Lugubrious

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

In short, a lot of what Harine said. Instead of trying to enforce order, let people find their own order. Keep a wide-view scale of when things are, but let everyone march to the beat of their own drum.

In short, relax, take a step back, and let people do their thing.

Done. All of you are free to make your own stories at your own pace. Rather than me assigning times to do things or interact with one another, take it at whatever time you want to. If there's something that I think we might like to do, like a food fight, ball, mission, or parent-visit day, I'll just suggest it and people can vote on whether they want to do it or not, and if passed we can just work toward it, beginning when everyone has found a satisfactory point to transition. Of course, even if a motion is passed, people can still elect to not participate. No more forcing of anything on my part, especially timeskips.

Thanks to some of you for words of encouragement. I really don't deserve them. Thank you also for trying to help the RP, in whichever way. I appreciate every one of you putting up with my crap. Hopefully this new paradigm will mean everyone can enjoy themselves in their own ways. Special thanks to co-GMs, of whose number I think Krayzikk and Lucius should definitely be counted. Again, sorry for screwing stuff up and being melodramatic about it. I have legitimate trouble not making everything into a show.

Funnily enough, that's the exact gif to which I was referring, Prince.

I'm really sorry, @Boomlover. I don't think we're going to be accepting any new applicants for a long time.

On that note, it might be a good idea for the sake of canonical preservation if we NPC-ify characters whose players leave rather than eliminating them and not replacing them. What do you all think?

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

I... Don't see why this boils down to two questions, when one of those questions is completely irrelevant to the point we're all getting at, and the other is like a Congressional bill; a clear original intent that's been packaged with unrelated ride-alongs.

Frankly, I think you're trying to impose too much structure on this, @Lugubrious. There's no need to force everyone to be on the same page, or dealing with everything the same way. Ultimately, this stems from something Crimmy was trying to get at; RPGs don't have screen time, or audience attention to have to shift around. Everyone is an audience to what's relevant to their own character's view, and whatever past that they want to read.

There's no reason to boil everything down to strict ultimatums. Speaking as someone who runs a game much, much, much larger than this, you're looking at this all backasswards.

@Krayzikk

Well, it's because I'm incompetent, clearly. I thought I was getting at what you all wanted; things that might help set this right. A good example of this might be that I just don't understand what you mean by people not being on the same page. If teams aren't on the same page, I'm thinking, how can they interact with one another?

I'd say something like I'm not one for self-pity at this point, but I really, really am. I feel like the scum of the earth. The realization I probably am makes me feel sick. I've just shown that I can't make competent arguments or decisions or do anything to help people. If someone smarter than me could just take over this mess I've made right now, please please do. I'd love to just sink back into the hedges and not have to think about this anymore. I have to get off the computer and go to sleep. I'm sorry for ruining everything.

Soul Eater: Generation of Meisters- Time to get to work?

Feh, I've lost interest now. Any more work in this seems like a lost cause. And I'm actually a really terrible GM. If there's a reboot I'll take a look but I'm not going to get involved making it.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Alright, main body: of course timeskips are not preferable in a character-driven role-playing story game. We're making good characters here, ones with interaction and depth and development, and I understand that needs time.

Our members like the entirety of team KESS, half of JPCL, and so forth aren't able to check in very often. I'm not blaming anyone for not being able to check in or post often; that's just the way life is. Unfortunately, that reality means that if people aren't able to do anything then they may keep losing motivation and interest until they drop out, and then we have even more problems to deal with.

One of the problems is, most likely, too many characters. Allowing people to have two was a mistake, and allowing anyone to antagonize multiple missions was probably a mistake too. The antagonization thing was unavoidable, however, as only some brave souls are able to be on often enough to serve their noble evil purpose, but eliminating multiple characters might help lessen responsibility and increase focus. How next could we come together as a RP and get both development and flow? I don't know. I'm not good enough.

Perhaps I've been possessed by the wrong sort of idea about what this RP was meant to be. I wanted us to get through a lot of time, various impactful and exciting events, never imagining that to really get into rich storytelling and charactermaking that it would be the right idea to slow way, way down. I've been assuming that if we were to slow way down, so many people would be counterintuitively left behind, and grow disinterested. I prescribed a schedule hoping that it would keep us on track is a group, but alas, in attempting to put us in a box I only squeezed us too tight.

@Crimmy don't needle me with ethos, I know how important people's lives are. I wasn't making demands, I was acknowledging that no such perfect world existed and I could never expect it to. That logic both spurred me to make a schedule and now makes me realize that was the wrong choice. And the answer to your last question: because I don't know how to fix it. Even if every problem were spelled out for me, I could not generate a solution that pleases anyone on my own.

But I'm going to try. @Everyone, listen up:
The choice I have is between two systems of operation. The one I've been using is to maintain a schedule, giving time but enforcing deadlines to keep the entire group on track, making steady progress toward events that everyone can be involved in. This is more of an ideal system, meant to entertain larger numbers of people, and more and more seems less and less feasible.

The alternative as far as I can see: slow down. Live every moment so that our characters can live and grow like real people. Break out a timeskip like a fire axe from its case: only in emergencies (empty space) and when agreed to by a majority of the people. No more boring classes, but no pushes toward action either. Take the risk of marginalizing players, and not replacing those who go.

The idea of moving slowly but more meangingfully does seem like a better idea than screwing over both people who want to move either faster or slower. It would mean that this RP could die rather than living on fumes, but a death for a purpose is better than forced life, right?

So I'm putting it to democracy on two fronts:
Question A: Do we slow down, removing forced deadlines, timeskips, and new players?
Question B: Do we eliminate multiple characters, making senior teams into NPCs that can be controlled on special occasions?

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Can you all stop typing for just one minute? I can't try and defend myself against three different people and a subtle mob of thumbs-uppers all at once.

Anyone who thinks we are or have ever been moving at breakneck speed is a buffoon. Happy one year anniversary folks--we've made it two weeks into the IC.

RWBY has maybe ten main characters and two guys calling the shots, while here we have twenty-eight in both categories. We have a cast of main characters with different actions and personalities (I know you know this, so I realize I'm not being too helpful by reiterating). It's impossible to give all equal attention and utterly implausible to give some all the attention and none to others. Not everyone has the tools to fill time with meaningful development and interaction. is that fair to those who do? I know it isn't.

For your information, Brewing Storm could be finished pretty darn soon if everyone posted for it. We could all make our developments happen and never get bored if life allowed us to post even a single paragraph once a day, but that's not the case.

Criticism here, criticism there. Neither this or that is the right way to deal with things. I've never been a good GM and never will be, just interested in good times and good storytelling. You all want this to work better? Stop saying what I'm doing wrong for a moment and start making suggestions on what I can do right!

Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

<Snipped quote by Krayzikk>

You don't know Jamie. Riders blade has sprung from a guild that has hurt her members in the past. She would find a way to get information on them. What the bloody hell do you think she was doing for two months before the games?

@Caits

Krayzikk wasn't here for that, calling him out on past IC events might be a touch unfair.

I'm not ultimately averse to the idea that Jamie could have spent that time snooping around. A guild with a history with hers would warrant more attention than mere competitors like Iron Enigma, Tough Love, Frenzy Plant, and Pirate Lord. So it would make more sense that instead of 'knowing everything', which can be translated as godmodding, she simply aimed a specialized and precise operation toward Rider's Blade. What do you think, Zarkun?

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

The key, Krayzikk, is smoothness. Timeskips are utterly ubiquitous in shows, RWBY being no exception, but those didn't hurt too badly. They're inevitable and fundamental to keeping things interesting.

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

Team VGNB's barely started its mission though.

@Crimmy

Well, what do you suggest? I'm not sure how many other people are in the same boat as you.

As for a timeskip after missions, it will occur after a brief cooling-down period in which developments can occur. Succinctness will be the key to resolve the aftermath of a mission without holding back players whose missions were less dramatic. And I don't mean dramatic sarcastically, but in the literal sense.

A solution to not getting the time you wanted for stuff within a certain timeframe would be to work on a collab with the team while putting up posts that follow along with current developments, and then when the extra stuff is completed it can be posted with a disclaimer that tells when it actually occurred. This would mean multitasking for those players, though I can't imagine that to be an issue for people whose praiseworthy writing skill leads them to in-depth character development.

As stated numerous times, I want the best time possible for everyone, and while I can make some people wait and make others speed up, I'd prefer we continue moving forward. The solution I mentioned might work for fitting in other stuff retroactively while the main IC pace continues to progress.

For example, we might go through the cooling-off period and then move ahead to an event in a week or two, and during which the players of VNGB can work on

They need a breath of fresh air, some acclimatisation back at the Academy, and more chances of chardev/forming char dynamics with others

which they then post later to fill in a blank, possibly in flashback form.

plus we'll have two characters who haven't had any interaction whatsoever.

@chukklehed

This is true. I would be much happier if we did not make Lazo and Chukklehed, the new members of our fabulous HOB family, sit on the sidelines.

Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

@Silvan Haven I don't think any of the characters know. If you mean us then well.... Maybe Jamie is secretly evil?

@Oblivion666

Is it really secret at this point? How many shapeshifting, omniscient, morally inflexible, threat-slinging, law-dictating entities with 'Master' in their title, who are perfectly benevolent, do you know?

Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

How do you know someone isn't already there?

<Snipped quote by Silver Fox>

Well know, but she knows OF Edo-karn

@Caits

'Cause that's impossible. Nonsensical shenanigans.

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

Having a camp instead of going to the hotel definitely was a wise decision.

Also, I replied to our collab, please inform me if it's unsatisfactory.

@Burthstone

Thanks for the reply. And I didn't mean the camp, the camp is insecure and unenchanted. I was talking about the Fort, back in Oak Town, which is currently protected by means of Overgrowth.

Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

Yeesh. I'm fortunate the Frenzy Fort has anti-spy measures, so its interior and the personal information of its soldiers are unknown to potential adversaries. Even the new Magic Council is in the dark, at least until they send an inspector to reaffirm Frenzy Plant's adhesion to magic council rules.