For me it's the sheer scope of the PVP, whether it be straight-up combat or verbal sparring. Losing, winning, I love getting people to react and seeing their character's reactions. It's my amphetamine. Knowing that I'll keep seeing these same people over and over is a big part of that: the social aspect, building stories over time.
What about you?
I personally really enjoy the secrets, lore and hidden corners of the game. I like to find out about factions, NPCs and their history, despite doing so not really being encouraged. To a lesser degree, the same thing with PCs, but only a handful stand out and get that feeling of 'I have seen/done some shit' or have really creative personalities/plots.
yes, that's a fancy way of saying PVP, but i have had to deal with so many kindergarten playground-esque arguments about who'd win what fight or do what skill better in other roleplay mediums, while in Sindome there's very little of that, if any at all, because the PVP is enforced by code.
These days? Mostly because there's nothing better or with more active people. It's the right combination of gamey and roleplay-y to keep stuff interesting. Still wish a lot was different, but it's alright.
Sindome has the best mix of:
- staff I trust to do the right thing (remembering that no one is perfect, and everyone will have off days). This is number one for me, because games rot from the head. All RPI games have had a checkered past with this, including Sindome. But this seems to be the place that is trying the most to have staff accountability and integrity. Staff-player relations seem pretty good and mostly consistent.
- the playerbase seems pretty reasonable and not toxic. Every game will have its bad apples, but overall, I like the people I imagine are behind the screen. (This may be because I never use the OOC chat channel).
- interesting roleplayers
- active development. Sindome's additions in the last year have been amazing.
- a functioning economy so that in-game resources are meaningful (I think this holds up until the late game for characters), which promotes conflict. Other RPIs do not compare favorably here.
- a permadeath system that isn't overly punishing, which promotes conflict and risk-taking, while making IC sense
- a skills system that does not reward brainlessly practicing skills all day to raise them
- probably the most support for IC player content creation, like art and music (both in terms of relevant faction positions, and in terms of the playerbase enthusiastically supporting it). See the point about active development. Radios will contribute to this with some more work, and they're brand new.
Sindome struggles in some areas, and has gotten some big things wrong in the past, from my forum archive reading. But it gets a lot right.
Sindome is my first persistent-world RP environment. I've tried others to see how they compare, and they just don't. Things I would expect in any text game are only present in Sindome.
And then there's the amazing staff. I haven't seen staff anywhere else care so much about their playerbase. They're calm and understanding; they're patient when you make incorrect assumptions or remember things incorrectly, and they're open to learning from mistakes they themselves make. I had no idea this was such a foreign concept on other games. (I'm not naming any other games I tried because that's not the point of this thread or this post.)
Sindome has things I perceive to be flaws, mistakes, or frustrating elements. There are systems I desperately wish would get some love. But overwhelmingly, the good outweighs the disappointing. And there's more good being introduced every week!
I hate to make it sound like Sindome is the only option out there, but it's definitely the only video game I've ever liked.
Honestly, sometimes I just like the human connection, too. With COVID and still being somewhat new to the city I live in, I haven't had much opportunity to make a strong group of friends. It might not be the PVP stuff that the game focuses on a lot, but I like the personal roleplay.
Honestly just talking to people, evolving my character and seeing the story that unfolds is just amazing.
I've continued to play for lots of reasons, some good, some bad:
+ Sindome has been incredible for me over the covid isolation period. I live alone far from family, and so this filled time and offered some simulation of a social atmosphere.
+ By living vicariously through characters at times I've been able to explore aspects of my identity I perhaps wasn't comfortable with in myself. Go Sindome LGBTQ!
+ There can be elements of sunk cost fallacy keeping me playing when things are a little dull or frustrating. I've gone too long to pull back now!
+ Story, when it kicks in, is amazing. Not only can they be incredibly rich stories, but you've a stake in it too and -boy- can that be a thrill. I still have distinct memories from the game that make me feel intensely be it happy or sad.
I've been playing on and off for seven years, and I've fallen in and out of love with the game during that time but it -always- pulls me back eventually. Nothing beats Sindome.
