Proposal: Narrative framework for our version of the realm

[boombrakh]

The What:
What is boom talking about this time? Well, I've been thinking a bit on how we can improve the immersion, the involvement and the development of our community. Some of my thoughts has been pure rubbish and some has the potential to be great. I am by no means the best person for what I am proposing, not considering the amazingly talented people we have in our community whos talents virtually goes untapped in this regard. I've run this past a few people already and it's recieved very good response. A problem i've noticed is how we are moving slowly towards a static persistent world rather than a living persistent world. This is far from a "the end is near" post, it's more of an observation and me trying to convey what I believe is a really good idea to see what the community feels and thinks about it.

What I mean with a "static persistent world" is actually that while we play and we enjoy all the work our fellow players and DMs and builders (script and toolset) put into the project, nothing really changes. It's like that movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray where he wakes up the same day over and over again. Now, im not saying we aren't creating new content or not adding new ingredients into the bowl, that isn't the problem. The problem here is that even with all we've got, we don't do anything noteworthy with it. Nothing really changes and everything always stays the same.

Please note that I am not claiming the above to be the general rule, of course there are incidents where the digital world around our characters have changed, but overall it is a very static world we play in. What am I suggesting then that we do about it? Well, the idea is to use the writing talent we have in the community and appoint a "Head Writer" if you will, who will be in charge of first documenting and then writing an intriguing summarization of our ingame history, perhaps add some nice detail and then tie it all together to that each server gets its fair share of spotlight. After that, he/she will begin working on the present - writing the general world and events around us.

The How:
We do it in chapters. I suggest once per month, a new chapter is released detailing what happened around Faerun since last month. Interesting wars being fought, weird events going on and the likes. The author/writer would be somewhat of a Storyteller. DMs and players can then send their stories, bios and other stuff they find interesting and engaging to the writer who get to choose what works in tandem with the rest and tie it all together. This will then fall under the portfolio of the DM Admin, seeing as it is he/she who supervises the story elements of the community. But my hope is that we trust in the writer and gives the person the creative space that is needed.

The Why:
Then when a new chapter has been released not only detailing what happened, but also what is happening, DMs and players alike can draw inspiration from that and create new and interesting events that more or less is tied to eachother without having to go through tedious synchronization and planning with other DMs. What this would give us is characters in different parts of the world who all experience the effects of something the players have all been reading and feel a more meaningful connection with than the "monster of the week" type of events that I think is the result of DMs with great devotion and dedication but who are also pretty drained of ideas.

Just imagine two characters meeting, roleplaying and sharing stories about their exploits when they together find common ground in their experiences without any previous collaboration or planning needed by the involving DMs. Tavern talk and rumor mills running hot with gossip in different parts of the world about events that are tied in with eachother, all working to produce a web of stories that no single person would come to create. This way, we are all invited and we are all participating, actively, to create a more living and vibrant world around us.

And from each of these small meetings between characters, lurking DMs can get even more inspiration and create things on the fly that not only is relevant, but will also serve to even moreso feed the story that basically writes itself. And all it takes is the words from one or two people, working to create the backdrop of our version of the Forgotten Realms.

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Now, I know it might not be the "complete" package, but it's an idea and one I really believe in. I think that with some positive discussion and constructive criticism, we can chisel away the flaws and end up with a pretty good system that will not only engage old players and make them feel as they are part in creating and upholding our Faerun, but also give something for new players to read and potentially get inspired by.

So, what do you think? Yea/nay?

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TL:DR
We ask for a volunteer, a storyteller/writer to write the story of our version of the Realms in order to engage and inspire players and DMs alike. Each month a new chapter would be released about what is happening in the world, exploits of known and (previously) unknown heroes and villains. This would also serve to strengthen the illusion that time pass and the world we play in is moving in a forward direction.

[Swift]

A team. It must be a team. A lead writer for sure, but they must have a team around them, even if it is not large, else I see them burning out on the idea reasonably quickly.

A team to help sift through what is sent in, summarize and come to consensus about not only what has happened but what IS happening on a scope outside that of the areas represented on the servers but that will have an effect on them.

Also I suggest that November be designated an 'off' month as all the people that would participate in this would likely be off doing NaNoWriMo and would not have the time for it

Edit: Also, as I suggested last night in chat, I think it would be a great help if we were not so disconnected with canon lore of the realms. No need to include events that directly affect our particular servers unless the DM teams want to do it, but we already have a framework of what the global situation is for Faerun during our time, we should use that, rather than ignore it.

[loulabelle]

I think this is a really cool idea. I'm also volunteering to help out, maybe it could be a Library collaboration. Team is good like Swift says.

[puny]

i love this idea! let me be your foot soldier Lou!

[Swift]

The team also would need to include someone with very good realms knowledge, or at least good knowledge of the Western coast of Faerun that all our servers inhabit, even if they are not a writer. We would want to stay faithful, so having someone to timely fill realms lore requests would be excellent.

[Ithildur]

Another idea I'd love to help out with... choices, choices.

[Stormbring3r]

I to am interested. I have all the FR books and have read almost all the FR novels available.

[t-ice]

A very good point and goal. Perhaps the main underlying reason for becoming more "static" is the sheer (and increasing) size of ALFA servers: What we have already just is too daunting to keep dynamic. For the "Head Writer" to be able to keep it anyway together and to engage players and DMs the scope probably should be quite narrower than "The Realms", I'd say.

The structure of ALFA as a community (or organization if you will) is one that revolves almost solely around the mechanical and rules thereof. Just take a look at the what the rules say about what's expected of DMs and HDMs. You are first expected to keep clear form everyone else's toes and keep standards, and the simplest way to do that is to run stints of "defeat enemy of the week, and then back to status quo". (A TV example from my youth I like to think back to is the difference between Star Trek: TNG and Babylon 5). In other words, it's no accident we're going towards more "groundhog day" content, both static and DMd. Though it might be unintended consequences of both ALFA's rules and organization, and also of the intimidating size of it all.

Some months ago, as part of the effort to bring Amn up at the time, I floated an idea for a relatively simple organization change to elevate the status of "narrative": Servers could really do with a "Creative Director DM" in addition to the mostly technical role of "Managing Director DM" the current HDMs hold. That was the plan for Amn anyway. Some DM claiming this position won't immediately solve anything. But saying that maintaining an engaging narrative is hugely important, and giving an enthusiastic DM a mandate for keeping it up, is about the best we could do for it.

But I'd propose to go server and DM team at a time, ALFA-wide let alone Realms-wide seems to me just too much of a behemoth.

The Creative Director shouldn't be able to force a DM to run a plot about this or that, but I'd guess most DMs would be enthusiastic to play a part in a more coherent narrative that involves most of the DM team. And then players would know what's "the hot topic" on the server and could maneuver their PCs to essentially fight the same war as opposed to random skirmishes between some 37 different Realms entities. And DMs would also know that a storylines that ties to the "server overplot" would immediately hook PCs ICly.

Also it's hard currently to hook PCs heavily to narratives because everyone knows PCs are longer lived and "bigger" than storylines. So it's in every player's interest to have a PC that can skim a bit of everything to get involved. So currently the DM needs to come up with a PC-specific storyline to become engaging, with the player as the main storyteller, not the DM. The result is every PC living in a sort of mini-universe revolving around themselves, these occasionally touching each other. And the player-created PC-bio -centric DM-tool mechanism we have organizationally shoving it further that way. (Only longer DM discussions in PC threads we have seem to be around breaking mechanical rules: ie. farming or PKing. Narrative -wise it seems DMs don't care about what other DMs do, as long as PC wealth stays within bounds and items "legal".)

[Swift]

The Creative Director shouldn't be able to force a DM to run a plot about this or that, but I'd guess most DMs would be enthusiastic to play a part in a more coherent narrative that involves most of the DM team. And then players would know what's "the hot topic" on the server and could maneuver their PCs to essentially fight the same war as opposed to random skirmishes between some 37 different Realms entities. And DMs would also know that a storylines that ties to the "server overplot" would immediately hook PCs ICly.

Nor would they. They idea behind a wide, broad narrative for our version of the realms is a) to actually tie us all together under a broader story platform (so to speak) and b) to give DMs some hooks if they want to use them. If they don't, the story simply develops on without them.

Also it's hard currently to hook PCs heavily to narratives because everyone knows PCs are longer lived and "bigger" than storylines. So it's in every player's interest to have a PC that can skim a bit of everything to get involved. So currently the DM needs to come up with a PC-specific storyline to become engaging, with the player as the main storyteller, not the DM. The result is every PC living in a sort of mini-universe revolving around themselves, these occasionally touching each other. And the player-created PC-bio -centric DM-tool mechanism we have organizationally shoving it further that way. (Only longer DM discussions in PC threads we have seem to be around breaking mechanical rules: ie. farming or PKing. Narrative -wise it seems DMs don't care about what other DMs do, as long as PC wealth stays within bounds and items "legal".)

Veilan would tell you that this paragraph right here pretty clearly states everything that is wrong with ALFA. PCs telling the stories rather than DMs.

Additionally, server teams generally have their own threads on players that play on their servers to tie story stuff into. The PC information forum is for Player Bios as written by the players. If they fail to update them with developments from a server they have played on, it is their own fault if other server DMs do not take those developments into account when the PC moves servers.

I also disagree that the DM needs to come up with a story that lets the player tell the story. Some of the most enjoyable time I have had with NWN2 was DMing Veilans PrC quest. If you have malleable players/PCs that can bend and move with the story you are telling, rather than always trying to push the story back towards what they want, it is not so hard to play out a story that you, the DM, want to tell, rather than just sitting back and facilitating each players particular dreams for their PC.

Regardless, that all has nothing to do with what this idea seems to be. I think it would end up being attractive to new players to be able to come in and know there is an overarching story playing out, be it in the foreground or background (as I presume there would be highs and lows of activity relating to it). The members who would choose to be involved in this would no doubt be just as happy writing out a monthly chapter that pushes the story and goings on forward even if not a single DM hooked into the story in the previous month. Creative writing is actually easier when you have the freedom to develop the story how you choose, rather than building it from a set of instructions

Edit: Hell, even if all that happened was a group of members coming together to produce an outline of what has been happening across ALFA in the previous month would be good. Gives new players some history to read if they so choose (and possibly incorporate into their character bios!) and gives existing members something to read up on if they move to another server, though I would sure hope the idea ends up being a little more than a glorified "General Street Knowledge" thing.

[Ithildur]

It's both, really, isn't it guys? Cooperative storytelling is when DnD is at it's best; neither DMs nor players tell the story.

We do it together.

I'd guess most DMs would be enthusiastic to play a part in a more coherent narrative that involves most of the DM team. And then players would know what's "the hot topic" on the server and could maneuver their PCs to essentially fight the same war as opposed to random skirmishes between some 37 different Realms entities. And DMs would also know that a storylines that ties to the "server overplot" would immediately hook PCs ICly.

I for one would be quite enthusiastic, yes.

Only longer DM discussions in PC threads we have seem to be around breaking mechanical rules: ie. farming or PKing. Narrative -wise it seems DMs don't care about what other DMs do, as long as PC wealth stays within bounds and items "legal".

I did see quite a bit of this, along with the more positive comments about various PCs/players. They say you need several positive feedback/reinforcement to offset one negative remark; perhaps it's true, because the overall impression one gets is there sure is a lot of negative feedback.

Anyway, I think T Ice brings up a lot of good thoughts.

The general sense I think many folks have is that the sense of narrative in ALFA has stagnated compared to times in the past. There may be various legit reasons like RL schedules or DM burnout (case in point the Horde Plot of TSM) etc, but regardless some efforts to shore up this element of ALFA gameplay needs to be at the forefront of what we do. We've got Rumple's efforts to get DMs matched up with playergroups, several new DMs stepping up, Foam stepping up tech efforts once again with the help of various people, and for better or for worse now 2 PCs. If we could get some momentum in the department of facilitating storytelling for DMs and Players it would be a HUGE boon for ALFA, perhaps the biggest shot in the arm it needs as we move forward.

Oh, and folks like Loulabelle need to DM again. DID YOU HEAR ME LOU? YOU NEED TO DM!!! JMecha and Maxcell too, get off your duffs! And someone work with that guy Jern, he has potential, just needs guidance and encouragement, something like this might be perfect.

etc. etc.

[Ronan]

A narrative on Sword's Edge could be useful. They've done (and died) a lot in BG over the years. While a lot is kept hush-hush, a lot is somewhat-widely known.

[Castano]

I like the team idea, we have 3-4 volunteers *points up*. Let's do this shall we?

[Swift]

I like the team idea, we have 3-4 volunteers *points up*. Let's do this shall we?

Approval must be had, along with a determination of scope. For the purposes of being good creative writing, those involved would no doubt have to deal with quite a bit of meta, even if the end result has to be fairly light on details in some instances, so that is not something we simply go ahead and 'do'. For example, would it simply be reactive writing, like a log of whats happened in the past month, or would it be more creative, adding in what important organizations are doing or may be planning? eg the Zhentarim are active in basically every region we have represented, do we hint at what they are up to, even if DMs are not touching them, as a way to provide hooks DMs can use?

In addition, it would need a fair amount of overall DM buy in. I know how hard it can be sometimes to have DMs update their DM logs, let alone letting a third party get good details to use in writing. Some small infrastructure would also likely help, such as a forum group and forum to co-ordinate.

Edit: FWIW, I favour a more creative approach so that even if a server has a bit of a lull where not much important happens, we could still make things interesting. Additionally for player groups that do a bit of hush hush stuff, I would favour writing in the abstract to what they have been doing eg rumour, the changes that their activities bring about etc to ensure that PCs aren't named unless they would be publicly lauded/known for their actions. We are not here to 'out' any group, but their actions would have consequences nonetheless.

[Castano]

you can start without the part involving meta. I would actually exclude most of the actions of our PCs.
It would just be nice to see a post about a conflict between Waterdeep and Luskan etc.

The meta part should be split off, otherwise this will get debated to death and never approved.

[boombrakh]

I know i'm probably going to get a severe case of stoning over this, but I think that some degree of Meta should be presented. I feel it's time we get past this overwhelming fear of Meta that we have around here. I mean, it's more interesting to read about stuff and get the whole picture rather than just stray rumors