Any antagonist you cook up only ever has as much power and influence as other players allow them to have.
This simple, time-immemorial fact is what should keep any MMO DM / plot-maker humble. This isn't your table where you have absolute control; this is an online space where respect is highly tenuous and optional. People will rightly call out "bad things happened because you were inattentive or away or traveling" and go get better RP elsewhere.
Players who decide to become involved in your plot tend to engage better if their characters have a personal stake, such as the antagonist being someone from their backstory or possessing an item they want. Because XIV is a themepark and not a Log Horizon / Ultima Online-style lived-in world with death and territory ownership, consensus requires a lot more negotiation.
This simple, time-immemorial fact is what should keep any MMO DM / plot-maker humble. This isn't your table where you have absolute control; this is an online space where respect is highly tenuous and optional. People will rightly call out "bad things happened because you were inattentive or away or traveling" and go get better RP elsewhere.
Players who decide to become involved in your plot tend to engage better if their characters have a personal stake, such as the antagonist being someone from their backstory or possessing an item they want. Because XIV is a themepark and not a Log Horizon / Ultima Online-style lived-in world with death and territory ownership, consensus requires a lot more negotiation.
![[Image: Pi2KNMr.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/Pi2KNMr.jpg)
