Nov 3, 2015, 5:49 AM

Here are my general thoughts:

We have some people saying "metaplot isn't feasible on a large game", and then some people saying, "a game without a metaplot isn't interesting". So do we want all small games? I don't think that's what we want. But more specifically, I think metaplots work when there is someone who is active around telling a story. Or someone who keeps picking it back up after it goes quiet for a while.

For example: The Gamewide plots for Star Trek Gamma One were kept actively running by either Halmar or Rapier. Events were being run on a regular basis and things we're being pushed and guided by staff (I always felt Rapier was a little bit too railroady, but when the game had a large player base that player base was pretty actively RPing with folks).

Or: The Changeling metaplot on HM was not one that was constantly being run. It was picked up by different staffers here and there. Wagner ran it at times. Sarajevo ran it at other points. As well as, um, I forgot his name by R2's staffbit. (I think it was R2, its kind of blurry at this point).

The one key point that I am pretty sure both of these share is: Documentation. For all that Raper@STGO was very controlling I know he had a lot plot notes written down, and was able to refer back to them. (I doubt he ever shared them very much, but the documentation was there). And there is no way that the Changeling Metaplot on HM continued to exist without documentation from folks. (@Ganymede were you guys good about documentation?)

So my thoughts on a metaplot success:

  • It requires documentation. Actually document things. Somewhere that new and old staff can get to and communicate.
  • It requires communication -- all staff (involved with running it, and prolly the admit folk too) need to understand exactly what the goals/aims are.
  • It requires guidance -- either in the form of things happening every so often, or staff actively pushing the plot toward folks.
  • PC actions must matter. In the early days of the TR plot I went back and forth: On the one hand my character (Autumn Dunlin) was quite clearly one of the "stars" of the story/movie that was The Reach-- on the other hand I felt at times what my character had done didn't actually matter (after Autumn killed Jeremiah Dunlan, suddenly he had all this unregistered and illegal weaponry that the family never knew about and were now having to deal with).

My Thoughts Are Torn Here:

  • Any PC needs to be able to get into the metaplot -- otherwise what is the point?
  • However ... people need to feel like their part in the plot is special. Could someone else do it? Maybe? Is it a matter of only they can do it? Or they got their first? People need to feel like their actions matter, or they are special in some way.
  • The metaplot cannot hinge on one person/faction/family/clan/etc, that family/person/clan/whatever could go inactive, or they could not want a part of the plot. If this happens the plot needs to continue on somehow. Which conflicts with the above.

So here's my question:

How do you make the metaplot open to any PC? Not contingent upon one PC? And at the same time make PCs feel like they have a special part in the metaplot?