Since there is some interest being expressed in getting PlaneShift back on it's feet, I'm offering a suggestion for anyone who wants to pick up the flag and run with it. Like I said before, without action on someone's part, nothing happens at all. A botched attempt to get RP going again along with tons of mistakes and do-overs will do a lot more for the player community than just playing it safe and not doing anything at all. The worst thing you can do is nothing.
If you want to give it a crack, read below and just run with it.
( I won't be participating in this as I have work to do and no time for play )
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1. You need a character. Start out with a character that isn't afraid to make mistakes. One that will run full steam ahead and take on the world by the seat of their pants. Make this character the type that will just keep trying no matter how many mistakes they make. The character needs to be social enough to employ or manipulate others into helping them. This is critical as nothing of worth happens in a vacuum. It will be easier if you use an extroverted character than an introverted character.
2. Make a difficult goal for this character. It should be something that will takes months to accomplish ( not hours ). This distant goal and all the challenges and obstacles that prevent you from reaching it are the flesh and blood of the game. Treat each and every obstacle or challenge as another chapter in the story. Think EPIC ADVENTURE here.
3. Ask fellow characters for help along the way and empower other characters by treating their wisdom, skill, knowledge or service as an invaluable resource. Do not empower any one character so much that their help ends the quest. This will lead to a premature end. Game over. Duh.
4. Either allow this quest to go on forever or eventually bring it to a close. How you handle this is up to you, but allowing a quest to end kills the story. (Unless you make sure that there is some way that the story can later on be revived. )
5. Think BIG. ( BIG )
By this I mean, don't just set out to free a f-ing kitten from a tangle little shrub in the back yard. Do something gigantic and damn near impossible.
ie.
Set out to create a secret weapon or spell with which to destroy all of Yliakum and yourself included. ( As a player, you can't destroy the settings, but your character can certainly try )
Make it your character's goal to discover and snuff out every trace of the Black Flame at any cost. If your character has a strange reason for doing so, then hide that reason for now and reveal it around the end of the story. It will create a "TWIST".
Conspire with fellow scientists and mages to develop something similar to Stepford wives for the wealthy. Perhaps the kicker is that later on, said Stepford wifes are turned against their owners, or perhaps they develop a mind of their own or blow up when touched or whatever..
The possibilities are endless. Just come up with a radical idea and run with it like a mad man with a pair of scissors in his hand. Just don't try to control the outcome.
Lastly, some words of advice on running the game:
1. Everything is a secret. Never let anyone know what you are thinking. People love surprises, and once you leak them, they are dead.
2. You cannot play an airtight game. What is not shown, told or discovered remains unknown and thus, might as well not exist at all. Allow information to leak so that others can get a whiff of what is going on. Let other's spy on your character and overhear their secret plans. You need to allow others to win at times to keep it interesting for them. Your character should naturally deal with spies in an IC way.... whatever that might mean.
3. Tell the story. I've told the story both IC in taverns to anyone who wanted to pull up a barstool and listen, and OOC on the forums by writing about the story so others can enjoy it. This helps in getting others in on what is happening.
4, Deal with metagamers and OOC leaks in an IC way. If someone god mods you, you can just say that their action failed. If someone's character says something to yours that you think is from an OOC source, then have your character question their character (ICly)about the source of the information. You character is free to disbelieve the leaked information if you truly believe that it is OOC info. ( This is better than having an ooc argument over it )
5. Worst case, if things go all wrong, call for a do-over. You are far more likely to get away with this in a small group. You can also just die and let it end, then make a new character and try something new.
Enjoy.
