[Xerxes]

Merc Camp should have a skill limits like newbie dungeon has.

This option sound interesting. But then they will all get cheapest house and continue macroing inside house or something? Just wondering.

[Falstaff]

merc camp with skill limit like newbie dung sounds like a better idea.

[Ayleth Payne]

merc camp with skill limit like newbie dung sounds like a better idea.

What if someone trains up a bunch of craft skills and the later decides they want to train up some fighting skills?, they'd be locked out of the camp due to too high of skill but would have no real abilities to fight. So it would leave them in a hard position to train skills or force them to join a guild even if they didn't want to and people shouldn't be forced into joining a guild if they don't want to. I've seen many people start talking to one another in merc camp and later you see them together, so although majority are afk there are the few that still form friendships and honestly there are many more ways than skill gain to make friends with people.

Removing or putting limitations on the camp would discourage people to play here in my opinion, I really think it would be a step in the wrong direction.

[Falstaff]

What if someone trains up a bunch of craft skills and the later decides they want to train up some fighting skills?, they'd be locked out of the camp due to too high of skill but would have no real abilities to fight. So it would leave them in a hard position to train skills or force them to join a guild even if they didn't want to and people shouldn't be forced into joining a guild if they don't want to. I've seen many people start talking to one another in merc camp and later you see them together, so although majority are afk there are the few that still form friendships and honestly there are many more ways than skill gain to make friends with people.

Removing or putting limitations on the camp would discourage people to play here in my opinion, I really think it would be a step in the wrong direction.

oh no!!! what did we ever do to train skills before the merc camp?

your making it sound like without the merc camp you wouldn't be able to train up skills.

[Ayleth Payne]

No, I'm saying you're wanting to remove an easier way of training skill and force people to join a guild.

[Felonious]

The Merc camp has been great for snatching Vanq weapons off AFK macroers. I can't do that if they're all locked in houses.

[Falstaff]

No, I'm saying you're wanting to remove an easier way of training skill and force people to join a guild.

what I'm saying is the merc camp contributes to an overall anti-social vibe on the server where players have less incentive to create social relationships with others. I'm defining "social relationship" in a very vague way as any time a player engages in another activity with another player.

[Ayleth Payne]

what I'm saying is the merc camp contributes to an overall anti-social vibe on the server where players have less incentive to create social relationships with others. I'm defining "social relationship" in a very vague way as any time a player engages in another activity with another player.

I know what you're saying, I never once said otherwise. I was just stating my opinions and what I have seen, you where the one who decided to be all smarmy.

There are plenty of other ways to socialize and as I already stated above, I have seen such socialization with in merc camp and again as stated above, I think removing or limiting the camp would be a step in the wrong direction. Forcing people to join guilds to train, is something I really don't agree with, no one should be forced to do that if they don't want to. If you remove and/or limit the camp (yes you can still train but you do make it harder) then people will be FORCED to seek out guilds.

Take it how you want, if you can't accept constructive criticism then that's your problem but this is my opinion, I'm not saying it's right, it's just how I see it.

[Falstaff]

I know what you're saying, I never once said otherwise. I was just stating my opinions and what I have seen, you where the one who decided to be all smarmy.

There are plenty of other ways to socialize and as I already stated above, I have seen such socialization with in merc camp and again as stated above, I think removing or limiting the camp would be a step in the wrong direction. Forcing people to join guilds to train, is something I really don't agree with, no one should be forced to do that if they don't want to. If you remove and/or limit the camp (yes you can still train but you do make it harder) then people will be FORCED to seek out guilds.

Take it how you want, if you can't accept constructive criticism then that's your problem but this is my opinion, I'm not saying it's right, it's just how I see it.

my apologies. My reply was a bit too snarky.

what i see missing here though is a lot of that old guild camaraderie that happened at guild houses on the old IN. I remember walking into the guild compound and seeing members sparring and training and it made you feel like you were all in sync in a way. Maybe it's hard to explain. But what I'm noticing here is that everyone just afk's in the merc camp and this cannot be good for the server in my opinion.

[Elia]

you can train crafting skills at the merc camp... in an environment where most offensive actions have been blocked aka safezone

Hm... okay, try training Blacksmithy in the Mercenary Camp.

what I'm saying is the merc camp contributes to an overall anti-social vibe on the server where players have less incentive to create social relationships with others. I'm defining "social relationship" in a very vague way as any time a player engages in another activity with another player.

No. When you don't have the necessity of going to the Mercenary Camp, you'll join the guild, babe. Or you'll stay alone and play solo. The Mercenary Camp doesn't imply any limits to social relationship. People are the only ones who limit it themselves. And people (usually) never join a guild in the beginning of their game path. And they really don't need it - so they train in the Mercenary Camp. Deal with they way the staff makes the game playable.

p.s. those who want to sparring in the guildhouse like you want, they will, believe me. Nothing stops them, really. But Mercenary Camp is a great bunch of work, and I think if you'd create such a location, you woundn't want to remove it.

[Camila]

I like merc camp, I think it should be kept but only players below a certain skill level should be allowed to access it. Perhaps trade skills should be excluded from the skill level count to access the camp, since they cant be trained there. I agree that limiting access to merc camp will force players out of their 'comfort zone' and perhaps have a slight negative impact on the popularity of the shard, however personally I would rather have 100 players actually playing the game out there than 300 players stuffed into merc camp, training 24/7.

If we limit access to merc camp, I think other, perhaps less protected training areas should be made available. For example we could place gyms in a few major towns. Also I think giving guilds the possibility to have sparring partners would be good.

[Hiraku]

the best thing in my opinion, is a mix of what por corp wis said,
i mean let use THE SPARRING PARTNERS till Young status is on,
this way it keep a new player friendly environment but also let interact people from one point on..

about safety zone.. i think everywhere, even on most evil bastards and hardcore shards have the sparring camp a safe zone so far... it works..