Point by point so this is very clear. And keep in mind that aisde from the bugs that are actually slowly being weeded out (I accept that financiers require release dates be met) that I actually applaud the game to date.
Point 1:
The storyline is currently being played for aproximatly only 10% of the players.
I would guestimate that at least 40% (of active players) wish to be involved and actively seek out story driven "scenes"
This being my perception I move to the next point.
Point 2:
On RK1 After Patch 13.4 there was the most perfect opportunity provided to really bring many characters into the player level storyline, or bring the storyline to those players.
The faction my Main is an executive of within OT, put forth great effort out of character for 4 hours post patch in Roleplaying the massive reprocussions of the patch and movie.
I had one simple request as someone who understands storytelling for large groups of people intimatly.
2 or 4 NPC guards (played by Members of FC staff or Advisor team to do what should have happened as the servers came up without any encouragment from the players.) Be on site of the explosion as members of the Actual Omni-Pol to secure the area of the terrorist attack so that (another NPC) an investigator from Omni-Pol or Omni Intern-Op came to investigate the scene for clues... onto point 3...
Point 3:
For 4 hours I with my character Dr. Gerry "Codeini" Ginsberg Director of Medicine for Omni Tek Emergency Responce attempted to present a realistic post attack scenario with other members of O-TER with the mistaken idea that maybe the Story staff would follow up In Game what they put so much Out of Game effort into bringing about.
Now some good things came out of it
1. Gained a new member who actually enjoyed the RP aspect of the scene.
2. For a short time added a great amount of "realism" to the story incident.
But some bad things happened... seperated into two catagories....
Cat 1: OOC View from players involved.
1: Without verifiable "Corporate" Characters to make an apearance it was viewed as a good hearted but failed attempt at roleplaying.
2: It showed to everyone that the Story staff had no intention of makeing their story arcs look plausable thus failing to lend to "suspension of disbelief"
Cat 2: IC ramifications of ooc Story staff apathy.
1: Omni-Pol looked incompetant in failing to secure the explosion site after a major breach of their own security.
2: The story released about the investigation looked like a complete lie since no one ever saw an investigation of any kind.
I never bash without provideing a solution....
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1: In the event of another story patch have some "scene" prepared when the server goes live that will continue useing characters like but not limited to "Derva" etc... Characters players can identify as being "Official" cast and thus allow themselves to enter a roleplaying mode.
2: Take the time to ask players for assistance in telling the story beyond sticking with the "Big Name Factions" (tm).
3: Make a touch more effort at putting out more "hooks" than just generalities and conjecture in which there is no way to verify or investigate like with the "Embezzelment" plot.
4: In general we are paying you to be the ST's for our Characters... and while as good players we need to provide something to you to work with... you as good ST's need to,
a. Listen to what we're provideing.
b. Bring the story to us.
I have and will continue to ignore the programming issues because I think the story here can be fantastic.
God knows I've ST'd and played many Paper and Live Action RPG's who's systems were far more broken that this one is simply because the storytellers/players/plotline were outstanding.
In closeing I will list my credits as to why I feel I have the right to say the above.
3 years as Storyteller, historywriter, plotkit designer for (unless I'm missing someone) the largest roleplaying organization in the world. With players in every EU country and thruout North America. Total worldwide membership of over 15 thousand.
And too many years (to mention here) ST/GMing multitudes of different RP systems working around their flaws to bring out great story on the small and large scale. From intimate coffee table groups of 5 friends to 150+ Member Live Action games.
FD
player of
Dr. Gerry "Codeini" Ginsberg
Director of Medicine
Omni-Tek Emergency Responce