View source for Q&A (RPCSS)

''RPCSS is a complex concept for new players to grasp.  It is actually a very easy system to use, but because it is something almost completely new to MMORPG role-play communities it can take some time to digest. We try and keep a list of commonly asked questions and their answers update.  <includeonly>[[Q&A (RPCSS)|Read More ..]]</includeonly><noinclude>[[Category:RPCSS]]

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;So will I be able to recruit NPCs to fight another's NPCs?
:A player will be able to form a [[Noble Houses|Noble House]].  Each Noble House will have both a guild stone in UO as well as a team of players in the web-based RPCSS.  Orders to your house armies are given in RPCSS, but the armies show up in game as mobs.  You can direct your armies to engage other house armies.  RPCSS, using "board game" logic will determine who the winner is of each encounter.  Controlling an area (a map hex) will give the noble house (aka guild leader) certain powers over that area.

;Can players fight armies?  Can armies attack players?
:Yes, and Yes, but the details are still being worked out. Some of our thoughts include: Guards in town that can be activated to defend members against attackers.  Armies implemented as champ spawns with outlying scouts and men at arms which would be hostile to players and might trigger the champ spawn.  The "army champ spawn" could be defeated by players which would be reflected in RPCSS.

''It is perhaps important to mention that players will only interact with armies when they are "at rest".  Two hostile armies will never meet in game and "fight it out" in real time.  The ruleset for conflict resolution is in RPCSS and happens at the end of a turn.  If a PC comes across an army it is either a) traveling from one hex to another b) waiting on orders or defending the location from potential attack c) has just defeated another army d) or is on the run from a recent defeat.

;Does each "House" Have a unique set of NPC's they can recruit.
:When we go live, everyone will have access to the same set of "basic humanoid infantry and knights".  However, we have a number of plans for later release that will let you "skin" the mobs with other UO Graphics, as well as "dress up" your guards with custom livery.  Please note that we are talking about '''appearance''', not game mechanics.  All armies have equal game mechanics, it is the guild leaders tactics and allies that will win or loose encounters.

;What resources will I need to build an army, and with those resources can I effectively have a larger army.
:Noble Houses can have a ranking of 1 to 10.  Gaining rank is a function of gold and land.  As you gain more land, you get more taxes, as you get more taxes you can upgrade your level and recruit a larger army.  We hope to implement other types of in game resources, such as food, ore and artifacts that will allow you to "buff" up your forces in one way or another.  Details not available until we see some in game play.

;How will you effectively stop a player who has been playing a while, from just wiping out newer players?
:We won't.  The responsibility is on the new player to establish role-play relationships with existing players who are motivated to gain and protect new noble houses.  This game requires allies, not just for new house, but for existing houses. When we play tested this last year it worked out like this just as we had hoped.  Remember the goal is to generate role-play interaction, not build a sim game -- you can get that on a dozen world builder browser games.
:There is a max number of hexes that any one team can control before they have to "delegate" the management of new areas to new allies.  So it is more likely that you will see "consortiums" of guilds trying to keep other "consortiums" from establishing new players.  Which is how it should be.

;Will ig (character uo) actions like resource gathering have any effect on the GOT overarching game or is it entirely separate as in the resources associated with the GOT aspect will only be acquired by occupation of map areas?
:This was asked early, by you in fact Virgle.  I brought it to my husband and we have an idea that we think will work, feel effective and yet not unbalance the play.  The idea revolves around players completing BODs, which we are lucky enough to already have as a bulk order craft system.  Kingdoms will be able to release requests for BODs, that are separate for each kingdom.  As crafters complete BODs points will be awarded to each Noble House in that Kingdom.  These points will impact initiative at the beginning of each weekly turn.  Initiative is a crucial element of the game play.

;Will there be in game resource nodes that can be claimed, controlled and defended? 
:Yes, that is a goal of this system, but how that will be actually implemented has not yet been designed.  Keep an eye out on the forum [http://forums.sanctuaryshard.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=35 RPCSS board] for new designs as we work them out.

;Will players be able to directly impact aspects of the campaign, such as running mule trains or interrupting supply lines.
:With out further play testing, I would say something like ... Team A, plan an event to run supplies, do that as a RP event, have a great time running it as an event, and I as a staffer will give your team a bonus for creating in game role-play scenarios. Because we couldn't script that in the other alpha test, we did it this way, and it worked out really well and generate a ton of RP.

<I>One thing to keep in mind for you while brain storming ... we have to be realistic about the potential size of the player base, and how many people will want to lead their own house.  It could go either way.  Lets say we have 5 houses, one per each kingdom, and thus 5 leaders, and everyone else is happy playing being "in the guild".  If we get that structure we can implement more "TIMELY in game" connections between game and RPCSS.

However, if we get 30 players all wanting their own noble house, then there won't be a huge resource for those leaders to rely on players to "do things".  If we have to much dependant on players one of two things happen.  Large power broker cliques form and one or two houses dominate and no one can break in, or two, players get really sick and tired of running mules day after day or week after week.

Finding that sweet spot between involving players in the minutia of the process, and keeping that stuff in the hands of NPCS that characters DIRECT is going to be important.</I>

;How does one form or join a house?
:The current process involves putting in an application on the forums then Mith and myself doing a number of manual steps to help you set up the guild stone, create the RPCSS team and link the two.  Obviously, this doesn't sound fun for anyone and we are tossing around how to automate the process, the details of which are not available yet.  Keep an eye on the [http://forums.sanctuaryshard.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=35 RPCSS board] which is where designs will pop.