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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
Sniper's going to add some more volunteering to their plate, pitching in to whatever organization is bringing supplies to the those in tents due to the monster attack. They have a few goals with this.
1. Collecting rumors - specifically, they want to know what the word on the street is in regards to where the monster came from. This goes for social media as well. Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere.
2. Rumor engineering! They have two goals with this
A. Foment unrest, possibly even rioting. They're not going to be on a soap box anywhere, but they're good at manipulating situations. Partially they want to pull heat/police power off the investigation into who cured the remaining plague victims, but mostly they just want to rock the boat, and encourage tensions about economic disparity and governmental negligence.
B. Plant Rumors that Giles-Bell is responsible for the monster. Obviously they have no idea if this is true or not. If public opinion is such that this rumor wouldn't take off at all, I'll change this to something more workable. They know Giles-Bell is involved in the kaiju's corpse, and they hope public pressure will help shed light on why.
And finally, unrelated to all the above,
3. They want to know if there any any rumors floating around specifically in the sex worker community about drugs that enforce obedience. Was there anything on the market prior to game start that could enforce total or partial obedience? Anything new? Which establishments are peddling it as a service? They work in the brothel so they'll just be following leads form their boss/coworkers.
no subject
1. It would depend on where Sniper was looking, as some of the outlets for rumors are a lot more outlandish. Some social media accounts have a conspiracy running that the government and UNA were working together to create a giant creature to protect the megacities, and it got out of control. Others suggest that the government is helping one of the corporations cover up their mistakes. There are some groups that believe these creatures are a divine event, one that we should all be glad to experience, but the most widely held belief is that it was a result of the extreme environmental changes the Earth has undergone.
2a&b We would need to know more about how Sniper intends to go about this, so we recommend that they approach a more subtle approach to fomenting unrest - IE through the internet, and reaching out to these conspiracy groups with the evidence that they have to compel people to believe these things. In their other research, they would be able to determine which outlets are more likely to be taken seriously.
3. No, there was and is nothing on the market capable of inducing obedience. The closest would be any drugs similar to roofies - sex workers would talk about these a fair deal, passing information about the latest strains and any signs to watch out for. Many of the dealers who sell these drugs also sell devices to check drinks or similar for them, essentially playing both sides of the market, but they would have no idea about anything as total as what player characters experience on arrival.
no subject
My plan was for them to start sort of grassroots, starting with the people in the tents. They would start throwing subtle shade on Giles-Bell, and feeding into government dissatisfaction in one-on-one conversations while asking about monster theories, etc. They would also definitely do internet research, and definitely reach out to a legit conspiracy group with the knowledge that Giles-Bell has an unknown interest in the monster corpse (and the other stuff about science and genes etc that's been released), but they'd tried to get someone else to drop the info-- i.e use charm on someone and convince them to do it so they can keep their name out.
3. It sounds like buying one of these detectors would be pretty straight forward, and I assume legal?
no subject
2. Right now, the people in the tents would need a more established link between Giles Bell and the government. Can you please tell us how Sniper would make this link? Most of the people there are upset with Governor Gill-Jade for her negligence, and wouldn't be directing their ire toward any corporate official. Bear in mind that these people are from this world, so they are far more accustomed to corporate involvement when it comes to research.
For the record, we're very happy to help you pursue this plot! We just need more information about how Sniper intends to make these claims and capitalize on the dissatisfaction there.
3. Yes, it would be encouraged by others in the sex worker community, and therefore easy to find. However, the people selling these detectors are dealers themselves, so it's not legal so much as easy if Sniper knows the right people.
no subject
I messed up that last comment; their main concern would be fomenting unrest in general, at whatever weak point exists. Since in game time that situation has calmed down, I'll just say they will continue to complete that volunteer work so that they get to be a familiar face to the other volunteers, officials, and residents. If there are any of the residents who are particularly vocal against Gill-Jade, they'll note that for later use.
So for Giles-Bell they will take what information they do have a disseminate it to whichever conspiracy group has the most resources and credibility. Their desire with this would be to put pressure on Giles-Bell to explain their involvement.
no subject
All of this sounds great right now, especially the continued volunteer work. Please feel free to come to us in the future about any ideas you have for antagonizing Giles Bell, and we'll help you with that plot progression.