I'll admit that I'm stealing this from another server I play on, but I think it's a really, really good idea.
The premise is this: A forum in which players can only see their own posts, and the DM team can see all posts made in them. This way the DM team can have active notes updated by the players as to what their characters are doing, and they can use these notes for NPC interactions, events, and more. On a server with this many players there is simply so much information the DM team doesn't have that is relevant to our characters. I'd love to see this added.
_________________ Gerald Edmund Discord: Metal Viking Guy #5433
Joined: 14 Dec 2009 Location: The Dark Side of the Moon
I like this idea, as long as it's limited to the main DM team. It could give them good information about characters, at a glance, that we may not want publicly known. Also like a list of accomplishments they could see, so it doesn't appear like bragging, lol, but also on the other hand, a list of faults and mistakes, and insight into the characters' persona.
There comes a point where we should just trust the dm team to do their job without bias, and limiting information like that because of trust issues simply wouldn't be productive.
_________________ Gerald Edmund Discord: Metal Viking Guy #5433
Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Location: The downeaster "Alexa"
This does sound interesting. There was an initiative similar a while back, the Reaction Index, which is where reactions towards PCs from NPC factions and groups were stored. But nothing like where the player was able to see and input things.
It might be a useful tool. Often I worry about the context my character's actions are taken in. It would be nice to be able to explain our characters "in our own words" without like Kudark said, having every other play privy to their tells, mistakes, quirks, and faults. Maybe like a private PC Stories deal?
If that is the case, I'd recommend we have some sort of format for them. Something like this would probably work better if it were kept as concise as possible and a DM could easily find relevant information about the PC. We can't expect them to read through the entirety of a PC Stories character arc in the middle of an event. Something like a series of thumbnail descriptions, with "works cited" and "further reading" links back to other forum stuff at the bottom.
_________________
You think Magic is your ally... but you merely adopted the Art. He was born in it. Molded by it. Sometimes, an angel is simply a devil with better intentions.
That's precisely the sort of thing I was talking about, the sort of forum I'm modeling from another server does exactly that.
Or at least that's what the recommendation is, since the DMs on the server i'm referring too say bluntly "it is much easier to read a concise, well formatted, and well organized post" to emphasize this. This isn't really a post for your entire background as a character with details about when their parents meant and the like, it's mostly meant to keep the team updated on what you're doing of relevance to the now and has things that they might find relevant.
_________________ Gerald Edmund Discord: Metal Viking Guy #5433
There comes a point where we should just trust the dm team to do their job without bias, and limiting information like that because of trust issues simply wouldn't be productive.
Joined: 14 Dec 2009 Location: The Dark Side of the Moon
Dead wrote:
Ah. Well maybe he meant strictly those with DM status, not developers?
Pretty much this, yeah. The OP is a great idea, I just think it should not be accessible to everyone, and should be limited to the main DM team. The Devs and Designers get a lot done, and it's greatly appreciated, I just don't see a reason they need access to private information, that we might want the DM team to be aware of, on our characters. It's not really a big deal, and I'm not trying to make it one. I was only trying to support your idea, with a bit of discretion added in.
Well, Developers don't have access to everything. We have our own forums, yes, and we're moderators of those forums and those forums only unless we're also a Moderator on the side, like Naiv. There are special cases like Faded, Terra, and Disco who are purple names and... Well, I really don't know what they can see.
So if you're worried about non-DMs reading it, I think you can rest easy. The only ones who can see super secret and private information about plots or characters are the DMs. If there's any information that we need that only DMs have access to, we get that information from the DMs themselves to get our work done.
I very nearly suggested this while I was a DM, but, uh... some of the Team was already a bit fed up with the additions I'd already made to the forums and I just didn't think it would get a yea vote. So I just never bothered bringing it up.
Ah. Well maybe he meant strictly those with DM status, not developers?
Pretty much this, yeah. The OP is a great idea, I just think it should not be accessible to everyone, and should be limited to the main DM team. The Devs and Designers get a lot done, and it's greatly appreciated, I just don't see a reason they need access to private information, that we might want the DM team to be aware of, on our characters. It's not really a big deal, and I'm not trying to make it one. I was only trying to support your idea, with a bit of discretion added in.
PS: The Devs and Designers, while they have access to their own set of forums in order to do their work on the module, have absolutely zero access to any DM privileged information. They know only waht we tell them to work on areas or monsters or changes needed.
_________________ Davion Telemos - Monk of the Four Winds Korthan Isharnos - Dragon Shaman of Thunder Spirit Zamasham
Please, for god's sake, just delete all my posts from this thread. This will be the last time I try to support an idea that I think is good.
I don't get this reaction! No one was saying your support was a bad thing!
I personally don't mind this, is the majority wants it. Makes our lives easier to keep up with all you brats <3 If you choose to submit stuff, anyways.
I'm not sure you're reacting like that. You seemed worried that non DMs have access to information about characters that was sensitive. I was just clarifying that they don't.
_________________ Davion Telemos - Monk of the Four Winds Korthan Isharnos - Dragon Shaman of Thunder Spirit Zamasham
Ah. Well maybe he meant strictly those with DM status, not developers?
Pretty much this, yeah. The OP is a great idea, I just think it should not be accessible to everyone, and should be limited to the main DM team. The Devs and Designers get a lot done, and it's greatly appreciated, I just don't see a reason they need access to private information, that we might want the DM team to be aware of, on our characters. It's not really a big deal, and I'm not trying to make it one. I was only trying to support your idea, with a bit of discretion added in.
Oh, dude we were literally on the same page. The actual DM team would be the people with access to this, no players and no developers. The dev team just makes stuff for the most part, they wouldn't need this. I just probably read your post wrong or something and got confused.
_________________ Gerald Edmund Discord: Metal Viking Guy #5433
If this existed, my character threads would be in there quicker than a hasted monk running after enlightenment...
I've been a little frightened about posting in the Tarkuul thread lately as it'd basically give away some pretty big clues about what my character is doing; it would basically ask to be meta'd from if a person was so inclined. Not that I'm accusing anyone; I just know sometimes subconsciously... We do things in our own best interests.
Essentially those topics exist as proof, thus all the annoying screenshots, of my solo RP - as the character in question does some pretty niche things, in areas you rarely see anyone. If they could exist in a little bubble where DM's could then pop in and see I'm backing up stuff with in-game actions. That'd be superb.
Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Location: Western Australia (+8 GMT)
If your character works as an agent of Tarkuul, you could get forum access. At one point I had my PC Stories for Laura in Tarkuul's faction board because I was so paranoid about people metagaming.
_________________ Elwyn Sabel - Laura Jarshall - Mordoc Ebonhand
I like this idea, because as written before it gives the players a chance to explain their character's actions in their own words. Without having to worry about things like meta-gaming, or other uninvolved parties taking note of such they absolutely have no reason knowing.
I also think this would be an awesome tool for the DMs and Players alike. It saves on trying to explain your PC every time you want to work with a DM regarding your plotlines and on the other hand it offers a resource for the DM to refer to when working with your PC.. A win, win from what I can see..
Hell you could even use it for secret requests and not have to play telephone back and forth as you PM various dm's as they request additional information
I think this is pretty neat. I always felt like my character's underlying schemes weren't really ever in the limelight, and that especially as a cleric, I could describe my overarching plan and thought process to make his loyalty better understood.
It's pretty hard to read player-character intentions when the character is specifically being deceitful to others. Especially so if he has no one else to confide in but himself.
I mean, it's more reading and work for the staff-- but honestly, I can see only good things out of this. Plus, if a player really diligently writes information about their character's thoughts, actions, desires, fears, plans-- a DM can pick that up and tailor events specifically for players.
One of the biggest struggles with perceived favoritism is that the most known and active characters get attention, right? Well, on the flipside (Without speaking too much for the staff, mind), it makes sense that these characters who are well-known receive plots that dig a little deeper into their persona. It's more fun for everyone. But it usually tends to happen to longer-established characters. Why? Because the DM's and other players simply know them better. They know more about the character, because it's been around and Rping longer.
This would give a chance for players to really thoroughly introduce their character-- and all his juicy details-- to the staff. And the staff can in turn use these details to create inspiring plots back to the players who take part.
Hell you could even use it for secret requests and not have to play telephone back and forth as you PM various dm's as they request additional information
I am personally really digging the idea, too. This is something I think should be done!
This would be so great. I would post screenshots of important rp all the time. I take screenshots a lot, because of my poor memory, and being able to store it all on the forums for DM viewing only would be fantastic.
On a less personal to me note, people could post their screenshots of say, shadowjump/flight/arcane training, etc, to give it more traction, and a record all in one place.
I've seen similar idea on server where I've played before... two biggest issues were:
Won't it be too much for DMs to read and "judge"? Won't it allow for certain people to lie away how much they actually did, when they did not?
There's a lot of things that my character is doing and planning even when I am not logged on, that it's hard to record or emphasis or constantly make emote posts about it all, and like someone mentioned, many more things I will not post because of the human nature to metagame- but they also don't warrant a PM to a DM. These pseudosecret actions then fall into a void that the DM can't account for or notice to spin a story off of it.
It's even MORE work for me to expect a DM to notice and follow all those individual's actions throughout the IC forum boards. Song of people, Caraigh life, etc.etc. It's concise to have everything one PC is doing everywhere, in one place.
They don't even really HAVE to read all of them unless the situation/subject matter arises, player goes "My PC does/wants this" and DM reaffirms... I bet DMs can be forgetful too and it would help to remind them who does what. It's literally just a record of what you do, not like the Requests forum.
***Not a DM though, and talking out my ass***
I don't understand how you think it enables people to lie?
_________________
Playing Jovianne Undon Devout of The Healer "[SocksOnFeet] Arabella Amakiir: [Talk] That girl got buns, hon. "
I've seen similar idea on server where I've played before... two biggest issues were:
Won't it be too much for DMs to read and "judge"? Won't it allow for certain people to lie away how much they actually did, when they did not?
You can also just post a screenshot of you doing it.
Also DM's have to filter through this stuff anyway, just via pm, and then post it on some super secret board in which the requester can't participate in. So you can get in these funky situations where the DM discussion thread goes off on some wild tangent or nobody asks you, as a player, what you're actually doing, and it's difficult to provide more info because you don't know exactly what it is that's being relayed to the DM team.
This suggestion fixes all of that really quickly and makes communication super clear and easy for everyone. Not to mention less work wading through PM's.
I always felt the journal area should be like that too. I mean, i still would not likely end up writing because i'm lazy, but being able to choose 'Private' for a journal entry would be nice. Heck, better still would be private with exceptions. With DMs obviously having access. Ideally id like the notes to work that way too. For example, the eccentric mage with 101 projects at various stages with post it notes all around the house. The DM should be able to see this, but also whomever else has access, such as said mage's apprentice!
This is better than just sending in a PM of said notes as it would let the player fiddle with and add to it as they wish. Feels.. fluid, i like it.
I was just mentioning some problems that might be created by this idea. I am not trying to be against it or anything, I just try to be cautious.
Blue Moon: well, I've personally experienced situation on that previous server, where 4 different major PC groups were involved into making one big worldwide event moving. Yet thanks to change of DMs, it sort of ended up that only one group got all the praise, just because their leader was all chummy with new DMs and spread IC and OOC how it was his and his faction doings. Maybe it was that DMs were bad, but it ended up that that faction got all the glory and rewards for the event and other 3 factions got some silly small rewards. It was very very demotivating. Now if I imagine, that person like that would have personal forum where there would not be even chance for other players to see what's written there... that's scary to me.
_________________ Zendaer Amattis Torgon Crimsonshade Khalid Athanalo CET time zone
I was just mentioning some problems that might be created by this idea. I am not trying to be against it or anything, I just try to be cautious.
Blue Moon: well, I've personally experienced situation on that previous server, where 4 different major PC groups were involved into making one big worldwide event moving. Yet thanks to change of DMs, it sort of ended up that only one group got all the praise, just because their leader was all chummy with new DMs and spread IC and OOC how it was his and his faction doings. Maybe it was that DMs were bad, but it ended up that that faction got all the glory and rewards for the event and other 3 factions got some silly small rewards. It was very very demotivating. Now if I imagine, that person like that would have personal forum where there would not be even chance for other players to see what's written there... that's scary to me.
Those people already have that via Skype chats with dm attendance or regular old pm's.
Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Location: The downeaster "Alexa"
I think the easiest thing here would be to make some sort of template for players to submit. That way, when a DM comes to glance at this forum, they know exactly where to look for what. The important thing is what do we as players want to tell DMs and what do DMS want to know about our PCs?
For example, a big thing for me is intentions. If you take my PC at the face value of his words and actions 100% of the time, you end up with a much different understanding of him. Which is much the point for him IC, but OoC, fuck, no, please. Additionally, there are some actions that he'll do that are less reflective upon any particular moral code and more upon some other feeling or habit. I've only had a DM give him a tiny alignment shift way way back in the day, but if it was a regular thing, he'd be in flux a great deal of the time to an outside observer.
So here's my crack at it:
Once submitted, a thread can be made on the DM forums of each submitted PC in alphabetical order, with links at the top to each name. Hopefully that will be easy enough to access during an event. If you're running an event and don't quite understand why a PC did what they did, click thread, click name, look under "Motivations" and there you go.
_________________
You think Magic is your ally... but you merely adopted the Art. He was born in it. Molded by it. Sometimes, an angel is simply a devil with better intentions.
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The only ones who can see super secret and private information about plots or characters are the DMs. If there's any information that we need that only DMs have access to, we get that information from the DMs themselves to get our work done.
