The issue I have with this is the bounties would then not be voluntary. No one should be forced into unwanted RP or combat. If you are out questing and someone says, "I'm here to kill you for money" you should be free to ignore his advances. Third party bounties are bound to cause bad blood and infringe on a player's right to RP his/her story line in the way that is most comfortable. The system is here only to allow for a different type of possible RP connections. It is not intended as a way to punish, harass players or settle scores. This might be another good feature to add. I like the idea of having a champion to fight for you, but I wouldn't want people to be like "Sorry, dude, can't fight now. You need to wait for my level 50 friend. It might have to be listed in the Bounty notes, something like... Is known to travel with a Cyborg bodyguard.

My first team was Rotworms... but who wants to tell people they are a Rotworm? Frogdogs sound like they would have a much nicer line of merchandising.

Thanks! And I've added you.

This is a good idea. Let me think a bit on how to best integrate it.

Kharnis asks a reasonable question. I think the answer is related to what I said in an earlier post -- PVP and PVE problems are with game mechanics, while many of the problems some RPers complain about are with the ways other people enjoy the game. Bioware cannot force people to play the game the way you want them to. It cannot make people discuss the things you want to discuss in /General and, for what it is worth, I have never seen a General conversation resemble anything close to a "cesspool". If players playing the game is the source of your problem, then you probably should consider unsubscribing because that will always be part of an MMORPG.

Frogdogs every time!

Would you say Bounty Hunters have the most athletic looking armor for this? I was considering using my BH as the Huttballer too... but, as I said, I fail at the game. It never killed Syd Barrett!

And if not, why? I wish I was good enough at the damn game to be able to bluff my way through a believable RP scene. Unfortunately, I tend to die in the fire.

Updated! I think I got anyone -- let me know if you were missed.

Best thing to do is try a few servers and see if any of them feel right. If you do choose Ebon Hawk, I usually play under the name Slaine or Hlemmur on the Imperial Side and I am always happy to RP.

I've only had positive experiences on Ebon Hawk. We have a strong community with many resources -- there are quite a few RP sign-ups on this forum. When out questing I have been a part of walk-up RP, made new friends and /General has mostly been discussions of the zone or companion story lines. RP servers, I believe, are one of those strange transactions where you get out only as much as you put in.

I'v heard a lot of good things about all the servers, but I can only speak from experience about Ebon Hawk. RP is still in a where you make it rather than where you find it phase. The community however is very supportive. I've seen a lot of spontaneous RP and other players seem very receptive to IC interactions. If you should want to come to Ebon Hawk there are a great many resources on this forum for hooking yourself up with some RP: Weekly Meet and Greet Crossfaction Mixer Pen Pal Ring and, as you are interested in PVPish sorts of things... Bounty Board

Good point. I've considered making a helmeted BH "assassin droid" and giving it a name like Eight.

Not really. The key word is encouraged -- it is not necessary. And reflecting the theme of the game is a wide field when one considers the names in the EU. I think it is a good rule, because it forbids malicious names while allowing for names that are outside-the-box.

Your guild has single-handedly kept the Ebon Hawk knitting market in the black.

As do I! We really are a great bunch.

Maybe you missed this section... To return to the original topic, I don't think the problem is that RPers are too quiet and definitely not that we are too mature to force the hand of the developers. I feel it is that there is a lack of consensus behind many of the requests and quite a few of them are just vanity changes that would be nice but are in no way vital to gameplay or even RP. The best thing to do is decide on what issues would improve game enjoyment not just for RPers but for all players and focus on those first.

Updated!

Added! Yes, it is quite all right. I've jut added a new section to the FAQ for people that want to start one on their own server...

Exactly. And there are even many different ways you can RP a fight scene -- so there are even ways to do it text-syle. I do hope people will coordinate these things , but as you said any time there is in-game conflict there can be OOC conflict. The reason I established /duel as the default mechanic for resolving bounties if the players cannot agree on another method is that it is something that everyone can engage in (whether they would like to or not) and it provides a clear winner/loser. While I hope people are able to work out a system that would be the most fun for them, there is always /duel to get the job done in a pinch. OOC communication is a must to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone.

Oh, I had seen some of the Star Wars art mash-ups before, but I didn't realize it was an original one that you had made. Good job. Nice blending with the tauntaun especially.

Good points. Let me address the easiest one first: The method of escape is up to the loser -- though he does have to pay the forfeit before running off. As far as RP vs. OOC time... Well, that cannot be helped. By signing up for a random RP contact list like this a player does run the risk of having to RP while they would otherwise have planned on being OOC. However, the fights to settle the bounty should be fairly quick -- especially if /duel is chosen. One could go back to the group or questing right after. I agree that parties may want to communicate things before hand to keep everything straight. The use of /duel as the default method for resolution if both parties cannot agree on another option is to keep the situation as fair as possible. Unless a player is RPing that your character is unbeatable and no one in the galaxy is tougher, then there is no real reason why one might not lose in combat against a superior foe. In fact, it keeps things interesting. The level of damage or lack thereof is determined by the losing party, so there should be no hard feelings. The point of the Ring is to introduce an extra element of RP and risk into our character's lives. We shall!

I'd be careful. Sooner or later you might run into the real Champion of the Great Hunt... and I have a feeling questioning his/her credentials won't go well. But I try to avoid arguing with heavily armored people toting very large blasters.

Thank you all for the support -- but we need more bounties! At the moment my characters make up two/thirds of the targets! Do you know how it feels to quest with a price on your head? Why just the other night I was on Nar Shaddaa eliminating some gang members when a bounty hunter ambled up behind me and /waved. This is it, I figured, I'm about to get shot in the back of the head and rot with the rest of the unburied scum on this sewer of a moon... But it turned out he had just seen me in /OOC! Survived to live to fight another day. It does add some extra fun and realism to things when you have to constantly wonder whether standing around the Hutt Cartel Kiosk too long isn't just advertising for someone to take you out. So, to spare me too much focus as a bounty, I entreat you to sign up today!

I don't see myself as second-class because I consider myself a player and not separate from the rest of the gaming community. My playstyle is RP, but that does not mean I am playing a separate game from PVPers or PVEers. Classes being balanced, bugs being fixed and options being added only improve my gameplay. I'd go out on a limb and say that Bioware hasn't told you that you or other RPers are second class citizens. Any feeling of inferiority would be yours to work out... not theirs.