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From: Luthien
Date: Sun Dec 04 17:51:22 2011    Folder:  0   Message: 38
Status: Read
Subject: Meeting
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Section 1: Facheads

I don't see much of a problem with them. The key is, at the moment, they're semi replacing staffly duties. It's not a fachead's job to do staff's job. It's their job to function, perhaps, as plotstaff, but not any other sort of staff.

Section 2:Structure

Structure's fine, really. People would divide up by cast without the factions. Then again, without factions, there may be different alliances between heroes then currently exist. This may or may not be a good thing.

Section 3:Csys

On Summoners:There's 2 versions of summoners. Yevonite, and non Yevonite. Yevonite summoners are a dying breed. Once Sin is Destroyed, it doesn't matter how powerful the Yevonite Summoners got, they're all going to lose their powers en masse when the Fayth get sent. Non Yevonite summoners don't have an expiration date, however, so they must be treated with more care. As such, in no way should Yevonite Summoners be prevented from pilgrimaging simply because they get stronger. The closer they get to the end of their piligrimage, the closer Yuna gets to the end of hers. And at the end of hers...well, it's like throwing the one ring into Mt. Doom, and that's that.

The class attacks and personal attack system is fine. Though I do think some FCs may want to shuffle their class attacks a bit from what Staff gives them as they learn the system better.

On Staff:

I would like to see at least one Staffer in charge of Metaplots (That is, the game canon plots of each game.) For some casts, the progression of the metaplot is also the progression of their relationships with eachother. Some characters are stuck in stasis until their plot advances.

Other then that, staff should encourage Forward Momentum as much as possible. If players make plots happen, Staff takes the ball and runs with it. Forward momentum is the EVERYTHING to a game's continuance.

Player plots are equally important...but one thing that might be conducive to more of those...the culture of the world (by city) is varied. As is the weather, and traditions. There are theoretically holidays that should be celebrated in different regions, for example, and not all of them would be celebrated everywhere.
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From: Aliss Salvati
Date: Thu Dec 01 00:38:35 2011    Folder:  0   Message: 34
Status: Read
Subject: mesa's thoughts (1)
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Facheads:

I think that facheads in general are often in a rather high pressure spot. Essentially, we're using a social conceit that makes a lot of sense for Transformers games and applying it into other genres that are not at all about robots in disguise.

I think if by 'fachead responsibilities' you mean paperwork, there's no real point in leaving that on a leader-dude character. However, you want leader-dudes to be willing and able to be leader-dudes... in roleplay. I just don't think these necessarily require a total code connection.

It would probably be best to have 'faction heads' who are OOC positions. The natural leaders in a group tend to be pretty obvious over time, even if their PCs don't acquire much rank.

Faction structure:

It would probably work better if you had something like the current group and had 'over-groups' to put all of the other things in. i.e. Shinra, Vector, whatever FF12 is, and Alexandria would go into the Empire 'bucket.' If you do theme retooling you can combine some people.

I don't think unaffiliated is bad, but I also don't think it needs to be given much concern. I think in fact, people should be encouraged on first alts, to be in SOME kind of a group, so they will not just sit by themselves, alone, forever.


Combat system:

I believe the core idea of the combat system is good. If you incorporate a reaction-queue system with it, it is entirely serviceable, though I'd like more of a cheat sheet. It needs to actually be finished.

I don't know what the 'Summoner Dilemma' is. If I had to guess, it's that J. Random Summoner can pull an OP Eidolon out of his jockey shorts while J. Random Black Mage gets 'Firaga.' This could be balanced by extreme costs, or you could just have the summoned monsters be somewhat tailored for people; not everyone having the identical Ifrit, even if you have, so to speak, an Ifrit template so you can go "OK, this is a balls-out aggressive guy, give him more direct damage" or "OK, this is a clever trickster, give him status effects," etc.

I think the system has enough options.

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From: Aliss Salvati
Date: Thu Dec 01 00:38:35 2011    Folder:  0   Message: 35
Status: Read
Subject: mesa's comments (2)
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Ideal role for staff:

I like staff-run things even if I have felt somewhat that it has been implemented in a rather grandiose way. I would, so to speak, like more staff run things, but smaller ones. I have no particular objection to the idea of a more hands-off staff, or something in between the two.

My experience with faction/theme specific people has generally been bad because they are so hit or miss. Ideally you'd have two or three generalists, who would however have their own plot lines, which could well suit their tests; Staffer X does most of the FF7 stuff while Staffer Y does high seas dragon-fighting derring-do elsewhere.

Plots under previous administration:

I think the outline of the one big experience I have, Baron's Pride, was good. Most of my complaints were rooted in the spotlight being shone really hard on a fairly narrow slice of the game, which is to some extent inevitable, and of course, it was a Baron moment. (It's a shame it was thus far, and perhaps ever, the only such moment, but such is life.)

I would enjoy plots that explore other avenues. Baron's Pride seemed to be kind of a 'knightly battle vs. demons' thing, which is fine. Some kind of occult thing for magic users, or even something vaguely technological for the techy sorts, etc. would be good as well; basically, content for all the classes, so we're not running constantly behind the plate users.

As for staff-run plots, I honestly think that there is little fundamental difference between staff-run and player-run TPs with the obvious caveat that staff have a larger tool box, and as such, tend to run larger-scale plots. I think that it is a dinosaur as old as the fachead structure to make them somehow distinct. Ideally, staff should at least have some broad ideas, informed and discussed with prominent and seasoned TP runners (ideally the TP staff should be drawn from this population, in fact). The main distinction, I suppose, is that staff plots are at least in principle often taken to be open for all comers, and I do think it is valuable to have fairly regular events which allow new people to make connections and get pops so they can smoothly slide into things.

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