Current state of DB RP

Hello folks =)

What do you think of the current state of DB RP when it comes to quantity?

It's obvious that there's little RP going on nowadays. It's kind of ruining the fun for me as well, and it made me split my RP between DB and AD. It saddens me however, for I have alot of memories on this server I am extremely fond of.

I remember...

-An active Kalimdor community - rp stories were up and running, at a point the circle of elders got formed, I remember 30+ at meetings
-An active Khaz Modan community - many, many events here, and the senate meetings were visited by arathorians, stormwindians and what not. DRS/TTH having loads of people online each day etc.
-An active SW community - I remember 40+ at each meeting over and over again with the most interesting subjects. Not so much anymore. I've as well been walking through SW often. There's little RP to be found. The last week I even dare to call it non existant.
Way more events than we have now - the event section was booming so extremely fast. Not so much anymore.
-Active forums - the blizzard forums were active. Then came these forums. They were extremely active too. nowadays I notice always the same few roleplayers are online and always the same posting.
-An active Stromgarde - no more
-An active light vs dark scene - Now, when the Light side is booming, the dark side isnt. When the dark side is booming, the light side isnt/
-An extremely active smoking blade - well, there is no more smoking blade. Can't say the pig and whistle is active though
-And much more

These memories are mainly of wotlk. It all started to get less in the end of wotlk. People said it's normal, and everything will be back to normal come Cata. It didn't really if you ask me. Well, people told me that theyre all trying out pve/pvp content and were levelling, it's a matter of patience. But did it return after that? Well, yes. But not for long, and by far not as much as it used to be.

ATM we're facing Skyrim, sure, fair point. When that hype is over some RP will return, but still not as much as used to be. Alot of people say (in our RP community) that they are leaving wow for swtor/gw2. Some will get back I am sure, but not all, and the community reduces again.

I've heard some people with leading roles gave up on RP because there's simply no one to join in (before skyrim) and it's one of the reasons the eyes of the dark realm died too.

Another point, although I do not understand it but its a fact: Cata is the expansion with most negativity.

Where is our community going? I for one aren't fond of roleplaying with a handful of mates in an empty realm, nor am I happy about rp focused in guild only, which seems to happen more and more as the community diminishes.

I am not trying to bash our community. I'm posting this because I simply want to talk about it. I for one am suprised if we have 80 active roleplayers on our server these last few months, on the alliance side. And I personally deem that extremely little.

So, what are your thoughts, keeping all these points in mind? I'm mainly focussing this wall of text to the players who have been here since atleast mid wotlk when RP was booming so damn hard on this server. Well, to my world atleast.

I will respond to this.. One and only thing:

"I am not trying to bash our community. I'm posting this because I simply want to talk about it. I for one am suprised if we have 80 active roleplayers on our server these last few months, on the alliance side. And I personally deem that extremely little."

There are waaaay higher numbers than this.. Skyrim has had an effect the past week.. But beyond that. I dont know where you roleplay on the alliance side these days.. But that is way less than what I can count ^^
And I only roleplay like after 22 game time at night.. So .. That means.. The numbers are higher than than what I can count too..

I barely had any RP in the last few months, although I've quit WoW now and been tiring of the game lately.

Skyrim has ripped me away, I'll admit...

I can only say however, that although Stromgarde's dwindling, as the cockcroaches that we are, we'll never actually die.

Oh and Ravenholdt Sanctuary is brimming at the moment.

I cannot speak about Defias as a whole, but I am incredibly dissatisfied with the state of Stormwind RP, I've been on Defias for exactly a year this month and I've never felt so unmotivated to log on and RP; this is partly due to me studying once again but also because of Stormwind's current RP 'scene'.

The mass-recruiting, all-consuming nature of two or three guilds, and the near-enough complete centralisation of RP in the areas in which those guilds dwell ensures that is even more difficult for smaller guilds with specific concepts to find new-players coming to the realm.

But that just my (probably bitter :p) analysis of SW roleplay.

That's the thing Cendia. I am speaking of times before Skyrim and I ensured lately to bring my RP "all around" Azeroth.

Admittingly, and perhaps obviously, I pulled the number 80 out of my behind.

And with an inactive server I mean Overall Cataclysm versus Overall Wotlk - and I fear it will only diminish come MoP in the end.

@ Nygarth: I know. I noticed Stromgarde RP always came and went in waves. But it's still less than what it used to be.

I think that's an extremely fair statement actually, Corleth. One statement that definitely belongs in this thread as well.

Edit: And a true statement too, imo.

I have no motivation myself at the moment, but that's because Skyrim. And League of Legends. And the amount of effort and time it's going to take to get my pirates on their feet again, as I had to take a break a while back with a rl injury. XD I'm also very busy at work, leaving me too tired to think when I get home.

I'll get around to it, soon too. But not now.

Indeed it is but honestly what can be done? With recruits it's always been abit "Grab em while you can!" from what I've seen. Since Cata anyway.

Crojwin wrote:I think that's an extremely fair statement actually, Corleth. One statement that definitely belongs in this thread as well.

Edit: And a true statement too, imo.

It is almost as exactly like something I've been encountering irl for about five years: large music-sellers such as HMV have resulted in the closure of several of my favourite independent record stores, or on a possibly more relatable note: like how the rise of outlets such as McDonalds and Burger King have caused the shut-down of many smaller, more 'characterful' fast-food restaurants in particular areas.

Aldranin wrote:Indeed it is but honestly what can be done?

I do not know what can be done, really...

We had ~60 alliance Rpers in Hillsbrad last month. >.>

Which is a significant drop from what usually turns out at WPVP Events :<

Back in Vanilla, we had preachers of doom constantly bleeting on about how RP on Defias was dying. I noticed a steady decline at that time, then again in TBC, it was very up and down, and even in wrath it was pretty unpredictable. However, there was definitely a boom during wrath, as you've said.

Cata hasn't brought much to the table RP wise. Despite the fact we could have centered loads of RP around Deathwing, the cults n' whatnot, we seemingly decided not to bother. Not only that, but the RP has become heavily guild centered, which does not help no matter how many people think it does. Guilds depend on each other and randoms to keep themselves going, at the moment it seems like we have a bunch of large guilds that sit their picking their noses.

Clearly that doesn't work, but at the same time (given how rubbish the RP scene has been becoming over the course of cata) what can be done to fix it? I certainly doubt that MoP will bring much else RP wise, other than a new continent and a bunch of Monks.

I could be enthusiastic and shout "Lets actively try to restore random RP!" but A) It'd probably fall on it's arse and B) Arranged random RP isn't random, so it sort've defeats the point.

Recruitment to RP guilds isn't an answer either, since that's pretty much all thats been going on of late.

The first step I think we should take is coming up with fresh ideas. New guild concepts, new plots and a new direction for all of this to take. Heck, even trying to reignite the fire in one specific part of RP on the server may help to do the same across the whole board.

This requires participation, however, which I think it's fairly safe to say is the number one issue with regards to decline. Not enough people caring to RP outside of their circles, thus nothing new is created and nobody else is inspired.

Dedication is key.

This isn't preaching either, I'm just as guilty as the next guy for getting drawn into circles and giving random RP a miss.

Corleth, I appreciate I'm probably on the other side of no man's land where your comment is concerned but is it really the Blades for Hire, Dreadhowl Packs, or Ravenholdt Scanturay's fault that they have the ability to provide entertainment to so many people simultaniously?

I really feel it's sour grapes on the behalf of those who are less able where leadership is concerned that manifests itself as criticism of those who do.

You can't say that it's impossible to recruit for a new guild when in competition with a much larger and well established guild. The Blades for Hire were in competition with other 'military' guilds. And my guild had to compete with the Blazing Shields for guard RPers. Despite my personal disagreements with the man, you have to give it to Falrock and Mansfield, they built a guild who more than any other came to represent Stormwind and to a great extent DFB RP. If we could compete against that and grow, then that only goes to show that with enough work and the right officers any guild can flourish against any competition.


I'll work on a proper response to the topic as a whole and post it later.

I don't think more guild concepts is a good idea. But focusing efforts on a smaller area would be good. Also the only thing you can do to get more random RP is to just...go out and look for some. If you say "there's no random RP so no point" then no one will go out. A tavern is a very good way to do this, giving people a reason to get out, as seen by when blades for hire had a really active tavern and Old Town RP was pretty damn frequent.

It is inevitable.

I guess I'm the only one having fun, then?

Delidah / Scuzy wrote:I guess I'm the only one having fun, then?

Nope. Some of us are. TBH I really don't notice any drop in activity that isn't the standard for this late into an expansion. Then again, I don't spend much time in SW.

One of these threads pops up every other month, Their are going to be dry spells.

They rarely last long. :B

It isn't late in the expansion and I have to say I've noticed a massive drop in it too. But I know nothing of Kalimdor so I would be talking Eastern Kingdoms.

I can't play at the moment due to no computer, but I can't wait to get back in the saddle >_>

Geneviève wrote:Corleth, I appreciate I'm probably on the other side of no man's land where your comment is concerned but is it really the Blades for Hire, Dreadhowl Packs, or Ravenholdt Scanturay's fault that they have the ability to provide entertainment to so many people simultaniously?

No, not at all. But it doesn't mean that the RP scene will be good because they can.

Geneviève wrote:I really feel it's sour grapes on the behalf of those who are less able where leadership is concerned that manifests itself as criticism of those who do.

It is not whether you are a capable-leader, it is about how broad/lolz-cool your concept is. I mean, who doesn't want to be part of a shady sanctuary of assassins that also run a legitimate pub in the mage-quarter? It is certainly more appealing to the average person than completing lots of IC tasks on a path to knighthood, reading a player-made lore book over and over or RPing a random civilian; but as I've said... the RP scene will not be any better because of it.

Geneviève wrote:You can't say that it's impossible to recruit for a new guild when in competition with a much larger and well established guild.

I never said it was impossible, but I think a number of people would be in agreement with me that it is getting close to that point. Guild perks have only made it harder for new/small guilds to recruit the casual RP'ers.

Geneviève wrote:The Blades for Hire were in competition with other 'military' guilds.

Not really, the Blades for Hire; as well as being bad-ass mercenaries (without the boring IC discipline military guilds usually drill in) they also run a rugged tavern, which all the military guilds they compete with don't.

It is the extremely broad, homogenised concepts that are a problem.

Aldranin wrote:It isn't late in the expansion and I have to say I've noticed a massive drop in it too. But I know nothing of Kalimdor so I would be talking Eastern Kingdoms.

I never said it was 'late' into the expansion ("this late into the expansion" doesn't mean "it's late into the expansion", it means "at this point of time in the expansion"), only that activity typically flares up just before and just after the release of a new expansion, and then drops over time, especially after the next expansion is announced.

Corleth wrote:Guild perks have only made it harder for new/small guilds to recruit the casual RP'ers.

Uhu. I need HGWT for my RP's

Corleth wrote:It is the extremely broad, homogenised concepts that are a problem.

Put bluntly, yeah.

And aggressive recruitment is easy. You stand in a city a spam you're 4 line recruitment macro twice every time the chat log lets you. You mega bump your threads on this forum, the blizz rp and server forums and get you're friend's friend's friend's to put alts in your guild. Pick a concept that let's as many people join as possible and wahey.