It is an unpleasant reality, but a reality nonetheless. I have been aware of it for some time, but my stance has been to shrug my shoulders with the knowledge that there is little I can do about it, having expended all of my trust and capital with the community when I left the team...and if I am being honest, well before that.

I do think it serves well to be something that should be at the front and back of our thoughts.

I honestly can't disagree with what MuseReader wrote. What I would rather try and do is change things, at least player side. But I'm not actually sure how to do that.

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Gerald Edmund
Discord: Metal Viking Guy #5433

DC taxation is theft!

Muse's post summed up what I've been trying to convey for months now. I agree completely. Story should, full stop, always be our main focus. It is our only draw, and the sole reason I've played here for a decade. As NC said, in a static environment, players can only do so much to create story.

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I should amend something. I do not do nothing. The things I do as a developer are things that are intended to provide storytelling DMs material. Ideas. Inspiration. Options and motivations. If one investigates even casually the lootbin descriptions, the lore objects, and any input I try to give about area design and concept, it is all intended to be an open and fertile resource for storytelling. Utilized by DMs, or even by players who say, that sounds interesting, I wonder what there may be behind it all or how my character could get involved in that.

So I do not think it hopeless. Maybe just a bit hamstrung.

While I will miss Sheep as much as the next guy, I actually have to disagree with some points of his farewell. Well, I guess I can't disagree with someone's own personal reasons, but I can disagree with why those reasons aren't necessarily a reality.

On the topic of the server lacking an "overarching" narrative and that the DMs haven't taken point as storytellers: we have to be very aware of the path that led us here. When I started playing Amia in what was probably summer 2006 or so, I honestly don't think I saw a DM until my first character was at least level 15. Or at least, I didn't know I had come into contact with one. Maybe I was dumb. I was 16, so yes, probably, I was dumb. But it felt to me as if DM's were the "bumpers" of the world. You never came directly into contact with them until you strayed too far off the wide and beaten path, IC or OoC. People weren't sitting around on their hands and waiting for a DM to possess some random Joe and shuck and jive for them. Did people stand around in Cordor and hug demons? Yeah, but I think that's why most went to Cordor in those days. They weren't really waiting on anything.

My point is this. It seems like in the past DMs were relied on for very little. If you wanted a faction base or to chance something around, you rang them up. But you didn't rely on them to be your sole source of creating a story. The biggest and most memorable story arc for me when I first started was a Sandy Beach battle between Shrine and UD drow over an IC kidnapping. Had it not been for RA handing out DC's, I'd have never known he was there. The server can survive without a single narrative vision, and in fact, the lack of a rigid one allows players to interject their own. That's not saying I don't love the sell of Kohl and Cordor increasingly becoming rivals. But to say that its a lack of DM-sparked stories feels to me almost like saying "I'm leaving because you couldn't keep me entertained." And the sentiment that any new storyteller that will step in either must be "recycled" or a "darkhouse" seems very lacking in faith in a community that's shouldered through worse.

Now. On the flip side of that, we have the reality that while DM's became more expected to have control over settlement, PCs, etc, increasingly less control and initiative rested in the hands of the players. As compared ancient years, it feels less like you could set up a camp somewhere and have your efforts towards making it something supported. True or not, players often fear that so much of what they attempt IC has to have some sort of approval with it before it's valid to happen. At one extreme we have a wild west sort of deal where DMs are underfoot of the players and have limited time/effort to expend on the setting. On the other extreme we have extremely detailed, well-crafted self-driven stories where PC's are instead underfoot.

What we're experiencing now is a sort of limbo. Right where DMs have loosened up the reigns a bit, but before PCs have realized that they got the touch. So naturally DMs that felt more aligned to extreme 2 will wash out. And so naturally will players that grew to like them and that style. But it isn't the end of the world and being adrift in a great big sea of opportunity isn't the end of anything else. It's a transition that can and will be great if we're not afraid to take a bit more responsibility and initiative all around. That means no more making boogeymen out of DMs. And that means no more treating players like they don't know any better because of position or lack thereof. I'm still working on that first one, I fully admit. But if we come together in mutual trust, and actively take steps to test this new trust in both parties, there's no reason Amia or NWN should find it's end any sooner than the same weekend tabletop sessions that have been going on for decades.

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I think Sunkin is using broader brushstrokes while you point out the finer contrasts. Good points all the same and I champion your...optimism?

The following isn't necessarily related to the current topic of the thread (Muses' post), but I believe it to be related to the overall idea of the thread. Forewarning: I can be awkward with words so I hope no one misunderstands anything. The following is simply how I feel and perhaps a viewpoint I haven't seen expressed much on these kinds of discussion in the past. I would never, ever want to insult or hurt anyone's feelings and if anyone's confused by my wording please feel free to PM me so I can try to make myself clearer. I make jokes and sometimes people do not get these jokes.
Forewarning two: Apparently this is huge, feel free to skim or just read the bottom.

For the last few years (most of those which I didn't play for) I've seen it said so many times about how alts aren't necessarily a very good thing. You guys even created a special name for it! Which is amusing, but partly illustrates my point. I'm unsure if anyone's ever really commented differently- so sorry if I've missed that. I just want to say that for me, personally, as a player that tends to kick around a few PCs that it's what I greatly enjoy the most. As someone who has dreamt of being a writer since a young child, I've never focused entirely just on "one" character.
Before I continue I'd like to state that I greatly respect and am impressed by those people on Amia who have devoted themselves to mainly one character most of the time. I've been trying to do it a bit myself saving major plotlines and the such for one of my PCs in particular. It isn't easy! The details you guys put into your character is amazingly.

But for other people, like myself at least, I can't just pick one character. To me, writing isn't about one character but the story itself. On a place such as Amia that means I tend to have a number of characters- the reasons for this vary. Some reasons are very simple such as the fact I tend to play during the deader hours of Amia. Or I just can't find anyone around to try to RP with. (Seriously, where do you guys hide?!) Probably the biggest reason I do it though is because I love to bring different aspects to the table.
During my Amia absence I RPed on different formats, in different ways. For some reason, I noticed people tended to be a bit nervous about starting something up, y'know? It's understandable. We're humans, so we worry. So I created characters specifically designed for carrying the torch of starting something that could involve anyone and everyone in the area if they choose to involve themselves in the RP as well. Alts can be amazing for certain purposes. My greatest joy as a writer has been those moments when I was able to bring together everyone in an area just because of what one of my crazy characters was doing!

I also got this impression that people feel alts = characters with little or no substance, which isn't necessarily true at all. Since returning the first thing I committed myself to was refreshing my memory on each of my PCs and for those I felt had no place on Amia, at the moment, I sent to my archive. I ensure each of my PCs has a solid, storyline progression for their past, what that's done to her personality, and what their current objectives in life may be. That's not to say you need to know EVERYTHING about a character before you make them. Perhaps the best way to explain it is making a "rough draft" with all the key components needed for the essay.
The essay, for me, comes as I start to write and interact as that character with others.

I guess this connects to the point that's been brought of previously of trying to encourage players to drive their own stories without a huge amount of DM dependence for the story driving; which is an entirely different can of worms, I believe- but it's a nice ideal that I try to strive for myself. (Although DM gorgometh will probably disagree considering all the stuff I've asked for help with recently. ) I know as well that some people do best with one PCs and others do best with multiples. Honestly, players should just do whatever brings them the most enjoyment because at the end of the day that's what we're all here for. I mostly aimed to explain some of the mindset behind alts as I haven't seen such done before or at least not a lot compared to the "1 PC 4 LYFE!"
Now I shall force myself to shut up as I could ramble endlessly about my opinions on everything but most of my others have been expressed by various people in different ways, already. So go you, Amians!

TLDR: ALTS CAN BE COOL YO, LET'S WRITE OUR OWN STORIES BRAHS! evenifyouprefer1pcthatscooltoo
(For those unfamiliar with internet lingo TLDR = too long, didn't read)

(Please excuse my horrible writing, I'm far better at the creative stuff)

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So I hope this helps shine light in both directions, between players and DM's alike. I started playing back before "the big split" this was far before there was even a location for the Underdark, when Drow had to hide in caves and rob people/tax folk for entering "our" caves. Yes there were those that hated it but for the most part the players loved the RP. And because of it the Drow grew and grew to a point that we even attacked Cordor, set taverns on fire and raided the city as a whole. We didn't wait for the DM's to start something for us, we took it IC... However, there has become this entitlement most players expect these days that is almost scary. I'm not saying you the player does not deserve to be heard I'm saying we all are here to enjoy a game, a world we help'd create, either by RP or through tools or even DM'n the event.

I agree with a move towards PC freedom to create a story and or moments that can change the current world... but I also agree that us the players need to learn to lose once in a while. It sucks being on that end of the story but it betters the IG world in the end. And bitching about how its an RP server when you get attacked... come on, I've said it before IC and OOC with past toons... "If there is are no villains to fight, you will fight each other!" Conflict is part of the world just as much as research, building, learning to fly or RP'ing love.

I'm not sure I agree with you on what the DMs of the past used to be, DI. I have been here just as long and I had a very different experience. I think there is a lot of evidence for the exact opposite of what you say. Yossarin, Leggomi, Tormak... these three DMs of times long gone were ones that very actively sought out players to capture in larger plotlines. OR at least sought out situations in which to drop bait and hooks. They weren't the only ones, either, but are just the more obvious ones that jump to mind and have easily referenced long story arches that were not necessarily player-created. The Flight, The Arcanum, political intrigue of NPCs, yochlol appearances?? These were events that were begot by something in the nether, something fated to be. Collin Reyes wasn't raised by Richard Johnson. (Or was he?!)

I'm surprised Yossarin didn't disagree with you outright! And it wasn't only those DMs... the Green Lake plot... the Khem plot... You do make some good points on the possible optimism of the situation, but, I don't think it will turn out how you want it to unless more attention is paid to the sides of dissent. Sure, there have been motions presented and bullets outlined and people are generally being kind (in public), but the overall message is still to 'wait' and people are saying different things behind-the-scenes on every side, I think. Hopefully, the dissenters come back if the waiting pans out to something awesome! But, I fear that people such as Muse and serbiris and Burning and Hackums and Zweij aren't going to come back (playerside and storywise) unless we pull them back. Amia used to have a pull. Right now it's struggling to maintain it. That doesn't mean it can't shoulder on through, I agree! It just remains to be seen!