I come from Achaea, and I think the fact that I'm here now speaks for itself as to my thoughts and feelings about Achaea.

Frankly, I greatly prefer the guild system. At the very least, you can get all your skills and transcend them by only having to reach level 20 and play in a guild for 24 hours. Or you can opt to skip novicehood and do some petty 10 minute task. I find it obnoxious when people complain about the stupidest little things like.. oh no I have to think?! That's why I left Achaea. People like Cain disgusted me. Oh god damnit I died... I spent 20K on this game and I was killed! I'm going to issue! I should be able to kill anyone I want anytime I want! I shouldn't have to think! . The great thing about Lusternia is it is really balanced already in comparrison to the other IRE MUD's. To be quite frank, if you don't like thinking.. go play WoW. I love the RP of Celest, the current city I am in, but I am still making up my mind to what I may want to do before I invest money, not a lot though, in this game. Err.. wow, sorry, I'm a little off topic, haha. But anyways, it's perfectly fine, the guild system is. If you want ranks, you should have to earn them, but you can already get your skillsets, so you powergamers.. shaddup! Haha. As to Magnagora's problem, it's not uncommon, as previously stated, for "evil" organizations to have a decline in population. Look at Mhaldor in Achaea. They still have some of the best fighters, and they really get the job done, but their population is tiny compared to Ashtan or Shallam. Magnagora will be fine for now, but yes, eventually you will probably want to try to integrate more communication and a more friendly appearence to the rest of the Lusternian community. Magnagora is a bit intimidating as it stands. But really, Magnagora shouldn't be so much "evil" as it is simply Tainted. In my mind, there is a difference between Taint and evil. Besides.. even evil people can be nice. For example, Hitler was one of the most evil men in history, yet he was incredibly charismatic and before the war the British actually liked him. What irony, haha. Gosh.. sorry.. I keep getting off topic. Anyways, I think that with a few tweaks to their novice programs and their appearence to the other communities, Magnagora will be fine

-Sadus.

Hello I am new to lusterna, and my first PC just graduated "novice-hood" in the nihilist guild.
I love the setting in the tainted city, but I am into the dark gothic fused with the industrial revolution feel of the ever smoking megalith.
My impression from reading the web site was that our city was described from the perspective of some scribe in celestia. the main points I walked away with were "mutated nutballs" who were a "blight on creation."
(I like nutballs). So I am not surprised that many more people gravitate to the knights in shining armor, or the fairy dancing elves.
Having played for a short time and having been exposed to the various ideals of taint I really feel that magnagora is really more of a Roman empire than a Gomorra.
I don't know if this is the place for suggestions, and I know many will be tossed out like the rubbish they are,
but here are a few...
1> Rework the site describing magnagora as "the icky bad guys". Focus on the strength of taint which is really about change, freedom of action and ideas. Make us sound like rebels, not like the freaky newt people who sleep in their own filth.
2> The structure of magnagora seems a little dry for the ideals we stand for. Spiky oppressive buildings work for part of the city, but we need an entertainment quarter. The Arena and the casino are a nice start. but I feel they fall a little shy of what we need.
Build a theater to have plays, debates, and shows. (Illusions would work nicely for this)
Give us a few bars where a cute Npc comes and sits on your lap or asks you to dance.
Allow for exotic entertainment (Hookahs, snuff, tainted incense, belly dancers) (without being raunchy)
Allow for some drunken brawling, Have illegal gambling (makes it fun) in dark alleys and back rooms, but if the guards catch you they take all the money and rough you up... and let people try to cheat a little.
Once/Twice a year have a Grand event in the arena, with an animal free for all, or navy battle (where citizens can participate for a fee)
Bath houses, Eating orgies, Vomitoruims , we should look to the past indulgences/vices/kinkyness in our history and play them out in magnagora (PC/Pg-13 of course)

I know we are not trying to set up a theme park, or the text game version of Las Vegas. But differences in culture must be not only allowed for but actively pursued. Otherwise we will lose out to the good guys every time simply because of mediocrity....

Sorry, longer than I expected.

Noooooo! Magnagora isnt evil! Theyre the victims of all of this, theyre not bad at all, theyre just different. I see more Celestians and Serens drinking and smoking weed than Ive ever seen in Magnagora. Celest just -makes- you think theyre evil, but in reality theyre the evil ones!

I like the idea of animal arena battles, reminds me of SW: Ep2.

Actually, I believe thats the intent. The histories are written from the idea of the taint taking over, which, from a non-tainted perspective, is bad. Also, formerly, people would flock to Magnagora, and they probably still do. They just seem to be having an issue getting the people to stick around and/or be productive.

That is part of my rational, The way I see it when it comes to retention the administration has control over three main points.

The first impression- peoples first reaction and ideas about Magnagora will likely colour all other ideas and reactions down the line (for good or bad)

City spirit(for lack of a better term)- On going events, groups, and locations that fuel/support the ideas that the city puts forth.

Side projects (mini quests for magnagora)- Its what makes the SIMS so damn popular, and lusternia has this handled on a world wide scale. It is just up to Magnagora to create projects for its people.
A few more ideas...
Beast catching for the arena fights, With special beast catching weapons (gorgogs, metal goats....)
Planning City wide parties (admin)
costume balls, masquerades, (Tailors/artisans)
Day of the dead, Blood sports, Feasts (Celebrating demon lords)
Burning man before it got all commercial...
We could have one minor event once a month, and one major event every year.

(a day of fasting followed by a night of gluttony (minor gifts for who participates) Day of the Maw

(Special blood sports in the arena with prizes and honors for the mighty, also with free challenges to settle grudges) Day of the bloody fist

(Shadow Masquerade, if someone whispers you your name you must remove your mask. The person who unmasks the most other people win a boon of darkness) Masquerade of shadows

(For one night demons are unleashed with scourges (min damage), you must Inflict or suffer pain to make it through the night) (people would have to opt into this one... say they would only be attacked if holding a special scourge) The night of screams

(for one day Taint is unfettered, and the sun over magnagora is snuffed out, the dead rise(not combative), and it rains blood. People spend the week collecting trophies to show the world the might of magnagora. Huge pyres are built around the city, who ever casts in the greatest of prizes in (say the top ten) will be gifted with honors for the following year)(say seven player winners, and three newbie) Nil week

All hail Magnagora !!!
(damn another log post)

I've spoken with quite a few people about adding more culture to Magnagora, and it looks like we're getting a troupe of actors together for a few plays. A masquerade has also been proposed by several people, and would befit Fain nicely being that he's the Red Masque.

A think a lot of it is also about small, personal RP interactions, which the city lacks entirely. We tend to jump from one big event to the next, from celebration to festival, without any thought for what goes on in between. We need to stop treating RP like an event, and more like a day-to-day occurance. That is one thing that will really add life and character to Magnagora, I think.

I agree 100%. Especially when the big events you mention happen very far apart. I think people sometimes forget that roleplaying isn't just huge things. Roleplaying could be pretending to take a bath or go to the bathroom (although that would be...really awkward, it was just the first thing that came to mind).

That's how it usually is and it's not just Magnagora. That's why I get a little annoyed when I hear about 'rp sessions', 'let's rp a bit', or something similar. I so much prefer people being consistant to the character and staying IC then so called 'sessions' which make it look artificial.

I agree as well, Kashim. "RP session" seems like an oxymoron. One of the many reasons I resigned as Heresiarch is to clear up some time for more personal RP involvement, and less guild- and city-governance which left me stranded in meetings or working on guild stuff all the time. Hopefully it will help.

I want old Fain back. This one is just a cynnical tyrant. Old Fain was smooth, brutal and let me get away with murder. Old Fain made Magnagora fun!

Plus this one accused me of stealing from Magnagora. Bastard.

I hardly see that letting you get away with murder is a laudable qualification for the divine. You need regular spanks, Yrael. And don't you forget it.

personally i think a version of Texax Holdem poker should be introduced as another gambling option, except the city has to buy it and make the room, and they get a cut of the winnings via the 'rake'

Would be a good money maker, and a good excuse for murphy to take the gold off the rest of the fools in Magnagora.

Oh please Murph, I know all your tells. You are about as likely to beat me in Texas Hold'em as I am to beat you in a fight.

Meh, I made bank playing poker, it's gotta be limit though, since all you nubs can't handle limit and play way too loose.. Bring it

How the hell do you trans all your skills by reaching level 20?!?
And yeah...Cain is a moron that needs to be shut up for good but what are you going to do...always going to have little babies like Cain no matter where you go.

My RP alt is level 10 and will shortly be quitting the Celestines. All he needs is Bookbinding, Arts, Influence, and a bit of healing. I don't expect him to ever leave novicehood except by accident. He may or not eventually move to Magnagora. Anyone wanting to figure out a decently RPed way of getting him there, lemme know.

I am sure there is a way to get them into Mag. I mean just leaving Celest will probably enemy you to them if you go to Glom or Mag... so do something anti celestian at the pool or preach the ways of Taint in Celest since you will end up enemied and have a way into Mag if you want. You could have been influenced by the taint in a prior village revolt and saw the "light" of celest as it truly was "evil" and have decided to follow the ways of reformation. Thats an RP'ish way to get out. ....

Eh. He doesn't really care one way or the other. He likes Celest because it's pretty. He's a Merian who is oddly intrigued by things with fur. Most likely, he'll do some research, write some books, and then eventually just end up somewhere else. Mag seems interesting, so that would be most likely. Being enemied would be annoying in any case, though, especially since he doesn't even have a bashing skill, so he really needs villages to influence.