Story for webpage

From: Archantes
Date: 2002-03-16 09:06:52

There has been discussion that it would be nice to have a story of some kind in the majik3d page, which has regular updates, like a journal of a traveller or something as interesting.

The story could get people intersested and make them start to regularly follow the development. And the main page looks a kind of dead with all the 'updated 103 days ago' things there..

Some of you webmasters, what would you say? Is it something we could add there?

And if we see this idea practicable, we can start gathering ideas for the story to this thread. We can write it alternately so no one has to put too much time for it.

From: Archantes
Date: 2002-04-09 23:20:33
In-Reply-To: 1146

This seems a bit hard to arrange. Maybe we should stay in the original plan and just write a novel based on the majik world, as we see it now.

Strong economy system, traders legendary tales, gods, heroes, different cultures, knights.. all that medieval atmosphere.

It is fact that the picture we give to the players will guide their play. If we say that it is a medieval world, they'll make one.

We can always add the roleplay later. For now it might look like the majik is almost dead.. let's do something about it.

So, anyone there willing to show his talents as a novellist?

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-03-25 09:05:39
In-Reply-To: 1146

Come on lets wake this thread up again :}

So does anyone want to be in charge of organizing the RPG session? I'm always too busy to organize it, but I'll be one of the four active role-players.

Come on guys lets make this thing work.

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-03-16 09:28:23
In-Reply-To: 1146

Good idea, I probably would like to add to it.

From: Takomtor
Date: 2002-03-16 17:15:59
In-Reply-To: 1148

:)

Is it going to be one of those kids plays, where everyone writes a short piece of text and then the pieces are put together to form a funny story????

Well, anyway I would be glad to contribute, especially if we are allowed to keep it slightly humourous. (Well, nothing too far off, but something else than "I woke up, chopped some woods, killed some orcs, ate some food, got mail and went shopping...)

From: Archantes
Date: 2002-03-16 17:24:39
In-Reply-To: 1164

Humor sounds good :D

So, first we need the main character. Give me something.

From: Takomtor
Date: 2002-03-16 17:39:11
In-Reply-To: 1168

I would say that the main character needs to be a tavern owner (or like), since they get to see all these interesting people and hear all the stories.

This would also make it easier to write "episodes" since less continuous plot would be needed. Only the character personality and surroundings would be kept the same, also along time there might be some "regulars" like the master woodcutter Tim Two Fingers, who would need special assistance while drinking his ale (after all it IS hard to grasp that huge pint with so few tools... story of course would leave out, how Tim makes his living nowadays).

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-03-17 10:06:23
In-Reply-To: 1170

How about Baatendaarr the Bartender, a bartender that refuses to drink his own drinks that he makes, but is willing to drink from other taverns.

Tim Two Fingers, hmm nice name

From: raeky
Date: 2002-03-17 10:17:45
In-Reply-To: 1194

don't make his name sound like his profession.

Zimula the Bar Maid
Golgua the Bartender
Kidra the Prostitue

as examples.

From: raeky
Date: 2002-03-17 10:19:09
In-Reply-To: 1194

tim two fingers souonds like a 1940's mafia name... lol...

From: Archantes
Date: 2002-03-17 13:00:13
In-Reply-To: 1194

Now we have Baatedaarr and Tim Two Fingers. How about adding the local merchant, Grenar, who hears tales too, and then Baatedaarr and he both tell stories, and better teller gets a free ale. (Of cource Baatedaarr never drinks it, so Grenar actually wins each time)

So we could have Tim Two Fingers and some others that comment the stories told and so on.

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-03-18 09:12:13
In-Reply-To: 1202

No, I don't like the name Baatendaarr. It was a stupid suggestion. Lets think of another name.

From: Takomtor
Date: 2002-03-17 14:38:02
In-Reply-To: 1202

Huh, :) Raeky was not too far off with his remark about fourties mafia. It tried to be an off-beat example... hmm, guess I need to keep on writing bit more with you guys... so you'll know when I'm pulling someones leg. Now, let me think where I'm going to drag my next victim - freezer is stuffed already.

These professionals could meet in a local "tradeunion" lounge - Chit Chat etc. Giving this feeling of happenings and organizations, city bustling activities. Wannabe players wouldn't have traditional fantasy RPG image in their heads.

From: raeky
Date: 2002-03-18 09:40:43
In-Reply-To: 1219

thats what i said.. refer back to previous posts. heh

From: Takomtor
Date: 2002-03-18 11:33:02
In-Reply-To: 1222

We are all just in an idea free fall :)
Let's get back to the names when we actually have
something on a paper (screen)

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-03-18 14:29:03
In-Reply-To: 1228

How about get four to six regulars, to write the story and each one can have their own character, that would keep the chars in character because everyone would know how their own charcters act. Another thing is, why don't we have annual RPG sessions, in the chat? Then we can roleplay our characters and then adapt a story from the RPG session.

From: Archantes
Date: 2002-03-18 16:33:57
In-Reply-To: 1233

That sounds good, but might be diffucult to arrange.

And to reply for previous: Yup, we might add the names later.

From: namhas
Date: 2002-03-18 16:39:01
In-Reply-To: 1237

We actually tested playing pen & paper RPG in Majik3. It worked all well. With some tools it would be a little easier or if taking all exp making and complicated rules out of way.. Or perhaps if delegating handling of player data to themselves.
Anyways, there's one little problem: It is hard to find time when everyone would be online at same time and have few hours to spare.

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-03-19 09:19:49
In-Reply-To: 1239

yes take out all skills and exp, just have a GM tell the players what they can do and can't. We'll just have freeform RPG

We just need to have four regulars who will agree on a time to do it, and other people can just drop in and RP when they please.

From: Archantes
Date: 2002-03-19 15:22:55
In-Reply-To: 1253

So it would be like this:

We have a GM (namhaas...) who arranges a RP session in majik 3, and we have, say, four regular storytellers (players) who, hmm do what? Should the game actually be in an inn, where the players tell their stories or should we play a story first and then get to inn, or simply play the story and after that write it to legend for webpage?

I could be one of those who play, but I have only limited resources. Time and money. But I could try to arrange something.. This is getting interesting.

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-03-20 12:29:22
In-Reply-To: 1258

of course it is a good idea, I always have good ideas. And that was a good idea to start a story for the webpage, Arch.

we should have maybe two players who own and work in the inn. The other two could be regular patrons of the inn. And other people who drop in can be travelers telling their stories.

From: Archantes
Date: 2002-03-20 22:47:52
In-Reply-To: 1275

Or is it a bit diffucult to just create a story. Or maybe not.. that is something we are doing all the time.. ;)

But it could be more interesting if we tried to roleplay one story first and then gather to an inn to talk about it.. Like some adventure, with three to four people involved as a 'party' or something alike.

They were three traders on their way home. The wind blowed soft when they sailed across the green sea. But one night they saw a storm approaching, and next morning they did not know where they had landed - and where was the boat with all food.

From: Archantes
Date: 2002-03-25 19:53:53
In-Reply-To: 1349

Agree to that ;)

I can try to get some time to take part to story.

Namhaas.. you have any time to organize things?

From: Takomtor
Date: 2002-03-26 07:47:09
In-Reply-To: 1358

Lately I have had terrible problems with my internet connection... so much latency that even reading email can be described with the word - pain.

I doubt, I can take part to an online event. However, I am putting together a character for possible short stories.

Remember to keep stories and RPG sessions simple. All the actions in these novels should be such that they are possible to realize in the game world.

So... no horseback riding, if there is none in the game.

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-03-26 08:48:38
In-Reply-To: 1365

Why no horseback riding? are we not going to implement it later?

if we only used things that majik has currently, all the characters would be male and baldheaded, and the land would be very empty

From: Archantes
Date: 2002-03-26 10:04:46
In-Reply-To: 1366

The fact is that we will never know where majik may end up.. We can add features now unbelieveable in the future, who knows.. so I see no reason to limit the RPG itself.

From: Takomtor
Date: 2002-03-29 07:34:44
In-Reply-To: 1369

If the RPG is generally free flowing as the next, then what is the point to bring it to the majik world? Story should develop with the game, to give simplistic view about the game.

Im afraid that these RPGs have nothing special and just follow the pen and paper tradition. Why don't we create a history for the world as we play?

I think that having these all bald male characters would be a hilarious start, that later works as a reference for new players. Also this would give new light for the game development as necessary skills should be add for more complex game play.

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-03-30 09:12:46
In-Reply-To: 1389

It also limits what happenes in the RPG and the story. No one wants to read about a bunch of bald headed people who walk around a grey landscape occasionaly saying moo and other senseless words.

The whole reason we want the story is so people can get a sense of what majik will become, not what it is now. Some code that bunch of Finnish people spouted when drunk :}

From: Takomtor
Date: 2002-04-01 11:28:52
In-Reply-To: 1396

But as of now we don't know what Majik will become, so all the role playing stories will be flawed anyway. If the players read nice stories about going seafaring and flying and riding horses, taking part in tournaments... when they come to the game and find such features nonexistent, they will instantly forget the whole game. As of now, the only "selling" argument of the game is that it will be free.

Now, would it work, if these 4 players would go to the game engine and start to fool around there... Escorted by the faint glimmering of ambient lighting engine - Frank and Frank and Frank and Frank - The bald brothers headed for the strangely curving landscape in the undefined distance.

This would then turn into adventure story that would elaborate. In a same manner the history of the game world would be written.

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-04-01 17:21:55
In-Reply-To: 1410

are you trying to tell me that we are not going to have seafaring and riding horses? the whole point of the story is to get people intrested in what the game will look like

From: Takomtor
Date: 2002-04-02 09:52:59
In-Reply-To: 1412

I'm only telling that hype is bad. There has to be clear division between the general story that bases to the game universe (at the same time creating it) and the story that gives an impression for a potential player.

At the moment, I don't know any game (MMORPG) that actually provides relevant info for player and let's people take their time to decide if they like the game or not. It's always about read the FAQ and quickly gimme your credit cardnumber.

While we don't charge any beans, we still stuff those wannabeMajikcharacters with overly optimistic lists of features etc.

Majik has been in development for so long that it is in danger to become a compendium of stories, which create a whole different world than the reality is. This, however, is fine... rich back-end mythology creates the in-game mood and atmosphere. The bad thing in it is that many of those promises that are several years old are not any closer to completion.

So, I would say that realistic RPG in-game stories would be an ideal media to communicate the progress of development.

General RPG game stories (basin Majik) should state with big letters that it is just developers imagination here that is flying.

And then there are the stories that take part in Majik's history.

Then there is the phenomena of player written stories that try to create a nice history for the player's character etc. This is the best way to hype the game... atleast when it finally comes out of initial development.

All of these story forms are having rather distinct purpose. Please, no more hype.

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-04-02 10:22:43
In-Reply-To: 1414

it's not hype. Ok so you said each of those stories serves a ditinct purpose? correct? So We will use the "General RPG game stories" this is the one with developers imagenation flying around. We are not writing the story for the hardcore fans that check the site everyday for updates. But the person who comes in maybe once a week or once a month to see what is new. The stories you keep trying to get us to make are going to be very boring for the reader but fun for the writer to come up with something other than walking around looking for a decent hair growing cream.

From: sweatshop
Date: 2002-04-08 01:51:57
In-Reply-To: 1415

I think developing the history of majik would be a good idea for these rping sessions. Not only would it create some more interesting stories than what zaxim described in the previous post, but it would allow us to bring some 'flesh and skin' to the 'skeleton' of Majik history that we have now in the worldbook. Of course, we wouldn't want to give away every secret of history (what's the point of libraries and such then), but a detailed description of certain events in history, which we will describe in the role play, could be made available on the website in chronological order, (each person taking on many different roles throughout history) up until the release date, when players can begin writing 'history' themselves.


Comments?

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-04-10 22:21:05
In-Reply-To: 1425

So you guys don't want to do the RPG thing?

From: Nahl_Shadore
Date: 2002-04-11 02:41:12
In-Reply-To: 1427

hmm....it really all depends.........using an RP session as a base for the writer can be useful (read lots of good books that use this), but it depends on he style of the writer. not everyone can write a story based on a plot already given, they have to make it their own way.

on the other hand, there was talk of having it as a "traveler's journal" thing, which would benefit greatly from the RP...but again, I think you should experiment a bit, see if it works

also, if someone attempts to write on the world, but we feel that they're missing something crucial about the atmosphere, having a couple of RP sessions (with the writer and a few others) might help get things straight for everyone

just my 2.12846717492 cents

From: Zaxim
Date: 2002-04-11 08:34:16
In-Reply-To: 1428

hmmm, you have summed it up very well.

that's 2.1 cents for you people who are easily overwhelmed by big numbers