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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
In that thread, you provide mostly info on enforcers who'd duck surveillance. Are there any bounty hunters/mercenaries that are employed by e.g. the police or by rich people idek to find things or people? Not necessarily ducking surveillance but finding those that have tried?
Or is that all on the police/not at all frequent enough to make a living off, given the level of surveillance?
no subject
With regards to bounty hunters, we're going to say that they don't exist in the way that you're thinking. Most people who perform similar duties - such as taking out an opponent on the other side of a deal that went south - would act as enforcers for mob families. That would be their "job." There wouldn't be a position for competing interests. The path is much the same as we indicated in the previous link!
As for mercenaries, they do exist, but are extremely illegal (which may not be surprising). For a point of where mercenaries exist in the world, they are actually hired on as the guards to take care of Displaced during drop offs, and they're the ones who were involved in the gunfight with Morningstar in the very first log a year ago. (These were never UNA soldiers, but they do utilize much of the same tech!) Getting in with them is a lot harder given the types of people they're hired for (and the sensitive information contained therein).
Mercenaries tend to exist in under the radar mercenary companies that are then contracted by corporate powers. Given the utilization of high-grade military tech and the fact that they often work as enforcers for people with a lot of money - thus being the more "corporate" side of this coin, if you will - it's hard to catch their eye, or even know where they are.
That's not to say that Dutch can't join up. She absolutely can, but given this angle's potential to uncover large plot details, we'd like you to propose a plot in exploring them! Obviously, there are the drop offs, which can be tracked for the times they're more likely to take place. The DIsplaced have enough information to track these, and Caroline (
You can have Dutch safely assume that the guards aren't UNA thanks to the Morningstar/Displaced correlation (as they would seemingly know better) and they aren't the cops (since the cops also know nothing).
And if that angle doesn't work for you, we'd be happy to help you with another one!
no subject
Having her put together a team (or teams) to stake out locations for potential drop-offs and then try to track the mercenaries that drop off newly displaceds after the drop would be an amazing plot and just the kind of thing she'd be inclined to do. I'm crazy busy with work atm, so I don't feel like I'm in a place to run this kind of plot rn, but once work calms down (late October, early November), I would LOVE this, if that's an option.
This would also negate some of the need to get dutch a more involved job than security at a bar/fighting in the fight rings, since she'd be able to take action this way.
no subject
This is perfectly fine! We understand needing to hold off until time is better for you. Just hit us back here so we can get you started, and we recommend setting up a plotting post on the OOC community or CR meme to loop others in!