This comment reminded me there was a proposal to make participating the Lusternian theatre system more attractive by offering experience to actors, producers, and so on. Viewed against something like aetherhunting, it seems almost crazy that there isn't some kind of XP reward associated with the theatre. Does anybody think this is worth exploring? If not experience, what else could make the theatre system more appealing?

Esteem?

I mean, most people have esteem for a skilled actor.

I think experience is a pretty good incentive, however, and since theatrics require so much coordination it really would be fair.

Esteem and exp in some form would be neat. Kinda the "influencing" counterpart to aetherhunting. I like.

The concern is it's far too easily gamed. People game aetherbashing already, and there's risk there. Theater would be so easy to game and has no risk.

The existing incentive is the production of culture. You can make a secondary incentive by offering gold, credits, and cityfavors.

The personal reward could only be gained once the play is submitted to the world stage, with a much larger reward going to the play which wins the prestige contest.

Could you elaborate? I haven't been playing long enough to know how people like to cheat the system.

It's mostly too AFKable. It's far easier to set up an auto-script for shooting, empathing, piloting and siphoning than it is to set up an auto-script for hunting/influencing. Doesn't make it more legal, of course, but far far more common.

I'd be happy with that, in fact, I think I proposed it myself once, a year or more ago. Karma would also be a nice gift there.