Shadow of the West Discussion Thread

[Bêthberry]

A couple of points:

posted by Fordim:

Perhaps Bb could edit the first post accordingly. . .? *inserting the imaginary "hopeful" smilie here*

To be clear, the question that I would like gamers to answer is:

The King has been asked by several of his nobles to erect a new temple in the city to the honour of Rea. This party hopes that such a temple will help their cause to have the sky god worshipped above Rhais, the goddess of the earth.

I've also caught a spelling error in the first post. There the male sky god is identified as "Rae", but it should be "Rea" (RAY-ah).

I have made the correction to the question here, for the benefit of potential gamers, Fordim, but I will let you make any changes to the first post when you open the game thread.

Yes, that's right, Writers of the Mark. Game founders in Rohan can start the game thread, once they are satisfied everyone is ready to start the game.

On to the other point:

posted by Fordim:
While I do have some specific plot points, gamers will be expected to move the plot along themselves. The development of the game should closely resemble the Green Dragon Inn and the White Horse Inn, where gamers interactively create a story rather than passively react to events as outlined for them by the game owner. Plot twists and new developments will not only be tolerated but actively encouraged. Gamers will be asked to use the Discussion Thread to discuss possible plot developments with one another: alternately, if a gamer would like to spring a surprise on everyone else, they can contact me via PM. It is my sincere hope that the intrigues and relationships in this game will become nothing less than Byzantine in their complexity. As a consequence, gamers will be allowed and expected to take the initiative in gameplay.

I want to support Fordim's point here and encourage you all to take him up on his offer. Byzantine but of course not labyrinthian--unless of course gamers all follow Ariadne's thread.

As Fordim says, this game will live or die upon the quality of the interactions between the game players. He has specifically designed the game to allow for this and to be an intermediate level, Rohan game and I am very excited by this possibility. This is different from the kind of organising principle which the first level gaming forum, The Shire, quite rightly uses, where the game founder identifies the plot developments and the gamers simply respond to them.

Rohan gamers, however, are experienced gamers who understand plotting, character development, and interactive writing. They thus have earned more independence and responsibility--and are expected to demonstrate both. They are expected to recognise the stages and nuances of rising and falling action, helping to build up suspense or the drama of particular events as well as develope complexities of characterisation and interactions.

Gamers for "Shadow of the West" thus are expected to read closely the game posts, to attend to the cues and hooks and ideas written into the posts, and to respond to them in their own posts rather than through elaborate talk about the posts in the discussion thread (although of course such talk will still occur when the need arises, rather than routinely). This game is not like a piece of modern art, which appears meaningless or confusing without the the artist's verbal explanation. Like a good short story, it should incorporate its own meaning within itself and even the unexpected plot twists (which of course will be discussed with Fordim via PM or on the discussion thread with each other) will not be random events but will have some groundwork laid within the game itself. Reading back, we should be able to say, 'Oh, of course, why didn't I see that?' But of course, if we had, that would also defeat the fun!

In short, look to the posts! Read well and write wisely, as of course you all know how to do.

Now, to change hats and get my character's responses to Fordim's issues...