[OOC] Meeting... Part II

[rsiasta.livejournal.com]

Just to make it easier on everyone for the group meeting, we'll just have it in this post. Post what you'd like to see in the RP as far as it's run goes, comments, suggestions, and the like here for all us to discuss.

Comments

[rsiasta.livejournal.com]

When/if we start advertising again, what should we do about IC!Ed? He's going to be the one that people will want to come around and play because he's a such a popular character in the anime. In the old RP, he didn't really have much history beyond making the dimensions break that I know of with the exception of hooking up with Roy and having his baby. There's also getting his brother's body back, too, which I had completely forgotten about until just now (wow). So... what if we just erase all of that, with the exception of the dimensions breaking and getting his brother's body back? He was hardly around to begin with and not only would it give a new IC!Ed player a chance at a clean slate, but an IC!Roy one as well (assuming his old player doesn't come back). It'd be easy just to say that he was off studying the dimensions somewhere since IC!Ed was hardly around to begin with.

And on other characters, when someone drops an OOC, should a new player be allowed to create a fresh one in its stead? Like for example, say someone makes an OOC!Gluttony. He likes bunnies and dancing in the rain. The player of that character leaves for one reason or another so that OOC!Gluttony spot is open. Someone applies for OOC!Gluttony, but they don't want to do one that likes bunnies and dancing in the rain. They want to play one that does ballet and knits. With the way the dimensions are in the game, I think it would be plausible enough to allow for more than one OOC character, should that character be given up. It also helps in the case that, say, someone drops out and they don't want someone to play their character. Like, if I ever left? I wouldn't want anyone else playing T!Ed. And also in the case of someone else leaving, just kind of as a courtesy, if they don't mind someone else playing their character (or if it's an IC), they write up a short summary of what that character did during the time that player played them.

Also, on more character related fronts. The third character rule, should we keep that? I know I wanted to apply to for a third character soon, possibly, but I didn't know if people were yea or nay on that rule or not? I think at this point just having it for everyone, no matter how long they've been in the RP and for anyone character, rather than just limited like it was, wouldn't make much of a differenece. I think we all pretty much know how much we can take on at this point, with how long most of us been here so far, so having it there should be okay. Thoughts, opinions?

[shichahn.livejournal.com]

I know you know all these things so this reply is just to let other people know my takes on these issues.

1) Yes, I think we should wipe IC!Ed's slate clean and let whoever wants to apply apply. I think a lot of us felt like the way he was played was incredibly OOC and I would feel better about his character in this game as a whole if someone new picked him up and didn't have to worry about whatever his history was.

2) We've definitely established that there are essentially infinite dimensions. I support, therefore, the ability for someone to pick up an OOC that's been dropped and have it be different if they want it to be. I think there's plenty of room for that.

3) I think the main concern, previously, was that if someone had three characters it would be limiting in that they wouldn't be likely to talk to each other. But right now I think it would be more helpful to have more characters overall since we're so low. If someone wants a third, I'm all for it as long as it gets approved the usual way and all that.

[platoapproved.livejournal.com]

1) I agree.

2) I also agree with this, because I think even if one attempts to pick up another person's style, it's not going to be the same, no matter how hard everyone tries. So it's better to just start anew.

3) I think three characters should be allowed, but discouraged. I know I wouldn't have the energy for three, but I know that some people are just more creative than I am as well, so...

[adventurewrath.livejournal.com]

1) I concur! (However, I'm of the opinion that the movie does not a different character make. Obviously I'm not talking about instigating anything retroactively but I don't agree that movie Ed/Al is different enough from regular Ed/Al so we should not allow new people to make movie versions of characters)

2) I concur!

3) I concur! (although different real people is far preferable)

[songless-psiren.livejournal.com]

1. Just for clarification... so our characters would just basically not remember anything about any prior interactions with Ed, he just never existed (in a face-to-face sort of way)? I'm totally fine with that, I just want to clarify, so if we get a new Ed, we know how to interact with him.

2. I totally agree! We have so many dimensions now, I don't see why we can't have new OOC!s if we want. I think that maybe more than one at a time would be excessive, but we don't want to scare people away either, so new players should be able to pick up a new character.

3. I think if people have time for three characters, let them have three characters. Frankly, we need them. I know I don't have time or interest, but that shouldn't stop others.

[ipwnturtles.livejournal.com]

1. I hadn't thought about that, but I think that beyond knowing what he did in passing (breaking the dimensions, brother's body back since Alphonse was walking around sometime after that happened), that all existence of him wiped from our characters' memories would be good.

2. It would only be one OOC of a character at a time. More than one would just be... yeah. It could only change to a different OOC once the character is dropped.

[rsiasta.livejournal.com]

Mods. We've run the RP well without them, considering, so I don't think any that we get now will be doing much beyond small things that require decisions. I've got three volunteers for mods so far: Lauren, Dar, and myself. Does anyone else want to volunteer? Someone brought up the point that maybe having three mods would be excessive, so would you all prefer two or three, or do you just not care one way or another?

Also, with mods, what kinds of powers do you want to give them? Like I already said, I don't think it's going to be much beyond small decisions that any mod will be doing. Really, character applications and a person to go to if someone has a problem in the game would probably be pretty much it, unless someone brings up something else. Most of the information we've been putting up now? I'm more than happy to have any member contribute to that. I'm not too entirely sure what to do with the mod area, so any opinions on it would be really nice.

[shichahn.livejournal.com]

1) I'll go ahead and say that I think three mods is a bit excessive but I see no reason to be totally against it either. It's just... we have six players. Do we really need three mods? XD;; Just saying.

2) Something else to consider for a mod job is creation of events and approval of player-generated events. I'm all for allowing people to come up with events if they have a good idea, so this would be a way to get a cool event in there without depending on a mod to think of one.

[songless-psiren.livejournal.com]

I feel like someone with modly powers should make sure our tags list is updated. Since Carrie's absence, our new characters have gone untagged in logs. I feel like, as far as log organization goes, tags are all we need, but we need to have that at least, so we can find logs when we want. Categorical listings are good too, but I know those haven't been updated in a long time.

[ipwnturtles.livejournal.com]

As far as tags go, I've actually checked it off so that anyone can make new tags for when new NPCs and the like pop up. Which actually reminds me of something I've forgotten to mention here, shit.

Would everyone be okay with just changing over from memories to tags? I don't know if anyone saw, but with the last log I posted I just tagged it as "log:fluffy romance" and we can just continue on with tagging things like that, since that saves the trouble of having to add things to memories. (And then with logs with multiple tag categories for the log section, it'd just be listed as "log:misc happenings, log:misc pairings," etc).

As for organization, I can make up a table listing the categories, NPCs, and characters. Because I am just that anal.

[rsiasta.livejournal.com]

I also just thought of something...

What about having a page describing some of the locations around Central? Such as the park and things like that? This would also be useful in describing character specific locations, such as apartments, houses, and places that characters created.

For example on the last one, T!Ed's maze. Once I finish a plot with it, I want it open for anyone to use, so it doesn't just sit there useless. With a synopsis up, players will know what it looks like and all that, and if they can find a way for their characters to get there (depending on what the location is and within reason), their characters can visit it.

[shichahn.livejournal.com]

I like this idea and I see no reason not to just make it right now. XDD Maybe that's just me.

[ipwnturtles.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I kind of want to make it now too, but I'll wait for more opinions. ...I just really want to type up a description for the maze. ♥

This would also be good for any kind of restaurant, club, or work related places we happen to throw down for our characters too, now that I think about it.

[songless-psiren.livejournal.com]

Don't we have a map, somewhere? Someone could update that. I mean, a more detailed text description would be more helpful for specific locations, but a map would help. Like, château is here, Devil's Nest is here, Ren and Ed's apartment is here kind of thing. Also, we could upload more specific layouts, like Dar's lovely floorplan of the château~.

[shichahn.livejournal.com]

We do have a map. Trouble is I can't seem to find the unedited version of it, just the one I labeled, which isn't much use in terms of characters that are labeled on there that are no longer in the game. It's also nice and close in on Military HQ but doesn't have much in terms of outside the city, so anything in fields/woods/caves would be excluded. Overall I think this means I'll just have to redraw it entirely but I'm waiting to see if anyone at fm_a has an unedited copy I can use.

[ipwnturtles.livejournal.com]

...I had forgotten about that floorplan, oho~ What about including the map with the rest? That way, really only character specific or created locations have descriptions rather than just including more mundane places like the park (although I think there was a pond in the park, which might be worth mentioning).

[shichahn.livejournal.com]

Oh, okay, another thing that's come up in discussions previous is to whether there should be stricter rules on NPCs, especially out of fandom NPCs. Any thoughts? I generally feel like there's a time and place for them, such as extradimensional oddities like the Restaurant at the End of the Universe or the trippy events in the maze with David Bowie and Queen and Sam L and all that, but that outside of special events, randomly introducing characters from other shows, etc. just so you can play them is... generally not how things ought to work since this isn't a multi-fandom RP.

And another thing was the issue of what you can and can't do with the dimensions. For example, you can't just say that you want your character to be a rockstar in eighteen different dimensions and have fancy cars and liquor dropped at his doorstep extradimensionally and oh, by the way, he was a bird in a former life and can still fly. :D;; We'll have to work on defining the rules, but... seems like there should be some sort of constraints in place to prevent twinks / Mary Sues / Gary Stus, etc.

[songless-psiren.livejournal.com]

...I was going to say, I can't think of us actually having any problems along these lines, like, I couldn't think of any npc's from other fandoms outside of events, but then I was like, oh yeah, Sylar. Huh.

I don't remember having these problems either, but some rules for ridiculousness prevention might be in order. What's a twink?

[shichahn.livejournal.com]

A twink is, essentially, a character who can do those sorts of things I mentioned. Not necessarily a self-insert as the others imply, but someone who's much too powerful/awesome/etc. for absolutely no reason.

[platoapproved.livejournal.com]

This isn't exactly a rule-related thing, but I do think that some overarching plot movement might be good to tie together the different groups of characters. I know that this will be easier with more homunculi, and I'm going to do my best to recruit (everyone's more free over the summer, they will be more willing to give it a try).

Any ideas on plot-type things that could be done?

[shichahn.livejournal.com]

There is an overarching plot in the works that will be starting tomorrow. ♥ But I'm all for more plot. It's all very good. It seems like we often have overarching plots evolve organically out of character interaction, too.

[songless-psiren.livejournal.com]

Okay, this may or may not be the place for this, but I just wanted to ask, OMG WHO MADE THAT GORGEOUS BANNER ON OUR COMMUNITY INFO PAGE?! I heartily approve, it makes me fuzzy on the inside. Also, on the outside.

[shichahn.livejournal.com]

♥

[songless-psiren.livejournal.com]

WE KNEW IT. Chris and I, I mean. That had THE WORK OF THE PHOTOSHOP QUEEN scrawled all over it.

[ipwnturtles.livejournal.com]

I need to find the damned piece of coding to put the rest of those banners of yours up. TONIGHT'S PROJECT.