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What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - Printable Version

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RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - SaintEaon - 09-15-2015

(09-15-2015, 03:01 PM)Verad Wrote: Instead of all the hypotheticals, why not tell us what kind of answer you're looking for?

None in particular, I'm just interested in the discussion ^.^
Waiting for Blueprints to finish, thought it sounded interesting to talk about.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - C'kayah Polaali - 09-15-2015

Personally, I think that looking at RP in terms of "plots" is a mistake. RP should be a conversation. It should be collaborative. It should spring up organically based on the interactions of characters (including handwaved interactions that are discussed OOCly). Don't fret about the plot. Deal with your character, and the plots will take care of themselves.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - Warren Castille - 09-15-2015

"Plot" can sometimes mean "general one sentence description of the current arc/angle." It's more often than not just "these things are on the horizon, let's explore" as opposed to "And this is the scene where the heroes storm the warehouse but it's a trap, and the villain gets away after using a smoke bomb."

To wit, I know there's a kidnapping plot going on with absolutely no coordination between the parties involved beyond "Kidnap that person" and "Don't let this person get kidnapped." It's been exhilarating.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - SaintEaon - 09-15-2015

(09-15-2015, 03:07 PM)Setoh Aliapoh Wrote: Personally, I think that looking at RP in terms of "plots" is a mistake. RP should be a conversation. It should be collaborative. It should spring up organically based on the interactions of characters (including handwaved interactions that are discussed OOCly). Don't fret about the plot. Deal with your character, and the plots will take care of themselves.

I am in the same boat ^.^


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - C'kayah Polaali - 09-15-2015

(09-15-2015, 03:15 PM)SaintEaon Wrote:
(09-15-2015, 03:07 PM)Setoh Aliapoh Wrote: Personally, I think that looking at RP in terms of "plots" is a mistake. RP should be a conversation. It should be collaborative. It should spring up organically based on the interactions of characters (including handwaved interactions that are discussed OOCly). Don't fret about the plot. Deal with your character, and the plots will take care of themselves.

I am in the same boat ^.^

In that case, you've already got a good answer to your question: Play Raeaon as Raeaon. How would he respond in this situation? What would he do?


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - SaintEaon - 09-15-2015

(09-15-2015, 03:14 PM)Warren Castille Wrote: "Plot" can sometimes mean "general one sentence description of the current arc/angle." It's more often than not just "these things are on the horizon, let's explore" as opposed to "And this is the scene where the heroes storm the warehouse but it's a trap, and the villain gets away after using a smoke bomb."

To wit, I know there's a kidnapping plot going on with absolutely no coordination between the parties involved beyond "Kidnap that person" and "Don't let this person get kidnapped." It's been exhilarating.

Sorry to double post. I just wanted to say 100% Yes to that.

Arc and Angles guys, suppose you're not taking part of a plot. How do you handle your arcs? Is it the same way? 

I know when I did Rae when I made him I had some general idea of what I wanted him ideally to be like, but I made a character who would fit in the world who had to goal of "I want to be this when I grow up." and he worked to that but I didn't put any steps down and let RP flow.

Would you budge from developmental arcs if someone gave you reason to budge?


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - Warren Castille - 09-15-2015

As an Arcangle (I just wanted to write that to see autocorrect frown at me) kind of guy, I'm pretty minimum on planning. My involvement is usually sparked by someone suggesting an idea to me OOCly, though some have sprang up entirely through in-game conversation. Hell, Warren got to do a run in in someone else's climax because they needed someone of his sort.

In the end, it really just boils down to "This is my idea, Y/N?" If it fits, Y. If it doesn't, N.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - Ignacius - 09-15-2015

(09-15-2015, 03:17 PM)SaintEaon Wrote:
(09-15-2015, 03:14 PM)Warren Castille Wrote: "Plot" can sometimes mean "general one sentence description of the current arc/angle." It's more often than not just "these things are on the horizon, let's explore" as opposed to "And this is the scene where the heroes storm the warehouse but it's a trap, and the villain gets away after using a smoke bomb."

To wit, I know there's a kidnapping plot going on with absolutely no coordination between the parties involved beyond "Kidnap that person" and "Don't let this person get kidnapped." It's been exhilarating.

Sorry to double post. I just wanted to say 100% Yes to that.

Arc and Angles guys, suppose you're not taking part of a plot. How do you handle your arcs? Is it the same way? 

I know when I did Rae when I made him I had some general idea of what I wanted him ideally to be like, but I made a character who would fit in the world who had to goal of "I want to be this when I grow up." and he worked to that but I didn't put any steps down and let RP flow.

Would you budge from developmental arcs if someone gave you reason to budge?

It's about character.  You don't play the result, you play the character.  If someone else's character is what would derail yours, you derail, following the character.

The best laid plans of mice and men generally involve the boring process of tunneling.

The best RP evolves organically, from character interaction.  I try not to have "arcs" because arcs are just things coming to Earth.  I definitely started RPing before everyone was an aspiring novelist trying to co-opt everyone else's characters, but the best RP arises from character interaction.  You go where the RP takes you.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - Warren Castille - 09-15-2015

"Developmental arc" seems an oxymoron. If you're participating in RP, it's all potentially developmental.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - Diskwrite - 09-15-2015

I think, if this is something that would completely disrupt your and your RP partner's plans, then you should have a conversation with your RP partner about it. I get the "roll with it" idea entirely, but when this happens, its important to keep your RP partner(s) in the loop.

Thing is, your character has their story and their character(s) have theirs. But when you're working together, it's not just your story anymore. It's a collaboration! If something happens that would affect your RP partners' stories so thoroughly, you should include them in the conversation. UNLESS, you have established in conversations with them before, you know they like being surprised that way.

My RP partner and I love surprising each other with twists and turns, but if something came up that would completely change our plans, I'd talk to her about it. We'd figure out together how we wanted to handle it.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - Hammersmith - 09-15-2015

Yeah.  

I expect to roll with whatever happens to the char.

Otherwise it's a story on rails, not RP.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - SaintEaon - 09-15-2015

(09-15-2015, 03:41 PM)Diskwrite Wrote: I think, if this is something that would completely disrupt your and your RP partner's plans, then you should have a conversation with your RP partner about it. I get the "roll with it" idea entirely, but when this happens, its important to keep your RP partner(s) in the loop.

Thing is, your character has their story and their character(s) have theirs. But when you're working together, it's not just your story anymore. It's a collaboration! If something happens that would affect your RP partners' stories so thoroughly, you should include them in the conversation. UNLESS, you have established in conversations with them before, you know they like being surprised that way.

My RP partner and I love surprising each other with twists and turns, but if something came up that would completely change our plans, I'd talk to her about it. We'd figure out together how we wanted to handle it.

Well this is an interesting point because I think a significant number of people feel this way, but let me ask you this:

You've got an RPer you've shared months of in character development with. You decide to bring in a new character who's RP would make your old RP difficult. You two talk for a monthish, then start your new RP with your new RPer that affects your original RPer. About a week in the first guy comes back to you and says, "Well hey, this really effects my plot too, I understand its your characters but I should have been consulted. Even so I want to remain IC and avoid drama so do you mind if I join in the RP." You let your old friend join in your new "plot" with this new guy, and he drops an atomic bomb on the plot that you knew was coming but not your new partner. Suppose they disagree, new guy doesn't like old guy, but old guy's right you are affecting his character too. 

What do you as one of the points in this triangle and probably the most important point as you're the mutual link? Do you go with your old stand by because you have exponentially more history with that person or the new guy? What do you tell either of them? Do you write off your old RPs to line them up with the new guy even if that's not fair to the old? It raises a ton of questions that don't have good answers at all.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - Ignacius - 09-15-2015

(09-15-2015, 03:54 PM)SaintEaon Wrote:
(09-15-2015, 03:41 PM)Diskwrite Wrote: I think, if this is something that would completely disrupt your and your RP partner's plans, then you should have a conversation with your RP partner about it. I get the "roll with it" idea entirely, but when this happens, its important to keep your RP partner(s) in the loop.

Thing is, your character has their story and their character(s) have theirs. But when you're working together, it's not just your story anymore. It's a collaboration! If something happens that would affect your RP partners' stories so thoroughly, you should include them in the conversation. UNLESS, you have established in conversations with them before, you know they like being surprised that way.

My RP partner and I love surprising each other with twists and turns, but if something came up that would completely change our plans, I'd talk to her about it. We'd figure out together how we wanted to handle it.

Well this is an interesting point because I think a significant number of people feel this way, but let me ask you this:

You've got an RPer you've shared months of in character development with. You decide to bring in a new character who's RP would make your old RP difficult. You two talk for a monthish, then start your new RP with your new RPer that affects your original RPer. About a week in the first guy comes back to you and says, "Well hey, this really effects my plot too, I understand its your characters but I should have been consulted. Even so I want to remain IC and avoid drama so do you mind if I join in the RP." You let your old friend join in your new "plot" with this new guy, and he drops an atomic bomb on the plot that you knew was coming but not your new partner. Suppose they disagree, new guy doesn't like old guy, but old guy's right you are affecting his character too. 

What do you as one of the points in this triangle and probably the most important point as you're the mutual link? Do you go with your old stand by because you have exponentially more history with that person or the new guy? What do you tell either of them? Do you write off your old RPs to line them up with the new guy even if that's not fair to the old? It raises a ton of questions that don't have good answers at all.

What does it have to do with the other people?  It's what your character does that matters.  If it leads you away from your old RP partner and you want to continue, you can try to make an alt.  But characters have to do what characters have to do.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - Gegenji - 09-15-2015

(09-15-2015, 03:54 PM)SaintEaon Wrote: You let your old friend join in your new "plot" with this new guy, and he drops an atomic bomb on the plot that you knew was coming but not your new partner.

Right here would be the problem in the situation, I think. You know a bomb is coming, and you know it's a bomb, but the new friend was not let in on it. At the very least, if you have even the faintest inkling that it could cause problems, it might be a good idea to let them know. Communication, as always, is critical - and this right here is a lack of communication.


RE: What would it take to convince you to change a plot? - SaintEaon - 09-15-2015

(09-15-2015, 03:59 PM)Gegenji Wrote:
(09-15-2015, 03:54 PM)SaintEaon Wrote: You let your old friend join in your new "plot" with this new guy, and he drops an atomic bomb on the plot that you knew was coming but not your new partner.

Right here would be the problem in the situation, I think. You know a bomb is coming, and you know it's a bomb, but the new friend was not let in on it. At the very least, if you have even the faintest inkling that it could cause problems, it might be a good idea to let them know. Communication, as always, is critical - and this right here is a lack of communication.

That's a great point, but it still doesn't really address the issue either. Do you tell the guy dropping the bomb he can't do it even if its something his character has done in the past? What if the new guy refuses to go along with it. At this point because one person doesn't like the other, maybe because they didn't know about him or whatever, their OOC ideas of what the plot should be is effectively blocking out another character. As the mediator between the two how do you handle that?