Neo Sapien Mod Account (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
neosapienmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
neosapienooc2020-02-23 10:46 am
neosapienmods) wrote in neosapienooc2020-02-23 10:46 am
Entry tags:
state of the game discussion
STATE OF THE GAME
Okay, so.
Activity check is normally scheduled to go up tomorrow, and we were going to do one last AC before moving to a more open app schedule, less constrained by a monthly cycle, but it's impossible not to notice how very inactive the game was in general this month, and prospects are not exactly looking keen towards improving that fact going forward.
When we started this game, we had clearly planned it would wind up larger than it wound up being. And as the game shrinks and the amount of work the mods need to do in order to stimulate activity goes up. It's not said often enough in dwrp, but running a game for 15ish players is just as time intensive as running a game for 80+, possibly more so. Neither mod has the time to be an active DM for a small group, between all of our other obligations, nor is it really our strength as storytellers.
SO! We're interested in hearing from the playerbase what y'all are interested doing as we go forward. How do you think the game should be handled? We're open to ideas. Just post and discuss them below!
Activity check is normally scheduled to go up tomorrow, and we were going to do one last AC before moving to a more open app schedule, less constrained by a monthly cycle, but it's impossible not to notice how very inactive the game was in general this month, and prospects are not exactly looking keen towards improving that fact going forward.
When we started this game, we had clearly planned it would wind up larger than it wound up being. And as the game shrinks and the amount of work the mods need to do in order to stimulate activity goes up. It's not said often enough in dwrp, but running a game for 15ish players is just as time intensive as running a game for 80+, possibly more so. Neither mod has the time to be an active DM for a small group, between all of our other obligations, nor is it really our strength as storytellers.
SO! We're interested in hearing from the playerbase what y'all are interested doing as we go forward. How do you think the game should be handled? We're open to ideas. Just post and discuss them below!
no subject
Ultimately I'm pretty neutral, since I'll probably stay if the game continues to run, but at the same time I fully support you guys doing what's best for you personally as well as what's best for the game. Real life comes first, and there's no guarantee that putting in extra work to keep the game going would be beneficial.
That being said, changing the format of the game might make it easier to keep running, but I'm not too sure what that would look like tbh.
no subject
If we can get more players, of course, it's less urgent, since the game comms become more self-sustaining, but obviously we can't just assume that will happen.
no subject
First and most important question really is: how do you guys feel about this? Having a game open below expectations can lead to a major motivation hit, especially if it compromises the story you wanted to tell in this game. So before any consideration... do you still want to keep going?
That being said, I think some part of the slowness can be attributed to the lack of anything going on in February. I ended up stalling on my party log a bit because I wasn't certain if an event log was coming. Of course, that ties back into needing to make events that feed into a smaller group, so I understand that, but we got tolerable numbers on the party log and the NPC post, I think?
I, at least, enjoy this game a great deal, and I have some story beats (primarily with my planned apps) that I'd quite enjoy blowing up into player plots and stories if people are interested and on-board. The only thing I think we need is a greater connection between characters, in smaller circumstances -- the NSO encompasses many but not every character, so it can be hard to get everyone in the same boat for events and adventures.
no subject
no subject
However, if you want things to be more active, to give players something to chew on in between any major developments in the plot (like the combination bombing-infiltration-riot business from last month) I can appreciate that desire, too.
I've seen on a couple of OOC posts interests in tying individual character's AU histories directly into the course of the game. I think the only downside to opening up yourselves to that would be players feeling their characters were left out of the loop in that way, so leaving it all up to the individuals to decide what to provide as - let's call it ingredients to the recipe that is plot progression - would be best.
How about opening up submissions, or a form, where characters can suggest things that have happened in their character's past or could happen in the future that could be used as a basis for a prompt of sorts in a future log?
Some examples off the top of my head:
A few characters have lived or worked on farms in their background, so a development in the city dealing with importing goods from those farms, either temp work or some kind of theft or tampering could draw interest from them and their CR.
Many characters either are missing persons of a sort, or have someone in their past who hasn't been seen in years, so having there be reports of sightings, or detective/investigator types snooping around could be another angle of approaching those story beats for characters who are reluctant to broach the subjects themselves.
As a direct example to the above, from Yang's history: I established that her other mother left the farm when Yang was born, and literally nothing else was put into writing so far. Not her appearance, why she left, who she's affiliated with, heck, if she's even still alive or what may be responsible for her death if anything! So, like, that's wide open for linking to any number of potential developments that could have ramifications for the game at large beyond just the personal impact it would have on Yang. But whatever happens would definitely be a turning point in her character development, too, depending on the outcomes.
(And for the record, I'm not saying I want to make Yang *plot important* or her mother, either, but I just mean that's an entire avenue of story that I've left untouched for no other reason that I didn't want to actually deal with the abandonment issues Yang dealt with in canon, BUT it could actually prove as a useful catalyst.)
These are just me spitballing, but I'm sure there's some way to collect bits from the playerbase and present them to the game at large, or at least a wider audience than their current CR, to get involved with - or at the least react to, and thus have a rippling effect on the game as a whole. Which could, in turn, inspire more events as things go on, and loop back to the overarching game plot somehow.
I have a feeling I've rambled on a bit too long about it, but I hope the basic idea comes through. This isn't something the mods have to deal with alone, I feel like if it's a small game, moving things along should be a community effort, no matter how small the individual contributions are. I'm not shaming or blaming anyone for not being into taking up such a mantle, or contributing. I know I, in my past history in games, tend to be pretty hands-off in terms of the larger plot progression and focus on my own character's circle of friends, enemies, and so on, and their individual development. If you're here for the more slice-of-life elements, there's nothing wrong with that!
no subject
no subject
no subject
I also appreciate you guys talking about it with us early on so we can help. I for one am having a blast here, I've just gotten run over by school this month :( but it seems people are having fun!
I do like what Cidriel said about a post or form that we can fill out regarding characters' pasts to stir both ideas in y'all, the mod team, and potentially other players, too. Hooks are always a good way to involve people in writing and hobbies involving it in general, I find.
One thing I have found to be a little harder with this sort of game, since a lot of characters know each other already, is not knowing what has been done or said between these characters. Perhaps the form would help with that as well? I'm unsure if I'm the only one having trouble with that or not.
If I think of anything else, I'll edit the post, but hopefully something in this mess made sense and will help y'all out in some way.