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Therion The Witch · **10-18-2017, 12:21 AM**

I have been down for awhile now on Balmung. I love the server, I love the people and have so many plots and such I want to continue. However, with the server being shut down i've run into a few problems that I am sure other people feel the same.

1. There isn't really new role-players.
2. I see the same 10 people (obviously more!) its just it feels like it. I don't see any new role-play or anything going on.
3. Its been messing with my roleplay, because it involves around creating stuff with new and old players.

Its sad. I don't really know if I want to move myself, but its been getting to the breaking point. The effects of the server being on permanent (seeming) lock-down is driving me mad.

Anyone else feeling the Balmung Blues?

Gehr'ir Ett · **10-18-2017, 03:33 AM**

I had a similar discussion in voice chat today. Although I haven't felt it personally in my rp, I do see how Balmung could be in a pickle. Balmung isn't gaining anyone new- no new people, no fresh ideas- and is only losing those who are tired of the stagnation. That said, Balmung is my home, and I will stay here with the hope that someday server transfers will open back up.

There are still plenty of people to find on this server, who you can have awesome roleplay with, but we'll just have to dig a little bit harder to find them. I tend to stick to RP with my own circles of late (though I would like to branch out and do more random RP), but I just haven't had the time. So, for now, I remain content.

I do hope something can be done about our situation soon, rather than having all our roleplayers feel the need they have to start over elsewhere. But perhaps nothing can be done. We shall see.

Nebbs · **10-18-2017, 04:10 AM**

Cheer up, there may not be new players but there are surely players to have yet to meet.
I would try changing things around, go to different events, hang out in different locations, poke me in game.

Also if you tend to have specific "standards", loosen them up and treat it like an RP holiday. People are great whatever there RP style.

If that fails, take a break and do something else for a bit.

On the flip side I know myself I am caught between dailies and RL, and I know I have to drop this illusion of playing so I can get back to doing more RP. I do feel in a bit of a slump atm.

Neldurac · **10-18-2017, 05:37 AM**

So, first of all, the line of logic is flawed. There is no possible way you have interacted with a large enough percentage of the Balmung RP community, for a lack of new players to be the cause of the perceived stagnation. A new player who is new because they're fresh to the game, or fresh from another server, isn't some "better kind" of new, compared to a player who you simply haven't met before, and I PROMISE, there are people you haven't met before. This is an illusionary problem, that boils down to having trouble branching out. That is an entirely different, and perfectly understandable issue, but fresh blood is definitely not the problem.

I know it's already been said in other posts, but the issue is 100% not finding those different people. Not that they aren't around, or don't exist. If the server is locked down because it's so heavily populated, that means there is all the more for you to sift through, finding your entertainment.

Marisa · **10-18-2017, 08:30 AM**

I feel ya. I'm having a problem where most of my original Balmung friends have either drifted to other circles or outright quit the game. I'm trying to force myself to socialize with people I don't know, but its hard to find time for it between work and getting all my daily chores done in-game. But as others have said, there's an incredible amount of people on the server who RP. I went to a variety show in some FC's basement monday night and holy crap, there was like 40+ people in the audience and I knew maybe 4 of them. You probably know more people than I do but I guarantee there's still connections to be made.Â Â

And yeah, just keep telling yourself that someday Balmung will open again. It will, its just gonna take time.

Lydia Lightfoot · **10-18-2017, 10:27 AM**

Everything's fine on Balmung. There's lots of public social events hosted every week, which present opportunities for people to connect with others - I've been playing since sometime in early 2015 and I'm constantly meeting roleplayers I didn't already know.

The one and only thing that I could say maybe arguably is concerning is that there are a lot of "Vacuum FCs", in which the FC isn't really aggressively putting itself out there for recruiting, and then some significant portion of the leaders and active members take a break from the game (which has nothing to do with Balmung being closed - this has always happened for roleplayers, since forever), and so you end up with an FC which really isn't doing much of anything, yet it has members still in it who don't want to leave due to the "break" folks theoretically coming back.

I've seen it happen with quite a few FCs where the members left end up feeling bored and restless, yet also guilty if they were to bail and go find an FC that has more activity. Sometimes, these people end up leaving the game because they aren't having fun anymore. These "victims of stagnation within their FC" roleplayers are what active FCs need, in lieu of genuine newcomers to the server, in order to grow and thrive. It should be that as one FC dies others grow, it's a cycle. Instead, sentimentality is leading to situations where an FC dies but the remaining members just sort of go into limbo.

I'm not sure there's really a solution to that, except for people going on break being more honest with themselves about their intent to return and the timeframe of it (in other words, don't leave your FC members hanging, if you won't be back for months just shut the thing down until you return and give the members freedom without feeling guilty like they've abandoned the break-taker or somehow let them down by moving on). On the flip side, members in FCs where there's a vacuum need to avoid sentimental attachment to their FC - the good memories are awesome for sure, but roleplayers are notorious for claiming to take a break and then just never coming back, so... don't hold out on that, I guess. If you quit and do something else, and then the folks on break do return, nothing says you can't just go rejoin their FC if you want to.

Maia · **10-18-2017, 11:31 AM**

I've noticed fewer applications to join our LS post Balmung closure, but I expected that, really. We're not a group that recruits very aggressively or puts ourselves out there that often. XD

In that way, we may be one of the "hidden/insular" RP groups floating around Balmung. The reason I bring it up is so that I can echo a lot of the people who have already posted: there is an enormous RP population on Balmung, but you may have to take steps beyond walk-up RP to find them.

My suggestion for finding these myriad/extended RP contacts is twofold.

1.) Go to events! There are so many RP events posted here on the forums and calendar, each hosted by its own unique RP group. It's a great way to meet new RPers, and every event has the potential to be run differently. So even if you have a bad experience at one or two events, it wouldn't be fair to extend that experience to -every- event. The only way to know for sure is to try out each one!

2.) Join RP LS's! Even if you already have an FC, as many people do, there are still quite a few groups listed in the Linkshell directory for Balmung. Joining an RP LS can be very mutually beneficial -- new players breathe new life into a LS, and the LS can introduce a score of fresh new faces to an individual. (Although I admit that my own LS isn't very popular since we're kind of a "low power level" RP group, haha.)

I think there's still hope! Try some new things before giving up on the server, I say. Cactuar

Zhavi · **10-18-2017, 11:36 AM**

I dunno man, like, my own personal ooc issues keeping me from being very active aside, before they shut me down I was meeting new rpers I'd never talked to before left and right -- going through my usual method of combing the wiki. 99% of those people I never knew existed, and I was very pleased with their quality of writing. One of them turned into a rp partner, and while I'd love to reconnect with the others I touched base with, I just don't have the time or wherewithal at the moment.

I feel like, you know, if you hang in the same circles and do the same stuff you're gonna see the same people. My rp bud told me that if I hadn't contacted him it was likely going to be his swan song for FF rp and FF in general, because he'd struggled to find likeminded people for rp -- and that would've been awful, cuz he's a fuckin' treasure of a writer (AND I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE HE DOESN'T GO ON THE RPC HAHAHAHA).

So, you know, branch out more. Send some messages to people on tumblr or here, check out random wiki pages. There yet remains a ton of writers on Balmung with story potential that they maybe haven't been able to release for whatever reason, and need a push or a connection.

But if you keep doing what you've been doing, you're probably not gonna find them.

Wemrys · **10-18-2017, 12:15 PM**

The Balmung wall being up is what has shaped my FC's philosophy. We're always open to having new members and we have a slow trickle that appears every now and again, but we realize that with the way things are, it's going to be better to branch out and be active with the community itself. We've run one open community event this month with another coming up next week.

Out of the auction events we run, we offer DM'd RP events to people who win certain prizes at the event to keep the RP chain going and open up more situations for interaction (I have one tonight as a matter of fact with a group of people I've never met). This community outreach thing is to hopefully try to create a more collaborative community because, while it's statistically impossible to have met everyone on Balmung, it is still very possible for things to get stagnant for some people. My FC wants to try and foster more collaboration and more coexistence between groups of RPers.

That's not to say such a thing isn't available on Balmung already, there are plenty of groups that work together, but every little group working toward a similar goal can create a much wider and much easier to engage net of opportunities for the folks who are otherwise a little nervous about approaching new people.

Gehr'ir Ett · **10-18-2017, 12:36 PM**

(10-18-2017, 11:36 AM)Zhavi Wrote: I dunno man, like, my own personal ooc issues keeping me from being very active aside, before they shut me down I was meeting new rpers I'd never talked to before left and right -- going through my usual method of combing the wiki.Â Â

But if you keep doing what you've been doing, you're probably not gonna find them.

Going through the wiki is a great idea. Why didn't I think of that.

Roen · **10-18-2017, 12:40 PM**

There's definitely more people to meet on this server, even if Balmung is closed.

I've been playing with the same people for like four years. Has my RP grown stagnant? It doesn't' feel like it, but I definitely understand the want of meeting new people. Everyone I've RPed with, it always started out with me PMing them and arranging a meet up. I think my method of meeting new players is still the same: read IC posts, look through the Player's Directory here, read through Making Connections area, and also combing through tumblr. The latter I should do more of, I'll admit. I'll also make note of those that just walk by with their RP tags on when I am running around. Then try to see if they have a wiki or anything anywhere written about them. I try to see if people are like-minded before contacting them.

So there are people to be found! New not because they are new to the server, but because I've never ran into them! I think RP can become stagnant anywhere, whether the server is open or not, if you just stop looking to make those new connections.

I will take the advice of joining more RP LSs and combing through wiki! I usually just look through wiki after I find someone interesting to scope out their character, but randomly reading them... I have not done this! I'll give it a try! Do you just... click on random? Go down alphabetically...?

Zhavi · **10-18-2017, 12:55 PM**

I typically start with looking at recent changes, with the reasoning that I'll be less likely to strike out with inactive people if they're still editing/updating their wiki (though that isn't the most effective, since I hardly ever edit my own). I try to reduce the number of no-responses that I get, since that by itself feels discouraging.

But random pages, searching for keywords for stuff that interests you (criminal, merchant, bodyguard, tribal, professor, scholar, healer, whatever), looking for specific races or locations: all things that could help. No one method is the be-all, end-all, and these days I'm finding that people are adding outside methods of communication (discord, whatever) -- so that can also help making finding connections smoother, since people tend to respond faster to those than to PMs here.

Happy hunting! There are some real gems out there.

Therion The Witch · **10-18-2017, 01:37 PM**

Mmm.

I think some people have misunderstood my thread but others have been spot on a bit. I have no intention of quitting or leaving just yet because I still have people I care about on the server. However, I am also not a fool either. I cannot say that I haven't been checking both servers and I have found that whilst one side has more role-players, the other has a lot more openly active role-players.

To be completely honest, closed RP is almost as bad as no role-play. The problem is it takes new players to really get into the closed role-play. Why is that? It is really hard to get with established groups and the best way is to meet new players trying to get into them.

Also, open role-play, actually seeing players out in the world role-playing is being hurt the most. That especially is most important.

I have no intention of quitting though as some of you said. No idea where you got that from. However, if it does keep stagnating and going down within a few months. I may. I already see Open Roleplay on the other servers becoming even more then Balmung and its definately due to new players filling the spots their instead of here.

New Players are a treat you know, do not underestimate that!

To be honest though, now I know what Naboo feels like in Episode 1. SE promised to unlock the server though...

Zhavi · **10-18-2017, 02:02 PM**

(10-18-2017, 01:37 PM)Therion The Witch Wrote: To be completely honest, closed RP is almost as bad as no role-play. The problem is it takes new players to really get into the closed role-play. Why is that? It is really hard to get with established groups and the best way is to meet new players trying to get into them.

Also, open role-play, actually seeing players out in the world role-playing is being hurt the most. That especially is most important.

Yo, I have not, nor ever, been a major part of any "established groups." I'm a floater. While I will occasionally help friends with their FC stuff, for the most part I will bounce in and out of groups, going with the rp wherever it goes. As someone who's been around for awhile, it's not like I have some intense connections. I've talked with a lot of people who are in groups, but due to our differences in characters, usually we just never connect.

Even back in 2014, on Balmung, I'd do a lot (almost every day) of open rp in Limsa and would rarely see other ic rpers there (though I would get tells from ooc rpers commenting on the rp -- and sometimes even still today on Zhi I get tells from people every few months who saw me when I was active way back when and wanted to say hi!)

Which means (when I'm more active) I usually go looking for other rpers, who aren't in rp plots that take up a lot of their time, who jive with whatever rp I'm trying to do.

These people don't need to be new. Look at you, wanting to see more rp in the open, wanting a breath of fresh air. Well, there are a lot of people like you. The only difference is they aren't fresh to the game. Why don't they count to you? What makes them so undesirable? They're still creative people with a point of view who are eager and willing to rp. They just haven't found their groove yet.

There will come a time on Mateus where people will say "things have changed" "it isn't as active as it used to be" "the rp used to be like this and now it's like this and I want it to be like the old way." It always happens. It isn't a bad thing to like the style of a different community -- servers each have their own feel. It could just be you're attracted to the bohemian feel of a fresh server. Maybe you just genuinely like that fresh car smell. I think maybe you need to have a good sit down and think about what makes you happy. Do players new to the game itself kick your creativity into overdrive? Then you're right, right now Balmung is gonna make you miserable.

But to think that Balmung lacks talented, creative, inspired, fresh people who are interested in open rp, then I think you're not looking hard enough.

Balmung and Mateus are going to be different. Those differences should be celebrated for what they have to offer -- and you know, it's okay if Mateus looks more attractive to you right now. Embrace it! Have fun! You do you. You can be on both servers, make a character on Mateus if it's calling to you! But I think you're way off base if you think Balmung's rp scene is dying or stagnating for lack of new faces.

Therion The Witch · **10-18-2017, 02:14 PM**

(10-18-2017, 02:02 PM)Zhavi Wrote:
(10-18-2017, 01:37 PM)Therion The Witch Wrote: To be completely honest, closed RP is almost as bad as no role-play. The problem is it takes new players to really get into the closed role-play. Why is that? It is really hard to get with established groups and the best way is to meet new players trying to get into them.

Also, open role-play, actually seeing players out in the world role-playing is being hurt the most. That especially is most important.

Yo, I have not, nor ever, been a major part of any "established groups." I'm a floater. While I will occasionally help friends with their FC stuff, for the most part I will bounce in and out of groups, going with the rp wherever it goes. As someone who's been around for awhile, it's not like I have some intense connections. I've talked with a lot of people who are in groups, but due to our differences in characters, usually we just never connect.

Even back in 2014, on Balmung, I'd do a lot (almost every day) of open rp in Limsa and would rarely see other ic rpers there (though I would get tells from ooc rpers commenting on the rp -- and sometimes even still today on Zhi I get tells from people every few months who saw me when I was active way back when and wanted to say hi!)

Which means (when I'm more active) I usually go looking for other rpers, who aren't in rp plots that take up a lot of their time, who jive with whatever rp I'm trying to do.

These people don't need to be new. Look at you, wanting to see more rp in the open, wanting a breath of fresh air. Well, there are a lot of people like you. The only difference is they aren't fresh to the game. Why don't they count to you? What makes them so undesirable? They're still creative people with a point of view who are eager and willing to rp. They just haven't found their groove yet.

There will come a time on Mateus where people will say "things have changed" "it isn't as active as it used to be" "the rp used to be like this and now it's like this and I want it to be like the old way." It always happens. It isn't a bad thing to like the style of a different community -- servers each have their own feel. It could just be you're attracted to the bohemian feel of a fresh server. Maybe you just genuinely like that fresh car smell. I think maybe you need to have a good sit down and think about what makes you happy. Do players new to the game itself kick your creativity into overdrive? Then you're right, right now Balmung is gonna make you miserable.

But to think that Balmung lacks talented, creative, inspired, fresh people who are interested in open rp, then I think you're not looking hard enough.

Balmung and Mateus are going to be different. Those differences should be celebrated for what they have to offer -- and you know, it's okay if Mateus looks more attractive to you right now. Embrace it! Have fun! You do you. You can be on both servers, make a character on Mateus if it's calling to you! But I think you're way off base if you think Balmung's rp scene is dying or stagnating for lack of new faces.

Just bolding to make this part easier to find for myself. (Don't see well.)

Well, I wasn't really replying to you since I didn't think you were rude but let me rephrase. I don't really have an interest in looking into every house in every ward on the server to find that closed role-play I know exists. I mean, in character-ly that also just sounds rude. I apologize if I didn't get what you meant but that is what I mostly see lately. Old Faces are around yes, but they are and tend to be reclusive and stick to their groups. Which I have no issue with, that is what they like. One of my favorite groups is actually the Eldritch Collective because they are a big guild who actually sticks to the open and does a lot of things IC from what I see.

I have no interest in going onto sites like Tumblr to find role-play. Having to go OOC to find IC has never interested me in any shape-or-form. That kind of role-play to me feels extremely forced, call me old fashioned I suppose.

The wiki sounds like a good idea however. Although it would feel extremely weird to send people tells ooc asking for ic. That just makes me feel uncomfortable.

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[Discussion] Been feeling the Balmung Bluesâ„¢ lately.

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