Which Faction Do You Play?

[*Strawberry Jam]

You can still be very engaging with role play while playing an introverted avoidant recluse. =)

[*Mr_Otyugh]

Indeps aren't organized group though, they're a loose group who don't even have a Factol or leadership, and even their own entry say that they have few rights. Only real unifying thing to them is the desire to remain independent, which comes with the simple idea that they don't feel obligated to help each other out, necessarily, but may do so out of belief to support independence as a concept... which is weird at best, because if they really wanted to be independent, they wouldn't have joined to begin with, but that's planescape for you.

Much like Anarchists, they aren't really called to decide or discuss matters in the Hall of Speakers, individuals of those might come to represent matters in the Hall of Speakers, but in absence of Factol and hierarchy, they lack a voice in the politics. So what their members say doesn't matter from political or legal perspective. On the bright side, they're independent :P

*edit* Another aspect is also simply: In game, there's otherwise pretty much no one enforcing any sort of rules. I've seen bare minimum if at all from Indeps to even try. If they don't, and trust me... they won't, not after one or two people, because anyone who has played Hardhead or any sort of "rule enforcement" will find just how tedious it is and not follow it through soon. So until someone will, there's going to be a constant opening for it in the bazaar which will be filled in one way or another... to which Harmonium players tend to be more assigned to than the others, as such that will remain a constant no matter how much people continue to complain that really indeps should be doing it if they don't.

[*Strawberry Jam]

I never really understood guard players. You know the ones that always play the beat cops of whichever server. They always seem so grumpy and possessive about their roleplay to me hehe. Like usually very inaccessible but borderline pvp if you don't do as told for whatever reason. I think I am far much more of a laissez faire player =)

The it's a small world after all effect of having a minigolf versions of districts thanks to technology limitations probably helps those factions step on each others toes more than they would realistically. I guess?

[*Taihou]

I never really understood guard players. You know the ones that always play the beat cops of whichever server. They always seem so grumpy and possessive about their roleplay to me hehe. Like usually very inaccessible but borderline pvp if you don't do as told for whatever reason. I think I am far much more of a laissez faire player =)

The it's a small world after all effect of having a minigolf versions of districts thanks to technology limitations probably helps those factions step on each others toes more than they would realistically. I guess?

If ask me, those "cop" characters simply watched too much bad American movies about cops.

[*edmaster44]

I never really understood guard players. You know the ones that always play the beat cops of whichever server. They always seem so grumpy and possessive about their roleplay to me hehe. Like usually very inaccessible but borderline pvp if you don't do as told for whatever reason. I think I am far much more of a laissez faire player =)

The it's a small world after all effect of having a minigolf versions of districts thanks to technology limitations probably helps those factions step on each others toes more than they would realistically. I guess?

If ask me, those "cop" characters simply watched too much bad American movies about cops.

Ahahaha, That's a good one!

[*KittyEmpress]

The few servers I've played on where there was a lack of PC guard type characters were also ones where I had to report people for metagaming the NPC guards the most, whenever DMs weren't around. While sometimes guard like characters can be annoying, to me they do, just by existing, help keep people realizing that yes, guards exist, and you can't do shit publically and openly.

Here especially though, it feels like Harmonium are instantly hated by everyone as soon as they walk around, so I'm not surprised that I don't often see many.



I actually played an Athar for over a year, who openly espoused that yes, your gods existed, but weren't really Gods, they were just incredibly powerful beings - look at the similarity between gods, strong fae, demon princes, and devil rulers of hell after all! Obviously a True God would be Unkillable, would be omnipotent, omniscient, and would not feel the need to compete for worshippers, as their greatness is true. So no, your gods are fake, pretenders trying to claim to be something they aren't.

They were pretty fun to play. I kinda miss them.


They did not have many friends.

[*Hydra]

The issue with guard RP, and I'm saying that having played many guards a decade ago on NWN1 is that you are basicly passive and waiting for a good reason to stop people from doing something. In some situations it's legitimate in others it kills a lot of potential investigation RP out of the window.

[*Mr_Otyugh]

There's a reason why most guard characters become grumpy: nobody ever does the easy thing, they keep saying no until there is a problem. And it really doesn't matter how small thing they are requesting, but somehow every single request for people to sheath their weapons is suddenly the biggest deal in the multiverse since somehow having your hands full all the time is relaxing to begin with. :P

Alright, well someone is making problem... Hardhead steps in, because you know.. it's their job. But that's somehow considered unacceptable as well, because that might deny RP. On the other side, if they aren't around, that's unacceptable because they aren't doing their job.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. The actual problem aren't Harmonium or Harmonium characters, it's the players expectations of them. Whenever something comes that they want to deal with, they don't want someone to stop them. And whenever they don't want to deal with something, they want someone else to deal with it in their stead... but somehow all of that is instead twisted and turned until it is the Harmonium players fault, and the reason why most Harmonium characters don't last long, since it's not fun to listen to the constant moaning, no matter what you do.

And trust me, even if you try to go the middle route, where you leave others room to investigate without interruption, it's still whine'o'clock about not doing their job right. So if you want to still continue to complain about Harmonium characters, try rolling your own character into them first and see how well you deal with the impossible demands. And trust me, you'll fail.

[*Taihou]

The few servers I've played on where there was a lack of PC guard type characters were also ones where I had to report people for metagaming the NPC guards the most, whenever DMs weren't around. While sometimes guard like characters can be annoying, to me they do, just by existing, help keep people realizing that yes, guards exist, and you can't do shit publically and openly.

Here especially though, it feels like Harmonium are instantly hated by everyone as soon as they walk around, so I'm not surprised that I don't often see many.



I actually played an Athar for over a year, who openly espoused that yes, your gods existed, but weren't really Gods, they were just incredibly powerful beings - look at the similarity between gods, strong fae, demon princes, and devil rulers of hell after all! Obviously a True God would be Unkillable, would be omnipotent, omniscient, and would not feel the need to compete for worshippers, as their greatness is true. So no, your gods are fake, pretenders trying to claim to be something they aren't.

They were pretty fun to play. I kinda miss them.


They did not have many friends.

The fun is, that Sigil is rather the place, where guards IC-wise should not be able to keep things under control. Mine characters are lawful mostly, thus they nontheless IC are perhaps rather to side with guards as such, than to hate them. The other matter is, that I (both IC and OOC) do not like several particular gurad characters as characters and what they do ICly.

As for Athar, keeping my characters always faithful and highly religious, I would be OOC-ly grateful to one, who would make them have a good nemesis. I would be OOC-ly grateful to those, who play a worthy (instead of simply calling names and giving haughty profane speeches) nemesis as well.

OOC-ly making a good antagonist is definitely making person behind it more interesting.

There's a reason why most guard characters become grumpy: nobody ever does the easy thing, they keep saying no until there is a problem. And it really doesn't matter how small thing they are requesting, but somehow every single request for people to sheath their weapons is suddenly the biggest deal in the multiverse since somehow having your hands full all the time is relaxing to begin with. :P

Be careful, that guy has three meter long spear in his pocket! - from fanfic to game Mount and Blade

What I wish to add as well is, that in my opinion guards should be more considerate, what particular person is carrying in hands and why.

For example, I would, no matter if I played a guard or commoner, definitely not start all this "put weapon away" nonsense, if person carries something, that is not intended to be carried in a sheathed way, like spears, polearms, heavy crossbows and some other weapons. And in case, if person carries something, that formally is not a weapon, like tools (shovel), kitchenware etc, then guard should not even look that way, if person does not behave outrightly aggressively.

But our hardheads still sometimes demand to put three meter long spear in one's pocket. Shame on them!

[*Mr_Otyugh]

The thing with no-weapons exceptions is that the moment one thing is allowed, people point at it and say "what about that one? Why's that allowed." I've seen and heard every possible excuse at least three times. If people aren't smart enough to leave weapons they can't put away while hanging around the public, in a city where it is illegal to wield weapons... they can really only blame themselves, and need to find their own means to cope with the laws of the city. And if it wasn't clear yet, it is against the laws.

Besides adventurers won't just pick a weapon to their adventure which they are forced to keep on their hands for the entire duration of their travels... because that'd be incredibly impractical. I don't know about you, but I dislike having my hands full all the time i'm walking around, and I'd expect that's a feeling shared by most people, since most people don't have their hands full all the time, just because. Also partially a reason why portable storaging spaces have been invented... such as... I don't know... bags of holding? :P

That's again kind of the prime example... people are more keen to find any possible way to just not go along with anything the Harmonium might request, instead of finding a way to make it doable. Like say.. leaving their favorite halberd back at the inn and instead take a shortsword while going for shopping or drinks? Or magical storage space in a setting with magic in it.