Post by lynod on Apr 17, 2016 17:39:19 GMT -5
Guys, we've got trouble.
Anytime we try to RP, we take forever to do anything. We've got to do better. What should be a three hour session explodes into a six or seven hour affair. Everyone has a limited time they're able to be here. We've got international sorts online waiting for jobs, we've got people having to go to jobs, etc. Nobody wants a repeat of the Two Hour Door Affair where we literally took two hours to open a door IC.
So let's fix this.
Before I go into citing examples from the latest RP, I want everyone to check their egos at the door. If you were a part of the last RP, you were probably an offender. These are critiques, not attacks, things we can all fix. I definitely have a lot I can work on and I hope I'll also get critiques. This thread is about helping us improve the RP process. We all want a better room, right?
Excessive Planning/Pedantry
Problem: We have a mission about to take place and we like to have a plan in place. It makes sense. It's the only sensible thing to do! You don't want to go in, guns drawn without knowing where to point them. Except too often we try to focus on every little aspect before we step ahead. We'll try to grab items that our characters don't have access to, try to put away items that aren't a problem to the RP, or discuss in detail a plan with each of us interjecting flaws. This is fine when we have time to do it. Regular RP is a fine time to do this planning phase. It's best to have something much simpler when we've got the clock going. Chances are the plan will fall through at some point anyway, so there will never be a perfect plan.
Examples:
<Leafie> <Adrianna> "I guess we'll find out when we get there. I got my shotty incase anything pops off!"
<%A-C> <<Sou>> "That...will give our position away. Like, immediately"
We're going to a place with guards with a person who can shapeshift. There should be no trouble!
<Leafie> <Adrianna> "Grab a selection of clothing. We'll figure out what you are gonna be when we get there. Let's go...oh wait....tracking beacon. We need a tracker chip thingie to plant on the STAR person and/or ship so we can....track them."
We don't have access to a tracking beacon, and getting one will be a long process for the RP. Let's go ahead to the prepared scene instead!
Disappearing
Problem: When we've got a scene that someone's running, a disappearance can be frustrating for all players involved. It basically halts the scene and no one can act until the player's return. Others don't want to be impolite and ignore the player's presence, but in other instances sometimes a plot cannot realistically go on without another character. Perhaps they're central to the scene, whether being the main character or an essential part of the plan. Obviously we all have lives that interrupt our gaming, but we should take the time to plan around them if we're going to engage in these community events. If we don't do that diligence, it can lead for a bad time for all involved.
Example:
<@trish> what happened to drew
<@trish> does anyone know
<%A-C> I do not know
<riley> I ate him
<lynod> Drew?
This is only a more explicit example. Often we step away for several minutes at a time or don't respond immediately to posts. When time's a ticking, it all adds up, guys!
Lack of Impetus
Problem: We're all the masters of our destiny. We play superheroes because we want excitement that exists outside our everyday lives. We don't have powers, we don't save lives, but we can be something extraordinary when it comes to this game. That's why we have to act like heroes. Often we'll fret or fall out of the session because we don't know how to act or what to do. In other instances we'll not make the decisions that need to be made. Why have these problems when they're up to us to decide? Of course if we're having trouble we can ask questions of fellow players or the GM OOC, but action is always better than its opposite. Don't be left behind!
Example:
<Elliot> Elliot chews on his bottom lip, and nods his head. "Prisoner... right", he murmurs. "Need me to change?", he asks, his hands lingering around the opening of the back pack.
<Leafie> <Adrianna> "I dunno. I don't really like the idea of either you or Sou getting that close. If shit went south I'd be the one most likely to be able to get away. Except Jake of course."
<lynod> "Sou HAS to get reasonably close, though." Jake opens the door and hops out. "If we want Elliot to hang back, I gotcha. But we gotta move, guys. They ain't gonna be here forever."
<Elliot> "I know this might not be the best time for experimenting... but... in theory I could become an animal... like... a bird", he says, looking back through the window.
<lynod> With that Jake zips out of sight, a blip between building to building. He's obviously got them as backup if things go pearshaped. There's a crackle on their wristbands! "I'm a call away!"
<Leafie> <Adrianna> is pretty sure they are though. She binds Sou's hands in a fashion that makes her boobs stick out as a much as possible then starts herding her towards the air field.
<Elliot> "I'll just... sit here then... ", he says to himself as the others leave the van. He ducks down a little, and peeks through the window to watch.
The problems are two-fold in this scene. First Leafie says that they don't need to put Elliot in danger. Lynod understands the objection and leaves it up to Leafie to figure out before running off. This is an unfair shift of responsibility, putting the weight of this all on Leafie's shoulders. Leafie is left with the ball and ends up dropping it, leaving Elliot momentarily out of the RP. He's not completely removed yet, however! He proposes shapeshifting into an animal to follow along, but again his suggestion is ignored. Dejected, Elliot eases himself out of the RP instead of inserting himself. Even when OOC options were offered to him, he still stepped aside.
There are more than likely more problems, but these were the ones I saw in the game itself. We need to work to fix them. That way we're maximizing everyone's enjoyment and not wasting time on the silly stuff. I ask that everyone comment and add to this thread. I want City of Sunshine to be the best damned RP room on sorcery, and we can only do it with you guys.
Let's become better!
Anytime we try to RP, we take forever to do anything. We've got to do better. What should be a three hour session explodes into a six or seven hour affair. Everyone has a limited time they're able to be here. We've got international sorts online waiting for jobs, we've got people having to go to jobs, etc. Nobody wants a repeat of the Two Hour Door Affair where we literally took two hours to open a door IC.
So let's fix this.
Before I go into citing examples from the latest RP, I want everyone to check their egos at the door. If you were a part of the last RP, you were probably an offender. These are critiques, not attacks, things we can all fix. I definitely have a lot I can work on and I hope I'll also get critiques. This thread is about helping us improve the RP process. We all want a better room, right?
Excessive Planning/Pedantry
Problem: We have a mission about to take place and we like to have a plan in place. It makes sense. It's the only sensible thing to do! You don't want to go in, guns drawn without knowing where to point them. Except too often we try to focus on every little aspect before we step ahead. We'll try to grab items that our characters don't have access to, try to put away items that aren't a problem to the RP, or discuss in detail a plan with each of us interjecting flaws. This is fine when we have time to do it. Regular RP is a fine time to do this planning phase. It's best to have something much simpler when we've got the clock going. Chances are the plan will fall through at some point anyway, so there will never be a perfect plan.
Examples:
<Leafie> <Adrianna> "I guess we'll find out when we get there. I got my shotty incase anything pops off!"
<%A-C> <<Sou>> "That...will give our position away. Like, immediately"
We're going to a place with guards with a person who can shapeshift. There should be no trouble!
<Leafie> <Adrianna> "Grab a selection of clothing. We'll figure out what you are gonna be when we get there. Let's go...oh wait....tracking beacon. We need a tracker chip thingie to plant on the STAR person and/or ship so we can....track them."
We don't have access to a tracking beacon, and getting one will be a long process for the RP. Let's go ahead to the prepared scene instead!
Disappearing
Problem: When we've got a scene that someone's running, a disappearance can be frustrating for all players involved. It basically halts the scene and no one can act until the player's return. Others don't want to be impolite and ignore the player's presence, but in other instances sometimes a plot cannot realistically go on without another character. Perhaps they're central to the scene, whether being the main character or an essential part of the plan. Obviously we all have lives that interrupt our gaming, but we should take the time to plan around them if we're going to engage in these community events. If we don't do that diligence, it can lead for a bad time for all involved.
Example:
<@trish> what happened to drew
<@trish> does anyone know
<%A-C> I do not know
<riley> I ate him
<lynod> Drew?
This is only a more explicit example. Often we step away for several minutes at a time or don't respond immediately to posts. When time's a ticking, it all adds up, guys!
Lack of Impetus
Problem: We're all the masters of our destiny. We play superheroes because we want excitement that exists outside our everyday lives. We don't have powers, we don't save lives, but we can be something extraordinary when it comes to this game. That's why we have to act like heroes. Often we'll fret or fall out of the session because we don't know how to act or what to do. In other instances we'll not make the decisions that need to be made. Why have these problems when they're up to us to decide? Of course if we're having trouble we can ask questions of fellow players or the GM OOC, but action is always better than its opposite. Don't be left behind!
Example:
<Elliot> Elliot chews on his bottom lip, and nods his head. "Prisoner... right", he murmurs. "Need me to change?", he asks, his hands lingering around the opening of the back pack.
<Leafie> <Adrianna> "I dunno. I don't really like the idea of either you or Sou getting that close. If shit went south I'd be the one most likely to be able to get away. Except Jake of course."
<lynod> "Sou HAS to get reasonably close, though." Jake opens the door and hops out. "If we want Elliot to hang back, I gotcha. But we gotta move, guys. They ain't gonna be here forever."
<Elliot> "I know this might not be the best time for experimenting... but... in theory I could become an animal... like... a bird", he says, looking back through the window.
<lynod> With that Jake zips out of sight, a blip between building to building. He's obviously got them as backup if things go pearshaped. There's a crackle on their wristbands! "I'm a call away!"
<Leafie> <Adrianna> is pretty sure they are though. She binds Sou's hands in a fashion that makes her boobs stick out as a much as possible then starts herding her towards the air field.
<Elliot> "I'll just... sit here then... ", he says to himself as the others leave the van. He ducks down a little, and peeks through the window to watch.
The problems are two-fold in this scene. First Leafie says that they don't need to put Elliot in danger. Lynod understands the objection and leaves it up to Leafie to figure out before running off. This is an unfair shift of responsibility, putting the weight of this all on Leafie's shoulders. Leafie is left with the ball and ends up dropping it, leaving Elliot momentarily out of the RP. He's not completely removed yet, however! He proposes shapeshifting into an animal to follow along, but again his suggestion is ignored. Dejected, Elliot eases himself out of the RP instead of inserting himself. Even when OOC options were offered to him, he still stepped aside.
There are more than likely more problems, but these were the ones I saw in the game itself. We need to work to fix them. That way we're maximizing everyone's enjoyment and not wasting time on the silly stuff. I ask that everyone comment and add to this thread. I want City of Sunshine to be the best damned RP room on sorcery, and we can only do it with you guys.
Let's become better!
