Opening up Plots to More Players

[Inertia]

This is a really rough idea! I'd like to see more plots be open to the public, either with actual hooks people can bite to get involved, or at least with more IC information spreading so that people know the world isn't stagnant.

I think this might be hard to consider seriously as individuals because it requires a lot of risk, and trust in other characters and players which - in a game where missteps can be socially or literally fatal! - is hard to give without having SOME level of player control over outcomes. So this suggestion is more about encouraging and rewarding that risk than penalizing for trying to play it too safe.

If this is something the community is willing to consider, I want to record that I was thinking maybe there's some kind of bonus to any plot that's actively working to include or inform the pbase and/or maybe a nominal cost for keeping it closed - a bit like paying some XP to opt out of (the risk of) random latency.

[Inertia]

Tried to keep the opening of the topic short to get a conversation started, but some thoughts on questions or concerns I think might be common:


My plot is covert, it doesn't make sense to share information or invite others in.
Does it involve NPCs? Nobody should be 100% infallible. People gossip, and there's a huge canyon between a rumor like "I saw twenty grey-cloaked men leaving from the north gate" and "Bob the Nob(le) hired twenty assassins to kill his rival, Steve."

My plot is small or guild-specific.
Is there anything about it people might hear on the street? As a player, I love knowing other people and guilds are doing stuff, even if I'm not involved or invited, and it gives me nice hooks to look you up and pester you about it if I catch a snippet out in the world.

Nobody's interested in this outside the people I've invited.
Dooooubtful! There's always some nerd like me interested in what's going on, even if they're not equipped to do anything helpful. Besides, it makes for more enriching history when more PCs can talk about events transpiring during their lifetimes, and makes for a better legacy for your character when people associate your name with more activities.

[Kinaed]

How would people feel if plots did require a rumor to be posted about the plot? Or something like that?
A list of sentences controlled by plot posters that people can see when they type 'plot list IC' or something like that?

[Temi]

How would people feel if plots did require a rumor to be posted about the plot? Or something like that?
A list of sentences controlled by plot posters that people can see when they type 'plot list IC' or something like that?

Or require a hook on the plot? We do have that system available, but not many tend to use it.

[Murrmurs]

This is as much a technical question as it is tied in to visibility. Particularly with regard to guild specific actions, would it be possible for temporary associated NPCs to populate when it would make sense for them to be there? --- The sort of slight grid changes that someone might see, even if they don't invest regularly in the rumor mill to keep up with the times?

Too much work on the staffing end to attempt/options for plot producers to have prewritten NPCs that could be populated in as a part of their undertaking while it's going on? --- I suppose that this would then tie as much into Projects as it would Plots.

[Dreams]

I think the topic of things that would be truly secret needs to come up.

Guild investigations where people are being investigated by the Order, and people not on grid would be needed (Cardinal, whoever). Reeve investigations, etc. Letting this out in a rumor format would be either as annoying as the ones where people are liquidating and it says stuff that doesn't let anyone recognize who they actually are, or just be silly - they would have to be to not let out vital information that only the people in question might know. "I heard the Inquisition is investigating someone." Well, yeah. They always are. But, I don't think we should assume that every investigation has some kind of leak that would get out to the city as a rumor.

And, why would a rumor about the autopsy of a body for the Physicians get out, etc, when it happens in a very private room with only a very few trusted number of people?

I would say, if you intend to implement something that REQUIRES a rumor or a hook, then guild investigations would need to be left out of that. Guild investigations are guild business. If people want to know them and be involved, they should be in the guild.

[Sparkles]

I do wonder if there was a required rumor aspect to plots, people might better consider what things could be accomplished on-grid or with other players. So that plots are less treated as the "risk free option."

And, why would a rumor about the autopsy of a body for the Physicians get out, etc, when it happens in a very private room with only a very few trusted number of people?

Sometimes you don't get a rumor that a body was brought in to the Madison to start with. Perhaps in those cases, you'd just mention there already is/was a proper rumor that hinted at something possibly going on?

[Kinaed]

I'm not sure that I agree that Guild Business is guild business only, personally. In fact, if rumors were to get out about anything, I think guild business as part of an 'organisational structure' is more likely to get out than, for example, individual plots where a single person is keeping their cards close to their chest.

I do think rumors could be problematic, but potentially the "Hook" could potentially be mandatory and visible.

[Yinadele]

I think the topic of things that would be truly secret needs to come up.

Guild investigations where people are being investigated by the Order, and people not on grid would be needed (Cardinal, whoever). Reeve investigations, etc. Letting this out in a rumor format would be either as annoying as the ones where people are liquidating and it says stuff that doesn't let anyone recognize who they actually are, or just be silly - they would have to be to not let out vital information that only the people in question might know. "I heard the Inquisition is investigating someone." Well, yeah. They always are. But, I don't think we should assume that every investigation has some kind of leak that would get out to the city as a rumor.

And, why would a rumor about the autopsy of a body for the Physicians get out, etc, when it happens in a very private room with only a very few trusted number of people?

I would say, if you intend to implement something that REQUIRES a rumor or a hook, then guild investigations would need to be left out of that. Guild investigations are guild business. If people want to know them and be involved, they should be in the guild.

Guilds are the most likely to have NPCs involved and, to my opinion, are the biggest reasons to have plots make rumors to start with.

Why would the rumor about an autopsy for a body get out? Autopsies aren't common. An excited assistant tells her sister who tells her friend! Why would an investigation get out? "An inquisitor asked my brother about someone... Scary to think." If anything, guild business using guild resources is 100% EXACTLY what is most likely to spawn a rumor. I can get some things might be irritating, but keep in mind the average joe who isn't high in a guild doesn't get much insight as to what guilds are active/doing anyways.

Rumors and leaks should exist to give some counterplay- It drives more player actions!

There are a lot of small ways to showcase activity or add flavor to events unfolding, and tangental ways to show rumors, IE hints perhaps from other NPC guildmembers on cases or causes for reaching out, etc.

[Myrella]

The problem with plots are the staff that run them.