Storytelling/plots
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It's not so much the type of plot I want, but more about events and quests to happen for players in less busy timezones. I understand it makes it hard for the UK DMs to stay up late…
That said, undead, demon and planar plots are overdone. Giants, hags, trolls, savage human barbarian tribes, lizard folk would be nice.
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More side quests. Every quest doesn't need to be a long arcing boring ass plot. Just having a DM log in for a day, run an episode, then gtfo really helps keep a server fresh and active.
Eliminate changing of the guard within the city. Allow other lands of arabel be able to be contested with by factions, playerfactions, monster groups, etc. This keeps up the illusion that this server was a sandbox after v3.
Stick to one fucking meta (aka server-wide) plot. Fit arcs within that one plot. The arcs should last from one season to 6 months…once done move on to the next chapter in the same book. Insert recurring characters, Have loved characters die. Make noone invincible. Focus more on a streamlining the server into a choose your adventure book, than a ever changing narrative, or be forced to have interest and the servers own identity lost.
Keep breaking away from cannon, however add more Toril-wide changes. The Caravan city arabel is always in distress...where is the economy heading? What ever is the status of the poor people and why aren't there more? Ask, answer, and finish questions this time around. Yet always keep a firm ending in hand until the time for version six rolls around. (every 2 years would be nice)
And thats probably the last useful thing I have to say for the next 4 months. I'm done.
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I would love just more flavour things, just the possesion of npc's around pc's unexpected etc etc.
Its this kind of flavour that makes the world feel alive, especially now that there are less pcs about to interact with. Plots may even spindle from such interactions. I know in the past when the server was full it would have been hard to do this kind of thing since there werent enough dm's to go around but these days with so few players I think it would be probably somewhat easier.
Smaller one off quests or perhaps short two week plots will help keep things fresh.
Big plots are also great, but I feel that making the setting feel more dynamic would help push up player numbers.
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I have a liking for "loosely realistic" enemy plots. That means Orc swarms, drow undermining, another nation of humans invading, a thief guild that is the invisible enemy handled by DMs, comitting crimes that PCs would not easily do and perhaps having a few PCs climbing its ladders. The sense of something that is out there, but it's not a big dragon, leech, spirits and all that stuff. I think the server uses "fairy tail" plots too much and I personally like those to be more… unique. Not that plot design is bad, on the contrary. I just find myself more imersed in the "realism of the enemy" and please excuse the use of the term in a fantasy setting.
Also more smaller plots, than long ones. Even if they bring smaller change, and we want players to be able to make a difference and change things, I think some things should be more, stable over time unless something really awesome happens. Hope it helps some.
Also what B-rock said.
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More side quests. Every quest doesn't need to be a long arcing boring ass plot. Just having a DM log in for a day, run an episode, then gtfo really helps keep a server fresh and active.
Eliminate changing of the guard within the city. Allow other lands of arabel be able to be contested with by factions, playerfactions, monster groups, etc. This keeps up the illusion that this server was a sandbox after v3.
Stick to one fucking meta (aka server-wide) plot. Fit arcs within that one plot. The arcs should last from one season to 6 months…once done move on to the next chapter in the same book. Insert recurring characters, Have loved characters die. Make noone invincible. Focus more on a streamlining the server into a choose your adventure book, than a ever changing narrative, or be forced to have interest and the servers own identity lost.
Keep breaking away from cannon, however add more Toril-wide changes. The Caravan city arabel is always in distress...where is the economy heading? What ever is the status of the poor people and why aren't there more? Ask, answer, and finish questions this time around. Yet always keep a firm ending in hand until the time for version six rolls around. (every 2 years would be nice)
And thats probably the last useful thing I have to say for the next 4 months. I'm done.
This is really how I would like to see the big metaplot done, the first usefull thing I have seen brock type on here for ages and he pretty much hit the nail on the head for me
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I'd like to see events and heavy plots concerning the well-being of the city itself as opposed to plots far removed from its confines. I haven't been around very long, but the most previous Shadovar war was great fun to be around for, and so was the Talonite plot for when it concerned the entire server. In my own opinion, plots that center around the city will bring in more interest than plots and events displaced around the server where only a select number of people are aware of the basics on them.
I'm not really requesting for other plots to be tossed out, I'd just like to see more focus on conflicts centering the city itself.
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I would like to see a 3 month long story arc about a merchant group in Arabel which sells out to another, less ethical merchant group, which then proceeds to try and muscle into Arabellian territory, believing that the small numbers of Purple Dragons cannot interfere with their operations. These new merchants may be Zhentarim, Iron Throne, Knight of the Shield, or even cultists of some sort.
Players will have to deal with caravan raids, bandit attacks, secret strongholds, retaliatory actions, attempted assassinations of key NPCs. They will be given opportunities to join the Harpers, Purple Dragon Pathfinders, and even WW, acting as secret agents to each organisation, with few of the mainstream powers these factions would normally command, as they must remain on the downlow.
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Have a rival non-evil nation take possession of lands close to Arabel. This could attract players to be in conflict without having to be an overwhelming evil foes. For instance have a group of NPC Elves create a settlement in the Hullack or somewhere else they have ties to. If it is located somewhere that Arabel has little control over then they won’t be able to do much about it.
This Elvin nation could then exert its efforts to tame this place and clear it of monsters and stuff. If the Elvin settlement is successful in taming the woods (based on PC actions) they can continue to claim more and more land. Conflict ensues because Arabel doesn’t like its land being taken, despite the fact they never had the man power themselves to do anything about the land previously.
Perhaps the Elves detest the actions of some of the factions within Arabel (Hardcastle & Thayans), so they oppose their efforts while not trying to destroy the city. The elves could also ally with Thunderholme or other minority races and offer the hope of a new Myth Drannor settlement (Myth Drannor), thus appealing to other factions within Arabel (Maleen).
Now you have factions within Arabel which both support and plot the downfall of the Elvin settlement, and you have an Elvin settlement focused on recovering some of its ancient lands which have become infested with monsters.
Something like the above could work wonders as you don’t have to be evil to have conflict with other players. Imagine Paladins of the Seldarine facing off against Paladins of allied with the city. Both think they’re in the right, that type of situation would be awesome IMHO.
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Another idea stolen from pathfinder online. Why not make the whole respawning thing be an IC issue. i.e. people (PC's) have been marked and now can't die, but no one knows why? Is it a curse is it a blessing? What is the cause? How will people act knowing that no matter what they will return to life. Some might reveal in charging head long into battle, others might become terrified of dying and the possiblity of living forever. The intro to Arabel could mention that people who have been afflicting (lets call them the undying) have an urge to gather in Arabel, but no one know why. Best thing about the idea is it doesn't require any scripting.
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I would love to see plots that promote intrigue as much as adventure. Especially non faction-based or DM-dependent intrigue.
For example, after a mysterious starfall people start searching for star metal. Chunks are found randomly - sold in some obscure shop, found in some goblin's possession, guarded by earth elementals in a cave, even lying on the ground in remote places. This star metal is sought for different reasons - to forge a supreme lich philactery or create an artifact that can destroy one, to be used as a reagent for a major holy or unholy ritual, to slay all fey of the land or make one invincible, etc.
What I believe such a plot will accomplish?
It will create real tension even between allied factions - there's not enough chunks to pursue several goals.
It will make unaligned people who stumbled upon star metal join groups for protection, band up for pursuing similar goals, hire bodyguards, plot thefts and murders or even simply find the highest bidder to sell a chunk to. In other words everyone can get involved on more or less equal terms and there will be much more PC interaction.
A group that finally gathers enough chunks to accomplish its goal makes a big impact on the server. Other groups' failure also matters accordingly so people can't just go "Ok, let's just let that group win because their goal seems more importnat". -
I would love to see plots that promote intrigue as much as adventure. Especially non faction-based or DM-dependent intrigue.
For example, after a mysterious starfall people start searching for star metal. Chunks are found randomly - sold in some obscure shop, found in some goblin's possession, guarded by earth elementals in a cave, even lying on the ground in remote places. This star metal is sought for different reasons - to forge a supreme lich philactery or create an artifact that can destroy one, to be used as a reagent for a major holy or unholy ritual, to slay all fey of the land or make one invincible, etc.
What I believe such a plot will accomplish?
It will create real tension even between allied factions - there's not enough chunks to pursue several goals.
It will make unaligned people who stumbled upon star metal join groups for protection, band up for pursuing similar goals, hire bodyguards, plot thefts and murders or even simply find the highest bidder to sell a chunk to. In other words everyone can get involved on more or less equal terms and there will be much more PC interaction.
A group that finally gathers enough chunks to accomplish its goal makes a big impact on the server. Other groups' failure also matters accordingly so people can't just go "Ok, let's just let that group win because their goal seems more importnat".Starmetal, awesome. Use it to become a green star adept. Which means turning yourself into a living construct.
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That sounds like a DMless plot. We've run quite a few of those over the years. I like them
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I would like to see a 3 month long story arc about a merchant group in Arabel which sells out to another, less ethical merchant group, which then proceeds to try and muscle into Arabellian territory, believing that the small numbers of Purple Dragons cannot interfere with their operations. These new merchants may be Zhentarim, Iron Throne, Knight of the Shield, or even cultists of some sort.
Players will have to deal with caravan raids, bandit attacks, secret strongholds, retaliatory actions, attempted assassinations of key NPCs. They will be given opportunities to join the Harpers, Purple Dragon Pathfinders, and even WW, acting as secret agents to each organisation, with few of the mainstream powers these factions would normally command, as they must remain on the downlow.
This, but have the new "merchants" have some PCs on their side OPENLY (and also secretively). Otherwise it's the same-old same-old of some "in" people in different factions gathering for a secret briefing that everyone knows about OOC but not IC before gathering their tanks and stoneskinning quest buddies and heading out for the weekly scheduled assault on something.
As I mentioned in another thread, let this newgroup take over some area, one that a lvl 3-5 can actually surivie and grow in. (e.g. Eveningstar/Immersea) -
Games, I'm all for that…why ask permission? Lets just TAKE Eveningstar or Immersea? Gather a group of people together, we can storm the town, kill or capture the local guards and it's ours....for as long as we can hold it.
Walls will need to be thrown up, or a defensible position put in place, so that we can hold the place of course, but otherwise, lets just do it.
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Games, I'm all for that…why ask permission? Lets just TAKE Eveningstar or Immersea? Gather a group of people together, we can storm the town, kill or capture the local guards and it's ours....for as long as we can hold it.
Walls will need to be thrown up, or a defensible position put in place, so that we can hold the place of course, but otherwise, lets just do it.
It's just not possible.
1. No DMs on when I play (so you do it!)
2. Unless you have a incredibly detailed plan laid out ahead of time that incorporates all eventualities, that is pre-cleared with DMs WELL ahead of time, you will find that spur-of-the-moment interactions/abilities you might have had with one DM formerly will not be known by another. That would lead to in-the-moment "HOLD ON, DM SO-AND-SO said XYZ", which simply does not work well during game-play. Note this is NOT a "attack" on DMS, simply the nature of multiple-persons handling things at different times.
3. There are not enough PCs.Guards are BETTER than PCs, for the most part, and there are more of them, even just counting the ones that "are shown".
4. temporarily grabbing control by PCs does nothing. The point is to have TWO permament locations. Arabel, and anti-Arabel. a PC plot to do so would require massive coordinations, and massive numbers of PCs and massive planning of the PCs and DMs. DMs can just toss 200 Zhents or Sembians at it, say it was done, and announce new factions. -
I like "political foe plots" and shades of grey foes, AKA more Game of Thrones then LOTR. Let faction alignment be lose and objectives conflicting. Perhaps that new merchant lord is passing off the druids with his "unnatural" experiments, but by the gods his results are certainly saving a lot of life's! Perhaps that necromancer is a bit of a evil sod, but his forces really are stopping hell from entering this plane, and he tends to keep to himself, animating Zhentish raiders and goblin bandits, who are bad people anyway right? :wink:
On a general note, less unsubtle rift plots, creatures like that should be more rumoured than ever seen, and sign that things have gone totally nuts when they show up in the flesh.
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Very vague answer here, but I'd love to see plots that get a good chunk of the server working against another good chunk. It gives us something to do while DMs aren't around.
I can remember one scene from… Erm, plot X, where two opposing groups were searching the Underdark for the same thing, met up down there, and mass chaos ensued. There was pvp, betrayal, fun all around, and I don't even remember if a DM was around. Especially if parts of these stories involve things we can can actually do/find while DMs aren't on. Plot objects that don't go away on reset that we can find on our own, like those ortrant pieces or whatever.
Stories where the bad guys are just a bunch of orcs or something don't lend well to this sort of thing. The antagonists would have to be something that a good portion of the city could conceivably sympathize or ally with. A rival city would be great. Hell, instead of jumping Arabel to another place, jump a city from another place next to Arabel or something.
*edited for dem typos
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Hell, instead of jumping Arabel to another place, jump a city from another place next to Arabel or something.
I like this…and why jump a city from another place...Sembia isn't THAT far away....a city rised out of the desert and wants/needs the farmlands around Arabel... make it a starting location during character creation...you can start in Arabel, or in city X....where you start determines what side your on.... not sure if its doable, it would require a whole new area of a similiar size to Arabel (which would be a HUGE undertaking...quests needed, merchants, everything) but it'd be fun :)
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I like the idea of a rival city that you can enter. A rival "organized outsider" that you never get to go to their home, but they get a foothold in Cormyr and cause trouble, feels like it's been done a lot at this point, with Sembia/Kresswell, Zhentarim, Thayans, Duergar (or something, whatever race/group was running the Fake Bhaliir show).
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Very vague answer here, but I'd love to see plots that get a good chunk of the server working against another good chunk. It gives us something to do while DMs aren't around.
I can remember one scene from… Erm, plot X, where two opposing groups were searching the Underdark for the same thing, met up down there, and mass chaos ensued. There was pvp, betrayal, fun all around, and I don't even remember if a DM was around. Especially if parts of these stories involve things we can can actually do/find while DMs aren't on. Plot objects that don't go away on reset that we can find on our own, like those ortrant pieces or whatever.
Stories where the bad guys are just a bunch of orcs or something don't lend well to this sort of thing. The antagonists would have to be something that a good portion of the city could conceivably sympathize or ally with. A rival city would be great. Hell, instead of jumping Arabel to another place, jump a city from another place next to Arabel or something.
Reminds me of one time when groups were looking to collect items such as "construction" wood/stone.
Seems that a possibility would be a rival to Hardcastle - looking to collect fragments of COG stuff lost in forests or elemental-binding stuff. Make such items be random spawns or creature drops in uncontrolled area such as Hullack, hills, mountains etc, where PvP is not restricted due to NPCs.
Could make for interesting interactions.