Newbie starting?

[Kazak]

As of right now, when you start as a newbie you get nothing and you are forced to do the writ quest to get the starting cash (also learn the city, the map, conversation, etc).

Since I am not a dev, I (as a player) am just curious what you as a Dasarian community think about this?

[Grayle]

I enjoy it as it is.

[Anen]

Probably not a bad idea to have something like NWN1 had (you got a short sword and a small shield as a fighter, and even less if you weren't).

Honestly, it doesn't take a lot of effort to get cash. Spending about 5 minutes on the first quests, and you'll have enough to buy a simple weapon. That's the way it should be, given the campaign.

[EvilPyrate]

Yes, your character background may say that you were somebody before you came to Cear, however, the campaign history and storyline really say that nearly everybody is dirt poor, with the country still paying for a war. Starting with nothing represents the fact that each character has had to pull him/herself up by the bootstraps.

[Grayle]

I just don't see how commoners would begin the game armed.

Hell, I'm surprised Varana allows it's citizens armaments at all. If anything, an added quest to earn the permission to bear arms would be cool.

[Stormknife]

So every character is obligated to be a poor commoner who somehow has made their way to Cear without any means of defending themself and now has to scrape together the money for a beatstick?

Yes, your character background may say that you were somebody before you came to Cear, however, the campaign history and storyline really say that nearly everybody is dirt poor, with the country still paying for a war.

By that logic, wizards shouldn't even be allowed to start with spells in their books...spellbooks and scrolls aren't cheap, relatively speaking. And even if you want to run with the "Everyone's poor" theory, any bozo can pick up a hefty stick and have a club or a quarterstaff.

[Grayle]

A club or a quarterstaff isn't unreasonable. *Shrugs* I started the game with Scalemail, and felt pretty fortunate.

As far as being poor, well, yes, I think starting the game with gold isn't such a great idea.

[Starkwold]

So every character is obligated to be a poor commoner who somehow has made their way to Cear without any means of defending themself and now has to scrape together the money for a beatstick?

This is a gross overstatement. Like I said before, if you spend 5-10 minutes on quests, you'll own yourself a decent blade and shield in no time, and an extra cushion of cash and XP.

edit: This is Anen, forget to change my account.

[Vahene]

You're either in one of two categories:

1-You were born in Cear.
2-You weren't born in Cear.

If you assume everyone that is new is born in Cear, these people, even if they were beggars, would have some way, or motivation to collect enough money for a weapon even if its just a club (which I think everyone can use despite class) or dagger, and clothes. You start with clothes, armor or a robe depending on class.

I don't think it would be that much of a stretch to add a bit of money (perhaps 50 coins), and 3 light healing potions. Especially if you weren't born in Cear, you didn't just magic yourself or imagine yourself in a new city, you had to journey there. Did you end up broke by the time you go there? Entirely possible.

Personally, I voted I would like to see a kit of somesort, mostly because I miss the 3 healing potions I started out with. I was hunting with a friend last night, and we had to stop and rest every so often, because I had no money for kits or for potions--so I had to wait until my rest timer reset. Not everyone is a fighter with an enormous amount of HP's. Some of us don't have very many.

-K

[Grayle]

By that logic, wizards shouldn't even be allowed to start with spells in their books...

I'm all for this, by the way. Give them a quest to gain initial spells. What's with this desire for instant gratification? Of course, I know this isn't something that would be implemented. Simply my opinion on entitlement.

I had Full Plate Armor at 2nd level. Without much effort, too.

[obsoletenihilist]

It's easy! You just roleplay..

Don't know where folk for the writs are? Ask around. Make connections. Talk to people. Nothing is handed on a silver platter in real life once you get into the harsh reality of life, and life in Caer from what I gather is definately more harsh than the 20th century in whatever country you can afford internet, games, etc.

Why just last night I had some great RP with a new player who was rude at first.. and then when he needed help decided to suck it up and work out the fact my character was going to pound his face in. Granted most of it was explaining who might have work, and vague general directions on how to find them.. But it took all of fifteen minutes tops and his character was more or less set for finding enough jobs to afford a blade for that mercenary work and bounty hunting.

[Wyvern]

The biggest issue with starting out with gold is we would have people rolling up countless characters to farm cash from them.

[lockethrowsknives]

I like it just the way it is. It is quite simple to get money early on, and the starting armors are usually quite nice as it is.

[Vahene]

The biggest issue with starting out with gold is we would have people rolling up countless characters to farm cash from them.

I know it as an abuse issue with the first game. Ehm, a DM Client (when we have one) could help with that, couldn't it?

Don't know where folk for the writs are?

How about knowing the writs exist? When you log in, you see a sign. You read the sign, and then you either do one of two things: you go out of the inn without talking to anyone, or you talk. If you talk to people, you'll get the quest. But even if you go outside of the inn, if you just wanted to hunt and forgo the quests, you can't. In single player, I don't think I started fighting wolves until I was level 4 or 5. Do we have enough quests, if you do them only one time, to get a person up to that level without even leaving town?

I guess, my issue with not having a starting kit is that if something did happen, you would not be prepared for it. In the first game, you could at least drink your healing potions, even if you did have to leave town to get that stupid herb that got you attacked by wolves nearly every time unless you hid.

Don't bite me. I'm playing Devils Advocate to a certain degree here. I have enough funds, and am more than happy to do the quests and RP, but for folks that know nothing about the game at all--they have no idea those quests even exist unless they are told or proactively look.

-K

[Grayle]

Wyvern beat me to it. So did Vahene.