Hey, all.
After reading Malkyto's post in the 10/01 show thread, it came to mind that there haven't been a lot of long-term rivalries/feuds/storylines/etc. in the fed. The ones that I have seen have been great (DTJ & Playboy for one, and in all humility, mine and Jade's this past season), but I think there could be much more done.
Most of the RP's I've seen (and done myself, so I should know) are reactive - that is, the RP goes up once the matches for the card are announced. Now, granted, this doesn't by definition mean they're inferior. On the contrary, most of them are quite good. This post isn't about quality of RP; it's about quantity.
There are so many good RP'ers in this fed and so many potential stories that we could rule! So I took it upon myself to lay down some tips for those of you who either a) don't know how to RP, 2) know how to RP but only take the reactive route, or iii) want to set up a huge storyline but don't know where to start.
Who am I to make such a pretentious offer? I've been a member of two feds (counting this one. As a side note, this one has proven to be quite stable, and almost immune to the out of character soap operas that consumed my last one. You guys rock!) and in both cases I have developed sustained storylines that have been good viewing and fun to do. I know that parleying this bit of self-importance to an instructive role is rather arrogant, but, then, that's in character for me, isn't it?
Okay, the basics:
1)
Come up with an entertaining story. I know this seems obvious, but knowing where you want to go before even committing word one to paper (or screen) is essential. If you just make it up as you go, it seems fake and, at times, forced. Again, speaking from experience.
2)
Communicate!! I can't stress this enough! The greatest storyline in the world (even a tribute to the greatest storyline in the world) won't mean a thing if the target of your games vetoes it. Or, worse, if your GM disallows it for one reason or another. Keep in touch with your intended target(s) and especially the GM or VGM involved. Bounce ideas off of them. Let them bounce ideas off of you. More often than not, they will come up with cool things that you would never have thought of. Which brings me to...
3)
Don't dominate. Don't think of it as "your" story. Once you do that, when things don't go your way, it's harder to maintain the momentum. At times, let the other party in the story (remember them?) take over with a chapter or two. Or, even better, have a brainstorming session where you all just toss ideas around and see what sticks. In a related tip...
3a)
Don't be too rigid. Don't let the story get so tight that certain things MUST happen in THIS way or the whole thing falls apart. Leave room for improvisation
4)
Show your work. Before you post the RP to the site, let the other(s) involved read it first. This is related to 3 and 3a, but it also belongs in its own slot because now you're manifesting the story, getting it from idea to text. This is a good opportunity to proofread each other's work in order to avoid typos, spelling or grammar errors, and (most importantly) consistency and continuity errors, which is a fancy way of saying "don't do the impossible" As a(nother) side note, if you don't want the rest of the fed to know what happens next (which is my personal preference if at all possible. Remember, your fed-mates watching the show, too) don't be afraid to send it to the VGM via PM. They want the show to be great, too; probably more than you do.
Well, that's all I can think of. To conclude, you guys (and gals) are a cool bunch, and are very good at what you do. This is in no way intended as a slight on anyone's ability. I like what you do; that's why I want to see more of it.
Thank you for reading,
