Shattered Kingdoms

Some of this may come off as a bit harsh but I'm looking for a new RP Enforced Mud (the one I used to play is no longer around) and debating rather or not SK is a mud I want to invest time in. My first impression is that this is a hack and slash mud that really wants to be an RP Mud, maybe that's unfounded but that's the impression I've gathered from my limited play experience and what I've read so far on these boards.

As far as my questions.

First of all how is mentoring justified IC?

I created a couple of characters tonight to check the game out a bit and did a bit of searching on the forums to discover that there are no in game ooc channels, including a newbie channel. I felt like I was being pushed towards finding an IC mentor to answer any OOC questions I may have (like where do giants live, stuff like that that my character might know, that's not covered in the help files, and would be important to completing a character background). I didn't see where mentoring was justified IC in any of the help files.

Second of all how viable is leveling without grinding?

On this question I'm not talking about just NPC grinding but all grinding in general. It's not always IC to run around doing quests for every npc in the game just as it's not always IC to kill every NPC that comes across your path. I don't want to grind, I want to RP. If my characters never reach max level that's cool but I do want to see some advancement before my characters would die of old age.

Is the who list IC info and if so how's this justified?

How enforced is RP? Do characters end up with in game consequences for killing NPCs, especially sentient NPCs?

To answer the first, it can be justified in many different ways. When a newbie pops out of mud school, an instructor sends the relevant possible mentor a tell. From there the mentor can come up with whatever reasons they want for making contact. As for the teaching factor, experienced professionals can teach newer ones. It's just the way of the world!

Is that the kind of answer you were looking for? It feels kind of intuitive and hollow to me, so maybe I'm missing some context.

Secondly, it is virtually impossible to level without grinding, either on quests or NPCs (or most likely both). While it's conceivable to level only on RP-based rewards given out by paragons (they have PAR in the who list), it's highly unlikely, would take a long time, and I don't know anyone who's done it in the last, oh, nine years.

The who list is considered IC info. Again, you can justify it however you like. I usually say that the who list is based on rumor. "Oh, you're XXX? I heard you were the knightlord of the Empire..."

RP is enforced, but people are generally lenient (though of course, there are some idiots). If you kill some NPCs in cities, like citizens or guards or other sentients, you can be reported to a judge and go to jail for an IC day, or have various other punishments inflicted for different crimes. You'll know if you're going to get reported, because you attack something and everything else immediately leaves the room. They're on their way to the judge. Additionally, some players will patrol places their characters believe should be left unspoilt. If they catch you they might tell you to go away, or they might attack you. If it's the former, most likely what they're after is a bit of lip service "Yes, it's bad, sorry I did it, no, I'll never do it again." - then leave and come back one minute later.

Thanks for the answers Jardek. On the last question I was more referring to something not coded in. Like a wizard who 'practices' his magic on the local wild life thus upsetting a druid enclave or what not. Imms using grinding as a means to create story and rp.

Anyway, I might log back in tomorrow and look up a mentor. See how the RP is. You guys had a pretty good number of people on when I was logged in so I'm hopeful that I can find some good RP.

Welcome Edge, hope you stick around. SK is not totally hack and slash, in fact IMO there is a great deal of opportunity for those who just want to RP. I think Jardek answered all of your points and I hope you find them to your liking.

Good luck

Worts

EDIT: PS I understand what you mean about 'local' knowledge, it is one thing I struggled with as a newbie. Clan names, general knowledge of who comes from where, things a child of Pyrathia would likely know, but the new player does not. Fortunately it doesn't take long to pick these things up.

I bet if somebody wrote up a good list of newbie hints & helps that covers some of these factors- local knowledge that Pyrathian children would have growing up- that the imms would probably be happy to help implement it in-game to help new players.

I know the North has a book in the newbie school that includes information on Northern culture that an older player would know, but a new player would not. Similar books would be a great add for other newbie schools.

Okay, if a few of us put our heads together and come up with a little bit of information on clans, famous events, peoples and places... a newbie helpfile, could it be added to the website and be part of the newbie helpfiles in game?

Hi, Edge, welcome to SK. It's nice to see quite a few new comers recently.

There is a great number of roleplayers in SK, most of them are very good at it, too. These player characters have been granted the title of paragons for their consistency in good roleplaying. You will be able to spot these on the 'who' list, however, it is said while who list is IC info, paragon is not.

Please check out our inn places in major cities that's connected directly to the newbie schools your new characters will be attending. Most of them are usually bust with life, and many opportunities arise where one can roleplay, make acquaintances, find partners for adventures, and so on. If inn places are empty when you visit, tells are also welcome, let the other person know your name and intention as you do so.

Both the forums and in-game noticeboards, usually near the inn places, have announcements for those greater scale roleplaying events that may happen in the near future. Please look out for those. They are usually tailored for both new and old players to get involved, feedbacks from existing players for the past events have been positive so far.

Good luck, and most importantly, have fun!

It's easy enough to work out a character background with a player that's played MUDs before but is new to SK.

Ah, you are a deep-elf like me. I suppose you come from the deep-elven city of Ch'zzrym, then, or perhaps you are one of the rare ones born above ground. Why are you here? Are you the daughter of some Matron, one of the rulers of the underground Houses that control Ch'zrrym? Are you a lowly servant, or a bastard child?

Etc.

This is a VERY heavily-enforced RP mud. You do get some idiots concerned with nothing but PK, but they mostly just play giants (that was a joke, for anyone with an INT of <11). The rest of us are okay.