Yep. I get it. I was just being needlessly picky about the word conflict, I guess.

And I also agree that there should be a world conflict quest that might force Magnagora to do amoral (from their POV) things to gain a benefit, just like this latest one would for Celest.

But I don't assume that one might not already be in the works, and I also agree with Kaalak that suggesting is better than complaining in the long run.

If you wish to blame anyone for the areas/quests, feel free to blame me!

Admins propose area/quests to me, and we work together to brainstorm how to make it fit best into Lusternia. There is no conspiracy to make quests/areas one sided, and I can attest that no admin designs areas/quests to benefit "their" side--I bet some of you would be shocked to learn who creates what!

Is there a tendency to have areas be "evil"? Maybe so! But certainly it's not because we favor one side or the other. For whatever reason, many simply find it more intriguing to develop an area with a darker story. If you hadn't looked at this thread, and sat down to start coming up with ideas for new areas in Lusternia, I would bet that a high percentage of the ideas would be of the darker variety. Even so, we do strive to strike ambivalent, amoral or grey tones when brainstorming.

BTW, if you have good ideas for areas and quests, feel free to post them to us on the Plots newsboard. (Keep in mind it takes a lot of time for us to create an area, especially as we have a small staff!)

That's just human nature I think. Dante's Inferno was very interesting. Paradiso is a sedative.

Meh, I really like the area and admit it's quest is more accessible to Mag then anyone else. That said, I still think any of the other 3 groups could do it, they may need a mindset change but that doesn't make it impossible. Nerra's view of the Light (A researched, wel thought out view at that) is not really shared by the most of Celest since it's primary focus is the teachings of Japhiel then Lord Methrenton (Where the rest of Celest seems IMO to be Methrenton or Raziela centered if you will).

Edit: Lusternia is amazingly dark! I just read the summary of the Vernal child inside Muud... WTF that made me so sad!!

Conversion, aye. That indeed is another rout, which eventually still lead to destruction of the Taint within the individual at least in my eyes, from IC point of view, thus the end still remains the same.

I am not entirely sure what do you mean with recruitment, Kaalak. So if you could explain that, I would certainly be interested in hearing it out at least.

Thirdly, I do want to believe that New Celest is pro-Light, the level of course varies from individual to individual. Pro-Light in my opinion does not mean a blind fool running around with a banner and refusing to hear absolutely anything. Light does not oppose the Forests, Light does not oppose the fae. And while Forest do have teachings that oppose the Cities, it is not a major concern as long as mutual agreements stand between the two.
This is something absolutely different and can not be compared to relations with Taint in any way.

Yep! Everyone knows all the best stories have plenty of death and violence and angst. Even romances need someone to die or a tragic break up or something to be good. Heck, even the funniest comedy often involves something bad happening to someone at some point.

I don't think anyone is blaming anyone. I think it's just a bit frustrating to see some REALLY awesome releases dangled in front of us, but completely unable to be used. It's like "Hey, This is soulforge. It hurts Celest, is there a way to retalliate? No?"

What is there for us? That's what I think people want to know

I take it you didn't read the complete story? The full one's not as sad as the abbreviated one (which really was sad).

I could try to come up with some ideas, but I want to express that any quest with a story centered around Celest, Serenwilde and Glomdoring doesn't have to be apple-pie sweet. It can be dark. Dark!= Taint.

Even using the Lucidian experiment as an example, I don't see anything 'good' about it, either way. You're either murdering children for a cause or you're killing Lucidian to prevent their efforts to cleanse Taint.

I don't think the area is bad, or the quest is poorly done, or even that it being 'darker' is a bad thing. The area is well designed, the quest is interesting, and the outcome is definitely RP worthy.

It doesn't change the fact that as far as gray areas go, this isn't really one of them and players on the other side of the spectrum are feeling a little left out.

I read up to the point where she was imprisoned inside muud and used as a tool to lure him to Ballach swamp where they burried him. Even if that's not the end... being a girl who leads a soulless around for 300 years, destroying every civilization that takes you in Sad. That's not to say it wasn't an interesting story... I just felt betrayed when they -actually- imprisoned the poor thing inside Muud. Did she get let out in the event or something?

Nope. She still lives on in Muud! Quite hard to get to her too. >.> Find the last part of the story though.

Wow, you guys are miserable.

this last part better be happy
/end hijack

What a wonderful contribution to the discussion.

Please, feel free to elaborate.

Well, it wasn't meant as a contribution to the discussion, so much as a comment on the discussion.

No piece of meat is too small for us to bite on.

Ok. Lets take the example of Saint Patrick since it is appro (LEAVE THE COMPUTER AND DRINK GREEN BEER). Ahem. He helped spread a religion among Ireland by adapting the teachings of said religion to metaphors and stories that would resonate among the culture.

Application to playerbase: Approach novices/young members of Magnagora and tailor the message of the Light to them. This has been done and
meets with success usually, and they approach our novices as well. Talkan is good at this.

Quest idea: A doomsay viscanti appears to convince the nobles of the various Magnagora houses (the ones that ask for you to find their kids) to siphon power from the Megalith. The Magnagora nobles are doing so to stockpile essence against each other in preparation for a possible civil war. Celest could obtain the power from an individual noble by doing a specific quest to send a missionary in to speak to the noble. If Magnagora finds and kills the doomsayer (or whatever) the power is returned to the Megalith and they get a little extra as a tax from the houses for "security". The issue of Celest to deal with, is should they raise a Tainted doomsayer in Magnagora to obtain power down the line by conversion.

Just a five minute thought.



Seen this happen. Sometimes this is amusing but it can get old fast.



Mrh...I agree the main conflict of Celest is vs the Taint. However it is the players that determine the political climate. Celest isn't overzealous on the political spectrum to have a scorched earth policy on the Forests. We have approached this in the past, for example a certain king (who I actually like btw) legalizing conversion of fae and promoting it. The PLAYERS shot this idea down, but it doesn't change the fact that Raziela when asked, asks people specifically to bring fae to her.

However there is plenty of potential in Serenwilde's RP to be expansionist for example if they wanted to.

The difference is I think is that the Light-Taint conflict is not something that can be ignored and the forest conflict is.

What's more miserable, trying to engage in a valid, mostly civil discussion; or making asinine, disparaging comments from the sidelines?

(Assuming you meant miserable in the pejorative sense rather than the emotional sense. If you meant it in the emotional sense, I apologize for the trolling).

And what's this about "us" now? I wouldn't bite any meat with you, we just met, I'm not that kind of man.

Cool down Refugee. I pretty much meant it in the emotional sense. Grumpy, if you will.

Us = the general forum body, not the two of us. Whatever you meant by that...

Sorry, I've been having one of those, "the world is giving me linked astral mobs and I don't have any health elixir" days, and I misconstrued what you said.

I apologize for that.



And as for the small piece of meat, I think the issue has become less about the quest in particular, and more about the broader issue of admin approach towards quest design, and the nature of Taint vs. Light, and Light Vs. Everything else (or lack thereof), so people are cracking open the dissertations.