[Discuss] Activity (was: The state of the game)

[Jorge Garcìa]

> Maybe we should make "not following orders" an inalienable right.
>
> Yes, that was provocative. But think about it. How do we get more people
> to PROPERLY play the role of a noble with his own agenda?

>If you want to make nobles act like nobles, and for them to follow there
own
>agenda then you need to make debate easier within realms, and to increase
>politics in realms.

>I was just saying yesterday how it might be nice to play in a realm that
has
>real inter-realm politics e.g. each duchy vying for power over all the
>others with a relatively weak ruler in charge.

>I think the answer is money - give region lords more control over what
>happens with their region's tax gold (ie. they choose how much tax to
>charge, how much to keep, how much to give their knights, and how much
>to send to their leige).

>That wasn't my whole message. You missed the part where I said "If you
don't
>want to follow the order, bring it up on the all in realm channel, discuss
>it, find the better way. Don't sit there and do nothing.

These discussions are actually a bit of a tangent on the main issue.  There
are various good and nice ideas above that might make inter-realm politics
more lively and interesting, and having nobles who are more *actively*
independent is to be treasured and sought after, but these are somewhat
separate issues from the basic reality of the situation.  The mechanics
being proposed might make the game more interesting for some players and
this increase activity levels, and if  more players approached the game the
way Alex proposes this would also occur, but this doesn't change the
following:

1) The above solutions would not eliminate "inactivity" occurring (it might
decrease it).  The solutions are worthwhile simply for making the game more
interesting, but not as *solutions* to the issue.  If all of these were
implemented we would *still*, potentially, have some ruler or Marshal
griping about people only logging in "once a day"  and thus  not following
some order to "Move to X" or whatnot.

2)  It has been demonstrated time and time again that  people can be very
much a part of the game and be marginally "inactive"

3) TL's not following orders should *really* not be that much of an issue.
Battles which are close enough that a few missing TL's would matter are
probably the exception, not the rule.

4) As Marshal etcetera, its your role to work with the tools you have.
Don't shave battles so close that those TL's *would* matter.  Wait a day if
needed.  BM is a slow enough game that if you let your enemies sit there for
a extra day, it *won't matter*.

5) Wars are generally slow, gradual affairs.  Even if you lose that one
battle, it *won't matter*.

The mechanics are designed specifically so that in a big picture sense, your
inactive TL's *won't matter* one way or another.  That's what people who
cause problems need to come to grips with. Nothing needs to be changed for
that to happen except them and their attitude.

How you treat this question is really a matter of attitude and keeping a
proper scale of things.  Inactivity is *not* an issue unless you *make* it
an issue.  It's *not* a problem, unless you *make* it a problem.   At that
point, *you*  have become a problem.

What makes a player "hardcore" in this context is an inability to relax a
little and let the chaos of war reign, an inability to accept setbacks and
some defeats.  A monomaniacal insistence on perfection, efficiency, and most
importantly *winning*:  Winning every battle, make their realm bigger, or
whatnot.  Getting every last oodle of power, or whatever, out of the game
possible.  Maximizers, if you will.  This type of player, definitionilly,
cannot just leave well enough alone, since this is a team game they hound
others to *also* become "maximizers", to take the game "professionally."  In
short, to treat the game as more than a game.

 But of course, BM *is* a game, and furthermore is a game that can not be
"won", is *designed* not to be won, so this way of doing things is both
foolish *and* unnecessary.  Not to mention that it threatens to make the
game *not* a game, and instead something you have to *work* at for the
unfortunates who have to play with this person.

I can't find it right now, but I recall seeing on the  manual somewhere
that  rather that breaking the Inalienable rights by complaining
about/fining/banning inactives, or ordering what troops to recruit,  rulers
et al should find ways to *encourage* the behavior they want to see.  Want
more activity?  Organize your realm so it *roleplays* some of the
suggestions listed above, so maybe people will be drawn in. (The lack of
game mechanics here does not and should not stop you from doing so)
Encourage debate through example.  Give symbolic honors to TL's who
distinguish themselves on the field or for the realm at large.  There are so
many tools you have through the simple fact that you are a leader of your
realm and people will listen to what you have to say, if you but use them
wisely.

Sorry about the length of this post, btw. :D
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