Camping in the great outdoors

Morgha_Kul

As a roleplayer, there is something I always like to do in any game I play. As night falls, I'll step off the road and camp until daybreak. During this time I'll often write my log, plan skill choices, and so on. However, there's only ever been two games that even slightly afforded me the means to do this properly.

Star Wars Galaxies allowed players to place elaborate camp sites. These were like temporary towns, often with crafting stations, and more. Frequently, they became hubs of social activity.
Lord of the Rings Online allows players to place campfires (Hunters also have a skill to do this with). Granted, these camps didn't have anything BUT the fire, but it was something at least.

What I'm suggesting is either an item, or perhaps an emote that allows us to place a campsite where our characters can rest. It need not have any particular function (which is why an emote would suffice). Ideally, it would have a campfire and tent we could go inside and lie down (perhaps similar to what Lady whatsherface and Stibbons sometimes have).

It would be something I certainly would use, and I suspect many others would, too.

Avran_Sylt

Just curious, but have you used any of the existing small campsites that are scattered around the world for these RP purposes? Or would you much prefer the option of going anywhere.

Avran_Sylt

While I don't see a tent as a possibility, I could definitely see a small campfire that doubles as a mobile cooking station be a possibility. Have it kind of function like the jubilee cake.

kirk_lewis_ESO

Months ago, I asked for this. It would be so cool to have a tent at nights in Alik'r desert swaying in the wind or have my character sitting with his back against a log in Glenumbra. Bring back resting bonus too. It could be increased health regen when outside of battle.

Avran_Sylt

Though, then the problem becomes players using these all over the interior of towns and what not. If a timer is added to them like the current jubilee cake, it'd make them less useful if you can't sit back and enjoy the scenery. Sooo, would you be against them adding these mementos into the crown store? Have them despawn only if the player activates the memento again, or if the player disconnects or changes zones.

SameMeteor26

OMG people actually role play in this game. Holy cow this game to me is just constant grinding and getting from point A to point B for grinding. And doing dungeons to get gear. It's hard to think people won't really care about gear and will just walk around role playing. @morgha_kul what do you do in this game on a regular bases. I would be interested to know how abnormal role playing sessions goes. Idk how you would role play with so many players running around.

kirk_lewis_ESO

Just do what they do to horses. Make them so you can't summon them in certain situations. "Can't use this item here".

kirk_lewis_ESO

SameMeteor26 wrote: »

OMG people actually role play in this game. Holy cow this game to me is just constant grinding and getting from point A to point B for grinding. And doing dungeons to get gear. It's hard to think people won't really care about gear and will just walk around role playing. @morgha_kul what do you do in this game on a regular bases. I would be interested to know how abnormal role playing sessions goes. Idk how you would role play with so many players running around.

Same way I deal with people in everyday life, I mind my own business and let them do their thing while I do mine. Simple really.

Path

"So, you just sat there and it was fun?"
Helios

I so miss my camps from SWG. Would be happy with a nice fire in ESO.

max_only

I've suggested this before as well.
Master provisioners should get to unlock an active skill that places a temporary fire down.

Already in the game we have random encounters with npcs who are trying to light a fire. When you help them you get a stackable buff to stamina regen. Everything we need: assets, buffs, animation of lighting the fire, it's all there already.

It should also double as a provisioning station of course.

Betheny

We'll never be able to do that, there'd be people messing up the look of the world setting up refugee camps all over the place...worse still if they could camp in the middle of cities...there'd be campfires and tents parked up on the heads of guild trader competition and just for lulz quest targets and merchants.

First rule of MMOs: If it can be done it will be used for griefing.

Knootewoot

Morgha_Kul wrote: »

As a roleplayer, there is something I always like to do in any game I play. As night falls, I'll step off the road and camp until daybreak. During this time I'll often write my log, plan skill choices, and so on. However, there's only ever been two games that even slightly afforded me the means to do this properly.

Star Wars Galaxies allowed players to place elaborate camp sites. These were like temporary towns, often with crafting stations, and more. Frequently, they became hubs of social activity.
Lord of the Rings Online allows players to place campfires (Hunters also have a skill to do this with). Granted, these camps didn't have anything BUT the fire, but it was something at least.

What I'm suggesting is either an item, or perhaps an emote that allows us to place a campsite where our characters can rest. It need not have any particular function (which is why an emote would suffice). Ideally, it would have a campfire and tent we could go inside and lie down (perhaps similar to what Lady whatsherface and Stibbons sometimes have).

It would be something I certainly would use, and I suspect many others would, too.

As a former Starwars Galaxies ranger myself i can only agree with this. When they introduced campfires to the ranger class of Vanguard i was thrilled.

I doesn't have to do much. Just placing the campfire is good for me. But a small buff when warming at the fire would be great to (10% health or something for 30 mins).

Edit: just like SWG there has to be some rules:
- Camps cannot be placed inside cities
- Camps will disband automatically when abandoned for more then 5 mins, or when another camp is placed.

Knootewoot

Path wrote: »

"So, you just sat there and it was fun?"
Helios

I so miss my camps from SWG. Would be happy with a nice fire in ESO.

This was a great quote. When they re-introduced camps to the game everybody who logged in got a painting of a camp for their house (chapter 5). The description also read: "Much fun was had in this sitting of friends"



The original quote from CRM was: "So, you just sat there in camps and had fun? Sounds boring"

Adernath

Betheny wrote: »

We'll never be able to do that, there'd be people messing up the look of the world setting up refugee camps all over the place...worse still if they could camp in the middle of cities...there'd be campfires and tents parked up on the heads of guild trader competition and just for lulz quest targets and merchants.

First rule of MMOs: If it can be done it will be used for griefing.

This might be circumvented by implementing an auto-despawn as soon as an NPC is within a given range.

Danikat

I think a lot of the problems could be avoided by making it an emote and relatively minimal - something like your character sitting/lying on a bedroll and maybe a small fire nearby.

It wouldn't be any worse than /sitchair and I rarely see that used for griefing. (I've seen it used to confuse people, like balancing on top of a ships bowsprit (the pole that sticks out the front) and then using it.)

The problem is that emotes get deactivated when you go into a menu. So if you set your campsite and then go to sort out your inventory your camp disappears.

Maybe it would be better as a collectable, like the cakes, but with no collision.

stewhead2ub17_ESO

Nice idea, @Morgha_Kul . +1

Morgha_Kul

To answer, what do I do in a game session...

Right now, I'm playing a character that is meant to be ME if I had been yanked into the game world... So, I've spent my time reading the many books (learning the history of this new land), fishing and selling the fish to the local tavern (for his customers), and exploring.

When I finally took on a quest, I ended up WALKING from Seyda Neen to the tomb with Canon Levule, where I stealthily made my way through, avoiding enemies (since I'm not a killer and don't use a weapon... and I'm not from Nirn, so I don't use spells).

Most recently, I had to go up to Pulk to get an apartment deed. I spent the whole journey (WALKING, mind you) just admiring the scenery, thinking about how I would feel if it actually WERE me there. Imagining the smell of the air, the sulfurous, acrid air with ash drifting down from above... The oppressive heat...

My main character, however, is the Ambassador to Mournhold from House Telvanni. Lately, he's returned home, and has spent some of his time revisiting the ashlands and ashlanders, who he grew up with (long story). He'll go the the camps (walking again, of course), and spend some time just hanging around with them. Sometimes other adventurers will turn up, and Morgha Kul will chat with them too, or help them out on a quest.

Essentially, I do whatever I feel like doing... usually exploring and socializing.

SameMeteor26

Morgha_Kul wrote: »

As a roleplayer, there is something I always like to do in any game I play. As night falls, I'll step off the road and camp until daybreak. During this time I'll often write my log, plan skill choices, and so on. However, there's only ever been two games that even slightly afforded me the means to do this properly.

Star Wars Galaxies allowed players to place elaborate camp sites. These were like temporary towns, often with crafting stations, and more. Frequently, they became hubs of social activity.
Lord of the Rings Online allows players to place campfires (Hunters also have a skill to do this with). Granted, these camps didn't have anything BUT the fire, but it was something at least.

What I'm suggesting is either an item, or perhaps an emote that allows us to place a campsite where our characters can rest. It need not have any particular function (which is why an emote would suffice). Ideally, it would have a campfire and tent we could go inside and lie down (perhaps similar to what Lady whatsherface and Stibbons sometimes have).

It would be something I certainly would use, and I suspect many others would, too.

SameMeteor26 wrote: »

OMG people actually role play in this game. Holy cow this game to me is just constant grinding and getting from point A to point B for grinding. And doing dungeons to get gear. It's hard to think people won't really care about gear and will just walk around role playing. @morgha_kul what do you do in this game on a regular bases. I would be interested to know how abnormal role playing sessions goes. Idk how you would role play with so many players running around.

I would be very interested to know.

Morgha_Kul

Danikat wrote: »

I think a lot of the problems could be avoided by making it an emote and relatively minimal - something like your character sitting/lying on a bedroll and maybe a small fire nearby.

It wouldn't be any worse than /sitchair and I rarely see that used for griefing. (I've seen it used to confuse people, like balancing on top of a ships bowsprit (the pole that sticks out the front) and then using it.)

The problem is that emotes get deactivated when you go into a menu. So if you set your campsite and then go to sort out your inventory your camp disappears.

Maybe it would be better as a collectable, like the cakes, but with no collision.

I agree... ideally, it would be nice to be able to do things within the camp area, like play music, check your inventory or use other emotes (such as sleeping, reading, eating, etc.). Thus, I had thought it would be best implemented as an item of some sort. A collectible might be a good way of doing that. Plant it, and it remains until you travel x distance from it.

SirAndy

/camp

Path

Knootewoot wrote: »

Path wrote: »

"So, you just sat there and it was fun?"
Helios

I so miss my camps from SWG. Would be happy with a nice fire in ESO.

This was a great quote. When they re-introduced camps to the game everybody who logged in got a painting of a camp for their house (chapter 5). The description also read: "Much fun was had in this sitting of friends"



The original quote from CRM was: "So, you just sat there in camps and had fun? Sounds boring"

The painting! I remember that.

At times, I believe developers, designers, game producers, forget living beings play these games. Sometimes we just want to sit and watch the sunset, admire our creator's creations and have a picnic with friends. (or strangers)

MMO's give players a place to dream and create, to meet like minded gamers. Many times, what we create within the game, is far more fun and memorable than a defined path. My reason for an MMO...well, one reason.

Morgha_Kul

Path wrote: »

Knootewoot wrote: »

Path wrote: »

"So, you just sat there and it was fun?"
Helios

I so miss my camps from SWG. Would be happy with a nice fire in ESO.

This was a great quote. When they re-introduced camps to the game everybody who logged in got a painting of a camp for their house (chapter 5). The description also read: "Much fun was had in this sitting of friends"



The original quote from CRM was: "So, you just sat there in camps and had fun? Sounds boring"

The painting! I remember that.

At times, I believe developers, designers, game producers, forget living beings play these games. Sometimes we just want to sit and watch the sunset, admire our creator's creations and have a picnic with friends. (or strangers)

MMO's give players a place to dream and create, to meet like minded gamers. Many times, what we create within the game, is far more fun and memorable than a defined path. My reason for an MMO...well, one reason.

Quite so.

Indeed, in MOST games of this sort that I play (even single player, like the original Morrowind), I frequently don't do any questing. It took YEARS before the original iteration of Morgha Kul finally walked the path of the Nerevarine. I like finding my OWN adventure, whether it's just a matter of going out and gathering materials, then crafting stuff, or just wandering, exploring the countryside.