[Wud]

I am curious to know what others think of sites containing completely linear plots. I personally don't mind because I relate them to tabletop RPGs, where a dungeon master weaves a engaging tale for others to enjoy. On the other hand, I can see why it might be detested because it steps on the member's freedom to create their own plotlines, which can then affect what direction the site takes in the future.

If you favor linear plots, what qualities are required for a good experience? If you detest them, for what reason?

[Egao, Egao Everywhere]

Can someone define first what a linear plot is? Just so I'm sure of what I'm about to say.

[Pool Boy]

I've always thought it's the plot style in which you have one thread at a time, and all your threads go in chronological order? I've never been on a site that dictates that sort of style in the rules, but I have known players who make it there own personal rule within fluid time?

I think it's a neat alternative way to play. I really like fluid time because its easier to explore new character ideas that I haven't completely nailed out in my head. But, when I have a really strong grasp on said character, its fun to experiment with more challenges to run them through a setting.

ngl, kind of see the normal rp like sandboxing pokemon, and linear plots like nuzlocking.

[Wud]

(No, my elaborate explanation! It's gone... Why did I close out of the window!? ;-

Sorry for not being entirely explicit about what a "linear plot" entails. Basically it is when a plot is pre-determined and progresses chronologically through various stages until it reaches its resolution. As opposed to a "non-linear" plot, which is affected by the choices/actions of the people, or in this case members, who are experiencing it first-hand.

Is that better?

Jul 12, 2013 21:45:21 GMT -8 Pool Boy said:

I've always thought it's the plot style in which you have one thread at a time, and all your threads go in chronological order?

This is something that is commonly implemented on sites with a linear plot; a means to an end. I think the difference, though, is that you can have threads be linear but still have a non-linear plot?

[Pool Boy]

tbh, i prefer spontaneity over predetermination. if i know what's going to be said in the next post, or where the relationship has to lead to, idk, it takes a bit of the thrill out of it. though, ngl, a bit of predetermination is okay. like figuring out relationships between characters.

[Egao, Egao Everywhere]

Well, since Wud's talking about sites, I don't really hate or like either of them. I can't really tell because sites I've been on tend to have a mix or variation of it. Sandbox rps I guess are part of the non-linear plots and they tend to be member-ran, in which case members can decide to make linear plots themselves.

I think sites with linear plots are more exciting. One, less workload for me. Two, it's nice to have a "fate factor" which I have no control of. It's different to have someone else deciding for you what goes and everything. It also challenges me to think of how my character would react and the unknown is an exciting prospect to explore. I'm still like this in non-linear-plot sites but having to drive yourself to get to that point is tiring and can be quite difficult depending on the members.

I'm currently a dungeon master and had been as well in the past and I actually write spontaneously. I have a vague idea of what I want to happen but when the member does something and I feel this affects that, I change things. I despise linear plots when they are strictly predetermined - like in games where you have to say the right dialogues to get the good ending. I might be expecting a sort of attitude from the character to maybe get X NPC to give them Y item but it's not going to be an either-or thing. I will evaluate it in general, sometimes throw in an extra to spice things up.

Electric mentioned about threads. In this case, I actually prefer predetermination. I've always plotted things in-depth with people but I don't think it ever ruined the thrill for me. My friends and I talk about these stuffs all day and we get excited and thread them down, and our posts are quite beautiful. We never really get to conclude them but there is still that satisfaction. I think linear plots strongly help in a thread's flow, but I can see it being a double-edged sword because it can still kill the thrill of the thread, especially if your posts are coming out more forced. Over-discussing can also wear the enthusiasm down (NEVER tell them what your character's exact dialogues would be ooc. That's bad timing) and then the idea would just die.

The primary reason why I don't like spontaneity much is because when people write in threads like open ones, things are usually left in the air and sometimes stalled until someone comes up with what the hell should happen, plus that sense of doubt of "should I do something? Do I need to force my character to talk more?" is never pleasant. So it's generally more slow-paced and the action might be a little too sudden in the middle of the thread. I'm not that good at it either. My characters tend to be misinterpreted too (by the rper, affecting their mindset of how to run the scene) which really kills me in the middle of rping.

[Elena]

What I like falls within the linear plots, but without disallowing member's freedom to create their own plotlines. Only that they have to take into account the main plot and to have their stories match in somehow.

I use to say that the subplots are matching into the main plot not like pieces of puzzle (only in that part and nowhere else) but like domino pieces (any of the two domino halves at any of the two ends of the row).

This way, the story we are writing is coherent, but at the same time everybody finds something to enjoy in it, to be enthusiastic about.

I think that in writing a story together with other people, negotiation and compromise are the key words, more than the selfish spontaneity which might ruin the story for several others. (Some see compromise as something bad, they give it a negative meaning. No, I don’t mean that kind of compromise, but giving and taking mutually, and meeting the others half-way. And some people are really willing to do this, and I am thankful to them.)

Why do I say negotiation? Because the objectives of each character must be met. Not only mine and not only yours. And this is why, while I accept surprises and sidetracking from the initial plan, as our muses lead us, I don't like somebody (or me) throwing a major, life-altering event without prior discussing it on yahoo or in a pm with all the thread partners. Because it is not only their character's story, it is everybody's together, and everybody has to find something fun (or interesting) in it.

Usually, the answer is "yes". I had never said "no" to a plot ideas which made logic for the characters, however I have said enough times "yes, but let's twist it a little for this reason," so that all characters' goals are met and the story is not spoiled for any of the characters.

When entering a thread, I want to know an outline beforehand and find my own, original way through it. This way of working has several advantages:

1) for me, half of the fun is also outside the board, plotting with the others, on yahoo, our next moves... It is also a kind of spontaneity, but a different one - throwing ideas at each other (some thought before, some spontaneous indeed, which came at the result of the other's idea), analysing the potential reaction of our characters in different situations and what makes logic and what doesn't really - this way we are playing more scenarios before choosing the best one to write it.

We end in actually writing one idea, but we are playing with 3-4-5 alternative ones before deciding the one to be written, so it gets more fun than playing only with one idea! And even if 1-2 of those ideas exchanged happen to be silly, we still have fun with them before agreeing that it wouldn't be feasible for the x reason. Or other times we merge 2 ideas, one of each of us, in a new one, more interesting/ intriguing! The ones who are against plotting might allow themselves this experience once, for a try, and see if they haven't fun with playing with several alternatives before choosing the best one.

2) we end knowing better both our characters and the others', from this discussing the plot before. And sometimes new characters or NPCs emerge from here.

3) Some ideas don;'t make sense and they are discarded, but on one's idea the others add too. And when it is a negotiation process so that everybody's goals get met, both the story and the character developement (each character's) are enforced, without running the danger of somebody spoiling the story. Because if 2 or 3 people strive to write a good thread, then it would be a pity that one of them attempts to ruin it only because of a miscoordination! But if talked in advance and properly analysed, his idea might have merits and be included in the story somehow (probably not in its entirety, but only bits and pieces or slightly changed) without ruining it.

4) it reinforces the friendship and community feeling between writing partners.

5) it helps with some details which go"building towards" a main event; I like doing it in respect to almost all my characters in a story. I mean nothing comes out of the blue, when it arrives to that point, even if it might be unexpected for the reader at that moment, he might say: "I could have known it before if I was paying attention to little hints".

I had tried the surprise road too (both "totally surprise" version and "agreed beforehand in a way, but partner changes mind and does the radical opposite"), but it definitely doesn't fit my style. My writing gets slowly building towards something, and once we get to the scene we have been building to, looking backwards, there are a lot of little hints to the readers (which could have been interpreted the right way or not , but they are crumbles on the road). If the castle is shattered and the opposite happens... all my work, all my writing, had been for nothing, and my character is looking like a fool... worse, I as the writer seem a fool in these conditions.

You would say that "it happens in real life too" for people not to get the expected outcome, and I am not in favour of "happily ever after" scenarios when it is not the case. I am in favour of a heads up given to the writer a while before, not being put in front of the accomplished deed, in order to find the best way for the character to deal with the situation. Yes, the character might still look like a fool if this is desired, but the writer doesn't anymore.

[Zozma]

I vastly prefer linear plots for myself (I only play one thread per character at a time except on rare occasions.) but I'm not a big fan of forcing an entire forum of people to play that way. That's mostly because there are people who may only play one character and if they get stuck in a thread with a slow person, they're screwed. But if there were rules in place to prevent that or if the members themselves are all slow and cool with everybody else being slow, sure, why not? I wouldn't do it myself but I see no issues with other forums doing it that way and it wouldn't totally turn me off the forum. If somebody left a character standing, I'd just edit the post and write my character out of the thread. Problem solved for me.