Stories without end

[jilliana]

I wanted to begin by stating that since returning to CLOK, I've seen and heard of a lot of roleplay and events that were really very good. The GMs are definitely going out of their way to keep us entertained...a job that is most definitely not easy at times with the variety of skill and roleplay experience logging in these last few days. However, I did come to a realization and rather than allow it to fester into something negative, I may as well put it all on the table for everyone to chew on.

One of the greatest things about CLOK are the storylines. The GMs have this way with coming up with some doozies that have a way of hitting the spot RP-wise. I have noticed that some difficulty may lay in the length of these events. Some of them have been going for as long as I've been playing (two and a half years) or shortly thereafter. At the beginning they were pretty exciting and hat a lot of meat. I don't know how the new (six months or less) players feel about some of them, but I do feel that so many storylines are getting started or dug up again, none of them seem to be coming to any conclusion. They just seem to be piling up. Something have to give!
Most notable among these storylines (without going into specifics) are the bloodcult, Valeria, Thaelsh and at least a couple of others that I can't recall at this exact moment. Some of them are intertwined with players, and that's somewhat understandable, but aside from the odd tidbit thrown to the general populous, nothing is happening from our perspective so it looks very one-sided. This leads me to my next point...

I think one of the biggest things that tends to stunt events on CLOK is the playerbase itself. There are a number of players that could be refered to as "event hoarders" in the sense that although they don't feel the need to be in the limelight among the players, do keep information to themselves or amongst their guild mates. I wish I could find this particular post, but it has been stated by the GMs that it's a source of some grumbling for players to keep information to themselves. I'm not pointing any fingers at anyone, but it has been like pulling teeth to get any kind of significant information in character about the latest happenings on CLOK. This is by no means anything new but does continue to be a source of frustration and discouragement to returning players who don't have a lot of contact with CLOK players outside of the game itself. Even catching up after being gone for a day is rather frustrating and I definitely think some players could reconsider their approach to the way they handle events and being considerate of those who aren't able to play as frequently.

I am definitely not trying to tell the GMs how to run their stories or forcing them to create an event that'll close a long-standing storyline in a manner that wouldn't do it justice. I am saying that if they do want something to conclude, we do need something to bite into once more to keep us going. If a player or three is making the effort to do something, it'd be nice for some of us to know so we can be in on some of the fun...or at least a GM to encourage the players involved to share.

I do want to thank those players who have made an effort to approach Jilliana about the latest happenings. The roleplay has been fun for me and I'm always looking forward to more.

[galon]

this is something I've seen hppen on a lot of muds, not just this one. I think conclusions are good because it sets the stage for things that could happen next. Take this story line with Mistral lake and the keep. I gather thiss has been going on for a while now and I am being told that lately it has .. I don't know the right word, started up again with a vengeance. I'm curious to see where this event will go and what will happen And I hope I'm not having to wait too long. the nice thing about games like this is anything is possible within the context of the world.

[CLOK]

The story of the Lost Lands is without end, and a lot of events taking place within it are viewed as continuous events as part of a dynamic and living world, rather than linear questlines with a checklist that results in a definite and irrevocably conclusive end. Things continue to happen with these factions and locations over time in events that may or may not be directly related to past ones that involved them. These factions and locations are part of our GameMaster's array of pieces that we can use to create events. An antagonistic faction may be beaten back for a while, but it would be unfortunate to see them all completely annihilated, requiring the GMs to come up with a new Antagonistic Faction of the Week for a new set of unrelated events each time. While the events involving the factions and locations may have their own ends, it shouldn't always be necessary to lock involved factions or locations into a state of completion, never to be touched again.

With all of that out of the way, are there any specifics about what has been left without conclusion? We know people want to get into Valeria and look around, but what about Thaelsh and the Blood Cult is currently outstanding that requires concluding, other than the fact that they still exist? There has been an event that partially involves Thaelsh in the somewhat recent past, but it's part of something greater than just Thaelsh, and that piece is not currently center-stage.

We've seen players be much better about sharing recently. but it won't always be that every PC knows everything that's going on, unfortunately. We do do our best as GMs, and encourage the PCs to be willing to share and involve others as well. This might be risky to say, but sometimes PCs really seem to roll a natural 1 on their gather information checks with NPCs, so to speak. There have been NPCs placed to dispense information on occasion, only to be treated the exact wrong way by PCs and convinced not to share (or the NPCs and their info were just ignored). As GMs, we still want the info to get out there so we try another way later, but this can bog things down. Remember that NPCs are people, and that the way they are approached and treated has a big effect on what they'll do.

Lastly, please allow a little give as life happens to GMs. It's unlikely there has ever been a MUD or tabletop group that didn't have setbacks, dangling threads, and slowdowns due to that pesky real life getting in the way.

[jilliana]

You reminded me, CLOK, of something that I forgot to mention. I completely understand that real life is first place. I'm definitely not wanting to give the impression that a game should take importance over family, jobs and other hobbies and interests.

As for the cult, I have no clue. I just was given the impression at the start that there would be some kind of closure. Now I see blood messages and just sigh because You reminded me, CLOK, of something that I forgot to mention. I completely understand that real life is first place. I'm definitely not wanting to give the impression that a game should take importance over family, jobs and other hobbies and interests.

As for the events themselves... It'd be great to reopen Valeria, but people have been pretty secretive about what really happened there. I'd like to know, if it's even a known fact, what happened there before it reopens. One of the events that seems to involve pulling teeth to get anything aside from hmms and haas from church characters.
I have suspicions about the blood cult that of course, are my own. I would love to see just about anything with that event aside from the occasional blood messages. There are too many secrets revolving around that as well and it'd be great to find a way to expose something.

Thank you for clarifying your efforts in regards to PC sharing. I do my absolute best not to bother NPCs if there is a way to get the same information from PCs.

I will take your statement about continuous events as a way to basically say that you all don't have many plans, if at all, to conclude something. I will definitely do my best to deal with that aspect of the game.

[Bryce]

There are too many secrets revolving around that

Secret blood cult is secretive.

it'd be great to find a way to expose something.

Well, they had their one base blown to hell, and they got kicked out of the ruined Thaelsh temple after they took it over for a while.

I do agree it'd be nice to kick them around a little more, though, particularly when they get uppity and send their little mind squicks throughout the land. Anyone tried starting some collective initiative to do so? Not just some thing where people vaguely say they're protectors and justice deliverers and whatnot so this falls into their duties, not just going around asking people what they've seen and heard, but a real specific unified "let's send all those cultists to the hell waiting for them" organization. Cause whenever it comes up in conversation, people all agree about how they hate them darned cultists, they'd love for something to be done about it, nobody knows anything specific, and everyone shrugs and moves on to other things. It's something a lot of people would like to tackle, but it probably needs a leader to galvanize a real effort.

(Used the word "galvanize" in a sentence. Check that one off the list.)

[CLOK]

I will take your statement about continuous events as a way to basically say that you all don't have many plans, if at all, to conclude something.

That's quite a conclusion to come to - pun intended. On the contrary, however: We nearly always have conclusions for events in mind (the exceptions being spur-of-the-moment events, inspired by the actions of PCs without any prior planning). It's just that we try not to let these conclusions preclude further events in the same vein, location, or faction in the future. We try to make the world, as a whole, a never-ending story. This means characters, locations, factions, and plot McGuffins are often re-used, because they tend to still exist after events that center around them, rather than being forgotten or entering some sort of untouchable stasis. Saving a town today doesn't mean it won't be attacked next week. Defeating the lich and retrieving the sacred relic doesn't mean there won't be other villains coming after that relic for themselves. Driving the nethrim out of one of their haunts doesn't mean someone else won't come to claim the place for themselves.

It'd be great to reopen Valeria, but people have been pretty secretive about what really happened there. I'd like to know, if it's even a known fact, what happened there before it reopens. One of the events that seems to involve pulling teeth to get anything aside from hmms and haas from church characters.

What happened there was done in extreme secrecy, which is to say: No, what happened isn't a commonly-known fact. It's more than likely that church characters hmm and haa at you when you ask about it because they truly do not know. What makes you think they have any answers to give? Many church members have been trying very hard to get in and find out what happened for themselves.

[jilliana]

Thank you for the clarification. Much appreciated.