Shattered Kingdoms

I've always been a huge fan of the monthly reboots since they were started years ago. I am a huge fan of the monthly reboots stripping leadership flags and high level equipment from inactive characters. These are very good things and they were positive additions to the game.

It's been a number of years since I've been able to play SK on the kind of regular, "full-time" basis that I used to. As a random, sporadic gamer, however, the function of the monthly reboots that delete "inactive" characters serves only to drive me away from the game completely.

Dulrik, it may be your preference to have a game that provides only for the needs of highly active players who can log in consistently, and the atmosphere of SK may prefer NOT to have "part-time" players who play SK as occasional recreation. If that's the case, then disregard this complaint.

However, if you want to provide a place that is welcoming to all players, I would strongly suggest reconsidering this issue. I started my last character a number of months ago, before the rollout of minotaurs, I selected a sprite warlock, as a sprite is a long-lived race and because I love warlocks. As a casual gamer, even reaching level 31-ish can take a very long time- namely the vast majority of my playtime over a couple months. As a casual gamer, I don't know when the reboots are happening, and finding time & remembering to be able to log in between those reboots can be extremely difficult, as well as being very low on my list of priorities with my time. As a casual gamer, I can't even remember how many characters of mine have been deleted when I miss a month or two. Coming back to SK to realize my sprite warlock I'd worked on for so long was deleted because I didn't have time to log him in, and realizing that if I want to play SK I must start again from square 1, and that if this policy remains intact, I must constantly start again from square 1. Yeah, it's as UN-fun as it sounds.

I'd like to be able to play SK casually. But I'm pretty sick of having to rehash all the stupid newbie areas over and over again just because I can't make SK a priority for my time. Right now I really can't picture myself ever making SK a lifestyle like it was for me a decade ago. But I also cannot picture myself ever coming back to play SK again when I know it's pretty fruitless to do so.

Hope you reconsider it.

Log in two times in one month? Wouldn't that work and be easy to do to avoid deletion?

I guess I have no oppinion on this matter, I'm regular now.

Honestly a month passes by so quickly, when you are busy at work, with the girlfriend, on vacation - whatever.
When you don't have time, or a high craving to game you just forget to do those logins.
Atleast send a warning per e-mail or something.

The warning by email would be really nice. I've lost countless alts this way. Mostly because I'm horrible at naming and come up with some goofy ones only to forget them.

The email warning is a great idea.

dalamar,

I realize that life can often get the best of players, and that sometimes it's very difficult to log in consistently. Now, I'm not sure if this will get me in trouble, so I'm going to be very vague, but I do know, for a fact, that as long as I've been able to observe players, they're not auto deleted for at least 8 weeks. In my opinion, as even a casual gamer, if I don't play a game for that amount of time, it's not likely I'll come back anytime soon.

All I know is, if this was changed, I'm liable to kick players out of my faction (if/when I ever lead one) after 4 weeks, instead of being nice and letting them go by the auto delete after 8+ ...

sleeper

PS: And if the e-mail idea was implemented, I'd kick people out of a faction if I hadn't seen them fairly active (or knew why they were inactive) after 4 weeks for very similar reasons as if they hadn't logged in at all...

I love this idea. Over the years I have come to cherish my free time infinitely more than I did when I played full time. I work a lot of hours a week, and the last thing I really want to do when I get on a MUD is have to mindlessly grind to be able to really get to the meat of the game.

I will level very slowly over a few months, but once I am a fair high level, since I actually get to play the meat of the game, I will play more. Done grinding, only thing to do is RP and PK? Not only is my time more impactful, I will spend more of it around.

I have lost two chars to this inactivity thing over a year. I am for making it harder to delete inactive characters.

Sleeper, you don't have a limit on cabal members, do you? If so, nevermind. Otherwise, people get busy, do other things. Let them live and have their game. When they do come around, if they don't feel outcast, I bet they are worthwhile to have.

I am against allowing players in cabals who aren't active, but that's just me. I think cabals should be reserved for active players who have relatively long-lived characters that have put in substantial time rping to gain membership.

As far as deletion, though - I am strongly in favor of e-mailing players that their character is about to be deleted.

Email works for me. I'd also like to see a more constant loot stripping instead of the once a month deal. Leadership hours could be increased marginally too.

Inner guardians spamming dispel magic would be fun.