The Future of Storytelling Night

[Cronus]

The Future of Storytelling Night

As many of you are aware, in an attempt to bring events to players who are more interested in the non-combat parts of UO, we (the Seer team) have been hosting storytelling nights for the past couple months. Due to the poor turnout at several of our hosted Storytelling nights, henceforth we are going to try hosting them at an interval of once per month on a trial basis while we determine whether or not the Seer Team will continue to host them.

In light of this change, I would also like to open the floor to some suggestions from the playerbase regarding the Storytelling events; primarily regarding what time of the day/week you feel would be best to try to schedule them, be sure to include a time zone reference if applicable. Keep all posts in this thread constructive. If you post simply to flame or mock somebodies suggestion, you will receive a short-term forum ban. If you disagree, post in a respectful manner why you disagree and outline a better alternative.

 

[camper]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

Maybe once a month is too often? Maybe people need 2-3 months to come up with good stories, and the more "rare" an event is, the more likely people are to go to it.

Just my thoughts, since I've never tried to run an event or anything, heh.

 

[dreamzcaster]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

Perhaps you may wish to include events centred around rp such as the ones players are attempting to get started. As a true roleplayer the quest is not so much about getting a reward but for the sheer love of playing a character. I know it might sound like a lot of work but then rather than telling a story we might actually be in one.

 

[Seer Mia]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

The difficulty in RP only quests is moderating it to be "RP only". The storytelling events are a good example of this. For the handful of people that do show up to roleplay, even though it's an RP event, you get a bunch more that just see the gate and walk in hoping to get some prize and then act like jackasses and are completely ooc. This is all in one little room. Now, were we to do this on an event level scale, there would be even more difficulty following everyone around. Someone who gets kicked for saying LOL would probably not understand why they got kicked from the event.

Overall, it's very difficult to manage. We will try to come up with some ideas that fit Demise and still deliver RP though.

 

[slowjeep]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

i agree with you Mia, its hard to keep the roleplaying aspect. maybe make the stage off limits to everyone but the staff and the storyteller. and remind people to chat in party. On catskills the players used to run an auction house and have weekly auctions, they were pretty strict about trouble makers. but it kept things orderly and fun for the people who wanted to be there

 

[Kurwai]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

well... what will you say for daily/weekly miniquests - fully RP for two, four or some other small amount of players. i understand it need an explaination:

open a thread where players can sign in. make them do something really RP like short essay about 'what a candle can sing to the fire when the wind blows - write lyrics'. and they also should include they character's name and a time (in the right GMT+/-) when they should be online.

everyday (or week or every few days - whatever) check the thread and choose few players, and make them do something. like appear morphed into a bear and attack one of them... then escape and hide... create a bear NPC... then morph into a hunter guildmaster or something like that and say there is a price for head of bear which attacks local citizens. or for skin. or something like that, and make them race for prize, while tracking and guessing where the bear can be by asking other players or something.

that would be few RP events more and probably a good amount of fun for seers too as it can be preparred in 15 minutes and gives a lot of opportunities to change something in real time.

Kurwai Matsusaka

 

[marcusstone]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

well... what will you say for daily/weekly miniquests - fully RP for two, four or some other small amount of players. i understand it need an explaination:

open a thread where players can sign in. make them do something really RP like short essay about 'what a candle can sing to the fire when the wind blows - write lyrics'. and they also should include they character's name and a time (in the right GMT+/-) when they should be online.

everyday (or week or every few days - whatever) check the thread and choose few players, and make them do something. like appear morphed into a bear and attack one of them... then escape and hide... create a bear NPC... then morph into a hunter guildmaster or something like that and say there is a price for head of bear which attacks local citizens. or for skin. or something like that, and make them race for prize, while tracking and guessing where the bear can be by asking other players or something.

that would be few RP events more and probably a good amount of fun for seers too as it can be preparred in 15 minutes and gives a lot of opportunities to change something in real time.

Kurwai Matsusaka

I like this idea, but I don't agree with opening it only to a couple people... The reason being, it seems like a lot of effort for the staff, just for four people to have a good time... I do like the part about incorporating the forum though... Not only do I think it would bring more people to the forums (Heaven knows, less then half the player base of demise use the forums, perhaps due to not knowing about them...)
My suggestion for an event is this... It might be too much work, because I am not too familiar with the scripting side of a shard, but I figured I would lay it out there...

Once a month or (less/more?) create an unsavory criminal type NPC or monster. Have this NPC or monster show his mug around Luna, or a populated area a few times (Maybe played as a gm?) and then spawn the sucker somewhere on one of the facets... Have a bulletin board in Luna, set up like a "Wanted poster" (Listing the name of the NPC/Monster and their various crimes, as well as the reward)
Basically, it is like a giant scavanger hunt... People go out looking for the NPC/Monster, and the person who kills it can collect the reward. (not a big one, maybe like 5k or something...)
I for one could say I would definatly participate in something like this...
Like I said, not sure about scripting, but I imagine it would be fairly easy...
This idea is semi RP, but wouldn't be restricted to only RPers (Although I am totally for fully rp events as well ) The reward could just be a small amount of gold, and maybe a "Caught by" on the bullitin board under the criminals name. And, I don't think creating something like this would be taking away from the "OSI Clone" part of the shard either, sense it a change to landscape or game play...
If the seers really felt motivated, they could even spawn a small "Gang" of Brigands, Pirates, or Orcs or whatever and make a bigger event of it...
The only problem I see with my idea, is how someone could "Prove" they were the one to kill the guy (Maybe a head?) or if they would actually turn in the head once they got it (who knows, people are strange)
or what not... anyway, that's my idea not sure if it is plausable or not...
figured I would throw it out there though...
regards,
Mike

 

[xaxas]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

And what about making a storytelling contest in the forums? Under the "Ye Old Tavern" section perhaps. I think more people will participate in that simply because it will not be related with time zones. For example I missed the storytelling event because it was not in a convinient for me time, but this will be something everyone will have the opportunity to participate in.

 

[Kurwai]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

i like marcusstone's idea... and i see even more oportunities for fun in that way of questing well... let's say some newbe can't kill the monster/NPC 'cause it's too strong. then? he can sell the information! what's more... some good thief can steal the head before it's returned to the sheriff (or wherever it should be returned).

the same quest form behind: some lord's deughter have been kidnapped and have to be escorted back to her father, just after opening the doors of that kinky basement she's keeped in

and, well... xaxas :/ i think that would kill the whole idea of rolepaying IN game... wouldn't it? and it's not only story telling... it's gesturing, emoting, whispearing, yelling, and moving around or standing in place... and getting applauds. more like theater than essey writing. so i think storytelling night over forum would be flat.

 

[Zantir]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

i like Kurwai and marcusstone ideas.

 

[Kurwai]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

I just came to ask if those ideas were actually put against reality? Did you have any fun with it?

edited: BTW. how to get back my old account (if it's even possible)?

After a while,
Kurwai Mastusaka

 

[Subjazz]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

I have written a story about the Ghost Ship Anchor - just never had the time or opportunity to share it.

 

[Levi of Minoc]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

I had given the idea of a for a story/quest line to crimson awhile ago. I could work on trying to figure out what to do with it. That way in theory it would just needed coded. in theory may not even need any codeing but oh well. *tottles off with his evil paragon bunnies*

 

[Pont]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

Maybe once a month is too often? Maybe people need 2-3 months to come up with good stories, and the more "rare" an event is, the more likely people are to go to it.

I agree

 

[gilgamash]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

Hoi,

I'd like to have poetry included, not just storytelling.

And 3 months is a good time between them contests

G.

 

[LadyCrimson]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

I actually took the idea out of game and use the book drop off when I have literary contests. There are other threads that are marked completed (if you look) long after this post by Cronus about these contests and the winners. The last literary contest was during the spring festival.

LC

 

[Hilde]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

Maybe once a month is too often? Maybe people need 2-3 months to come up with good stories, and the more "rare" an event is, the more likely people are to go to it.

Just my thoughts, since I've never tried to run an event or anything, heh.

*nods*

like appear morphed into a bear and attack one of them... then escape and hide... create a bear NPC... then morph into a hunter guildmaster or something like that and say there is a price for head of bear which attacks local citizens. or for skin. or something like that, and make them race for prize, while tracking and guessing where the bear can be by asking other players or something.

that would be few RP events more and probably a good amount of fun for seers too as it can be preparred in 15 minutes and gives a lot of opportunities to change something in real time.

Almost sounds like a mad cow or wind vortex

I'd like to have poetry included, not just storytelling.

The last literary contest was during the spring festival.

And gilgamash won that contest

 

[Aegian Rayth]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

I, for one, didn't even know there was such a thing as a storytelling night until just now. I'll show up to the next one that happens, and I've got plenty of stories to tell. I'm available any evening, really, and live in EST zone, so anything from 5pm est to 11 pm est works.

If you're looking for someone to help advertise in game, or to get the ball rolling on anything like this, please let me know... I'd be glad to volunteer my time, whether for writing scripts for in-game events, or brainstorming ideas for activities. I've done the same type of thing before for player-run shards, and would be thrilled to do it again. Just shoot me a PM.

 

[GM_Midnight]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

If enough people were interested in a story telling event, I would gladly host one
SRC Midnight

 

[Blanzora]

Re: The Future of Storytelling Night

I was thinking of having a storyline of where players go out and do a small quest to obtain a small insignificant item, which is needed for the next stage of the quest. (For instance, this month have an undead quest to obtain a 'bone of an undead warrior'; next month have an invasion of troublesome turkeys and obtain a 'turkey feather' found behind a door needing the bone to open; December have something to do with reindeer; etc.) This would allow those that join the story late an opportunity during the next month to join in and catch up. The story could be cleared/reset every quarter/semi-anually/yearly.

One could also set a storyline like this up as a mystery where all the items collected will be clues, or either needed, in solving it.