I know that this idea less likely will be loved too much, but just like Maktor said the people here are the most intelligent, awesome, and I agree with him. Judging by my experience on this server(which is short, but still) the people here are the most intelligent and mature than on all other servers that I played. It might have something to do with the kids nowdays , they don't like UO graffics, so the actual players are people who got on this drug long time ago. The grown kids that still addicted. Anyways, I hope due to their age these kids could try and be objective. If you don't like the idea - it's your right and it's all good, but please, form your opinion by having an objective look on whole situation...
So, if we'll throw away the habbits and stereotypes - In my opinion we need a spot where people could stay and chat. Something that would gather them. Try and forget about the pits, it's not about XUO or INX, it's just abot a place where people could sit and talk. They of course would use it to stay AFK, but if someone is afk he'd still be afk. In the house, at casino, or ...Offline. These three options aren't the best, especially the last one...
6 of 8 servers I played at had something like this. Vendor mall, market, duel pits - name doesn't matter, the purpose remains... Without it could be good, I'd even say it would work perfectly(from RolePlay standpoint) if we had at least 400 online in felucca. Then you could run out lets say... Trinsic's main gate and meet a lumberjacker here, a miner there... This would be awesome, but the way things now - the server looks even less active than it really is! For example log in right now and you will only see a person (maybe two if you're lucky) in Britain. Though, despite low online I still bet we have much more than that somewhat active at the moment. In the place i'm talking of they could chat, group and kill someone or something. Or maybe even stand AFK... Still, not always the AFKers go away for a long shot, they might be just too busy to watch screen all the time, but they'd gladly chat for a bit. Maybe if person(blue, or even guy from alligned guild/PK) is watching something on TV - he can't go in Britain or Serpents, he might get killed there since he wasn't paying attention on the screen. So instead of that what does he do? Yes, he logs off or goes to his house. Thus being a ghost, he is there, right in the status, you can see him!(if we're lucky) but actually nobody will ever meet him.
So spot I'm talking of might fit to RP much better than it sounds. The only necessary thing - it should be easily accessed. Not like Britain, Pirates tavern or anything now exists - the place I mean should be possible accessed from every town. Or even better, from every town and every dungeon. Put the NPC that makes the portal for a fee. Just like the guy that creates the portal to the Mercenary Camp, make it triggers when the fee is paid. Also, there must be at least two gates inside it, recall should be turned off, so people risk when they exit. I'd ofcouse vote for Britain/Ocllo gates. But to not look like the guy who wants it just because hes used to it - make it the new town the staff built(if it's unguaded) instead of Ocllo. Since it has many houses to avoid attacks, and would be spot as good as Ocllo, or maybe even better. The thing that spoils this idea is massive amount of player owned houses in the area. The players that live there would have huge PvP advantage(Taran once refused to sell the house in Ocllo to my alter-ego just because of that:lol
Anyway, even the pair of gates from the near of Despise Enterance would do.
Also the important thing is that this place should be safe, somehow. I gave it a little thinking and I came up with three ways it could be done, maybe there more than that: First one is of course safe zone, having it would make people go there anytime, since they'd be absolutely sure nothing will happen to them. Although the ultimate RPers might not like it too much. Second one is the guards, but not regular ones. The special guards that wouldn't check kills or karma or criminal status of the player. These would only attack you if you commit crime inside. Third is not really safe, but the most RPish solution. It's if all our mature comunity would just agree to not attack people there. When someone breaks this rule, the rest of server would kill/resskill the guy, stop any trading(declare embargo
) with this person and so on. Make the portal guy(the one that would stand in towns and open it for a fee) warn the players while the portal is being produced. Make sure he makes it clear though, so people understand that the attackers will take a penalty, add NPC that would broadcast about the attacker(just like the one at brit bridge, which triggers when PK aproaches) and put a list of attackers near every bank. Something like "Wanted" list
. And it would cost a lot of money to get outta from this list, or that wouldn't be possible at all. Disable incognito inside as well as disguise kit(if we have that here it is...) so people don't get too smart... Also making people get -10000 karma for attacking inside could be good. This would be real karma penalty at least. I mean not all the people that often kill dragons are good, not all the murderers are bad...But if you break player-made rule, while everyone else follows it - I think you deserve huge karma loss.
Anyways, I think thats all I wanted to say. I'm not really sure how to get new players, but this thing is definitely would make the ones that already play see eachother much more frequently...