How many of you would defect if you could?

[Tolmos]

So I got to thinking... my favorite character for his look, amount of effort I've put in, fact that he was my FIRST character, etc is my guardian cleric. And yet I not only like but completely agree with the defiant storyline. Not only that, I completely disagree with the racist *** vigil for not giving the defiant side races their own ascended. :-P That being said, if I had the option I would be huffing it across the border wearing a defiant flag as a cape waving a middle finger to the heavens if I had a choice! Unfortunately, my character is a little too simple minded/stupid to pull this off. It's a shame... but what can ya do? I'll just accept knowing that he wants to do it lol. He's a defiant at heart!

Anyone else feel the same? Not necessarily Guardian->Defiant, could be the other way around.

[Hawkeyez]

I would do it simply for the experience of it. Playing a disillusioned Guardian (or Defiant) trying to fit in, dealing with the stereotypes and racism. I may still try it, eventually, whether Trion adjusts game-mechanics to allow it or not.

[Leiralei]

A couple of my Defiant characters were devout followers of the Vigil in their previous existence, but after the Gods stopped talking to them ended up on the wrong side of the fight when Aedraxis brought Regulos to the world. They still hope the Gods will speak to them again, and forgive. Others were not so devout and believe that we're better off without Gods who'd abandon entire races who love their homeland.

My Guardians mostly can't stand politics, and a few of them are currently unraveling a very evil religious power play plot which prevents certain races from becoming Ascended in order to create a war between the Ascended and allow Regulos to take the world from under our bickering noses. Cyril's seized control, Borin is greedy and corrupt, and Shyla is again deceived.

[Greenmantle]

You would be more than welcome. We are in the process of establishing clinics for the treatment of those suffering the mass psychogenic illness known more commonly as " the vigil "

The hypothesis that those prone to extroversion or neuroticism, or those with low IQ scores are more likely to be affected in an outbreak of hysterical epidemic or vigil disease is currently being reconsidered in light of modern treatment.

The DSM-IV-TR does not have specific diagnosis for this condition but the text describing conversion disorder states that "In 'epidemic hysteria,' shared symptoms develop in a circumscribed group of people following 'exposure' to a common precipitant." we suspect now that common participant is actually squirrels.

Treatment with electro-therapy and the removal of all squirrels is now recomended.

[Tolmos]

You would be more than welcome. We are in the process of establishing clinics for the treatment of those suffering the mass psychogenic illness known more commonly as " the vigil "

The hypothesis that those prone to extroversion or neuroticism, or those with low IQ scores are more likely to be affected in an outbreak of hysterical epidemic or vigil disease is currently being reconsidered in light of modern treatment.

The DSM-IV-TR does not have specific diagnosis for this condition but the text describing conversion disorder states that "In 'epidemic hysteria,' shared symptoms develop in a circumscribed group of people following 'exposure' to a common precipitant." we suspect now that common participant is actually squirrels.

Treatment with electro-therapy and the removal of all squirrels is now recomended.

That sounds painful but hell, if it gets me on the defiant's side I'd take it!

[Mordrahan]

I play Defiant, but as humans have the same skin both sides, I roleplay my eth warrior being a mathosian.
He was a knight and follower of his king Aedraxis until too late... He lost his faith in Thedeor when he saw Mathosia falling and was reborn by defiant tech.

Even Guardians ascended have free will if they choose, Alsbeth is proof of this.
And I can imagine a Defiant having faith in gods, even if he believes you have to help yourself first before they help you.

[Tolmos]

I play Defiant, but as humans have the same skin both sides

Not particularly... you can make someone who appears to be of african or middle eastern descent on defiant side pretty easily, and can MAYBE make someone who looks like a European caucasian with a deep tan, but that's the most you can do. In contrast, on Guardian side you can make European caucasian pretty easily but if you wanted to make someone who was true African (I mean DARK skin, not a darkish or lightish brown) you'd be very hard pressed.

That's partly why I wish you could defect. I like the look of my european caucasian like character, but I like the story of the Defiant's technological pragmatism.

Unfortunately, it seems rift is as much about RL race wars as it is ideological wars. If you wanted to narrow down everything to some ultimate factor, it would be the light skinned Guardians vs the dark skinned Defiants. This is a shame since it means defecting may never come around, as racial diversity appears to be a big no-no in this universe.

[Mordrahan]

This is my defiant "mathosian"

http://i43.servimg.com/u/f43/14/83/78/10/sok210.jpg

I agree, we can't do mathosian black skinned or golden blonde eth, but middle things work well.
My character has the lighter skin tone possible and light brown hair with some white in it. I could have done fair hair, but as defiant we don't have gold tones for hair and it turns near white or red.

[RJMazz]

There are dark-skinned mathosians too. Many eths, as their empire fell in Shimmersand (or Droughtlands, I forgot) ended up wandering to the guardian greenish lands and settling there. Though they were viewed with suspicion and still are, they've mixed blood with many mathosians, resulting in an added color variety for the mathosian race.

So, yes, there are dark-skinned mathosians, they just have eth roots as well. It explains so in an eth's book.

Also, lore-wise, any dark-skinned human *should* be viewed with suspicion in mathosian lands. Born mathosian or not.

[Rayner]

"Defecting" features are an odd subject to me. On one hand, I believe they should be strict enough so that they couldn't be abused. On the other, I feel they shouldn't be too restrictive, as keeping the power in the hands of the player is very important for role playing.

[Tolmos]

"Defecting" features are an odd subject to me. On one hand, I believe they should be strict enough so that they couldn't be abused. On the other, I feel they shouldn't be too restrictive, as keeping the power in the hands of the player is very important for role playing.

A person could assume it would be a one time thing.

If I defected and ran off to the enemy's homeland, the enemy would be somewhat suspicious of me at first, but would probably accept me with time. On the other hand, whoever I had worked with originally would probably not look so kindly upon my return if I turned around, yet again, and tried to defect a second time. In fact, I don't think ANYONE would want to allow me to return.

So, defecting would really be a one way street- don't defect unless you are 100% sure you want to, cause you will never have the chance to go back!

[Kitaelia]

I would personally like to see a third faction added that is somewhere in between Guardian and Defiant, but also have their own beliefs.. and I would like the three factions to be dynamic with some sort of long quest saga for us to change our faction if we wanted to. Make it repeatable so we can change more than once if we wish.

[Ivini]

I would love to roll a Dwarf that wasn't a guardian. Very simple reason. Dwarves are NOT on just one side, they are quite content setting up anywhere that will help fight off the evils of the dragons. (Especially of the Abyysal)

That said, I think the only two races that would have issues "jumping" ships, would be the two Elf races, Kelari being Dark Elves, then of course you have the High/Wood Elves of the Guardians. They just wouldn't be able to accept each other for their ways of doing things.

Then again... they just might get over themselves. I've yet to see a Kelari house turn on it's own people... maybe when the Isle hits, eh?

All said and done, I think the only people that actually have an issue with the Defiants are the frigging High and "Mighty" Elves.