Cooperative Plot Creation Project

[Sangwa]

Here's what I came up with. Hope you like it. It's a bit extensive, but I think it's not hard to read and understand and it touches the most important points. If I'm wrong, criticism will certainly improve it and make it ideal.


HOWTO: Plot Creation.

0. Introduction
We all like Roleplaying Games with thick, creative and interesting plots, right? But in a MMORPG it is particularly hard come by these, because everything is diluted in a mass of players with different approaches and behaviours. It's still possible though!
This HOWTO explains how to create good plots at PlaneShift's Roleplay server, for someone who already understands the basics of roleplay.

1. First of all...

1.1. Requirements
Make sure you know how to roleplay and do it for a while at PS's Roleplay Server to understand it's general context.

You also need time to spare for this. A good plot usually goes by itself after a while, but the beginning always requires plenty of effort, focus and input until everything is planned and enough material is built.

Never forget to have fun.

1.2. Some Concepts

Material: Refers to everything within the game which influences roleplay and plot creation. Backgrounds, character relations, important objects, etc.

Crutch: A crutch is material invented by plot creators that didn't take place in-game. Use as little as you can.

Input: Actions that lead to the creation of new material.

Cooperators: These are the players who will be helping you, following the script you've all agreed upon.

Participators: These players won't be aware of the script, but will participate as well.

2. Getting Started

2.1. Resources
It's rarely a good idea to start a plot from zero, because it will require you to rely heavily on crutches.
So analyse the material you have: the characters you've been playing for a while, their relations (IC friendships, Guilds), their resources (tria, items, time) and your knowledge of the setting and of other player's characters.

2.2. Plotting

2.2.1. Sketching
Now that you have considered the material you have, you just need to think about the inputs necessary to create the dynamic plot we're after. What/Who can be taken/searched for/attacked/created? Who will be responsible it? Who is influenced by it? Where should it take place? Why would you need help from strangers (participators)? Why should all of it take place?
The answers to these questions will help you get a general idea of what inputs you need to get, what crutches you'll require to use, what types of characters you'll require as collaborators in order to design a plot and the space there is for participators to jump in.

After you have an idea of what you're going after write down a simple, short and coherent script. Also it's best to make several solid and connected short plots than one big crappy one.

Avoid having situation where many collaborator characters interact simultaneously, or it'll make Plot Driving really hard.
Avoid writing static situations (like "Relo hits Juszy on the face."), try to make them as dynamic as possible ("Relo will be searching for Juszy. Relo knows Juszy stole his dagger.") This way you leave space for everyone to roleplay as they want.
Warning: Your plot should have plenty of space for the participators. It makes little sense to create a plot where everyone goes by a script. Make sure most of it happens in public, but plausible, places and leave space for interaction.

Reread the sketch more than once. Is it consistent with your character? Are the inputs capable of being produced without disrespecting settings? Can you actually communicate with that much people? Are there people enough to keep the plot flowing? Make the amends you need.

2.2.2. Cooperation
Now it's time to contact the collaborators. Use as much active characters you personally know as possible (and plausible) and then search the Database to find collaborator characters that suit your sketched plot.
Contact all collaborator players. First ask for their interest and capability in participating in a plot. Show them a little summary of it, no spoilers.
If they like the idea send them the sketch. Listen to everyone's ideas, discuss them and improve your sketch.
As soon as everybody agrees with the final plot, it's ready to be implemented. Finally!

3. Plot Driving
If you did your plotting well, only some few parts will require several of the collaborators to be online at the same time and these parts will be done at times where there are plenty of potential participators around.

Make sure the participators know at all times who they can contact to keep the plot flowing, even if you have to make some crutches, force some acting or even tell them through /tells.

Be sure to be active enough for participators and collaborators to go through you with their findings and progressions.

If things go a bit out of what you planned, try to make use of it, sometimes the plot becomes better than what you had in mind.

Have fun.

4. Oversimplified, but complete, Example

1.
José has been roleplaying in PlaneShift for an year now. He gets along pretty well with some of other players and it seems he'll be having time to express his creativity.

2.
So, José thinks about his resources: He's just been playing one single character, Hugthar, who is a glutton of a Kran that worships Dakkru and belongs to the Tefusang Raiders, a guild of lowly burglars. He knows of a guild of miners called Ulberpicks as well, who get gems for krans and decoration lovers.

He could be looking for some pretty impressive gem. Ulberpicks could have this gem, a mix of ruby, diamond, emerald... and something else. His mates could help him... But the  Ulberpicks are too tough to ambush. Maybe this is where the strangers could come in. They could help him trick the Ulberpicks, or they could be  tricked into buying the gem the Ulberpicks wouldn't sell to the Tefusang Raiders. Why? Hugthar's just has a really exquisite taste.

(Notice there's one crutch already, the mixed gem.)

So José writes something up: Hugthar asks around if someone can help him buy a gem from the Ulberpicks, since they won't sell it to him. People should get interested and ask the Ulberpicks. Ulberpicks should give the gem eventually, to someone who complies to what terms the Ulberpicks impose. A person should return to them, to be ambushed out of the gem.

Sounds fun. So he sends the message to the Ulberpick's guild leader and talks about his idea. The Ulberpick's leader likes it. But he says that it couldn't be a mixed gem, but maybe a necklace with all three of them, set into onyx. José thinks "sure, sounds even tastier."
He also sends a message to some of his guild mates to help with asking for help and to help with the ambush. They agree to do it.

3.
He plays the first days and spreads the message around, along with a friend of his. They didn't need to be on at the same time, but happened to be.
However during the play the person asking the Ulberpicks told them it was the Tefusang Raiders who were asking for it and so the Ulberpicks hid the gem.
So Hugthar got no gem... And the Ulberpicks are even madder at them now. So the Tefusang Raiders will be searching the person who opened up the plan in order to get revenge.

New material was created, people had fun, everything went well.

[Mekora]

I must say, this is a brilliant idea! But when I registered to that site I never got the confirmation email, and I tried again, and still, nothing.

[Geoni]

1.1. Requirements
Make sure you know how to roleplay and do it for a while at PS's Roleplay Server to understand it's general context.

I love how you link to a "guide" to roleplay, that uses an example in which a kran is referred to as a "he".

[novacadian]

I must say, this is a brilliant idea! But when I registered to that site I never got the confirmation email, and I tried again, and still, nothing.

You should have your VIP Pass in your Inbox. We can try to hunt down the email later.  

I love how you link to a "guide" to roleplay, that uses an example in which a kran is referred to as a "he".

First draft only, Geomi, though thanks for that input.

Looking great to me Sangwa and it seems in a good format to be able to add to it as time goes on. Just reading it and not using it to create a plot; one would have a sharper eye. Just a reminder that not all action is random acts or PL driven.

Make any revisions you may want done to your original posting and we can cut and paste it to a page for the Useful Links options of the site's main page.  Just let me know how you would like it published on the site.

- Nova

[Sangwa]

EDIT:

I've inserted the How To in another place. I've answered to the criticism there.

[derula]

Hello friends and users of the Cooperative Plot Creation Project,

I ehm... accidentally the whole character database. For that I apologize. Do not do any changes there for now, as novacadian will push a backup in some time. And then hopefully fix the bug that allowed me to blow everything up.

Edit: 200th post! Again!

[novacadian]

New Features

- Players can now post their Gender, Stength, Agility, Health  and Armour type. Other than Gender the
  other fields will not be displayed on the Character Display. They will be used in the new battle routine
  that is currently under development.

Edit 111810: The Right Hand and Left Hand weapon placement is now in place on the Character Edit page. 
Right now the choices are simply Sword, Axe or Blunt; plus Shield for the Left Hand.


- Partial searches are now possible on Character Name. So one can now search on Ven, Venorel and
  Venorel Weruno to return my character's record for example.
 
- The Registered Characters on PS menu link will return a listing of all site registered characters 
  which are currently logged on PS. A  listing of all characters logged on PS can be had by using the
  Characters Presently on PS link on the main page of the site.  

Edit 112310: Returned matches on the Registered Characters on PS list are now linked to their Character Display Page.

Edit 112410: The public Characters Presently on PS link now bolds all names listed which find a match in the database of the site.

Edit 112910: A All Characters on PS Menu link has been added to logged in menues. It will list all characters presently on PS and bold all characters in the site's database; with a link from them to their Character Display.

Edit 112410: Request made in Guild Chat for a full character listing (with links) for site members.

The database has been restored from backup as of 2010-11-13  1:21:44 EST.

My thanks to Derula for exposing a gaping security hole and providing a remedy. Until posted, here, that the remedy has been employed please refrain from further submissions. Feel free to use the site in the meantime in the ways it is meant to be used.  

- Nova

[Candy]

Err. I register Monala as female Ynnwn, and when I log back in to update it, she's apparently a male klyros. There is no Ynnwn field now, but two klyros ones now. o.O

[novacadian]

Err. I register Monala as female Ynnwn, and when I log back in to update it, she's apparently a male klyros. There is no Ynnwn field now, but two klyros ones now. o.O

You must have ventured onto the site during the hack-a-thon.  Things seem to be right now. Thanks for the heads up.

- Nova

Character Display
Character Name:    Monala Colleler
Character Gender:    Female
Character Race: :    Ynnwn
Guild Name: :    
Guild Position: :    
Religion: :    Xiosia
Time Zone: :    GMT -8
Character Type: :    Fighter Rogue Labourer Crafter Ranger

Commonly Known Information: ; Monala is a six foot tall Ynnwn woman with ridiculously long hair. She's more muscled than most women, and a (very) young adult. She's a huntress for the most part, rarely seen without her two sabres which she refers to as "the girls", but she's mediocre at best at fighting people. She has a penchant for baking, cooking, and singing. She falls in love all to often, and tends to unwillingly attract trouble, usually stumbling out of it with a mix of good luck and the help of devoted friends. She's also excessively gullible.

[ When roleplaying, do not use any of this information, unless your character has acquired it via IC means. ]

[Candy]

Hack-a-thon? Oh my. Thanks for the fix <3

[Geoni]

So instead of being stubborn, I registered one of my characters. Check out what I did with strength, agility, and health.  Anyways, for some critique: I can't see a person always having the same thing in their right or left hand all the time. Don't know why that needs to be there. I also think that character type should be something a person can fill out themselves, and the rule Candy established: [When roleplaying, do not use any of this information, unless your character has acquired it via IC means.]should be automatically added to the end of everybody's characters description.   

My dirty two cents.

[novacadian]

Hi Geoni!

So instead of being stubborn, I registered one of my characters.

Your input is truly appreciated.  

Check out what I did with strength, agility, and health.  

That is not displayed in the Character Display Page. It is only visible to the player in the Character Edit Page of the respective character(s). It is in place while testing is being done on a dueling system; whereby one can challenge another character. When and if that character excepts the challenge then a battle is decided and written to both players' Inbox; weighted with the type of armour, weapons in use, Strength and Agility; in the settings which you mention.

Anyways, for some critique:

I can't see a person always having the same thing in their right or left hand all the time. Don't know why that needs to be there.

What a character is wielding or wearing; or their present Strength and Agility settings; would only be taken into account when excepting or offering a duel. You would see that there is a duel challenge awaiting you in your Inbox. Hopefully the two characters would then find themselves somewhere in the Dome and use the output on the excepted duel as a script to an RP contest.

There is the option to display the completed battle to the point where one character is one potential blow from death. It is called Capture Mode. One can also set it to Fight till Death or deliver the battle One swing Exchange to the Inbox of both players. In the case of using the One swing Exchange option then the challenged player is given the opportunity to advance to the next swing; with details of each swing being delivered to both the respective player's Inbox.

I also think that character type should be something a person can fill out themselves, and the rule Candy established: [When roleplaying, do not use any of this information, unless your character has acquired it via IC means.]should be automatically added to the end of everybody's characters description.  

[Edit: Why would you want to be able to write your own text for your race. The way in place now makes it easy to link each instance of race to the PS Wiki about that race. The same is done for the Religion field. ]
 
It is already.

[Edit : The Information Warning is already displayed at the bottom of each Character Display page. ]

My dirty two cents.

Nova places the pennies gratefully into his penny jar  

Thanks for the input!

- Nova

[ Edit 112110: A request has been made to add a Scholar/Scribe Type to the character record. ]

[ Edit 112310: Should also add Priest/ess at the same time. ]

[Geoni]

I was talking about the character types such as fighter, rouge, entertainer, etc. I think that should filled out by the player. Race choice and link to wiki is perfect, I don't think that needs to be changed. The whole scripted duel thing is a no for me, so I should probably mention that on my character profiles. I like expecting the unexpected, but I'll put it out there to everybody that I'm fine with meeting their character at some place, but I won't plan what will happen between them.

[Sangwa]

If it's filled out by the player it kind of loses its search value. Because what one calls a "sneaky character of doom" another calls a "stealthy warrior" and another ones calls a "roguish fighter" making it hard for someone to actually find the character he or she wants.
The way it is done, you just cross rogue and fighter and everyone can find the character easily.

[Geoni]

People search for certain character types to RP with? The pompous pricks.