![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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.
.
no subject
1. What would her entry level position be if she worked with the atmospheric stabilization grid?
2. Would there be opportunities for advancement and what would the time frame be on that (I'm guessing probably a couple years at least for one promotion, but I'm trying to work out if Mei would think it was worth sticking with to advance)?
3. Same questions but for terraforming instead?
Okay, so those are my climate job questions. Now onto other possibilities.
1. Are there still language barriers in the world? I see the world capital is New Beijing, and seeing how Mei is Chinese, she could work as a translator in New Amsterdam if there isn't just one world language or anything. If this is a possibility, what organizations/groups/businesses would need translation work?
2. Any ideas what jobs might work for someone who's good at cobbling together something new from spare parts, or is there no market for that here?
no subject
For the first section, the atmospheric stabilization grid is technically a part of the terraforming industry, as it's the same technology being used for both. As such, a starting level job for either would be the same: a lab tech, assistant, or the equivalent, and she could decide which area to branch into later down the line. Advancement would take quite a while, probably about what you've estimated, but given that wouldn't necessarily be much fun to RP, opportunities can always open up – possibly her not-of-this-world knowledge would allow her some insight which could get the attention of the right person, or could allow for a breakthrough in some tech. We'd be happy to work on something like that with you once she's been in a role for long enough to get her feet under her, if you do decide to go this route!
For your second set of questions:
1. There are no language barriers in the world, and the neural implants work as universal translators for everyone. There's more information about this here on the FAQ. As such, translators are not needed.
2. Someone who's good at cobbling together parts would be able to find a job as a mechanic or engineer for most of the physical tech in the world, such vehicles, home appliances and construction equipment, though as before, they would start out in an entry-level job!
no subject
1. If she were to be an assistant, would it be possible for her to bounce between different areas of the career so she wouldn't be locked into doing the same thing over and over? As an example, for two weeks she studies soil samples and records the data, then for a week she assists a group terraforming on the Lunar colony before it's back to New Amsterdam? Basically I'd like to keep her involved with goings-on in the game without making her stare at data in front of her eyes for months on end or sending her away for too long.
2a. Where would most people in this career fall on the class scale? Would they all be firmly middle class, with those with seniority being upper middle?
2b. Working as an entry level assistant in this field, where would Mei fall on the class scale? What size apartment could she afford?
2c. Are there such things as public benefits to raise money to protect the environment/terraform, or is it all paid for by the government? Are there talks/meetings/symposiums on environmental awareness/climate shift? Do scientists visit schools to talk to kids about it? Or am I thinking too hard on this and they've already invented clean energy sources and there are no harmful emissions anymore so people don't need to be warned about it?
3. If I get Mei her glasses through AC rewards, can she get away with saying she's just wearing them for the aesthetic? Like do people do that here? I know they'll be weirded out if she just doesn't get eye surgery to fix her eye sight, but I'm curious if people wear glasses for fashion reasons and she can pretend that's why she has them.
4. I said this on the recent OOC post, but just so I have it written down here as I work out her career, she'll def join Morningstar, though she'll stress she doesn't want to do jobs where she rushes in, guns blazing.
5. What is the population of people of Asian descent like in New Amsterdam? I'm trying to figure out for her backstory if she should just be born there, or have come over from New Beijing instead. (Can you tell I think it's cool the capital is in her homeland?)
no subject
2a/b. You're right that lab techs/assistants make salaries that land them roughly in the middle class income bracket. Higher ups at the company will be wealthier, and it scales depending on their importance to the company and what they do. Like you might expect, the people at the very top do less work and make the most money. With her salary, Mei will be able to afford a slightly bigger apartment in less sought after areas, but a much, much smaller one depending on whether she wants to be somewhere that's hopping, so to speak.
2c. It's generally accepted that climate change is something which definitely happened and had harmful, continuing effects on the planet. It's an integrated part of society that as many efforts are made as possible to limit environmental impact and to try and support the planet into something like recovery. This doesn't mean there aren't talks or school visits! Only that the topics have gone past prevention and warning and into stability, sustainability and the future promise of the terraforming projects. There are also rarely public benefits, but plenty of private galas or benefit balls with wealthy patrons.
3. Yes, people do still wear them for the aesthetic, so they can definitely be a fashion accessory! Mei want to be careful that others don't assume hers are as non-essential as theirs, though. Also just a reminder that the item returns aren't AC rewards!
4. Thanks for letting us know! We'll add her to the list.
To work for Morningstar, Mei will need to express this as an interest to one of the NPCs (this can be handwaved!). This will then be passed on to those higher up in the organization, and Mei will enter an informal provisional period where she will be tapped for tasks and jobs. These will progress as she earns more trust.
5. New Amsterdam (and the rest of the world) is the end result of open borders and a hell of a lot of population shift, so all of the mega-cities are very diverse! You can still feel free to have Mei come from New Beijing, if you'd like, though it's location isn't precisely where the old Beijing used to be.