Shattered Kingdoms

I just think that specialize does very little except make players like me (and others better than me!) even more able to stomp the little man into the ground. Which we do with evil in our hearts and grins on our faces. One of my favorite "tactics" against enemy mercs I don't like is to take their weapons, gather other high quality weapons of their spec'd subtypes, and give them to friends or put them in my backpack so they can't have them.

I think that broadening it wouldn't really overpower them, because weapons would still be as individually rare/desirable on their merits. Would probably want to distinguish between heavy swords and light swords, but just use the kytar weaponsmith as an example of what i was thinking when I posted this.

Not that I intend this to be criticism, but I'd ask yourself if the tactic of hoarding weapons as you described is based on OOC information or IC information. I would guess it's based somewhat on OOC information, the number of spawns of a weapon, the "good" weapons, etc.

IF that's the case, and I won't say it is or isn't, but if that's the case it's an example of poor RP.

Also, the following has been a general rule for about 725 years:

It's rarely enforced, but I will use it as justification to de-hoard you if I get enough complaints.

It's also kind of a playing-to-win move in a game where playing to win is kind of pointless, I think.

Using that tactic basically says, "I'm a big floppy pansy who would rather deny someone the chance to play the game than compete."

I don't think it's really anything horrible. I might've made it sound worse than it is. Let's take epee for example though, if I kill someone with one of the 3 good epees in the game, I'm definitely taking it and I'm either sitting on it until an ally needs it or giving it straight away. There's few enough good quality weapons of several subtypes in the game that there's just NWIH a diamond or better weapon doesn't get repo'd, and that's not OOC, it's just the way it is. On top of that if my character knows some mortal enemy is say, a khopesh specialist, why wouldn't he snatch up high quality ones for his friends? I'm probably a dick but I also think I'm just more straight up about it. Really no different than Necros who hoard diamond weapons for their undead, or people who have 6 alts with diamond gear.

Who is this [REDACTED] that has 6 diamond suits?

I think I located some on Alshain.

There is nothing wrong with taking an item from someone you've killed, or who attempted to kill you. I'd never argue that, it doesn't make sense NOT to ICly unless you're playing a very kind individual.

However I only raised the issue to help try to raise awareness that we should question whether the motivations for our actions are based on IC factors or OOC factors. It's hard not to sometimes be influenced by OOC knowledge, but there it is.

But I really like Sargas' point: There is no winner in a roleplaying. That should be the first and last thing every player sees when they log in and out of the mud.

I try to win all my rps.