I don't think I'll agree change in a significant way is necessary for something to count as roleplaying.

Kiet

It's necessary for roleplay that actually has developed characters. If you only want to roleplay two-dimensional slice of life characters (which, I'd argue, still undergo change over time) then you're probably better off doing it in a chat room or an mmo where roleplay is extremely casual.

Zheo

@Synthus Channel your inner Thor and realize Cyrene is not a place, but a people.

Sobriquet

That is one of the best posts ever on this forum. Well said @Kiet

Lenn

@Kiet I believe they get told to go to Cyrene here.

Mroxyl

To me, the worst part of this is taking only one city. That, to me, is just purely being jerks on the part of admin. If one is taken, all should be taken.  I'll suggest a scenario and ask thoughts on it, as a difference. To me, Cyrene actually comes out weaker, but with more to offer players of all sorts.

The Tsol'teth say they're going to hold a demonstration of their power. People start organizing to resist. The Tsol'teth show up at Cyrene, just like they did, crack the barrier and attack. Fight goes on just the same, with the litany being deployed, just the same. Characters are scattering and fighting guards and doing what they can. During this madness, the Tsol'teth take control of Blu, as they did, and use him to destroy the font. At this point of shock and disorganization, the Tsol'teth withdraw taking Blu with them as a hostage/victim/slave (no one would truly know which of those applied.) At this point, Cyrene still exists as a city, but is much weaker, because can they trust any guards at all? Even if they remove all existing guards, can the new ones be trusted? There's no font, and no guardian, so much weaker against any city that wants to raid. Much work to do to try to defend the city, find out what in the world happened to Blu and how to get him back, if that's even possible at that point, work out how to get a new font, if that's possible...   

I'm curious as to opinions on this idea. I've withdrawn from this event, as my thoughts on it are unprintable. I'm ending my paid account and will hold judgement on if I stay or not when I see how things end.

Kaedan

Mroxyl said:

To me, the worst part of this is taking only one city. That, to me, is just purely being jerks on the part of admin. If one is taken, all should be taken.  I'll suggest a scenario and ask thoughts on it, as a difference. To me, Cyrene actually comes out weaker, but with more to offer players of all sorts.

The Tsol'teth say they're going to hold a demonstration of their power. People start organizing to resist. The Tsol'teth show up at Cyrene, just like they did, crack the barrier and attack. Fight goes on just the same, with the litany being deployed, just the same. Characters are scattering and fighting guards and doing what they can. During this madness, the Tsol'teth take control of Blu, as they did, and use him to destroy the font. At this point of shock and disorganization, the Tsol'teth withdraw taking Blu with them as a hostage/victim/slave (no one would truly know which of those applied.) At this point, Cyrene still exists as a city, but is much weaker, because can they trust any guards at all? Even if they remove all existing guards, can the new ones be trusted? There's no font, and no guardian, so much weaker against any city that wants to raid. Much work to do to try to defend the city, find out what in the world happened to Blu and how to get him back, if that's even possible at that point, work out how to get a new font, if that's possible...   

I'm curious as to opinions on this idea. I've withdrawn from this event, as my thoughts on it are unprintable. I'm ending my paid account and will hold judgement on if I stay or not when I see how things end.

Remember, they HAVE made another ultimatum, and there's another upcoming event. May be that one of Mhaldor, Eleusis, or most likely Ashtan get hit and taken next.

Iloisee

@Synthus I agree with others who say the admin will ensure there is a place for more peaceable folks with your type of interests. There is certainly no desire to push that demo out of the game. There have been and will be times when people lose their comfort zone because no one is immune to world-scale crises, but things will come back around in some form.

Only you can determine your experience, but I think you'll find that this life-altering event will contribute to your character in the future, adding flavour you just couldn't have gotten through personal RP. You're part of a major displacement that other characters will some day consider history and want to ask you about. There will be scrolls and books about this event that people will read IRL years from now! 

I am always fascinated by the stories of old characters who have gone through Some Shit and tell them how valuable it is, they're like walking history books for the world. You'll be part of that, if you're still around.

Until then... There are several smaller towns and villages waiting for your business until you have a home of your own again! And people who will welcome your company.

Aegoth

"Waaaah if Cyrene falls, then OTHERS SHOULD!! And i'm gonna quit if it doesn't happen WAAAAAHHH" 

*looks at Shallam*

Kiet

Mroxyl said:

To me, the worst part of this is taking only one city. That, to me, is just purely being jerks on the part of admin. If one is taken, all should be taken.

I'm sorry but this is absurd and it's like a child's way of looking at things, no offense.

By this logic, Cyrene should be entirely destroyed, sunk under the sea or rubble or whatever else, because Shallam was already destroyed, remember? By this logic, you should be  level 1, because whenever someone gets PKd, everyone should be, too. I should be rich because whenever I rob one person everyone else should give me their gold too (I'm ok with this one).