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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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no subject
Ian's going to start the process of contacting and interviewing law firms to represent the displaced that are adamant about participating in the study
here are the things he's going to ask them to help draft a contract on / the issues he wants them to represent for them:
-clear terms that all harvested organic material is the property of the participant of the study, but granting permission to Riverstone to complete a pre-approved list of tests they communicate in advance
-any genetic material has to either be returned or destroyed upon completion of the testing, and what exactly completion means
-PII needs to be considered confidential and shouldn't be stored by Riverstone beyond a specifically allotted time period after testing, with the exception probably being people still employed with the company
-we'd need some kind of statement on their security policies or data maintenance in the event that they're conveniently hacked
-we'd need an airtight nondisclosure agreement that includes our interests, not just theirs
-maybe some kind of declaration of intent with the stipulation that anything outside of the specified use cases be approved by all parties involved
-an agreement to release all findings to the participants of the study, or a specified list of contacts in the event that participant can't be located
He's made a post hoping to take up donations, but he's also willing to pay what he needs to initially to put someone on retainer. he's also going to shop around until he finds someone he feels like he can trust & who is competent.
+ an amendment from stephen
The negotiation of a requirement of written confirmation that they have evidenced information prior to any agreement to participate
no subject
There are a few clauses in here that we'd like to point out first. Since they don't have a case against Riverstone yet (as Riverstone is neither giving them bad contracts nor have they done anything wrong at the moment), most firms, both large and small, around New Amsterdam won't be willing to represent the Displaced. Given the nature of the contracts themselves, which are completely favorable to the Displaced and meeting all of their demands, they'll just look paranoid to most of the firms around the city. In addition, there's the factor that Riverstone is the kind of corporation that no one would want to trifle with given its huge size and power.
The law firms that will actually take on the Displaced's contract negotiations, as well as offer to be a retainer, will be known as War, Babip, and Eckstein. It's a smaller firm that's been operating out of New Amsterdam for the last 20 years. Most of their work involves contracts for small businesses, as well as helping negotiate any convoluted marriage contracts.
In addition, Ian would have to:This is the more straightforward way of doing it that would probably offer the Displaced more security and allow them to have lawyers on retainer in the future. But still: these would be separate cases since Riverstone is offering this to them as a whole, but negotiating the contracts and having them signed separately.
Now, the firm will also offer the ability to look over the contracts and ensure that it meets all of Ian's requirements. This will be considerably cheaper, though they'll still be charging for each contract to be reviewed on an individual basis. For what it's worth, the contracts do meet all of Ian's requirements, but as we told Laws and Tifa, that doesn't mean much with a business as big and powerful as Riverstone. This particular action would not promise future legal intervention as it would only be paying them to sign off on what's in the contract, as well as make any additional notes. They would not be negotiating with Riverstone in any way.
The firm will provide additional information: if the Displaced do experience the breach of contract that they appear to expect from Riverstone, they will eventually have a class action suit on their hands. On this occasion, the Displaced would be able to represent themselves as a "class," bringing their case together as a united party whose individual contracts with Riverstone have all been breached. They can feel free to return to War, Babip, and Eckstein for this case as they'd be happy to represent them on that occasion. But they would advise Ian that he'd need to keep in mind that Riverstone is the type of corporation that's likely to settle, especially if the Displaced lack hard evidence that any breach of contract has occurred. (Suspicions won't cut it here.)
We're happy to add a blurb about War, Babip, and Eckstein's representation on the mini-event so players can choose if their characters are going in with a retainer, or if they're simply having their contract looked over.
Please feel free to ask any other questions!
no subject
First off, the type of legal representation Ian's looking for isn't the legal battle kind. He's not looking for a lawyer to argue a case like a defense attorney or prosecutor, but rather standard legal representation for things like drafting contracts and legal consulting re: rights, laws, etc. No right/wrong will be brought up in conversation nor will litigation, but rather a 'hey, can you create us a legal document with these stipulations for us to present to Riverstone, then represent us through the negotiation and signing'. Hopefully that makes it less like a demonstration of paranoia and more like a standard business transaction inquiry. If a contract already exists that Riverstone made, he'd bring it with him instead of asking for them to draft up an entirely new one & have them review it & make any amendments required so that it fit his proposed stipulations.
I'm curious about the conversation about their identities & the inquiry about how they got them. If it isn't public knowledge that the displaced aren't from this time period/this world and Ian doesn't mention it, how would the conversation come up that their identities are false? For instance, I've never had to discuss how I got my identity, I just give businesses my drivers' license. Is there something about the displaced that makes them visibly fake? If not, it isn't something Ian would bring up at all. He would speak & behave as if the displaced are normal citizens that just happen to have weird powers.
no subject
Sorry, we were working under the assumption that you were aware of the contract/NDA stipulations as outlined here for Tifa and Laws. In that case, refer to the section about reviewing the contracts. If the Displaced wish to have them on retainer, this would be maintained on an individual level since they can't possibly be represented as a group. That said, they are happy to review everyone's individual contracts without being on retainer.
As for the rest, Riverstone knows that Rey has a fake ID, as that's what started this entire thing. How she acquired that fake ID is unknown, and could potentially compromise the Displaced in a very big way. In addition, the Displaced are not of this world and there are people out there who know it (not just Morningstar, but PM and other parties like JPG who may be lurking in the shadows). While they wouldn't need to reveal this information to their lawyer, it's the kind of nasty surprise that could come up for them down the line and end up voiding any contractual agreements. It's the type of thing they'd need to reveal to their lawyer to ensure that Riverstone can't already prepare for this possibility. We wanted to be upfront about the potential consequences of seeking legal protection in advance so that it didn't come as a surprise down the line.
no subject
Alright, in that case if it's alright with ya'll I'm gonna say he reached out to them for an initial first conversation about what he'd want and get their expectations back, and when it became apparent to him through conversation that he'd probably need to disclose the fake-ass nature of their IDs he'd put a hold on the convo to instead check in with the displaced. It's definitely not something he's going to make an executive decision about on his own, he wouldn't feel like he had the right. He'll revisit once he's got a consensus from the gen pop.