(03-12-2015, 11:14 PM)Maia Wrote:(03-12-2015, 09:31 PM)Knight Kat Wrote: So, this following question is not only aimed at Verad, but anyone who also shares this opinion. I ask because this legitimately concerns me.
How does one truly run an FC where the OOC leader's character is not the IC leader? Or, where the IC leading character has no OOC authority?
Maybe I misunderstood here, but I am thinking about this, and I can't see an answer. For example, if I am an OOC leader, and Kiht is not IC leader, I will still have to closely coordinate and manage with whoever is the IC leader. This will give the person who plays the IC leader a sort of position of authority on an OOC level as well. How can the two be separated in a way that make the FC still function?
How my FC is currently run is Kiht and Khloe co-lead the FC together. But we are also co-leaders on an OOC level. In the instance we ever dead-lock on a decision, we would bring in a senior member as a tie-breaker, or call for an FC vote.
It has worked well so far, but the FC is just over two months old, and still small.
I had the same wonder/concern, Kiht, but after I reviewed it with others, I think the idea being presented is more an aversion to the "egocult" that stems from one person having too much IC + OoC power. But Verad also mentioned that while this is a tendency he's seen often, it isn't universally true. There're just some bad eggs out there who have made an unfortunate stereotype of running things both IC and OoC for their own benefit, as opposed to the benefit of the Guild.
But I feel that in our instance, (assuming that we are similar?) we utilize the IC authority as a vehicle to bring power and entertainment to everyone else, as opposed to relegating others to the status of NPC while your character is clearly the Main Hero.
I use Maia to conduct and run one RP event per week, to post IC information and bulletins on our bulletin board, to delegate tasks to others via personalized IC Moogle Mail, and to coordinate and run our monthly public event. It's a lot of OoC work, and I can't imagine another person in the LS taking up the mantle and doing all of that over a concept that isn't even their own, haha. Sometimes it even feels like she's just "leader NPC" rather than an actual character, just because I use her to instigate interesting things for others more than explore her personal whatever. On top of that, she was initially elected quite unwittingly and without any prompting from me OoCly or ICly - I was oddly surprised at the time.
I could be totally off the mark, but that's what I've come to understand after some thought and discussion on my end of things.
Our situations are so similar that they are nearly identical.
In my FC, Kiht is really Matron NPC 90% of the time. I use her to push things along, and make RP happen. I've been doing this nearly a year, so while I still consider myself new, I have to say being an FC leader is a lot of work OOC and IC.
The only satisfaction I get from it is helping to create RP. I get tired of watching plots and stories just crumble or stagnate. Kiht gets a lot more spotlight and development outside of my FC's plots and RP. So, if I didn't care about my FC and the people in it so much, I wouldn't be doing this.
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On the topic at hand, I would say the two things I wouldn't like in an FC are:
1: Isolationist RP. If they spend almost all their time in some house, and rarely interact with the community or other groups, I strongly disapprove. The community needs more interconnection.
I'm constantly seeing things like Ishgard characters OOCly looking for other Ishgard characters that they can't seem to find. Really? I know of way too many Ishgard characters now. How can you not find each other?!
2: RP that is too casual all the time. I understand that tavern and tea-time RP has an important place, and I do enjoy it. However, I play FF14 for the -adventure-. The main group talked about so much in this game are "Adventurers". Why are there not that many adventure plots?
I crave this like a madly starved person. An FC that doesn't do it would have to RP out a funeral for Kiht since she would die of boredom. There is a reason I made her a scout.
