I was just thinking that Lusternia seems designed to be high conflict. Racism, fanatiscism, deeply running rivalries and reasons to fight are throughout the game. However I constantly hear of so and so 'griefing', of people suffering from burnout, of conflicting views that the direction of the game should follow. The Admin's seem to be running in all different directions trying to get things done and still not satisfying anyone.

I hear the playerbases are dwindling, and people are getting bored. But would they be bored if the Admins weren't working their arses off trying to satisfy everyone when they could be planning events and new features?

I think that in Lusternia the developers have created the most potentially deep and thrilling game imaginable. The histories are fantastic and the themes are excellent. However was the game too designed towards conflict? Did everyone get thrown together too fast at the start and fight themselves down so that now people are tired? Are there too many reasons to fight and not enough liberty and justification to?

Who is to blame for the constant disagreements? The PK driven 'griefers' or the people who would like to see the fighting lessen? Given the amount of reasons to fight, do people who would like to see fighting removed or restricted in Lusternia truely belong here?

Iunno, I'm crap at trying to get my points across. Does any of this make sense, can anyone give me answers? Or is my post just a random collection of unlinked and unbased words thrown together and posted here when they belong in the bin, with their writer locked away somewhere?

I'll just add random stuff:

In all honesty, Lusternia is really boring for me the last two weeks or so...if Cairam isn't on, Ash has no one to talk to except maybe two or three people who are rarely on as well. I usually can't hunt properly because either I am not in the mood or everything is hunted out already..

I don't know, the last time I got a nice feeling for Lust was when the little Faethorn 'raid' happened yesterday...it's very low risk for anyone involved with Conglutinate, it's maybe like six or seven gorgogs if you die...and you can make a difference even with low skills like me. *shrug*

Lusternia was made for GROUP combat. In the early days there was lots of fun group combat. Then certain individuals became so strong that they could take on groups by themself, and thus you got people labeled greifers. Such as Visaeris and Serenwilde.

Group on group action is good, one on group action is not good, one on one action is ok but should be limited.

Atleast thats how I see the design working out in practice.

Yeah that's true, Celest's hunt for power back in open beta with Shiri and Dumihru leading us around the elemental planes looking for essence while trying to avoid Visaeris' Mags was really fun.

Maybe there should be less skills that bolster (sp?) a person's abilities and more incentives for fighting in a group?

Although my wife is Lusternia, I often feel lust for Achaea and Imperian. I miss the sheer vastness of Achaea (especially wilderness maps, however ineffective as they are), and the extreme diversity of Imperian.

What Lusternia needs is to catch up in city/commune count. People are getting bored of good vs. evil.

I think it can be changed by the players how much conflict there is. For example, if people from Glomdoring and Serenwilde SERIOUSLY put forth the effort to do some cease fire pact thing, and everyone abided by it, and everyone was rational and never lost their temper, we'd most likely see it prevail. However, that is unlikely to happen (Though I personally on an OOC, and somewhat IC level would prefer Commune vs. City) as there are a ton of reasons for both sides to fight with eachother. I think however, if the single person tried peaceful attempts at settling situations they would see their personal conflict go down a ton. I'm not saying become a pacifist, but not everything has to end in physical conflict. Though sure, some things still could and to a point SHOULD, if you lessened the amount of conflict you made, the incoming conflict would slow for you personally, as well.

I agree that if you don't want conflict, you don't really belong in Lusternia. At least, the Lusternia I loved, not what it's slowly becoming.

Everything that defined Lusternia for me is slowly eroding, and it's beginning to remind me of a less crappy version of Achaea. That's NOT a good thing. Easy teleportation is gone, conflict is being nerfed, the vibrant OOC community is dying out in favor of screaming and whining, and the playerbase is eroding.

If I wanted snuggly, I'd be back in Achaea. If I want new and interesting, it's looking like I might pop over to Imperian more and more, and see how long that holds me.

Lusternia has so much promise. Pick a direction, and stick with it. You will NOT please everyone. If you try to, you simply dilute the game and there are other, better options. Pick what you want us to be, and stick with it. Those who don't like it can leave.

I'm loving Lusternia. Absolutely loving it... The problem with these forums is people come here to air their grievances, or if something is wrong, or they feel pissed off. No one bothers to come in and start a thread saying "I just had 2 hrs of real fun!!!"..

However, it is possible that one of the reasons I enjoy myself so much is that because I'm in Magnagora, and Magnagora is so well set up, manned, and defended, I don't feel constantly at war.. I haven't developed a siege mentality.. nor is my Lusternia experience entirely set up around Combat. In fact, I'm pretty damn poo at combat... I happen to enjoy RP.

I miss the days of good Enorian, bad Bloocloch, and in-between Spinesreach and Ashtan.

Everything in this game is opposites, even the positioning of the cities and communes.

I do agree with you that Lusternia is aimed at high-energy combat. It is the founding point of the MUD they use, which, as I heard a while ago, came from Avalon-rpg.com. Still no clearance on whether or not this is true from IRE's side.

But onwards to what you touched on. Yes, it is highly combative. It is what makes being seperate from any major entities/conglomerates/organization so difficult, due to the rapid growth of ethics and morals that the Admin, as Divine, often times push on people IC. Maybe not push. A better choice of words. More like "gently guide" I suppose. Just my two cents for the dollar.

So yeah.. as far as I know, in the other games, only 3 clases have "easy teleportation" Snakes, Mages, and Druids.

Here everyone still has the basic "Teleport" skill. HOw is easy teleportation gone? I never walk home from a bashing trip, and often I don't even walk TO the bashing area.

I think your all overreacting because a few combat-only RP people say you should since they can't fight for you as much anymore.

GIVE ME MORE VILLAGE REVOLTS!

... and I will never complain again

Okay, you all know that's a lie, but I WILL be very happy

Um, no. I don't care what Narsrim does, doesn't effect me.

And Snakes didn't have easy transportation. Several classes had good transport skills.

Compared to what we had, easy transportation is gone. Don't bring in Achaea or such. If we ever get like them, I'm gone, so it won't matter to me, and a lot of others.

YES. That's exactly it. Admins, do your thing, we all know you can do it well, the game was better when it had more of your ideas in and less of everyone elses arguing.

I also think the ability to get around the world quickly very much suited the game, and it was a shame when it was removed.

I need to complement Aiakon here, I went into Mag, and left a note, signed with my name, flamed, at the nexus... Ofcourse it was Pro-The Light propaganda... only he actually spoke to me about it... kinda makes me wonder if he was the only Mag I offended.

Yea I don't fight, I can't type when I get into PK, my hands get all nervous and shaky, and I now use telnet, so no triggers. I can really see all your points though.
This is the only thing that really has started getting to me though, Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me? In Celest.. withen the recent few months ooc, it has become very..quiet? It is like this dense fog of "bleh" is camping the city. I remember when Celest used to be fun and exciting, not that it isn't now.. just.. we have this air of a people who are severly dejected.
Is it just more or has anyone else noticed this?
Back on topic though... I would love to see City Vs. Commune or something besides us vs Mag... I mean, Mag is so well-to-do that I am scared to death to leave the city, for fear I will be beheaded and not even see it coming.
The admins have never steered me wrong, I am just so glad I know Lusternia has atleast a good 3 or so years left in coolness and new features.

Simimi - No, you're not alone. Really, it's one reason I very rarely teleport anywhere. I've walked through Magnagora a few times now, and it always makes my heart visibly thump each and every time I do it. My mind is going "You could be killed, you know. Enemy or not, it's clear you're of the Light. They would be justified in slaying you where you stand. And it could happen this time." That feeling of tension isn't something I've gotten from Achaea, and it's one reason I like spending time here. As another example, I found two zombies and a puppetmaster up in the mountains the other day. Having never fought them, I called for backup from my guild and engaged them. It was a twist to an otherwise boring, normal day. It's the unexpected that keeps me interested. On a side note, those puppetmasters are fragging creepy. They also don't seem to count as undead. Poor Radiance spell.

On the other hand, like you, I'm pathetic in combat. I hate programming with a passion (the migraines, ye gods) and my nerves get shot fast. Just fighting an NPC I've never fought before makes me extremely paranoid, much less something as chaotic as another human. When Lusternia goes PvP-centric, I'll be gone. Not much point in sticking around to play something I am blatantly not suited to. It's a shame really, because that means I'll be without a MUD to play seeing as I don't particularly care for Achaea/Imperian/Aetolia (same game basically as far as I'm concerned).

That is why I like the Tainted Ones, They ACTUALLY hate me, and I am ACTUALLY scared to leave Celest since I am now an officla enemy of theirs... I do not PK, but I would like to.. one day, maybe. I actually enjoy being a meatshield, though having been at lv 33 for like 20 years... (Yes.. I don't bash either...)
That is one thing I love about Lusternia, the hate. I -know- that going into Mag and preaching about The Light is not going to make me any friends, and will get me a few deaths...but sure enough, someone will congratulate my Rp and it will all be worth wild.

Really, Celest we need some cheerleaders... becuase there is just this fog that is making us all depressed, Lord Hajamin I SEE you down there... make it snow in Celest... we needs snow!

Yes. Its the air of constantly losing. Its the air of people not caring, of there always being something to do but for it never to seem to matter. I mean, heck: there's no reason to push people to get scholars now because Celest is too far behind Magnagora for scholars to make a difference.

Celest needs some positive role models. People without any positive interaction with others, without any sense of self-accomplishment (and this is at toddler stage, not at adolescent), constantly being smacked down and never ever rising above it - they don't grow in RL. Why do people think lusternia is going to be any different?

Why do people not care anymore? So we are so behind in scholars we probably won't catch up, but where is our personal pride? I mean.. if this sad funk keeps going on, Shamarah is going to rename the place, we sure don't act like an uppity-faithbased-zealotous Grand Dutchy...

Because people have worked for such a long time...


Celest has never been *good*. They have been not the worst, but never really great. Its just a downword trend - do you wanna be on the losing team all the time, when your playing a game to have fun? Neither do I...

Doesn't really help celest to complain about it though.