Maelstrom 2
Sep. 19th, 2004 06:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smokingbootSo, my second maelstrom weekend out of the way. Fantastic to see people again and the project I have been banging on about (in fact, the little newspaper we have started in game) seems to have done quite well.
But.
But.
*Sigh* I'm afraid I found the event very slow. Oh there were great moments but... while I approve of player led plot, the definition I understand of it is plot that, once out in the player domain, can be affected by players. If Maelstrom is only going to have player generated plot, the whole thing is going to get pretty turgid, because people can't generate plot for themselves all the time. I am exhausted after running around, forcing myself to be busy. I want my chance to react to something. Add to it that the time taken to generate any plot is far greater than the time taken to roleplay with it and it begins to feel remarkably like hard work.
Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating plot frogmarched in with signposts saying, 'This way to the mosh.' But I do believe there is a happy medium between plot 'sent in,' and player generated plot. Both are artificial inductions of activity: the difference between good plot and bad has got to be how much freedom/ability players are given to resolve it/botch it up. They need to have something to enjoy, as well as having the tools to make their own enjoyment. People were sitting around on Saturday night saying 'God, is it only 11.30?' And you know things are not swinging when people are returning to OOC camp to play/practice with swords early in the evening.
Still, there were also great things. Not everyone got as bored as I occasionally did. Things got a bit more funky towards the end of the event. The paper is interesting, and it gave me the chance to do my whole revolving squirrel around the site routine. The crew and GOD were inspiring in their patience and efficiency, the food was expensive but good (except the tepid bacon and lack of forks - ever tried to cut a sausage with a spoon?) and the casino/coffee house is just fabulous. My big brassy wig has a coterie of (what's the opposite of discerning?) fans. And of course, there were many astonishing chums who made the weekend worthwhile just by being there and roleplaying magnificently.
So on the whole, not the best event I have attended. But I'm certainly going to give it another couple of tries.
But.
But.
*Sigh* I'm afraid I found the event very slow. Oh there were great moments but... while I approve of player led plot, the definition I understand of it is plot that, once out in the player domain, can be affected by players. If Maelstrom is only going to have player generated plot, the whole thing is going to get pretty turgid, because people can't generate plot for themselves all the time. I am exhausted after running around, forcing myself to be busy. I want my chance to react to something. Add to it that the time taken to generate any plot is far greater than the time taken to roleplay with it and it begins to feel remarkably like hard work.
Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating plot frogmarched in with signposts saying, 'This way to the mosh.' But I do believe there is a happy medium between plot 'sent in,' and player generated plot. Both are artificial inductions of activity: the difference between good plot and bad has got to be how much freedom/ability players are given to resolve it/botch it up. They need to have something to enjoy, as well as having the tools to make their own enjoyment. People were sitting around on Saturday night saying 'God, is it only 11.30?' And you know things are not swinging when people are returning to OOC camp to play/practice with swords early in the evening.
Still, there were also great things. Not everyone got as bored as I occasionally did. Things got a bit more funky towards the end of the event. The paper is interesting, and it gave me the chance to do my whole revolving squirrel around the site routine. The crew and GOD were inspiring in their patience and efficiency, the food was expensive but good (except the tepid bacon and lack of forks - ever tried to cut a sausage with a spoon?) and the casino/coffee house is just fabulous. My big brassy wig has a coterie of (what's the opposite of discerning?) fans. And of course, there were many astonishing chums who made the weekend worthwhile just by being there and roleplaying magnificently.
So on the whole, not the best event I have attended. But I'm certainly going to give it another couple of tries.
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Date: 2004-09-21 04:17 am (UTC)