ATM II Planning/Discussion Thread

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Originally Posted by Celuien

Lost Angles is indeed Mordor's own spoofy version of Los Angeles. But its name is Lost Angles, not Los Angeles. Just like it's Mal-in-Bu, not Malibu, Rode-o Drive, and not Rodeo Drive, Fallen Arches Mall instead of the Fallbrook Mall, etc.

Better?

Not really. But I'll take your word for it. I'm not familiar with american landmarks and such. What's next? Small Jim instead of Big Ben?

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba

Not really. But I'll take your word for it. I'm not familiar with american landmarks and such. What's next? Small Jim instead of Big Ben?

That's okay... neither are we.

And you know... Small Jim... I like it.

[Celuien]

Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba

Not really. But I'll take your word for it. I'm not familiar with american landmarks and such. What's next? Small Jim instead of Big Ben?

Sorry. I used to live in LA, so I know the stuff there.

I like Small Jim too.

[littlemanpoet]

I swear, Mount Zoom had better NOT be going to Small Jim. On the other hand, that would send it right next door to Caer Pairadocks, so that wouldn't be all bad either. Would you like that better, Hookbill? Gorgoroth and the north of Mordor is generally American and the entire Nurnien plane is both British and, well, vaguely Narnian.

[Celuien]

Umm. About my reference to Dr. Dream in that save. That's completely unrelated to Elempi's dream analysis on the BD dreams thread, other than my borrowing the name from the thread for convenience of explaining what I'm up to and that there will be interpretation going on. Just a dream interpreter, who may or may not be accurate.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Small Jim may be making an appearance soon.
I have a few plans developing.

Just need some clarity before I go ahead...

Where are the Blue Wizards at the moment? Do we know what they are up to?

[Anguirel]

We don't know, and no.

Same as usual really...

But Hookbill, the Blue Istari are the Big Threatening Mysterious Evil Menace in this RP. Please don't make them into...oh, I don't know...drunken French wine salesmen who are the mainstays of Uncloakers Anonymous, or something similar...

EDIT: Oh, and is anyone going to respond to my start on this trade sub-plot?

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Originally Posted by Anguirel

Please don't make them into...oh, I don't know...drunken French wine salesmen who are the mainstays of Uncloakers Anonymous, or something similar...

... erm... what would ever have made you think that?


(They're on to me!)

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

*points to Anguirel*

Yes. Listen to him. It's not that we have a conspiracy going on or anything but he knows more than what's good for him.
Try to keep the Blue Wizards out of skylarks.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Well, I hope my post can be a compromise; my little idea for them is dismissed as a mad man's conspiracy theory.

Who knows... maybe it's true!

[Celuien]

Save filled.

[littlemanpoet]

I got the Mountain moving. I hope that's okay? I do believe everybody but Panakeia is aboard? If not, I most certainly can fix.....

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Everybody please refrain from posting until you hear from me again.

Thank you.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Count this as hearing from me again.

I gathered information last night and organized it in a very clear way that was much upsetting. Which is why I paused the game until I could work a few things out.

A very brief glimpse of our co-writers's lives right now shows busy work, busy lives, business with school and with friends, Internet-less extensive travel, real life emergencies, conflict that makes writing hard.

These issues are not limited to individuals, but have come up with us all. They are just a few examples of my concern.

It appears to me that very few of us (certainly less than the majority) have the time and ability right now to dedicate themselves to this story. I would not see it tangent away from itself due to characters falling into shadow at their masters' absence. I would not see the story stagnate into ruin.

My proposed solution is that, until we can all get ourselves into an order better in which to participate, we kill the game. September or October seem a good time to bring it back.

This is where you guys come in. I want responses, and I want them honest.

If we put the game on hiatus until we can sort our lives into something conducive to writing, will we lose interest in the game? Will it be possible to stop the game and restart it, as a team working together, with a better ability to participate, later on?

Or, will the coma that I want to put it in slip into a silent death while we attend to other things?

Please answer. I prefer the idea of simply stopping the game until we can give it the attention that it deserves. What do you think? Will it help, or will it hurt?

[the guy who be short]

I posted before but it didn't appear. Alas.

I posted to the effect of: I can be dedicated from probably Wednesday to Mid-September.

You should draw up a timetable of when people will be absent. If there is not too much conflict, coma can be avoided.

Coma will probably lead to death as we will have to get back into character after months.

[Kath]

Fea, right now I have more free time and net access than I will after September, as I will (hopefully) be starting at university in mid-September, which is likely to take up a rather large amount of time.

As for taking a long break, I'm not sure it would be such a good idea. As TGWBS said it's hard to get to know a character again after such an absence.

I think the reason the game is stalling a little is that we're not entirely sure of what we're doing. Getting an agreement on trade? Ok, but Ang's post pretty much summed up the whole meeting.

But if everyone thinks we'd benefit from a break then it's alright with me, though we might have to restart nearer October if you want posts from me!

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Well, as anyone who has seen the 'How Long' thread will know, I have very little on my plate these days and spend much of my time on the Downs. September, however will be the worst time for me for three reasons:

1) I will be starting University.
2) This includes a trip to Wales in the early days of September and
3) The course I am taking will require a LOT of my time and concentration.

However, I'm sure the thread will go on splendidly (if not better) without me. If the final decision is to re-schedule it until September then I'll have to pull out, I'm afraid.

Also, the Mount Zoom challenge offers in incite into the badness of a pause. After the pause it seems that most players (including myself) found it hard to get back into it. So far it has begun to stagnate, but we shall see what we shall see.

[Formendacil]

As with the (thus far spoken) majority, I've got a good deal more time on my hands now than I will in mid-September- and I agree with the Lady Kath that the main issue is that none of us really has any clue where to go with negotiations, or how to make them interesting.

That said...

Although I will have less TIME to be online come mid-September, I think it might serve me better to start again then, because while my time is definitely going to be more limited, I think and hope that it will be more REGULAR. August, in any event, is going to be a horrid month for regular internet access between family events, packing, a week-long trip out of the country, and getting settled in at college.

So I'm in favour of a delay.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by the guy who be short

You should draw up a timetable of when people will be absent. If there is not too much conflict, coma can be avoided.

Will do. If everybody could let me know?

I can start by saying that my availability from July 24th until September 4th is severely limited. LMP has agreed to keep an eye on things for me, but it means that there will be next to no writing from Alli, Roggie, or Malfoidacil (I'm carrying him until Ang returns). It also means that Illamatar won't be cameoing any time soon.

It also means that, based on this:

Originally Posted by Kath

I think the reason the game is stalling a little is that we're not entirely sure of what we're doing.

the game will stall that much more since I won't be around to answer the questions that you guys haven't actually asked.

If we can sort out all of your questions in the next week so that everybody has a clear idea of what's going on, I'll rethink killing the threads.

But you have to ask them. I can't read minds.

[Kath]

Ok, the final aim of this is to have Roggie and Mardil agree a treaty so that inhabitants of Mordor aren't escaping into Gondor and that no anakronisms are leaking out, yes?

So, if all the negotiators are sitting down at a table together and trying to work it out, do we all actually want it to work? The problem I'm having is that we could have this finished in a week, I can't work out where the drama is.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Ok, the final aim of this is to have Roggie and Mardil agree a treaty so that inhabitants of Mordor aren't escaping into Gondor and that no anakronisms are leaking out, yes?

Exactly. And quite honestly, you really don't have to worry about that, because if it comes down to it, we can spend the entire game accomplishing nothing but self-made adventures and have it end with Mardil and Roggie getting bored, sitting down together, and working out a treaty without any of their negotiators involved. I actually like this plan a lot, to be honest.

do we all actually want it to work?

Probably not. Where's the fun of actually getting things done? You're politicians, loves. Everybody knows that they never accomplish anything important.

The problem I'm having is that we could have this finished in a week, I can't work out where the drama is.

What I want you guys to do is work together to create the drama. There is unlimited potential for it. If you guys want, you can totally ignore Alli and go off and do things that have nothing whatsoever to do with the instructions that she gives them. As long as you work together and weave a plausible story out of your plans. Hyarmenwe having a daughter somewhere in Mordor? He could go on a quest to find her. Heck, have him bring Maika along on the quest. Smilog and Tollin can be bodyguards. Skittles could take advantage of her warlordessness and wage a fully fledged war on slugs that the entire country gets involved in. Aime and Malfoidacil are caught up in their own subplots that you can weasel out of them and take part in. See what I mean? Take advantage of the possibilities, just work together to do it.

This isn't my game, it's our game. Yes, I have say in how it ends and there are a few things that I hold sacred (the blue wizards shouldn't be messed with is pretty much the only one), but you guys are writing it more than I am.

The middle of the game, between "We need a treaty" and "Holy cow, we actually have one!" is fluid, created so that you guys get to write the story how you want it. If I wanted the story the way I wanted it, I'd have written a novel by myself.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Pax Vobiscum says:
But mostly, I think we think that we're supposed to be negotiating.

Pax Vobiscum says:
It was never clearly stated that negotiations are only an excuse for parodic fun.

Viê Revant says:
and here i'd assumed that it was understood as such...

Viê Revant says:
i'll fix that

---------------------------------------------------------

[littlemanpoet]

I'll have as much time as I need for ATM2 because I'm in the process of whittling down my involvement to ONLY rpgs that I'm already a part of. So when doesn't matter to me.

Here's my view on what WE CAN DO, and is based on what some of us have been doing:

Anakron and Panakeia have a built in plot to follow, based in who they are. We know our characters well.

Diamond has a very clear idea of who Skittles is, and thus her character has a lot of focus.

Hookbill has a clear idea of what gets Smilog going (or its opposite), and has done a rather good job of surrounding Smilog with sub-characters that help Smilog be Smilong to the greatest effect.

You guys might find it really, really helpful to figure out what it is that motivates your characters, and also give them whatever sub-characters set them off the best.

Anakron has Panakeia for angst value (who is thankfully written by someone else), and Lugnut for comic relief (of a sort).

To sum up, I can keep going now, and stand in for Feanor with the general idea that we'll be able to kind of wave the magic wand and do all the negotiating we need in short order when we're good and ready to, and in the meantime, let your characters romp with the anakronisms. Or, I can wait and start back up later; I know my character. In the interests of most of the players, it seems like maybe it ought to keep going now....

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

Hookbill has a clear idea of what gets Smilog going

Now if only I knew WHERE he was going.

I have to agree that it seems to be going okay at the moment. Most people seem to know their characters well and the writing is of a very high standard. Personally, it did take me a while to get into the swing of the character. Looking over the posts made and comparing the older to the newer I can see that the first few were a bit, well, lacking compared to the more recent as, even though it was a character I had given a lot of thought to before the game began, it did take a while to get into the swing of writing for him and finding a style that suited him.

But I have noticed that some of those who came over from ATM1 still had something of a knack for their characters even after the break from 1 to 2. (Not sure how long that break was, actually). I think it all depends on the individual writers and how they feel they can react to a stop in writing. Its always hard to start writing again after a pause from, say, a writer's block and I can see this pause causing similar problems.

Yet, the decision is not mine and I'll have to go along with the final one if it suites more players.

[Formendacil]

... but I'll repeat myself again here- for posterity's sake.

I do still prefer the wait. One less thing in August is just that: one less thing. And I know that I won't be able to play with as much regularity or enthusiasm as I'd like.

That said, if the majority wants to go ahead, and Fea's willing to allow them- that's fine with me. One speaks of getting to know characters well... and I know Hyarmenwë, and would love the chance to get to play with him more freely.

And you speak so appropriately of subcharacters, LMP... As I was talking to Fea on MSN earlier, I found myself with one in mind (one I would NEVER put into an RPG other than this...). So I can definitely work up some enthusiasm, if we decide to go ahead.

But, to repeat, I'd RATHER we took the break. It'd smooth the transition so.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba

Yet, the decision is not mine and I'll have to go along with the final one if it suites more players.

The decision is not mine, either. For a [very] short time I considered it more mine than others, but I remembered that, really, it's not. This is our story. If you guys are comfortable writing without me, and able to write well in this time frame, then by all means, please do.

LMP described it beautifully with

we'll be able to kind of wave the magic wand and do all the negotiating we need in short order when we're good and ready to, and in the meantime, let your characters romp with the anakronisms

------------------------------------------

It would appear that right now, we've got

Pro-Continuation: TGWBS, Kath, Hookbill

Pro-Coma: Form

Adaptable: LMP, Celuien, Diamond, Lhuna

------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by Marty

As I was talking to Fea on MSN earlier, I found myself with one in mind (one I would NEVER put into an RPG other than this...).

I want to see this character more than you can possibly believe.

[littlemanpoet]

I must admit that I had a bit of a writer's block with Anakron, expecting him to do little more than sit around and watch a lot, as my first post(s) indicate(s), and then have a blow-out with Panakeia, and that would be it; then the idea of the Anakronism Dweomer's evil suddenly struck me, and suddenly Anakron had a motivating force. So maybe a break was a little tough, but not insurmountable once I found the motive. And the break lasted from March to June.

[Celuien]

I'm flexible with regard to scheduling. Panakeia's motivation should be obvious. And I have the outline for where the Anakron and Panakeia saga is heading.

[Diamond18]

As far as the break -- I could handle it either way so I will go with what the majority wants. As far as my own personal schedule, it'll be the same in September as it is now. I don't foresee any trouble on my own part with getting back into character after a break of a couple months (I do it all the time in my personal non-RPG writing) but if others have that concern I respect their feelings about their characters. At this point in the story it's kind of hard to write a Skittles post because she's not really one to sit around negotiating. But as Fea suggested, she can go off and cause random madness on her own. So as long as I have permission I can come up with something.

After reading the responses here it seems to me that we're not going to find a time in the near future where everyone's schedules and creative inklings converge.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Diamond18

After reading the responses here it seems to me that we're not going to find a time in the near future where everyone's schedules and creative inklings converge.

Which seems to me to mean that we're just going to have to work our way through distractions and diversions.

Which works. My main reason for suggesting a hiatus was because it appeared that you guys needed one. Since I've been corrected that it's more that you don't know what you can and can't do, I need to rectify it.

"Negotiations" are simply an excuse for parodic adventures taking place between cultures. Stiff-necked Gondorians and crazy Mordorians working together.

Though they may solve absolutely none of the things Alli asks of them (and I'm totally okay with that), hopefully by the end of the game, through whichever adventures you come up with, they will have formed bonds that will make them want the countries to work together.

Di, you have my permission to wreak whatever havoc you want, so long as you okay it with everyone else.

Toss ideas back and forth with each other.

Originally Posted by LMP

You guys might find it really, really helpful to figure out what it is that motivates your characters, and also give them whatever sub-characters set them off the best.

I agree. Think of what motivates your character and where you want your character (literally and figuratively) to end up at the end of the story. And then write them a story that does it.

My only condition is that you guys work together.

Oh, and that you don't bring the Blue Wizards into it.

[Kath]

Then we shall continue! Or at least, if everyones ok with that. I don't want to stop now I know the basic idea, it certainly could lead to some fun

Cheers for clearing it all up Fea

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

Oh, and that you don't bring the Blue Wizards into it.

Um, they've kinda been sub-characters for Anakron, you know, sort of in control of his powers and what-not, and they're quite likely to intervene in his attempts to escape from being Grand Anakronist. Do I need to change my plans?

[Lhunardawen]

I'm sorry. I wanted, really wanted to post after Ang did, but as Kath and Form said I really don't know where to take things. All the while I was under the impression that our characters existed to make peace between Roggie and Mardil so I wasn't too keen about bringing up subplots that might seem too irrelevant or unimportant. But thanks for making it clear, Fea. If I can manage today I might finally post the crazy thing I had in mind...

I have no problem with regards to time and availability; I was just really stuck, unable to come up with anything. So place me with the rest of the flexible people.

Originally Posted by Fea

Hyarmenwe having a daughter somewhere in Mordor? He could go on a quest to find her. Heck, have him bring Maika along on the quest.

Hmm.

[the guy who be short]

Are we continuing then?

I'm free from now til the end of July.

I'm very busy from late July through to mid September.

Then I'm relatively free.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

We're continuing with the understanding that you must work together to create your own story.

Also with the understanding that my availability is soon to be limited and that LMP is "in charge" while I'm gone.

PS: Ang's not around, so it's probably a good idea not to rely too much on Malfoidacil.

[littlemanpoet]

I posted last, so who wants to give this thing a kick-start?

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Not me. On the nose.*touches nose*

[Lhunardawen]

I will take it.

I will take the RPG somewhere, but I'm sure we'll all be lost when I do.

No, seriously now, my post shall have absolutely nothing in response to Anguirel's previous post, and might even make things more muddled. But there's some sort of export involved, I assure you. I'll be filling in my save tomorrow - I hope.

EDIT: On second thought...

Violent reactions are welcome.

[Formendacil]

Having had my dear sister point out that Alli has already left the room, I've changed my post so that it is now Skittles who tells Hyarmenwë he's been overly long-winded.

In case anybody cares...

[littlemanpoet]

I gotta say, Hookbill, anakronisms are one thing; rolling mountains and flying cities? If everybody else is cool with them, so be it; but they're not really anakronisms so much as pure fantasy, ya know?