7 Questions: Players In the Spotlight

[Badstench]

Introduction

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen… and you furtive creatures hovering behind the cheap seats.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome you back to this, the second series of “Players In the Spotlight”!

As you can see, we’ve got a new title, and this should give you enough of a clue to realise that this series is going to look quite different from the last production.

Instead of being a series of one-on-one interviews, our production team contacted ten honoured contributors to the Sryth forum and asked them to become members of a discussion panel. We’re going to throw questions at them simultaneously!

The answers, Ladies and Gentlemen, are unrehearsed and honest; each member of our panel has no idea what the others are thinking; their answers are not influenced or tainted by popular opinion or the need to conform. This should manifest in an interesting, and often times humourous, experience for us all.

The same panel will return each week to face a new set of 7 questions. These questions will consist of a particular subject, with a different subject being presented each episode. We will take a sampling of the 5 best answers to each question from among the panel members… giving us a total of 35 answers per episode.

We think you’ll agree, Ladies and Gentlemen, this show will prove to have gotten bigger and better…. More bang for your bucks! More tick for your time! More “oomph” for your interest!

And if that isn’t enough, we heartily invite you, the audience, to participate with discussions and commentaries between each episode. Have your own say! Share your own thoughts! Agree or disagree with individual panel members!

…But, above all, enjoy the ride!

*

So, without further ado, we would like to introduce the esteemed panel members. A hearty round of applause, please, for…

Smv1973, a.k.a Thordon
Doolipalally, a.k.a Rhia
Chareos, a.k.a Chareos
Zmflavius, a.k.a Zmflavius
Oldschool, a.k.a Hawk
Racey, a.k.a Trent
Taleria, a.k.a Taleria
Thingirl, a.k.a Alanne
Psychoadept, a.k.a Xarantiroth
Mattman20, a.k.a Ehrmlyn


*

Coming Soon
7 Questions: Players In the Spotlight
Episode 1
Men & Monsters

[Lightwielder]

Is there going to be a way for the panel to rotate to other players sometime? Just curious.

[Elrond]

I have a question to Racey and SMV, "how many Sryth hours do you log daily?"

[smv1973]

I have a question to Racey and SMV, "how many Sryth hours do you log daily?"

My actual time I spend playing the game is anywhere from 4 hours to 8 hours a day. There has been days that I have played for longer than 8 hours but that is not very often.

[Badstench]

Elrond and Solitu asked respectively:
I have a question to Racey and SMV, "how many Sryth hours do you log daily?"

I... I have the same question for Joddelle. You really scared me...
Oi, guys! You're pinching my questions before they're asked ;). This is a question that is planned for a future episode (maybe not in those exact words, but very close).

************************************************

Lightweilder asked:
Is there going to be a way for the panel to rotate to other players sometime?
I'm seriously considering this. It would be good to get a broad range of responses.

************************************************

Badstench notifies:
I've been getting some flattering feedback about this thread. I hope the results are as good as I've promised, but I can tell you that I've had a heck of a lot of fun previewing all the answers and editing it all together.

With that in mind, and because I'm the producer of this show and can if I want to, I'm going to close each episode with a comment.

I can tell you that one question in the first episode elicited responses that dismayed me and I plan a terse rebuttal. Of course, you're all free to throw rotten vegetables back at me if you so wish.

And some answers were awesome, some were ridiculous, some were indecipherable (I read a post by Dooli somewhere that admitted to being challenged by abbreviations - like text talk - Some answers I couldn't include because I didn't know what the heck was being said!

So, I might also include an award ceremony at the conclusion of each episode: I'm keen on handing out The Blonde Award, and The Moving-Mouth-That-Says-Nothing Award, and.... :p

Anyway, deadline for submitted answers is approaching and Mattman20 has gone awol. It takes a lot of work editing everything into one post, so I'd better get on with it.... see you soon.

Oh, and please check out the "Happy Birthday" thread for August 15.

[Badstench]

A warm welcome to everyone, audience and panel alike.

As promised, we’re about to delve into a question and answer session with nine Sryth gamers who are also frequent voices in the forum. Unfortunately, Mattman20 couldn’t join us today, but we can assure you that the content of this first episode is just as fantastic without his presence.

Today’s questions focus on a subject involving the inhabitants of Sryth.

7 QUESTIONS: PLAYERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Episode 1
MEN & MONSTERS

1) Through your entire playing career, which monster/ opponent is most memorable for having given your character a difficult time?

Taleria: Tash-Aptor, from Solundor’s Grand Ring of Illusion. It was the first time I had to use a quickstone heal and blessings, and my heart was pounding because I’d already suffered one loss and didn’t want another one.

Doolipalally: This is probably going to sound odd, but Rhia has a recurring problem with the Frozen Female Brigand in the Ice Cave. Call it chance, call it coincidence, call it whatever you like – I think she’s a woman with a grudge and some sneaky specials.

Zmflavius: Believe it or not, it was the Hooded Skeleton in Axepath Cemetery. That was back when I was a free player and the combination of 11+ to hit and stamina points twice the number of mine pretty much did me in.

Thingirl: Ghor-Tiln! She was 14+ to hit with me using Demonscourge, and she had a lot of stamina points.

Racey: For Trent, the most difficult opponent had to be Lord Delgroth from the Cave of Four Spirits. It took forever for me to beat him.

2) Similarly, which Non-Player Character/ opponent have you most enjoyed interacting with? (Doesn’t necessarily have to be Human).

Doolipalally: The boys from the Silver Crest are my favourites. I see them as the ‘growing old disgracefully’ type. Well, maybe not Rynduil.

Zmflavius: Runeskin. His saga was the best experience I ever had in my history of playing Sryth.

Smv1973: I enjoyed all the time I spent with Thane Pyrond. I really hope the rumours of his death are just that – rumours.

Psychoadept: Luriakan. I really want to know what’s up with him; I can’t tell if he’s a good guy or a bad guy, which I’m sure is intentional on the GM’s part.

Oldschool: Lothren, because of his association with Kyul-Thanor and Palk and the possibilities therein.

3) As a Player, would you agree or disagree that the level of difficulty versus ‘scaled’ opponents is the same for all character levels?

Taleria: I’d have to disagree, if only because lower-level characters don’t have as many stamina points. Stamina points are everything against scaled opponents.

Zmflavius: I disagree. Scaled opponents only have a scaled melee rating and not scaled stamina points, which I consider to be a less obvious, but major factor in difficulty.

Smv1973: I think that ‘scaled’ opponents do have the same level of difficulty for all characters.

Chareos: I would disagree. It may be just me, but I am a lot more relaxed about quick combating during the various scaled scenarios than I was when I first started out. For example I can now go straight through the Ice Cave without retreating to rest, whereas, before obtaining the Ice Shield, I was going back and forth like a yo-yo.

Psychoadept: Is there really any doubt? Having high stamina points inevitably means that the scaled combats are easier to get through, because difficulty is really more a function of how quickly you can deplete their stamina points versus how quickly they can deplete yours

4) ‘Scaled’ opponents most often appear in replayable and multiplayer scenarios. Would you like to see them also appear in one-off adventures?

Doolipalally: I’m not sure about this one. Rhia’s at the stage where most of her opponents in one-off adventures are pretty easy, and it would be nice if she had a bit more of a challenge now and then. Scaled opponents in one-off adventures would be one way of giving more advanced players a bit more of a fight. On the other hand, it’s nice to be able to measure how well your character’s doing by which adventures you’re now strong enough to complete. (Fence-sitting as usual...)

Zmflavius: Yes I would, as I believe a scaled opponent would make a number of adventures more challenging

Chareos: Yes, but I almost feel sorry for the GM when he goes to all the trouble of writing a new adventure which a lot of us can then breeze through because all the enemies are just +3 to hit. I wouldn’t want it to be too difficult mind you. However, I think that perhaps there would be more satisfaction to be gained by actually having to plan your strategy rather than just quick combating through everything in five minutes.

Psychoadept: I hadn’t thought of that, but I could see it being a cool thing. It would give lower level characters a better chance of not getting roasted, and still keep things challenging for higher level characters. On the other hand, sometimes I like having all my opponents be 3+ for a change.

Oldschool: I like the idea of them at a minimum level to ensure lower level characters (mostly in terms of MR) have a chance at completion of adventures. Not everyone can donate or is lucky in contests.

5) Would you be positive or negative to the idea of players being able to choose a race other than Human when creating a character?

Taleria: I wouldn’t mind if the option were there, but I don’t think it would really work. The storyline assumes a heavy humanocentric bias, so playing as a Tzaril, for example, would be strange.

Doolipalally: Not keen on this one. I don’t think it’s necessary. Also, I don’t think it fits in with the world of Sryth – I haven’t noticed any elves and dwarves wandering about, and the non-humans we encounter are usually there as opponents.

Chareos: I don’t think it could happen without some major work by the GM. Sryth is written in such a way that everyone is human, if other playable races were included players would probably expect different stats for each race e.g. Dwarven strength and constitution, Elven agility and magic bonuses etc. I would imagine this to be incredibly difficult to retrospectively adopt and I can well imagine the furore caused by people complaining that it was unfair. I’m negative to the idea.

Thingirl: Go for it! I wanna be an Elf! But seriously, “yes”, and with special bonuses and penalties.

Racey: Positive. I think that adding other races, with their strengths and weaknesses, would add an entirely new dimension to Sryth.

6) Rokmokkara has been spoken of harshly by many players. Apart from the fact that he appears to be inconsiderate, egotistical and a braggart, do you think Sryth would be a poorer world without him?

Taleria: Sryth doesn’t need people like him, but in terms of player experience, he’s a necessary evil. I mean, there’s no one else more satisfying to defeat.

Doolipalally: Definitely. We need that feel-good factor of being able to knock the stuffing out of him now and then.

Chareos: Yes, without a doubt. There are always people like Rokmokkara about, and it gives immense satisfaction to be able to bring him down to earth with a bump – especially when the bump is on his head after it has been introduced to Skyrage several times in a short sharp manner.

Racey: Absolutely. Who out there hasn’t pictured their boss at the wrong end of the Wand of Dragonfire? Every hero needs an antagonist. Rokmokkara is ours.

Psychoadept: Oh, yeah. Rokkie’s fun. I liked whooping on him in... One Sunny Morning, was it? Dying to know what was up with him

7) Do you think a giant pumpkin creature being one of the toughest monsters in the game is stretching the credibility of the GM’s imagination just a little bit too far?

Taleria: A tough question. But I’m going to say no, because Wurmwrit’s pumpkins are huge, and if they were alive, they’d be hard to control.

Smv1973: No. I think the giant pumpkin is a great monster to kill. Plus he can be turned into a pie for eating afterwards.

Thingirl: Well, the pumpkin in Ol’ Wurmwit’s farm is the easiest of the multiplayers, and the big pumpkin in that patch isn’t that tough, so I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Racey: Yes I do. Demon, dragon, wolf and... Pumpkin? With so many choices of uber enemies out there (how about a vampire for one?) our GM chose a 20 foot pumpkin that breathes fire? A stretch? Yes. Did our GM make it work? Again, yes.

Oldschool: To an extent yes, the extent being that it involves an MP and not “regular” game content. Also it seems it may have been created for the Halloween event and resurrected to offer players another MP option – a definite good thing.

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Join us next time, folks, when we challenge our panel with questions revolving around Items & Equipment.

Until then....

[Badstench]

A QUIET MOMENT WITH
THE PRODUCER

There comes a time, Ladies and Gentlemen, when a moment of silence is called for; a time to reflect and think about words spoken; to consider the wisdom of experiences shared from our fellow players...

...And then to give them all a right royal bollocking!

In particular, I want to focus on the question that asked, “Would you like to see ‘scaled’ opponents appear in one-off adventures”?

To all of our esteemed panel members who answered “Yes”, what the heck were you thinking? There is no room for opinion in any answer given.

The correct answer... the only answer... should have been “NO!”

...And I’m going to tell you why:

“One-off adventures proceed in a manner that is progressively more difficult. The key word to that last sentence is ‘progressive’. Most role-playing games I’ve been involved with necessitate the creating of a character who grows in stature and ability through learning experiences. As the character learns more, he/she becomes better equipped to tackle bigger and harder challenges. The reward for ‘surviving’ to mid and high level status is the confidence of knowing your character is equipped to handle the adventures in which the challenges are specifically designed for those levels.

Now, you may ask, “So? Why shouldn’t lower level characters be able to have a go?”

Because that defeats the purpose of a ‘progressive’ game! The low level characters have already been catered for with adventures suited to their levels. Why would the GM want a low level character being able to obtain the reward from a high level adventure? This would throw the balance of the role-playing experience out the window.

So there...

Smv1973 was the only person on the panel who said “no” in unequivocal terms, and for that he wins the award for most intelligent answer.

[racey]

I have a question to Racey and SMV, "how many Sryth hours do you log daily?"

Actual playing time is 4 or 5 hours. This all depends on the weather and the honey-do list!

[Elrond]

Thanks to SMV and Racey for responding to my questions. And thanks to Badstench for his great work and critique. The questions and answers in the 7Q series are great from the get-go.

[Doolipalally]

Damn, he didn't like my fire-breathing bananas idea...

[Young Ned]

Great job coming up with the questions and organizing the answers, BS!

SPMMWYCUaITY

Sorry, PM me what you couldn't understand and I'll tell you.
ROTFLMAOASTC!

Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Something Off And Scaring The Cats!

[Badstench]

Welcome back to episode 2 of "Players In The Spotlight". Once again, our panel of vociferous forum contributors is poised and ready to field questions, this time relating to items and equipment so often lugged all over the Kingdom of Tysa.

Before we begin, though, I'd just like to acknowledge that Taleria had a birthday recenty (August 15). I trust she had a neat ol' time, but I'm going to have to check with Vurii at the bar in the Adventurers Collective to see exactly how wild her celebrations got... she hasn't reported in for tonight's episode.

Happily, I'd like to welcome Lightwielder to the panel in her place.


7 QUESTIONS: PLAYERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Episode 2
ITEMS & EQUIPMENT

1) Of all the items you have accumulated, and which are either carried or stored, what do you deem as being your most prized possession?

Doolipalally: Rhia was lucky enough to win the Sword of Seven Flames in one of Tallys' raffles. Having the fiery breath of seven named dragons stored in one's sword is just spine-tinglingly cool.

Racey: My Blood-Emblazoned Dragonchain Shirt. This was a raffle item, and as far as I'm aware, Trent is the only character who is wearing one, making it unique in Sryth.

Psychoadept: The Glittering Ice Shield definitely ranks up there, since it was far and away the most difficult (and irritating) to obtain. Also, being an unarmed fighter, Xaran couldn't live without his Wyxryn's Master Ring.

Chareos: Without a doubt, my favourite is the Skyrage Hammer. Firstly, because I don't think anyone else has one (and if they do, I don't want to know). Secondly, it has great bonuses and does a lot of special damage. Thirdly, and probably most importantly, I really love smashing things!

Oldschool: Banderyp's Blade. My first raffle entry and win when I was still a new player. It was a great "handicapper", especially at those early stages.

2) Excluding items available at Tallys’ store, is there any item you know that exists in the game which you don’t have, but would sell your granny to get hold of?

Thingirl: A Fizzelbane ring (I hope Granny doesn't read this).

Racey: I would say Thymbrak's Sword, the Blade of Balance. He had some other pretty nice gear as well.

Smv1973: The torso armour owned by Thymbrak, the Thrice-Enchanted Chain Shirt. What a great piece of armour!

Psychoadept: If I had the choice, I might be inclined to go back and trade my Warlord's Helm for a pair of Nimble Boots from Haunting.

Oldschool: I would have to go with the Rapier of Vigour from the Blades of Legend raffle. Its healing power, complemented by its bonuses (MR +33, SP +4), made it a good choice overall. Throw in the recent structure of the Battlegrounds and the choice is even more obvious.

3) If you won a prize in a raffle that allowed you to choose any one item from Tallys’ store, what would it be?

Thingirl: The Notched Oaken Crown. This would then free up some AT’s, which I’d use to buy new sleeves!

Racey: The Axe of The Silver Blaze probably tops the list.

Zmflavius: If the question includes items which have limited time availability, the Sword of Blessed Night. Otherwise, Tallys's Silver Edged Long-sword.

Psychoadept: Since Xaran fights unarmed, that restricts him to armor. Orgaromm's Battle Plate would probably be the most helpful.

Chareos: Argh! Too many choices! Probably the Legendary Mariners ring.

4) Do you think the game is biased toward players who can afford to pay real money to gain Adventure Tokens that allow them to purchase better items?

Lightwielder: No, not at all. Without this money, the Game-master might not be able to devote so much time to Sryth, so this works in the player's favour anyway. Game-wise, still no. It's not player versus player like Everquest, so it doesn't do any harm to the non-paying player.

Racey: No, it is not. Does it make some adventures easier to complete? Yes. Randomness appears to rule in Sryth of late. The best gear doesn't help you pick a random number.

Doolipalally: Yes and no. Can you get higher stats if you donate lots of money? Of course. The GM needs to eat, after all. But whether you think that's a 'bias' or not depends on what your goals in the game are. I'm more interested in enjoying playing the game and experiencing the stories than I am in turning Rhia into a super-hero, and I don't feel that lack of cash is stopping me from doing that at all.

Smv1973: No. There are players who have already shown that you don't need to donate money to have a successful character.

Chareos: I don't think it is biased as you can do very well without donating. You could just as easily argue that the game is biased to those who spend all their time grinding and therefore get better skills and powers. Either way, whether you spend money on ATs or time in grinding, I think that it's fair that those people should be able to gain from their investment.

5) Concerning loose-end items in your storage or carried equipment lists, which incomplete item would you most like to see completed?

Lightwielder: The Jarix Stone.

Doolipalally: To be honest, I'm more interested in items that we don't know the purpose of yet, like the ravenbone pieces, or the piece of frozen dragon flame. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the Sword of Merzekk, but like I say, I'm rather fond of Rhia's Sword of Seven Flames.

Racey: It would be nice to have the Sword of Merzekk completed, but for Trent (since he has already maxed out Weaponry, Slashing), I would really like to see Doomwall finished.

Psychoadept: The one that bugs me the most is the half Griffon Pendant from Saarngard.

Oldschool: Don't know if they actually qualify as a "loose-end", but the icons. I'd like to see them and Kyul-Thanor/ Palk expanded. For a sure fire answer, the Sword of Merzekk.

6) Would you like to see ordinary items gain more importance in the game? (ie, more specific uses for ropes, lanterns, shovels, etc, but items must be available in the character’s equipment list to enable use).

Lightwielder: Yes, indeed. For example, a rope would have limited uses, then it would break and you’d have to buy a new one. And whenever you go into a dark place, it says that you light your trusty light source. What's the point of buying a different one if you already have the Adventurer's Lantern?

Thingirl: Yes. Like you have to light a fire and you can chose to use either Elementalism or a tinderbox to do it.

Racey: No. Not with the devious mind of our GM. Reference using the shovel in the Slime Ant Lair for one.

Zmflavius: I think that would indeed be a good idea since it would make the role-playing more realistic.

Oldschool: Yes, and as an ole time D&D'er where's that 10' wooden pole?

7) At the moment, items have a monetary value depending on their condition/ quality (common, sturdy, well-crafted, etc). Would you like to see items valued more specifically?

Lightwielder: Yes, that would be nice. A halberd, which is much more cumbersome than a dagger, should be worth more.

Racey: I would like to see weapons valued higher. For the encumbrance value of weapons, the gold token value is too low. Personally, I believe that a well crafted or better weapon should be more valuable than most well crafted or better pieces of armour.

Smv1973: I think the way items are valued is fine. It would be nice to be able to sell the higher priced items for more gold without having to spend your AT to use the Owlnook Tavern.

Chareos: No. I don't see the need to change anything. I don't want the GM to have to spend a lot of time rewriting the value of items when there is better stuff he could be writing.

Oldschool: Yes, especially some of the unique items. I'd also like to see the sell value expanded or even actual trading allowed. Although the Owlnook has accomplished some of these issues.

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Our thanks once again to the panel.

Join us next week when we pose questions concerning events and adventures

[Badstench]

A QUIET MOMENT WITH
THE PRODUCER

“Be careful what you wish for”. Truly an appropriate adage for many of the answers given to question 5; Concerning loose-end items in your storage or carried equipment lists, which incomplete item would you most like to see completed?

90% of the panel members mentioned the Sword of Merzekk. It was purely coincidental that the answers were submitted just prior to the latest game development concerning that fabled weapon. I’d like to think our combined mental wave-lengths joined to send an influencing message to the Gamemaster. For our next trick, I’d like everyone to imagine Judge Fury being given 1000 adventure tokens!

But seriously, now that we’ve re-discovered the path that might lead to the completion/ finding of the Sword of Merzekk, I wonder if there are other people who, like me, feel a little trepidation at what might truly be uncovered. Will our expectations be fully realised? Will the reality of Merzekk’s lost weapon prove to be, in the words of Douglas Adams, a bit of a Gnab Gib (the opposite of a Big Bang)? In other words, will the climax be overwhelmed by the “anti”?

For me, the sword of Merzekk has existed as a legend almost since dot one of my playing experience in the world of Sryth; from the moment I discovered a cloudy gemstone in the hole of a rampaging Thurnworm, then bought a rusty old sword in a moment of madness and found it to be an unrecognised artefact of lost power.

You know what I like about legends? They make me feel a sense of wonder; a sense that there are mysteries and secrets consigned to the unobtainable past; a sense that we all need to believe in ‘things’ that are larger than life.

I fear the reality of the Sword of Merzekk might prove disappointing, and once the sword is made whole, the fact of the mystery no longer existing will leave a hole in my playing history.

As for the Jarix Stone, Lightwielder, I suspect there’s a peddler roaming the highways and byways of Tysa laughing his head off at the gullibility of adventurers who believed his story about a magic teleporting obelisk. I use mine as a paper weight.

[Lightwielder]

As for the Jarix Stone, Lightwielder, I suspect there’s a peddler roaming the highways and byways of Tysa laughing his head off at the gullibility of adventurers who believed his story about a magic teleporting obelisk. I use mine as a paper weight.

Yes, but it was only around 100 Gold, so it was no consequence. ....Why do you carry a paperweight in your backpack?

Also, how can 90% of the panel members mention the Sword of Merzekk, when there were 7 people, and 1(me) did not. 1 out of 7 not mentioning it would bring it down between 86% and 85%. How did you get 90%? (Oh, wait, you're a Judge, not a mathematician.) lol.

PS: I really like the Players in the Spotlight idea. (Plus, 4 out of 7 of my answers got posted. That's a plus.)

[Badstench]

In defence of my intelligent quotient and to answer Lightwielder's aspersion against my mathematical skills....

I'm a wordsmith... numbers are anathema to me... so when I talk in terms of numbers, I do so on a metaphorical and philisophical level. The fact is, "90%" as used in the context of my soliloquy can be interpreted as meaning, "not quite the total amount". In the meantime, here's another word for you to look up: Pedantism ;)

The paperweight is not in my pack... it's on the shelf above the fireplace in the room kindly made available by Thane Pyrond in his keep at Trithik, where it currently prevents a scroll from blowing away. Written on that scroll is the name of a private investigator who is currently employed to find the peddler who sold me a dud Jarix stone, and extract from him the sum of 100 gold coins.

I got rich by not letting peddlers rip me off!

[Elrond]

Speaking of "Pedantism," how common is the usage of "wordsmith (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wordsmith)?"

[Badstench]

Another week has rolled around and now it's time to welcome you all to episode 3 of "Players In The Spotlight".


7 QUESTIONS: PLAYERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Episode 3
EVENTS & ADVENTURES

1) Can you name an adventure or series of adventures that you found particularly enjoyable?

Psychoadept: I especially like the Joust and related events on Saarngard Isle. It's interesting and challenging without involving repeated exploration of an area or repetitive combat.

Thingirl: The Runeskin adventures. They had a good storyline and good rewards, and with the current events unfolding in Ashlyre/ Fogbough, they might not be over.

Chareos: My favourite is the storyline involving Thane Pyrond. I haven't started PG6 yet, but the suspense and intrigue behind discovering where the loyalties of various NPC’s lie is very interesting. This story is not as simple as the usual, “You’re the good guy, now get out there and kill all the baddies.”

Taleria: PG5. My heart almost stopped when I had to kill Rynduil. And then there was the bit about having no equipment. Scary.

Smv1973: I enjoyed the storyline of the Runeskin series and like the fact that it was left open with the possibility of future adventures.

2) Many adventures and events have been left open-ended. If any, which one would you like to see concluded as a matter of priority?

Oldschool: This isn’t really an open ended adventure, but I'd like to see Steyl Thirsben's story brought to life. For folks that are wondering who Steyl Thirsben is, he’s mentioned in the book that can be found in our quarters in Trynd Keep.

Lightwielder: Lyrelock Monastery (the intrigue between Brothers Kol and Adrak), but that's it. I'm content to let the Gamemaster take his own pace.

Taleria: I'd like to see a continuation of Brother Kol's story. Does he get restored to the Order or does Lyrelocke remain a den of corruption? And what happened to Brother Adrak, who seemed like such a staunch servant of Srythak?

Racey: I would like to see PG6 completed so Saarngard Isle will become playable again. There’s a lot of unfinished work to do there.

Smv1973: I would like to see the rest of Tarn opened so we can get that ring from Tarn-Hurn.

3) Is there a geographical area of the game map or a particular location where you would like to see more adventures take place?

Psychoadept: Northeast Tysa! Why does it only have one adventure? Xaran has his castle there because it's nice and secluded, but he wouldn't mind a little more happening in the area.

Zmflavius: Definitely Griffondom (Northeast Tysa) as that single minor adventure, “A Band of Four”, really isn't fitting for an entire region.

Doolipalally: I'd like some more Port Hallik adventures that involve the sea and ships. There are a few low-level scenarios which I've done early on with my characters, but then the town seems to get forgotten.

Racey: I would like to see some game action in Syr.

Smv1973: I would like to see cities we have been to in PG adventures (like Syr, Charna and Kardsen) open up.

4) Although the wiki and the forum are both excellent avenues for discovering information about individual adventures, do you think the GM could do more by way of explaining the sequence in which new players should tackle adventures with reference to levels of expertise?

Psychoadept: No. It's kind of nice to imagine a recommended MR for every adventure or something, but I had a lot of fun working out for myself what order things could be done in, and it's based on a lot more than just the difficulty of the adventure

Zmflavius: Yes I do. The game documents are seriously out of date and can cause problems for new players who read them. Those who don't bother to read the documents often have to learn as they go and, as I have witnessed multiple times on the forum, have often spent months wondering what they're doing wrong.

Thingirl: Yes. Something like... when you go to start an adventure, it'll say "This is fit for a [insert level description here] warrior and/ or a [insert a level description here] mage."

Doolipalally: No, though maybe it would be useful if it was made clear from the start that you can get that information from the wiki. I'd rather players had a choice: either they can look at the wiki to find out which adventures are suitable for their character, or they can explore and test things out on their own. If the game itself gave you whopping great 'you can't do this yet' hints that might spoil the fun for some people.

Racey: It would be nice if all adventures had a minimum recommended MR / SP rating. Having said that, I think part of the thrill of this game involves the unknown quality; of wondering if your character has the ability to handle an adventure.

Chareos: I think he could do more but I don't think he should. There is more than enough help in the Wiki and on the Forums. I didn't discover either until I had made some pretty bad mistakes and had to restart from the beginning. If you offer too much help it becomes less of an RPG and more of a How-To game. You end up taking away the excitement of knowing you could screw this up... just like in real life.

5) Do you think the GM should pay more attention to keeping the Player’s adventure log up to date?

Oldschool: As a player with multiple characters - yes. Although implementing the adventurer notes feature would be more helpful and essentially make updating unnecessary.

Psychoadept: Either that, or get rid of it altogether! Having only some of the quests there makes everything super confusing. That's why I made my quest checklist. I couldn't rely on anything in the game to remind me if I'd done a particular quest or not.

Lightwielder: Yeah, actually, I do. I heard something awhile back about new Adventure Log updates, but he didn't seem to change much, and he didn't seem to include any of the recent adventures.

Taleria: Yes. I'm eagerly awaiting the revamped log. With all the new content, it's a daunting prospect to update it, but I want a record of my illustrious deeds.

Racey: No, but to be honest I hardly ever open the Adventure log. I know what I have done and to me that is good enough.

6) Replayable adventures and multi-player scenarios have become an accepted part of the Sryth game. Would you like to see more of these created to be playable at any time, or would you prefer to see new ones created and used on a rotational basis?

Oldschool: Neither. Currently, we seem to have enough of both, especially when taking the randomness in Fogbough and Lords of Ogredom into account.

Psychoadept: From what I've observed, it seems like you wouldn't want to go adding more MP’s indefinitely unless it was engineered in such a way that only one or two were ever running at a given time. Otherwise, people would have too many options and there wouldn’t be many players in any one battle.

Thingirl: Where replayable adventures are concerned, I think we have enough already. However, I’d like to see something shorter than Tarn, but longer than Axepath or Yir-Tannon.

Taleria: Four MPs are plenty, and rotating them would create a certain rarity that might make them more appealing. Plus, the game lags terribly if all the multiplayers happen to reset at the same time, and it becomes exceedingly frustrating trying to grind without a QS. But the lag issue notwithstanding, I still feel rotation would be a good option.

Smv1973: After the ice shield has been obtained, I would like to see the cave of the ice troll become replayable with the same frequency as the Jadefang lair or Tarn. I think that would save the GM from having to write a whole new area.

Doolipalally: I'd rather new replayables were available all the time (barring reset times, of course). It's clear from reading the forums that players have preferences about which they use for grinding: for example, some people rarely have time or patience for going through Tarn. It makes grinding more fun if there's a choice of scenarios.

7) Would you agree that player-characters in the world of Sryth have a shelf life; that a point will eventually be reached when they become too powerful to participate in new adventures with any sense of satisfaction?

Oldschool: Not as long as the GM continues plying his trade.

Zmflavius: No! I believe the most important part of an adventure is the story itself, though I do agree that, at a certain point, everything can become too easy.

Thingirl: Well, it can get annoying when all your enemies are 3+ to hit. However, for me, the game is more about the story than accumulating XP (Although XP is nice)

Taleria: Yep. And while I'm the type who tends to prefer an easier time, every so often I'd like that sense of accomplishment gained by defeating a difficult foe. The balance has to be right.

Smv1973: I think that the GM will always find a way to keep the game fun and challenging no matter how strong characters become. Urktuln, the Stone Troll, is a good example of that.

Doolipally: Most of the satisfaction I get from new adventures comes from enjoying the story, so that aspect doesn't bother me. I do think, though, that I'll hit a stage with Rhia where she's powerful enough to satisfy me and the xp required to get her any further is off-putting. At that point I might switch my grinding efforts to my other characters.

[Badstench]

A QUIET MOMENT WITH
THE PRODUCER

The panel members are really getting into the swing of answering these questions now. The first couple of episodes saw tentative answers given; some weren’t thought through properly, while some were immediately nominated for the “I-don’t-understand-the-question-but-I’m-going-to-answer-anyway-and-sound-like-a-complete-dunce-by-getting-it-horribly-wrong” award. It’s gratifying to note that the final decision of which answers to present in the finished copy is getting progressively more difficult with each episode.

There’s a point to this... which I’ll get to later, but first I’m going to offer my own opinion on one of the questions; in this episode, I’ll be examining question 4: Do you think the GM could do more by way of explaining the sequence in which new players should tackle adventures with reference to levels of expertise?

The answer from Zmflavius was spot on the money!

Like Zmflavius, I’ve been taking quiet note of the times new players have bemoaned the confusion they experience in finding adventures suitable for their character levels. Too often, there is nothing to warn a player that an adventure they have embarked on will likely result in failure because they aren’t strong enough, experienced enough, or equipped correctly. This inevitably leads the player down the path of frustration and disillusionment.

It’s easy to advise these players to check the game documents, the wiki, or information on the forum, but the reality is that a lot of people don’t, and won’t, do that; some of them are constrained from doing research by the amount of time available to them, or they just want to play the game without all that tedious mucking about with rule books, etc.

So, what’s the simplest way to help these players? Thingirl was on the right track with her answer; there should be an introductory screen to every adventure that informs the player of what they’re about to get themselves into. It might look something like the two examples below.

THE GOBLINS OF WESTWOLD
A Sryth adventure for novice/ apprentice ranked characters
A stout heart required...
..and a light source
And a weapon would probably be a good idea.

GRALGARAK’S TOMB
A Sryth adventure for characters ranked Journeyman and higher
Magic weapon or offensive power required to complete

The introductory descriptions could offer more exacting requirements, like a suggestion of a minimum/ maximum MR range for optimum playability, but hopefully you get my point.

Now, Psychoadept adroitly pointed out that he enjoyed the fact of exploration and discovery in his gaming experience, which led him to believe that introductions as exampled above were unnecessary and unwarranted in his case. I can understand that argument, and I also agree with it... but, my agreement is tinged with the knowledge that I didn’t have nearly so many options to choose from when I started playing.

Admittedly, a lot of the game content appears progressively (one adventure only becomes available by the completion of another, etc), but there is still enough new stuff to cause my memory some problems when I start gaming with a neophyte adventurer.

But that’s not the most important reason for wanting an easier reference for new players. The most important reason is the new players themselves; the growth of the game is dependent on new players to perpetuate its viability. New players are potentially the game’s best advertisement to attract more players, so if new players are becoming frustrated and disillusioned by any aspect of its presentation, then this needs to be dealt with!

The end result of this monologue is to agree with the question: “Yes! I believe the GM should do more to explain the sequence in which new players tackle adventures”.

And if the award ceremony was being held tonight, Zmflavius would win in the category of “Answer-most-likely-to-impress-the-producer”.

Which brings me back to the point I made earlier; that the answers from the panel members are getting better and better; and the reason I wanted to punctuate this point is to explain why more answers are being presented than originally promised.

You can accept this as ‘bonus’ material: “More bang for your bucks, more tick for your time, more oomph for your interest!”

And as a final point of interest, this week, Chareos wins the “Hot-poker-jabbed-under-the-fingernails” award for this comment as part of his answer to question 7:

“Then again, the question master also plays as a Judge, and we all know how many bad calls they make.” ;)

See you next week when episode 4 asks questions concerning Magic & Powers.

[Chareos]

Is that the '“Hot-poker-jabbed-under-the-fingernails” award' my nails or yours mate? :-) i notice that you didn't include the rest of the answer lol

[Lightwielder]

Well, I certainly enjoy this series, and I eagerly await the time when my turn comes around again.

[Badstench]

Due to unforseen circumstances, the next episode will be delayed while badstench re-collects all the data that was lost in an unfortunate occurence involving a full glass of wine, a laptop and an excited fox terrier.

Please bear with us during this postponement of transmission.

[Oldschool]

Due to unforseen circumstances, the next episode will be delayed while badstench re-collects all the data that was lost in an unfortunate occurence involving a full glass of wine, a laptop and an excited fox terrier.

Please bear with us during this postponement of transmission.

And an even more exited Badstench after the fact I imagine.

A commiserative rep for the incident. I hope the fox terrier's fate wasn't the same as the old laptop. ;)

[Badstench]

Hi everyone

Thankyou for returning to view this new episode.

We had a bit of a glitch in bringing this to you, and that glitch resulted in the loss of some excellent answers from zmflavius and Chareos. They will not be represented tonight, but Elrond has graciously accepted to help fill out this episode. As one of our most respected players of the game, I'm sure you will find his opinions interesting.

************************************************** ********

PLAYERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Episode 4
MAGIC & POWERS

1) Do you favour one style of offensive power, or do you pay attention to all the magic disciplines equally?

Taleria: When levelling powers, I try to train everything equally. In combat, I generally try Destruction first,

Oldschool: I tend to use Shadow Magic. It was my first power at level 70, and supplemented my MR. Those reasons helped make it my favored power use.

Racey: I normally use Gating when I have to resort to a magical attack. This is mainly because it does good damage and has descriptive texts

Thingirl: Shadow Magic; when I use a power in battle, it's usually because I'm getting my hind quarters handed to me by an enemy who is 16-18+ to hit.

Doolipalally: Rhia much prefers a straight fight, and only uses magic in battle if she absolutely has to. Necromancy used to be her power of choice simply because she'd picked up more knowledge of it (and it can't be resisted), but these days she's developing other powers and has decided to stay away from the dark side.

Elrond: Elendil is an Elementalist, but that does not exclude the use of other attack powers if they are more lethal against some opponents (i.e. Destruction).

2) The casting of spells during melee does not reward the user with as many XP points as does using a weapon. Do you think this sucks?

Taleria: No, because someone who kills something with just their weapon (or unarmed) is at the mercy of luck and numbers. Granted, if the “to hit” is 3+, it's a cake walk, but since magic scores damage even if you roll a 1, it still affords advantages that make things a bit easier than going with straight melee.

Oldschool: That may be a little harsh from my viewpoint but the usual gap in xp awards (for combat xp) should be narrowed somewhat.

Smv1973: Yes I do!

Thingirl: Only a little bit. Yes, I would like to have equal XP, but using powers gives you an advantage that you can use over and over again with no real side effects, and so you should get less combat XP.

Lightwielder: No. I think that there are more than enough out-of-combat chances to use powers, even in the replayables. I have seen an astounding absence of out-of-combat chances to use weaponry, so the Gamemaster provides this alternative.

Elrond: Yes! I think that using a magic power should give a decent amount of XP; at least on par with melee XP.

3) When using a magic power during melee, there is a three-step action necessary to affect an attack. Weapons only require a single action to attack. Would you like to see magic attacks have the same ease of use?

Oldschool: Yes, although Havoc's browser tip about using the first letter of the keyword makes it simpler to affect power (and skill) usage. However, depending on how much time it would take the GM to effect such a change it may be better to keep it the way it is for now.

Smv1973: I would really like to be able to use powers with only one click.

Psychoadept: Yes, please! One major reason I don't use powers more often in combat is it's such a pain in the butt compared to melee. Who wants to spend the time to use magic when you can just click one thing and be done with it?

Thingirl: If there were only 2 or 3 powers, yes. But since there are 11, I think the drop down menu is the best way.

Lightwielder: Absolutely not. With NV being as valuable as it is, especially in the battlegrounds), I would never want to mis-click and waste one. If I use magic, I do so deliberately.

4) During multi-player battles, weapons incur ‘special’ damage on rolls of 18, 19, and 20. However, if the character casts an offensive spell during a melee round, the weapon ‘special’ damage is negated for the next 5 battles. Do you agree that this is an unfair penalty against the use of magic?

Racey: I have to say that I truly didn’t know this and have never noticed it. I blame this on my best friend, the aggressive attack button. I do agree that this is an unfair penalty. Using a power in a round before you use your weapon should have no bearing on the damage your weapon does.

Lightwielder: No. Magic can attack, heal and increase your MR. This offers an exceptional advantage, especially with Shadow Magic. The Gamemaster has been trying to even up the playing field for people who don’t, or rarely use, magic.

Doolipalally: No, I don't. I can't say I'd noticed this, but it makes sense to me. The special damage idea was introduced to make it possible to score reasonable damage in an MP without using magic. It means you have a choice, and I don't think it's unreasonable that that choice should involve picking your tactic and sticking to it.

Elrond: Not really! It is an aspect of the game that counters the fact that some magic powers cannot be resisted (they cause damage regardless of roll!).

5) Some players like the idea of role-playing a pure warrior. Do you think it would be possible to successfully adventure through all the game content without using any magic powers?

Racey: No. For Trent, this can be summed up in one word - Restoration.

Smv1973: I do think it would possible to do all the adventures without the use of powers, though there might be a few items that you won’t be able to get.

Psychoadept: I don't remember any places where you have to use a power to succeed, though there are a few places where you can only access certain items/events through use of a power. So I guess you could technically do all the critical stuff without powers. But the thought of doing an adventure like PG2 without powers makes me cringe. Anybody who tries it deserves major kudos.

Doolipalally: Possible, maybe, if you donated a lot and therefore had extremely high MR & SP. Most of the game content is playable without using magic, but there are some deliberately tough opponents that are hard to bring down without it. (eg higher levels of Daidrur's Mark).

Elrond: No, I don't think that is possible since we have PG scenario's with "make or break" magic checks.

6) In sword and sorcery role-playing games, magic-users were traditionally prohibited from wearing or using metallic weapons and armour. What would your reaction be if this rule was implemented in the Sryth game rules?

Taleria: I'd be very angry. Plate armor is the best to be had, so that greatly disadvantages the magic user. And sure, there are good staves in the game, but those are advanced weapons. I don't know if there are shimmering silver or demonic staves, but even if there are, magic users wouldn't be able to upgrade the padded armour you start with for Gryphook's plate gear. This could make the Runeskin series impossible to do, or with reduced XP overall. With lowered MR and SP potential, as well as the randomness of magical attacks in terms of damage, I'd probably stop playing the game altogether.

Racey: Isn't this rule kinda implemented anyway. Older style/version role playing games did prohibit use of metal armour. Newer versions introduced spell failure to balance this out. I've attributed every failed attempt to use a power as an occurrence of spell failure due to the use of metal items

Lightwielder: If I was restricted just by having a magic power, then it would be a problem; but if using magic while wearing armor caused a penalty, then I'd have to weigh the risks. Regardless, I don't think magic in Sryth involves specific hand motions, or anything else that would be restricted by wearing armor, so I don't think that is going to happen.

Doolipalally: It's not necessary. It would also be difficult to make it fit into the Sryth game world retrospectively.

Elrond: I would favour it; but that would require a whole new system of calculating SP (which is based on armor). And we cannot forget unarmed fighters in full plate armour with shields!

7) Would you like the chance to use magic more or less often during the course of an adventure, or do you think the GM is getting it right as it is?

Taleria: I never considered this, but I think it's good as it is. The places you can use powers are plausible, and I think that's the most important thing. Better than going, "Hey, how come we couldn't use Divination on this NPC, or to figure out which path to take?"

Oldschool: For the most part his GM'ness has got it right.

Smv1973: There are some parts of the game where I more powers could be added, but those are mainly in grinding spots. In the case of adventures, I think the GM is doing a good job.

Psychoadept: I'd like to see more, and more flexible, uses for magic. Particularly, I'd like to see all the powers be equally strong in combat. And I'd love to see consistent uses for powers outside of combat, though I imagine that would be harder to implement.

Thingirl: Well, as long as there is an alternative skill you can use, I'm all for more powers.

[Badstench]

A QUIET MOMENT WITH
THE PRODUCER

Question 2, the casting of spells during melee does not reward the user with as many XP points as does using a weapon. Do you think this sucks? got some of the panel members thinking I had worded the last part of that question in such a way that it showed a bias designed to influence their answers.

“Sod off!” I articulated as a reply, and immediately imagined receiving another critical email from Doolipalally.

I should qualify that last statement: Dooli sent me a private message after the last episode that was critical of my criticisms of the panel’s answers as presented in “Quiet Moments with the Producer”. In effect, she was berating me for suggesting that my opinions were right and theirs were not. Fair enough; she made a good point. I’m meant to be an impartial presenter.

She then went on to say that, although she enjoyed being a part of “Players in the Spotlight” and enjoyed reading the responses from everyone else, my opinionated rants were a downer.

Now, you might think I’d get on my high horse and be all defensive about this, or get sulky and mumble stuff about being misunderstood, nobody loves me, the effort’s not appreciated, rhubarb, rhubarb, etc, et al.

However, the high regard and respect I hold for Dooli has not changed in any way. In fact, I breathed a sigh of relief to know that someone had an opinion about my opinions, even if they were adverse ones, and had actually displayed the gumption of saying so!

Dooli’s message of concern was exactly what I’d been hoping to get as further conversation to these episodes, I thanked her for being honest and asked that she post any further remarks of the same sort directly to the thread. I know I can sometimes get lost in my own model of truth and correctness, so it’s good when someone kicks my legs out from under me every now and then (this is not an invitation. A kick is only good once in a while).

That doesn’t mean I won’t do it again, because I’m a prick!

And with that in mind, I’m now going to offer up my opinion on question 3) When using a magic power during melee, there is a three-step action necessary to affect an attack. Weapons only require a single action to attack. Would you like to see magic attacks have the same ease of use?

It wasn’t too long ago that I opined the desire for a hotkey function for the use of powers in melee! However, I’ve since had opportunity to revise my opinion, and now I think the practicalities of magic-use versus weapons make sense when applied to the combat mechanics in the Sryth game; more so if you role play the game with an idea toward the fantasy aspect rather than real world mechanics.

What I’m getting at is that casting a magic spell involves certain actions that require time to complete; it’s not a matter of just wishing an effect into existence, but rather, calls upon the necessity of an arduous set of gestures, incantations, and the drawing of mystic symbols. These actions can quite easily correlate to the requirement of a three-step action to affect the casting of a spell in game terms.

And once you’ve mastered the spell, the little extra time it takes to cast over the speed of a weapon blow is offset by the massive amounts of damage a spell can inflict.

These points were addressed by some of the panel members as evidenced in some of their replies.

However, the whole discussion/ argument/ point might have become moot, because the very same topic was included in a discussion sparked by the fantastic achievements of Joddelle. That discussion attracted the attention of the Gamemaster that prompted an explanation/ ruling/ decree regarding the use of ‘convenience’ scripts, and part of the explanation included a hint that we might see a hotkey styled function appear if it creates a level playing ground for all gamers.

Okay. I can live with that, even if it takes my espoused opinion and screws it into a compact little ball for throwing in the trash. I can live with it because, despite my deprecating remark about being a prick, I’m not an arrogant prick.

*

Next week, we’re going to put hot coals under the seats of the panel members with questions pertaining to the Wiki & Forum.

Hopefully, we’ll see you then.

[shadowblack]

About question 5:
5) Some players like the idea of role-playing a pure warrior. Do you think it would be possible to successfully adventure through all the game content without using any magic powers?

The answer is "NO". In PG V there was a place where using a power was the only way to continue. I'm talking about "The Eye of Arngaror": 64 xp to Shadow Magic (No hint) for retrieving the wand and stamina restored

I don't remember if Shadow magic was the only way to get the wand, or if Telekinesis could also be used, but either way there seemed to be no way to get it without using a power. Which would explain why we are given Shadow Magic regardless of whether we want it or not. Just a reminder for those who had forgotten.

[Badstench]

THE DEVIL's ADVOCATE answers on behalf of Badstench.

But, it was possible to finish the adventure?

Judge Fury has been guilty of finishing adventures and NOT obtaining the best rewards.

[shadowblack]

No, there was no way to continue without obtaining the wand.

[Doolipalally]

Good point, Shadowblack. I for one had forgotten that.

What Badstench very kindly omits to say when he mentions the 'stop ranting on about us giving 'wrong' answers' message I sent him is that I was slightly drunk at the time. I would also like to say that I would never dream of referring to our esteemed question-setter by any of the terms he chooses to describe himself :)

Re Badstench's thoughts on question 3, I'm often a bit dubious about any argument which relies on imagining the actions of your character, for one reason: if I start doing that then I run into problems trying to imagine how Rhia has time in between fighting skeletons in Axepath to go "now let's see, what do we have here - oh look, twenty-seven gold coins, three trinkets, that's just a common flail but if I'm any judge that's a well-crafted cudgel and I think I can just squeeze it into the backpack". When it comes to game mechanics I'd much rather think from the perspective of the player than the character.

[thingirl]

Alanne uses Shadow Clones.

Oh, and Re: PG5: Maybe the All-Father granted them a burst of Divine Power that helped them get through.

@ Dooli: I'm under age, so don't worry about ME posting drunk :)

[Elrond]

5) Some players like the idea of role-playing a pure warrior. Do you think it would be possible to successfully adventure through all the game content without using any magic powers?

Racey: No. For Trent, this can be summed up in one word - Restoration.

Smv1973: I do think it would possible to do all the adventures without the use of powers, though there might be a few items that you won’t be able to get.

Psychoadept: I don't remember any places where you have to use a power to succeed, though there are a few places where you can only access certain items/events through use of a power. So I guess you could technically do all the critical stuff without powers. But the thought of doing an adventure like PG2 without powers makes me cringe. Anybody who tries it deserves major kudos.

Doolipalally: Possible, maybe, if you donated a lot and therefore had extremely high MR & SP. Most of the game content is playable without using magic, but there are some deliberately tough opponents that are hard to bring down without it. (eg higher levels of Daidrur's Mark).

Elrond: No, I don't think that is possible since we have PG scenario's with "make or break" magic checks.


About question 5:
5) Some players like the idea of role-playing a pure warrior. Do you think it would be possible to successfully adventure through all the game content without using any magic powers?

The answer is "NO". In PG V there was a place where using a power was the only way to continue. I'm talking about "The Eye of Arngaror": 64 xp to Shadow Magic (No hint) for retrieving the wand and stamina restored

The point I was trying to make with my answer to that question.

[Badstench]

PLAYERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Episode 5
WIKI & FORUM

1) It’s obvious that you frequent the forum, but do you also make use of the wiki? If so, how often and why?

Zmflavius: In times past I did use the wiki, but now that I have a character who has completed pretty much all old content, I use it much less... unless I'm editing.

Lightwielder: I rarely ever use the Wiki, but the reason I discovered the Forum was through looking for an answer that I couldn't find on the wiki.

Thingirl: Back when I first started, I used it almost as much as I use the forum now. I don't use it as much anymore.

Taleria: The wiki is a real blessing. I use it constantly. I'll be playing a PG or a quest and I'll immediately look them up for insights into places I can use powers, or which paths are more profitable. So I'll have the wiki in another tab automatically as I play and consult as needed.

Doolipalally: I've used the wiki a lot in the past when working with new characters, principally as a reminder of the rewards given for each adventure, because I've tried to go the 'purist' route and avoid AS&P rewards till I've got all skills and powers.

2) Place in order of importance the reasons you frequent the forum: a) for help and game information for yourself, b) to offer help and game information to others, c) for personal entertainment, d) for interaction with the community, e) other (please explain).

Smv1973:
d) For interaction with the community
b) To offer help and game information to others
c) Personal entertainment
a) For help and game information for myself

Lightwielder:
d) interaction
c) entertainment (especially the 7 questions series)
a) for help (but not often)
b) providing help. This would probably figure higher, but I haven't explored a lot of the new features yet, so I can't provide that help much right now.

Thingirl:
b) to offer help
d) for interaction
a) for help (especially with new stuff like Fogbough)
c) for the LOLs
e) other - anything to blow off time.

Taleria: I tend to join forums first to see what kinds of people I'm enjoying the particular service with, but then it becomes an invaluable resource for tips and opinions to make the most of said service. Then, when I've been using the service for a while, I'll want to help others and impart tips of my own. Entertainment isn't necessarily what I'm after - more socialization.

Psychoadept: When I first joined the forum it was certainly a), but these days it's largely b) and d). However, with new content it's still helpful to hear from other people on their experiences.

3) New players will continue to swell the number of forum members as time progresses. This will invariably create a repetition of queries and questions. Does this repetition bug you?

Zmflavius: No, since I remember myself as a new player, wondering, "How do you identify items","How the hell do you do this","What's the point of powers". New players cannot be expected to find their answers easily, and so, we as old players are obligated to help them.

Oldschool: Not usually as it's understandable that new members won't know about previous information. Although the new forum search function is a marked improvement, it's still unrealistic to expect folks to search through multiple threads and posts.

Taleria: Honestly? Yes. My thinking is that the help area should be searched first, either manually or by keywords. I'm more willing to help someone who at least tried to find their answer before posting a repeat thread.

Racey: Not really. I think that the answers to most questions that do get posted, whether they are repetitive or not, could easily be found by the poster if they used the Wiki.

Psychoadept: No. Ideally, people will do their research first, but sometimes it takes a while to even figure out how to do the research. I was on the forum a long time before I figured out that each topic pretty much had a single thread, maybe two. And when you're new to the game you don't know how new or old certain content is, so you might not know that it's been answered already.

4) The new forum has a handy device called the “spoiler button”. Do you think game information should stay out of the forum for a “quarantine” period of time to enable players to attempt adventures without the temptation of spoiler access?

Smv1973: I would not be opposed to a “quarantine” period. Ever since I joined the forum, new game content has always been posted almost as soon as it goes live. At least now there is a way to hide the content.

Oldschool: No. The spoiler tags are for exactly that - provided that others have the patience to hold off viewing them.

Thingirl: No. I think that if anyone has enough will power to not look at the spoilers, then they won't. And it (should) also speed up getting the content for the wiki.

Racey: Absolutely not. It is every players right to post any information they have and no one is forced to read anything they don't want to read.

Psychoadept: No. Those of us who want the information want it fast. I think it's okay to expect people to take a little responsibility for protecting themselves from spoilers.

5) The change from the old forum to the new didn’t happen without some controversy. Now that the new forum has been operating for a decent period of time, what are your thoughts on the changeover?

Zmflavius: Perfect. Exactly what it needed.

Smv1973: The new forum took a little time to get used to, but I like it much better than the old one. There are many extra features that make it much better and more fun to use.

Oldschool: Very nice, although it did take some "learning the ropes". It causes a bit of melancholy, though, when thinking of some of the old forum's content, and even more so for members that aren't around currently.

Racey: I feel that the changeover went very well and the community was made better by the change. In my opinion this forum is better than the old forum.

Doolipalally: I like the new functionality and architecture, and it's a lot easier on the eyes. It would be nice if you could rep people without having to link it to a particular post, as you could on the old forum. I'm also a bit dubious about giving people more repping power if they post more, as that might encourage people to try and up their post count whether or not they have anything to say. But I think the new forum is an improvement.

Psychoadept: I love the new forum, especially the fact that you don't actually have to create an account to read it. And the search function seems to be more useful, though I haven't had much cause to use it since I've been here all along. The rep system is less convenient, but that's not the most important function of the forum, is it?

6) The forum has long and often been touted as having a mature membership. This has sometimes resulted in discussion topics and language that normally wouldn’t befit younger people. Do you think the “rules of decency” could be tightened up, or are we tracking along just fine, thank you very much?

Smv1973: I think for the most part people do a good job on keeping discussion topics and the language clean.

Lightwielder: Remember, even Sryth's legal disclaimer says that it's a 13+ game, and while there isn't any adult content, they recommend that parents observe and decide. That case should be the same here. We don't post adult content, but it can get 13+. I think it’s fine as it is.

Oldschool: Pretty much we're tracking along just fine, as I think most of us are cognizant of the neighbourhood.

Thingirl: I turn 14 this month. In my experiance, while people can be childish with their language, it's actually not that bad. But, maybe a rule should be that if your grandmother wouldn't approve, you shouldn't post it.

Taleria: I think we're good. Given the text-based nature of the game, it's highly unlikely we'll attract too many impatient teenagers. Even if we did, I don't think topics and language are that indecent for such an age bracket. I think we're mature enough to know that, despite the disclaimer on the game site, the forum does represent the game in a way, so having a mature forum reflects well on the game and the GM.

Doolipalally: I've never seen anything on these boards that seemed particularly hazardous to young minds. I've definitely never seen anything worse than you can see on daytime TV!

7) The consensus is that spamming in the forum is not welcome and not wanted. How do you feel about networking, which is basically the same thing, but utilized by recognized forum members?

Smv1973: As long as no one is trying to advertise or sell any type of service on the forum I don't mind.

Lightwielder: I don't see how networking and spamming are the same. Spamming is pointless and disruptive. Networking is useful and informative.

Oldschool: I don't see a problem as long as it's done respectably in moderation and doesn't infringe upon the GM's livelihood.

Taleria: If a recognized community member advertises something, I'm more willing to go check it out than if it's some bot.

Doolipalally: I have no problem with regular forum members posting whatever they like. Some members of this community like to keep their private lives to themselves and only discuss Sryth. Others share what they're up to in the General section of the forum. No-one forces anyone else to read that section. Personally I tend to be interested in whatever I find there.

[Badstench]

A QUIET MOMENT WITH
THE PRODUCER

You may have noticed there was no fanfare, no drum-roll or trumpet call, no introduction to this week's episode.

The truth is, the production team had a hard time deciding what content to edit out and what to keep, and the end result meant that there wasn't enough room for a preamble by yours truly.

To explain in forum terms, posts are limited to a maximum 10,000 characters, and every episode to date has far exceeded that amount. I thought it fair to explain this to the panel members, some of whom might have felt aggrieved at having particular responses seemingly ignored or of seeing presented answers heavily edited; it was only done out of necessity.

The above is also by way of explaining why we requested answers be submitted to a deadline and in an easy to understand manner; editing everything together involved time, effort and a bit of angst.

Having said that, you will notice that this week's episode has been presented two days earlier than the normally scheduled release day. I have the panel memebrs to thank for making this possible; their answers were all submitted promptly and structured excellently. Well done people.

It saddens me to have tell you that this episode is the last time your presence will be required in this series of "Players in the Spotlight". Your participation has been extremely helpful and absorbing, and the production team applauds you.

We also ask that, next week, you become part of the audience as we begin to wind up this series by tackling a new subject in Episode 6: Time & History.

For answers to these questions, we sought out the players and regular forum contributors of long-time standing, and are happy to announce that our panel next week will include Havoc, Elrond, Shadowblack and some strange dude named Badstench.

Once again, thank you to everyone for helping make this series possible, both panel members and audience.

[Lightwielder]

I thank you, as well, Badstench. You granted me four episodes in a row to voice my opinions. I love these player interviews. I do not regret, in the slightest, having to step down.

Thanks again.

[thingirl]

When I read "This will be the last time" I thought 'Oh darn, I like this thread, I wish Badstench would keep it up'. But, Havoc, Shadowblack, YOU! Me intrigued to watch.

[Elrond]

A QUIET MOMENT WITH
THE PRODUCER

The truth is, the production team had a hard time deciding what content to edit out and what to keep, .....

The above is also by way of explaining why we requested answers be submitted to a deadline .....

It saddens me to have tell you .....

We also ask that, .....

For answers to these questions, we sought out the players ....



;) Just wondering who the "team" is? The work and quality needs a team; but is it done by none other than our own Badstench alone and in person? :)

[Badstench]

Call it the royal "we".

In a way I was trying to instill an air of "production" about the series, something like a TV discussion program. I also wanted to divorce myself (Badstench) from the presentation so that it would seem less like an outlet for self aggrandisement... (< I had to look that word up to make sure if we were using it correctly. We were!) :rolleyes: ...if I should ever find myself joining the panel.

[spencer]

Duly repped (as opposed to Dooli repped, but maybe I should rep her too) Stenchy...it took me a good while to find this series here, but kudos for it.

[Badstench]

Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the penultimate episode of Series 2 of “Players In The Spotlight”. Tonight, we become time travellers, posing questions to four of the regular forum members who have also been involved with the game for the longest period of time: Shadowblack, Elrond, Havoc and Badstench.

As a special announcement, there were some developments during the production of this episode that meant the programmers have decided to bring you an extended episode, and this will be followed very quickly by the finale in two days time. Some of you might be able to guess what those developments are, but rest assured, the short wait will answer all your questions.

In the meantime, a round of applause, please, for these old geezers: Shadowblack, Elrond, Havoc and Badstench!



PLAYERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Episode 6
TIME & HISTORY

1) Would you please state your Sryth gaming start date (approximation will be fine – we know how you ‘old’ guys forget things).

Elrond: Right on... old guys like me tend to forget things! And I don't exactly remember the date. It was the March right before Sryth became a full-time endeavour for the GM. I think that was in 2006. In any case, it was a couple of months before Badstench started playing .

Shadowblack: I think I started in the 2004 – 2005 period (probably in 2004), but the exact date depends on how you define “start date”. I found the game at some point, but Westwold was so difficult for my character I gave up and left. Later I decided to try one more time, and this time I got lucky enough to complete Westwold (with the same character). So I’m not really sure which one would be my “start date” even if I could remember it.

Badstench: I became an AG member in March of 2007, but I played the free version for a number of months before that. I hesitantly place my Sryth baby steps as having taken place in June of 2006, which is wintertime in New Zealand. What was it Shakespeare said? “Now is the winter of our discontent, made or the more glorious by this sun of Sryth”… something like that.

Havoc: I've been playing since 2003. Of course, playing was a lot more intermittent then, as there was very little game content, and updates were once every 6 months.

2) What computer games, RPG or otherwise, were you playing before you discovered Sryth, and how does Sryth measure up?

Elrond: I was playing "World of Dungeons" before discovering Sryth. That game doesn't even measure up to Sryth standards pre-full time!

Shadowblack: Sryth is the best browser game I have played, thanks to the great quests and excellent writing. As for other games: I’ve always been a fan of RPGs and strategy games. But all of them are just too different from Sryth, so I can’t compare them.

Badstench: The only online game I played was Runescape. I was addicted to Runescape, but lost interest when it became a phenomenal success; it grew away of the simplistic origins that attracted me to it in the first place. Happily, my son introduced me to Sryth, and now I’m addicted to that!

The two games can’t really be compared; one is visual, the other is text based. I find it amusing that my son quit the game about three months after I started, citing reasons of embarrassment for having a father whose characters were bigger, better, stronger and richer than his.

Havoc: I've played a lot of things, including stuff like Kingdom of Loathing and (back when I was a young-un) Neopets, as well as single player games like Oblivion or Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic. What really differentiates Sryth for me is the GM. He's extremely communicative and receptive to feedback. Also, he's extremely fair, about dealing with consequences of bugs etc. Though the game is his primary source of income, he has never put making money at a higher priority to player enjoyment.

3) Old geezers have a habit of saying things like, “Young whippersnappers don’t know how easy they’ve got it”. Would you agree or disagree that this piece of wisdom is relevant when considering the benefits offered to players who start the game now as opposed to when you started?

Elrond: Sryth-wise, I'm not old enough to say that. Only Havoc, who managed to grind Destruction to lvl 90 with spider caves, can say something like that. I was lucky enough to start the game directly before its development as a full time endeavour, so I can relate to the different stages.

It is by no coincidence that lvl 100 skills and powers only started appearing in the game a few months after grinding was introduced (Yir Tanon and Axepath).

Shadowblack: Oh, I most definitely agree. The game was much harder when I started, especially for non-AG players. No replayables, much worse items (there was no Creyn Blade, or Goblindoom, or Shimmering Silver items, or Finger of Dread, or Wand of Dragonfire), no Quickstone (and thus no Quickstone 20s), most powers did less damage than they do now…

Badstench: I agree with vigorous head nodding. New characters have access to some pretty juicy items without having to raise a sweat or draw a deep breath. The Dragonclaw amulet and Goblindoom sword would have made life sooooo much easier.

However, I don’t know that my playing experience would have been as satisfying if a novice Judge Fury had been equipped with these; “The Caves of Westwold” and “The Murk” were both a real challenge for a neophyte adventurer back then, and the challenges are what helped get me hooked on the game.

Havoc: The early game content is definitely a lot easier now, with all the great free weapons and armour available. However, the advantage for old players is that any content that came out was at the perfect level of challenge for their characters at that point. It can be very difficult for a new player to know what to try in what order. Of course, we have the advantage of all the old one-time events too.

4) Another thing old geezers are fond of saying is, “I’ve forgotten more than I can remember.” Would this be true about early aspects of the game if you started a brand new character today without recourse to hints from the wiki and forum?

Elrond: I don't know since I'm a "one character guy!" I've stopped playing a secondary a couple of years ago. And now all my (reduced) playing time is dedicated to Elendil.

Shadowblack: Not really. I still remember most things from when I started playing – probably because of all the trouble I had. Now the middle of the game… that’s another story.

Badstench: I’m afraid this is very true! I have run secondary characters in the past and can remember the main aspects of most of the very early adventures, but details are hazy. One of the reasons I stopped producing the “Sryth Quiz” series was because my memory of events had become less than accurate. I had to create new characters and replay the game to remind myself of facts and figures. Now that I restrict my gaming to one character (Judge Fury), what I’ve forgotten extends into relatively recent game additions.

Havoc: Quite likely, since a lot of the early game has changed significantly since I put Magical through his paces.

5) Since you first started playing, there have been a number of changes to the game contents and mechanics. Is there a change/ addition/ deletion that hasn’t particularly pleased you?

Elrond: I had to think hard to try and come with an answer to this since there is nothing that comes directly to mind. But the thing that bothers me most is that I feel my character is "all over the place", that I've lost control in a sense.

For example, getting the tattered map in Westwold was then an awesome thing that had me looking forward to going on a treasure hunt. But I keep storing small items, maps, coins, etc. without knowing when they'll be required. If the GM decided that he wouldn't announce which item is required for an adventure, then I would probably spend a good couple of hours attempting to use all the items.

In a way, I'm complaining about "loose ends!"

Shadowblack: No, nothing I can think of. Hopefully it’ll stay that way.

Badstench: I’m having a real problem with all this mucking around with the economics of the game. The gold cap seemed senseless to me and detracts from the desire to “grind”. Gaining xp is the main reason why players grind, but it’s only half the reward. If an adventurer can’t increase his/ her monetary wealth, then the traditional point of adventuring has been made irrelevant.

As for removing the gold cost to train, I was absolutely incredulous. At this very moment, Judge Fury is rallying all the skills trainers and wizards at The Grey Circle into a frenzy of apoplectic rage, and we will be protesting with a march down the main boulevard of the Royal City!

This also goes back to agreeing with question 3. “You young whippersnappers are having your lives handed to you on a silver platter!”

Havoc: I really don't like raffles and items with limited availability. Even if/when I win.

[Badstench]

6) At odd times during the online history of Sryth, one-time only events have occurred that will never be repeated (PvP combat tournament at Dragonhill Fields as an example). Do you feel that having been part of those events lends more of a historical ‘weight’ to your character? In other words, do you feel a bit precious?

Elrond: As I said earlier, I was lucky enough to join Sryth right before its development as a full-time endeavour for the GM, and thus, I've taken part in all the one-time events that I wanted to participate in. That gives me an advantage (of rewards won) and historic record of what these events were and how they panned out.

But that doesn't make my character more "precious" than other characters who weren't around at the time. There are a few characters that have joined the game since and smoked me in the grinding stakes, shooting up the standings like a bullet.

Shadowblack: Yes, a little bit.

Badstench: Actually, yes! I know that might make me sound arrogant, but it’s the way I was brought up; to respect not only my elders, but the wisdom of their experience as well. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, and I certainly don’t place myself on a pedestal, but in the back of my mind is a certain satisfaction in the knowing that I’ve trodden more ground than most of the players of today.

If I can ever use this knowledge, this history, this wisdom, for the improvement of the game and to help new players, well… that’s a good thing, isn’t it?

… And if that fails, I can always go “Nyar nya. I know and you don’t!”

Havoc: I've never really felt that way.


7) Depending on a drastic change in your lifestyle or personal situation, do you see yourself playing Sryth for as long as there is new content being released?

Elrond: Yes, I do! Sryth is my only online recreation outlet. It is my break from real life stress. It is the only "individual" pleasure I have that helps me forget (for a few minutes at least) the grind of real life responsibilities.

Shadowblack: Yes, even if I max out all skills and powers I will keep on playing for as long as possible – the writing is just too good to pass.

Badstench: Yes. However, the amount of time I spend gaming will be less obvious from now. Judge Fury has achieved most of the goals set for him, so he doesn’t need to “grind” as often. He’s not going to retire, just be more selective with what he does and when.

I don’t run any secondary characters any more; I have in the past… enough times to not want to revisit the same material again. I’ve definitely reached my limit on the repetition aspect of multiple characters

Also, I’m heading into the southern hemisphere summer. Sitting at my computer becomes less attractive when I could be sitting at the beach being a pervert… erm… I mean, “visual appreciator”.

Havoc: Definitely. The GM's writing keeps getting better and better, and the AG membership gets more and more affordable for me.

[Badstench]

A QUIET MOMENT WITH
THE PRODUCER

And there we have it, words of history and wisdom from a time when most of you were still searching for a good game to play online.

I don’t have anything further to add except…

Elrond: “Oi! Excuse us, but we’ve got some more to say”

The Producer: “Eh? This is all highly irregular and not in the program. What’s caused this outburst?”

Elrond: “Well, a lot of us have been following both series of ‘Players In The Spotlight” and have really appreciated all the effort put into the production. The questions have been good ones that drew out some excellent responses, and your inclusion of The Gamemaster was awesome.

“However, I’m not alone in having wondered how Badstench would have responded to the same situation he put the other panel members in, and with that in mind, we have come up with some questions specifically for him”.

The Producer: “I see. And I also see by the pre-arranged signals I’m receiving from the production team that this has been okayed. I suppose that means I have to remove my Producer’s hat and present myself in the guise of…

Badstench: Okie dokie, ask your questions.

1) I know it may have been answered before; but would you please explain to us the reasoning of your account name "Badstench?"

Irk! This exposes my impatience when I started playing Sryth. I just wanted to get stuck into playing the game and didn’t read the start-up instructions properly. I got confused with “username” vs. “character name”, and by the time I’d figured it out, I couldn’t be bothered going back to start over.

“Badstench” is actually the last name of a character I used to play in Dungeons & Dragons. He was a half-orc with the first name, Grothe. This is pronounced Grot-He. In effect, it was a pun: Grotty Badstench.

2) As a published writer, please submit a two paragraph critic of the GM's writing in Sryth.

I don’t need two paragraphs to answer this: The GM does exceedingly well, as some of the other panel members have already said. I believe that the GM has developed his writing style over a period of time through his experience as a Dungeon Master, being widely read (I assume) and following the desire to present a “professional” appearance to the game of Sryth. The structure and presentation of his writing is very polished, so he might have done a course in creative writing, but he never mentioned it when I drilled him during the first series. Some people are just “naturally” good at writing.

It may also be that he has a good proof-reader behind him, because apart from the odd typo, I haven’t come across many mistakes. This is probably the main reason why I have immersed myself in the game to the extent that I have. I have no patience for stories that read awkwardly, nor will I waste my time reading things if it becomes hard work.

Oh… two paragraphs!

3) You have been a proven grinder with multiple legendary powers and skills, what's your grinding routine, and what advice would you give players looking to achieve their first legendary power?

I won’t bore you with the details of my grinding routine; each to his/ her own, as the saying goes, and grinding routines are dependent on the amount of time you have available to play. I will only say that the advent of Tarn, the ruined city, was the answer to the prayers of all grinders, and I tried to fit at least 3 trips through this per day.

For players looking to achieve their first legendary power, it goes without saying that you’re going to need a lot of patience. My advice is to know exactly what you want for your character, set some goals, then concentrate on achieving those goals. You might become side-tracked by new game inclusions along the way, but only if you let yourself be.

4) After reaching legendary level in necromancy and staves, do you still think highly of Tzal-Toalth, or do you feel that the general xp invested in those skills could have been spent better?

This is a good question. I will start by admitting that I was a bit peeved when Trielra’s staff was made available. The power of this is not much less than that of Tzal-Toalth at full capability when wielded in conjunction with certain other items.

However, if you keep thinking like that, you’ll never get anywhere. It’s like saving for a computer, then waiting in case a better/ faster/ more improved version hits the market. You could be waiting forever, because there will always be something better yet to come.

As it turned out, the arrival of Tzal-Toalth happened at a fortuitous moment in my gaming career; I had recently achieved legendary status in swordsmanship and had a general notion to do the same with weaponry, but I wasn’t focused on it. The attributes that would unleash the full power of Tzal-Toalth, necromancy and staves, became my focus. This gave meaning to my grinding routine and made for a more satisfying reason for me to spend the amount of time playing that I do.

5) What's your candid opinion about the GM's chronic "loose ends" and "adventure delays?"

I’m actually not bothered about this at all. I think it’s important to realize that there aren’t as many “loose ends” as some players think there are, and certainly not nearly as many as listed in the wiki. To me, a loose end constitutes content that the GM has officially stated will be continued or completed. Many items that we’ve picked up during the course of adventures appear to be meaningless, useless, or incomplete. Who’s to say that those items aren’t meant to be meaningless, useless, and incomplete? And just because some of those are undroppable doesn’t change the fact that the GM has never promised any particular future use for them.

As for adventure delays, shit happens! If the gamemaster didn’t give us forewarning of game releases, then there wouldn’t be delays at all! We’d be nicely surprised when he announced that a new game release was available to play right now!

6) As Shadowblack said before, "Why does Tallys seem to find all the nice gear, And why don't we seem to find that kind of stuff at a decent rate?"

The boring answer would be to mention the GM and his need of an income sucked from the players willing to spend real cash obtaining bigger and better items.

However, I’m inclined to make up a story to explain this, simply because it’s more fun to imagine…

Tallys is one of the Sryth’s personalities. He was adventuring before our characters were a gleam and a grunt in the middle of the night. For all we know, he could be damn near immortal or at least very long-lived. And he hung out with a lot of other adventurers of high repute. With all that time behind him, who’s to say what depths his treasure chests plumb, and with all his contacts, it’s no wonder he continues to accumulate more.

7) Badstench has been tearing up the forum with quality contributions, and by his own addmission, he spent 15 hours on the forum one week compared to only 3 for gameplay. Aren’t you afraid of 'forum burnout' in the future?"

The day I burn out is the day I stop having an imagination, when I stop finding interest in the things that happen around me, when my desire to write disappears, and when I can’t find anything to inspire me. I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.

You know, one of the things I’m really enjoying are the daily updates to the “Birthdays” thread. Each day brings me informative and enlightening facts. I hope you enjoy the bits and pieces I pull out and present.

*

Elrond: Thank you. That’s all the questions we have.

Badstench: And thank you! (though I’m not sure you were expecting me to ramble on as much as I did?)

And now I’ve got to put my Producer’s hat back on…

Well, that was all a bit of a surprise!

Ladies and Gentleman, I would like to invite you back in two days for the final episode in this series… an episode which will be presented with an entirely new title:

GAMEMASTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

be there or be square! :D

[Elrond]

Thanks a ton for a wonderful post (or three). You've been duly repped; and I hope you ride into the 200 Repp threshold based on these posts!

[thingirl]

Well, 3 posts, 3 repps. (And if I remember, an addtional 3 repps for making sure that Havoc wasn't going to leve us.)

[Badstench]

Gosh! It seems just like a couple of days since we were last here… oh. It was!

Welcome back to this last episode of “Players In The Spotlight”. The secret is already out that we will be graced by the presence of the Gamemaster tonight. What may not have been made clear is that we have stepped out of the boundaries structured by “7 Questions”.

This episode is a bit special in that the questions have come from the panel members and audience as well. And we aren’t restricted to 7 questions: tonight we have an extravaganza of answers to no less than 20 questions, all coming from the Gamemaster himself.

Watch and enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PLAYERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Episode 7
GAMEMASTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Part 1: Men & Monsters

Q1: Can you please provide us with a definitive pronunciation of “Tallys”? There have been a few variations suggested by players. These include Tallies (to rhyme with galleys) and Talis (to rhyme with malice) among others.

The proper pronunciation for Tallys, at least the way I imagine it, is the one that rhymes with malice.

Q2: During a recent episode of “Players In The Spotlight”, a few gamers admitted the names of monsters that had given them a particularly difficult time during their adventuring careers. As the creator and writer of the many scenarios and plots of the game, have there been any monsters/ villains that you have especially enjoyed bringing to life?

I particularly enjoy creating monsters/enemies that have some sort of interaction with adventurers, like Rokmokkara, Runeskin, or the Phantom Assassin. I also have a soft spot for the pumpkin beast!

Q3: Many adventurers are proud of their magnificent equine steeds. Some are even known to talk to their horses. Will these beasts ever be anything but “indifferent” to their owners?

Yes, the second stage of adventurer mounts needs to be completed, which will feature some different options, including the fluctuating attitudes of the mounts.

Q4: Knowing that you played Dungeons & Dragons, did you ever consider enabling the choice of character races other than Human in Sryth, along with all the inherent attribute advantages and disadvantages?

I never directly considered other character races, as I envision Sryth to be a world in which humans have become the dominant players, expanding the boundaries of their realms against creatures that once ruled the wilds (goblins, trolls, etc.).

Part 2: Items & Equipment

Q5: It has been noted that weapons obtained from “monster-drops” are rarely as valuable as pieces of armour, yet they are often heavier and more unwieldy to carry. The suggestion is that the gold-to-encumberance ratio of weapons is out of proportion with armour and needs to be “looked at”. What is your response to this?

I hadn't realized this, but I will certainly take a look at it

Q6: From time to time, mundane items have been a requirement to enable completion of adventures. The most common would be the necessity of a light source when exploring caves and underground areas. Do you plan to make the use of mundane items (such as ropes and shovels) more of a feature in the future?

The light source is now an "assumed" item, meaning that it's always assumed an adventurer has one, and in fact all should have the Adventurer's Lantern. Other items, like those you mention, would allow for interesting uses, and may become part of a collection of "assumed gear" (like the lantern) that adventurers will always have at hand.

Q7: This question comes in the way of addressing a “loose end”, but it has come from the lips of many players, so is worthy of being asked: Adventurers are regarding the red ring that adorns the finger of the apparition of Tarn-Hurn with growing avarice. Do you already have the attributes of the ring mapped out?

I won't say much about the red ring, other than it figures into the next of the lower levels of Tarn, and the completion of a mission adventurers might have received from one of two figures in the ruined city.

Q8: Similarly, many adventurers are convinced there is a treasure of inestimable worth to be found if only they can unravel the mystery of the tattered map found long ago in the cave of a group of brutish ogres. Can you satisfy their convictions?

I promise a satisfying conclusion/use for the map, though it will have to wait until some of the current pending game content is put live. But don't let me forget!

Part 3: Events & Adventures

Q9: Most of the queries pertaining to this category revolve around “loose-end” material. To prevent sounding repetitive, one particular wording of the question was stated as follows… “Does his GM'ness keep an account of loose ends in the game? If yes, does he have a master plan for dealing with them?”

Most loose ends in the game, particularly if they are important to the continuity of the storyline, have an end in store for them. Some things that players have asked me about before I hadn't considered to be loose ends, but any scenario/storyline that players are interested in continuing, or seeing through to different, more concrete conclusion, I will definitely see that it happens.

Q10: It seems that a few players desire an option for travelling by coach to Tallys’ Trading Post. In your overall plan for the game, is this a possibility?

Yes, I will add a travel option to take adventurers directly to the Trading Post.

Q11: The evolution of the game has seen adventures become progressively more difficult (in one way or another) to cater to the growing population of “accomplished” adventurers. Long time players have commented on how the early adventures are now a cakewalk in comparison to when they first played them due to some relatively powerful items available to neophyte characters. Was this intentional on your part, and do you think this attracts or detracts from the enjoyment of playing the game for a new player?

There do need to be some new adventures for adventurers just starting out and a couple of them are in the works. These adventures make use of the newer game mechanics, which adventurers will find in the later/newer adventures, and will provide a greater challenge than some of the older adventures intended for new characters.

Q12: The following is a question directed to players from the latest series of “Players in the Spotlight”; Would you agree that player-characters in the world of Sryth have a shelf life; that a point will eventually be reached when they become too powerful to participate in new adventures with any sense of satisfaction? What is your opinion on this?

There will always be adventurers whose skills/powers/equipment put them above even elite characters, and designing adventures/scenarios that will challenge them and remain fair to other characters is difficult.

Scenarios like those found at the Battlegrounds can help to address the issue to some degree, as it allows characters to push the boundaries of their unique abilities, etc.

Part 4: Skills & Powers

Q13: A rumour was generated about a new discipline of magic called “goblin magic” or “dark goblin magic”. This rumour has persisted to the extent that adventurers have suggested it could transpose to availability for utilization by human spell-casters. What is your take on these rumours?

Interesting...

Q14: What about the possibility of other skills and powers; is there anything new in the pipeline?

Yes.

Q15: A vociferous discussion currently in progress in the forum conjectures on the fate of XP earned after legendary status has been achieved. One side of the discussion holds the belief that XP continues to accumulate even though it is no longer possible to achieve higher levels. Some adherents to this side of the discussion believe those XP points should be made available for use elsewhere. Can you please offer a definitive ruling on this?

Experience does continue to accumulate, but such Experience wouldn't be usable/ applicable elsewhere, as by its nature, specialized experience has no real application outside its specified skill/power.

Q16: What is the reason Powers don’t generate as many XP points as a result of melee as does using a weapon?

This may need to be revisited in an update. This was originally put into place to compensate for power damage. In fact, I will put it on my list to re-examine it.

Part 5: Miscellaneous

Q17: Is stoneskin fever still viable game content?

Stoneskin fever is still around, and there is a pending event that will offer characters the chance to find/retrieve a cure. When this is ready, it will be brought back to the forefront.

Q18: What is the possibility for you to add lockout timers for replayable scenarios to the Adventure Finder?

The different timers in the game are being added to an in-game option that will allow adventurers to monitor them and receive an alert telling them that a particular timer has been reset. The timer monitoring and alerting feature will be able to be toggled on and off.

Q19: What’s your music of choice?

My music of choice is loud, guitar-driven rock'n'roll! I am, after all, a child of the 1980’s music scene!

Q20: How often would you like to see these questions asked?

Anytime there are questions I'd be more than happy to answer them. It helps to have them collected and presented like this, and I very much appreciate the effort that goes into doing that!

[zmflavius]

Q13: A rumour was generated about a new discipline of magic called “goblin magic” or “dark goblin magic”. This rumour has persisted to the extent that adventurers have suggested it could transpose to availability for utilization by human spell-casters. What is your take on these rumours?

Interesting...

Q14: What about the possibility of other skills and powers; is there anything new in the pipeline?

Yes.

Well...I smells me a new power coming...

[Badstench]

A QUIET MOMENT WITH
THE PRODUCER

CLOSING COMMENTS
This, and series 1, of "Player In The Spotlight", would not have been possible without the participation of everyone who frequents the forum dedicated to Sryth. By this, I also include the audience, those of you who have read the questions and answers and sent me comments and reps.

I thank each and every one of you.

A special thanks goes to the Gamemaster for acquiescing to answer our questions.

I would also like to acknowledge Elrond for his help and inspiration when the task sometimes became overwhelming; his messages of encouragement were greatly received.

I would also like to acknowledge everyone who messaged me and offered reps. I know who you are!

In appreciation, I would like to offer my services as conduit between the player and the Gamemaster for future questions concerning your queries regarding the game.

I was especially interested to note the GM's answer to the last question, and I think it's important that we don't continually bombard him with repetitive questions on an individual basis.

I would like to see the thread, "Questions To The GM" continue, but maybe not on a monthly basis. I think the criteria should be to approach him when there are enough 'relevant' questions to ask.

In closing, this is the last production of "Players In The Spotlight" for the forseeable future. I think we have covered a lot of ground since its conception that doesn't need re-travelling.

In the meantime, Badstench will continue to try and twig your interest with posts in threads already existent. He also warns that his rants will probably still appear.

Goodnight, and happy gaming!

[Oldschool]

Excellent piece Badstench and repped accordingly when I spread some more around.

I particularly liked this question and answer. :D


Q19: What’s your music of choice?

My music of choice is loud, guitar-driven rock'n'roll! I am, after all, a child of the 1980’s music scene!

[Young Ned]

You would, Oldschool... :cool:

[Badstench]

haha... Oldschool... I'm a child of "guitar-driven" sounds from the 70's, so i'm wondering which bands the GM actually refers to.

For me, the 80's was punctuated by make-up wearing New Romantics and 'Big hair' rock stars in the vein of Bon Jovi and Def Leppard.

I'm more the Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath set.

But I don't want this thread to get hijacked by people mentioning their fave bands. Such talk is better suited to 'The Concert Hall'.

Apart from the GM's mention of the promise of a future power/ skill, I was interested to note his reply concerning the red band that Tarn-Hurn wears.

You might have noticed that I didn't ask him directly about a continuation of the Tarn adventures, but chose to probe about the ring itself.

In ansering my query, i think he answered the "loose end" question. It's coming, folks!

[Havoc]

Well...I smells me a new power coming...

Noooooooooooo!

[thingirl]

Havoc, for all that matters, the power probably won't be implimented untill sometime in October. Magical will excuse you. And maybe you can top Joddelle with DGM.

[Elrond]

Badstench,

You've done a truly wonderful job with these questions. It was an honor to participate in the last episode. And my encouragement was born out of the quality of your work and the desire to see more of it. I think that this forum community is lucky to have you as a leading member.

But as you say and as I firmly believe, this forum community is utopian! Never before have I seen a long-running, sustained, civil and considerate discussion by so many people. Unbelievable!

Finally, I'm looking forward to your next creation ;) .

[thingirl]

Behind the Green Door is interesting.

[Elrond]

Behind the Green Door is interesting.

:confused: Would you please explain the relevance of the above post to this thread? ;) Thanks!

[wetheril]

Behind the Green Door is interesting.

Thingirl, thanks for making me laugh all the time. :p Your comment reminded me of the song by the same title (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Door). (I used to hate that song as a kid.)

[thingirl]

Finally, I'm looking forward to your next creation ;) .

Behind the Green Door is interesting.

:confused: Would you please explain the relevance of the above post to this thread? ;) Thanks!

You said that you're looking froward to "[his] next creation." I meant that Behind the Green door probably is his next creation.

[Elrond]

You said that you're looking froward to "[his] next creation." I meant that Behind the Green door probably is his next creation.

Tales from Behind the Green Door would not be "Next!" It would be a "Past" creation since it is already being posted :rolleyes: And my not so clear reference was to Badstench's next interview creation. ;)

[thingirl]

Ahh, you should have said interview then. :p And if it's being posted, then isn't is "on-going"? And yes, I know that it was on the old forum.

[Young Ned]

Thingirl, thanks for making me laugh all the time. :p Your comment reminded me of the song by the same title (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Door). (I used to hate that song as a kid.)

At least she wasn't referring to the movie of the same title... ;)

And if it's being posted, then isn't is "on-going"? And yes, I know that it was on the old forum.

Yes, but I believe he's updating it before reposting here, so I'd say it counts as an on-going work, but not his next work.

[zmflavius]

At least she wasn't referring to the movie of the same title... ;)



Yes, but I believe he's updating it before reposting here, so I'd say it counts as an on-going work, but not his next work.

did the movie have any influence on the title of the RP from the old forum?

[Oldschool]

did the movie have any influence on the title of the RP from the old forum?

Not directly as it's in reference to the Adventure Collective. However, there was this reference in the thread.... :rolleyes:



Arkol was sitting with a vacant but lascivious look on his face.

"EXCUSE me," clamored Hawk.

Arkol "awoke" with a jump, "What is it with you fellas can't you see I'm not officially open."

"Are you alright ?", queried Hawk.

"Aahhh yes I'm fine, was just reminiscing about Ms. Chambers and the Green Door"

"Whose chambers?"

"Marilyn, you know Marilyn Chambers."

"I don't know Marilyn and I don't think there are any chambers there."

"No you don't underst.... Forget it, whaddya want?"

[Badstench]

Aaahhhh... Marilyn... how talented!

ahem... there was also another reference to the green door, namely the song by Shaking Stevens. This was a singer from England, and I don't know how big the song was outside of England, but it spent some time in the music charts in New Zealand.

Perhaps it was a one-hit-wonder?

Ooer... that's given me an idea for a "Logic Problem" (and yes, thingirl, googling will be allowed).

[Oldschool]

Ah yes I forgot about the Shakin Stevens Green Door (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msIuhv1yS3M) reference.

While I'm vaguely familiar with him it seems he was quite the rage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakin%27_Stevens

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakin%27_Stevens_discography

[Badstench]

there'sa lot to be said for wikipedia... now, I'm searching for Leo Kottke

[thingirl]

Yes, for the Led Zepp thing, I use google, but I ended up relying mostly on Wikipedia.

[Badstench]

i have an idea for series 3, but I'd also like to throw this topic out for everyone's inclusion.

1) Is there anything you'd like covered?

2) Should I concentrate on questions pertaining to the game, or will questions about players be considered "interesting" as well?

3) maybe I should turn this series into the "Questions for the GM" styled thread?

4) As a once-only, I'm thinking of dispensing with the interview styled approach and doing a mega- "Sryth Quiz". How this will extrapolate to 'episodes' is for me to know and you to find out.

To be honest, I'm leaning toward option 3, but I'd really like feedback on this. I think it's time we went democratic.

[thingirl]

In order, (1) No, I can't think of anything.

(2) As long as most of the questions are about Sryth, personal Q's might be nice.

(3) Maybe if we just do a Questions thread, and at the end of the time span (probably 3 months, maybe 2) you would edit it together to make 20 Qs, and if you're lacking, take some from the backlog.

(4) I might do (4) as the last thing, then turn it into series 4.

[Oldschool]

Any of the above as I'm sure it'll be entertaining as usual.

On a personal note, if along the lines of questions to the GM, I'm curious about Ezerok and his extended convalescence.