The problem isn't that killing guards needs to be a staple of conflict - it's that between the new bard guards and guard-killing be harder, village raiding is now ludicrously difficult.

The problem with nexus worlds is that you have to wait for them, and sometimes you just want to log in and fight something without having to go to the arena.

The problem with planar conflicts is that there's no point to astral conflict, ethereal planes are fortresses, and it's very difficult to raid any of the city's planes.

I understand all the concerns, and I'll see if I can find a good way to articulate a way to have conflict without burnout. The problem is...for there to be competition, you need to be ahead somehow.

increase village revolting frequency. It's neutral conflict that I feel most people tend to enjoy. Currently it's once a week. Sometimes an non peak sometimes at peak. So people are going to be missing it and getting involved in conflict less than once a week.

Feel free to toss out your own ideas for how to improve conflict in Lusternia. I would love to see some great new ideas that we can implement.

The Sylvan Hunting Grounds

This idea has grown from the desire for low-level conflict-- that is, conflict which those who desire to participate in may, but in which nobody feels FORCED or OBLIGATED into doing by roleplay. Defending your organization's territory is an obligation, and thus does not fit the low-level category.

This will be discussing the Commune version of this area, though there should be one for Cities as well. The idea is NOT to stop all other conflict altogether, but to provide an outlet for aggressive desires and fun between those who have a taste for it in a place where it's not only acceptable but *encouraged* by roleplay-- a fun that doesn't aggravate or frustrate those that do not find it to be interesting at all.

The Commune version could be something like a primal Sylvan hunting ground upon Ethereal. While this place would have strong creatures (which will be discussed later), the main inhabitant would be one of the Dream Aspects of Wolf. An aspect of the Hunt, attuned to blood and desiring to see conflict and fight within that little realm. There would be an implication that there are other Sylvan "areas" where other Aspects of the Spirits reside, forests that are offshoots of Faethorn, but not directly controlled by Queen Maeve. This one especially would be a primal Forest, where those who do not have a bond to the Forests would find the forest rising against them (LiveForest effects against anybody who isn't in a Commune. The City equivalent would have Cosmic Ripple effects against anybody who isn't a member of a city and doesn't have a bond to the protection of a City Nexus). There would be an entrance in Ethereal Serenwilde and an entrance in Ethereal Glomdoring, but only a member of that organization could use that entrance-- as a member of the Glomdoring, I could not use the path into Ethereal Serenwilde.

This Aspect would have a small "arena" around itself, it at the center, a four-room diamond-shaped ring encircling, and an outer ring of another five rings for nine rooms total. No other NPCs would enter this ring. The Aspect would ask for Challengers, and should someone from either Commune be willing to bear this burden, a Howl would rise up in both Communes signifying that the Challenge has been offered! (You probably shouldn't hear this with loyalsays off). After the Challenge has been offered, the other organization has 10 minutes to pull together a force and accept it by entering the "arena". If they do not accept, after ten minutes are up a force of NPC wolves will attack instead, VERY difficult to defeat, perhaps two or three waves instead of all at once.

If you leave the nine-room arena while a challenge is in effect, you CANNOT get back in. You cannot teleport in after dying, you cannot tesseract, you cannot walk in. In fact, the exits in and out should close so that there is no way to walk out, either. You win, or you die. Should you win, however, you will gain control over a source of Power-- the Aspect itself will allow you to link, becoming loyal to your organization for 30 minutes, or until the next Challenge is offered, whichever comes first. While loyal, you could LINK to the aspect, drawing power for your own personal reserves. The Aspect would regenerate ten power every five minutes for a total of fifty power an hour, up to a maximum capacity of 1000 power (total amount could be subject to change, depending on how well this goes over and how much it is used-- it should be enough to supply those who fight for control of it). It would likely *never* fill up completely-- a source of power like that would be used quite constantly, and quite a bit of power would be expended to secure it for drawing, so it wouldn't really add a huge influx of power to the game, but it would be something that combatants would have some fun getting to use! The reason for this is that Wolf is dormant, slumbering. His Aspect would essentially be offering a small bit of the power of the Spirit to those who have proved worthy, power that replenishes over time.

Further, the Aspect would embody the Hunt in the realm-- you would be able to perform tasks for it showing your hunting ability (a way for an Honours Quest here, IF one is desired... searching for creatures that live in trees, or behind hidden passages through the undergrowth, or so on-- if an honours quest isn't desired, it could just non-Honours quests for performing feats of hunting). It would express its view of those who enter not only as being Hunters, but as being Prey as well-- there is no safety within this Realm. Even if you are the most pacifistic person within the Basin, the Aspect will look on with pleasure as you are killed. This is not a soft or easy place, and there would be no Laws regarding conduct within (except for things like "do not steal" which are more OOC considerations anyways). If you enter, expect that you will be Prey. The Commune Leaders would be expected to understand and recognize this.

This place would have no intrinsic bond to either Commune. There would be NO fae there, nothing that makes any commune feel that they *have to defend* it or *have to claim it*. It's an independant area, ruled over by the Wolf Aspect. Creatures within it would basically be strong, old creatures that aren't seen elsewhere. A few ideas presented so far are things such as sabre-tooth wolves, or rainbow serpents (these were presented as the living version of kundalini, the Serpent spell of lowmagic: a midnight black flying snake, that leaves rainbow afterimages in the air behind it as it moves).

This idea was crafted by Nejii, Anarias, and myself, and has been presented to Xavius, Hiriako, Shayle, and Nirrti for review. Each and every one has agreed that the idea is interesting and the need for low-scale conflict is *necessary*. Though the implementation was questioned by Xavius (he was wondering if another implementation might be more effective for encouraging combatants to come play without others feeling the obligation) the rest have all supported it. If it goes well, there could be other low-scale conflict areas added for lower-level people-- ways for people who want to fight to fight, without others being dragged into it who have no desire for such.

Everything you said there is pretty much how I feel. I've heard the same complaints voiced by others.

It could up city raids if guards and statues/totems were changed. Only a certain amount of totems per commune, statues per city.

Totems are already limited. Statues aren't, though.

She speaks! And I assume she was unbanned, with that post count! Hooray.

It could up city raids if guards and statues/totems were changed. Only a certain amount of totems per commune, statues per city. Weaken guards (One damage type, a bit slower) and make them track from wherever they are to any "help, help!" regardless where they are in org territory, then return. Communes already deal with a lesser amount of totems due to lack of people to bond them, but hey, they have flow, so it doesn't matter all that much. At least that way people (Who aren't me, and what I do doesn't count anyway. Swarms of people turn up in seconds.) are likely to group up and go for a walk. The Nexus should be inviolate, but not the rest of the city.

Don't think giving people a way to fight over power -gain- is terribly worthwhile. Villages are, yes, but their main importance lies in the comms they produce.

People can really care less about Wildnodes- it's always Celest or Mag (whoever can set up the most passive effects/trample the most people/lord knows what else), and if one side has a big enough of a lead everyone just backs away and doesn't bother.

Constructs were meant to be a big drain on power, if I remember, but instead they got changed to a very small cost which eventually turned into a bonus. :/

Are you really fighting to get power for yourself (when you've got 2 million waiting at home, albeit restricted by useless power rules), or are you just looking for a fight in that situation? In my experience, it's typically the latter. :/

Uggg. don't change the village revolts. It is the first time in a few years that people havn't been complaining about them in one way or another!

re-code the quest mechanic so the quest can only be done by a player who has registered, bought credits, and is over level 40 or so, and the quest will only work once per player, and only reset once a week.

Have some disaster occur to the nexus of some org that wishes to "wait it out".

Peer pressure seems to force as many people to be involved in the conflict.

An idea we submitted ages upon ages ago ("we" being Glomdoring and Serenwilde):

If people really wanted to raid cities and villages, what if once every week (random time), the guards all have to "go to sleep" or "regenerate" for a few hours. That would allow a sanctioned time when a raid would be possible. You could keep guards in the Newbie-safe areas. There would be a five-minute warning or something like that.

Stuff.