What do you want out of the PW?

[Delta44]

Many small games in a larger game world which can interact, influence, and change the way each group experiences the RP.

In essence, a Persistent World!
If I'm a smuggler or bounty hunter or farmer or whathaveyou, and for some reason I state at the beginning of the RP I want to go to Planet X, a neutral planet, then I should be allowed to do so. I go to the planet, do my business, then return to the first planet. A little while later I want to return there again, except this time I can't go. Why? Some bloody Jedi ran a campaign through there and now it has a blockade around it! I know it's simple, but I really do want the game world to feel like it's changing. I think the best way to do this would be to give the players a list of contestable planets between Sith Base and Jedi Base, which act as important social (for the players) gathering points. Give them value IC as well, say one planet is the equivalent of Coruscant and has a massive trade culture. Another could be making breakthroughs in farming/fuel technology, another makes clones or something, so that there's reason for the players to explore and interact. The Sith are opting to buyout a tech company's latest ship models? Jedi intel heard, better get a recon team to intercept it! Uh-oh, they got caught, now they're being hunted down and have to escape.

I think the word I'm looking for is "dynamic". Make it that, because that can be really awesome! I think players would like it if their actions had consequences, and could stir up some really interesting scenarios. The only PW I was in was the first I ever joined, like Hank, and thinking back these were some pretty important aspects to what made it so successful. Everyone should know that the important thing they are doing IC can and likely will be interrupted by someone else, but that doesn't mean you can't enhance your own ideas using what others have put forward. My mind keeps going to a deep confession scene interrupted by a devastating ambush as an example.

Hope this helps!

[Holy Soldier]

Positive attitude; no discrimination; and whatever happens in game is handled in game, and if it can't be handled in game, then the GMs need to handle it and not the peanut gallery. The only persistent world I was ever involved in was during the age of MSN chat, and the Yahoo chat RP community self-deemed Eden at the time. Every situation that happened between chatrooms, which were realms and kingdoms at the time, it was settled in game with an actual army comprised of players. The more actual players you had under your banner, the stronger your kingdom was. It was very successful because everyone stayed in the illusion of the game, and those who couldn't were simply removed.

[Sep]

I want to be able to explore being my character in the World without having to be a major player central to the plot. While I've been known to enjoy the Star Wars RP I'm looking forward to playing a minor role in the background. Either some kind of SpaceCop or businessman.

[Lord Wraith]

There's a couple of things I want out of the Persistent Galaxy, I'd have to say the first of which is variety. When it was announced that the chosen Era was the Old Republic, I had to re-evaluate both my desire to participate and my still existing plans from the previous Galactic Civil War Era iteration, the one that I had been lucky enough to help with some of the planning almost a year ago. The reason the Old Republic Era gave me such pause, is because while I love the KOTOR games, the MMO never really enthused me much whereas it was the original trilogy and the expanded universe, primarily the works of Timothy Zahn which made me fall in love with Star Wars.

Beyond this, going into the Old Republic Era, I feared the majority of players would gravitate towards the Jedi and Sith in order to live out their own power fantasies. However, being a part of the Discord has quelled a lot of these fears as the Smuggler and Bounty Hunter channels are far more active than those belonging to the Jedi and Sith. With these fears somewhat absolved, I am interested in the coming game but I am still hoping for a lot more variety in the game. I'm looking forward to seeing different stories ranging from Rogue One and Solo inspired heists, to long epic sagas where players come together and shape this malleable galaxy. I'm looking forward to people playing strong senators, sinister Sith and smooth-talking Smugglers, not to mention every other role in between. What we're being given here is the next best thing to a blank slate and potentially something that can be shaped into our own Star Wars 'Alternate Universe' so it'd be a shame for people to limit that by only applying as a handful of character types.

The next thing I'm looking for is freedom. I'm not against a thread telling a tightly woven linear story, but personally, I'm looking for more of a sandbox where I can take a job/mission/otherwise objective and move throughout the galaxy to complete it, winding in and out of other stories on my way. To best describe it, I'm looking to play out 'Firefly' in a Galaxy Far Far Away, I have a ship and a crew and all I want to do is keep flying, I do the job and then I get paid. If I happen to uncover a larger plot while doing so, then so be it, but I'm not looking to be a Skywalker or a Revan, I don't even think I'm necessarily looking to be Han Solo, I just want to play out my crew and when I find another player I jive with, work together and then part ways.

And lastly, like a few others here, I'm looking for a world that reflects the actions of not only others but also my characters. If my crew pulls off a heist on a world, I expect there to be repercussions the next time I arrive. Yes, I could play these out myself, but do you know how reward it is to see those repercussions not only affect myself but also other players? Or even having another similar character profiled and identified as mine, leading to mistaken identity shenanigans. There's a lot of fun to be had with engaged and active players. One of the most concerning trends that I've seen arise recently while GMing larger RPs are players who only read posts that directly concern or interact with their own character.

Don't do that!

Read the whole RP, if you're in a thread it's only respectful to read every post, and being part of a persistent world requires that level of work if you want the world to remain 'persistent'. How can it do that if you don't know that Tattooine was put under a blockade due to the actions of another character if you're not following other posts? I want to see player factions make changes, I want to see one Jedi redefine the order, I want to see a Sith rise up and claim the throne for themselves, and I want to see the world around them react and change because of these actions.

That is what I want out of our Persistent Galaxy.

[Holy Soldier]

<Snipped quote by Inkarnate>

For a persistent world roleplay I would like to see that any story I create has some impact or is perhaps referenced by another group of players, possibly for their own use. For example, and using Rogue One as an example, if I was to have a story where my character was to obtain the blueprints to the Deathstar, that information is now readily available for another group of players. They don't need to know the entire roleplay persay, but a short summary for what was achieved would help. If the GMs think that what was achieved was too much, then they could alter it by saying the data was corrupted or something, but that's where their expertise in balancing the game comes in.

To sum up, perhaps a thread listing an index of the outcomes/summary of each RP would be a good option.

@NuttsnBolts

<Snipped quote by Euphonium>

I wouldn't say that's necessarily a PW Mod/GM's role, but a player's role. You are running and managing your own individual RPs in the game, and part of that would be to give feedback on what has happened in your RP. The PW Mods can chase you up, but they should not have to write up a wiki summary on your story. Besides, I'm not talking about a 20 page submission on every fine detail, it just has to be a short paragraph similar to what you would see on the back of a DVD cover.

By offering feedback you are also opening up the opportunity to hear about other things that may affect your own RP.
"I did this in that RP"
"Ok, but remember there will be a patrol in this sector here because this happened in this other RP"

@NuttsnBolts

We're definitely going to need this. Something easy to just copy-paste and toss into a Chronology thread.

I might start brainstorming a persistent world SL with some folks I know. Therefore when this thing kicks off, we'll already know what we're going to do. :D

Actually, you know what, I'm not even going to bother. I'm going to deploy again one day and this world may move on without me lol, so never mind. I'm not "persistent" enough for the Persistent World. XD

[Liseran Thistle]

im still fairly new to the site, but the persistent world alwasy interested me because I don't think I had ever done something quite like it before. And even though I've don't know a whole lot about star wars, I still kind of wanna give it a go because it seems fun, and everyone else seems like they're generally excited for it.

There aren't a whole lot of mean people on this site, and believe it or not I actually don't spend a lot of time interacting in Roleplays with other people's players, it's kind of weird. I run a story on the Create A Superhero roleplay, and while I'm having a blast with it, I kind of just wished that I had made time for a collad arc of some kind or something, but I never got around to it.

The persistent world, especially in regards to Star Wars, seems like it'll be loads of fun, and a great chance to interact with lots of other players. And who knows maybe I'll learn a thing or two about Star Wars along the way?

[Ruby]

A good smuggler isn't going to just sit on one planet in one story, they're going to be cutting deals, delivering cargo, moving around.

@Zarkun

That would take a fair amount of OOC legwork, too.

[Ruby]

Many small games in a larger game world which can interact, influence, and change the way each group experiences the RP.

In essence, a Persistent World!
If I'm a smuggler or bounty hunter or farmer or whathaveyou, and for some reason I state at the beginning of the RP I want to go to Planet X, a neutral planet, then I should be allowed to do so.

@Delta44

You'll have full freedom IC.

I go to the planet, do my business, then return to the first planet. A little while later I want to return there again, except this time I can't go. Why? Some bloody Jedi ran a campaign through there and now it has a blockade around it! I know it's simple, but I really do want the game world to feel like it's changing.

@Delta44

Well you will be right in the middle of a Cold War that could heat up at any time. Some planets may become available due to player action, some could become unavailable. Or a space station, like maybe a Bounty Hunter den. Or maybe the Jedi turn Tython into a fortress world.

If players get proactive and creative, it'll get real dynamic real fast. Poor GMs.

I think the best way to do this would be to give the players a list of contestable planets between Sith Base and Jedi Base, which act as important social (for the players) gathering points. Give them value IC as well, say one planet is the equivalent of Coruscant and has a massive trade culture. Another could be making breakthroughs in farming/fuel technology, another makes clones or something, so that there's reason for the players to explore and interact. The Sith are opting to buyout a tech company's latest ship models? Jedi intel heard, better get a recon team to intercept it! Uh-oh, they got caught, now they're being hunted down and have to escape.

@Delta44

Stop spying on the GM chat.

I think the word I'm looking for is "dynamic". Make it that, because that can be really awesome! I think players would like it if their actions had consequences, and could stir up some really interesting scenarios. The only PW I was in was the first I ever joined, like Hank, and thinking back these were some pretty important aspects to what made it so successful. Everyone should know that the important thing they are doing IC can and likely will be interrupted by someone else, but that doesn't mean you can't enhance your own ideas using what others have put forward. My mind keeps going to a deep confession scene interrupted by a devastating ambush as an example.

Hope this helps!

@Delta44

Great post, thanks!

[Zarkun]

<Snipped quote by Zarkun>

That would take a fair amount of OOC legwork, too.

@Ruby

Never said it wouldn't, just would like to see it acknowledged to some degree. Maybe wanted posters and the like.

[Liseran Thistle]

@Lord Wraith

but wouldn't reading literally every single post ever made take a long time...? And what about people who join kind of late? Like lets say the game has been up and running for a few months, will people have to read every single post up till then in order to participate? While I appreciate the need for realism that seems a little excessive don't ya think?

[Ruby]

<Snipped quote by Ruby>

Never said it wouldn't, just would like to see it acknowledged to some degree. Maybe wanted posters and the like.

@Zarkun

They're talking bounty lists and great hunts.

Plus piss off a Republic or Imperial, get a bounty in their space.

Piss of a Hutt, well...

[Delta44]

Stop spying on the GM chat.

@Ruby

Thanks for answering my concerns, Roobs! Here's hoping this pulls together the right people to make something AWESOME! :D

[Archmage MC]

I'd like to know the tech level of what we're using and whatnot. Reading a bunch of legends stuff SW tech does change through the years, although admittedly not by much.

There is also no reason to limit force users, as a single WW1 era conventional weapon can slaughter legions of Jedi and Sith up to and including Vader levels of power. And this weapon type would have great issues with droids, giving a great power triangle if PvP is ever a factor.

[Sep]

There is also no reason to limit force users, as a single WW1 era conventional weapon can slaughter legions of Jedi and Sith up to and including Vader levels of power. And this weapon type would have great issues with droids, giving a great power triangle if PvP is ever a factor.

@Archmage MC

Untrue. Slug throwers are deadly against Jedi as they aren't used to fighting kinetic weaponry, and their go to response to being shot at is to block with a lightsaber. As @Ellri will tell you that isn't the best thing to do.

Bullets are physical items that can be caught with the Force. In terms of tech level it's The Old Republic, so things from around the period of 3647BBY

[Archmage MC]

<Snipped quote by Archmage MC>

Untrue. Slug throwers are deadly against Jedi as they aren't used to fighting kinetic weaponry, and their go to response to being shot at is to block with a lightsaber. As @Ellri will tell you that isn't the best thing to do.

Bullets are physical items that can be caught with the Force. In terms of tech level it's The Old Republic, so things from around the period of 3647BBY

@Sep

From what I've read, Slug throwers are just very low level energy mass drivers or railguns. Its still a physical item being launched at a jedi, but with much less force than a conventional weapon due to the technology not being researched since the beginning of the galactic republic. Same thing as bullets, except bullets have much, much more force and speed behind them. Actually, since kinetic weapons aren't a thing in most parts of the SW universe, no wonder why Ewok arrows penetrated Stormtrooper armor like it was nothing...

Ah, sounds good. That era is my favorite.

OH, one more question/concern I have. How are multiple characters/character deaths/character introductions/ext going to be handled?

[Lord Wraith]

@Lord Wraith

but wouldn't reading literally every single post ever made take a long time...? And what about people who join kind of late? Like lets say the game has been up and running for a few months, will people have to read every single post up till then in order to participate? While I appreciate the need for realism that seems a little excessive don't ya think?

@Liseran Thistle

Previously in this thread there have been discussions for major events to be logged and a sort of summarized history created and tracked. That said, I stand by my previous statement in that players should invest the time into reading old posts and threads if they want to get the most out of the game.

Look at it this way, you can jump right into an ongoing television series and after a bit you'll start to find your way around but there will still be a lot of continuity lost on you. Most people would binge the previous seasons to get caught up and I do believe that should be the case when joining an ongoing roleplay especially one larger in size where player actions will make up the majority of the world's shape.

[Sep]

<Snipped quote by Liseran Thistle>

Previously in this thread there have been discussions for major events to be logged and a sort of summarized history created and tracked. That said, I stand by my previous statement in that players should invest the time into reading old posts and threads if they want to get the most out of the game.

Look at it this way, you can jump right into an ongoing television series and after a bit you'll start to find your way around but there will still be a lot of continuity lost on you. Most people would binge the previous seasons to get caught up and I do believe that should be the case when joining an ongoing roleplay especially one larger in size where player actions will make up the majority of the world's shape.

@Lord Wraith

I don't think it should be mandatory but then I agree that it should be encouraged as good practice. Especially for players wanting to make more influential characters.

[Lord Wraith]

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

I don't think it should be mandatory but then I agree that it should be encouraged as good practice. Especially for players wanting to make more influential characters.

@Sep

Apologies if I implied it should be mandatory, I'm not near naïve enough to believe that any GM would enforce that. As you said, it's a very good practice that should be encouraged especially towards making this world feel persistent and player contribution valued. Nothing keeps a player committed quite as much as validation that their posts matter.

[Sep]

<Snipped quote by Sep>

Apologies if I implied it should be mandatory, I'm not near naïve enough to believe that any GM would enforce that. As you said, it's a very good practice that should be encouraged especially towards making this world feel persistent and player contribution valued. Nothing keeps a player committed quite as much as validation that their posts matter.

@Lord Wraith

I agree, especially if down the line someone wants to be like, a Senator and there was a subplot of senators going around blackmailing eachother or something.

[Lord Wraith]

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

I agree, especially if down the line someone wants to be like, a Senator and there was a subplot of senators going around blackmailing eachother or something.

@Sep

Said new player could start low, looking into said previous plot and then blackmail the blackmailer!