Faith List

[Algon]

I know this is probably a long shot. But I was looking over the faith list this morning and I needed to know what class each character on there is.
Would it even be possible to have the faith list give the class information?
For example
-- Inner circles --
Algon (Wa) Aubrey ( P) Selveem (Wa)
-- Faith managers --
Jarris (P)
WA - Warrior
P - Priest
WI- Wizzard
R - Rogue

Or something along those lines. Just a thought!

[Brodnur]

Hm, interesting idea, and it'd certainly help to know in advance just what class a pc is, but as I read Algon's post, I was thinking, that that is just one of the things I find out when one of my faithful, for whichever deity, speaks to a hopeful.
It's sorta a learning process, getting to know the hopeful, while they get to know some of the faithful and the dogma of the faith to which they've inquired or applied. Now, mind, I don't play a FM for any of the faiths I have pc's in, but that just sorta seems like how I would do it, if it were me. Just my 2 coppers

[Mele]

I'm actually a huge hater of faith lists in general.

A faith list is not something that would be common knowledge to every member of a faith as it were, ESPECIALLY faiths like Mask and Shar. It makes me crazy to see people using names right off of their faith list when they've never met someone. "Have you met Bob? I heard he's an initiate but I've never met him."

I personally cannot see how any member would be able to walk into a temple and get a list of every single member, hopeful and the class of each logically. Even a faith manager, it's not as if when someone mentions their intentions to learn or receive a quest they're giving their class or even being honest about their class etc.

As a faith manager you should be roleplaying getting to know your hopefuls. While it could be easier to simply see their classes on a list, that's really not the point of the entire process. To look at a list see a class and have a plan without knowing a character. You could look at the list and see a hopeful warrior and plan to send them to help Mistress Thann, but what if said warrior doesn't fight or something silly?

I grasp that seeing it doesn't promise a lack of effort in roleplaying, but it's just in my head an unnecessary piece since the point is to roleplay.

[Harroghty]

I agree and disagree with Mele.

I agree that the point is to role-play and interact with others on the list, but I believe that this is why list exists. I believe that it is semi-OOC and really only becomes IC when, for example, a faith manager (FM) or member of the inner circle (IC) needs to know what hopefuls to look for. More like the player saying, "Oh, there is a hopeful named Bob, I'll keep an eye peeled for Bob" than the character saying, "Yes, brother Polonius told me all about Bob and his desire to join the faith". The flimsy justification that a priest told a faith manager may be necessary as a last resort, but I wouldn't make it the norm in any case (even those more organized, open faiths). I believe that using the list as IC might be helpful occassionally, but the point is just to help people find people to role-play with and not to fill them in all about that person's background.

I disagree about the faith list being a bad thing because, like I said, I view it as being mostly OOC and existing more to ensure that new players or isolated ones (starting in Shadowdale or Westgate maybe) are found by their appropriate clergy in the game.

All that to say that I do not believe that this would be a worthwhile change: use the names as a prompt to find the person and then find out what their trade is face-to-face. What would be the benefit of knowing their class before hand? Why could you not just meet with the FM and ask them to let you know?

[Algon]

I agree and disagree with Mele.

All that to say that I do not believe that this would be a worthwhile change: use the names as a prompt to find the person and then find out what their trade is face-to-face. What would be the benefit of knowing their class before hand? Why could you not just meet with the FM and ask them to let you know?

That is assuming that a FM knows the class of every single member of the church. Most of the churches have a pretty good number of members and it would be difficult for a FM to keep up with every single member. As you said this list is slightly OOC, it is more of a record keeping thing than anything. For the FM and the inner circle members, I feel this would be a valuable change. It would allow the senior members to to have a little more insight when it comes to their members.
I realize that ICly it makes little sense that anyone would know the names and occupations of every single member in a church that is as large as these churches are. But I feel that there are a few things that one has to kind of look over ICly. For example...An amazing one of a kind masterwork piece of armor...that everyone seems to have. We know that OOCly this was a quest reward so it makes sense to more than one person to have it. So we kind of have to look over it in game.

[Dovan]

I'm just going to put this amount of two cents in next to Mele. Not everyone wants their class known amongst their faith, even their friends. I've got a few characters like that and if the info was brought to light in any manner it would not be pleasing for them or my rp. Just takes one fool to say "Doofus, oh yeah he's a ranger save that sword for him!", to blow his whole rp apart.

[Casious]

I am in agreement with Harroghty. If there is a push for too much realism, the game will suffer for it. Things like amulets of communication, faith lists, who lists, finger commands ect.. all serve an ooc purpose of getting people together to play the game.

Cas

[Lysha]

I agree. I'm not a big fan of having everyone know everyone's class like that. It's a bit un-needed in my opinion. As a faith manager, I make it a point to try and remember what everyone is, or if that doesn't work, ask them again. If it helps you, why not write it down as you learn? I know there's tons I have to write down or same on the computer. I have a pretty bad memory, myself.

<3

[Harroghty]

That is assuming that a FM knows the class of every single member of the church. Most of the churches have a pretty good number of members and it would be difficult for a FM to keep up with every single member.

In character: Most church (synagogue, mosque, circle, blot, etc.) leaders in America strive to know at least the names of most of their congregation. They may not know everything about everyone, but they certainly know a short bio of some of their more notable parishioners. Famous adventurers are notable parishioners.

Out of character: You have maybe fifteen PCs in a really full faith. Respectfully, your FM should know all of their classes and if they do not then I am not sure that I like the idea of enabling them further by putting this up in a coded list.

[Nysan]

In theory, this is a good idea for OOC and IC purposes, however I would not like it in-game. As others have stated, we already have a problem with people taking the faith list too IC and 'knowing' names of people they never met. I really dont want to met a new initiate of one of my characters' faiths and that person magically knows my name and class. Its not even a matter of characters keeping info secret. Learning about other members of the church is RP, not a who list feature.

[Dapher]

I can understand and see where Algon is coming from with his idea. And to be honest, I have logs/saved documents as a FM of conversations with hopefuls, questees, initiates, all the way up to inner circle. Granted, Tempus is a more open church than say Shar. I have made it a point to personally meet and speak with every active Tempurian. Now, I would love to log on and be able to type "faith list" and have all the info right there infront of me. But I do believe that it is a temptation that people may not resist, and it could get confusing for some people as to what is said to them, and who knows what type deal. Sure, in the back of your mind you saw it on the faith list, and you know it is right, but you may never have been told ICly about it. I personally do not like having that temptation on any of my characters.

[Shabanna]

As an FM I have to say... based on my experience if you are an active FM no matter how HUGE your faith is... I think you probably do know the class of the people ACTIVE in your faith. That is not to say if joe schmo from 30 years ago shows back up to play again you know him ...but IMHO that is what RP is for, right?

The faith list is only semi useful to FMs to keep a grasp on people who are new hopefuls or inquirers. But it has been my experience, that I tend to hear about them ICLY before they even appear on the faith list. Being and FM with 42 members on my faith list ( about half of them active) I know the class of all the members I have faithed and actually keep a log of the faith members and their information ( such as what quest they were given etc) I am willing to bet most FMs do that? Also... being a member of the Tymoran faith which is fairly large I also know the class of most of the active members as I have RPd with almost all of them.. or at least rpd ABOUT them if I have not met them. I think you just have to stay proactive ICLY and make lists on your own to know stuff. That is the reason for RP right?

Also...I agree that the faith lists can be abused and that adding MORE info ( of any kind) would be counter productive. The more information people can get their hands on OOCly the less they try to rp...I dont think knowing someone's class is that important on a "Faith" list.. really... since worship is not really supposed to be segregated. Now if someone ICLY.. wanted to make up that list and pass it to their brothers.. by actually interacting and rping I think that might be a solution. you go to fred and say " Hey fred I heard we had a new pack of turnip-twaddlers join the faith ... do you have their names? cause I am trying to get a meeting of all the turnip-twaddlers and I would like to find them personally or send them a letter. " And then fred has the chance to say " Yes there were 3 turnip-twaddlers but I only remember the names of two .. so I will have to ask after the third one and pass on your name. " ( Thus.. an RP is born! tiny but an rp all the same)

Just my thoughts... and opinion
The Banna