Can we please restrict the information on who, or how many players are online then? That's also OOC information.

On the other hand, if I'm standing in Tarkuul, Kohlingen, or just about any place that isn't Cordor Tradehall or Bendir Dale, there's times where I wait for hours for anyone to come by, because everyone just sees "oh, that place is empty anyway". Hell, that's the main reason why I don't have anyone in Kohl, even though I am interested at times. Every time I log on, and I see that Kohl folks are online, I would visit Kohl. And see nobody there. I have no idea where they are, how to talk to any of them, or anything. This isn't meant as raging against the Kohl folks, it's just something I experienced.
The thing is, just by showing that an area is somewhat active, people might start walking by there when looking for RP. I've seen it happen quite a few times with Tarkuul. Every time Tarkuul picked up momentum, people (not just Tarkuulians) would come visit. Because all of a sudden, people knew there's RP to be had, whether just talking to random PC guards, or planning something far larger. The RP advertiser helps... advertise activity. If you break character by playing a Paladin and going to Tarkuul because there's someone advertising there, you're breaking character just as much as if you'd see certain players online, and you go there because you know there's RP there.
I know there's RP in Kohl. And I'd think it's pretty interesting, and I'd kind of like to RP with those guys. That doesn't mean I'll have Alex walk in there, looking for RP. Because I know he wouldn't fit in. Same with Bendir, or the Shrine of Eilistrae, or any other faction/RP area.
Now, if you're saying me afking at the Kohl fountain for hours upon hours is healthier to RP than actually meeting folks and talking to them, I have no idea why you're on here.

I know, my alternative could just be sending them a tell, like "hey, I have this guy, and he'd be interested in RP with you guys". From my experience, what will often happen is suddenly, RP comes availible, whether through a party invite, showing me where they are, or from people coming to my character, or whatever. Because RP, even if scheduled OOC, is always better than no RP.

Now, I know people hate it if others use their factions or characters as examples. In this case, it's all things that I experienced on my end, and nothing is meant inflammatory. It's fact.

There will always be lvls of ooc.

Lets not be so silly to say it's the same thing to seek out areas you know someone might be in and population markers to a paladin going to Tarkuul to be part of the internal RP there or a necromancer strolling about Kohlingen to find RP.

What Im saying is, scheduled RP happens in events or certain stuff with characters often already established as allies/friends/etc etc. But some of the more new and odd, fresh RP is between strangers, that just happens randomly.

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Plays:
Sylveera : Sun Elven fury packed in an Arcane Archer, not a Drow, promise.
Tetrik : Greed incarnate in a Duergar.
Budly : Has gone to a better place.
Barrililath : Shadowy Drow, probably less Drow than Sylv ever be.

What's the difference between strolling Tarkuul because someone might be there, and strolling Tarkuul because you know someone -is- there?

And besides, the advertiser, I never met someone who I already often RP with, because I'd just send them a tell like "Hi!", or whatever. The advertiser helps with people I normally -wouldn't- seek out, just because I never saw that person, and don't know them OOC. If they list themselves on the advertiser though, for me, it's an invitation to approach them. You show "hey, if anyone wants to RP, come seek me out".

The RP advertiser does -nothing- "against" players mostly playing with their OOC friend group. It does nothing "against" scheduling RP so people don't need to sit in one place and afk for hours until their OOC friends log in. It helps bring random players together. And, a large part of the PCs on here will get along with many other PCs, even if they're not in the same faction. Just take Farija and Budly for example. They got along mostly well, but they had no reason other than being in the same spot at the same time. And that works with a lot of characters. Take the treaty of Light as another example. "What do Eilistraeans, Elves and Dwarves have in common?". Sounds like a terrible joke. But somehow, they became friends, despite very different outlooks on... everything, basically.
Obviously, the devil-worshipping necromancer won't get along with a paladin, most likely. But he might get along with some random Drow, or even a few Hin. The chaotic neutral rather anarchistically inclined Bard might become friends with a Paladin, even though one is just about the epitome of law, and the other is rather close to the polar opposite. Will they agree on everything? No. But friends don't have to. And the random person I happened to meet in Wharftown? Nah. I talked with him a bit, we had a short friendly conversation, and we moved on.
And you're saying that's bad for RP?

I have never stated it as bad RP. I stated the RP advertiser as taking away the organic, natural meeting of two random characters who never met.

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Plays:
Sylveera : Sun Elven fury packed in an Arcane Archer, not a Drow, promise.
Tetrik : Greed incarnate in a Duergar.
Budly : Has gone to a better place.
Barrililath : Shadowy Drow, probably less Drow than Sylv ever be.

1). Huge server with a massive number of areas and maps.
2). Small player base relative to #1.

At times I’ve ported from town to town, visited the usual areas in search of RP and never found anyone despite knowing there are players online.

I check the tool all the time. Player list on the tool has always been empty. Put myself on it a few times. Never got a response.

Suggestion: Make the setting on the tool persistent. If you set it to name and RP it stays that way until you change it, even through resets. Maybe have it give you a message on login or once a RL hour reminding you what your current tool settings are.

Hell, even if it just gave you a message once a RL hour of what your tool settings are it would serve as a reminder to turn the damned thing on.

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Chaggo - Colorful Hobgoblin Monk
Baegrevele Tsjos - Borne at sea, Live at sea, Die at sea.

Thing is, if people are not in the hubs, they are probably off to do something private, like plots, events, family outings, whatever it can be. Often there is a reason why people are not in the hubs.

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Plays:
Sylveera : Sun Elven fury packed in an Arcane Archer, not a Drow, promise.
Tetrik : Greed incarnate in a Duergar.
Budly : Has gone to a better place.
Barrililath : Shadowy Drow, probably less Drow than Sylv ever be.

And if they're doing somewhat private, they wouldn't have turned on the advertiser. On the other hand, maybe I only looked in the Busty Seanymph, and that one character happens to loiter in the mermaid's tail. Maybe I only looked in the Gentleman's Club, and forgot to look in the Nomad. There's a lot of places one person might forget to look, and the other person is waiting hoping for someone to enter that obvious tavern. Personally, if that even generates one instance a week, that otherwise wouldn't have happened, I'd say it's a huge boon to the server.

You know, we do not think alike, I agree to that both ways have their positive and negative parts!

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Plays:
Sylveera : Sun Elven fury packed in an Arcane Archer, not a Drow, promise.
Tetrik : Greed incarnate in a Duergar.
Budly : Has gone to a better place.
Barrililath : Shadowy Drow, probably less Drow than Sylv ever be.

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~Draco Bloodcloak~ In the mind of a tielfing
~Xanhorn Dragonsbane~