[NEWS:] What Would You Want to see in a Catskills Faire Grounds?

[Vallend]

Dalthass the master engineer rolled out a map of Britannia setting candle holders in each corner. He then laid down a stack of blank rolled up parchments beside it, and looked up at the other master craftsmen gathered with him around the table. “Gentleman we have been given the task of figuring out the feasibility of constructing a faire grounds for the people to use. No location has been chosen yet or what may be included in these grounds. I have gathered you the best lumberjacks, carpenters, tailors, tinkers, miners, blacksmiths and architects in the land to figure out just what we may need. What I need now from each of you is your ideas. If you want to sketch something I have parchments for you to draw your visions on. If you want to just tell me I am listening too. All I want is what you think a great Faire grounds for the people will have on it.” Dalthass then looked into each of the craftsmens eyes one at a time and awaited their answers…

As of right now there is a strong possibility that Catskills may be getting its own Faire Grounds for EM ran and public events. What I need from all of you is some feedback on it. Unfortunately Felucca is not a option at this time so it will not be placed there. So we need a large open area with space for many things. The question is what kind of things do you the players of Catskills want? What type of theme would you like too?

Here are a few examples.
1. Archery Range with different ranges marked on the ground
2. A small arena with seating around it to hold melee and pet fights.
3. A public picnic area
4. A public bartender or food vendors
5. A fishing pond
6. Public stoves for cooking
7. A forge and anvil
8. A public stables area
9. A jousting field
10. Public dartboards
11. A stage for shows and rewards ceremonies
12. A horse racing track
13. Tents with things like fortune tellers inside or decorative with Knights armor and lances inside
14. A farmers market
15. A moongate that connects to either Trammel Britain or New Haven
16. Statues around the area
17. Flowers and shrubbery
18. A banker
19. A table that sells pies and cakes, or one that sells cooked meats
20. A healer or an Ankh to resurrect people

Now what do you think we need from this list or off the top of your head? Do you want to design a faire grounds then post pictures of it here, then do that. What we need is ideas to make this come true.

 

[katherinepgoh]

1. Archery Range with different ranges marked on the ground
2. A small arena with seating around it to hold melee and pet fights.
4. A public bartender or food vendors
5. A fishing pond < if you can fish in it, this
6. Public stoves for cooking
7. A forge and anvil
8. A public stables area
11. A stage for shows and rewards ceremonies
13. Tents with things like fortune tellers inside or decorative with Knights armor and lances inside
14. A farmers market
15. A moongate that connects to either Trammel Britain or New Haven
17. Flowers and shrubbery
18. A banker < with this and 15, you'd probably make this spot more liked than the redesigned britain bank. I'd avoid that, and not put a banker.
20. An Ankh to resurrect people

These above are the ones that are good, as long as the tents are open to have players run their own shops from. However, if I had to narrow it down to three of the above...
7, 5 (If as I stated), and 2. of course flowers and shrubbery and a nice decorative theme is a must have. For ideas of how it could be set up and look very nice, especially to go along with what's preestablished, please all have a look at Dupre's Camp from when Trinsic was under siege, able to be seen in Felucca on the road near Trinsic that goes to Britain.

 

[Corvak]

I agree with katherinephgo's list. But that moongate ought to link with the new Brit Bank.

-Building it in trammel just prevents so many complications. Most of the reds have blue characters anyway.

-Why not a wedding chapel/area? There have been several EM run weddings recently.

-I am not sure how much EMs are willing to do for player run events, but as long as theyre open to the whole shard, perhaps a runebook or something with runes to popular RP spots? Jolly Roger Inn (and the Black Market) and the areas that Bard's Night have been hosted are good ideas.

 

[Farsight]

Catskills does have a long and ongoing tradition of holding jousts. In that light, a list (jousting field) would almost be mandatory.

Likewise, an interesting arena for dueling would be more than welcome. Perhaps with some obstacles thrown in there or a random monster summoning token (is that possible? no matter, I'll ask anyway) for more PvMish fun.

Anyhow, one thing that isn't listed there that is almost a requirement for the Catskills crew (especially the roleplayers, but not limited to) is stalls in which to set up player vendors or mini events. Such events include things like "kill the chicken," fortune telling, puppet shows (that was a fun one. Was on Europa though.), Kiss the Pookah, Kiss the satyr (Them Fae love to kiss, I'm still waiting for the dryad kissing booth.) Or other such things... Basically it's just booths that are a little bit bigger than your standard meat-pie selling booth.

And for the pirates, we need rum and cannons. There ain't nothin' you can't do with rum and cannons.

 

[Corvak]

Actually isn't there a way to summon random monsters in-game? I think it was a brazier in despise or something.

And I know the pirates would love it if you put it on the shore, so they could come by ship.

 

[Black Sun]

All of the above sounds good to me. Only change I would made is rather than having an Ankh to res people, how about a first aid tent with a healer or 2 hanging out inside.

And maybe a dunking booth. Some sort of interactive booth with an NPC inside who insults anyone who get's close enough, and if you double click the target on the booth he falls in. Or maybe they could make it work based on the throwing skill we're supposed to get with SA.

 

[DPudding]

I've never seen a child in UO....do NPC's come of the the womb fully grown? Anyway...a Spook House/Haunted Mansion kinda thing! Yeah!!!!!! Impossible, you say? Hmmm....what about a kissing booth? I'm available for smooching most evenings. Hi ladies....brush your teeth. And just so the guys won't feel left out....Timberwolf told me he'll shave and everything! Smoochie Smoochie

 

[Corvak]

When a man loves a woman very very much...

...their child pops into existance at the haven town square.

 

[TimberWolf]

I've never seen a child in UO....do NPC's come of the the womb fully grown? Anyway...a Spook House/Haunted Mansion kinda thing! Yeah!!!!!! Impossible, you say? Hmmm....what about a kissing booth? I'm available for smooching most evenings. Hi ladies....brush your teeth. And just so the guys won't feel left out....Timberwolf told me he'll shave and everything! Smoochie Smoochie

Delbert...I am gonna hurt you for that one.....

 

[Vallend]

Ok guys enough kidding for now. Stay on the subject and be serious. The purpose of this is to get useful feedback on what the average players want out of an fair grounds. What will make it most useful for guilds, players and the EM to use it to run events there.

I do think that having a row of tables setup for vendors to use would be nice too, or even tents with tables in them. Maybe I have seen one to many Medieval Faire and market places in my life time but I love the feel of them.

 

[Zuckuss]

I originaly put bumper cars, but then I read the thread asking me to be serious, so I will go with Counselors.

I would love to see the blue robes rangers at a UO faire.

 

[DPudding]

I remember when devs used to do crazy things....like drop a poison dragon in Destard and kill everbody. A big tent full of oddities would be cool. Like a poison dragon scale and things from past scenarios.

 

[Phaen Grey]

Vallend you've pretty much covered the best aspects of all the renn. faires I've ever attended/volunteered for. I think this kind of area linked to the New West Brit Bank would be a wonderful addition to Catskills.

If I could only have three:

Market Stalls
Stage
Dueling pit

 

[Pyrit Habu]

Nub leev da urukz owt! Meeb wunt numbur 21: a klomp'n pit!

 

[Lady_Calina]

I think the stage is a wonderful idea! It would be great to have bardic competitions there and so on

I've always been wary of the open-market ideas, like the ones I've seen on the Asian servers, just because there are some untrustworthy people out there.

But I think the general idea is great I'd like the fair grounds to look structured and well thought out, not just randomly placed tents.

Perhaps give it a symmetrical look, a healer hut on the east and west end of the grounds, with the stage in the north central position and seating in front of it, and the market area to the south central position. All with lush green grass and plants and trees littering around and in between each place.

To me, if its attractive, it will make more people want to attend events there.

 

[WarderDragon]

Greetings, Citizens of Catskills!

I just noticed this thread a moment ago. If you all would like, you should come over and take a peek at our small Faire Ground on the Baja Shard. It was established by the Seers many years ago in the field just east of the Rangers Guildhall (outside Skara Brae); and exists in both Trammel and Felucca. It might give you all some inspiration for your own Faire Ground.

I wouldn't mind showing people interested. Your event moderators could also hook up with EM Seppo and Pallando, who have begun making use of the location again.

Good luck!

- Nicholas the Old,
The Baja Roleplaying & Event Alliance.

 

[Dixie]

It would be cool to have an area for player vendors to supply the event goers with anything from meat pies and cooked birds to a deal on that tunic. These vendor areas would only be valid for the day of the event and you could only have one npc vendor per account.

Maybe this area could be designed like a stage? Deco artists might have better ideas about that than me though.

 

[hawkeye_pike]

Anything that can't be created by players.

 

[Vallend]

All of you have come up with some great ideas, only problem is that the grounds will be limited to existing artwork and programming limitations. Meaning that if it cannot be found in the game now then it will not be on the faire grounds. Things like a fortune tellers tent cannot have a NPC in it because it would involve programming that said NPC to give out fortunes. It however can be a tent with a few chairs and table with a crystal ball on it, decorated to look like a fortune tellers tent that the EM or a RPer playing a gypsy in it that’s fine.

Ideas like the dunking tank while great would involve programming and new animation so that would be a no go. The kissing booth might be possible because mistletoe could be placed to make the kissing sound. So that is using an existing item to make it work. Do you see what I mean?

 

[Corvak]

The only NPCs I would add would be currently in-game, in spots that make sense. Like an Archer at the archery range, etc. (the Archery Instructor from haven would be even better - a real fair would have people who've never shot a bow showing up...)

Optimally, I would say only 'staff' the faire grounds on weekends, But I don't think the game can do that without further coding and/or constant EM interference.

 

[Aedon Durreah]

I want what they all want. *points up*

 

[Jerimiah]

Seeing as I have no idea when I will be able to host pet fight tournaments to benefit the zoo I am all in favor of a public arena where they could be held safely. Having a stable master there would help tremendously. I suppose having a banker on staff would also help many functions of the grounds.

I just hope a lot of time and care go into the aesthetics. After my many year absence from UO I was really impressed with the things I saw when I first visited the Tokuno Islands.

 

[TimberWolf]

I remember when devs used to do crazy things....like drop a poison dragon in Destard and kill everbody. A big tent full of oddities would be cool. Like a poison dragon scale and things from past scenarios.

Now that would be a great idea for our museum...as the tiers increase rares from past periods appear to line the walls. When was the last time anything was done with that museum...other that turn crap in to ear a shield!

 

[Beleg Megil]

And maybe a dunking booth. Some sort of interactive booth with an NPC inside who insults anyone who get's close enough, and if you double click the target on the booth he falls in. Or maybe they could make it work based on the throwing skill we're supposed to get with SA.

Dunking booth would be perfect but linking it to throwing will only allow Gargoyle characters to use it, as today's Five on Friday states Humans and Elves are forbidden the skill.

But maybe the target can be a dart board and a chest can be beside the throw line with respawning daggers.

I'd like a deuling pitt to be interactive with the onlookers, such as levers that activate dungeon style traps and fire columns that the crowd can operate. And the overlooked bit is, the actually deuling area may have to be a mini-felluca rule set, wouldn't it?

EDIT: And please, for the love of Eru... try and keep the hues in the natural spectrum? No neon.

 

[Vallend]

A player yesterday asked me to add gaming tables to the list of items that they want. He wants at 3 or 4 tables with chess boards on them so a tournament can be held there. Along with a table or two with dice on them too. He also asked me to tell EM Kasaven that you promised him a chess match and he is still waiting to beat you. (The reason I am posting this for him is because to dislikes Stratics and refuses to open a account. *Shrugs*)

 

[CatLord]

Is there a way to play poker in UO?

 

[Black Sun]

Is there a way to play poker in UO?

Grab a kryss and go chase down some poor sap, and don't stop poking him/her until they pay out.

 

[CatLord]

I read there were poker night events...

I remember defending one with Calina...

We ended up dead a few times but the event was a success...

Poker games inside... gladiators outside.

 

[CatLord]

Hum... can we have a pvp arena? felucan ruleset?

 

[Scarst]

As some people may or may not know I actually started in Baja and after 8 years and a short break I came back and came to Catskills. I have a feeling Vallend got the idea of a faireground from my old home shard of Baja and it's Skara Brae faireground which had a stage, two archery buttes, a building without a roof that was gated and used to be used as a last man standing ring back in Baja's more active days, and a horse racing track that was made in the vegetable fields near the road.

While, I enjoy most of the people I've met on Catskills I'll always be from the Baja shard (even if I do live on the east coast). I'll miss the people I met and who left while I was playing on that shard and my countless contacts and the events that used to go on at the fairegrounds like the annual Best Shot in the Realm competition that was held by the Society of Archers (S|A) which I sadly believe no longer goes on but I remember the very first one and believe that it would be a great annual event.

With this said I'd actually like to see a set up similar to Baja's archery buttes, a gathering of picnic benches with decoration unique to Catskills history like items of interest or relating to lasting or forgotten guilds of the shard who am I to say what's relevant to catskills I only came here about a year ago.
A stage would be nice for meetings anyone wanted to hold. I would like to see dueling grounds again but I doubt that will ever come to happen with out some sort of game master pulling strings, there used to be a player on baja with the title Grandmaster Duelist given to him by a GM, unfortunately I think those days are behind us.

I'm probably just nostalgic but I liked the Baja fairegrounds but a lot of great things happened there and I see a great opportunity here that I'd like to see used to the fullest.