What is Era Accuracy?

[Kordavox]

If we are replicating a 2 year time period, the server ought to be shut down as we are long past that two year time period.

Alternatively, we can perpetuate the rules that govern our time period and do everything that was era accurate once (CUB, Trinsic Invasion, etc) and just continue the server without any additional events for all eternity.

Thirdly, we could cycle the time period: repeating CUB, the Trinsic Invasion, etc, every 2 years and constantly recreate the era.

I am in favor of option 3; constantly creating the era repeatedly on a 2 year cycle, or however our era works out.

What say you? What does era accuracy mean?

[Vhyx]

Here we go.....

When I read the shard's mission statement, no where do I see anything about it doing anything beyond bringing back the T2A GAME PLAY mechanics. I don't get the impression that it was intended to follow the "official events" from T2A on any kind of reciprocating basis. UOSA is it's own thing. This shard is RECREATING the T2A era, not REENACTING it.

The more cynical part of me sees the OP as another attempt to bring back crap like CUB, despite that particular deceased equine having been flogged excessively. This stuff needs to just be let go, and people need to enjoy the shard for what it is, not what it isn't. There is no reason for the staff to put UOSA on some kind of revolving door schedule.

[BlackFoot]

snap

[Kordavox]

When I read the shard's mission statement, no where do I see anything about it doing anything beyond bringing back the T2A GAME PLAY mechanics. I don't get the impression that it was intended to follow the "official events" from T2A on any kind of reciprocating basis. UOSA is it's own thing. This shard is RECREATING the T2A era, not REENACTING it.

No where in the shard's mission statement do I see a need for only mechanical accuracy. I believe the fulfillment of an emulation would be replication, and the mission statement describes this server as " the most accurate emulation of the UO: T2A era online today". A full emulation includes fun occurrences during T2A. We are all welcome to our own interpretations of the mission statement.

The more cynical part of me sees the OP as another attempt to bring back crap like CUB, despite that particular deceased equine having been flogged excessively. This stuff needs to just be let go, and people need to enjoy the shard for what it is, not what it isn't. There is no reason for the staff to put UOSA on some kind of revolving door schedule.

By all means, let's just tolerate the shard as is and make no attempts to improve it or make it more fun. I've read a lot of the older forum posts and have seen that this shard has evolved quite a lot since its inception. I understand that you like it as it is now. I like it as it is now. It wouldn't be what it is now without suggestion and change. I, personally, would like the revolving door schedule as I would get to enjoy some of the things I missed. I'm sure other players would too. I understand that you have seen these arguments before and are tired of them. Don't read the post then if it is going to irritate you. Lots of changes to this shard were the result of long, drawn out discussion. This may be one of those changes one day.

Sometimes beating a dead horse is the only way to get all the candy out.

[Vhyx]

Improving the shard doesn't mean running the same events over, and over, and over again. Improvement is finding new ways to create fun for the players here. Events like CUB and the Trinsic invasion are fun once, IMO. After that it's just repetition and becomes boringly routine.


The changes and suggestions that have improved the shard did so via increasing mechanical accuracy. The better the mechanics, the better the recreation of T2A. Beyond the mechanics, the weight of making the shard a fun place to play is the players. What's "fun" about an event where everybody spends time running a "make heating stand" macro so they can then use an automated agent to feed them into a Chuck-E-Cheese ticket machine? I suppose purchasing a neon hair dye is cool, if that's your thing, but does that really enhance the shard as a whole?

NPC invasions get boring rather quickly, unless there is an ever present progression of a story line or a means to let the players feel like they are influencing the game world. You can do this without reenacting the same event in the same place. Take a look at what URK was doing a few months ago. The only issue I had with the Cove thing was it took a little too long to finally play out, but I understand that it had to do with availability of the people orchestrating it.

Oh, and beating certain dead horses is tiresome especially after the staff has said, repeatedly, that certain events aren't going to happen again-- ever.

[Kordavox]

Events like CUB and the Trinsic invasion are fun once, IMO. After that it's just repetition and becomes boringly routine.

Playing within this era revolves around doing the same things over and over. There is only so much to do once you have all the characters and have tried all the play styles. Enjoying this server means a high tolerance for repetition, and, in fact, an enjoyment of repetition. The fact that the mechanics should not ever change means embracing a love of repetition.

Besides, as the removal of the NEA automated events have shown, we have a need for era accurate events. I did like the orc invasion and I thought that was fun and proper. As far as CUB goes, I don't particularly care for it but it is an era accurate option.

If you really find these discussions tiresome then don't fatigue yourself by posting.

[rouss]

You're 3 years late.

[Vhyx]

Yes, there is a certain level of repetition in the game play here, but some of that has to do with how each player opts to spend their time. The way I play here, there is little repetition because a lot of what I do requires interacting with other players, which leads to unpredictable outcomes. When I get on my stat loss PK character, I have no idea how my night is going to go. The slight repetition may be the act of PKing in and of itself, but how events actually pan our are different every time I do it.

All of this aside, none of it really means that the staff needs to put time into trying to re-enact the T2A era exactly as it happened. A predictable rotation of events would lose it's allure. "Oh, Trinsic is going to get invaded by NPC's again next month, *yawn*"

I'd rather see "Attention UOSA: In the coming weeks we have something in store for you, we're not going to say what yet, but we hope you enjoy it!". Then, see a somewhat one-off event that will perhaps be memorable to those that participate. Much better than recycling.