Plot change

Ok, let me just correct a slight misconception before it gets out of hand. We admins are constantly monitoring the site, and we do have access to good statistics about a number of areas on the site, not the least of which is participation, how many posts are done in a month, new people on board, new threads that are started, etc. This also is not PA's first year as a website. And most of the admin team is not new to PA or the admin job.

The advantage in that for PA as a whole is that we are well aware that the site goes through natural rhythms of high and low participation as RL affects the members. For example, we are well aware of how school breaks affect things, how time changes across the globe causes highs and lows in participation during any given day's time, etc. We know what to expect.

Furthermore, when it comes to making changes on PA, we do a good amount of research before we make changes that will affect people sitewide, affecting personal plots etc. And we do try to get as much member input as possible along the way. The decision to make a sitewide plot change was not something that was ever even discussed on a whim. It was researched well, and the team has been discussing how this would affect all players, as well as we can manage. We've been doing all we can to interfere as little as possible with personal plots or anyone's characters.

The bottom line is that we do need more people actively posting. Participating. And that is difficult to do when the site itself has basic plot problems. The idea is to do something that, site wide, people are more interested in and willing to actually participate in.

J.K. Rowlings has provided us a great setting in which to operate, but as in any good book or movie, a good setting and wonderful characters (such as we have here on PA) are a great start. However, without something interesting for them to do, something that bonds them all together, it doesn't take long until it falls apart. We do not want to see that happen on PA.

We are here, like you, because we love PA, we love the wizarding world, and we're players ourselves. We are doing everything we know how to make the site work, but in order to do that, we need your help too. We need your input, your ideas, your creativity, your participation, and, sometimes your understanding. Please give us your questions, your suggestions, and continue giving us your feedback.

K.

In PA,all I have been noticing is that huge plot stories are being taken outside of Hogwarts.I think their should be like a huge antagonist in Hogwarts,that is trouble for every single student.Then it would escalate possibly out of hogwarts.But I think some of us hogwarts students deserve plots inside of hogwarts.

It's so close...and yet, so far. What is the new plot? Honestly this will heavily influence my reaction to all of this.

Honestly, I think Xemnas is on the right track. Focus on Hogwarts. Make a Hogwarts antagonist. Make it shades of grey instead of black and white, and come up with a branching outline - that is to say, give the students several options, and as they decide what they're going to do, give them several more options that branched off the choices they made.

I guess I'm not sure about the thought process behind changing the year, but this is really something I'd need to see the plot for. I agree that PA needs a tad more distance from the canon characters, maybe, but honestly this isn't a huge concern for me. I can't see it changing all that much, and it doesn't affect me personally, so I'm not that concerned with it.

Even if the plot isn't finalized, at least give us a hint. I'm dyin over here.

I've given you endless understanding, suggestions, creativity and feedback. I feel ignored.

And I agree with Keith. You never tell us what these great big plots are going to be until you put them into action.

I would suggest making an admin in charge of plots and instead of making one of the current admins that person, putting someone like Chase or Jack or Eli in that position, because those are the people who people who have the most energy on the site and who the members really want to play with the most.

Like the above people said, my thoughts on whether we should have a plot change or not really depends on what you plan to change it into. I'd love for the plot to be restarted, I think we had a solid one before, but I want to know what the new one is.

So here comes Zerek's two cents:

I reckon someone always has to cause some sort of conflict, even if the students and staffs at Hogwarts seems to be good people. Stories would be rather bland if you had no disagreements within it; someone at some time must be at cross purposes.

I'm going to adress anything that hasn't been yet. But don't take my word heavily, I don't know too much. I still consider myself the rookie Admin. But Darren is ultimately who needs to answer these questions.

Now if we do change the plot, it's going to most likely be taken back to where it was before the fall in activity happened. To when Voldemort was in power of all the Wizarding World. That is all I'm going to honestly say. But that could also not be the case, nothing is set in stone so nothing can be written up for people to see to make a decision. If we do change the year it won't be a drastic change really, three or five years maybe. But I have no clue to be honest. All admins work on the plot, the reason they've sucked before is just one admin came up with it.

Also, I'm assuming that Hogwarts isn't going to be a large part of the plot. In the past people just haven't seemed interested in Hogwarts plots. People have just left it die when we did it last time. Other admins feel free to correct me if I am wrong on anything I posted here.

yeah but this is a different set of users,maybe it might work.I'm sure there's a bunch of students who would like to participate in such things.Especially the seventh years.Just saying maybe we should try it again now that you have more students then you have had before.

EDIT: I apologize for the length. I really do car about PA, it is one of the highlights of my sad, little life and I got a bit carried away. Anywho, on to the rant!

I understand that Hogwarts plots may not always seem to work, but they just need the right elements. What were the key components of things that affected the students of Hogwarts in the plot. The basilisk- a unknowable force that the students have to deal with, where one of their own is trying to harm them. The escape of Sirius Black- people feared they would be murdered in their sleep. And my personal favorite- Umbridge. An overriding authority figure who becomes somewhat like a dictator.

Now, what do we need for these elements and how do we achieve them? Well, we need the actual protagonists for it right? For anything to resemble plots like that we would need some frightening, unknown "monster" plaguing Hogwarts; a terrible outside threat; and a teacher who takes over.

It may seem difficult, but we have everything we need, really. The Undesireables could work very well for the thought of a monster, or the future plot of Imperioused students turning on their peers. We have Felix Barker (well, had) but nothing happened because people refused to bring it into their plots. And we have excellent teachers like Elldir who are okay with being cruel.

What would we need to do? Outline the needs and the inner workings of the plot so people can understand what is needed. The Felix Barker plot could have gone further if people just began to mention in posts that their parents were worried about Barker attacking Hogwarts or something and it could have gone further. We need faction wars between PA and DF, to add tension, but people need to actually make their characters participate. We need to make sure that Elldir and teachers with similar ideas are encouraged to use them. In honesty, I was most impressed with the Slytherin educational decrees more than anything this year.

And for the lapses, people should really push student plots. Two people who are amazing with these are Keith and Selwyn. I have always tried to get my characters involved in these plots, but I think they need to be advertised more. The plot page really did not work out too well because people really do not have time to continually check it. We really need these plots supported.

Also, the Triwizard Tournament really should be of more importance to charries, but it really can't since NOTHING has happened with it. I assume all of the charries have posted right now and I do not understand where the delay is in releasing what happened.

I don't know that going back to Voldemort is a good idea. We have all gone such a long time without mentioning anything of a Dark Lord for awhile. We have the DEs but they have not affected Hogwarts life too much. Too suddenly be in the middle of a plot about Voldemort is going to be sort of like culture shock. Either people will have to completely overhaul a lot about their charries and the plot will work, or people will refuse and the plot will be another plot-that-must-never-be-mentioned *cough*demons*cough*

If we need a dark figure, I see that we have three options.

1. Find a loophole for Voldemort being alive. There are plenty. An accidental horcrux, a Peter Pettigrew type fraud, something like that. That would keep it from being a sudden shock and from having to change the year.

2. Use one of the Dark characters already on the site as the new Voldemort. How would they do this? Storm into Hogwarts and say there is a new regime! Simple as that. The Order will have something to do, as will the DEs. The good teachers at Hogwarts will have 2 options- do what they are told, or die. The beauty is some will pretend too but try to teach what is good. Other may be forced to leave or even hide, possibly in the Room of Requirement a la book seven. Then there will be the struggle to regain Hogwarts for the Order, and the DEs struggle to make nothing seem suspicious at the school even though they are torturing students, etc.

3. Create a new charrie on his/her rise to power. The great thing is, with the Triwizard tournament, we can have the excuse for visiting foreigners. Let's say Bulgaria has been struggling with their own Dark Lord for awhile but have been keeping it hush hush. With Bulgaria secured, they plan on moving to the areas around Hogwarts, so they come to Howarts and bring a mini-army.

Now, I'm not saying this is the only thing we can do. I recall posting many a plot idea in the Mod Plot Suggestion thread and basically getting ignored. I did have the plot for a werewolf uprising, but I suppose with the large number or vampires we have as well, it could be that. There is also the plot of Imperiusing and torturing students. Steps have been made to do this, but I really don't see it happening. It also would not be bad to have DEs more on the offense. They have never been ones to lay low, so why have they been? They should be striking. I have been pushing for a battle at Hogwarts for as long as I've been involved with this site. I joined right as the Battle for Grimmauld Place was beginning, and I have never been as pumped for a plot since then. A battle makes people make decisions, do or die, right or wrong, and isn't HP all about the questions surrounding those decisions? Without that struggle, there is no inner development. Now, my main charrie, the leader of PA, doesn't even really care for this struggle between good and bad, because she doesn't see it happening. I have a charrie in each factions (besides Undesireables) and nothing seems to be happening. Everyone talks about what the plans are but no one does it.

Look, what this takes, is dedication. People who don't get involved are the people who would never get involved in the first place because they only care that their charrie is dating such and such and what not. The problem comes when people are putting themselves in positions and then not doing anything. Either commit, or don't.

I know I might be sounding disrespectful or preach-y, and I do not mean to be either. I sincerely care about this site. On a weekend I turn my computer on the second I wake up and don't turn it off until I go to bed, taking breaks for food, showers, and the occasional TV show. I put off homework and I miss my favorite homework because I want to be here. But lately, I spend a lot more time staring at my inbox and refreshing the search on PA then posting. And when I am posting, it's all personal plottage. I have no problem with person plotting, but it is just so more satisfactory when there is the tension of the overall plot underneath your charries motivations.

I love that plots can happen between good guy and bad guys, between different Houses. I am really not one to say that they should be discouraged seeing as almost every single one of my personal plots has a dynamic of that. But people need to stop idealizing their charries for the sake of having a nice charries. Wouldn't you all rather see your charrie grow, rather than stay a certain way their whole life, even if it is perfectly fine with everyone?

I know a lot of what I have said is things to be dealt with on a personal basis, but this is what needs to be encouraged, to be explained. Since our plot has been not working a lot of new people have joined, and they don't understand the background their charrie should be coming from. It's a like of "Are you good or bad? Order or Death Eater?" Good guys should not be okay with using Sectumsempra, bad guys should not see a muggleborn and be fine with it, deciding that person looks nice enough to left unharmed.

So... In summary... I'm leery about this plot idea when we have everything we need for a good plot at our disposal. It's just not being utilized. If you think we are lacking certain charries to get a certain plot going... announce it! We had a boom of charries at the beginning of the Triwizard tournament and for awhile, a lot of people were active and involved. The site was so healthy then. If you need charries, LET US KNOW! There are some of us who write up charrie apps when they are supposed to be listening to a lecture (eh hem!) and would step up to the challenge. Instead of displacing the entire site, displace one or two charries (with those people's permission obviously) to be this or that. Give people a chance to be important instead of keeping it to the usual group. I know these are your aims, but that is not how it always works out.

With that I have only two questions if you still intend to continue this plot... A) What will happen with the tournament? Would it continue if Voldemort was at large? B) Who would play Voldemort? (Out of my own curiosity).

Thanks guys.

Ok I do have to agree with Jack here. We have everything at our disposal, just having to get everyone involved. And yes I realize, like most other people, especially ones who have their own site, its a pain trying to get everyone involved in the site wide plot and there will be characters who will and want to remain neutral. Its just the way of life.

Also Jack, at one point we did do a vampires and werewolves against humans plot. It kinda of downward spiraled because the person who started it just up and disappeared and left me with no direction as to where he wanted the group to go. Granted the good that came out of it, was that it developed my character and her plot around people she knew but that was about as far as that went personally. I'm sure most of us all remember how badly the COL and the halfbreed resistance went. But that was really all I had to say.

Christy