A Lack of Focus (OoC)

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Something I would like to note: There seems to be a lack of focus in a lot of freeform forum games - like no one wants to give the game a place to but would rather see where the people are going to take it.

In my opinion, this is a Bad Idea. If the game has a focus on something - or something that is inevitably going to happen because the first post pretty much says so - then it avoids the whole cheesy 'Let's hang out in a taver and see what great adventure comes our way!' thing (and not just refering to Portson there...

The RP should have some direction from the start - at least a theme that is wants to cover - and should make it plain in the first post by what is laid out. Otherwise everyone is looking for a Something To Do, which turns lame, and if that the plot given at the start is not something that would interest a certain player, then they can avoid it from the beginning, rather than introduce an element that won't work with whatever plot is cooked up on short notice later.

For example: Had I known that Portson was going to take a drastic turn into the 'Bwahaha! Let's rebel and kill stuff!' kind of plotline, I would sure as hell not have used that character who is a total non-combatant sort. Indeed, I would probably have avoided the thread because it doesn't interest me.

So - to end this rant - give games a focus! Don't waffle about and hope something happens! Set something up to happen!

 

I totally agree with Aik on this. A loose plot has to be in the head of the RP starter when they decide to begin a RP.

 

Even though i'm a part of the said game(Portson) and probaly contributed to it in some way, I agree also.

 

Well Aik you sure have a point . This walking around from tavern to tavern stuff will not be exiting for to long...

 

I also agree with Aik, but I think that the problem isn't only the fact thta an initial plot doesn't exist. In fact I believe that the biggest blame falls on the backs of the players who don't take things seriously, don't care about the context because they haven't eaven read all the previous posts or the rules and think that this is just another random babble in a nicer format. I, myself, didn't have the pacience to read all the previous posts in Portson, which is the reason for which I never posted there. Not like Garak, who didn't eaven read the rules and started controling other's characters...

Players are to blame as much as the thread starter :duh:

 

Aikanaro knows how i feel about the matter

 

But we don't, be a good boy and share your feelings.

 

/me kills Terthy

 

I believe this is Ooc, Lanty, not IC...

 

I agree with this - but in a different way than you mean. As I see it - if the players make an effort with their characters to give them relationships with each other and thus a reason to be around each other - a perfectly good plot can form around that in the absense of anything else. And characters having a reason to be around/interact with each other will help any plot - avoiding cheesy 'Oooh, hello Mr Random Person. Let's go and do stuff together!' kind of thing.

 

@Kelvon
No, he really does want to I think

 

I'll freely accept my share of the blame for what happened in the Portson RP. I shouldn't have proposed a course of action without having a more concrete idea about where it would go, and without more time to contribute. Mea culpa, and mille pardons.

 

@Aik: you are so right!
/me bows before Aik

@Terthy & Lanty: Is this an ausie fight???

 

@Kelvon: might turn into one

@Rally: I wouldn't worry, it was a better plot than any others that were going on at the time