Are Land Claims Bad for Illy?

if they are real people they should be treated with respect IF they deserve it. However I'm not going to bend over backwards to make someone else in game happy. It's a game, I'm going to play the way I want to play and if someone stronger than myself decides I can't play that way then so be it.

Angrim wrote: ajqtrz wrote: do explain how "Illy has a[n] entrenched bias in favour of new/small players." illy vets treat new players as precocious children; it takes a great deal of mischief to sour the indulgent attitude of vets toward newbs, who are encouraged to experiment, given obscene amounts of gold and resources, etc. much of this is an attempt to seduce them (in the espionage sense) and some is a more general "more players is better, make them feel welcome" philosophy. when that indulgence stops is anyone's guess, but generally i think an alliance of small players is more likely to be "gently corrected" than be made an example of.

One of the hallmarks of Illy is it's openness and support of new players, and Angrim is correct in that.  But why do we do that?  He indicates the reason, "much of this is an attempt to seduce them (in the espionage sense) and some is a more general "more players is better, make them feel welcome" philosophy."  Exactly.  We treat new players, and small players gently because we wish for them to stay and enjoy themselves.

Now here's the thing.  If you are a new player you will arrive in Illy, build a city and then migrate (usually) from the newb ring.  But where too?  Now where  ever you wish, but, maybe to some area "reserved" for you.  Which, of course, you must accept since much of the rest of Illy has been reserved for the rich and powerful who got here first.

Now what if you are a "competitive" player.  One who likes warfare.  You show up, build your first city, get some friends and form an alliance.  You then move to the "reserved area" and claim your own part of it....right?  Good.  In the end there is no reservation and all the players new must get permission to move or stay in the newb ring.  You think it's fun in the newb ring?  You think it's going to be fun asking permission to move where the game allows but some large alliance has decided they don't want you to move?  Do you think you will stay?  Do you think those groups of players who come together to play competitively will want to stay if 3/4 of Illy is already controlled by large alliances?  Somehow the friendliness of it all seems to be slipping away into "aggressive gameplay" and intimidation, threats and coercion.  If you want a war game, go play a war game.

"but generally i think an alliance of small players is more likely to be "gently corrected" than be made an example of" only means that the current crop of players are nice.  Do you think this will remain so if the game becomes a war game?  We are faced with a choice to let go of the sandbox or to keep it.  One way is land claims the other safeguarding the rights the game has given each of us to settle any where that is not within 10 squares of another player.

Angrim, I do believe you to be one of the many who are too sanguine about the future under land claim rules.  I do believe the community of Illy has been so nice and wonderful for so long that we sometimes forget what a real war game can be like.  I think some have forgotten what it means to make Illy safe for all players so that they don't feel unnecessarily intimidated, threatened and coerced. 

Can you take a stab at answering my question: If there are real people playing Illy how should we treat those real people?

Thanks.

AJ

Closing this thread and any other that attempts to

personally I am watching the development of land claims closely....they already have increased activity in game play...I believe they might even save our game by replacing the old way of playing which was becoming very stale...if it attracts new players and gives older players a new reason to actually play we should allow and encourage its development....my hope is that's the devs add functions to the game to enhance playing land claims such as ai factions and pathfinding as well as add or replace war functions which have long long been neglected and are passe with current game play