Likely changes in RP landscape with Free to Play

They aren't removing it, it's the new Tutorial Zone. 'Too dangerous?' Don't make me laugh.

What they're doing is eliminating an existing starting zone, leaving one in the Isles, one in Paragon. The new Tutorial Zone will start both heros and villains. Just like the tutorial zones that already exist in the game, once you leave them, you can't go back, so it'll be there, just inaccessible, except via Oro.

Yes, I completely understand what they are doing but you and I have a different perspective in how it fits into the timeline of the game. Galaxy's Last Stand doesn't sound like it's meant to be an ongoing battle - it's a singular event. For you and me and everyone else's characters who are Level 2 or higher, it will be in the past. As in "What do you mean there's no Galaxy anymore? I knew I shouldn't have taken that Keyes in Praetoria!" For those characters, they missed it and didn't even get a shot at defending it.

For your Level 1 zoning for the first time, it's a current event and no matter what minor successes happen during Galaxy's Last Stand, the end result is still that you pick your side and leave the wasteland. After you leave, the area which will presumably still occupy the same space will be "too dangerous" to re-enter.

At least, I would have bet that I read that quote but I can't find it now. Between official announcements, interviews, wikis, dev posts, discussion, and debate, it's definitely entirely possible that I'm mis-remembering the whole deal. I'm just not interested enough to keep looking.

If you are looking at it as an ongoing battle, I think it's worth mentioning that it isn't the case with the Outbreak tutorial. By the end of Outbreak, the formula has been delivered and the nightmare is over. And even if you did it all alone at 3am in the morning within an empty zone, my character was there and so was everyone else's that went through the tutorial. It's meant to be a singular event.

In any case, I much would prefer that Galaxy exist as a smouldering ruin where even a team of Incarnates can expect to meet their demise in minutes rather than have it be cordoned and declared off-limits. "Look, I know that you are an Incarnate with the powers at the Well at your command but the PPD put up this sawhorse for a reason! Get back to the Rikti War Zone!"

I mean, we're going to need something to do when we're all Tier 4 Omegas, right?

(while the quote is Ravenswing, this is in no way a direct response to Ravenswing or a bash on this quote, this is a legitimate statement)

RP'ers on here have not been the friendliest rp'ers I have played with in my almost 30 years as an rp'er (okay, maybe D&D doesn't count but I claim it anyway). They seem to be the hardest to get to know, and the hardest to actually like and want to get to know. I love rp, but sadly, it is not my main focus on here due to these reasons.

The majority in any group of clients will have the final say of where the company heads to. Grow the rp community by inviting people to be a part of it, and presenting something people actually wish to be a part of. Alternative...complain and just make yourselves look less attractive by insulting those that have other opinions. Never works.

By no means do I present this as all rp'ers, but sadly, only a few loud voices (so to speak of course) can ruin the taste of wanting to rp with any group. Get them under control, and you can grow a healthy community that will have a bigger say. How do you get them under control? No matter how use to them you are, start drawing the line on what you put up with, and alienate them if they insist on bashing others. It can stay an "elite" class, to which it will only shrink more, as will your influence on the game...or...it can grow with good guidance to help out those not use to your style of rp. On Union alone there are some wonderfully nice folks that need to just stand up and present a reason for people to want to rp. "They need to come to us and do it our way" thought does not work. "Be friendly, and teach them our way" is a much better solution.

The ball is never in the devs court, it is always in the clients, we just have to present a reason for them to continue to play with us. How do I know this? I once was a dev on a very strict, very hardcore rp game, dealing with the "story" of a world with multiple races/ethnicity/cultures, that catered to hundreds of rp'ers at once. Tight nit, closed rp'ers were not our first concerns, as they gave little back, but took as much as they could.

I hope this is viewed as help, and not bashing. I am over 40 years old, and not use to the up to date politically correct terminology..lol....so forgive me please if any of it sounds harsh. Not intended at all, and I mean NO ONE in particular on my negative comments...being very general here.