Attendees:
Caprice
Temi
Kareem
cat
Cleo
KindledFlames
WeedEater
Highroller
Karrin
Bigman
Sparkles
Sororitas
Mirielle
Naia
Motherof
Soulless
Jiraiya
HIEROPHANT
Capitalism
Harrow
LadyTenebrae
OOC Chat Item:
an elegant columbine blossom sculpted out of delicate sugar
Karrin: How was RP this week?
Jiraiya states, "Minimal for me sadly. RL. but good RL"
Highroller states, "I had a few one on one personal scenes which is precisely the stuff I'm here for :D "
WeedEater states, "Good, what little I had. RL as well."
Cleo states, "Very eventful and emotional, but like, in a good way. I wish I could recommend people more than once a week."
Soulless states, "Amazing. :D"
Sororitas states, "The week has been pretty good. My week was a bit slower over all but I had a great time with folks."
Bigman says, "Plodding along, had a neat scene with teach "
Motherof states, "Steady and productive. Have a few different things going on that are a lot of fun, aaaaand, there seem to be newbies rolling in by the bucket load."
KindledFlames states, "I've stayed a bit busy the times I've been around which is nice"
Karrin claims, "We do like the new folks very much."
Highroller claims, "Saw a newbie who was playing their archetype so well I thought they were a veteran with a new PC :D"
Cleo claims, "I saw one of them too, Highroller. They took to emoting very well."
Sparkles claims, "Had some interesting things going on, thanks to everyone who came by the party."
Highroller states, "I'm loving the amount of flaws people put in their PCs <3"
Soulless states, "Flaws make the best characters. :D As long as they're playable. :P"
Temi nods in agreement.
Temi claims, "It's a balance, but need at least some to make them realistic"
Highroller states, "The party was a good time :D thanks for hosting it."
Cleo states, "Had some scenes with a lot of tension and emotion. Good stuff."
Karrin muses, "Good to hear, sounds great. Any topics for this week?"
(silence)
Karrin states, "Noooo topics? If not, we can move on to staff updates. Just bug me if a topic comes up."
Staff Topics:
Karrin claims, "Alright, so, my week was relatively slowish on the staff side because of work. I did process plots last weekend. I need to look what's
outstanding this weekend. We also have another phase of fun coming, I just didn't solidify it with the builders yet."
Karrin questions, "But then start investigating, because I'm not going to be making bears bigger and killing people, Ok?"
Sparkles claims, "That does bring up one quasi-related topic if there's time at the end."
Karrin claims to Temi, "Alright, your turn while their brains are circling."
Temi pontificates, "Alrighty! Not a lot of big progress, but I've been working on sorting out things for the Court next weekend and the problems for the new Seneschal"
Karrin claims, "She does like giving Seneschals many problems."
Temi states, "So put up the IC Event announcement before the meeting and I'll add on discord too. But yes, the King will be holding court"
Temi says, "I promise the world isn't falling apart this time, probably. That's on Karrin."
Karrin claims, "First one for this little dude! Big dude? Man and his counterparts. *sagenod*"
Karrin claims, "It's not falling apart. Yet."
Temi nods at Karrin.
Karrin says to Harrow, "You're up."
Harrow claims, "So I haven't done an awful lot this week, I'll admit, had IRL rearing it's head for the most part. Next week you can likely expect something
interesting and plot related from me though, for those participating."
Bigman says, "Oh! I did have a topic for at the end."
Karrin queries to Bigman, "Alright, what's up?"
Soulless muses, "Sparkles has a topic too? Or did I imagine that?"
Sparkles says, "Oh it's okay you can go first, mine is a bit of a thought exercise."
Player Topics:
Bigman questions, "One of the options in the milestone helpfile is:
"Bonus RPA to support to make an event on behalf of your character special (in addition to free RPA)." Can we ask (if thematic) for like an NPC to appear, now
that we have a dedicated plot staffer? (Again, only if they'd actually show up)"
Karrin states, "I imagine it depends on the NPC. All political NPCs still belong to Temi."
Temi states, "Potentially, depending on what NPC you have in mind and our availability"
Karrin nods.
Bigman nods.
Temi says, "But you could certainly ask"
Karrin states to Harrow, "I'll let you answer about the rest of the non-political people, though."
Harrow states, "I'd be happy to arrange for any of the other NPCs to show up, as long as like...
they are someone that would actually show up to whatever event it is."
Bigman says, "Okay, cool, wanted to know since my milestone is coming up :D And of course, more like if it's even an option."
Harrow says, "You probably won't get like, Merlin the Mage to show up to your prayer reading, for instance."
Harrow states, "(Merlin doesn't actually exist, don't get your hopes up)"
Karrin queries to Sparkles, "You?"
Sparkles says, "I was going to ask a bit of a group think on good ways to get perhaps newer or less obvious folks involved in the header."
Cleo queries, "Which header, Sparkles?"
Highroller states, "On involvement, I work with a system I've adopted when I played an incredibly single minded individual. Break down the thing you're
trying to do in smaller bits, and keep breaking those up into smaller bits until you have a quest to give to the newer person."
Karrin claims, "I will mention that probably dragging newbs along into combat heavy bug dens might not be the way to not overwhelm them. Just, hint-worthy."
Temi trails off, "But for ideas... definitely for guildleaders, anytime you have a bunch of people doing a task, roping in actual guildmembers to help do it is good"
Sparkles says, "The current Buggy plot. As when things are a bit 'fighty' it can naturally kind of divide folks into combat folks and non-combat folks, but then
sometimes folks seem sad/FOMO about not being roped in, so just pondering on ideas on reaching out to more people."
Cleo claims, "That's how I kind of did it as a cyan. I focused on very small goals and figured out what would be interesting before trying to allow myself to
be pushed into one direction. (Though SOMEONE provided me a very hard sell.)"
Caprice wonders, "Drat. No permadeath within the first week?"
Soulless claims, "Big Siege where everyone is forced into the Cathedral or something. :O"
Karrin claims to Caprice, "Only if you truly want it."
Temi finishes abruptly, "And delegating is great - have them research ideas on how to handle things, maybe"
Karrin claims, "But the bugs won't perm you. They just knock you unconscious."
Highroller states, "Example: A dragon needs to be slain, for that, we need a magic sword, so an enchanter and a master blacksmith. The blacksmith needs to
have magic ore from the hills of highlevelia, but he also needs a wheelbarrow of charcoal. Hey, charcoal is something a newbie can get. And 100percent tell them
what you need it for, explaining it where logical. And then you follow up. Yes, you could get the charcoal yourself faster, but now you're sharing the plot a bit."
LadyTenebrae states, "I've actually seen some really good delegation and encouragement with the buggy header and some newbies between Motherof and Highroller"
Temi nods in agreement.
Motherof says, "Me? Yay."
LadyTenebrae says, "I don't think it's always as noticeable because it's not stuff that applies to the PLOT, but it's stuff that contributes to the on-grid scenes"
Temi states, "It doesn't necessarily have to be combat, though if they are able to keep up with the spam, they don't necessarily need to be left out"
Karrin states, "Keeping the newbs busy is importante."
Soulless claims, "There are also like, boxes in the Almshouse meant to receive anti-bug items."
Karrin nods in agreement with Temi.
cat claims, "Rejoice in the glory of combat"
HIEROPHANT states, "I'm more wondering if this is more of a plot we're meant to be working together to try to solve, or atmosphere to generate RP and work
together to cope with until it gets to a stage where it -can- be solved. Because it seems to progress independent of our plots and on-grid
actions, like a natural disaster or similar. Like, if it's the Great Flood, you run plots to endure and rebuild, not to somehow stop it from flooding."
Soulless wonders, "I wonder if there's some script involvement of like, how often those little nests are cleared away affecting how often the giant insects spawn?"
Soulless wonders, "Or, could be?"
Karrin says, "Ok, so I have the answer to that."
Highroller claims, "On the flipside, as newbies, do poke the people in charge if you want a Quest (kwest) from them, and at least personally, I will gladly make
something up to do. "
Temi says, "We can certainly adapt the spawn numbers on the nests if you handle them with plot, though there's nothing automated"
Karrin says, "There is DEFINITELY something to solve, otherwise it doesn't go away. BUT, it was designed to appeal to both sides.
1) figure what the hell is going on, and
2) combat and protection and forcing people to interact together.."
Soulless states, "I suppose I should submit related plots. I've never done that before lol."
Soulless trails off, "In all my time playing here...."
Karrin claims to Soulless, "Plots can be overwhelming at first, but I promise once you've done one, it's really simple."
LadyTenebrae muses, "Do the plots have a tutorial? Or just the storytelling? Are plots = storytelling?"
Temi says, "We do have a plot tutorial on the forums, unfortunately"
Karrin says, "Plots are ways to interact with the game world that isn't necessarily "on grid". Interact with political figures in vandago, interact with
a header plot and do research on what the heck is going on."
Soulless asks, "I think plots are like, +jobs in MUSH games?"
Cleo says, "Another player gave me an OOC rundown on plots and it cleared up a lot for me."
Sororitas states, "Most GLs are happy to walk you through a plot. They are pretty straightforward you just need to go through it once and you'll get the
hang of it real quick,"
Temi states, "Maybe I can find my plot tutorial in my notepads somewhere and put it in game while the forums are having such issues"
Karrin says, "Yeah, it's a system that looks really hard, and the helpfile is whoooooa. But when actually doing it, it's not nearly as scary as it looks."
Soulless states, "Almost like, a down time write up in a TTRPG."
LadyTenebrae claims, "I personally struggle with trying to figure out what should be in a plot. I bug staff with this so I've been grateful for the help"
LadyTenebrae states, "I mean more, 'Is this action something for in a plot, or just on-grid'"
Temi states, "Plots should be a mix of documenting things you've done on grid, and things you can't do on grid because you need staff to make them possible"
Soulless wonders, "Well, it depends on if it needs staff involvement?"
HIEROPHANT states, "I see. Well, folks I've talked to are quickly running out of ideas of things to try, and I'm wanting to avoid spamming staff with shotgun-
blasts of random guesses. Can we consult NPCs for clues in plots, to get hints of things to try? Say, interview a bunch of the vNPCs in an area to see if
they've noticed something that I, someone who doesn't live and work there, to notice that? I imagine Southsiders probably have seen stuff, given how badly-
infested it is down there compared to Northside."
Karrin states, "A pretty quick answer to 'what should be there' might be... if you can do it on grid, don't do it in a plot. The plots don't replace on grid
RP. But if it CAN'T be done on grid because it needs staff intervention, but still makes sense to the game, then it's probably plot-worthy."
Temi says, "If you want it to have an impact on the wider world, you need it to get documented to staff in a plot"
Karrin states to HIEROPHANT, "Yes, you can."
HIEROPHANT nods.
Bigman says, "TLDR:
Plot contributions: Stuff you do to get the thing done
Actions: What are you doing?
Notes: OOC notes (can be to player/staff.
It's to make things happen that you can't make codedly happen on GRID either
because it's out of grid, like vandago, or because it's not codedly possible
(like blowing up a tavern)"
Karrin says, "Just be specific on what you're looking for. If you just say, "Going to ask people to look for information," I'm going to have a shit ton of
fun giving you information you don't give a shit about."
HIEROPHANT claims, "I'll also note a small thing specific to the hives: People have cleared the on-grid mobs out and hit it with search and similar quite a few
times now, and it's necessarily opaque as to whether there's nothing on-grid to find and so we need to run a plot, or if we're just unlucky and finding nothing
since it's RNG-dependent."
Soulless says, "It's not that Southside is more infested per se. It's just that the Northside insects are contained behind closed doors."
Cleo questions, "How does that work? How does one interview a vNPC? Reach out to staff and ask for a puppet?"
Karrin says to Cleo, "Plots."
Karrin claims, "If we want to make it a scene, Harrow will reach out."
Harrow says, "Yeah, occasionally plots can become or lead to scenes in game, but not always."
Karrin claims, "The way to get those kinds of things is paying the tax. GP if it's a guild investigation, 10 QP if it's a personal thing, and if it's a header
plot, they're free (but limited to one per round of processing)"
HIEROPHANT states, "Plots are abstract. You state your intention, e.g. 'I canvass this area for witnesses about X event on Y date', and staff roll
relevant skills, stats, and random chance to see what you find. Broadly, that's how any NPC or vNPC interaction goes. Often it's just handled in the plot itself."
Temi claims, "Intention meaning what you're doing, not necessarily the result you want"
HIEROPHANT nods.
Karrin says, "Right, we provide the results."
HIEROPHANT says, "Be clear, concise, and don't write too much per plot or try to do more than a very small number of things, for best results."
Temi nods in agreement.
HIEROPHANT says, "Especially if step 3 requires step 2 to go a certain way, etc."
Karrin nods in agreement with HIEROPHANT.
Temi says, "Like, "I am asking the NPCs what they saw the night before the bugs showed up". The NPCs won't respond if you just go ask IC, so you do a plot for
us to respond what response you got when you asked them"
Highroller questions, "If I want to add like IP/silver/QP to increase my success chance, do I add it pre-emptively, or do i wait for staff to prompt? "
Karrin nods in agreement with Temi.
Temi says, "If you know what you want to contribute, go ahead. If it's like "I want to contribute as much as X will be", you can wait, but it does slow things
down a bit for us to have another step there"
Karrin claims to Highroller, "The only reason we will prompt is if you don't provide enough to do the task to begin with. If you want an additional boost to
results, you do it pre-emptively. But, I do warn that you want to do that carefully. If what you're submitting would have given you nothing, it won't be
able to give you more if there is nothing to give even if you add that."
Highroller claims, "But it'll give more certainty that the locals are not just hiding stuff, so that's information too."
Karrin states, "In investigative headers like the one right now, there are a lot of false starts. I think, unfortunately, most of the plots I have processed
aren't giving people what they're hoping, except that what they tried didn't work."
Karrin states, "Which, arguably, is still valuable."
Karrin says, "But not the way they'd like, I'm sure."
HIEROPHANT states to Karrin, "I'll admit it begins to feel like looking for the right key to a lock in a locksmith's house."
Soulless pontificates, "Which is informative, yeah!"
Karrin states to HIEROPHANT, "Yeah. It's obvious to me, but that's because I know and created the answer. Trust me that I'm on the edge of my seat just
waiting for when you all figure it out. I'll be cheering for you."
Cleo says, "With the current buggy plot, my issue is that, despite killing them, many people my character talks to don't seem to have any idea as to HOW
to investigate it further. "
Temi claims, "Excellent reason to pull more people with more ideas in"
HIEROPHANT claims, "It's a challenge to keep everyone as invested as I am when it takes 1-2 weeks and multiple scenes and often crafting and tooling efforts
to get what boils down to 'Nope, try something else.' just, like, player-morale wise, other headers have gone that way.
And, yes, even the brainiacs are getting stumped, Cleo. That's the issue with a plot that answers only, 'No,' and not, 'No, but...' unfortunately. Consequence
of the format, just have to keep throwing the line out at our expense until we finally snag something."
Karrin claims, "Yeeeeah, if there had been any buts to add, I would have added them. I assure you."
HIEROPHANT nods.
Temi claims, "We do try to add any extra hints, especially if there's good rolls"
HIEROPHANT says, "Which makes the total failures all the more demoralizing, because it means our whole thought process was wrong, ahaha"
Karrin claims, "Yeah, we just can't add something out of nowhere. I did add a hint recently to one."
LadyTenebrae states to Cleo, "It's that case of 'smart character, dumb player' with some things :P"
Harrow says, "I disagree, LadyTenebrae"
Harrow states, "Some of our players are very smart, and playing smart characters"
Karrin says, "It's going to be a, "OMG, why didn't I think of that before," once it's figured out."
Harrow says, "Haha, yeah"
LadyTenebrae states to Harrow, "I was totally just joking, but it's good to correct me aloud XD"
HIEROPHANT states, "You just only get so many attempts before you're spamming staff with too many plots, however good an idea seems with no info"
Karrin claims, "There's nothing saying you can't throw multiple (at least, a reasonable number) of experiments into a single plot."
Sparkles says, "So this has gone a bit past my original intent, but ... I do admit that one of the reasons for asking about how to get more folks involved
is how to prevent uh, creativity burnout, as it were."
HIEROPHANT says, "Oh, sure. And we have. But if we're going west when the answer's east, checking north-west and south-west still doesn't help, yeah?
I ask a little patience for me and my fellow GLs as we deal with the OOC circumstances of the 1-2 week timer. It's not incompetence, just scheduling,
getting in the way of more attempts at figuring stuff out."
Temi asks, "Especially along the same lines. But maybe we can see if we can send out a rumor or update or something that might help? If folks are getting frustrated"
LadyTenebrae claims, "I'm personally fine with the really slow burn of the plot, but I'm just one of many"
Cleo claims, "That's sorta what I was alluding too, yeah, Sparkles. I could also feel the creativity burnout looming."
Karrin states, "The one-two week timer was established because, before, it was... whoever can get things in fastest, it'll be processed that very day, and
no matter if other people were trying to be involved, we now have a cutoff so quick that only the quickest CAN be involved. So, it was a buffer to be able to
pull more people in."
Karrin claims, "I think neither is probably the answer, but haven't come to a good compromise yet."
Karrin claims, "How about THIS... with the next big reveal, I'll post a hint from a vNPC."
Karrin claims, "It'll be mid-week sometime, probably. Depending on Harrow's brain capacity, since she does the building for me."
Highroller states, "This above table discussion is good, it sparked an idea for me to toss to a hapless victim "
Karrin states, "I DO see a plot that's out that will also give some good info, which might help some, as well."
Temi claims, "The best kind of victim"
Temi nods at Highroller.
HIEROPHANT says, "Something to revisit after the next rounds of plot processing, if we're still stumped."
Karrin pontificates, "Sounds good!"
Karrin questions, "Ok, any other topics before I boot you back to the grid?"
None came, all were booted to the grid