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Opening Event and New Starting Area - Balanor - 12-30-2013
After 6 years (including the one year of Beta testing), the opening events for the Thay PW are undergoing a change. This change is in response to many, many requests I’ve had over the years to provide some type of starting area for new PCs. I, personally, am not a fan of the tactic used by too many PWs where you login and start with walls of text on signs and in conversations in an OOC area that you’re supposed to read to understand the PW. In my experience, the best way to learn about a world is to jump right in and start adventuring, which is why Thay has had no starting area...until now. But with that said, the starting area is still a semi-IC place and tied to the events of the opening sequence.
I hope that simply going through the opening event with a new PC will explain all you need to know about it. But since this is not a minor change, I have created this thread to help make sure everyone understands what will occur, how it affects new PCs, and provide a place to give constructive feedback if you have a great idea to slightly modify it in some way.
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So the first thing I want to explain is that the opening sequence that happens immediately after you create a new PC will be considered a memory of a recent traumatic event. You may note this by the name of the area/load screen when you first login having changed to as “Your last memory deep in the forest…”, and so on. During this sequence, the events that have occurred over the course of Thay’s lifetime for new PCs occur as normal. But whether or not they truly unfolded as you recall, or if it all was some terrible dream, is unclear. This can be RPed as a memory for existing PCs, if you like. As always though, new and existing PCs can pretend like the events never happened as well, or could be played off as a minor event in your character’s past that it has forgotten about, etc, etc.
At the end of the opening event though, when you meet your ‘mysterious allies’ for the first time, is where the change occurs. That painful encounter causes your consciousness (your PC) to retreat into your mind’s eye. Basically stated, ‘Your Mind’s Eye’ is the new starting area that your PC will then be sent to. In that area you’ll find a Spectre of your Soul that will give you a type of IC explanation as to where you are and what you can do there. The spectre will also give the option for brand new players to the PW to speak to it OOC for a small portion of the conversation and provide them some tips.
The primary purpose of this area is tied to the fact the opening sequence is now considered a ‘memory’ (and perhaps not a good one) of a recent event. The trauma of the event means that the recollection of what your PC looked like during it may not be correct. Sooo, that is the IC explanation as to why Body Models are now available in this area for you to change your PC’s body appearance in-game *after* initial character creation! FINALLY, right?!? ;)
Obviously things like wings, tails, and flaming eyes are unavailable at the models here, and there are some other restrictions like Gnoll, Goblin, and Orc PCs using standard non-dynamic models being unable to use them and Tiefling PCs being unable to change their head. And speaking of heads, another benefit of this new area that you no longer need to put the Thay PW hak heads in your override folder because you will be able to select and apply any custom head available to your PC’s race by simply using a Body Model. The spectre will not let PCs leave the area who are headless if they selected a head at the character creation screen from a head override they have which we do not support in the Thay PW.
Next, this will be the *only* place that PCs can select their starting languages if they have a positive intelligence modifier. Per a suggestion from the staff, humans (no matter their intelligence modifier) will get to select one regional language for free here to help them RP their ethnicity. Keep in mind that selecting a starting language(s) is not a requirement, but once you leave this area you cannot do it. And don’t worry - the spectre will let you know how to select languages and remind you if you don’t have them selected when you try to leave the area.
In addition, a store with some basic items be provided by the spectre as yet another way to customize your PC to more accurately reflect its true appearance before starting actual gameplay in the gameworld. That ‘memory’ of you in the black and brown outfit and cloak that everybody else has too is probably not accurate, aye? ;)
The last purpose of this area is to require cleric, druid, and paladin PCs to select a patron deity prior to leaving this area. All others will be encouraged and shown how to do so by the spectre - but may leave without choosing one. Regardless, a patron deity can be selected by any other PCs at any time after leaving the area as well.
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I want to end with an expectation I have, that under no circumstances do I want DMs taking time out of what they are doing to jump PCs back to this area because of [insert reason XYZ]. Please understand that going through this area is part of the initial experience for new PCs, so getting jumped back to it makes no sense. Every PC will be getting warned before leaving the area if you didn’t select languages, so there should be no excuse anymore for PCs not having bonus languages selected. In addition, you are also notified that location is the only time and place where you can modify your PC’s body appearance. So once you choose to begin your adventures - that's it. No pleading to the DMs to jump you back because you forgot/don’t like something!
In addition, I do not want DMs to jump any existing PCs to the Body Models to do customizations - or that will be all they do for the next few months! PCs that have already been created have done just fine without Body Model customizations for the days, months, or almost a year they’ve been around. So if you really need that PC who has a tattoo only on one arm, decide which of your existing PCs you’ll retire and create a new one to take its place that can be customized as you like in the new starting area.
For existing PCs though, I will mention there is a wish on the wishlist to eventually allow for tattoo changes and ‘shaved head’ changes in the gameworld. But until it becomes a reality, please keep on with them like you have been all these years.
RE: Opening Event and New Starting Area - WingsOfStardust - 12-30-2013
(12-30-2013, 12:00 PM)Thayan Wrote: Sooo, that is the IC explanation as to why Body Models are now available in this area for you to change your PC’s body appearance in-game *after* initial character creation! FINALLY, right?!? ;)
I love you Thayan.
RE: Opening Event and New Starting Area - TrioThePunch - 12-30-2013
I hate walls of text on signs and in conversations in an OOC area that you’re supposed to read to understand the PW. I never read them anyway.
RE: Opening Event and New Starting Area - Animayhem - 12-31-2013
Sounds like a good change. :)
RE: Opening Event and New Starting Area - Bela - 12-31-2013
Nice one Thayan.
Sounds good. May get to see it one day. ;)
With the luck my girls have may be sooner rather than later. lol
RE: Opening Event and New Starting Area - Muse - 12-31-2013
Oh. My. God. T.. YOU NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME.
RE: Opening Event and New Starting Area - Balanor - 01-08-2014
I hope the new starting area is working out well for those who have tried it. Thanks for the kind words and what appears to be a welcome reception to its addition. We've had a few hiccups, but those that have been reported so far should be addressed.
Per a suggestion regarding language selection, I have also put all 4 language book/volumes in the soul spectre's merchant inventory (Languages of Faerûn I-III and Languages of Toril and Beyond. That way, if you want to review some details about a language before selecting it, pick up a copy of the books. You can also find a variety of info on languages online -
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Languages
RE: Opening Event and New Starting Area - Bela - 01-08-2014
I have used the new starting area, and think it is great.
Well done Thayan and thank you. :D
RE: Opening Event and New Starting Area - NOITCA - 01-11-2014
Excellent addition. Thanks for all the hard work.
If the theme of abduction and being dumped into Thay ever runs it's course and becomes old. This area could give you banners that would explain the kind of PC's that inhabit all the cities of Thay. The PC could choose where they come from, from within Thay, as if they were born and raised there. Then, the languages and characteristics common to those of that area of Thay would be automagically attached to those PC's and the PC starts in that city after leaving the New PC Area.
I'm with you, on the not wanting to read lots of meaningless dribble before jumping into a PW, but, there is ALOT of stuff here. If someone wanted to just jump straight to the chase, that's good too, but, at least they would have the information available at the start. Awesome!
RE: Opening Event and New Starting Area - BigbysBackhand - 01-13-2014
The only thing I would suggest is also adding in the ability to change your description. As most new players might not know about mulan ethnicity or some other piece they might learn about in the new area and without starting over there is no way to add it.