I want to add some comments. I am playing not a very long time, mid of December it was 2 years, for me, and mid of January for Diwu (who did not play an active role until beginning of 2012, anyway).
All time from the beginning, I participated in the assemblies of the nations as far as they were public, mainly out of curiosity. Later I assumed my role as an independant scout and patroller in defense of the free peoples of the four nations (this was before the plan of a rangers' faction was disclosed by the devs).
Though I never assumed any office in any of the nations (which would have contradicted my neutrality), I always had a say in the assemblies and was heard (though not always approved). Our customs of integration of diaspora trykerhood in the Trykers' National Assembly at Fairhaven even gave me voting rights in that constitutional body now wiped.
Our assemblies were generally designed towards a great extent of openness, short before the fusion even the Matis were about to create an additional chamber to give the non noble vassals a say and a possibility to participate in roleplay.
I can say that in spite of the small and shrinking population of Leanon roleplay was the most vivid and best visited part of social life. Lamentably that cannot be said about roleplay in the new world.
I have observed roleplay in the other communities since it began after the fusion. There are still grave differences between the communities which I doubt can be harmonized and reconciled fast. To name one, the french community considers tagging and integrating PvP into roleplay an indispensible part of their roleplay life while this was rare and was frowned upon by many. I do not judge about better or worse, but flattening the differences will alienate either side. Other examples may be given.
Beneath that, roleplay wins much of its richness from language. I received a transcript of the most recent session in Thesos and had a lot of opportunities to smile upon roleplay interaction, partially puns I did understand only after careful rereading, an excellent and amusing row between the celiakos and the barman, and several more. If I compare that with national meetings, they are ways less vivid, ways slower, taking much more time.
I agree that the role of national and local assemblies should be carefully observed and ways to optimize them be developped. Dumping the local assemblies will quite safely lead to further decline of roleplay.
A last word about a problem generously overlooked: The relative weakness of RP in the english speaking part of the community is to a considerable extent, though not only, a problem of timezones. It may be further a problem of lack of event managers on the other side of the Atlantic (though this is speculation from my side).
All time from the beginning, I participated in the assemblies of the nations as far as they were public, mainly out of curiosity. Later I assumed my role as an independant scout and patroller in defense of the free peoples of the four nations (this was before the plan of a rangers' faction was disclosed by the devs).
Though I never assumed any office in any of the nations (which would have contradicted my neutrality), I always had a say in the assemblies and was heard (though not always approved). Our customs of integration of diaspora trykerhood in the Trykers' National Assembly at Fairhaven even gave me voting rights in that constitutional body now wiped.
Our assemblies were generally designed towards a great extent of openness, short before the fusion even the Matis were about to create an additional chamber to give the non noble vassals a say and a possibility to participate in roleplay.
I can say that in spite of the small and shrinking population of Leanon roleplay was the most vivid and best visited part of social life. Lamentably that cannot be said about roleplay in the new world.
I have observed roleplay in the other communities since it began after the fusion. There are still grave differences between the communities which I doubt can be harmonized and reconciled fast. To name one, the french community considers tagging and integrating PvP into roleplay an indispensible part of their roleplay life while this was rare and was frowned upon by many. I do not judge about better or worse, but flattening the differences will alienate either side. Other examples may be given.
Beneath that, roleplay wins much of its richness from language. I received a transcript of the most recent session in Thesos and had a lot of opportunities to smile upon roleplay interaction, partially puns I did understand only after careful rereading, an excellent and amusing row between the celiakos and the barman, and several more. If I compare that with national meetings, they are ways less vivid, ways slower, taking much more time.
I agree that the role of national and local assemblies should be carefully observed and ways to optimize them be developped. Dumping the local assemblies will quite safely lead to further decline of roleplay.
A last word about a problem generously overlooked: The relative weakness of RP in the english speaking part of the community is to a considerable extent, though not only, a problem of timezones. It may be further a problem of lack of event managers on the other side of the Atlantic (though this is speculation from my side).
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Daomei die Streunerin - religionsneutral, zivilisationsneutral, gildenneutral