Please vote.

I vote no, but it isn't an option, so I will show results and null my vote.

I don't really have a problem during village influencing. In fact, it's pretty exciting most of the time when you have to dodge mags and you can debate now, though Ive never actually seen that ability used. I like village influencing. Its cool

The only thing I don't like about influencing is the fact that when a village goes in play, Celest ct is more or less dead. The people that should be in charge of organizing the citizens to help out with the village just go and start influencing and there are inevitably three or four people that want to help but just don't know what to do. Don't be afraid to give out orders.

I noticed that in Mag too. I wasn't even aware it was influencing time until people stopped talking, and I hit politics and noticed Delport was down. After that I didn't get a response to five questions till I asked for a target in Delport...

ALSO, I find it HIGHLY annoying, that the people of New Celest would randomly attack me unprovoked. First time, I was just sitting there, actually making a transaction with Lydin, then Rhysus came in and killed me, no quesiton or anything, I dont even have any influencing skills. I wasn't with anyone else either.

AND to Kurama, you are REALLY annoying. Don't exect me to just sit by when you are slapping my Warlord in the face, or you WILL die.

Anyway, I voted yes, because all the unprovoked attacks make me depressed...

Daniel

I don't know about in Magnagora, though I imagine it's for the same reason, the CT usually goes dead in Celest during Influencing because all of the pertinent discussion starts taking place over the Grand Celestial Army and Star Council clan channels.

Basically, any sudden flurry of activity, I do my best to stay out of -- or, at most, on the fringes of. I helped out with one village influencing as a comm gatherer and healer, but that's the extent of my direct involvement.

Personally, long-term strategy is my thing. I'd as soon leave the chaos of man-to-man, moment-to-moment tactics to others. But since there are a lot of people who demand that sort of PvP in a MUD, its not going anywhere.

The question to me then becomes, am I depressed that there's a meaningful option in Lusternia for mass PvP, in which the outcome is decided entirely by the efforts of the players; in which the outcome will have actual, tangible effects on their communal lives; and in which it is possible to participate without necessarily role-playing that you're out for someone's blood?

Oh, yeah. I always hate sitting down to a game that offers any sort of power, freedom, or flexibility.

I think those new debating abilities were added to curb the bloodshed a bit, but so far I've never seen it used much during influencing periods. It's sad that these diplomatic scenarios always turn out to just be who outlives and outkills the other, while a few people run around doing the same thing over and over to the villagers. Initially I saw this new influencing idea in Lusternia as something that would be a great alternative for fighting, but it has kind of lost it's meaningfullness over the years. This is in part the players' fault (not all) for not trying to incorporate some RP into their playing styles. Influencing missions -do- give us (or me at least) a bit of a break from the monotonous daily routines of our Lusternian lives though.
What we need are more global events, like...the release of Hallifax! (And Gaudigach)

Yesterday's 2 hour influence fest was a bit much, but overall I like village influencing.

Here's an idea, totally off the cuff, not thought out. What if there were made a way for one character to stand in front of another character and force attackers on the latter to have to go through them first? Kind of like the "engage" ability turned inside-out. So now you have Influencer and Bodyguard walking around together. PK is still a viable option, and no one is entirely free of the threat of it, but Influencer at least has a chance, if she has gotten a good Bodyguard, to avoid PK and still get to participate, but also leaves the other side a chance to counter it. Could be useful in other situations too, and it makes RP sense.

Well, that's what the Rescue thing on champion artifacts is for.

I think there is a skill like this in Achaea, in chivalry. I don't know how it works, might block a % damage or have a % chance of blocking...but something like what you mention is clearly possible.

Its called defend, they block all damage I think.

Idras had cover in Imperian, where you would leap in front of any blow to your ally, sacrificing yourself and taking the hits.

The problem with that, is very seldom in influencing is there one on one combat.

Well, if there's two of us and six of you, sure, we're going to lose in almost every case. No problem there.

But if there's four of us and four of you, three of us should be able to stand in front of the fourth and protect her from the four of you, and you can only get to her after you go through us.

Obviously there's implementation details to be worked out to make this make sense in practice. I was only brainstorming, not presenting a finished system.

Who the heck voted on this poll and bumped it up?

Wasn't me (I know I rezzed the Narnia thread, but you can't blame this one on me)...

I am closing this topic, because I can't find a way to close the poll