larkers | PLOT ENGAGEMENT (ARCHIVED)

PLOT ENGAGEMENT (ARCHIVED)

> PLOT ENGAGEMENT (ARCHIVED)

What is Plot Engagement and how does it work within Meadowlark? This is the page where players can come discuss with us how to facilitate plots within the setting. However, there will be occasions where a plot doesn't work within Meadowlark's world, and we'll suggest alternative routes. For small worldbuilding or gameplay details, please direct your question to the FAQ. If you're ever not sure if you're at the right page, don't worry—we'll help you get it sorted out. We know we have a load of info!

WHEN WILL YOU HEAR BACK?

◉ All Plot Engagement answers go out on Sunday, except during events.
◉ The deadline to submit a question and ensure you'll hear back from us on Sunday is 11:59 PM UTC on Saturday.

PLOT ENGAGEMENT INCLUDES

◉ Player plots! If you'd like your character to become a mafia boss, this is your place to start. Typically, this involves anything that could impact the setting or other player characters.
◉ Character career advancement that gives the character additional power or status within the setting.
◉ Metaplot exploration and information! We plan all events to give characters something to explore after the event ends. This is the place to do it!

SUBMISSION TIPS

◉ Specify what your character is looking for when they're investigating. What questions are they asking and what angle are they trying to explore?
◉ If you have a specific goal in mind but don't know how to reach it, please let us know.
◉ If you link a thread to us, please summarize it! That helps us process the plot in question.
◉ Don't worry about not knowing the setting like the back of your hand before you submit the plot—that's up to us! We're here to help you with any adjustments to get you on the right track.

NOTES & THINGS THAT YOU CAN HANDWAVE

◉ Characters always start out in entry level positions. Characters can update their skill sets to the 2512 standard through paid apprenticeships or internships.

◈ If a character is advancing within a major corporation (as noted on the Setting or Locations page) or one of its subsidiaries, we will need to approve this advancement.
◈ If a character becomes a supervisor at a local bar or other small business, we do not need to approve this advancement.

◉ Joining the police force within a city requires three months of IC training (six months OOC).
◉ We'll approve whether someone has social media fame, but we will not be providing social media follower counts. Once you have a plot for how to use those followers, that's where we step in!
◉ All Morningstar business goes on our Morningstar page. Please feel free to discuss specific plots here (including joining), and go there for signups and anything else.
◉ Characters getting jobs, finding apartments, participating in the fighting rings, getting married, making workplace friends, the creation of minor NPCs, etc. do not need to be run by us. Please let us know if these expand into player plots or other plot bits!

QUICK LINKS

◉ FAQ: For small worldbuilding or gameplay details.
◉ Setting: Our setting page! We'll update as needed.
◉ Jobs: A reference for who's working where!
◉ Locations: Both major and minor locations within New Amsterdam, as well as outlines for other megacities.
◉ Mod Contact: For wider game concerns.
◉ The Story So Far: Gamewide plot events up to current (your CTRL+F best friend!).
◉ NPC page: Includes NPC blurbs and inboxes.
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Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

So, my question is about hovercar or bike, etc, racing as a career! I realise he's been here less than a week, I'm feeling out future ideas!

I can see it noted that illegal street racing is a thing that you can engage with by firstly hanging out in a bar and getting into a low level gang, etc, and I guess there's a degree of gambling there on the winners which might net you some money depending on luck and not-getting-arrested!

I was wondering if there are legal racing circuits in New Amsterdam! I was imagining like FIA & Formula 1 (I'm European, sorry, but Amsterdam was in Europe anyway) where big corporations build test racing vehicles and emblazon it with sponsorships and make them go fast in circles a whole bunch! Obviously he'd have to start waaaay back at like, Formula F level and get some local mechanic training before he drives, and it'd be a bit before he jumped up to Formula 3 and began climbing in races people care about but! At least he has nonsense protag experience learning alien vehicles and flying them in battle situations, so he'd reasonably be able to pick up driving a hover-thing well?

i) is this feasible! I realise at half time in a game starting a career that normally takes like, several years to get to the top in is asking for pain but I'm fine assuming he might never make it past the lower ranks. Any racing is fun racing! Who doesn't love risking their life driving?
ii) is this worth investing in! I'm in it about 60% for the 'it sounds fun' value, but I also figure eventually he'd start mixing with people who have enough money to sponsor nonsensical events like 'travel at death-defying speeds in circles'. I'm hoping learning about who meets who and who sponsors what, along with learning some engine things, might eventually get him something useful! Like what major corps work together, which ones have bad blood, who they give their fancy box tickets to! Tell me if I am wrong!

ETA: I realise his cover backstory would influence this! John would tell Morningstar he's a pilot if they asked, unsure what they'd translate that to in cyberpunk future terms

Edited 2019-06-17 10:36 (UTC)

as part of this thread with clarke, caroline is going to be chatting up the volunteers at the festival — though it won't be to find out more about any cool tattoos or religious beliefs. she wants to know how people get involved in helping to put on the cool festivals in new amsterdam, both as a volunteer and potentially any paid positions that are in charge of city events.

my ideal aim is to try and get caroline a job on the city hall equivalent of an events committee, so that she can be aware of big festivals going on in the city in coming months and potentially give heads up to the displaced for any big events that might be drop off spots for new arrivals.

is this something that could be feasible for her? she doesn't expect to run any festivals on her own or have any major "power" in the role, but being trusted to set up tents, wrangle vendors, delegate responsibilities to volunteers, etc would all be in her wheelhouse of experience!

Hi Mal! We believe that we weren't very clear about a point here, but there is only one UNA base located in New Amsterdam! Otherwise there would be a more visible presence.

oh, awesome thanks i'll edit to clarify

hi guys, quick clarifying question - and i am sorry for this since i know you guys are ramping up for the event - but:

1. where is the una base located within new amsterdam, exactly?
2. is there any basic stuff that could be observed from the exterior?

Hi Mal!

1. The base is at the very, very northwest edge of New Amsterdam. It was featured in this plot.

2. They'll see the destroyed building from the September attack under repair, as well as a lot of buildings with bulletproof windows that don't allow anyone to see inside. Many of these buildings scale rather high, but it's reasonable to assume they dip underground, as well. (This does not mean there is access to the buildings from the underground cave systems: there is not.)

Someone could easily see into the base and count the number of buildings, the visible outdoor training groups, and the likelihood of people leaving the base from a nearby building. Of course, they won't be able to see inside any of the buildings. There will also be no visible weaponry, but it's safe to assume that there is quite a bit on site.

Hopefully this helps!

thank you guys both for the quick response and for the meaty info.

Jumping in here real quick to ask if Peggy would be able to access the blueprints of the base and any insight into its security measures via her job? I do understand if her clearance doesn't allow for this / it's all confidential (as per my earlier plot engagement on a related matter), but what if it were done during the upcoming event by a more tech savvy PC when systems are going haywire? Or would databases be universally inaccessible due to the virus, as mentioned in the plotting post?

Just thought I would check in case this was a possible angle for future info! Thank you!

Hi Ellie!

Peggy won't ever be able to access UNA information! Unfortunately, they also won't be able to get blueprints of the base during this plot, but the plot will make it more accessible otherwise.

I thought as much, but it was worth asking! Thank you for the speedy response!

To clarify, do you mean the base itself would be more accessible during the event?

Yes, as is outlined on our event post!

hello! sorry if any of this has been answered before and i've missed it, but i have a few questions concerning different avenues.

1. not to steal from the plot engagement post, but i'm genuinely interested in possibly pushing the crime boss angle for octavia. where would i get started with that?

also: would it be possible to work up the chain of an already established gang/mob and take over, either by force or earning it? is it possible to start her own, and what would that take to gain traction and repute? can you tell me a bit more about each notable organization and what they stand for and dabble in, what their reputation is like, how they treat their own, etc?

2. does meadowlark have a bounty hunting scene at all, either legally or illegally? if so, how would someone go about getting started with either route (getting licensed if legal, proving one's worth, etc) and what kind of work would it entail (requisition, murder, simple capture?) if there is no scene, are there any avenues for enforcers or mercenary work?

ok ok ok i have a bunch of things.

1. what are the current trends on social media? mukbangs? are challenges still in vogue? is it possible to start a challenge like the cinnamon spice challenge?

2. how popular would the channel be at this point? and, depending on that, would it be possible to collab with any vloggers/content makers of the same level? are there any specific ones that could be reached out to in the area?

3. fabricated drama. still a thing? is it possible to start some (relatively harmless and mostly for shock value) fake-beef with another content creator to ramp up both viewcounts?

4. assuming they're being somewhat wise about accepting sponserships, what brands would be most interested and how much would they be able to make? is it at a point where this could be a full time thing?

5. livestreaming video games / vr, is that a thing? and if so, is it at all profitable if you have an existing audience?

Hi there, mods! I'm here with two separate things.

1. Jack and Diana have a thread right over here which involves them interfering in a burglary and then scaring the thieves off before they can snatch anything. Except that one of the criminals got knocked out so they're going to shake him up and try to get some information out of him! Jack will likely ask a) what they were aiming to steal (I'm not sure what this would be since it'd have to be a physical item and so much of this world runs digitally, so let me know if there's anything that would make sense!) and b) if they work for anyone. Totally fine if they're just random punks with no affiliations, just thought it might be an interesting way to pull at a plot thread or something! (For the record, this thread takes place before the event.)

2. For Jack's employment, I've been thinking about having him work as a security guard! I wasn't 100% sure on where, though he'd want it to be a place where he might be able to pick up on / eavesdrop on things or eventually get access to restricted areas that are of interest. Would there be any places where he could get hired for this kind of work? Also, would the event that's going on now affect that hiring in any way? I would imagine people would be more on edge and paranoid in light of the power surge, but let me know what you think!

Hi mods!

I realize it's the middle of an event, but I wanted to get Akechi started once it ended.

One of the key things I've been going over in my mind is that he tries to work for Katelin Jovavich's campaign. In canon, he has the knack for ensuring someone's rise to power, and in this case, he believes that by being on the side of a sure winner, he'll be able to get himself into a better position in the world. Veronica mentioned that she'd be down to have Loki sponsor his attempt to get in good with her, especially since Loki is gaining some clout at Pulsar on the business end of things.

I'm not looking for some advisor position for Akechi. My aim is for him to, essentially, get a foot in to the room where it happens. He'll be happy to take secure messages by hand, get drinks, organize lunches, or anything else that might be expected of an eighteen year old with an interest in politics. So, he'll just be the guy who does the menial jobs while occasionally dropping insights and thoughts, hoping to get attention that way. He knows he needs to start small.

I am thinking he might use his power in this position: set the right people off, show them to be irrational. But that's all spitballing at this point. I mostly want to know if he can do that job right now, and see where the inspiration takes me!

hi mods!

as a follow-up to this plot, cassian and daisy will be attempting to plant a bug in daisy's managers office during his visit to the vyonation offices. will this be successful?

this will be under the guise of verifying that power was not lost to any important offices during his repairs. daisy's hope is that the manager's proven failures in communication strategies — not always thinking before he speaks, or not always writing the most professional emails — might mean he has loose lips when in the privacy of his own office.

as daisy and cassian have both established good relationships with the staff in their building, they are interested in learning more about the rumors of illegal/sketchy activity mentioned above! (we would also love to know if we are free to name him, or if you'd like to provide us with a name!)

Hi Jenna!

This may be an odd request, but since it's related to our event, can you bring this over to our discussion post!

As a spoiler, it's going to be a yes! We just want it all in one place for sake of ease. 💖

Hi Tomato!

Thanks for keeping us updated and feel free to swing back over here when you have a better idea of what kind of digging he'll be doing!

And wow, that in-game network post looks amazing! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Hokay, so! In light of the event (yay!) and Rodney helping with the pyramid, he'd like to try and aim for a job with Pulsar and will absolutely use his 'but I helped' to the point of trying people's patience. He can prove that he's very good with astrophysics with an emphasis on engineering and technology optimization, and 'cutting edge' stuff is where he'd do best. If that's something possible? :D?

He'd also like to sort of put out feelers once he's there to see if they have any weird science divisions (like...time travel...or...dimension travel, ahem), which is something he's familiar with and has a vested interest in seeing if they are as well? In the long term, he'd like to pursue clues to that kind of weird science, and Pulsar being concerned with space is where he'd like to start. :D

HELLO MODS, I come post-event with job-type questions.

I've envisioned /sort of vaguely mentioned Poe doing odd-job type things in addition to being a normal run-of-the-mill courier. Would he (over time, as it's been awhile) be able to use that sort of to hopscotch to making less than legal deliveries for gangs and then to get recruited for street racing? MAYBE IT DOESN'T MATTER SO MUCH NOW but just… so i know… if it can happen/ever happened/in what way/something.

ALSO: He hotwired a car during the outage. Looking at other people's stuff I know it'd be able to be reclaimed pretty quickly because of neural implants — is that still true after the event? Or if the person it was registered under was one of the large amount of people who died, what would happen to it then? Does it just link to the next of kin's implant? 😮

Would there be comparable positions to a courier, transporting, escorting, etc that one of the companies would offer him as part of the reward for helping with the pyramid? (WOULD THEY GIVE HIM A CAR OR ACCESS TO A CAR LMAO)

Related to all of the above, does NA have rideshare services like an equivalent to Uber, Lyft, etc?

Hey there mods! Post event, both Loki and Jason are going to head to the Black Bliss to see how Gaby's doing!! Both of them, being idiots, are kinda worried for her after everything has happened but won't admit it. EVEN THO SHE TOLD LOKI NOT TO SHOW HIS FACE THERE AGAIN, he will show up with Jason, in his civvies, playing Normal and ordering a drink. If she lets them, they'll stay and try to cheer her up, no talk of the Displaced or Morningstar. They may even try to get her to go out and party (well, Loki will).

Let me know about Gaby, ok. :(

Hi, mods! gently adds to the growing pile of questions

When thinking about getting Eiji's foot in the door for a job, I was wondering if working secretarial stuff for an already established event planner is feasible, since I know other artistic paths require portfolios and work. Granted, he wouldn't be doing the event planning as his own business, and he'd only be handling appointments, initial meetings, and juggling business contacting for the boss.

I was hoping this would give him a way to better learn the city/locations and, oocly, give him a wide enough opening to run in with all kinds of things since people and businesses tend to have organized events. Also, he has a good disposition for civil service!

hello mods!

first of all, my apologies for dumping that question on the aftermath when it's stated to follow up on the plot engagement page. i read that and then just forgot. basically i'm dumb sorry about that.

anyway, as a follow up and after talking with jenna, marcos and caroline probably wouldn't act any differently until they knew something was up. so, he'd go to his job as a courier on the daily, and then probably grab something to eat before he either headed to the safehouse, where he's been staying since he's saving for an apartment or he'd go to jyn erso's place, where he sometimes sleeps because she offered him a couch. caroline would have similar movements in that she'd be at the safehouse mornings and nights but would be out in the city during the day to both do random errands.

they would probably be together during at least once a day because they do live in the same place and they are friends. they'd both help with relief efforts (helping those without homes, cooking for those that are injured, cleanup, etc). caroline is, i believe, getting some aide from el for the blood she needs and she did steal some blood from a blood bank during the event.

so, they definitely wouldn't be hiding at all. when they did figure out that something had gone awry, they'd probably try and stick together but wouldn't want to endanger too many other people. maybe one or two close contacts to stay with so they didn't put big groups of people in the bullseye. they wouldn't go after the criminal underground themselves but they wouldn't be shy about fighting back or causing a stir if they were provoked.

once they're discovered and alerted to the knowledge that the criminal underground ain't too happy, what kind of relatiation could they expect? would the gangs use weapons on them? would they be safer not going back to the safehouse in case some braver members of certain gangs tried to creep up in there? what would happen if, in self defense (or otherwise), other gang members ended up not alive?

Hi mods!

So, given the sheer amount of lives lost and the state that the city is in, Sora is going to believe that more work needs to be done to help out New Amsterdam with clean-up, assisting people in need, and so on.

He will therefore be looking for PRESERVE offices and dropping by in person to see if he can offer his services as a volunteer, along with his "friends" (that is, in case any other Displaced want to pitch in as well).

Would PRESERVE be open to this? Would there be anything logistically that I need to be aware of? Also, assuming this all works out, now that Sora knows that his power is mental healing, he would want to use that to help people during these relief efforts. I realize that the chest glowing is something that people are wary about right now, so what would the reaction be like? Would he need to layer up so that it wasn't visible?

Thanks for your help!

Hello mods!

I'd like to get Daenerys more on track to look into the halted research down of the new species of the warm blooded reptiles in the antarctic region (as mentioned/shared by james holden on peter's post). Prior to the event, Kylo Ren introduced Daenerys to what he could of the kaiju attacks and, while he essentially confirmed for her that it was a creature different from her dragons, she's gained a bit of obsessive interest their origins/researching them. Her main aim would be to study what she can of their behavior/breeding/hunting patterns as well as how they have evolved, with the goals of (a) seeking some kind of sentience/higher brain function (b) ways to contain them to keep from attacking in the future and a potential (c) of learning how to communicate with them herself. (~~and also (d) making absolutely doubly sure that they're not actually her dragons~~)

Obviously, she is not much of a scientist herself and more inclined to diplomacy, but I figure with her high charisma stat, she could probably wordsmith her way into a research division somewhere (thinking like MONARCH from the Legendary Films Godzilla/King of the Monsters series) as long as her focus sticks to kaiju and not climate/terraforming science (though I guess she could learn that VERY SLOWLY along the way -- I am more interested in the kaiju angle).

I'd love some guidance on where to start.

Edited 2019-07-04 03:50 (UTC)

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

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PLOT ENGAGEMENT (ARCHIVED)

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