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New Era
Dec 24, 2009 23:21:22 GMT -5
Post by The Union of Tinis on Dec 24, 2009 23:21:22 GMT -5
The Furry Federation is in crisis. Motivation by those few of us whom are in the least bit active is at an all time low. There fore perhaps it is time for some amazing changes in how we do things.
Recruit - Yes! Recruit friends, furiends, or Roleplaying wonks. Get the word out about the Furry Federation. Tell them we have candy if you like. The fact is that NationStates has given us some really awesome people around these parts, but has yet to do so recently. That's because ol' NS is slowly dying off. It will always have a solid group of hard core players, but they will not offer us fresh blood. So it is unwise for us to be attached to NS exclusively any longer. I'd argue that our creations here are strong enough to stand on their own and an outside game is only a distraction to the work we've put into this place. And of course having more people around will mean there's more going on, which keeps us all mutually motivated. That said...
Welcome Message - We need a general statement, singular set of spelled out rules and guidelines, and helpful hints on how to get started. I might be up for writing it myself at some point, but I'd really like everyone to give input. Because though I'm pretty sure I've read everything on these boards, there's plenty of things I've forgotten and would end up leaving out that could be of some help. Speaking of rules...
Concrete Do's and Don't's - A while back now we had a disaster where a thread had to be shut down. I feel that that event kind of hurt our community, even though the primary person involved left shortly after. It is in our best interest to avoid snafus like that. Having more exact spelled out do's and don'ts will make it easier to RP and will make my job as mod easier.
Wiki - Make use of the wiki! Its a great place to store lots of random information! I love threads such as the one about the postal system, but I feel that information might be more useful if it was posted on the wiki (with links to it from the thread of course). If you like you can put it both places. It doesn't matter. But the wiki should be our resource for information that doesn't really fit into a story like context. So please please use it.
Ok, so lets say we start getting a bunch of new folks. And things are going well. Well...
Application Form - Though not really a reason to reject anyone (unless they're nation is "Nation that took over the universe"), it would be nice to have a way to standardize new nations that pop up and to avoid power creep.
Super Tech Limitations - I know I don't have a perfect record on this, so feel free to call me out if I don't follow my own advice on this one. But! There's got to be a slowing of the appearance of super technology, especially if we get a bunch of new folks. So I'd argue that the best way to move forward would be to gauge if some new element you wish to bring in is something on the fantastic side of technology or not. If it is, run it by me (or any other mods that might pop up), before hand. I might have a specific thing for people to fill out with questions like: What is it called? What fantastic thing does it do? What are its limitations? (everything must have at least one else its a case of bang bang your dead, nu-uh! yes you are!.... which isn't fun RP)
Historical Revisions - Now this might be the hard one. A lot of our threads and stories rely on elements established previously in other threads. However, a great deal of the early stuff is done by people whom either don't come by any more or whom have forsaken us completely. Which is un-good. Further more, having their nation just sort of sitting out there, a very in character competitor/ally/enemy, but yet not doing anything is kind of difficult to explain. As such, I would like to hear from folks on what we should do with ex-nations. Should we keep the status quo? Should we wipe them from the map and ret-con things they're related to? If the second, then how was the Furry Federation actually established in character? And if we ret-con them away, how will we make the present make any sense?
And finally....
Ideas - New ideas for threads, adventures, and all that. Feel free to post ideas for threads in this board so you can be sure people are interested in them. Or to try to get people interested in them. Or to discuss them with people so they become better ideas and thus people get interested in them. Our habit of just starting new threads has got to end. And yes, I need to stop doing it myself and will from now on post at least a week or so in advance when I can before starting a thread to announce what's coming up. The general board is here to be abused. So please do so.
-Izixs
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New Era
Dec 25, 2009 18:57:49 GMT -5
Post by Kingdoms of Cal on Dec 25, 2009 18:57:49 GMT -5
Re: Wiki: I would be of the view that things like the postal thread should start IC and then pull the info out into the wiki. Also infi the current motion before the nations is passed then people should have a chance to pile in and claim domains IC. Then suck the info out to the wiki and link to the thread so that who ever is in-charge of the of their net can post (in the case of the commonwealth the net is not run by the government).
Re: Super Tech Limitations: Well I try to keep stuff fairly sane but I'm all against invulnerable, allow stuff tricky to knock out. I'm against shields. If it can be based on something feasible, I'm fine, last I check things like force shields don't exist in a practical way..magnetic could be very possible. FTL tech...no probs with providing it's problematic and limited (on the cutting edge of the nations science, not overly safe or everyday).
AI I'm of the view that if it exists it is some either designed and basic or has achieved saliency, but no one is entirely sure how it happened. Simply due to be sapience requires some a sapient begin to have designed it, and I can't see how this is possible. The level of philosophy involved, technical achievement and other things. Also if a sapient being managed it then they understand how saliency works, so totally understand it...No nation can have god, a creator god, spirit, etc as a member as well talk about an unfair advantage. This would also kill the spiritual side of said beings and to be sapient I reckon you need that irrationality as it's kinda a bit of realising your own mortality.
Re: Concrete Do's and Don't's: Please make it very clear in these that no nation EVER fights a war without losses. No battle is ever one way and stuff doesn't always go your way!
I would actually be tempted to put in a note stating the first war you fight turns a bit nasty (partial win at high cost, both sides go home to lick their wounds, they have to sue for peace or a full on lose). Also you have to appoint a ref or some form of arbiter, this might slow things down but if x nation wipes out y nation in a single strike, y nation can simply point out this to the ref with reasons why this could not have happened (extreme example)....sorry got a bit off track there.
Re: Application Form: With you on that, but I figured we had one, though it probably needs tweaked in the who's who.
Re: Historical Revisions: I'm tempted with a partial reboot, with us moving the historical stuff still relevant to the wiki? But with a bit of work it's still possible and we might be able to get some people back.
I would also be open to rebooting all the current threads with the hope of people jump in.
PS: I'm not gone, just seeing what else is going on...not overly impressed so far but the furry fed needed a kick.
PPS: What I'm not slagging off the fed, just what some of the alternatives are. If we do this right we might have a far more active forum than we have at current.
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Varro
New Member
Knowledge and Conquest
Posts: 45
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New Era
Dec 26, 2009 13:17:56 GMT -5
Post by Varro on Dec 26, 2009 13:17:56 GMT -5
Woo, haven't been around these parts in a while. A partial reboot might be good. It was a bit awkward at first for me to come in with so much already going on, so it might encourage newer players to hop in if there was less to shuffle through.
An application form would be a decent idea, as it would have someone think out a bit of their nation first before running along without a full idea.
As for Do's, Don'ts, and limitations, tis the same with any free-form (largely ruleless) RP; Be reasonable, be open to having faults in a perfect plan, or loosing ground on something. Winning is not the point (nor is simultaniously nuclear striking all other players). Everyone is trying to have fun, beating someone into submission is not fun for everyone.
As for thread posting... Could actually have a method to that madness. Each thread should be a mini-story, with a set end (when you find the big terrible secret of the prime minister), with the original poster acting as lead to move the story along. Annoucing them beforehand and putting in sign-ups would be good too, as it would allow for a number of participants to be considered, and ensure a degree of participation from them.
My two cents at the moment, I'll try foraging for a quarter later.
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New Era
Dec 26, 2009 17:58:24 GMT -5
Post by Kingdoms of Cal on Dec 26, 2009 17:58:24 GMT -5
I'm with you on most of that!
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New Era
Dec 29, 2009 0:48:05 GMT -5
Post by miokalia on Dec 29, 2009 0:48:05 GMT -5
I'm totally cool with doing a reboot-and-retcon thing. I've been kind of beginning to want to freshen things up a bit and probably start something new.
Primarily also because it's been about 4 or 5 years and I'm finding it incredibly hard to adhere to my own things which I've actually gotten tired of. So it's probably about time for something new.
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New Era
Dec 29, 2009 17:28:01 GMT -5
Post by Kingdoms of Cal on Dec 29, 2009 17:28:01 GMT -5
OK vote?
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New Era
Dec 29, 2009 21:23:06 GMT -5
Post by The Union of Tinis on Dec 29, 2009 21:23:06 GMT -5
Idea for application form. Give input on things you might like to see added.
------ -Basics- Name: Name of your Nation: Member of the Furry Federation? Y/N Type of Government: Political Leaders: Population: Population Composition (what kinds of people/species are common): Major Cultures: Major Religions:
-Military- Volunteer only? Y/N Mandatory Service? Y/N Some conscription? Y/N Military strengths (list 3): Military weaknesses (list 3): Nuclear weapons? Y/N (they can exist but can not be used) Biological weapons? Y/N (they can exist but can not be used) Chemical weapons? Y/N (use only with prior moderator approval) Space based weapons? Y/N (use only with prior moderator approval)
-Technology- Relative technology level- Choose one: Stone age, bronze age, medieval, industrial, electric age, atomic age, information age, mid 21st century Technological advantage (up to 2, must have moderator approval): Technological disadvantage (minimum of 1): Internet access: (Good, poor, none) Dominate Transportation Method: (Cars, trains, airlines, ect) Television access: (Good, poor, none)
-Style- Please write a little about your out of character desires for what kind of RPs you're interested in. Such as do you wish to keep on the national level, important people making big decisions, or more local, or stories about individual people whom just happen to live in your nation? Expound as much as you like as giving more detail will provide others with a sense of what you're up to for RPs.
-History- What is your nations history? (Note: please get in contact with other nations whom are near where you are on the map to figure out common past events)
-Relations to other nations- How does your government and people feel and interact with other nations?
-Give 3 interesting facts about your nation that gives it character:
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Post by Kingdoms of Cal on Jan 1, 2010 0:47:12 GMT -5
Name: Why? The nation name should be enough? Name of your Nation:
Member of the Furry Federation? Y/N Well they are in this world? Type of Government: Political Leaders: Population: Add role play otherwise it will get silly cap at a couple of hundred million. Population Composition (what kinds of people/species are common): List anything over 2% Major Cultures: 2% rule here Major Religions: get the hint
-Military- Volunteer only? Y/N Mandatory Service? Y/N Some conscription? Y/N What is some, either people volunteer or don't Military strengths (list 3): army navy and air force Military weaknesses (list 3): woman's axillary balloon force (don't have one),etc
Perhaps levels of forces my lot would have very big navy, big air force, not much in the way of army. perhaps disposition of forces, perhaps capped?
Nuclear weapons? Y/N (they can exist but can not be used) I would say philosophy of usage, no country who believes in the MAD doctrine would kick off first. Anyone that beleives in counter force...nope! Biological weapons? Y/N (they can exist but can not be used). Like wise Chemical weapons? Y/N (use only with prior moderator approval) Erm with so many types of people would these weapons be of any use?) Space based weapons? Y/N (use only with prior moderator approval)
-Technology- Relative technology level- Choose one: Stone age, bronze age, medieval, industrial, electric age, atomic age, information age, mid 21st century Opps I found FTL, allow random jumps and we are in the 21st centenary, but no one that is entirely certain as to what they heck they've tripped over works (You might get warp drive but you will lose a heck of a lot of bases/ships getting it running)?
You might get worm hole tech but you don't have a clue where the probes are going. I would allow FT providing the people more or less trip over it and have to figure it out (no one gets usable FTL within a year at most. Technological advantage (up to 2, must have moderator approval): Technological disadvantage (minimum of 1): Internet access: (Good, poor, none) ubiquitous (see Europe and Japan on phones) Dominate Transportation Method: (Cars, trains, airlines, ect) Television access: (Good, poor, none) Do I even have to say on this one?
-Style- Please write a little about your out of character desires for what kind of RPs you're interested in. Such as do you wish to keep on the national level, important people making big decisions, or more local, or stories about individual people whom just happen to live in your nation? Expound as much as you like as giving more detail will provide others with a sense of what you're up to for RPs.
-History- What is your nations history? (Note: please get in contact with other nations whom are near where you are on the map to figure out common past events)
-Relations to other nations- How does your government and people feel and interact with other nations?
-Give 3 interesting facts about your nation that gives it character:
--- OOC: Sorry I keep look like I'm putting the boot into you. Good ideas but I try and do consecutive criticism.
BTW tinis HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
ps I figure you can make this place rock!
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Post by The Union of Tinis on Jan 6, 2010 3:55:36 GMT -5
No problem. And thanks to Varro for taking the lad on fixing the app sheet. And sorry for the delay.
So there are a few other things that need to be done before any reboot officially happens.
1. Map clean up - I'll be deleting irrelevant dead nations. Let me know if there's any former nation that people want to keep around. I'll also be keeping Shikeishuu and a couple of the more recent inactive nations. The latter in the event that they're just sleeping or something for a year. If they don't pop back in a couple months though consider them vanished too. I'll also be jazzing up some of the coastal bits too. I'll also like to know if anyone wants to radically change your nation (and yes Cal, though I keep forgetting your dam project I can put that in the next edition of the map if you like).
2. New firm rules - Send me ideas of how you'd like to see RPs regulated. One smashing idea I've had is for when two nations come to a conflict that neither wish to loose on to have both of them agree to an outside arbitrator. Bonus: it doesn't have to be me and probably shouldn't be me of course if I'm one of the conflicting parties.
3. Welcome message - I mostly just need to get around to doing this. Life this last week's been strange to me. But now that I'm getting back into the groove of things it should be coming soon.
4. Figure out what you want to keep cannon and what you don't - Are you keeping your nation mostly the same? Are you changing a great deal? Post here the threads (that you were involved with) that you would like to maintain as fully canon, canon after modification, and which ones you think should be tossed out entirely. If you are fully restarting your country, you can instead state as such. But if so, please negotiate with other nations whom want to keep some threads involving your nation to figure out a compromise. BTW, this means you folks need to talk to each other.
5. Share your beefs - If there's something systemic that has been bothering you about in character events previous to this point, please share your thoughts now. One thing that's kind of nice about having memories and skills and such is that we can learn from our mistakes and become better role-players. And you can share beefs you've had with your self if you like. (I might do such if people start sharing here)
6. ....
7. Profit!
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Varro
New Member
Knowledge and Conquest
Posts: 45
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Post by Varro on Jan 6, 2010 4:38:51 GMT -5
Concerning #2, I think I can make a rough for general RP thread rules
1) Should have a relevent title, creativity granted. "War!" is bad, "War: Nation A and Nation B" is better, "War of Roses, Britain v. Rebels" is excellent.
2) Should be stated within if internal or external, and personal or public, and fluff or crunch.
An Internal thread deals with happenings within a nation, and do not go further. Could be a rebellion, or ordinary political intrigue. An External nation means something on the greater political stages, tis likely to deal with ambassodors and behind curtain deals, etc.
A Personal thread is simply that only the main poster has a say in the progress of the thread, and intends to write it mostly alone or entirely alone, more as a means of producing a story. A public thread may be participated by all, or by a designated set of players.
Fluff indicated that the tread is there merely for speculation and fun, with no real consequences involved. Crunch means that something is going to happen, or change.
Thus, a simple story about a farmers pastoral life in the hills of Germany would be personal, internal, and fluff for Germany. Making it about the farm community might make it Public, Internal, and Fluff.
A Private, Internal Crunch might be the romantic intertwinings of a military officer and a princess of the land, and how that leads things to be more militaristic for the country. A public internal crunch would be an openly (or covertly) funded rebellion against the state.
Further examples pending I suppose.
3) Any crunch thread should have a clear goal or end point aka; Finding the monsters in the desert, disarming the nukes, stopping the rebellion, sabotating a target, finding true love, etc.
4) If there is an open and direct conflcit between two players, such as war or coutner espionage, then between them they must agree on a moderator before proceeding.
5) If in any thread a conflict occurs between two people, a mod can be appealed to come in and make a ruling for that thread.
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New Era
Jan 9, 2010 22:09:04 GMT -5
Post by Kingdoms of Cal on Jan 9, 2010 22:09:04 GMT -5
To threads to save...Well I would like the new city left in place, as to the tread that is up to tinis. I'm cool with it just being there from the start or if tinis wants to play the thread.
Tails of the dead...let them live happily ever after but perhaps have the pair show up else where, might be fun. Having her restaurant being used by agents as a meeting point as it will be bug free ;-D.
Flat tail: Full reboot.
As what to do about the isles of K XI, well I would like to keep them as dependants as..well the commonwealth has not much in the way of land area, let alone usable land.
All legislation will have to be restarted and I figure the net is probably left to the non-political field along with telephones and post.
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New Era
Jan 9, 2010 22:10:18 GMT -5
Post by Kingdoms of Cal on Jan 9, 2010 22:10:18 GMT -5
Oh yeah as a rule, when/if a war kicks off can we agree an independent ref is needed, who both sides have to put in the forces they are using?
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New Era
Feb 2, 2010 22:22:38 GMT -5
Post by The Union of Tinis on Feb 2, 2010 22:22:38 GMT -5
Alright, here's my hope on threads to save. Some might require some effective ret-conning at some point but if needed I'll post a disclaimer explaining what actually happened.
To save: Awake (as is pending Miokalia's changes) The Great New City (though I would like to negotiate a change or two before moving forward) The Essence of Existence (biggest ret-con: heaven stones are now ancient artifacts dug up recently) Tails of the Dead (might not of happened 100% as told, but they're off running a restaurant in eastern Tinis) A Small Problem about a Dragon (a changes to be more consistent but other wise as is) Starfurs (its sci-fi even for the federation, so why not keep it? The Necessity needs to return to the planetoid and bother the The various film festivals and TV show threads Tinisian Tails
Possibly save (with heavy changes implied or made): The Voyage of the Crystal Eye (aka, how they get rescued) A view of the City (I kind of want such a tour to have happened, but some of the content and things talked about would be different)
Also, general references to defending Ciata or Lemur-land are out the door. When reading about those in old threads just replace that with [policing action X].
And as mentioned the heaven stones formerly of Ciata are now ancient artifacts that are believed to be crystalized computers of some sort that may be able to interface with biological beings. Maybe even have something where the only person to get one to 'work' went crazy and killed a bunch of people and thus use of the devices is banned. Any other ideas?
Also, still waiting to hear back from some folks about changes/nation updates/threads they want saved.
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New Era
Feb 11, 2010 18:20:37 GMT -5
Post by Kingdoms of Cal on Feb 11, 2010 18:20:37 GMT -5
The Great New City: I'm fine with making changes, either PM me or ask here.
Tails of the Dead: I willing to roll it back to the point just after the pair got separated or just have the already together running the restaurant. I would probably prefer the first as then you could have the situation where Amble may have got his life back stable just to have it knocked to six by tillie showing up out of the blue. Perhaps thinking he's losing his mind as he keeps seeing her around the place where she shouldn't be. Open to other ideas.
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New Era
Feb 26, 2010 14:20:20 GMT -5
Post by Killer Zoids on Feb 26, 2010 14:20:20 GMT -5
I liiiive! Although KZ went poof on NS...
Part of my problem with this stuff is if you go away for a week and come back, *so* much stuff has happened that its just too time consuming to catch up. I propose at the discretion of the OP or topic owner, to include a summary post every once in a while. Make the text like cyan color or something to indicate that that is the summary of whats happened.
I'd like to get active again, I just cant keep up.
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