First of all I'm going to tag: @Wes, @Koenig808, @DocTomoe, @Aendri, @Nashoba, @Kyle
You are the FMs that I can think of and this is potentially important to you. I would tag GMs as well but I'm not as familiar with who is running what so you'll have to forgive me.
Some thought has gone into the nature of recent events, and instead of complaining, falling into resigned acceptance, or ignoring it I have decided to make a proposition:
We set up guidelines to help determine who can use what.
SARP exists as a collaborative writing setting, to this end we need places for events to happen, and people to make them happen. Our goal as a whole should be to promote the opportunity for people to step up as GMs and get stories going. This is something that is unfortunately impossible if it turns out that X location is unavailable and it is not known before hand.
I understand that there is stress for FMs when a GM or player wants to use a location that they might have an investment in. However, if the FM doesn't have any plans in the near future for a location there should be some leniency in what is allowed to occur with an asset assuming it won't prove crippling to the faction (ie; knocking out a major facility like... Central shipyards), after all most of the large factions can reclaim, restore, and rebuild most assets with minimal effort so even if a plot results in temporary loss of an asset it can be replaced.
To facilitate communication and avoid wasted effort, I suggest that core factional assets are clearly marked. These are things that FMs must be consulted on beforehand before they can even be considered for use. Examples might include say... Major population centres on Yamatai, Nepleslia, or Lor. The hearts of a faction's culture. Others might include fleet resources, major shipyards, training facilities, etc. Basically anything that is going to have a huge impact on the faction.
Further more, a prospective GM should be encouraged to start a thread as soon as they get an idea of a location, to see if anyone in the community is presently using an asset, and to check if the usage of an asset is going to cause anyone problems.
For example, if for some reason I wanted to burn Tami to the ground again, I would put up a thread asking Yamatai's FM if they're planning on doing anything with Tami, while also checking if there are any critical assets to be made aware of. Further this would give a chance for GMs or Players to chime in and mention that they're either using Tami, or are planning to.
At this point it could be discussed if the two plans could be combined. After all a GM involved with an asset might be interested in the events proposed and might want to work it into their plot. This could be done via PM to avoid spoiling plot for players.
If no major complaints are brought up, that is to say there is no widely impacting harm from the proposition. It gets the green light, and the GM can go ahead with planning out their scenario and the IC results can be dealt with when the plot wraps up.
Alternatively should something major happen in the plot, there should be the opportunity for an FM or GM to suggest that outside intervention may occur. After all it is unrealistic to believe that with how networked the factions are, that a military isn't going to get wind of a coup, or major destruction of assets.
In this event I would propose that the GM currently running the plot have precedent over outside interests. If a GM does not feel that having the cavalry show up would benefit their plot they should be allowed to wrap up their story. At this point they can be consulted to see what they had in mind for the after effects of the event, and should there be no further plans for the locale, another GM, or the FM can step in and respond to the event. After all we don't exist in a vacuum. Actions have consequences and so forth.
This allows the telling of a story with high stakes, or tension which will allow for more stories and better opportunity for us as writers to create events that will be remembered going forward. On the other hand it also makes it clear that if something happens within an FM's faction, that they can respond to it and correct it as their faction would see fit while avoiding the issue of disrupting a plot and alienating players and GM who has put in hours/days/weeks/months/years of work to make a story happen.
I suppose at its simplest I'm proposing some form of structure to encourage communication between the people on the site to avoid issues of conflicting interests so that we can write more, and better stories while cutting down on the infighting and drama which hurts the community.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
You are the FMs that I can think of and this is potentially important to you. I would tag GMs as well but I'm not as familiar with who is running what so you'll have to forgive me.
Some thought has gone into the nature of recent events, and instead of complaining, falling into resigned acceptance, or ignoring it I have decided to make a proposition:
We set up guidelines to help determine who can use what.
SARP exists as a collaborative writing setting, to this end we need places for events to happen, and people to make them happen. Our goal as a whole should be to promote the opportunity for people to step up as GMs and get stories going. This is something that is unfortunately impossible if it turns out that X location is unavailable and it is not known before hand.
I understand that there is stress for FMs when a GM or player wants to use a location that they might have an investment in. However, if the FM doesn't have any plans in the near future for a location there should be some leniency in what is allowed to occur with an asset assuming it won't prove crippling to the faction (ie; knocking out a major facility like... Central shipyards), after all most of the large factions can reclaim, restore, and rebuild most assets with minimal effort so even if a plot results in temporary loss of an asset it can be replaced.
To facilitate communication and avoid wasted effort, I suggest that core factional assets are clearly marked. These are things that FMs must be consulted on beforehand before they can even be considered for use. Examples might include say... Major population centres on Yamatai, Nepleslia, or Lor. The hearts of a faction's culture. Others might include fleet resources, major shipyards, training facilities, etc. Basically anything that is going to have a huge impact on the faction.
Further more, a prospective GM should be encouraged to start a thread as soon as they get an idea of a location, to see if anyone in the community is presently using an asset, and to check if the usage of an asset is going to cause anyone problems.
For example, if for some reason I wanted to burn Tami to the ground again, I would put up a thread asking Yamatai's FM if they're planning on doing anything with Tami, while also checking if there are any critical assets to be made aware of. Further this would give a chance for GMs or Players to chime in and mention that they're either using Tami, or are planning to.
At this point it could be discussed if the two plans could be combined. After all a GM involved with an asset might be interested in the events proposed and might want to work it into their plot. This could be done via PM to avoid spoiling plot for players.
If no major complaints are brought up, that is to say there is no widely impacting harm from the proposition. It gets the green light, and the GM can go ahead with planning out their scenario and the IC results can be dealt with when the plot wraps up.
Alternatively should something major happen in the plot, there should be the opportunity for an FM or GM to suggest that outside intervention may occur. After all it is unrealistic to believe that with how networked the factions are, that a military isn't going to get wind of a coup, or major destruction of assets.
In this event I would propose that the GM currently running the plot have precedent over outside interests. If a GM does not feel that having the cavalry show up would benefit their plot they should be allowed to wrap up their story. At this point they can be consulted to see what they had in mind for the after effects of the event, and should there be no further plans for the locale, another GM, or the FM can step in and respond to the event. After all we don't exist in a vacuum. Actions have consequences and so forth.
This allows the telling of a story with high stakes, or tension which will allow for more stories and better opportunity for us as writers to create events that will be remembered going forward. On the other hand it also makes it clear that if something happens within an FM's faction, that they can respond to it and correct it as their faction would see fit while avoiding the issue of disrupting a plot and alienating players and GM who has put in hours/days/weeks/months/years of work to make a story happen.
I suppose at its simplest I'm proposing some form of structure to encourage communication between the people on the site to avoid issues of conflicting interests so that we can write more, and better stories while cutting down on the infighting and drama which hurts the community.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
