Warning: High Speed Opinions Inbound.
The following is what has worked for me.
30 people
Your headcount is already too high. When you end up with an FC with a lot of characters in it you end up with redundant concepts, redundant races, 10 people playing the same IC class and all feeling like copies, etc. This is not taking into account the people who inevitably may slip past your app process (Assuming you have one. If you don't then there's another tip) and be troublemakers.
Here's how I think about it. Your characters and all the others in your FC are in an ongoing story. However, each story can only feature so many characters. How do you plan to get to all these people? Unless your playerbase is very self starting and self motivating (most will never be, they sort of expect RP handed to them on a platter it's infuriating) you are going to run ragged and die trying to generate RP for all these people. Just....don't do it. Take it from someone who tried and someone who's been around long enough to watch others try and burn out into crisps.
That and if you were to ever run FC plots or personal plot events or anything like that how in the world do you plan to organize that with that many people? We have a general cap of about 16 people in large events and even when it gets that high we will narratively find a way to split groups else combat takes 10 years.
FC Direction
I'm of the mind that organic RP makes the direction of the company. If everyone in yours is acting like it's an inn and tavern....well then hell. Open an inn and tavern. Don't take these people acting like square pegs and start shoving them into round holes.
From there, you can run events that suit the framework. It's an inn. Ok, maybe a room is haunted now. Maybe there was a murder in Room 23. Maybe...I don't know, anything. Literally anything can be interesting because the people poking at it don't know what's going on.
If your issue is you wanted one thing and ended up with another then you'll honestly have to start from scratch. That probably isn't great to hear but honestly it'll be easier doing what you want with a clean slate tha it will be trying to force and wrangle people just because you feel like you need a member count. Some RP FC's get this weird thing where they're like WE HAVE SO MANY MEMBERS ISN'T IT GREAT?
No. No it's not.
Officers
These people will make themselves known. Honestly, you don't pick them. You spot them. You know that guy who is always around RPing with everyone? You know that one guy who always seems to have a neat idea for things and might be the only one trying to host events and it's a major weight off your shoulders when he does? You know that guy who, for the past few months, has really had their character step up ICly to run stuff in the company and taking things on?
These are your officers. No, they might not be who you wanted or who you expected. But do you get along with them? Are you friends? Do you like RPing with them? Then there ya go. Their self starting and positive attitudes trickle down and you'll find yourself with a more motivated playerbase.
Honestly, OP? From what you've described I'd close up house and take a month out and recharge my batteries and come back with a fresh concept you feel really motivated to do and have a zillion ideas for popping out of your head. Start small, be picky. Don't just take people to take bodies. The second you do that you've sabotaged yourself.
/salute Good luck.
The following is what has worked for me.
30 people
Your headcount is already too high. When you end up with an FC with a lot of characters in it you end up with redundant concepts, redundant races, 10 people playing the same IC class and all feeling like copies, etc. This is not taking into account the people who inevitably may slip past your app process (Assuming you have one. If you don't then there's another tip) and be troublemakers.
Here's how I think about it. Your characters and all the others in your FC are in an ongoing story. However, each story can only feature so many characters. How do you plan to get to all these people? Unless your playerbase is very self starting and self motivating (most will never be, they sort of expect RP handed to them on a platter it's infuriating) you are going to run ragged and die trying to generate RP for all these people. Just....don't do it. Take it from someone who tried and someone who's been around long enough to watch others try and burn out into crisps.
That and if you were to ever run FC plots or personal plot events or anything like that how in the world do you plan to organize that with that many people? We have a general cap of about 16 people in large events and even when it gets that high we will narratively find a way to split groups else combat takes 10 years.
FC Direction
I'm of the mind that organic RP makes the direction of the company. If everyone in yours is acting like it's an inn and tavern....well then hell. Open an inn and tavern. Don't take these people acting like square pegs and start shoving them into round holes.
From there, you can run events that suit the framework. It's an inn. Ok, maybe a room is haunted now. Maybe there was a murder in Room 23. Maybe...I don't know, anything. Literally anything can be interesting because the people poking at it don't know what's going on.
If your issue is you wanted one thing and ended up with another then you'll honestly have to start from scratch. That probably isn't great to hear but honestly it'll be easier doing what you want with a clean slate tha it will be trying to force and wrangle people just because you feel like you need a member count. Some RP FC's get this weird thing where they're like WE HAVE SO MANY MEMBERS ISN'T IT GREAT?
No. No it's not.
Officers
These people will make themselves known. Honestly, you don't pick them. You spot them. You know that guy who is always around RPing with everyone? You know that one guy who always seems to have a neat idea for things and might be the only one trying to host events and it's a major weight off your shoulders when he does? You know that guy who, for the past few months, has really had their character step up ICly to run stuff in the company and taking things on?
These are your officers. No, they might not be who you wanted or who you expected. But do you get along with them? Are you friends? Do you like RPing with them? Then there ya go. Their self starting and positive attitudes trickle down and you'll find yourself with a more motivated playerbase.
Honestly, OP? From what you've described I'd close up house and take a month out and recharge my batteries and come back with a fresh concept you feel really motivated to do and have a zillion ideas for popping out of your head. Start small, be picky. Don't just take people to take bodies. The second you do that you've sabotaged yourself.
/salute Good luck.
![[Image: utfF6OQ.gif]](http://i.imgur.com/utfF6OQ.gif)
