Alternatively, this could be titled 'I couldn't sleep'. ANYWAY!
One thing I have run across in RP in general, but most problematically in continuity RP, is that people often feel uncomfortable introducing outside plot elements (something as simple as it starting to rain or more extreme like a zombie attack ...AGGGGHHH ZOMBIES! RUN!). I get it, it feels contrived, and it can mess up plans or people aren't sure if it fits. Lots of understandable reasons, and it is definitely a responsibility of owners/staff to keep things moving.
Problem is, owners/staff are people too! We can't always be around, and we don't always feel like RPing, or there are fifteen other things we have to handle. Using a forum is one solution, but I think it'd be nice to have some of it in the dream itself..so I've been playing with an idea. I think it's mainly something for continuity RP, but I could see it having uses in open dreams as well.
Basically, the idea is this:
Player is looking for an idea relevant to the story to play. Oh lookie, there's this nifty DS button in the corner specifically for that dream area. Player clicks the button, and an emit pops up for everyone in that area explaining the situation. They are then given the option to use the plot point or not.
If yes, then who used it and when is recorded to inform staff, and the plot point (and button) is removed (since it's being played). Then it can be replaced with a new plot point, button returns, no reloading necessary.
If no, nothing happens and the point is still available for use. Someone else can play with it later.
That's as far as I've gotten right now, but additionally there could be a list of locations with plot points and suggestions from players of course. The idea is still pretty rough (and so is the DS).
What I would really like at this point is input and ideas. Is this something that you would enjoy seeing in a dream? Would you use it to spur RP? Would it be better to just have the emits randomly pop up when people are RPing, or do you think that would be too invasive and annoying?
One thing I have run across in RP in general, but most problematically in continuity RP, is that people often feel uncomfortable introducing outside plot elements (something as simple as it starting to rain or more extreme like a zombie attack ...AGGGGHHH ZOMBIES! RUN!). I get it, it feels contrived, and it can mess up plans or people aren't sure if it fits. Lots of understandable reasons, and it is definitely a responsibility of owners/staff to keep things moving.
Problem is, owners/staff are people too! We can't always be around, and we don't always feel like RPing, or there are fifteen other things we have to handle. Using a forum is one solution, but I think it'd be nice to have some of it in the dream itself..so I've been playing with an idea. I think it's mainly something for continuity RP, but I could see it having uses in open dreams as well.
Basically, the idea is this:
Player is looking for an idea relevant to the story to play. Oh lookie, there's this nifty DS button in the corner specifically for that dream area. Player clicks the button, and an emit pops up for everyone in that area explaining the situation. They are then given the option to use the plot point or not.
If yes, then who used it and when is recorded to inform staff, and the plot point (and button) is removed (since it's being played). Then it can be replaced with a new plot point, button returns, no reloading necessary.
If no, nothing happens and the point is still available for use. Someone else can play with it later.
That's as far as I've gotten right now, but additionally there could be a list of locations with plot points and suggestions from players of course. The idea is still pretty rough (and so is the DS).
What I would really like at this point is input and ideas. Is this something that you would enjoy seeing in a dream? Would you use it to spur RP? Would it be better to just have the emits randomly pop up when people are RPing, or do you think that would be too invasive and annoying?
That sounds like a really good idea! they should have a jet attack button. *evil smirk*
This sounds like an interesting idea. I've seen similar toys all over the internet, but usually aimed at writers to get them started if they have writer's block. Every once in awhile I've used them as the starting point for a random plot! 
I have two questions or concerns about it as it's being suggested. I think a lot of that discomfort people have about introducing their own plot elements in a continuity dream is that almost all continuities have strict rules about what members may do to alter the continuity without permission. This is usually in place to prevent people from killing off the entire population with one vial of anthrax making future play impossible for anyone else in that continuity, or to stop people from introducing giant mech robots into a medieval hamlet. With a pre-approved list of plot point, you don't end up with that problem. But I do wonder how effectively it could be stitched into the continuity.
Continuities are all about continuity. In that everyone has agreed to be part of the same world. When a plot point, even as small as rain is introduced in an official capacity, then the staff can add dream-wide emits, add new graphics if necessary, etc. It'd be harder for players without powers to make sure everyone knew what was going on in the world everyone shared. Yeah, mods could come on and check what plot points had been used that day and update for it, but I imagine there's still a potential to get out of sync. Nothing more annoying than coming on late at night, doing a great RP, then logging in in the morning to someone telling you the inn where you played that scene had actually been burned down the day before so your scene couldn't have actually happened.
My other worry would be that if the feature had really exciting, fun suggestions in it, people would start going to it first to start RPs, and you'd end up with people on one screen fighting a zombie invasion while two screens over people are discovering an underground city beneath the first one while two screens over from that people are fighting a dragon, and things get chaotic for two days until the plot points are all gone. That, or they'd have to be super small plot points anyone could have introduced without needing permission first anyway, like "Oh no! You stubbed your toe!"
If those concerns were handled well it would be really great. Although I sort of imagine the place that this would be at its absolute best in some kind of "holodeck" style dream, where you and a few friends go into a locked room and are then presented with a plot starter of epicness. Then the plot points wouldn't have to be taken away when someone had used them and you could just keep adding to them, and there'd be no worries of too many being used or them overlapping incorrectly.
One day I would love to have a toy on this site that would let people pick a random genre, and then suggest random plot starters & random plot complications for plots that had already started but might be stagnating.
I have two questions or concerns about it as it's being suggested. I think a lot of that discomfort people have about introducing their own plot elements in a continuity dream is that almost all continuities have strict rules about what members may do to alter the continuity without permission. This is usually in place to prevent people from killing off the entire population with one vial of anthrax making future play impossible for anyone else in that continuity, or to stop people from introducing giant mech robots into a medieval hamlet. With a pre-approved list of plot point, you don't end up with that problem. But I do wonder how effectively it could be stitched into the continuity.
Continuities are all about continuity. In that everyone has agreed to be part of the same world. When a plot point, even as small as rain is introduced in an official capacity, then the staff can add dream-wide emits, add new graphics if necessary, etc. It'd be harder for players without powers to make sure everyone knew what was going on in the world everyone shared. Yeah, mods could come on and check what plot points had been used that day and update for it, but I imagine there's still a potential to get out of sync. Nothing more annoying than coming on late at night, doing a great RP, then logging in in the morning to someone telling you the inn where you played that scene had actually been burned down the day before so your scene couldn't have actually happened.
My other worry would be that if the feature had really exciting, fun suggestions in it, people would start going to it first to start RPs, and you'd end up with people on one screen fighting a zombie invasion while two screens over people are discovering an underground city beneath the first one while two screens over from that people are fighting a dragon, and things get chaotic for two days until the plot points are all gone. That, or they'd have to be super small plot points anyone could have introduced without needing permission first anyway, like "Oh no! You stubbed your toe!"
If those concerns were handled well it would be really great. Although I sort of imagine the place that this would be at its absolute best in some kind of "holodeck" style dream, where you and a few friends go into a locked room and are then presented with a plot starter of epicness. Then the plot points wouldn't have to be taken away when someone had used them and you could just keep adding to them, and there'd be no worries of too many being used or them overlapping incorrectly.
One day I would love to have a toy on this site that would let people pick a random genre, and then suggest random plot starters & random plot complications for plots that had already started but might be stagnating.
Random story generator
Random plot points
Character background generator
These things are awesome. I'd much rather see a DS button that, when clicked, gives a random plot point, or background history that you can play with... And the button is only clickable once an hour or so.
P.S. Check out those links, you can have SO much fun with them!
Random plot points
Character background generator
These things are awesome. I'd much rather see a DS button that, when clicked, gives a random plot point, or background history that you can play with... And the button is only clickable once an hour or so.
P.S. Check out those links, you can have SO much fun with them!
I love all of those! Those are some of my favorite ones!
Glad to see there's some interest and discussion about this! And I'll keep the jet attack button in mind 
Kim, you bring up some really good points that definitely need to be addressed. (And I like the holodeck idea!)
As far as communicating about what's being done, that's always been an issue in any continuity I've been in. In the past, we've used forums, but it has the same problem as far as making sure people know in time. Either people delay posting or people don't read the forum, or it generally just feels disconnected from the in-game RP. I'm not sure of the best way to approach this, but if this system uses messages, perhaps I could incorporate an in-game news bulletin to other players. Basically, when a plot point is used, it's added to the news list in some fashion. Do you think that might help?
The other issue of people using it too much and making things chaotic can be more easily addressed, I think. Since this is all editable without reloading the dream, mods can space out when and where the plot options are available. The other nice thing with this is that it can respond to the needs of the story, definitely want to keep it flexible to move with what's happening. Obviously, some stuff would be pre-written, but it could be held back until the story needs it, then plunked into the dream.
Sanne, at this point, I've structured it so the button only shows up when a plot point is available, and then it disappears until someone adds something new to it. The idea of time limits are good too, definitely need to avoid depleting the choices too quickly.
There are some technical limitations to all this that I haven't quite worked out. Might be best as a bot/dream tandem system, but we'll see.
Thanks for the input so far!
..and I'll have to take a look at those links. Those things are always fun.
Kim, you bring up some really good points that definitely need to be addressed. (And I like the holodeck idea!)
As far as communicating about what's being done, that's always been an issue in any continuity I've been in. In the past, we've used forums, but it has the same problem as far as making sure people know in time. Either people delay posting or people don't read the forum, or it generally just feels disconnected from the in-game RP. I'm not sure of the best way to approach this, but if this system uses messages, perhaps I could incorporate an in-game news bulletin to other players. Basically, when a plot point is used, it's added to the news list in some fashion. Do you think that might help?
The other issue of people using it too much and making things chaotic can be more easily addressed, I think. Since this is all editable without reloading the dream, mods can space out when and where the plot options are available. The other nice thing with this is that it can respond to the needs of the story, definitely want to keep it flexible to move with what's happening. Obviously, some stuff would be pre-written, but it could be held back until the story needs it, then plunked into the dream.
Sanne, at this point, I've structured it so the button only shows up when a plot point is available, and then it disappears until someone adds something new to it. The idea of time limits are good too, definitely need to avoid depleting the choices too quickly.
There are some technical limitations to all this that I haven't quite worked out. Might be best as a bot/dream tandem system, but we'll see.
Thanks for the input so far!
..and I'll have to take a look at those links. Those things are always fun.
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