A little while ago, we had some of our writers put pen to paper to write a few words about engaging with plot. This is the first one, by Dave Young who you may remember from such excellent pieces as “Big Red Buttons”. He’s called it “How to get involved in plot.”
So, I wrote a facebook post about plot levers… which probably already needs updating with things like the plenepotenary, but anyway. I thought it was worth writing a follow up. Mainly, because I keep reading in facebook that people didn’t “get” any plot. Not get involved in, or interact with, but to get or own plot.
We actually have a fairly small plot team at Empire. The brief for plot writers is too write a plots that get players interested and interacting with each other, hopefully creating conflict and therefore giving plays a reason to roleplay with each other. Now, each plot writer has a different style and different things they like doing – so the comments in this post are about my writing mainly. Other writers may agree or disagree.
So, most plot has an appeal to different groups and is planned to have multiple different outcomes depending on the way that that the plot is taken. Quite often plots will go to people with positions of power as the starting point, or from groups based in the area, or even look for an archetype. Especially with visions from Eternals then maybe all night mages in the Brass-coast might get a vision. The key thing to remember is that this is not “your plot”. We have not reserved it for you, we have just given you an in to the plot line – you still need to go and interact with the plotline and the NPCs in it.
The key way we run in plot is through NPCs however. The majority of NPC roles are not looking for a specific person. If they were, then the plot would mess up if that character dies or the player missed an event. They are just looking for people to interact with. This is where reputation comes in – having a “hat” helps, but so does having an IC reputation . What generally happens is that the NPC walks in and says I am looking for some who can help.. and they often get directed by players to a person of responsibility or someone with a reputation.
Sometimes, plot will go to a specific person or player. This is because the player has done something that has got the attention of the plot writer. I don’t mean that they are down the pub with them and they’re their mate, but they have done something cool. At the point that something cool has happened then they are linked to it. Plot writers read the messages that players send by winged messenger, they read the synod judgements, the senate motions and the conclave declarations. They also read character background and group backgrounds. Now, this stuff doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed plot or even to be involved in it. But if the plot writer is inspired by something then your character already has a hook.
Okay, so the advice part of this.
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Be active. Speak to players and NPCs and get involved in your tent. If you sit in a tent and don’t speak to people you are unlikely to get plot.
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Gain an IC reputation. Do it by getting a title, or running a bar, or just having a reputation for being known for stuff. You can also besmirch other people’s reputations so you are seen as a better authority.
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Hang out with the right people. If you want to be involved in a certain thing, then finding the IC title associated with it, or meet the people in your nation who have a reputation for it. There is a good chance that plot will go their way.
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Be specific in your Writing. This is key. You can write IC letters to eternals and NPCs. If you say, I want to meet up next event the plot team cannot brief the NPC so the encounter is unlikely to happen. If your letter is too long or waflly then there will be too much to remember. The key one is to let the NPC know what you want to talk about – so the plot team can brief them.
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Do something big. It is totally possible to get an encounter with any NPC if your gesture is big enough. If you want to have a meeting with the Jarmish, then repeated letters to a Jarmish NPC might get you a reply. IF you make a declaration in Synod that it is WISE to have closer dealings with the Jarmish and get this through your national and virtue assemblies then follow it up with a letter saying you’ve done it and what you want then why wouldn’t they come and speak to you? If you – want to speak to a herald of Kimas, then you could ask the arch mage to use their plenipotenary power. But if they refuse you could get massive statue of kimas built on the coast and then pass a status in concalve offering it to Kimas. Doing something Big (empire wide) will get people’s attentions
The major thing to realise, is that the people who generally have plot are other players. There is a lot of plot information out there, and a lot of it is with different groups of people over the field.
I have no idea how helpful this is, but the key thing to remember is that there is plot on the field. A lot of the plot is with players not NPCs. This is not a computer game with set NPCs waiting around I the field to give you a quest or a clue. Go and be proactive, do stuff and the game world will respond.