As I have mentioned earlier in others threads I have been the owner of an RP Xbox server for the past 4 years maybe more not fully sure. However due to declining player base on console (Players switching to PC or uninstalling.) I was forced to take down my server. Another major problem is all RP servers are private owned with the vast majority run in an abusive manner. This has lead to most players avoiding private servers. As a result of this CE’s RP community is on it’s deathbed predominantly on console. Which brings me to my query… Is it possible to get Funcom Community Team run Official RP servers?
Perhaps a test could be done at the very least. Create 1 Official RP server for each platform with its own corresponding Discord account. If @AndyB is interested I would even be willing to private message the link to my RP server’s Discord to use as a quasi template. Though my server is no longer up my devoted members are still continuing their RP on the server’s Discord.
I really hope that this could become a reality. The RP community has kept me sane in this insane world and is also one of the few things me and my wife are able to do together.
Roleplay servers require a level of moderation that Funcom is not going to provide. In the past I’ve seen companies like Sony Online Entertainment, Blizzard, and others ‘try’ to do it. But usually just turn into normal servers. And even then, Blizzard was the one who did it the best and all they did was add roleplayers to the list of protected class for harassment related issues by elevating anything targeting roleplayers to the next level of severity. They don’t do this anymore and haven’t for over a decade.
Roleplaying servers need to stay directly in the hands of private servers.
Don’t take this as criticism because its not intended that way. I just want to understand what you’re looking for. How is an RP server different than a PVE server? You could always use discord or something to chat with the other players and RP on a pve server by my understanding, so what would need to be different? Bear in mind that the ToS are the same no matter what on Funcom servers, just the pvp box is checked with building damage for pvp and no building damage for pve-c, so what would settings for an RP server look like that’s not a pve server?
Perhaps but few players trust private servers, myself being one of them. That was why I created my server to begin with. I was tired of changing RP servers every few months because of the unfair, very poor management, or just outright abusive Admins. So I started [SOG] Nekhet Empire Adult RP along with my wife to create a safe and enjoyable experience for RPers without having to deal with trolls (toxic PvPers) and Admin abuse. Up until the last year it had been a massive success. My server had around 200+ registered members and an average daily 18 players online but was usually at pop cap during peak play times. That all changed when Age of Sorcery released. Since then an average of 10 players a month have either switch to PC for the mods or quit the game outright.
Thats a difficult question to answer but I will do my best.
Settings wise an RP server would be similar to an official PvE-C server with a few differences. For example on my server LDoD was turned of unless a clan declared war on another. Raids were only on the weekends during peak play time and lasted two hrs, raiders were allowed to only take what they found in the base and body vaulting was a bannable offense.
The focus of an RP server should be the story of the characters in it. Not wonton PvP or constant grinding. Trade, political intrigue, and character development through hardship or religious enlightenment. That is what makes RP fun and exciting.
This depends on the level of RP. If its light RP, then not much different than a PVE or PVP server. Its effectively playing the game with a theme for yourself. This is actually how most people play. Though on a RP server sometimes people take it a step further and chat as if they are their character to some degree.
Going a little further, which is what most RP servers are, and what RavenS117 hosted is there’s a bit more nuance. Each server is a little different in this, but some of the rules might include things like no KoS (Kill on Sight) meaning to PVP you need a In-Character reason, something like maybe the opponent wronged or slighted your character in some way, you wish to take them as a slave, or some other thing (it is the Hyborian Age after all). Some servers even have consequences for losing in PVP where you have to return where you were ‘killed’ and find out your character’s fate in a role-played event of some sort. Perma death (effectively rerolling a character) is sometimes an option, with various restrictions on that depending on server.
Stricter roleplaying servers have rules against God Modding (when roleplaying you indicate what another player character’s action or reaction rather than letting the player decide), Meta gaming (using knowledge of events you as a player know that your character doesn’t, such as knowing who stole what through discord chatter even though your character wasn’t present), and Power Gaming (when using roleplay to resolve actions, your character avoids everything thrown at them, though usually PVP is used to prevent this, or if mods are used, dicerolls based on elaborate character sheets, kind turning the whole process into table top RP). Most of these rules have some form of presence in most RP servers, but to what degree they are enforced is determined by how strict the server wishes to be.
Long story short, how much of a table top experience players want using Conan Exiles as the table.
My favorite part about Roleplay in Conan Exiles is the consequences of PVP that some servers have. In default PVP, consequence is usually just dropping gear, and respawning at a bedroll. But on RP servers you can get captured, ransomed, enslaved, mutilated, killed, or worse. It adds just a tad more edge to the combat and sometimes combat is avoided because its not merely game mechanics that can happen.
Threats, bluffs, coercion, cooperation, intrigue, misinformation, charity, all carry just a bit more weight. But that’s just going to personal opinion and experiences.
Its also a bit of fun to play a D&D like game in the Hyborian Age and get to see your character’s interact in a 3d Environment.
For one thing RP servers do not explicitly have to be PvE. For another thing an RP server generally has a specific set of rules for thing that a normal server does not. For one example of this player character names.
Now in Age of Conan (Funcom) there were two official RP servers. They were in fact RP-PvP servers actually (not PvE). Character naming was enforced by the mods so if you ran around with something offenseive or just blatantly not in the spirit of the setting (xXx_name_xXx) or some such as an example they would force you to change your name. There were also other rules but you get the point, I hope.
That would not be the same at all. Not even close.
Well, that is the big issue. I don’t think that an official RP server would work for Conan Exiles because they do not have active moderation on the servers. So, private servers are the only way to go. As @Taemien there is a level of moderation which is required and although Funcom had done so in AoC, for a very short time before they abandoned it without any warning to the playerbase, Conan Exiles has never been set up in any way to support such a system.
That is in part because of the massive amount of misinformation which is spread about them on places such as these very forums.
Having played on the RP-PvP AOC server even after they dropped the RP ruleset our RP guild would constantly destroy the pvp losers that thought they were soooo good, and we RP’d while doing it. It drove them absolutely crazy! It was absolutely hilarious to watch the big bad PvP’ers literally log off because they couldn’t handle a bunch of RP’ers.
That is massively generalizing thing. Can that happen? Sure. Does that mean that is how things ALWAYS happen? Absolutely not.
Yeah, they just don’t want YOU. As in YOU PERSONALLY. And your post here is exactly why.
And why exactly would they want to deal with people like you? Perhaps you should reflect on the way you “communicate” before you attempt to talk garbage about an entire community.
He’s not exactly wrong if we’re to be honest. RP servers have been my favorite and least favorite times in Conan Exiles and beyond. I mean 9 times out of 10 its great, you do your RP and things are normal. But then that one time, someone decides to bring ooc drama into everything and it sours the whole experience.
To be fair they are generalizing quite a bit, but they’re not far off the mark with the exception of a server that has a core group that has a level of trust with each other that goes beyond the rest of its community. Its not exactly easy to pick those servers out without playing on them for a while. So it can be hit or miss.
This isn’t anything new to RPers though. Picking servers is like picking clans or guilds in MMORPGs. Just got to find one that’s a decent fit.
Indeed I do agree there are a multitude of RPers that do bring in drama usually OOC and more than often it is nothing more than a ploy to garner attention. In my server these type of RPers were dealt with quickly and decicively as there were rules in place to prevent such activity. Same with the wannabe PvPers (my personal favorite to deal with) rules of the server clearly stated that PvP required an attempt to RP before action could be taken. 9 times out of 10 enforcing that resulted in a 1v1 challenge of whitch I gladly accepted. After a thorough thrashing they either conformed to the rules or were banned. Sadly only about 3 ever conformed, one of which actually ended up becoming a very adept and avid RPer. Moderating an RP server is indeed a lot of work but can be far more rewarding if done correctly. I really don’t expect Funcom to ever implement an Official RP Server I just figured "What’s the harm in asking. I loved running my server and the amazing people I have met along the way. But I can’t justify paying $14/month on a $150 monthly income when player activity drops to less than 5 players daily.
For those whom are just curious what it was like our discord link is…
Thats isn’t necessary either. My server discord had a ticket system. When a complaint or rule break would be put into a ticket my enforcer moderator would receive a notification on his phone. He would then immediately log in, deal with the issue, then log out. Those were the only times he was ever actively on the game (He is not a Conan fan, he is a hardcore trekkie) which averaged approximately 3 times per month and the longest resolution taking 17 mins to investigate and resolve. So that being said if an official server were made the “admin” would only need to show up when a ticket is submitted. Therein lies the true problem as the existing Zendesk system is vastly unreliable and grossly inefficient.
It was absolutely hilarious to watch the big bad PvP’ers literally log off because they couldn’t handle a bunch of RP’ers.