discussion How do you RP the Main Plot?

[Charity322]

I was wondering how people used the main plot for RP, seeing as it's exactly the same for every char with no differences allowed for differing alignments etc. or different stories/outcomes.

 

Do you just do it OOC or do you work it into your RP somehow?

 

What do you do about inconsistencies, for example if you're RPing with someone who hasn't reached the same point as you and therefore things in the world are different for them?

 

Have you ever tried to do it with someone else in sync IC?

 

It seems a shame not to use it, but I can see where there would be difficulties.

[Warren Castille]

The Main Story Quests paint one specific person as the Chosen Special Super Ultra Most Important Hero, which isn't really conducive for roleplaying in the world for general purposes. As such, I think most people avoid claiming that they are the main character. There are some circles who do it, though! I think they handle it as a group, so instead of it being one specific Warrior of Light it's a more general "these are the people the Scions trust" kind of scenario.

 

I personally just acknowledge that the events and plot happens to the guy in all of the trailers, not me.

[Nero]

The Main Story is something that happens beyond the scope of my character. It's a far-off series of events that affect the world that the characters inhabit, but the characters aren't directly involved. Sort of like the Dwarves of Erebor being affected by Sauron's destruction but not directly participating in the battle for the Black Gate, if that makes sense.

[Flynn Bladebreaker]

For my character, he knows the events happen worldwide but he's not directly involved (unless it's forced, like the Calamity). I give it a few weeks before making any mention or reference to the latest story patch if it's really needed. 

 

As I'm playing, I try to imagine where would Flynn fit into this, in the background perhaps? There are opportunities I have avoided.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

I generally tend to say that the MSQ is happening, but not to my character(s). I usually don't incorporate anything from the most recent patch until another one has come in, sort of like the RPC spoiler policy. But at the same time time, Franz is probably only about as informed on most events as your average town person. Maybe adventurer/mercenary if it's something -big-.

 

Since he typically stays within 2.0 maps, news beyond Ishgard isn't likely to happen. He'd have no reason to worry about Primals or Azy Lla or such things, although one could say he stays updated on Garlean news because that is something that matters to him.

[FreelanceWizard]

In general, I assume that the main plot is happening, though not to my character. I tend to have her react and hear about things one patch after they've occurred, if they're the sort of things that people would know about (Azys Lla appearing, yes; the Antitower being accessed by the WoL, no; the political situation in Ishgard, yes, to some degree). The patch delay is to help prevent spoilers for people and to reflect that, while L'yhta is pretty well-connected through the Adventurers' Guild, truth travels slowly.

[Caspar]

Not much. The plot happens roughly in time with the update schedule though through vague placement and passage of RP time this varies. To avoid spoiling I don't discuss anything too significant, but generally even my minor NPCs are better conected than Virara and less indifferent to current events. None of them have any encounters with any major events or NPCs so far. The closest Virara herself has gotten is hearing rumors about a great warrior in the north who shook Ishgardian society, but she actually doesn't really believe half of what that person supposedly did and on a certain level wonders if they actually exist. Either way she is too focused on her own goals to notice the huge changes happening in the world, thus event Npcs I write may have current event relevant conversation she ignores or shows mild curiosity towards, but no substantial investment. I find it helps keep the RP anchored in a place and time. Even so this is usually surface level stuff. Things like opening borders, rumors of Garlean activity, big public events, Eorzean Holidays, etc.

 

Major NPCs I make are mostly influenced by big setting changes and not necessarily anything specific from the MSQ. A few minor NPCs who had a reason to be there witnessed large scale battles at a safe distance.

[Zelmanov]

Orrin originally had the comfort of being an Ishgardian Dragoon and thus far far away from the warpath of the Warrior of Light. But once all that came home to Ishgard, I seriously played up the "Life still has to go on" and the "You're skills are needed elsewhere" trope to explain why Orrin would never have run into the WOL. He's always out on assignment.

 

I also lean heavily on the fact that Orrin is military and not some random adventurer, he has duties, patrols, obligations that stop him from flights of fancy beyond wooing bar wenches when on shore leave.

 

As for the passage of time, I tend to give 2-3 weeks grace period after a story drop for people to do stuff before I transport Orrin to the "present" and start to RP freely the events as already passed

[Coatleque]

I echo the sentiments of most others. My character(s) are aware of the general plot points going on in the MSQ, but are not directly involved. I don't even bring said events up in the normal course of dialogue myself - I leave that to others and will respond accordingly.

[Nebbs]

Stuff happens, like the big moon that fell down and hatched an angry dragon! But they are are out there with other stuff that happens. For my character all that stuff is places to be explored and adventures to be had, not the following of another's steps or even an idle bystander.

 

So when I am doing the MSQ it never happens to her, and often I add in my own stranger story.

 

Also tbh the hero in the MSQ feels like they do nothing but stand by like some powerless numpty.

[Mia Moui]

I mostly ignore it except for things that happened to the world like the Calamity and incursions by the Garlean Empire.  Mia's entire extended family except for three younger sisters were killed during Bahamut's rage.  They only survived because they had been sold into servitude to the Coeurlclaw to settle a debt and was not in their village.

 

I take almost all the MSQ and try to bend, shape, warp the story to fit my adventure.  Things that don't apply I completely ignore.  I've had more success fitting the side quests into my stories which tend to follow a structure similar to the classic TV series, The Incredible Hulk.  A loner comes to town looking for work, they find trouble or trouble finds them, fight, resolution, move on.

 

In RP, she's not well educated but well traveled.  She might not know the proper name for things or events but she knows of the events themselves.  If asked about the more "video game" events of the realm, she will claim ignorance or be skeptical of the claim.  But I try to be as patient and respectable as I can be.  If a person claims to be THE Warrior of Light, she'll just nod her head, as she's probably not heard of any such thing.

 

tl;dr no

[Kilieit]

As a completely separate alternative universe. The version of my characters you meet on Balmung are not the Warriors of Light.

 

But I do RP an AU with my levelling partner and their character, Shirogawa, where they are. We're already in a transformative mindset since we're putting that there are 2 "Warriors of Light", not 1, plus an additional unit of 7 other adventurer-scions who regularly support them. So we're already making changes to events and saying they happened slightly differently even if the ultimate outcome was the same - and editing dialogue to include things unique to our characters, like this [sohm Al spoilers]. It's not that big of a leap to make other changes too.

 

It helps matters that Aghurlal's capriciousness is balanced out by Shirogawa's diplomatic heart, so usually they balance each other out. Together, most of the time, they come to more or less the same actions and words that the canon "Warrior of Light" does (if with approximately 20 minutes more of discussing between themselves than is portrayed in the game lol).

 

You'll note from that journal entry that I also had to write a lot of NPC dialogue that isn't included in the canon game... including one's OC with anything like a personality inherently means changing the canon, which is half of why I immediately knew I didn't want to RP in public as being "the Warrior of Light" (the other half being that it wouldn't be fair to others, at all, to have my character being Hydaelyn's supposedly singular Chosen).

 

So as far as how I handle it when I meet others, the answer is I don't. It's a separate universe altogether where my character is the Warrior of Light, and the one where he's meeting people in the streets of Limsa is a universe where the most special thing he's done is get #rekt by Ifrit.

 

Doing MSQ ICly is still fun, though, even if it's largely a personal && private RP. Would recommend if you ever have a character who's heroically inclined, a friend to level with, and the right mindset to keep two separate versions of the same character.

[Kibu]

The way I've been looking at it is that my kid isn't the Ultra Special Uber One True Hero, but I do like the idea of him getting pulled in to work for/with the Scions and suchlike. It's something that I keep re-evaluating as I get farther into the main quest and get to see more of what's going on. For me, at least, it's hard to figure out an exact take on it until I know the whole story. So I'm kind of... vague... about it so far. But I really don't think there's a "right" or "wrong" way to do it, either!

[Mae]

Hi, I'm Mae and I RP MSQ.

 

Actually, I'm in a linkshell that RP's MSQ as a group. Not that there's many of us, to be honest -- MSQ RP is probably just a -bit- more stressful than regular RP, so it certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea. The rate of overall progression, RP-wise, can be grating, but for those who have the mindset for it it's fairly satisfying.

 

Warren wasn't too far off the mark with (at least with the group I'm in) how we handle the Warrior of Light status. It's a group thing, so we're all Warriors of Light -- which is something that anyone can arise to if they had a vision of Hydaelyn talking to them and heeded her call (AKA, the level 5 MSQ CS where we -do- see more than just the MC buzzing around the crystal) which pretty much goes hand in hand with having the Echo in some capacity (our group's take on the Echo is that if you had a vision of Hydaelyn, you have the Echo/Hydaelyn's Blessing), and are willing to find a reason to work with the Scions. 

 

And... that's it. That's all it takes to be a Warrior of Light with my group. It is -mostly- a title that most of us ICly actually hate/have grown to hate. The only real 'superpower' we have is that we can't get thralled by Primals and we have the extraordinary bad luck of being dragged into the worst situations possible with just enough good luck that we don't all get slaughtered. We get hurt, sick, injured, accumulate greenwrath/woodsin, and we've had characters die and stay dead; we're not invincible juggernauts.

 

What do you do about inconsistencies, for example if you're RPing with someone who hasn't reached the same point as you and therefore things in the world are different for them?

 

Our MSQ related RP is handled 100% in-linkshell. This is done partially as a courtesy for the rest of the community, so that our MSQ RP doesn't bump elbows with another person's/group's MSQ RP, or their lack thereof. But it's mostly done for the sake of keeping our group all on the same page -- if you're in the linkshell, then you've agreed to RP as if we're all on the same point. Outside of MSQ RP, members have a choice on how to handle stuff in Open World RP/other groups; they can just keep the MSQ-based stuff quiet/secret, opt to be different versions of their character in Open World versus MSQ RP, or any other solutions they come up with. I personally don't RP much outside of the linkshell because, while I love my characters, most of them just don't do well in Open World RP (and I'm okay with this, no-one needs to come and try and save me from isolation).

 

Inside the linkshell, we have scheduled days that we put time aside specifically to progress MSQ or other major events where we all need to be on the same page. Rest of the week, everyone is free to RP as they wish as long as they don't progress MSQ-related events past where our Pacekeeper is.

 

So, the "Pacekeeper". This is a specific character that a player has agreed/dedicated to only progress MSQ-wise during our MSQ-scheduled days. This allows people who wish to progress OOCly faster to do so -- the Pacekeeper transcribes quest and relevant cutscene dialogue from NPC's into the linkshell for everyone to see and potentially respond to, and also makes any necessary adjustments to the dialogue to turn it from a one-person experience to a group one. And, where appropriate, creates original NPC dialogue. 

 

The Pacekeeper also sets the bar to what has already occurred in our group's timeline. Prior to HW, this meant that until a newcomer caught up OOCly to that minimum point, they had to be okay with not physically being able to go into/be considered for going into various duties but still RP them as happening/having happened. The way HW is gated is a potential problem for anyone who hasn't gotten 2.55 completed... we just haven't had a need to find a solution yet.

 

... This all sounds horribly complex. I know. In actual practice, though, it's much simpler. One of those things that's easier to show than explain.

 

We also operate on the assumption that we're not the only ones doing things. The assaults on the Castrums, for example, weren't done by a single group of eight; it was a small army that went in with various units that came together or moved apart as situations needed. Same with other raids and duties, and even some quests; just because Alphie or Minfi sent us out to do a mission, doesn't mean they didn't send out a second team to try to accomplish the same thing from a different angle.

 

In the end, MSQ RP is something that can be very OOC-planning heavy, somewhat frustrating, sometimes like herding cats, it's easy to burn out on in short time, not... well received... in Open RP, and IC progression can also be slow as hell. But if you have a like-minded group, it can be enjoyable enough that all the OOC mud doesn't matter. So go ahead and try it if it sounds interesting to you.

[U'roh Tia]

It depends, I'm all for using it as plot points for a RP. For some people wanting to be alongside the heroes is half of the fun of RP. There's no harm in it! For this I do agree with Warren and Mae, I feel that multiple warrior's of light make sense.

 

I.E how many adventurers are being allowed into Ishgard now and allowing new job opportunities for Roh here. ICly I did have Roh sign up for the Braves and offer his services aiding them in their pursuits. I Rp that he has heard of the Scions and even looks up to them as heroes of the realm, he's even jealous of the Warriors of Light's achievements. 

 

My other RP character is a Rean Shinobi who is among the Refugees working with them. I'm still fleshing her out but she adventuring to aid those she pledged to!

 

(edited: Forgot a word in my half asleep stupor.)

[Charity322]

Interesting responses.

 

I admit that having 100s of Warriors of Light running around everywhere does kind of stretch credulity. I do like the idea though of being able to join the Scions and fight against the Primal threat, whether you're the WoL or not. It also makes fighting Primals in dungeons etc. make sense and for an adventuring char it does let you make a difference in the world and justify why you didn't just stay at home. So I guess I could just take pieces of the main plot and leave out the chosen one stuff.

 

One thing I found frustrating about the main plot was the lack of ability to choose how your char would react to situations.

 

PLOT SPOILER

 

 

For example, after the first time you fight Ifrit and you're back at the Sands and Thancred casually tells you, oh by the way everyone you fought with and fought Ifrit to save are now going to be executed because they were tempered, well cya next time. DX

 

My char (and me) was really pissed off about that. No chance to argue for their lives? No chance to try and find something that could save them? Just write them off as collateral damage? Maybe there wasn't anything that could have been done, but at least give me the chance to react to it IC. At that point I really could have used the ability to at least go and rant about it to someone and get some RP out of it, rather than feeling as if I was supposed to just go meh, what's next?

 

[Guns Blazing]

Interesting responses.

 

 I do like the idea though of being able to join the Scions and fight against the Primal threat, whether you're the WoL or not. It also makes fighting Primals in dungeons etc. make sense and for an adventuring char it does let you make a difference in the world and justify why you didn't just stay at home. So I guess I could just take pieces of the main plot and leave out the chosen one stuff.

 

Well, you can still fight Primals as a random Joe-Shcmoe! The Flames, according to lore, have fought and defeated Ifrit numerous times, actually! They just throw large numbers at him, and take casualties. He can't just temper everything, and he has to consciously do that, so they're able to beat him with overwhelming force. You can also have the Echo, which makes you immune to tempering, anyways! The Echo is not reserved solely for the warrior of light. In fact, according to the lore, a LOT of people have it. Many of the pepople who both survived and witnessed the Battle of Silvertear Skies awoke with the echo, that's when it first started appearing. From then on, many others awoke with it, including every player character in the 1.0 storyline, since that story was less about a special snowflake super hero Warrior of Light, and instead about the Warriors of light, pluralized. They were abundant (and less strong than the current superhero WoL), but not anywhere near as abundant as people with the Echo. It's still RARE, but it's not locked out of player lore. You could have it, justifiably, and thus could fight primals without being tempered.

[Warren Castille]

Adding to that: Part of the 1.0 storyline was Minfillia working to try and get a hold of as many Echo-bearing people as she could. She founded an entire organization (The Path of the Twelve) dedicated to studying and learning and utilizing the gift, and a very many people were found. Most if not all of them went to Carteneau, where not all of them survived or made it out, and it's presumed the others stuck around in the rebuild and/or landed in the world of 2.0 after the timeskip.

 

Those folks are the ones who end up helping to staff at Waking Sands, and there's an event in the MSQ that deals with what becomes of them.

 

You can certainly have the Echo without being the Warrior of Light or even affiliated with them, though: There's no guarantee Minfy found everyone, after all.

[Val]

Interesting responses.

 

 I do like the idea though of being able to join the Scions and fight against the Primal threat, whether you're the WoL or not. It also makes fighting Primals in dungeons etc. make sense and for an adventuring char it does let you make a difference in the world and justify why you didn't just stay at home. So I guess I could just take pieces of the main plot and leave out the chosen one stuff.

 

From then on, many others awoke with it, including every player character in the 1.0 storyline, since that story was less about a special snowflake super hero Warrior of Light, and instead about the Warriors of light, pluralized. They were abundant (and less strong than the current superhero WoL), but not anywhere near as abundant as people with the Echo. It's still RARE, but it's not locked out of player lore. You could have it, justifiably, and thus could fight primals without being tempered.

 

This is really just a plot device that SE uses to justify a bunch of people playing the game at the same time. It is massively inconsistent with the actual main story, as there is only one Warrior of Light and suddenly multiple when there needs to be a raid or something done. 

 

As with most, I just avoid doing the whole main scenario altogether. Val (and most of my characters) are just dudes trying to live life. I find it to be a lot more fun that way than to try RPing special snowflake #15180410 with Drakenfang, his indestructible bastard sword and his bow that always hits its target.

[Askier]

Main plot doesn't affect me or my characters directly. At all.

 

Now when some people I C mentioned Sultana's death I reacted IC accordingly.  Large sweeping events like Ishgard opening are acknowledged.

 

As for specifics,  my characters no nothing of Scions, heroes of light, or basically anything from the plot. And I'm happy to keep it that way.  Most people have nothing to do with the main plot when you think about it and if anyone ever showed up and tried to make Hojo believe them about the main plot stuff, he'd probably walk away.

[Warren Castille]

We can't say one way or the other what's just "fluff" and what's intended canon or content: There ARE a bunch of people zooming around the crystal in the opening CS, and it is pretty implausible that the entire population of Echo users are round up and disposed of in the MSQ.

 

I do think it's a bit random when you're "alone" and when you're in an actual group. The lead-in to CM and Prae tell you to bring people you trust, but then you get random shit like Garuda or Ravana where you just sprout 7 buddies to help you. Then it just becomes weird.

[Guns Blazing]

 

 

 

This is really just a plot device that SE uses to justify a bunch of people playing the game at the same time. It is massively inconsistent with the actual main story, as there is only one Warrior of Light and suddenly multiple when there needs to be a raid or something done. 

 

 

No, no. That's the 2.0 story that you're comparing to the entirety of the lore. The lore in 1.0 actually encompassed the fact that there were a LOT of warriors of light, there wasn't just one. The story actually went into that. They all vanished during the calamity, and now we just have one super powered snowflake who can fight anything and come out unscathed. Nobody remembers the 1.0 warriors of light, the calamity caused people to forget about them. It was a cheap retcon, one of many.

[Val]

 

 

 

This is really just a plot device that SE uses to justify a bunch of people playing the game at the same time. It is massively inconsistent with the actual main story, as there is only one Warrior of Light and suddenly multiple when there needs to be a raid or something done. 

 

 

It was a cheap retcon, one of many.

 

I can't really say I blame them considering the state of the game at that point. Cheap retcon, but it worked  sorta.

[Valence]

There take is more like the guys in your party are adventurers the WoL (you) hires or go with. It was never stated they are WoL too. That's also where it starts to be schizophrenic since other players think they are also the WoL and you the adventurer sidekick hired for one dire adventure.

 

But that's no different than the 1.0 take where every player is A Warrior of Light Among Many. You still get to defeat powerful enemies and achieve deeds that only one person has done. You. Not the other WoL. And yet, they themselves see the exact opposite thing.

 

Trying to find any logical explanation behind a story that should be played solo and was designed as a solo play and is totally detached from the actual average joe lore... sounds totally silly to me.

[Yssen]

It really isn't a retcon at all. It is just a shifting concept. It works like this. There are people with the Echo. There are the people with the Echo that Louisoix teleported through the time skip at the end of 1.0, they are called the Warriors of Light because no one can remember what them and such. Then there is THE Warrior of Light, the guy or gal running around doing all the main scenario stuff. The Warrior of Light does not have to have even have to have been at Carteneau/ time skipped as far as the MSQ is concerned. TWoL is a stand in for your character as you progress your way through the story. They did not get rid of all the Echo users and other WoLs, they are still running around. One shifts the concept as one sees fit. Your story can be the TWoLs, a WoLs, an Echo users, or none of those at all.

 

As far as the subject at hand, I don't really adapt the main plot whole cloth for my character personally. It is certainly going on, and the things and stuff in it happen. For example, Yssen knows he has the Echo, he knows there is a group out there using people who have the Echo to do stuff. Yssen doesn't like being used. He also thought the whole "Crystal Braves" thing was a terrible idea and was not surprised when it became corrupted to someone else's personal ends. Stuff like that. Yar.