One thing that I've always enjoyed, and really wish there was more of, is immteraction.

By immteraction, I don't necessarily mean the gods of the pantheon striding across Thera all night, chatting it up with followers and shunning the nonbelievers (shuuuuuuunnnnn). I've had the opportunity to peek behind the curtain. There's a lot going on up there (up here?), and that often precludes the possibility of a three hour, visible, in-character login for the Imms.

Rather, I think of it in terms of pen-and-paper roleplaying: Sure, the five of us could probably roam the world, hacking and slashing our way through the levels and saying "Aye, laddie" and "Die foul mage". But what makes a world come ALIVE is a Game Master.

The GM is how the kobold king rallies his forces to repel the group of paladins. The GM is how the Galadon guard talks law with a thief (while another picks the guard's pocket). The GM is how the animals speak with a ranger to warn of encroaching darkness. The GM is how the volcano erupts, how the earth shakes, how the swamp belches, how the forest falls suddenly silent, as if in anticipation. The GM is how the village blacksmith vows to make a dagger from the red dragon's tooth - if only someone could end its reign of terror. The GM is how the demons come forth from hell, how the Underdark spills forth a dark-elf raid, and how boats from an undiscovered continent drop an army in Hamsah to lay siege upon the Imperial lands.

The GM breathes life into the world - whether through simple area echoes or complex weeks-long quests. To me, that's the difference between a book I can put down anytime, and a page-turner that gets me to work late and bleary-eyed every stinking morning.

I like it too. Maybe this is just a sad commentary on my need for validation, but I enjoy getting high-fives from imms every once in a while, even when there's no tangible reward. Maybe come over the cabal channel and say something, or give the character a personal echo, or have a mob say something, or do a gecho if they did something suitably impressive. Nothing that would even require the imm to sit down and spend 5 minutes chatting with the guy- just something to let him know he's being watched, and that he did something praiseworthy.

I might even be okay with the staff doing this kind of thing disproportionately often for characters who say "yes" when asked if they're new to Carrion Fields. Throw the new guys a bone. They need some encouragement, since they're probably dying every 10 minutes.

One of the coolest parts of Fjarn's life was when he was level 5 or something wandering through the goblin village, and someone tossed a one-line "gust of cold wind" room echo my way that was perfectly tuned to my role.

Another highlight was running off an offensive shifter and driving his buddy, a defensive shifter, throughout the Battlerager Village for a good 5 minutes - he finally made a mistake, reverted, and died. The Destructor quipped on the cabal channel "I enjoyed watching you give that mage a tour of our fine village."

Those little high fives are great.

My two best moments have been:

The whole city of Darsylon suddenly turned upon me and the group I was in. Almost got us killed, that and a few echoes. It was really really cool. Also got some imm xp but that didn't really matter...

The other was the only immteraction Batu got, a short Echoe from Zulg about my scheemes to become warmaster etc.

Really cool stuff that turned a bad day totally around.

Always shoot first and then call whatever you hit the target.

Folks sometimes find the mobs they are killing get pissy.

I am pleased you enjoyed yourself.

eshval@carrionfields.com

I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. - Hunter S. Thompson

Often times, I find that the immortals aren't like greek gods and goddesses that interact with the characters, but like mesopotamian gods and goddesses that only heroes ever see, and the wee little people below should assume that gods either bring gifts or dread, so stay far away from them.

Imms don't alter the lives of characters very much, unless they're empower classes, or specifically seeking something (i.e. court). Where's Hera and her wrath on the wives of Zeus? Where's Odysseus and Poseiden?

Or my favorite, that one guy walking up on Artemis while she was bathing. The goddess was just there, doing her thing. Not interacting with nature, not coding the world, not sitting up in Olympus, just enjoying the world. And a mortal saw this. Insert wrath here. I've never seen Zulgh walk down the Eastern Road. The most we get is Arvam sitting in the Inn.

I want this stuff. But that's just me. I think it helps bring alive the feeling that there are gods and goddesses more than Twist just smiting Jichii every once in a while.

I tend to agree. I poke about quite a bit, interfering with folks or just lurking about Market Square. The problem I find is with all the fighting going on, someone could accidently draw me into a fight...which could be fatal for players.

There is also the theory that frequent god-sighting will make the imms less 'awe-inspiring.' And regarding that, yes we have varying degrees of 'pain' we can inflict shy of slaying. Most players know imms will not intentionally gack them, so they sometimes exceed the rp of how a 'normal' mortal would act.

I tend to go out of my way to interact, but like not all mortals or immortals are that interested in rp stuff.

If you're getting into ancient religions, don't forget Zeus impregnating everyone, the varieties of maledictions, machinations, pain, suffering and death they inflicted on their mortal toys.

Again, I tend to agree with your point.

eshval@carrionfields.com

I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. - Hunter S. Thompson

I am not, and never have been, a big fan of the sphere system. The aren't the spheres I would have chosen, and there are many that are useless/pointless/have never been covered by a god. I wish imms covered more than 3 spheres and that their religions were more open to interpretation and going with the flow than they currently are. Sort of like Kasty's legends tatt/religion, which AFAIK is open to all spheres and just has the over all goal of being known. If there were a few more religions of this sort, that would certainly by fine by me. Not to say Eshval's isn't awesome, but hey, it's feedback.

No offense taken. I tend to agree that spheres are limiting to player and immortal alike. I would not be unhappy with a pantheonistic approach where there were gods of warriors, blacksmiths, the dead, agriculture and so on. It could be done. Along the same method, allow imms to have a demon/deva/angel/etc. to play with to give them something to do. Eshval the Goddess of Pregnancy would not be too interesting, so maybe the 'demi-divine' demons and such would add some more interest. These might be able to take a more active hand, though not outright killing/direct interference of mortals/cabals, and so on.

Just rambling.


eshval@carrionfields.com

I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. - Hunter S. Thompson

I definitely remember suiciding in an interesting way with Uthral back in the day, returning to my corpse to find Eshval coldly contemplating turning me into a carrot. We chatted, I attempted to get some things in my role across, Eshval attempted to entrap my soul, it ended with me getting bitten.

A very cool moment for me, one that was entirely unasked or prayed for, but done on Eshval's time.

One of the best at doing that, which makes you cool as $$$$ in my book.

Maybe one day I will put them up on a board somewhere. For me, they provide a keen sense of enjoyment. And thanks for the compliment.

eshval@carrionfields.com

I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. - Hunter S. Thompson