Draco Somnus & Dragonlands FAQ

1. Why is this Guild so complicated?
 This Guild is complicated because we're letting different playstyles exist simultaneously. Giving each player style its due and having it be satisfying, takes special regulations.

2. Why do you use dice?
 Dice ensure that there will be surprises. We know from experience that games of this type go on for many years. When a longstanding rivalry goes on for years due to players not wanting to risk losing their characters, it severely detracts from the believability. Dice ensure that the Continuity will not grow stale.

3. Why won't you not allow pure OOC negotiation for those who mutually agree on it?
 First, because it relies on OOC trust, this kind of roleplaying leads to OOC cliques that few new players can break into.

Second, a purely consentual OOCly negotiated combat is strongly influenced by random whim, random mood, OOC friendship, and OOC hatred. That makes it impossible for the unpopular players to succeed, and too easy for popular ones, and that's obviously not very fair.

Finally, a big part of the fun of RPGs is "war stories". Drama generally comes from being surprised and/or from succeeding against the odds. Winning a battle due to OOC whims may be fun for all involved, but it is less special than a diced combat because it can happen all the time.

4. Why do you use character generation?
 The "Furre!" system is a point-construction system with advantages paid for by disadvantages. The character generation of Furre is not a writer's value-judgment on how all characters "should" be, nor does it define what is "twinky". It is simply a defense mechanism for the Continuity.

Unlike in a tabletop game, a massively multiplayer online game like Furcadia has far more players in a group, thus we have to "share" the character hooks better. The limit of 5 advantage points keeps one character from hogging all the "character hooks". In Furre! you won't meet a magic-user half-werewolf half-giant vampire dragon-rider king-of-the-elves.

Being IC strongly relies on "I'll believe in you if you'll believe in me"; character generation ensures the "bargain" is equitable.

5. Why do you use stats?
 Opinions on what "power level" is appropriate for player characters varies wildly. This way, it isn't left up to opinion. The power level of Furre! has been set at the most playable position, a compromise between "normals only" and "demigods". With stats, you will know for sure if someone's ability is below average, average, or exceptional, *and* you will have a way to compare it to your own stats.

6. Why limit everybody to one Continuity?
 Having just one Continuity means you can't just make stuff up, and that is what those who do "Strict" RP prefer. Each character type has powers, traditions, factions, history, etc. Upholding the Continuity and working to make it all make as much sense as possible is the duty of all players. We can't all do this unless we all know what for-sure exists and (at least OOCly) how it's supposed to be. That means that once a Guild Continuity is started, it's very difficult to add new major things.

It's also unfair to permit creation of new character types in a game where you don't get total control over whether your character lives or dies. The choices you make upon character creation are influenced strongly by what you think you're going to be up against out in this world.

7. Why are you using Furre! and the Dragonlands background when it isn't complete?
We limit our players to *this* Continuity because it's the most well-developed Furcadian background in existence, created by a professional game designer who specializes in multiplayer online games. Creating and documenting a Continuity takes YEARS. The Dragonlands was begun in 1996 and, as of 2003, is still not complete yet. That's because it is an extremely ambitious work, encompassing a number of character types who each require many unique rules to function.

There's also an underlying principle that (in general) the different types don't "steal each other's thunder". Shapeshifting is the domain of Lycanthians thus, Mages do not get that kind of spell. This is why a designer has to choose what abilities each character type gets.

That these projects will be completed is an excellent bet because Talzhemir considers it integral and profoundly central to the development of Furcadia in general.

Bear in mind that we don't assume this is the way EVERYBODY must play. There are lots of other Guilds out there and what they do might be more in line with what you want.