[Gossamer's Scrapbook] The Ethereal Canyon I

[Gossamer]

Get. Out. Now.

[Gossamer]

. NPCs/Locations/Creatures This is a mini rant but thankfully something easily fixed. I've been moderating playbyposts literally for a long long time - six years - and before that I ran a Mud for seventeen years. The way to a player's heart is to give them exactly what they need, when they need it, while having the wisdom to know sometimes what they need is not actually what they want. I'm frankly floored that some Storytellers think its awful to let PCs develop NPCs, Locations, Stories, Myths, Legends, Superstitions, Customs, Holidays, and even monsters in their areas. I'm not sure why this is a common theme today, but I slept in late and when I woke up there's been a lot of people asking me how to do this or to make this happen in their city. What? Seriously? Get off your duff and start listening to your players and fulfill their needs. You might have a precise vision of a city or domain, but the problem is you are only human and can't do it all. For years... YEARS people.. .we've let folks develop NPCs for cities and their locations. Someone needs something? Write me up an NPC, I'll look it over, and put it in probably the same day no problem if it suits the city. Liar too a big step posting a Community Development Thread in Nyka at our urging, but it doesn't seem to be enough because people are araid to use it. Wind Reach is posting a guide for doing this right now (thank you Halcyon) and as soon as that one goes up, Fallacy is going to adapt it to Alvadas and get the players there some much needed NPC relief/development. Go us! But don't let Nyka, Wind Reach, and Alvadas be the only place PC's have some control and input. If we don't collaborate on storytelling here on Mizahar, you're going to end up with a scenario where all the creativity comes from only a few select folks and nothing stagnates a game faster. Oh, I should give special kudos to Team Sparkle who sorta do the same thing though completely under the table, and by default Team Bluemancrew Stranger since she seems to let people spawn NPCs like some people let mice reproduce in their attics. Do this for your city as well. Let your PCs help shape it. If something is off about what they want, tell them so, but give them a way to work their concept into your playground as a Storyteller. Don't be afraid of this. Good players will help. Great players will craft. Let them do their things. It's what we've been doing for years, just not formally. But so it becomes accepted practice, we're willing to go formal and even provide formats. .

[Trident]

If anyone contacting you for the Suvan Sea, redirect them here and tell them it's not just for locations as well.

And, I agree, players really do make some awesome locations/NPCs/stories. In one of my latest threads (which I still have to reply to - and soon) the PCs involved made an awesome pirate, ships, and some other things which has been giving me lots of ideas to grow off of for later plots. I know especially from the development thread that a domain isn't a one-man show - everyone contributes in their own way. Let 'em.

[Gossamer]

I forgot to mention you, Will. You do a killer job of 'accessibility' for folks needing locations, locations, locations and family family family in The Suvan. Special hats off and I'm so sorry I didn't give you a nod in my rant. You deserve one.

Also, if there are domains that don't have DS's or have AS's that are not willing to act on their own, I'll gladly approve NPCs and throw them in the wiki for folks that want to develop.

[Krivak]

Hi Gossamer,

I love this post, and I find it great that players have the ability to shape this world as well as live in it. This has simply sparked a question in my mind, how open would TPTB be about ideas and such for the mostly, or wholly, undeveloped locations? The ones that come to mind are like the Falyndar cities, Sultros, possible locations in the wilds between cities, and finally, the completely undeveloped cities. I know that the main focus of cities is up to the STs, if there are any, but would the player base be able to assist in the development of the undeveloped locales?

Thanks

[Ink]

Heya Goss,

Sunberth also has a thread for suggestions. No one has used it yet unfortunately. I would actually love it if people came and told me what more they wanted from Sunberth.


If people are ever intimated by that thread I am definitely happy to listen and pass on all ideas and requests straight to the Great Sea Monster himself. The way I see it my job as an ST is to facilitate the PC's story and if you need a specific type of location or a new NPC to do that I want to know!

[Gossamer]

Krivak-

Sultros is currently mostly done in terms of development. It just needs locations and is slanted to open sometime Christmasish. I think all the core locations are listed on the link map and its underway in terms of being openened In terms of the other cities, we have a 'no rp or development' policy on them until such a time as we get the cities we do have developed well populated and covered with moderators. We're open to hearing ideas, but even though I've been itching to develop a new city, I myself am holding off until our existing cities get flushed out. Karjin is on my list of 'to do's'.

Wilderness locations are always greatly appreciated and we're normally very open to them. And like I said above, if cities or domains lack DS's or have gunshy AS's, I'll always approve NPCs that are reasonable and throw them int he wiki for players to use.

Ink, good for you! I think, however, if your suggestion box had some clearer defined parameters more people would use it.

[Halcyon]

Our suggestions info box is up and in it's own thread, for anyone who may come by here and read Jen's scrap and find it fanciful! (: So glad for this idea, and I've had a blast working with it. Players of WR, check it out, and ST's of other places, feel free to use it as a guide for your own suggestion box!

[Krivak]

I'm sure it's somewhere in the lore, but could you perhaps point me in the direction of some of the In Wilderness locations? I understand no cities can spring up in the wilderness, but what about camps, outposts and such as well as geographical locations, springs, caves, swamps, etc?

[Gossamer]

There is no written lore. But you can use say The wilderness linkmaps, like say The Unforgiven's Linkmap for location suggestions.

Outposts and any sort of civilization besides ruins need to be produced IC though unless they are in Sylira off the Kabrin which is patrolled heavily and almost tame... but thats just swatches along the road on either side.