Changes to staffing - animation and storytelling: Discussion thread.

[Adhira]

As far as world changes it's going to depend on what you want to achieve. Some of it will be possible, some of it will not. Really the best way to figure that out is to communicate with your clan staff. Be aware that sometimes theyre not going to tell you if something will work, they're just going to tell you... sure, go ahead, work towards it, try it. Why is that? Because otherwise no one would try anything, and even though something might not succeed other things might happen along the way, it's all about RP, right?

To tackle some of your examples for instance:

- a plot of a creation of a hunting clan, with a storehouse and NPC guards
While we have changed aspects of staffing one thing that has not changed is the information Sanvean put out a while ago with regards to staff support for new clans. We will not be supporting player created plans with building, npcs and the like. This is something that we wish to move towards, but it is unlikely to happen till Armageddon Reborn.

a plot of a creation of a new shop, with an NPC seller.

I would say that in general the rulling of above applies. However in some instances this may happen through existing clan structures. It is something that would need to be planned out lIC, staff would need to be updated and at the end of it all a Highlord has to sign off on the project. One thing to note is that many players have gone about this kind of thing in recent times and been told ... yes, but it will be virtual. This could still be the case in many instances.

- a plot of a destruction of a current shop or building

Again, this could happen. But staff would want to be informed at each step of the way and also be available to witness said destruction. Simply sending a log saying.. Hi we RP'd burning down Tek's Tower and killed the NPC Templars that came to stop us, can you eliminate that from game... will not suffice. We want to make sure that the effort was thought out properly, we want to be able to represent the NPC an vNPC population. If all such things happen, then yes, there is a chance and a way to destroy buildings and so on, in game.

At the end of the day my instructions for any player endeavours, especially those with larger scale yearnings is involve your staff. Every single player in the game now has a person or group they can contact. Independants fit into a clan group also so ... while unclanned, they have assigned staff. Communicating with staff, setting up RPT dates so staff can observe and considering your npc and virtual surroundings are all good steps to take towards progressing your stories.

[SMuz]

Wow, I just experienced this yesterday, off-peak. It was just for three minutes, but I loved it, made me see them as more than just NPCs. And it cuts out a lot of the loneliness when playing off-peak

Then again, I did experience an animation once before, but didn't realize that the guy was a NPC at all. That too was very enjoyable.

[Semper]

Has anyone noticed much of a difference from before yet? Now that the initial oo's and ah's are over with.

[tortall]

Has anyone noticed much of a difference from before yet? Now that the initial oo's and ah's are over with.

I have. I've seen random shopkeeps/barkeeps animated, much more than they used to be. Also other animations.

[Ashes]

It's been great.  Huge difference.

Remember to thank those masochistic staff.

Thanks, masochistic staff!

[Jingo]

I remember a long long time ago. My elf wandered into a place he should not have and became cursed.

An evil spirt kept following my character around doing bad things to him like starting random barfights int he tavern and having cockroaches bite him in his sleep. It is one of my favorite arm expieriences.

[Zoltan]

I recently saw some little things, and its effect on fleshing-out the world is immeasurable. Even the -tiniest- animation or imm-stigated occurence fills things out tremendously. I like it!

A little note here... Back in my very first days of Armageddon, my young Byn Runner bumped into a Byn Lieutenant. I had no idea that it was an animated NPC till later. In that single immteraction, I learned the sheer awesome power of responsibly using vNPCs. It was just a minor thing, but it still stands out as a prime example in my mind to this day. I didn't know about staff kudos back then, and I never wrote emails to the staff at the time, either. It's probably not too late to send 'em in, but the pertinent details are fuzzy in my mind. So, here's a vague, all-encompassing kudos to the staff-at-large. You guys are awesome for helping to make this great game work.

[staggerlee]

I recently saw some little things, and its effect on fleshing-out the world is immeasurable. Even the -tiniest- animation or imm-stigated occurence fills things out tremendously. I like it!

A little note here... Back in my very first days of Armageddon, my young Byn Runner bumped into a Byn Lieutenant. I had no idea that it was an animated NPC till later. In that single immteraction, I learned the sheer awesome power of responsibly using vNPCs. It was just a minor thing, but it still stands out as a prime example in my mind to this day. I didn't know about staff kudos back then, and I never wrote emails to the staff at the time, either. It's probably not too late to send 'em in, but the pertinent details are fuzzy in my mind. So, here's a vague, all-encompassing kudos to the staff-at-large. You guys are awesome for helping to make this great game work.

When I started playing, one of the staff at the time animated a shopkeeper and sent a room echo to respond to my very insignificant actions. Once I even got a couple sid out of a virtual crowd after begging. It was small and infrequent, but unbelievably encouraging.

That experience encouraged me enormously and is probably part of what kept me excited about the game. It kept me thinking, emoting, and having fun, and reminded me that they are watching, even when you think you're alone.

[Agent_137]

i haven't seen anything but i don't play every day and i often fail to emote when alone so i'm probably pretty boring to watch most of the time. I use think alot though!

[Reiloth]

Anyone feel like nothing's changed? (No offense to my staffers).

EDIT: To be more specific --

Have you, as a player, noticed this difference? If so -- Are your interactions with staff mainly through email, or IG?

Have you as a staffer noticed a difference in your workload? If so -- Is it easier for you now to interact through email? Do you do it often?

[a strange shadow]

Armageddon is a game where we are supposed to take the vNPC population heavily into consideration, but problems arise when we need support, conflict, or information from that VNPC population and cannot get it due to a lack of staff involvement or (perhaps unique to my case, due to disagreements over clan documentation and history interpretation) an evident refusal of staff to get overly involved. Either way, I often get a sense of being forced to "go my own way", and have to constantly agonize over whether I am correctly representing the realities of the vNPC population.

I notice a tendancy of the staff to show only one side of a situation. I would like to humbly suggest that they make more of an effort to display a well-rounded view of the plots they get involved in; one of the strengths of PC-led plots, I feel, is that there are so many facets, and so few ultimate right-or-wrongs. For every enemy or negative viewpoint, try to show a more positive side or a supporter. I believe that would aid PCs involved in staff-created plots in feeling less like they are being constantly, mercilessly cut down, and more like they are being presented a multi-facted challenge.

I also feel that the staff rotation has ultimately been a detriment, because you get staff coming aboard who are thrown into the mix without knowing much if any of the clan and it's current characters' histories, resulting in players who feel as if history's being re-written under their feet, and staff who are frustrated because their efforts, despite being creative, involved, and inspired, are argued with by players who now feel shafted and/or confused. Yes, without as-frequent staff rotation you will still have this problem, but it would be mitigated due to the fact that they are on-board for a much longer term, and hopefully, the staff member proceeding them will be more able to assist them in getting acclimated, since they have more time to do so.

[FantasyWriter]

I enjoy not spending an IC day or so reporting to my NPC superiors, though sometimes IC/OOC details in emails can fall into the gray area (I mean its hard to tell how much of the responses in emails are from clan bosses and how much is from clan staff)  I think it is a good change overall, though.

I saw a few of the "random" NPC animations each week at first but not-so-much anymore.
These are always quite enjoyable.

Edited to add: I have had seen nothing but OOC support and IC support or chastisement (depending on the situation) for the player ran plots I have been involved in.

[Lizzie]

My interactions with "clan superiors" have been completely and totally replaced by e-mail. I find this disappointing. I accept that this is the way it is, and I deal with it. I'm glad that the staff is so responsive with e-mail, and they're doing a great job at other kinds of animations. I definitely do get other types of interaction with NPCs, and it is absolutely positively appreciated.

But, I miss roleplaying an interaction with a superior. It feels very...lonely. Like my character is "the" boss and has no one to turn to, when in fact, she's only middling on the clan's food chain and has a few ranks worth of superiors above her. Having even a once-monthly interaction would be awesome, even if it's just a superior saying "hey, I remember you, we're related somehow. Well, gotta run, toodles!"

[a strange shadow]

Have you, as a player, noticed this difference? If so -- Are your interactions with staff mainly through email, or IG?

I haven't noticed much of a difference in email response - I get regular responses from the storyteller level, which I am grateful for. Decisions that require a highlord+ I have been waiting on for months. Since they're not high-priority, I haven't raised a fuss, but it does require patience...

IC interaction has gone from minimal to zero, which suits me fine, unless I need an animation, in which case it can be aggravating. I haven't managed to schedule a single animation since the change, and I've only requested one, which I gave up on after about a month.

Also, I rarely agree with Lizzie, but I completely and totally agree with her above post (edit: evidently, only as I interpreted it).

It is a fine line. Give PCs authority who have proven they are capable of it, sure - that part I'm grateful for - but when those PCs realize that their place is only in the middle of the food chain and they are used to seeking guidance from their bosses, it is a lonely place to suddenly hear little but "do what you want." What they want to do is work with their superiors, and they can't really do that without having at least something to go off of.

Edit:
This isn't to say that we can't pursue our own plots; far from it.

To use a hypothetical example, your high-ranking aide wants to negotiate X for B purpose between two noble houses. X negotiation has the potential to impact the clan's entire direction, if W and Y or especially Z happens, so your aide wants to know what Lord Poobah thinks. Your are told "Lord High Poobah has nothing to offer." You the player are left feeling mildly confused and/or abandoned, because in all previous incarnations, Lord Poobah always had an opinion or a suggestion, even if it was "go right ahead, Minion 2343."

You aren't sure whether it means that Lord Poobah approves of your character enough to give them free reign, is tired of being pestered by your character, or just doesn't give a shit... because you have no IC context to go off of.

That's what I'm talking about.

[Lizzie]

I should clarify, I -am- getting responses "from the clan superiors." But the responses are coming via e-mail. It feels sterile, and contrived, to react ICly to something you get via e-mail. "The house would tell you, this - about that subject." I guess what I'm saying, is I'd rather the House NPC tell my PC "this, about that subject," in the game. At least sometimes. I haven't had any of that, since this change in February.

[Winterless]

I saw a few of the "random" NPC animations each week at first but not-so-much anymore.
These are always quite enjoyable.

Same... in my current clan I've only had this once in the few months I've been in. I have other/better things to do, though, than sit around waiting for random animations.

[Armaddict]

I got two animations.  Both of which were awesome.

[Delstro]

I saw some major animations when it first happened, both of which caused my death. They were realistic and expected, which is nice, but I died, which wasn't nice.

[Agent_137]

i've gotten 2 or three randoms, and two requested animations. And since I've been indie for this entire period, i feel pretty good.

lizzie, don't be so bitter about sharing the wealth, ok?

[Decameron]

I haven't seen much of a difference, to be completely honest. E-mail's merely replaced most of the face-to-face with npcs. I am not really sure that's a positive or negative thing, as interaction with one's superior can always lead to fun (i.e. plotting their untimely demise). At times there seems to be a general sense of a complete lack of direction, but I don't feel that's necessarily the Imms fault. We're still in a transition period from particular players who were used to having a plan set out for us to someone throwing us the steering wheel and giving free reign. It sounds nice on paper, but there are going to be a few which steer into the nearest wall without having a clue.

The only bitter note I have is the abandonment of previous plots, which becomes kind of repetitive with a long-standing character. Especially with imm-rotations, it seems kind of difficult for another imm to come in,  pick up the plot and keep a particular story-line going with the same things in mind that the previous imm did. I mean, it's nice to leave things open-ended and not have a cut and dry conclusion, but just once I'd like to see the efforts put in actually result in something concrete, rather than fade into obscurity. It does wear a player down, over time, and the unfortunate fact is that it inevitably effects your character's motivation. But, I suppose this is merely my own observation and opinion - I am not really sure how others feel on that particular matter.

[Aruven]

Now, I tend to chew off some ambitious shit when I decide to actually e-mail the staff. There have been some quiet complaints, many kudos, fun, intrigue and excitement I've had with the staff. I've never seen a really seen a long stretch of time without Imm interaction.

Then again, (give me some mercy here I started playing at twelve) - I used to be that guy that imms would jump into an animation to ruthlessly murder one way or another for doing something ridiculous, spamming or just shitty roleplaying with a bit of power-gaming involved way too often each day. Lately, I've been trying to feel out my characters and interact with the world around much more in-depth, and more than once since, I've I got a response by just wishing up ; "Hey, this is happening here, would be really nice to see some animation to further the plot..." So, I can't complain about staff involvement from a day to day basis. That said, I feel like a d-bag every time I DO wish up, and there is no known response.

That's where the e-mail comes into play for me. Normally, I'll have a plot I'm trying to bring to light when I e-mail, or I've done something really naughty IG to someone's house or something they should know about, or I'm clanned and sending in updates. However, I will say, I can't stay away from the north for this reason. Recently, aside from any huge RPT's in the south, I've found it next to impossible to get much interaction. Maybe thats just me.

[Thunkkin]

I wasn't reporting to NPCs before the change,  so I didn't notice any difference on that front.

Before the change, I'd never had a random NPC interaction and I'd had one wish for an animation answered.  Some minor stuff handled over e-mail.
After the change, I've had a handful of random interactions and every wish for animation has been answered fairly quickly and always enjoyably.  I generally don't require much interaction from staff, but I find that my e-mails and requests are always answered promptly.  Except for this one insane idea that I sent in ... but I even said in the e-mail that they didn't have to respond.

Edit: Oh, and the random animations have been great.  Though one, I think, was related to a big plot and I just had no idea how to follow up on it (I don't think I was supposed to, though).  I've seen some great NPC conversations/interactions and one hilarious mount interaction.

[Jdr]

I don't think my character even has a boss. If I do, I've never met him/her, don't know his/her name, or what's expected of me.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Eh?

[a strange shadow]

...the abandonment of previous plots, which becomes kind of repetitive with a long-standing character. Especially with imm-rotations, it seems kind of difficult for another imm to come in,  pick up the plot and keep a particular story-line going with the same things in mind that the previous imm did. I mean, it's nice to leave things open-ended and not have a cut and dry conclusion, but just once I'd like to see the efforts put in actually result in something concrete, rather than fade into obscurity. It does wear a player down, over time...

I think this is my main problem, right here, if we add in the fact that the clan reality changes a bit, as well, with each rotation, depending on the new staff's viewpoints. Meaning the player has to re-adjust, to another new "reality" that is slightly different from the former, each time the clan staff changes over. I'm not sure there is a solution to this, but extending the time period a staff member spends with one clan might help.

There are times when I feel like I'm shouting into a black hole, and that is not really very fun.