I'm not sure what you want them to do blaston? It's likely this project was in the planning stages for months, but it takes time to code and implement effectively.

Remember, they have stated they work on problems simultaneously. Saying the game has no long-term planning is sort of ridiculous. Just because your opinions on what's a priority are disagreed with doesn't mean that they have no plan to expand. How does Estarra not doing this "a few months ago" hurt the game? It looks like they added this as quickly as they could.

Also, I noticed several people coming back and new people interested when the Undervault/Monks were announced. Adding "new shinies" is critical for some people to get involved in the game again.

Not true. A few people who appeared at the same time were just bored of what they were playing, apparently.

I came back because of Branwyn, just quit Uo after playing on and off for 8 odd years. She just suggested it, didn't wave around anything in my face.

I don't know whether to thank Branwyn or cut off Zalana's fishcake supply...

Phred, if the Collegiums had been released in a functional form with a statement saying that they had been a long time in the making, I would not be so angry. This would, at the very least, show that they had been putting developer effort into this project. The project in its current form, however, does not appear to have been in any sort of planning at all. The idea was tossed out months ago, and it has resurfaced now that the other, shinier projects have been completed. The announce post calls for players to design and administer the things!

And as far as old people coming back when the Undervault was released, this is natural. The main reaction to new things is curiosity. People make alts, people reactivate old accounts, etc. Why do you think the Burning Crusade drew people back into World of Warcraft, people who stopped playing after a couple short months? They were curious as to how the game would function with the new stuff added in. The people who came back for the sake of seeing the Undervault will be gone again in a few weeks, and the alts generated to show interest in the monks will also fade away.

My suggestions, since the hartstone are all pissy about what I think is a perfectly good name.

1. Ancestral Academy

2. Academy of the Ancestors

3. The Ethereal Establishment

Ancestral Grove and Ethereal Garden are both fine. They're not exactly school-y but I have this feeling that calling it a "creche" of all things is a little demeaning to the novices, even if they act like that sometimes. And sheesh, Blastron, chill. They got it done.

EDIT: And academy sounds a little cheesy, but that's just me. Calling it a grove or a garden implies that it's some kind of practice area rather than a "school" per se...which isn't what it is, but it sounds better anyway.

Serenwilde's Collegium should be a frat house, Arix's Mobile Liquors would be happy to provide drinks

If you're referring to the "Halls of the Ancestors," it is a perfectly good name. However, I do not believe the Hartstone guild would like to keep the entire prefrosh population of the Serenwilde in their basement.

That's more of a Moondancer thing

What about something like

School of Moon's Hart
College of Moonhart
Ancestral Seminary

Actually yeah, I like that last one.

Hartstone has enough creepy things locked in its basement. Kalodan, for example

Me too.

Being a bit stupid, I don't understand how it works, even though I've read the whole thread. Has it opened or not? Can someone explain, please?

It's a place where newbies go to learn more specifics about the game and particularly their guild and commune, I think.

Ahah. Thanks.

And it hasn't opened yet since the communes and cities will be helping organise it.

I think that it is a great idea, as the most boring parts of guiding is teaching them the basic syntax if they didn't go through the Fates tour.
Also, it's great that we basically get a CNT as an addition to our current GNT.
My favourite part is that we get to help work out the exact details of the collegiums. I don't see it as being a half-finished project tossed to the playerbase to work out. I see it more as involving the playerbase in a flexible project which does not require the admins to work out everything.

I'd like to clarify something. Is there any structure to work around, or are we free to tinker it in any way we like?


Oh, and just one thing. No tests please.

Yes, the mechanisms in place for novice retention were identified as a problem and solutions suggested a couple of months back. Some solutions were implemented within a couple of days (see: extra equipment for novices, mob teaching influencing in Newton). Others took a little longer (see: guides being able to possess Newton mobs). This one clearly spent some time in the design phase backstage, and what had sounded to me then like a terrible idea was announced now like a great-sounding idea.

Clearly, they've not been sitting idle about this. Clearly, since the problem was identified, work on it's been ongoing. Before that, I'd venture to say that a lot of the attempts at increasing the playerbase were focused on providing a better environment for existing players, to retain them. One major problem that was brought up repeatedly was the lack of more bashing areas. The admin have had an extensive bashing area in the work for many months, and its release has made bashing much, much better. That's also a good thing for player retention. So are the awesome quests and storylines and RP extensions. I'm one of the players that came back (having had no intention to play again) solely for the recent additions, and I'm hooked again.

I'd question starting work on monks before the playerbase has grown, but everything else has likely been in design for close to a year. What exactly do you expect them to do? Start on a major project, shelf it the moment something else comes into the field of view, and go back and forth like that to address the "most pressing problems" as identified by a random sample of the loudest player voices? Logistic disaster lies thataway.

Lastly, let me point out that Lusternia's novice system is probably the least demanding and most painless of all the IRE games, and if these changes are implemented, it'll be miles beyond the other games, which haven't fundamentally revamped them in, well, never since Achaea got one in the first place. Your bar may be set a little high.

Nah. Give them tests. Remove the autoclass system! Give them an email to schedule 4+ hour interviews! The authentic Achaea experience!

What about something simple and natural for Seren? Like "The Learning Grounds?" Using College or Seminary or whatever just seems really city-ish.

The Learning Grounds
The Path of Knowledge
The Path of Wisdom
The Path of Experiences
The Circle of Knowledge
The Circle of Wisdom
The Circle of Experience
The Caverns of Growth
The Caverns of Seeking

Something like that would feel much more appropriate for a forestral org like Seren.

The Trying Grounds? The Proving Grounds?

I like Scholomance for Mag, Seminary of Shadows for Glom.