Plot change

Christy, when stuff like that happens, you've just got to take your own initiative and it's the other person's bad luck if they don't like what you do. If they were really invested in the plot, they would've told you they were going to be away beforehand, and if it was out of their control, chances are what you've done pales in comparison to their real life issues.

What would a role play plot do without antagonists? Life on RPGwould be too good to be true– and thus a big, predictable bore. Like for example Lord Voldemort and others such as Umbridge make life difficult for Harry Potter and pals, and therefore more colorful and interesting for his fans to follow and relate to.

Why not make a new kind of antagonist who will emerge to take villains’ domination of the story to a higher level: The villain as a RPG’s premier star. More than ever, this is the villain we love to hate, but don’t hate to love. Lol

Or a student antagonist, well I get excited even more when a story involve children. So in addition to the usual exciting villain favorites, why not make a plot wherein the innocent and adorable children are the ones bringing the mayhem?

*sighs* Okay. I'm gonna actually give my opinion again! Works out so well, huh?

Anyway, personally I have an idea. Okay, here me out, cause this is gonna sound strange: forced students. A psycho person is kidnapping all wizards/witches not in school (and even young graduates) and putting them in a new school because they don't think Hogwarts is up for the job.

Or scrap all that and say: DON'T PUT IT BACK YEARS! Mainly because I don't like the way Hogwarts is set up is why I had my guys drop out. We aren't here to do extra homework. Specially if we are taking midterms next week. (me)

We are also looking into changing the class system. But I'm 99.99% sure the next plot we do will NOT focus on Hogwarts.

err.. I'm kinda wondering what the admins are thinkinga bout Jack's post.. cause erm.. it seems she was kinda ignored for the most part, people spoke about it... but that was a LONG post guys.. there were GOOD ideas in there... why wasn't it addressed? If it's being talked about.. please at least TELL her that she's getting recognition for putting a lot of well thought out ideas into a post that large! It was a GOOD post! Witha LOOOTT of GOOD ideas! Come on... at least acknowledge it.. I mean really... Tell us what the admins are thinking.. it's a big deal of stuff you want to change.. and she gave some AWESOME suggestions... don't just ignore her contribution..

Right. First, I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner, I was traveling and did not have access to the internet. The other admins couldn't have responded to all your questions because not everything about the plot change is clear. I did read all your posts, and the chat box as well, and I do think it is quite unreasonable to call us dictators and so on. It might be a misunderstanding, or heck, perhaps we are, I'm not the one to say it. But tell me this, why would I have made this topic in the first place if I did not want to read your opinions and suggestions? Previously on the site we used to do these things without consulting the members at all. Now that we are doing that, people are saying they are being ignored, ironic. Its been two days, and to say we are ignoring you is an absurd criticism.

Anyways, I noticed that there is a lot of confusion about this plot change, and thats primarily my fault. I implied that we had already decided on the plot. What I meant was that we had decided that the plot needed a new direction, and that we would probably restart it to solve a few problems on PA. We have not as of yet decided what the exact plot will be, but are putting ideas together to make it interesting and I have posted our ideas at the announcement thread. I want the new plot to be created by both the admins and the members, and I am sorry if I implied otherwise. Please read the announcement thread again, I edited it and hopefully that will clear the confusion for the people wanting to know what the new plot is.

Also, I read every single post in this discussion thread, and will continue to read them. I have replied to some of the posts below:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to want to make these changes because the stats were down over Christmas & New Year. This will always happen. Not just here, but on any RP. There are threads on the resource boards that discuss it. It's because people want to spend time with their families on the holidays, or because they go away for the holidays, and because people's families resent them spending every free moment on the computer when they should be using the opportunity to spend time with people they haven't seen all year.
think it it's very short sighted to be changing everything again just because there was a lull.

As Khaat said, its been like that since July. But the lack of posts isn't the only worry. I think you'd be the first to agree that the factions are also very inactive, right? While thats partially our fault, its also because theres no solid plot for the factions to work with. Also, remind me when was the last time we changed everything?

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.

I agree. In the past, we had always focused on Hogwarts. Sometimes it worked well, like the Battle of Hogwarts a year and a half ago. However, the latest plots we have tried have not worked out so well - take a look at the Imperium Squad one, not many were interested in that and therefore there was no conflict in Hogwarts between PA and IS. Thats not to say that the new plot won't focus on Hogwarts, obviously it will. But we need a good one which will make everyone interested.

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.

I loved the umbridge one as well, which is why we tried to do the same with the Vincent plot. As I said, it didn't work out so well. I guess we just need to find a way to make the plots much more personal to the members. A plot page is an awesome idea to achieve this.

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.

Yeah I know, it will be odd to include in your RP that Voldemort is in control of Hogwarts so suddenly, but finding a loophole in him being back doesn't exactly make for an attractive plot. You've been following the plot of course, so you would agree that its not very original, considering the books did it once already. Your second and third idea for a villain are good, and we will consider that. However you should know we have already done that previously. There is no harm in trying it again, but I think people would like something different, or they would prefer it if more canons were involved.

I get what your saying Jack, we don't necessarily have to change everything when we have so many good characters and members already. However, the plot change doesn't have to be so major, I suggest you go and check the announcement thread again, as I posted two plots were thinking of. The main point of this is to clean up the confusion in our current plot and bring key characters back.

As for your two questions:
A) That depends on which plot we do. If Voldemort was still at large, we could find a loophole to continue the Triwizard as its unfair on the champions for us to abandon it midway.
B) I'm hoping for the members to play much more major parts in the plot from now on, so Voldemort would go to the member I think is most suited to playing him.

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.

Mhm, that was not the first time that the major player of the plot disappeared and left it with no direction.


For those people wanting to know what the exact plot is, check the announcement post again.

Hey, All,

Here's my two cents. PA does not belong exclusively to its admins. It belong to members. Since I've been here, we've started countless plots, events, threads, and y'all haven't shown up or participated. So, here's my thought.

If you all want pa to be a better site, then be here. its pretty simple. How many of you actually went to the Yule Ball and participated? How many of you were actively involved in the events surrounding the Triwizard, for example? How many of you have attended and been active in faction meetings and events?

We have come up with countless ideas, and theres always someone who doesnt like it. That just comes with having a site with a lot of people, but darn it, show up! Post! Post with other people other than the one or two or three that you typically post with. Heck, invite us admins to post with you! I am always willing to post with anybody!!

We do see all your posts. We admins read darned near every post that is put on the boards. If we dont' get back to you or respond specifically to your post, please don't think you're being ignored. In an opinion post like this one is, we check it, read it daily, pool the ideas together and discuss them. Just because we dont' respond to every single post in one of these things it doesnt mean we're blowing you off.

YOU--you members--you're the SOLE reason we're here. We're players too. We love PA, and we take it very seriously and we want to make it a home for everyone. IF you weren't here, we wouldn't have a job. As I see it, an administrator is a servant. We're here to help you. It's not a hoity toity position. And, real life has been affecting every one of us, admins and members both lately, so if we don't respond the same day you make a post, it doesn't mean we're blowing you off either.

We take every idea and suggestion and discuss it. You dont' see it because you're not supposed to. Those admin discussions are done so that it impacts you members as little as possible until we evaluate what you tell us and try to incoporate as much as you suggest to us.

One more thing, as you all should know as players, the creative process is a constantly evolving one. It does take tossing things up on the drawing board and seeing if they stick or if they fit together. Thats exactly what those of us who specialize in plot are trying to do. Please be patient with us. Part of my frustration is when some of you want us to provide you some surprises, and i love those too. but then others of you want to know every single detail in advance . its a fine balance.

If you want to support PA, you need to do 2 very important things. First, show up. Second, you also really really need to RP. Make threads, Interact with each other. Get involved. Ask others that you don't normally get involved with to RP with you. And once you start a thread w/ someone, do your best not to forget to go back to it and repost. If you love PA like I believe you do, then show it and do what you can to show your support.

k.

Thank you for response you guys. I went and read what has been added in the announcement and here is my take on the plot ideas.

Of the two, I do not think the second one would work. From what I've seen, plots surrounding the Ministry have not worked well. It takes so long to get anything done. I've been following the Barker trial and it seems to be taking a looooong time. Ministry plots really don't work on a site unless it's centered around the Ministry in the first place. We were told awhile back that this site is losing focus, too many grads on a site that is supposed to focus on Hogwarts.

As for the first plot, I think this is sort of the thing a few of us have been suggesting. It has the elements of what a lot of us have wanted anyway. But I think you guys are overthinking it. We don't have to be in the middle of that plot. It may be easier for it to be now the Order is underground, the Ministry has already started to be infiltrated, and the DEs are growing in their power under Voldemort, but it does not suddenly have to be Voldy is in control of EVERYTHING, it could just be obvious he is close. As for the factions, I think it would stimulate their purposes. As for muggleborns, I can not day I am at all happy with the plot if their history has to change.

I know that for it to work, Voldy would not let in muggleborns. But to start off, I do not think he would need to throw them all out. There are other ways you could go about it. Such as using them as examples in classes, giving them detention for nothing, that sort of thing. Of course, this is just my opinion. I know others with muggleborns may think they don't want any of that and may decide to change their history instead. But I have always found the muggleborn struggle one of my favorite plots of the book. It would be great to add tensions, but if all the muggleborns were thrown out, it erases that plot in a sense. With a RP site, you do have to tweak so that the plot moves forward.

Even if Voldemort did not take over Hogwarts, he could have sent DEs to begin their regime. And at first, it would be quiet. Things that won't make it obvious to the rest of the world what was going on. The Triwizard tournament would continue, as would Quidditch and Hogsmeade visits, but they would implement terror tactics.

One unclear thing is, where would the plot begin? From the thread, my impression was that Voldemort would have already returned and everything would already be under his control. If that's true, my suggestion is start with him returning, with a small battle between DEs and Order that forces the Order to go underground, and then send DEs into the Ministry and Hogwarts. Then, everyone will feel rooted in the plot.

But the lack of posts isn't the only worry. I think you'd be the first to agree that the factions are also very inactive, right? While thats partially our fault, its also because theres no solid plot for the factions to work with.[

YOU--you members--you're the SOLE reason we're here. We're players too. We love PA, and we take it very seriously and we want to make it a home for everyone. IF you weren't here, we wouldn't have a job. As I see it, an administrator is a servant. We're here to help you.

Here's the way I see it. You admins see something you think is a problem - lack of posts for a certain period of time. You decide you're going to try to fix it. You create a strategy to fix it. That's good work, that's what you should do.

BUT YOU NEVER ASKED US IF IT WAS ACTUALLY A PROBLEM.

If you want to help, the best way you can do that is ask first if we want it. I'm going to give you an example completely unrelated to PA; my cousin is in a wheelchair. Not all the time, but enough. I still ask her if she wants to be wheeled, because if I don't, I'm taking control away from her. If you really want this place to be a "home" for everyone, don't assume we need help. Ask first, because it will never feel like a home if we're constantly on edge because we don't know what the admins are going to do next.

I think it's pretty clear from the reaction people are having to this news, that they don't think less posts is that bad. Also, you have to take into account how the site has changed in the meantime. You put up a word count. Yeah, only 75 words, but Roswenth of RPG-D has done a study of sites with and without word counts and although members on sites with word counts write longer posts, they post less frequently.

Being on the site shouldn't be a job. If you're a manager in a retail store, you do have to compare your sales today to the number of sales on the same day last year. I don't work in retail because I don't want to have that pressure. I'm an artist because I want the different pressure of producing a beautiful work, or producing the product the client is looking for. RP is my hobby. If I think you want me to produce a certain amount of posts so the site can reach over 50,000, I'm going to leave because that's no fun.


HAHA- I left out my main point.

The factions aren't inactive. They're just not having constant, unrealistic battles like they were before. Caelani isn't going to attack the Order in the open. She's not interested enough in them to do that, for a start, and she'd prefer to use their loved ones as leverage, anyway.

^You realize thats why their asking if we need a plot change?

Mercutio Cambiare wrote: 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.

an active member isn't always a great admin. For example, all the admins have been active members previously, as you can see from their post counts. Members should be awarded for being active on the site, but currently PA needs experience in the admin team. Meaning people who have effectively run a site before and can do the same for PA. No, I don't necessarily mean myself, though I did notice that I was the only one doing admin work when PA was down. So theres what I think you should do, change a few admins.

As for the plot.. Look, I liked it how it first was, the 2021 plot. Then it slowly just gets worse. I mean, why kill off Voldemort in the first place? Now if you bring Voldemort back, it would make the plot even more confusing.

Jaquellene "Jack" Dyllan wrote:One unclear thing is, where would the plot begin? From the thread, my impression was that Voldemort would have already returned and everything would already be under his control. If that's true, my suggestion is start with him returning, with a small battle between DEs and Order that forces the Order to go underground, and then send DEs into the Ministry and Hogwarts. Then, everyone will feel rooted in the plot.

If they are restarting the plot then I guess that means that they'll get rid of everything that has happened before. Meaning that our characters would just suddenly be in the middle of the plot. One solution is that the characters which already exist can RP as if Voldemort has suddenly came back (again.) My personal choice would be plot 2 though. Cause if you do that, theres no need to 'restart' the plot. It will just be a continuation of our current one. Also, the Death Eaters and the order will have a more direct aim.

Oh and about the update, one thing I'd really like to see change is the jobs. The admins and VIP members have all the important ones. Why not limit members (not characters) to a certain amount of jobs? That would make other members happier and also make the site more realistic. If you guys have all the jobs then it just makes PA feel like an admin playground.