TP Design Class - FH and PHers
From FiranMUX
You say "Ok. Anyone have a tp idea they want to talk through? Cyrilla and I did that recently with some ideas for her level 4 alt to start a tp...I find that the easiest way to think through how to create a tp...can be a big huge idea....we can whittle it down to something managable." *Firan*
Orfi had several but they were all shot down at various times as unthematic.
Cyrilla says "Yes! Jessica was awfully helpful." *Firan*
Ronti says "I have problems coming up with ideas that aren't grandiose." *Firan*
Geloe says "From a FH standpoint, should we be thinking of TPs as a faction-wide thing? Or can we focus on smaller things? Before I throw out ideas." *Firan*
Kendra says "I'd still like to come up with one that's primarily for monotheist women... they don't get quite as much time in the spotliht." *Firan*
You say "As a fachead, focus on your faction, as big or small as you want." *Firan*
Jessica nods at Kendra.
Kalissa nods
Orfi nods in agreement with Ronti. "And I also have problems with limiting it to the clan. *Firan*
You say "Ask Cyrilla, we started with a HUGE idea and then carved it down to a tp sized project." *Firan*
Neoma's alt slaps Kendra's hand. Stop opening the lid of my box. My white skin can take the light! :)
Cyrilla nods! Originally it was going to be all dramatic and major and Jessica made it like... less dramatic and more minor and somehow at the same time more fun.
Cyrilla guesses this is why they made her a wizard ;)
You say "So throw out a big idea." *Firan*
Ronti looks to Kendra and Neoma. "I had a crazy idea for Hydrans in general that might be paired down to an interesting women's movement." *Firan*
Orfi would have love to have done a good old fashion dungeon crawl type TP... but how do you limit that one?
Kalissa listens with interest.
You say "Ok, Ronti...care to share it? We can work it through for someone to run" *Firan*
Cyrilla grins at Kalissa.
Kalissa smiles back at Cyrilla.
You say "Orfi, that seems easy...just ask some folks to go camping and then rp/gm it as a room tp." *Firan*
Ronti says "Well, I had this really, really crazy idea of a street preacher coming into the scene doing a Hydran cessation movement. The whole 'we are becoming corrupt by affiliating ourselves with heathens' sort of thing" *Firan*
Cyrilla says "What's a room tp?" *Firan*
Kalissa says "The True Temple is pretty unstable at the moment. I'd be very wary of introducing more conflict into that situation."" *Firan*
Ronti nods. "So what if the women did a 'keep our kids from the heathens' campaign." *Firan*
Kalissa says "It's a really fun idea though Ronti, how would you use it to bring the mono women into the spotlight?" *Firan*
Kendra ooohs belatedly at Ronti?
Cyrilla thinks you could do that with a woman character.
Neoma says "And how do you keep it from becoming just another Hydran isolationist movement?" *Firan*
Kalissa aaahs. "We have the Candles of Zutiv group run by Adeem." *Firan*
Cyrilla says "Wouldn't even have to be a priest - someone to go around convincing the women." *Firan*
Cyrilla says "She could hold a sewing circle to get things started off." *Firan*
Jessica listens a moment to the mono discussion...while explaining.
Kalissa says "No one comes to sewing circles." *Firan*
Kalissa says "Not unless you have a mini-contest and offers prizes or something." *Firan*
Alora says "If they thought there was subversion in it, I imagine that they could use a sewing circle as a pretext for a meeting." *Firan*
Cyrilla says "Hmm. yeah, they /are/ kind of boring, I guess." *Firan*
Cyrilla says "If you can somehow drop a hint something interesting is gonna happen... *nods to Alastor*" *Firan*
Alora says "If you let people know there was potential TP juice in it, I bet they'd show up." *Firan*
Kendra says "I have a few ideas, but they'd take a while to set up...." *Firan*
You say "I would think to do a typical dungeon crawl...you could invite some clans members on a camping trip and while together in a room...you could gm some basic adventures." *Firan*
Ronti says "I don't think I could do this, even as a level IV, but if one of you three want to run with this, go for it. I come up with odd ideas, I just don't seem to be able to see them all the way through at times." *Firan*
Neoma says "I suspect the problem with sewing circles is that it's really just 'sipping klah' rp under another name." *Firan*
You say "OK, so with Ronti's idea...can we talk through it to create a tp idea." *Firan*
Alora has been meaning to run more stuff out of the Childcare Center, and look at me on seriously the wrong alt to say that.
Cyrilla nods to Neoma
Neoma grins at Alora.
Kalissa giggles at Alora
Jessica grins at Alora/Malatan
Orfi just watches.
Ronti says "My other idea involves things concerning a certain best unnamed group that will /definitely/ need staff intervention." *Firan*
Alora says "But I think if people somehow got the sense that there was more to a sewing circle than, uh, yes, klah RP." *Firan*
Ronti says "Question: What is 'klah rp'?" *Firan*
Kendra shudders. Ronti, you don't want to know.
Alora says "On Pern games where you just sit in the big central cavern area and chat over klah and it's really boring and nothing happens." *Firan*
Cyrilla says "Heh. From Pern games. Basically, sitting in the dining room eating and drinking and talking about nothing." *Firan*
Ronti says "Oh. Slice of life." *Firan*
Cyrilla sips her klah. "So, did you hear Ronti and Alora shacked up?" *Firan*
Alora says "I think klah has more connotations of useless gossip about nothing than that." *Firan*
Cyrilla says "Like that. :-)" *Firan*
Alora cries. "Lies!" *Firan*
Ronti says "Hey! That happens to be some of my favorite RP at times." *Firan*
Orfi throws out an odd question. "Is there someplace online that might have plot seeds? *Firan*
You say "Mine too, Ronti." *Firan*
Cyrilla says "Well, trust us, on Pern it's boring! Anyway." *Firan*
Neoma says "A lot of Pern rp tends to boil down to 'sit in the living caverns and sip klah (pern coffee)', Ronti. :)" *Firan*
Geloe adds her own idea. "Obviously, far more OC oriented -- but, I was considering some elaborate Ocean's Eleven type heist... huge, if the entire OC is involved (but that would be awesome), but, not whole-faction if not..." *Firan*
You say "It can be boring if that is all you do...but so often here, it is...issue issue issue that you never get to do slice of life rp" *Firan*
Cyrilla says "It's because most pern games are rabid consent only, so there's no conflict, and boy are we off topic. So Ronti's idea..." *Firan*
Ronti says "And you have dragons on Pern... sheesh" *Firan*
Jessica focuses on Ronti's for now...but we can walk through some other's.
Cyrilla says "How about an older woman who invites younger women to the childcare center to give them tips on... curing common childhood ailments." *Firan*
You say "So the idea is to do another Hydran movement, getting the women involved. Which is a great idea, since the Hydran women are often...considered...well, wall flowers." *Firan*
Ronti says "Start off with using the 'examples' of certain characters who have gone down the wayward path. Think Pontius." *Firan*
Alora nods. A plot IV, you mean?
Cyrilla says "And then when they get there, she starts telling them how they really need to keep their kids away from pagans." *Firan*
Ladonna says "I like Pontius!" *Firan*
Jessica nods to Cyrilla.
Alora would probably end up really involved in something like that ICly just by nature of her/his/whatever position. Orfi throws this out as I've seen this on the alt. "Not so much Hydrans but GD women have been plotting how to manipulate the males in the clan *Firan*
Cyrilla says "If you give the character teaching and childrearing, then she can even teach childrearing 1 and maybe 2, so you've got an extra draw to pull people in." *Firan*
Kalissa listens and nods, "This sounds great, but like someone mentioned earlier, how do you top this from becoming an isolationist thing?" *Firan*
Cyrilla thought that was the idea?
Ronti says "Well how are the boys going to warrior up if they are stuck with themselves and their mothers all the time." *Firan*
Niobe says "That's what their sisters are for. Hydran at least." *Firan*
Kendra says "What about a disease?" *Firan*
Alora says "Well, we could see where the girl PCs take it, to a certain extent." *Firan*
You say "Disease was just done" *Firan*
Ronti says "And it doesn't have to be an isolationist move. More like a 'we have to keep an eye on our kids before the heathens pervert them like they did XXXXX' sort of thing. Where does one go when tradition versus nationalism occurs" *Firan*
Kalissa says "IMHO the Hydran women already seem to stick to themselves. They're pretrified to go to parties or any other social interactions." *Firan*
Ladonna says "Maybe, then, the converse should hold for a plot for them." *Firan*
Kalissa says "We have only one girl PC, as far as I know, and she's OC" *Firan*
You say "The focus is...finding a way to give a group rp...yes?" *Firan*
Niobe says "Yeah she's OC." *Firan*
Ronti says "See, I think too big at times." *Firan*
Niobe says "You could even base a Hydran plot off of the child Bess that was found near a well. Say the man wasn't Hydran who brought her here and stole all her money. He could have been a pagan. Start there." *Firan*
Ronti says "How I long for a simple 'there is a small fire in the Ticanee districts started by little tic kids who want to make their own bonfire one night'" *Firan*
Jessica nods. "Let's see what we can do with this idea... *Firan*
"Everyone Read this!"
A good TP presents a problem or dilemma to the characters and demands a simple solution. Do not railroad the players. Give them one or more "decision points" that are interesting and meaningful no matter what they choose. Decisions should lead to new situations, not dead ends. For example:
Meaningful: An Old City outcast needs your help. If you say yes, he will give you information about an imminent evil plot of a Shamibelian slave trade organization within the city but your reputation may suffer. If you say no, your reputation will be clean but the slave traders will do terrible things and it will be on your conscience!
Meaningless: An Old City outcast attacks you. If you kill him, he'll be dead (dead end). If you don't, he might kill you (dead end). You might capture him and try to make him talk (might lead to cool situations, might not).
he second situation presents no moral choice. Do you defend yourself or not? Duh, of course you do. The first situation presents a gray moral choice: help a bad person do something shady and help the greater good, or refuse to take part in any kind of wrongdoing and allow evil to continue. Of course, you could capture him and torture him, too, which is another kind of moral choice. In any case, each player gets to weigh in about their own moral choices and show their true character. The best dilemmas trigger different reactions among involved players and spark role-playing among them!
You say "While you read that, let me ask...what moral conflict can we create for Hydran Women. Something that is a grey area...not a yes or no result, but something that they have to...fret over, make a decision, that may or may not be right." *Firan*
Ronti says "Their kids" *Firan*
You say "Quick example...two babies found abandoned, twins. Moral dilemma...what to do with them, on one hand, they are babies, people..on the other they are twins." *Firan*
Kalissa says "Secular vs, the sacred." *Firan*
You say "A lot of people might struggle with that if they were faced with the decision on how to actually handle twins." *Firan*
Niobe nods. "If they're just found, you'll also have the group that will deny them being twins unless they are identicle. ;) *Firan*
Kendra ooohs. A woman could take refuge in the children's center with them.. as her babies. Or even go into labor there.
Kalissa nods, "And if both twins are boys... that puts even more spin on it." *Firan*
Jessica nods..."Nice." *Firan*
Kendra says "What if she's a pagan woman, but agrees to convert if they save her babies?" *Firan*
Kalissa ooohhhss.
Alora says "Ooooo." *Firan*
You say "See the slight difference...in the approach to the tp. Ronti's idea is a solution, forcing the PCs to do something...but taking the base idea, trying to find a dilemma in the situation...now we have a tp...where the PCs have to make a soul searching decision." *Firan*
You say "entertaining versus making them do something." *Firan*
Kendra says "as for one of the resolutions, if they kill her babies, I'd have her threaten suicide. Then you really have a moral dilemma, considering how bad that is for Firans." *Firan*
Cyrilla says "Wow, Kendra, that's a totally cool idea." *Firan*
Kendra grins. I've just got a sick mind. :)
You say "Ok, do we have a handle on it. I am assuming that Kalissa/Kendra/Ronti are interested in running this as a tp." *Firan*
Jessica saw another idea while we were starting talking about this one...so wanted to go back to it.
Kalissa nods, "I can't make the lvl IV. My timezone is too out out wack and I miss almost all of the other players. I'm usually at work now." *Firan*
Kendra would totally do that one. :)
Jessica nods..."As a Hydra Kalissa, you might also want to play...so maybe come up with a tp idea for another faction sometime." *Firan*
Kalissa smiles and nods, "Cool, that sounds great." *Firan*
You say "But remember you also can run a tp from your PC...I am trying to run on rp focused tps" *Firan*
Niobe says "You could also have it play into all those Priests coming to the True Temple. I mean people would have a sense of urgency then. What if they do something even worse and so forth." *Firan*
Ronti says "I guess I could play the 'father' of the children who is a typical 'kill all twins!... except noble ones' kind of character" *Firan*
You say "Who has most the twins, Ronti?" *Firan*
Jessica winks
Kendra hrms. Ronti could be play (my?) husband?.. *ponders*.. an abusive husband.. not beating, like Hydrans are supposed to,.. but really, really bad. That'd provide a moral conflict for the men, too
Ronti looks to Jessica. "Don't get me started... oh crud, that adds a whole new level to that tp, doesn't it." *Firan*
You say "Keep it small." *Firan*
Kalissa is imagining a wall of Hydran women surrounding the Childcare centre.
You say "You could add layers, but you certainly don't have to." *Firan*
You say "Now, remember the frameworks, follow a plotline, intro, action, conclusion." *Firan*
Kendra grins. Well, if he wanted to do it,.. I like conflict.
You say "Ok, I need an affirmative you guys feel you can take it and run...so I can move on to the next tp idea. You can hammer out the details and submit it as a tp request." *Firan*
You say "later" *Firan*
Jessica sighs and forgets why she just logged into the IB
Kendra nods. I think we three (four? Malatan?) could figure out something pretty good.
Geloe says "That conflict post?" *Firan*
Ronti says "The TP post?" *Firan*
Ronti says "It may take some interesting hammering out for that TP, but it might be interesting." *Firan*
You say "No, I had an idea I wanted to add to the staff meeting agenda. You guys just reminded me about it." *Firan*
Ronti says "'Yet Another Reason We Need To Kill Ronti'?" *Firan*
You say "Ok, who else had a tp idea. I know Orfi was talking about a good old fashion dungeon crawl, which I think is no big deal to run." *Firan*
Jessica laughs at Ronti, welllllll, now that you mention it...
Kalissa says "The OC one sounded cool." *Firan*
Kendra nodnods! A big heist sounds awesome.
Jessica looks for scrollback. One second
Geloe was thinking of the heist like this:
You say "Geloe adds her own idea. "Obviously, far more OC oriented -- but, I was considering some elaborate Ocean's Eleven type heist... huge, if the entire OC is involved (but that would be awesome), but, not whole-faction if not..."" *Firan*
Jessica finds it
Ronti says "How about doing something along the line of a fire in another district where a bunch of kids/young adults who are not Ticanee try to hold a bonfire but it goes terribly wrong." *Firan*
You say "I don't see that as a tp...but a player driven action." *Firan*
Alora makes four! Sorry, got dragged off by parents briefly.
Jessica nods to Ronti, that'd be awesome to do as a one hour tp
Geloe says "Some random NPC comes to some OC contacts (Ronti, add me to the list if you breathe a word of this to the guards)... (s)he wants something stolen, but it's in some overly secure place. Alternatively, the NPC wants some revenge on someone, but doesn't want anyone killed for it. Instead, they want oodles of mischief done." *Firan*
Ronti says "Geloe, you forget one minor detail. I'm no longer a First. ;)" *Firan*
You say "Where's the moral conflict in it Geloe?" *Firan*
Geloe says "It's less a moral conflict as a problem solving conflict. No one can be hurt in it, but an objective should be accomplished. As a moral conflict, it blows and we can move on :)" *Firan*
You say "No, it sounds like a great idea...I am trying to help with tps that are too grandiose to be handled and needs to be trimmed down." *Firan*
Geloe says "I guess I'm a bit confused as to what a TP is then. I think I need TPs for Dummies. Are we looking at situations that are moral conflicts only?" *Firan*
You say "The question is, how can you run it with little wiz intervention." *Firan*
You say "There are different types of TPs. You can do a dungeon crawl like Orfi wants to do, or for example the TP I am currently running on grid is a pure moral conflict." *Firan*
Geloe says "So, like, I shouldn't suggest stealing the Medallions... but, more look at this nameless NPC's desire for revenge in creative ways..." *Firan*
Jessica nods.
You say "Yes and ways of handling it without the PCs @911'ing" *Firan*
You say "The purpose of empowering FHs and PHers to do tps is to free wizards up to run more/bigger events." *Firan*
Geloe nods.
You say "hopefully we've been more active on that front, since we've been offloading all sorts of daily works onto the phers or eliminating it completely." *Firan*
You say "You also want a start and an end...it frustrates people when a TP either just gets dropped...or fades out. You don't want to plan a 6 month tp...think small, a specific event. Your idea is good, Geloe." *Firan*
Jessica grins at Ronti
You say "If you want help in hammering it out, grab some folks to brainstorm ideas...but not folks who could get involved." *Firan*
You say "I don't want to spend the time hammering out details, but pushing folks in the right ideas with their tp suggestions." *Firan*
Niobe only has a strange prankster tp thing that really has no point other than to um... amusement. You say "Any other ideas?" *Firan*
You say "What is it Niobe?" *Firan*
Kendra has some wiggling in the back of her head.
Geloe says "I also need to actually schedule my OC Olympics. Feh. *nods* I will. Right now, my issue is coming up with a mark that's important enough to generate interest, but not so big that it'll cause all sorts of headaches with 911s." *Firan*
Ronti says "We can always start a non-violent Drik movement. 'We just want to worship like the law says we could!'" *Firan*
Kendra likes that one, Ronti.
Jessica grins at Ronti, let's leave that to the PCs for the moment :)
Alora says "Like the Cylon sympathizers on BSG." *Firan*
Alora says "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE" *Firan*
Geloe says "Ronti. What did we say about game breaking. *smush*" *Firan*
Neoma says "Nevermind the lion chewing on your butt." *Firan*
Niobe grins. "Just a person that breaks into houses at night and doesn't steal anything. All they do is leave honey in peoples shoes. Mainly silk slippers as it'll likely ruin them. Leads to people muttering ICly about lost good slippers, boots etc. It was really just a silly thing I thought up the other day." *Firan*
Kendra says "I like one that some of us were batting around ages ago... pretending to be priests of a new God." *Firan*
Ronti says "The dilemma being 'what do you do with a bunch of drikkists who don't break the law, kill only animals like the Srennians do, yet worship the god of hatred and destruction'" *Firan*
Neoma says "Maybe they aren't pretending. Maybe they really believe it." *Firan*
Kendra says "Purely for extortion purposes.. but the moral conflict is that this God preaches all of their vices. He/She/It encourages bacchanalia and hedonism." *Firan*
Geloe loves honey in shoes.
Kendra grins. When we were brainstorming, it was all faked, for extortion.. they charge, you see, to enter their 'prayer festivals'
Jessica grins at Niobe..."There is a ending to that...getting arrested. *Firan*
Jessica grins at Kendra..."That'd be fun too...but might bee too big. *Firan*
You say "Story arching." *Firan*
Geloe says "No, Niobe's would 'bee' too big." *Firan*
Geloe says "Thank you! I'll be here all night." *Firan*
Niobe says "Yeah. But the chase is half the fun. Not to mention for some reason I figured they could do it covered in mud wearing only a loincloth. Would be fun to get caught in the act wearing only that. Ha!"" *Firan*
Ronti says "Belik did that and... oi" *Firan*
Ronti says "The whole b&E and taunting thing" *Firan*
Ronti says "No, not belik.. what was that character's name" *Firan*
You say "The craved dragon guy?" *Firan*
Ronti says "Yep" *Firan*
Jessica played him for awhile.
Ronti says "Did I get to interrogate you?" *Firan*
You say "Belibi" *Firan*
Ronti says "That's it!" *Firan*
You say "Nope." *Firan*
Jessica never got caught
Ronti says "Anyway... simple TP ideas so far: a twin conflict concerning Hydrans and what else?" *Firan*
You say "Prankster, Heist, Dungeon crawl" *Firan*
Alora thinks.
Jessica wants to talk down some grandiose ideas...
Ronti says "Prankster: An elikian, to honor his god, plasters the city with silly pictures of the clan council. Nothing nefarious, but definitely satirical in nature." *Firan*
You say "See, good and small...end goal, to get arrested...or celebrated :)" *Firan*
Ronti says "B&E takes too many skills for a level IV." *Firan*
Kendra says "oh! I still want to do Firan penthouse." *Firan*
Alora says "Do what?" *Firan*
Geloe says "I don't want some bobble headed doll caper." *Firan*
You say "penthouse?" *Firan*
Kendra says "you get a small group of people who get together. They draw up "naughty" illustrations. (It can just be desced as naughty, nothing graphic needed) and distribute them" *Firan*
Ronti facepalms. "Can I play Larcius Flintius?" *Firan*
Kendra giggles. You make the first couple free, an then start a 'subscription'... and when you charge, you do illustrations of, say, Fiddy.
You say "Doesn't sound like a tp" *Firan*
Alora says "Ho ho ho." *Firan*
Kendra says "the goal would be to get them outlawed, and get arrested. And see who gives in to temptation." *Firan*
You say "If there are no more ideas...did I help with giving you a better idea of how to design a tp?" *Firan*
