Letter from Animation - April 2009

[wiedii]

Oren pyr, Deles silam, Lordoy, Kami'ata, Hello!


This is the first letter from 'Animation4'. The main objective of which is to shed light to you, the players, on the current and future: "Animation".

We think it's necessary to explain what 'Animation' is, what we as a team are doing with Animation and what we are aspiring to when it comes to Ryzom.

The role of the Animation is to implement the saga, the story of Ryzom, in which everyone, each character, will have a tangible and significant role. This means that beyond the evenings when we are playing characters , our ambition is to contribute, to live the intrigue and the saga ingame and continuously.

By this we don't just mean new stories, but also the history of the races, and current Atys residents.

We do not want Animation to be associated with just the events. We want to have regular 'Roleplay' conducted every day throughout Atys like another layer of your Ryzom experience. We will, with your help, breathe life into Atys, the saga and the & the history by putting it at the heart of Ryzom. Animation (as Roleplay) will not be sepearte part in Ryzom; it will be as normal to see Roleplay as it would be to see any other gameplay elements. Where you currnetly encounter titles, outposts, raw materials and levels you will also encounter Roleplay. Gameplay and Roleplay are the two elements that will form your experience, while still keeping the same game, the same ambition: to create, to live and tell a story with each and every one of you.

That is why we made the decision to strengthen the impact of one on each other; Roleplay actions and reactions lead to more gameplay and vice versa. We have read and taken into account the recent forum postings about the tone used by some non-player characters during events. But we will also show a more reactive stance in comparison the the behavior of some players. Consequences that may result in changes to your Gameplay. For example, it will not be possible for one race to see their leader treated with familiarity or insulted without the Gameplay and Roleplay quickly reacting equally with the character.

Over the past months we have been working hard fitting the players and the factions into Animation. Afterall, it is you who will live out the saga of Ryzom. To the best of our ability we shall try and incorporate a sense of identity when it comes to being a Fyros, Matis, Zorai or Tryker. To bring a sense of belonging through an internal organization for each of the races. We shall use them to arch more stories, develop a close bond between player and lore and to help you leave a lasting impression on Ryzom. Each organization comprises only a number of characters, who will act as both relays and catalysts to Animation, but will also help organise. Dependant on race, these organizations will include elected characters, sometimes the heads of guilds, who will make decisions with total self-sufficiency or by direction of a racial leader. This will help to circulate the information in a more natural, faster, by players deeply involved. They will also organize responding to events, create interactions between the event characters and players, as well as keep a consistent Roleplay feel to Ryzom.

We are thus able to send us to very small groups of characters, guilds or groups of guilds, as entire races, or rarely as many people during the event " Kitin Stir... Homins! Prepare!. "

It is with the races that we will be working with the history to shape the future. The things that were set in motion by Episode 2 (The War of the temples) gradually regain their original role. The races forming alliances in service their deity. Both individually and collectively.

Placed at the heart of the saga, the races will evolve with it and will face the various intricacies of the plot, both operating under the action undertaken by the Homins (players and non players). The Animation sequence that began in September 2007 and stopped at the time of the termination of Gameforge France, will be put back into play, leading the Races in several plots within the saga of Ryzom. Bringing Homins, the characters of each and everyone of us to take an active role.

In parallel, we are working on the implementation of tools out of game for all to follow the events taking place on the bark, including the Chronicles and new forums.

We hope that all these improvements the future will be prosperous. They are in the near future and in some cases already, the saga of Ryzom.


Good game everyone.


Team Animation4 - Arispotle

[suib0m]

Absolutely Beautiful!!
Dern.. I need to get writing! Gotta catch up with the events .

Thank you!!
- Sui

[twnw7]

Excellent.

Thanks

[fiach]

I never RP or do events and that has certainly got my attention!

Well done, it sounds great and I for one am looking forward to this one.

Thank you

[901941]

Beautiful! Awesome! How Exciting! Woot! *goes off to work on the Sirens of Atys scenario*

[faedyne]

I think a lot of players are used to the way games play, and if Ryzom is going to be a game that has events effected by players, then we should start being more aware of our expectations of how games work, because a lot of us probably have preconceived ideas that could get in the way of us making real choices.

During the last even, I just sort of "went along" with everything. I expected that I had no choice. I could opt in or out, but it wouldn't effect anything one way or the other. In hind-sight, I wondered if it was a stupid move for all of us to go gung-ho into the PR just on this guy's say so. "something's happening", and we all just go poke our heads into a hornet's nest without more information.

[ajsuk]

Bravo.

[gcaldani]

Why don't sticky this?

[seawe]

Originally Posted by wiedii

Oren pyr, Deles silam, Lordoy, Kami'ata, Hello!

When and where was this vocabluary entered into the game? I've seen things like this said a couple of times and have no clue... so get it in game! Especially since the texts' are being worked on. Its no fun to have a vocabulary if its not an active part of the game.

Originally Posted by wiedii

Consequences that may result in changes to your Gameplay. For example, it will not be possible for one race to see their leader treated with familiarity or insulted without the Gameplay and Roleplay quickly reacting equally with the character.
...
To the best of our ability we shall try and incorporate a sense of identity when it comes to being a Fyros, Matis, Zorai or Tryker. To bring a sense of belonging through an internal organization for each of the races.
...
We are thus able to send us to very small groups of characters, guilds or groups of guilds, as entire races, or rarely as many people during the event " Kitin Stir... Homins! Prepare!. "
...
The races forming alliances in service their deity. Both individually and collectively.

Good game everyone.

Team Animation4 - Arispotle

This all sounds great. There was a huge discontinuity made by all the rl issues with the game and closing the loop a bit will help us older players get back into the game and still feel like we know what is going on story wise... thanks for the dev update!

The language issue makes me a bit worried though, I do hope though that the Races stuff is done well and not treated lightly. I think its important to treat each of the races very differently just as diplomatic customs differ greatly for rl countries. This was done pretty well for the marriage customs so I hope you continue from there.

idea: Crafters could choose to be in race specific craft guilds in addition to their player guilds. etc..

I also want the addition of a neutral type of faction. Please don't make it an all or nothing modality with the choice of joining the factions. Being a bit of both kami and karavane the Trykers should be allowed to create a more dynamic balance between them and not be form pressed into one. (don't care what the other races do.. )

examp: If i want to be a full fledged 'Tryker' i don't want to have to give up being kami, for instance... but for a Matis this choice would be much more involved because there is so much more history and closer ties there...

The other thing I agree with is that its all well and fine to introduce race specific rolesplay, but we also need actual items and props to make it a bit more enjoyable, which will also draw other players who aren't normally interested in such. I wants me mugs of stinga rum as well!

ack! sorry for such a long post.

[katriell]

Originally Posted by seawe

I also want the addition of a neutral type of faction. Please don't make it an all or nothing modality with the choice of joining the factions. Being a bit of both kami and karavane the Trykers should be allowed to create a more dynamic balance between them and not be form pressed into one. (don't care what the other races do.. )

examp: If i want to be a full fledged 'Tryker' i don't want to have to give up being kami, for instance... but for a Matis this choice would be much more involved because there is so much more history and closer ties there...

This has been discussed elsewhere.

I have observed that some Trykers do whatever the hell they want no matter what. They do a good enough job of "dynamic" "balance" without active game-mechanical support.