Playing in Events

[Husky Dragon]

Hello, everyone.

I wanted to post this topic because, frankly, it's become kind of a struggle to host events lately. There are alot of things alot of our players do that make them increasingly difficult to host, and honestly alot of the times, when they're done, I nearly lose my will to continue hosting them in the future.

First off - While almost every event I will ever host will be public, some of them were requested by a player and that player's character is often the 'star of the show'. It is not fair, polite, or good of another player to come along and attempt to make their character the center of attention, instead. This often requires additional planning to get around the player who is trying to wedge themselves in the top role.

Second - I've had a lot of issues where I get complaints from many players when who's going to be the center of attention for an event or for a step in the event is chosen. Most often, regardless of plenty of roles being created so all players can be involved, people get tunnel vision and only see that starring role - If they don't get to kill the big bad guy themselves, there's complaints.

Third - Rushing the plot. This one is difficult on both ends, and is kind of hard to explain, but it is very annoying and happens ALOT. Events are rarely, if ever, made up on the fly by our staff. Some details are, but we always set out an overall event plan. For example, if there's a big bad guy and you want to organize a task force to deal with it, that's okay. But having there be threats of this task force acting if things 'take too long' is very disruptive, and will sometimes force the EC's hand and make the event end prematurely or have an unwanted ending.

Fourth - This is kind of related to the other three points, but asking is a huge factor. Want an event of your own? Want a role in the event? Feel like there's no player involvement in the event and would like some? Don't just do things ICly to try and force any of the above, your best bet is to actually message the person in charge of the event and ASK them! If you don't ask, we have no idea, and will ICly have our characters favor the existing plan.


While none of these points are against the rules, they make things difficult and complicated for the event staff. I've ended an event early and stopped the story short more than once because of the points i've made here.

[Xela]

I agree with Ani's points here, and would like to add my own that I've seen to have become an issue at times. Its kinda linked to part 2.

I've seen a few times that people act in a fight scene in specific ways, be it homing in on the main big and bad, abandoning friends to take chase on a fleeing enemy or in some cases, acting out of character (*cough* avoiding fear effects *cough*) or power gaming so that they can keep fighting to try and hit a killing blow.

I find a few points should be kept in mind reguarding events when you take part:

• Some events are required to pan out in a certan way to continue the plot. Its required in these cases to just accept the way things are required to turn out, and try agian in the next phase. If you kill a bad guy or stop someone getting kidnapped, it kinda kills the plot and makes it less fun for everyone, yaknow?
• Characters should not be usefull in all plots or events. Your magic caster should not be able to 'splode every enemy in every event in the same way your fighter should not be able to slay everything they face. Got to share the love!
• ECs are holding events out of the kindness of the hearts. They are trying their best to make a plot everyone can enjoy. So, dont be harsh. Dont complain ooc about events. and be reasonable. How would you like it if someone looked at something you were working on before critisizing everything? ECs are people too, and put far more effort in than most to make sure people have fun.

[Jesk_levethix]

Some events are required to pan out in a certan way to continue the plot. Its required in these cases to just accept the way things are required to turn out, and try agian in the next phase. If you kill a bad guy or stop someone getting kidnapped, it kinda kills the plot and makes it less fun for everyone, yaknow?

 I Actually disagree.

While yes, it can be a hassle in some points, things should have a work around. A plan B, just because something unforeseeable happened and the first attempt by the bag guy and they get stopped (or they die early -worse)  does that mean a chain has to end.

Hell no.

If they Die.. maybe they have a Co-worker or sibling that was behind the main action before but now angered they Continue the fallens  Actions and go a step more to avenge the first guy.

If they fail to kidnap and get arrested.. the victim if the player was willing might go see them in jail.. just as the main baddies friends show up to Break him/ her out.  and thus get taken with the escaping villain.

Events should have  a Bit of flexibility to them so  everyone can try to have fun if its open.. not just those personally invested. if that means working in a few plan B's to make sure a story stays or Gets back on track, it becomes more fulfilling to more people I think.

At least thats My own personal view

[Feame Yalin]

I'm with Jesk.

when the players are unable to phase anything, it does not make it 'more fun' because things went as planned.  Everyone I've ever met likes to feel like they have an influince.  Some insist on being the 'star of the show', and those are the sort I think should be put down.  But others, like myself, more just want to know that if we ended up getting involved, that we changed /something/.

Maybe spare the life of someone trying to be killed, run off a baddie, even put them behind bars.  Maybe it don't have to go to too big an extreme, but I think it's more fun when the player has some kind of impact.  When we do something and 'it does nothing'....literally...we feel discouraged, and uninterested in even continuing. 


I dunno, never run an event, or even really had the option, but that's just my opinion.  as one sided as it may be.

[Novaku]

And I will have to disagree due to personal experiences. If you have worked on planning an event with a certain outcome, as in having your character being kidnapped by the baddie, or even killed, then it can get rather annoying for those who have been planning the event, to have a random hero pop up and tries take the glory for themselves.

Sure events have to be fun for everyone, but they also have to be fun for those involved and for those who requested for it. It is not fun however when a character tied event is rolling and others try to take all the glory and are simply ignoring things. Something that was quite clear with the event where Xian died.

[LadyUrsa]

Thank you for saying what I was thinking, Nova.

[Jay Voncloud]

I have mixed feelings on this.
I understand the frustrations of planned things not going to plan, a very long series of events that happend a while ago, at one stage there was apart that was aimed specifically at Jay and Zector, yet, due to someone getting involved and not recognising that it was planned and they ruined it, half of what was planned went to waste.
However i feel that plots still need some leeway to allow people TO get involved, otherwise they will feel shunned and left out, after all its not like it works that way normally. So i think Yes, keep to your plan but be flexabile with it otherwise the events will just be for select people and other players will just get annoyed and not bother in the future.
So you need to plan for things, using the recent plots as an example

• Going To Kidnap someone: Prepare for the chance someone intervenes, maybe be ready to have an escape plan and attempt a kidnap later
• Your character: Remeber what your character can and cant do, if it looks like your going to get into trouble, retreat.
• Godmodding: Just because your in an event, doesnt mean your character suddenly is invincable just because its the main character in an event, unless the character has been made specifically to be as such.

[Husky Dragon]

I have mixed feelings on this.
I understand the frustrations of planned things not going to plan, a very long series of events that happend a while ago, at one stage there was apart that was aimed specifically at Jay and Zector, yet, due to someone getting involved and not recognising that it was planned and they ruined it, half of what was planned went to waste.
However i feel that plots still need some leeway to allow people TO get involved, otherwise they will feel shunned and left out, after all its not like it works that way normally. So i think Yes, keep to your plan but be flexabile with it otherwise the events will just be for select people and other players will just get annoyed and not bother in the future.
So you need to plan for things, using the recent plots as an example

• Going To Kidnap someone: Prepare for the chance someone intervenes, maybe be ready to have an escape plan and attempt a kidnap later
• Your character: Remeber what your character can and cant do, if it looks like your going to get into trouble, retreat.
• Godmodding: Just because your in an event, doesnt mean your character suddenly is invincable just because its the main character in an event, unless the character has been made specifically to be as such.

We always try to provide opportunities for our players, but sometimes those opportunities are overlooked because it's not exactly what was being counted on. (In that case, we fall back to the problem of communication - if your disatisfied, the closer to the situation, even before it happens if possible, you let the event's host know the better!

[Asha]

I agree and disagree. i honestly believe that all plans in rp fail and the only plan that works appropriate is if you plain to fail. I believe in freedom of rp where those who actually operate in a clever manner. such as not rushing headlong into battle all by your lonesome or trying to be the hero or 'star of the show'. honest truth, 80% or more people who earn the title of hero, do so by dieing heroically. and people who rush into battle alone is a lamb to be slaughtered. it's as true in real life as it is rp. If you want an rp to advance your character or be a star of the show, your rp is better off a private rp where no others get involved, because that's the only way you can avoid others doing what their character would rightfully do, if brought into the situation of all these plots we play out for our characters. If you simply go by the ask the ec if you can be the hero isn't gonna work, because everyone will ask you that, and then who do you pick? I also believe knowing all that will happen, planning the plots out entirely from beginning to it's end, is just down right boring. like putting on a play for others to watch, without being any fun for the players, and taking away our creativity in it's entirety.

I can agree though that attempting to rush the plot is a strain on those who are playing out the NPC's of that plot, don't do it. it doesn't matter if you have a whole army built up, if the EC hosting the event doesn't feel like roleplaying that scenario at that moment, then you shouldn't try to drag them into it. all this would accomplish is irritating the EC who will either not enjoy their own event or worse yet, they take out their frustration by getting into their role a bit too much and butchering a few people's characters. Not a likely scenario but it's possible!

 

[Asha]

also sorry for my butchered nonsense run on sentences in previous post, i'm tired. probably shouldn't be posting now. xP

[Jesk_levethix]

I do agree about  that.. if the EC doesn't really feel up to playing the npc. they need to be allowed to relax too. sure were staff but were players too.

[Jay Voncloud]

Ya the ECS do have rps of their own they wish to do