The Horde Situation

Okay, to explain the reasoning behind this post. After RPing on horde for a time now, I have seen the lack of RP over here. (Not that this is new news)

So, this needs a fix. So now I am going to ask you. Yes, You. For any ideas, suggestions or any help at all. To bring the Horde back to a glorious RP state.

So here are some of my suggestions on what needs fixing.

1. Get a established RP hub.

From what I have experienced, people RP all over the place. And stick to events a lot. They never really show their face around any major city and RP, and when they do it is Silvermoon. Which, I would say is one of the worst places for it (Not looks by that mean) since no one actually see people RP. Which ends up with all the new players who have spread all over the world not seeing any RP, and some who would be interested in RP.

2. Active RP Recruiting.

Okay, so by this I mean. Like a guild recruitment message, it would be placed in for example Trade Chat now and then to spark people's attention. So, what I'd suggest (It may sound like a messy situation but bear with me). Is for someone from the Defias Community who has the free time. To activly post a general RP recruitment to get more people to at least try it or find it.

3. More Campaigns.

This may not sound like a way to encourage new RPers. But, at least it is a way to bind guilds together. So, the more story driven Campaigns with huge guilds from around the Horde and Alliance, to make bonds with other guilds and people, so they can activly become a part of a bigger community.

4. Promote People.

By promoting people I mean, to not shy away from doing Cross-Guild events, with people from new RP guilds who may have sparked up. To again, bind them into this community, because as the situation usually is. When someone is without a community, they fall into obscurity.

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That is all I got for suggestions. So, now I want you to hand your help, suggestions and possible problems with this. So we can actually get RP on horde again to be a thing.

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I also apologize for any grammar mistakes as well.

Great list of ideas. I personally would add 2 points to it:

1) More Open events, where everyone from LFRP can come and join.

2) Bringing RP back to flourishing life will require cooperation of all leaders of RP guilds. I would suggest, that GM´s + officers will gather OOCly in private group, after grand horde gathering and will discuss it all OOCly.

Lady Feymeera Bloodflame wrote:So, what I'd suggest (It may sound like a messy situation but bear with me). Is for someone from the Defias Community who has the free time. To activly post a general RP recruitment to get more people to at least try it or find it.

This seems like a good idea! I bet there are plenty of RPers who would be glad to spam a recruitment macro — if only they had something to recruit for, or the rank to do so. It hadn't even occurred to me (and I can't be the only one) that people could simply spam a macro to promote RP in general, and then just guide the interested people from /whispers to the forums or a fitting guild.

Brava!

Some of the ideas I've brought up myself over the years, especially the RP recruitment thing. I've also thought long and hard on themes for a server-wide recruitment video/machinima, and tried to rally support for it. Having trouble however to find someone who actively makes machinimas as well as being active ingame (not to mention tolerating my at times too complicated ideas for videos). Maybe you have better fortune and phrasing to make this work.

I'll get started on making some macros for the regular Alliance events (Council and Senate), those organizing campaigns etc can give info when they can to aid me with RP macros.


EDIT: I know it be about "The Horde Situation", but the Alliance one isn't much better off at the time being, thus why I posted.

Cid wrote:
EDIT: I know it be about "The Horde Situation", but the Alliance one isn't much better off at the time being, thus why I posted.

Yeah, Alliance is not much better, as I have seen and heard. Though, it is still better than on Horde.

Cid wrote:
I've also thought long and hard on themes for a server-wide recruitment video/machinima,

A server-wide recruitment video/machinima. Frankly in my opinion does not sound like a bad idea. Due, to I am at the belief that people do not think RP is happening here at all, making them choose Argent Dawn over this. So, if we could at least show people RP is happening. Maybe more will come?

I planned it to be about the coming expansion, Legion, and had picked a song to go along with it as well. Considering the WoW trailer thing for the expansion, I found it rather fitting.

I will first write response to your suggestions, then write my own.

Lady Feymeera Bloodflame wrote:1. Get a established RP hub.

From what I have experienced, people RP all over the place. And stick to events a lot. They never really show their face around any major city and RP, and when they do it is Silvermoon. Which, I would say is one of the worst places for it (Not looks by that mean) since no one actually see people RP. Which ends up with all the new players who have spread all over the world not seeing any RP, and some who would be interested in RP.

People do roleplay all around the place, since the Horde is very spread out by cultural differences. They are more or less a bundle of factions banded together for survival. Working together, the Horde is a considerable force not taken lightly, but it does not change the fact that they are very different from each other.

The same trend carries out to the guilds. While the guilds may occasionally work together, they are still very different from each other. Extremely so. The chaotic unruliness of Red Reach, the house-loyality of Yore, the Sin'dorei superiority of Ashal, the daring treasure hunters of Tempest, the dark-lady supporting Pariahs.

I am alright with that, but then also, I place my hope upon these words.

Warchief Vol'jin wrote:"This Horde be our family! We don't always see eye-to-eye. We come to blows before. But when we work together - ah - there's nothing this Horde can't do."

Which leads into your Proposition 3.

...Anyhow, I don't think you need to focus on a specific RP hub. Roleplaying is where Roleplaying is made. People will roleplay where they feel their guilds and characters will fit in to.

What -does- matter in my opinion is that they are welcome of other people joining them in there. Invite random people to join your RP, your Events, let people know where you RP - so that they may involve themselves into it. /LFRP channel is great for that.

Lady Feymeera Bloodflame wrote:2. Active RP Recruiting.

Okay, so by this I mean. Like a guild recruitment message, it would be placed in for example Trade Chat now and then to spark people's attention. So, what I'd suggest (It may sound like a messy situation but bear with me). Is for someone from the Defias Community who has the free time. To actively post a general RP recruitment to get more people to at least try it or find it.

This, a thousand times. Since the RP community is so seclusive, few players ever get to 'see' them'. At the very least, try to make sure that we are 'heard', even that means to drop our recruitment macro every 30-60 minutes in the Trade.

I generally keep Trade enabled in a separate tab ( so it does not mess up my chat window with it constant spamm) and hit a macro starting with /2 (Trade channel in my case) every now and then. If you want recruits to your guild, I recommend you doing it.

Lady Feymeera Bloodflame wrote:3. More Campaigns.

This may not sound like a way to encourage new RPers. But, at least it is a way to bind guilds together. So, the more story driven Campaigns with huge guilds from around the Horde and Alliance, to make bonds with other guilds and people, so they can activly become a part of a bigger community.

I've been trying to spark a RP-PvP Campaign for ages, but unfortunately my work schedule's not the most friendly towards that kind of activities. When you're not 100% sure if you can appear on the evening is not exactly an ideal Campaign Organising situation. I still do what I can and recommend others who have the time to dedicate in creating something grander to take up the torch.

Once the Legion pre-expansion events hit, I am sure most guilds will conjure up stories around the Legion and fighting off the invasions. I can only recommend guilds to tie those events together, to together form a larger Campaign almost as by mistake.

I do think it'd be nice to create something before that to.

Lady Feymeera Bloodflame wrote:4. Promote People.

By promoting people I mean, to not shy away from doing Cross-Guild events, with people from new RP guilds who may have sparked up. To again, bind them into this community, because as the situation usually is. When someone is without a community, they fall into obscurity.

Inviting other people to join your guild events is also one way to go.

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As for my own suggestions, I understand that most people do not have the patience for this, but I would still recommend these.

1. Do not ignore the OOC'er.

The fact that it is not a roleplayer does not mean that you should not try to roleplay with them, or acknowledge their presence. A simple wave, a nod, an invitation to join the drink, shouting a random comment about the size of their way-over-the-top steed. Anything goes that might encourage them to mount off their steed and give off a response.

2. A "Troll" is either someone fooling around, or not really knowing how to roleplay yet.

I know it can be hard to imagine, but even for one who is fooling around doing a lapdance while naked on top of your character may be a potential roleplayer. Or a guy on a mammoth standing on top of a bonfire you're gathered around. I know plenty of tales in where people who have laugh at roleplayers have became roleplayers themselves. I to were myself one of those. I did not dance with a mammoth per say, but I used to laugh at those who roleplay. And look at where I am now?

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In the end, my suggestion and thoughts can be fit in five words.

Break the Bubble. Involve Others.

...and spam those Trade macros.

Ps. I and Warwick have gone and started to promote a Discord (text-chat) group aimed for Horde RP Guild Leaders/Organisers. We will be spreading the invites over to all such people we manage to find.

Another thing to mention about trollers or oocers is not only that they lack knowledge on how to rp but can be plainly too scared to try.
Tossing a whisper and saying "Hi!" is often a great icebreaker and convo opening and invite a person to join in.