@Pyrephox said in Coming Soon: Arx, After the Reckoning:
@Arkandel The XP issue is actually one of the things that particularly concerns me, design-wise, moving forward. Especially since with the training thing, people who have more money can open an /even larger/ gap in progression between the haves and have nots. It's definitely a concern, I think. Especially since some of the things that SHOULD matter (conflict of interest, other duties) for those in high places don't really matter - a High Lord doesn't actually have any of their IC time taken up by their duties, so they're free to go out and smash things on the battlefield, hang out in the slums making friends with peasants, join the Faith, research all the magics, etc.
Well, I'm sure the AP system was designed (at least in part) to address the multitasking thing, for sure. In a strange way though it will, at least in some ways, actually impact the have-nots more; for instance if it costs me a ton of AP I am least inclined to share my @clues with newbie #2871 that I just met.
But the thing is, it's really hard to systematize these things because in some ways they are working as intended. You pointed out one way; someone with the relevant Teaching skill can convey massive XP discounts, but only get a limited number of training sessions to use per week, so obviously those with resources or allies can benefit more, which isn't unreasonable. People with cash and favors to call are supposed to have an advantage, right?
There's some gaming the system obviously. For instance folks mass-messaging everyone they've ever met then asking for support with their tasks yields zero RP - it's simply a resources grab. It's nothing new for people to mistake cause and effect (the in-game carrots are supposed to generate roleplay, players aren't supposed to treat roleplaying as the barrier between them and the carrots!) but it's more prominent on Arx due to its size.
Meanwhile, the "I'm too cool for school" crap is ALWAYS an issue, and it's really annoying. I'm not keen on people who have their characters have hysterics or breakdowns and disrupt plots, but damn, wo/man, show some human emotions. I remember being in one plot where the GM was posing some really great, spooky as hell stuff, and I was enjoying my character having some significant reactions to that...but the other character was just like, "Eh." And then I felt silly.
Yes, that's basically it. The ST needs to enjoy themselves too; my character isn't in the scene, the only entertainment is in the interaction between the story and characters participating in it; if they're largely uninterested in engaging then I am not having much fun either. But come on, every PrP can't be about armies trying to obliterate everyone - if we have to one-up the stakes every time then clearly this isn't going to work out... something has to give. Plus it leaves entire thematic tropes completely uninvolved - crime, horror, swashbuckling adventuring, etc.
You know what the curious thing is though? I had a conversation recently with a member of my House who was complaining OOC that he has nothing to do, doesn't know what to do... he's just feeling blah. In the mean time he avoids playing about anything fun; he almost always joins RP, by his own admission, when there are people he can farm @randomscenes from, plays to improve his gear and gather resources to trade and improve his gear, etc. So essentially this guy plays the game in the least entertaining way possible then he's puzzled it's not engaging him. Which is the flipside of this whole situation, and a real head-scratcher for me.