I feel like you guys did an absolutely wonderful and admirable job transferring the game over to Dreamwidth. Honestly, I don't even feel like we have moved. It went so smoothly, and during such a sensitive point in our IC routine (new feather cycle!), that you should be held up as examples of how to just...be mods. How to make all the behind-the-scenes machinery run smoothly and stay oiled and working and stuff. Seriously. Well done.
Now, Luceti has been continuing for a while, and it has evolved from what it was, from what I understand. We see a slowly evolving plot happening with the Malnosso, and that's good. I think the trouble is that when plot really seems to happen, when things change in the game, we and our characters are only observers. All of these major events, few and far between as they are, are facilitated by mod PCs. Player characters don't really have any opening or opportunity to affect what goes down, and that could be a really cool way to evolve the game. Instead of the player characters being spectators to an unfolding game of intrigue happening in the higher levels of the Malnosso, muns with enough creativity could think of ways to progress both the knowledge and power of Luceti's residents.
Take, just as an example, any sailor-types at all with navigational know-how. At the very least, they could stand on the beach and plot Luceti's latitude and longitude with a homemade tool used to measure the angle of the sun and/or moon against the horizon or each other. They could also do this with any draft location where they can see a horizon (for example, the farmlands, which are flat plains). This doesn't necessarily help facilitate an escape, but it gives them the ability to devise some rough imagery of where everything is in this world, how close to home the fighting is, things like that. Now, that's just an example—I know there are IC reasons this in particular isn't able to work.
I think what worries me is that if a player comes up with something like that which could, possibly, be kind of a big deal in changing the residents' perception of the world, or even maybe cause mod PC intervention, the plan would automatically get shot down because “the Malnosso are too smart to let that happen.” This isn't necessarily what happens all the time! But it's a worry I have nonetheless. I know there are multiple organized rebellions going on, and none of them have to succeed, but they're being done very intelligently and if even one of them was able to make the Malnosso, say, punish the ringleaders as an example to others? That would be pretty awesome. My worry is that such a thing would get crushed so early on that it wouldn't even make ripple in the water when it sank, when I feel like creativity and planning should be rewarded.
I know the Malnosso are not monsters. This is being made clearer and clearer. But, considering how hard it is for a villain to really be threatening in this setting, could the “good guy” stance of the Malnosso (or at least these ones in particular) be going a little too far? Stories can't exist without conflict, and initially, it seemed like the conflict was going to be provided by the Malnosso. The more clear it becomes that they're on the side of the angels (rogue faction aside), though, the less conflict there is with them, until Luceti's citizens come across as being bratty or petulant and ungrateful—not very good-guyish traits—for protesting the Malnosso at all. The Malnosso fight most of the war with the Third Party for the residents and even devote themselves to getting everyone home. How selfish are the residents for calling them monsters?
Maybe they're lying to the residents and they actually started the war with the Third Party. That would be pretty awesome! But for all we know, part of the “slow unveiling” of this plot is that the Malnosso really are the good guys and we have nothing to complain about. That actually worries me, since like I said, it feels like we must be watching a movie about the story of Luceti instead of taking part in it ourselves.
So basically, I'm wondering how things can be shaken up a little. So many of our characters are action-oriented. Heroes. Good guys who need a cause to fight for. It's really hard to do that right now in Luceti when there's hardly any problems to fight against (the worst thing the Malnosso did last year was give lame Christmas presents) and even creative attempts to shake things up aren't often met with a receptive mindset. I don't want Luceti to turn into a dark game or anything. I love Luceti's premise and I wouldn't want to change what it is. It's just...maybe it's time to twist the plot a little. You guys are have always managed a balance and given an “out” for people who weren't crazed about an event. I certainly trust you to handle something like this.
no subject
Now, Luceti has been continuing for a while, and it has evolved from what it was, from what I understand. We see a slowly evolving plot happening with the Malnosso, and that's good. I think the trouble is that when plot really seems to happen, when things change in the game, we and our characters are only observers. All of these major events, few and far between as they are, are facilitated by mod PCs. Player characters don't really have any opening or opportunity to affect what goes down, and that could be a really cool way to evolve the game. Instead of the player characters being spectators to an unfolding game of intrigue happening in the higher levels of the Malnosso, muns with enough creativity could think of ways to progress both the knowledge and power of Luceti's residents.
Take, just as an example, any sailor-types at all with navigational know-how. At the very least, they could stand on the beach and plot Luceti's latitude and longitude with a homemade tool used to measure the angle of the sun and/or moon against the horizon or each other. They could also do this with any draft location where they can see a horizon (for example, the farmlands, which are flat plains). This doesn't necessarily help facilitate an escape, but it gives them the ability to devise some rough imagery of where everything is in this world, how close to home the fighting is, things like that. Now, that's just an example—I know there are IC reasons this in particular isn't able to work.
I think what worries me is that if a player comes up with something like that which could, possibly, be kind of a big deal in changing the residents' perception of the world, or even maybe cause mod PC intervention, the plan would automatically get shot down because “the Malnosso are too smart to let that happen.” This isn't necessarily what happens all the time! But it's a worry I have nonetheless. I know there are multiple organized rebellions going on, and none of them have to succeed, but they're being done very intelligently and if even one of them was able to make the Malnosso, say, punish the ringleaders as an example to others? That would be pretty awesome. My worry is that such a thing would get crushed so early on that it wouldn't even make ripple in the water when it sank, when I feel like creativity and planning should be rewarded.
I know the Malnosso are not monsters. This is being made clearer and clearer. But, considering how hard it is for a villain to really be threatening in this setting, could the “good guy” stance of the Malnosso (or at least these ones in particular) be going a little too far? Stories can't exist without conflict, and initially, it seemed like the conflict was going to be provided by the Malnosso. The more clear it becomes that they're on the side of the angels (rogue faction aside), though, the less conflict there is with them, until Luceti's citizens come across as being bratty or petulant and ungrateful—not very good-guyish traits—for protesting the Malnosso at all. The Malnosso fight most of the war with the Third Party for the residents and even devote themselves to getting everyone home. How selfish are the residents for calling them monsters?
Maybe they're lying to the residents and they actually started the war with the Third Party. That would be pretty awesome! But for all we know, part of the “slow unveiling” of this plot is that the Malnosso really are the good guys and we have nothing to complain about. That actually worries me, since like I said, it feels like we must be watching a movie about the story of Luceti instead of taking part in it ourselves.
So basically, I'm wondering how things can be shaken up a little. So many of our characters are action-oriented. Heroes. Good guys who need a cause to fight for. It's really hard to do that right now in Luceti when there's hardly any problems to fight against (the worst thing the Malnosso did last year was give lame Christmas presents) and even creative attempts to shake things up aren't often met with a receptive mindset. I don't want Luceti to turn into a dark game or anything. I love Luceti's premise and I wouldn't want to change what it is. It's just...maybe it's time to twist the plot a little. You guys are have always managed a balance and given an “out” for people who weren't crazed about an event. I certainly trust you to handle something like this.