Battlekeeps on Fury

[Gunhead]

The first ones are up by RUSCorp (shocking), MEH, Anathema and Surreal. Four spots left. Don't think we'll be able to grab an empty slot, here's to hoping it'll be possible for us to contest one some day.

[Seraph]

I think we should recruit more players if possible.

[Ludicrouse]

I think we should recruit more players if possible.

Why? we have 137 toons, at last count, in the roster. Take into account Alt's then thats about 50-60 actual players. The current Siege system is still only 48vs48.

What we need is people at 80, a good number of people. Not to mention a fuck-ton of gold and resources for the Tier 3 city.

Im quite happy that other guilds have got their Battlekeep spot but tbh, they havnt had to fight for it. Id like to have to actually kick some bastard out of a spot.

[WiGgLr]

On average, we have 15-20 people online most nights.

How many of those 50-60 players are active people?

[Khammar]

not enough to make 48 at this point

[Ludicrouse]

You have the footie to contend with at the moment. Quite a few are watching the matches.

Once we see the number of people left after the free month has expired in a week then we may start some recruitment but until then we have enough people.


Regardless of numbers that we do or do not have - Until we have a number of toons at 80 and we have the funds to construct a Tier 3 City then this is all a pointless discussion.

[Khammar]

That's not true. You can't get a t3 keep, have a bunch of 80's and then realize: "we need 20 more people" and expect it to happen with any speed.

The long view needs to be embraced sooner, rather than later.

[Ludicrouse]

The problem Kham is that we dont know how many people we need. We dont know who is going to disappear in a weeks time. Until we do its not worth the hassle.

We still have alot of people on Trial in the Legion that will have to be looked at in the very short future.

Until we see how many people we have after the free month and we decide on whether the current trialists stay or go we will not be doing any active recruitment.

If you group up with unguilded people who express an interest in joining and seem decent enough people then fine, send them here and they can post an application which will be dealt with on a case by case basis but until we have a better understanding of the size of the guild we are not going to be going on a Recruitment Crusade.

[Khammar]

You can rationalize it however you'd like to. I'm just stating a fact.

[WiGgLr]

I'm in agreement with Khammar.

The situation is very much like the situation Refugees were in when we started playing Lineage 2.

To be anything in that game you had to have either numbers, alliances or merge with a larger guild. This game will be much the same.

Which path are we going to chose?

[Ludicrouse]

Well it doesnt matter at all now. The whole Siege system is bugged.

The Guilds that have Battlekeeps are having them destroyed constantly because the Vulnerability window is bugged and is always on. The buildings are not contructing properly in places of the Keeps.

Rumour has it that a GM has said it may not be fixed until the "Kingship" update.

[Khammar]

Which does not negate the need to prepare ahead of time. That's all I'm saying.

[Ludicrouse]

Which does not negate the need to prepare ahead of time. That's all I'm saying.

We will... when we actually know what we need. End of discussion. :)

[Khammar]

You can be finished discussing anything you want, but last I checked that didn't mean that members were under any obligation to stop talking about an issue that is of import to them. As stated in this thread, a number of people think that it might be a good idea to evaluate recruitment options. The free month is damned close to finished, and while you an say a lot of people are watching football, that is not the only thing playing into the fact that some people have stopped coming online.

The fact remains that we do not have the numbers currently to support the capture and defense of a Battlekeep (because you will never see an 80% turnout for a siege without requiring it as a condition of membership, which we have not) without heavy use of forces external to the Legion. I don't see any way you could interpret the numbers we have any differently. With 9 keeps on the server we are going to need to be a serious force to be reckoned with if we ever want the right to hold one.

We will need allies or more members if we want to participate in sieges as anything more than mercenaries. I believe a lot of the members have stated that they want to actually possess one. Without a bit of proactivity (which is something entirely different than whoring forum posts here) we will find it far more difficult to achieve that goal.

[Ludicrouse]

Your going on the assumption that we can just grab one. We cant. It takes alot of effort and isnt just a short term commitment. As i have already said, regardless of player numbers we are still a fair way off acheiving the requirements of actually having a keep. The current crop of Guilds have literally broken their backs, wallets and wills to get even a slot, let alone the actual construction of a Keep.

We need more level 80's and more moolah for the Tier 3 city. Until we have those then there is very little point discussing any plans that deal directly with us taking a Battlekeep.

Unlike you lot, Gunn and the Officers have been talking about all of this behind the scenes for the past three weeks. We have talked about recruitment, construction and all the other little teeny bits that go into running a Guild that is preparing for contention in the Battlekeep game. One of the primary goals we decided upon was construction of the City as both a Guild acheivement and pre-requisite for future Battlekeep progress. It was decided that this was to be our primary focus over all others until construction was finished. It was also decided that recruitment would be a non starter until after the free month has elapsed and we know who is staying, who is going and what we need. This has not changed. We are still letting in Friends & Family on Trial and we have quite alot on trial as it is.

So wait. In a week things will be looked at and stuff decided. Its not like there isnt going to be anyone to recruit in a week anyway. Patience is a virtue.

[Khammar]

So wait. In a week things will be looked at and stuff decided. Its not like there isnt going to be anyone to recruit in a week anyway. Patience is a virtue.

"Silence is golden" is another piece of tripe tossed about often enough. Unfortunately silence is not golden in MMOs. Silence is shit. While there may be members who don't care what is going on there are plenty who do.

As a result you can treat us like we're retarded for talking about it, but we have a) not been told jack, nor shit, and b) may very well have good reasons for being concerned.

So instead of just trying to end discussions by force of will, you might want to consider telling the members what the priorities are. At least that way those of us who disagree can tell you we disagree. Then everyone knows the score.

[Gunhead]

Your concerns and views are of course appreciated and valid Kham. I might not be the most vocal person around in game nor the top poster on the boards but doesn't mean i don't pay attention to stuff mate - same goes for all the officers (save for Ludi who's a dirty spammer).

I've not missed the decline in online guildies. Some can be put down to footy, some to the holiday season starting, some have probably put the game on the backshelf to check back in later when more of the bugs have been sorted. Some just didn't find this game appealing to them.

Whichever the cause for absence i'm still in the opinion like Ludi that look into our numbers and plan accordingly once the free month's done with and we can see who enjoys this game to keep playing. To confirm a solid base first is in my opinion the better option then some panic-driven mass recruitment (been there, done that, wore the shirt and ate the shit in the aftermath salvaging the Legion's WoW-section two years ago).

We need core guys and we need a healthy bunch of level 80's amongst them. Those achieved we can do a lot of stuff on our own and build possible recruitment around on that core with an eye out for the siege battles.

What's the rush? It's not a competition in my eyes. Last time i was part of hell-bent "advancement" in a game like this i didn't really enjoy it much. Sure the results were fantastic but the general atmosphere within the guild was shit. A lot of bad blood came from it and it took months and months to let most of it out. No fucking way i'm getting into that kind of deal again.

[Ludicrouse]

stuff

Im not trying to be a **** m8. Im just trying to point out that we have discussed this and came to a solution that we think is best. The plan is inevitably going to change as the situation does because thats life, death and the universe, this however is the plan and we think its going to work.

Like Gunn said, there is no rush. Id rather sort out the Legion now and leave the extremely buggy Battlekeeps to the idiots with gold to burn.


Edit: I should use this thread to let people know that after the 23rd i shall be doing a clearout of all characters with more than 14 days offline. That includes alts. When that is done we should have a much better understanding of the Member numbers and the class diversity within the guild.

[Khammar]

I'm more worried about the fact that nothing gets said. Trust me, I know that things get discussed. Just that we don't hear enough back. ;)

Growing pains. New game. New guild. New leadership. New members.

I don't advocate panic-ridden recruitment. I do advocate making our presence known in a positive manner. Keeping high standards (because we will need them) and starting in the near future.

That's all. *shrug*

[Khammar]

Like Gunn said, there is no rush. Id rather sort out the Legion now and leave the extremely buggy Battlekeeps to the idiots with gold to burn.

Some people just happen to believe that sorting the Legion out includes recruiting people to strengthen the core we already have growing. I don't think any of us advocated racing to get one of the initial 9.

[WiGgLr]

"Silence is golden" is another piece of tripe tossed about often enough. Unfortunately silence is not golden in MMOs. Silence is shit. While there may be members who don't care what is going on there are plenty who do.

As a result you can treat us like we're retarded for talking about it, but we have a) not been told jack, nor shit, and b) may very well have good reasons for being concerned.

So instead of just trying to end discussions by force of will, you might want to consider telling the members what the priorities are. At least that way those of us who disagree can tell you we disagree. Then everyone knows the score.

Here here.

There are plenty of us who are long term Renegade Legion members, some of which were members before our current officers joined us. Some of which have been officers or guild leaders in other MMOs, not neccesarily with the legion. Complete exclusion is verging on being rude.

There has been very little information passed down so far. All we've had is a guild city construction progress thead and Volw continuously asking for our monies.

The long term outlook for Age Of Conan as a whole is that it will be a very competitve game. It's very plain that as a small guild we will never accomplish anything and it is quite right that we as members should be concerned at how we are going to address our small numbers.

[Mica]

Hm. I do kind of see your point Ludi, but what we achieve in the future is directly influenced by what we do at present so just cut off a discussion by saying all of it is moot for the time being is not very productive for any future plans either :)

I'm actually *very* interested in hearing what other people have to say about how they envision the AoC future - I mean, I just level and babysit Kham :p and other than that I don't have a roadmap, but I'm sure other people are quite passionate about achieving certain things and that's worth talking about imo.

[Ludicrouse]

Some people just happen to believe that sorting the Legion out includes recruiting people to strengthen the core we already have growing. I don't think any of us advocated racing to get one of the initial 9.

As Gunn said, we have a core at the moment and that core does include some Trialists. While some may know some of the Trailists more intimatley than others, take yours and Micas m8s from EQ2 for example, alot of other members dont.

Think of it like a Football team, you have the spine of the team and at the start of the new season you bring in players that strengthen your squad in the places needed and let them gel together to form a good unit of players with a healthy understanding, then when it comes to the Mid-Season Transfer window you bring in players that strengthen the team or replace players you have lost.

We are currently waiting for the season to open and for our players to gel together!

[Felstar]

I know I've not been an active member of the legion but I would tend to agree with taking it a bit easy, any group that grows too fast experiences growing pains because of the sheer number of things that can go wrong with such an influx. Not just the surface ramifications of a new member being shit but all the problems related to people not being bedded down in guild philosophy or a true member of the team with true ties and friendships.

If things get to a stage where a guild feels impersonal things go bad really quickly because it gives people a general excuse to do things that wouldn't be acceptable in a group of friends. To be honest I know everyone isn't stupid and I am stating the obvious, I am not trying to preach, but I really do think that steadily increasing numbers and confirming new members in stages would be better than going for the end-product straight away.

On a side note I still know a couple of people who may want to join at some point that I can vouch for, they are still waiting for the go from game release.

[Mica]

If things get to a stage where a guild feels impersonal things go bad really quickly because it gives people a general excuse to do things that wouldn't be acceptable in a group of friends.

Because sharing homemade porn is really only for your bestest guildmates, right? :D

[Ludicrouse]

Because sharing homemade porn is really only for your bestest guildmates, right? :D

Thats just a Legion ritual...

[Khammar]

Thats just a Legion ritual...

Well, that and fragging people who hit CR5. Or BR25. Or any other vaguely interesting rank.

[Ludicrouse]

Its a OS for the CR5 and his Squad/Platoon typically :p

for a CR3 its dirty picture drawing on the Cont Maps.

[Ironman]

Because sharing homemade porn is really only for your bestest guildmates, right? :D

So hand it over to me now. :D

[Gunhead]

On a side note I still know a couple of people who may want to join at some point that I can vouch for, they are still waiting for the go from game release.

That's the kind of influx of people which is more than welcome - always rather have someone who someone else knows and has played with then some random pleb off the corner.


Wig no need to get your knickers in a twist. There's no evil scheme going on behind the curtain and little to no information has been "passed down" as there's really not much to tell at this point.

When we talked about directions and goals (we = me, Skull, Ludi, Volw, Iron) in the early days was pretty much what's been posted on here: have everyone just level at their own pace, try out classes what fits them, put some effort into building up the city and once the free month's over see where we CAN go from there.

And especially regarding "external" recruitment we were in pretty much single mind to Wait And See to what kind of numbers the guild settles down to, meaning that we'll see about the need to recruit from "outside" once all old 'gades and their friends/family/spouses/slaves have settled in. We will NOT recruit random Joe Two-Weeks-And-Quit just because someone in a certain level bracket wants a meatshield while questing.

Lets see about endgame affairs once we get there first shall we? Gives Funcom more time to better the game meanwhile - for example siege battles are a mess right now and think the first report of one was pretty much a summary of nothing short disaster.

[Khammar]

So hand it over to me now. :D

I'm all for the swapping of the homemade porn. She keeps giving me this "I *will* fucking kill you" look every time I touch the camcorder.

[Gunhead]

Its a OS for the CR5 and his Squad/Platoon typically :p

[Ludicrouse]

I'm all for the swapping of the homemade porn. She keeps giving me this "I *will* fucking kill you" look every time I touch the camcorder.

Meh, die happy :D

[Mica]

:rolleyes: I was referring to Fels stories about some ginger chick going off with 3 different guys and then she turned out to be a he, or something!

[Ludicrouse]

:rolleyes: I was referring to Fels stories about some ginger chick going off with 3 different guys and then she turned out to be a he, or something!

I had nothing to do with it... NOTHING!

[Khammar]

sure . . . sure Ludi . . .

[Mica]

I had nothing to do with it... NOTHING!

Your mom?????? :eek:

[Ludicrouse]

Your mom?????? :eek:

You dont have to be Ginger to spawn a Ginger child... so you pair should count yourselves lucky! :p

[WiGgLr]

Well, that depends on whether or not the postman/milkman/dustman was ginger then now doesn't it

[Ludicrouse]

Well, that depends on whether or not the postman/milkman/dustman was ginger then now doesn't it

Nope. Neither of my parents are Ginger and i know atleast another two Gingers who have non-Ginger parents. Its all down to the fact that the faulty gene can skip generations at a time. So technically, anyone can produce a Ginger child, i think the odds are ~5%.

[Ironman]

:rolleyes: I was referring to Fels stories about some ginger chick going off with 3 different guys and then she turned out to be a he, or something!
Wigglr isn't ginger as far as I know. ;)

[WiGgLr]

Wigglr isn't ginger as far as I know. ;)

Nope, I don't have "faulty genes", to coin your terminology

[Ludicrouse]

Nope, I don't have "faulty genes", to coin your terminology

Wigg in a Wig?

[Volw]

What? Noones blaiming me about it? :p

[Felstar]

This sounds like an interesting story that I am meant to have told :P You'll have to remind me of it, or is it like Chinese whispers where I was talking about a ginger cat and it somehow transformed after the third telling into story about hookers, drugs and wanton shagging/deaths?

I do have a story about an ugly ginger escapade at a house party some poor fucker I know was involved in though.

[Dodgerius]

Nope. Neither of my parents are Ginger and i know atleast another two Gingers who have non-Ginger parents. Its all down to the fact that the faulty gene can skip generations at a time. So technically, anyone can produce a Ginger child, i think the odds are ~5%.

interesting those 5% ... i much rather go with the ~18% of kids that are "extramarital sired" (?sp?) .. bwahahahaah

CHeerios!

:D

EDIT PS: wheres' that porn-sharing programm and how do i enter it ?1?? ;)