What is Star Army's Plot?

[Wes]

Is has come to the attention that one of the major things people expect to see when looking at this site is a page for the plot. So, I'm working writing that page and it got me thinking: what do you guys think?

Can you, the members, try to describe the overall plot of Star Army RP in your own words for me? What's this RP about, in your eyes?

 

[LittleWasp]

From what I have seen, there's less one large plot, and rather smaller ones that possibly interconnect when appropriate. While I'm still pretty new here, one of the things I liked about Star Army was that it was just a world that can be explored and expanded upon. There's no super-macguffin that ties all characters together in a single plot to defeat a single, evil threat.
I feel like having a massive story like that can tie down a world like SARP's; if it were like that, I'd probably prefer just playing in side-stories and other unrelated events.

 

[OsakaMoose]

Agreed with Wasp. You can see that each fleet/plot has its own story and mission, and they're all linked together as being the Star Army, and I think that's as solid of an overall plot as can be for now.

 

[Rhysis]

With the way StarArmy works, trying to completely summarize the plot would be like asking someone to summarize the plot of Earth. "I just don't get the point of this story." You could get an answer from the perspective of a group. (I, for example, if asked about the "plot of Earth" would tell you about Jesus.) That, however, wouldn't be an acceptable answer for some people.

Still, if you're working on a page for the plot, I'll offer up a brief suggestion. Given how little I've actually read of this page, this will not, by any means, be an all-inclusive answer.

Star Army tells the science fiction story of a variety of groups and how they relate to, and interact with, each other on a universal scale. The existence of a trans-planetary coalition called the Yamatai Empire brings a small sense of centrality to a good portion of those groups, while others strive to live entirely separate from the Empire's influence.

 

[LeighLink]

SARP is about numerous expansionist empires that strive against each other and are threatened by monstrous outside forces. It follows the actions and exploits of adventurers and soldiers belonging to those empires.

I'm not overly familiar with what the empires other than Yamatai are actually doing, but I get the impression that everyone is intent on expanding their territory a little bit. It's a loose thread, but I think that it runs through most plots enough that you could call it the connecting element. It may be more that Yamatai is the major expansionist empire and the others are more strictly attempting to survive, in which case, you'd adjust that statement to reflect that more.

Maybe instead it's...

SARP is about the expansionist Yamatai Star Empire and its neighboring empires as they strive against each other and are threatened by monstrous outside forces.

Not all plots are about these things, maybe not even the majority of plots, but certainly at least the plurality.

 

[paladinrpg]

I agree with Leigh here, as the many outside groups view Yamatai as the ultraexpansionist and heavy handed one, all while they themselves acquire territory out of either fear, greed, national pride or simply growth for its own sake.

 

[Lamb]

The galaxy is filled with a myriad of nations with goals, policies, and very real problems. From an aging war machine struggling to improve its PR in a vast universe with a history of aggression, to a burgeoning industrial superpower on the cusp of technological revolution, to ancient races of both aristocrats and nomads; the galaxy contains a myriad of ideologies and loyalties competing for attention and resources on the interstellar stage. But these are not stories of great empires or political machinations. Rather, these are tales of exceptional people trying to eke out a living in a galaxy full of danger and intrigue. Whether it is a sense of duty to one's nation or the simple desire to live and work another day, these individuals race to the stars to seek their means. Some fight for honor and justice, others for a pay check, and others still don't fight at all.

One way or another, they've set out for adventure.






and then at this point i guess you show the logo and play the theme song

 

[Moogle]

suddenly it feels like the first half of the Clone Wars miniseries.

 

[Lamb]

Actually, that's a pretty good parallel to draw because I was trying to go for what they did in a way; and that is to take the framework of the politics and use it as an excuse to focus on the people. I think Star Army is, at the end of the day about the characters more than anything else. The factions are only really a choice of backstory at the end of the day, no matter how much FMs may put worry and care into them-- the one thing everybody talks about on IRC or in the Shoutbox more than anything are their characters.

• 'What would happen if So-and-so and Blankety McBlank met up?'
• 'If Meanie McNastyface was in this plot, she wouldn't be putting up with any of this garbage.'
• 'Lamb's minor character Miria is so amazing and so is Lamb, somebody should give that guy a medal for how great he is and then Miria should be promoted to head of Star Army Logistics and y'know what let's just go ahead and send Lamb all our money.'
• 'I hope nothing bad happens to Best NPC on this mission.'
• 'I'm so glad I got this new art of my character.'
• 'I can't wait for this chapter to be over so I can JP with my character and my SARP crush's character.'
• 'I hate Lamb and I'm pretty sure he snuck something into this block of samples.'

These, more than anything else are the kinds of things I see when players talk to one another. They love their characters and they put a lot of time, effort, and sometimes money into making them living, breathing people that dance from the imagination and onto the forum into the minds of others. All people do sometimes is talk about their characters. And other people's characters. Screw the action-packed combat, screw the politics, and screw the awesome technology-- this site is all about people.

 

[Zack]

The wars are over, and it isn't easy to consider what is left as a victory.

 

[DocTomoe]

Well, when I signed up a decade ago, the plot was pretty clean cut and simple.

Imperialistic colonialism and military expansion in the face of a looming self-created threat.

What it is now, is something more complex. If I had to sum up SARP, it would be as follows.

"Star Army, a setting born of conflict and imperialism, and what was wrought from it. Interstellar nations aspire to maintain their respective footholds, in the face of neighbors which seek to reclaim lost glories. Within these nations, and between them in the void of space, people seek to live their lives, in service to a nation, in service to their need to survive, or aspiring to their own goals. Life is lived, as the people within this universe seek to find some form of stability as peace and war continue in a seemingly endless cycle."