Sarahzon's HST Werewolf Campaign Thread

[Valerie]

The rumors are true! I am running for Werewolf HST.

I am going to keep this (relatively) short because I imagine people will have a lot of questions and we'll get more out of answering the ones YOU want to hear the answers to than the ones that I think I should answer. Here's some to start, though:

What rules will you change? What rules will you keep the same?
I don’t have a desire to re-tread a lot of system and I don’t think that it’s warranted at this point.

As far as things I DO know I want to look at, I would like to finalize a change to the ranking system to try and strike a better balance between effort, time, and paperwork - I don’t think the current “list” trial is an optimal solution, even though I was one of the people that asked for it in the first place, but I think that the system can still be improved. This would not be a total overhaul.

I will also be re-introducing the role of Narrators, because especially if this system involves more action on the part of the players I don't want people to get stuck in the trap of feeling like they need to do more to rank up not but not having any opportunity to run those scenes.

Do you have any big plot ideas? What sort of themes do you want to explore?
I think running for staff because you have a TOTALLY KEWL BIG PLOT IDEA is just about the most terrible reason to run for staff ever, so no. I feel that staff’s “meta” role is to form a boundary for the world, providing interesting but accurate world-based reactions which generate character activity, and telling characters’ stories.

I do not imagine I will run an NPC-heavy cast, and that the vast majority of NPCs which do show up will appear because they’re reflecting dots on your sheet, an in-character request for assistance, or as a boundary to to the world (like a messenger from a neighboring sept or someone on a quest.)

I’m also waiting (as we all are) to see how plots Rob’s staff is wrapping up will shape spirit-and-or-real-world of the game, so ideas for my “Where do we go from here?” plots, reactions, and thematics need to wait until then.

One of the big things I want to focus on is helping people do the things they want to do, even if they’re not big everybody-get-on-the-boat plots. If you have a backstory you want us to hook into, a quest your character wants to complete, or are just bored - I want to be able to provide something fun and realistic to serve as a carrot.

Who is on your staff?
Right now there are three confirmed ASTs and one Paperwrangler. I will let them make their own introductions on this thread/at game because we’re just shoring things up and I want to let them talk to their packs instead of hearing it from me. My list is also not complete. I’d like one more person on my staff which I’m still speaking with, and will update this thread as things change.

What are your goals?
My goal is simple: to make game fair while keeping it as fun as it can be for as many players as possible. I know that it’s impossible for every interpretation or rule to please 100% of the people 100% the time, so I’m not going to promise that.

One thing I want to concentrate on is increasing responsiveness to requests for scenes and downtime actions. I am hoping to accomplish this by having a larger staff, including narrators again, and using my awesome email-organizing skills to ensure people are responded to quickly. I may also tweak the way the ST waiting list works to ensure that things are handled expediently while maintaining continuity, especially if dealing with staff-portrayed NPCs.

Can we still play fera?
Yes. I am not looking at raising or lowering the cap at this time but yes, you can still play them, the list is still in effect, and Mark has graciously offered to tank this because he’s read a lot more of the fera materials than I have.

Will the XP benefits for certain auspices/tribes stay?
Yep. They will be continue to be looked at as demographics change, but I agree that as demographics currently stand they're a bit busted and would like to keep this encouragement in place.

[BLewis]

So, uh, hey. I've been doing your paperwork for the last ... 11 months (And 10(I think?) months of Vampire Papertable, a couple years of Logistic-work for Alliance/NERO..). Since the whole deal has largely been left with the "So long as it works, do what you like" mindset, I don't really have a lot to say. I like efficiency. So, any likely changes (If there are any) would be to making things work better.

I'll still be playing the large majority of the game, given that the Werewolf 'need' for a full-time table seems to be pretty near nonexistant, and I'd pick playing over sitting at a table for 4 hours every night (As I suspect most would, really). We don't need 4 hours of "You have these many exp-pees, and these many blah's to rank up," since, really... it doesn't take long to do at game. Maybe a time change, rather than first thing. I don't know, that's about all the changes I can really think of.

Woo, stay the course!
(And really, use email, it saves us all at-game time. It works so much better)

[Magic Rob]

Alright, these questions are designed to come from Rob as a person. Not Rob as HST or lives with and loves the HST candidate dearly. Just Rob.

1) Current Staff has frowned on Custom Shit! (Talens, fetishes, gifts, etc) What is your take on this?

2) Current Staff has frowned on allowing too much cross Tribal stuff. What's your take on this?

3) There has been some rumbling around about the Totem System (TM). Given the last vote was so terribly lackluster at the thought of change, is this a system you intend to support, modify or hash?

4) BadAdam set the precedent that NPCs were not going to be used to control game (IE through the elder council or what not), do you intend to keep with this tradition?

5) I have seen some massive XP bloat on the horizon and the average rank creeping up on 4. With PC Elders now not only likely but inevitable, what is Staff's position on the power level of game? Is this a problem you intend to address or just the NPC threat level?

6) I have heard rumors of folks asking for stuff from the Hengioki source material. With the idea of keeping Fera around, are the Beast Courts something you would ever introduce to game or support their published material?

That's it for now! I'll be sure to keep an active interest and post more questions as they brew

[Valerie]

All good questions! Thank you!

Mar 1, 2012 19:06:06 GMT -8 Magic Rob said:

1) Current Staff has frowned on Custom Shit! (Talens, fetishes, gifts, etc) What is your take on this?

I also frown on it. I believe the game has plenty of talens, fetishes, gifts and so on already present in the system to accomplish that the characters can throw at each other, or that I can or would throw at them.

If for some reason I decide to change this later, for example, if there's a plot whose resolution involves the creation of a custom cookie (not that this is something I have on the burner, just as an example) then that cookie will become a published part of this game's system after discovery. I do not support truly custom one-of-a-kind only-I-can-have-this fetishes, because I believe each fetish should be unique from a story perspective anyway. Even if not reflected in the system outside of unique Grand Klaive abilities and the like, each tribe or auspice or person will make the same fetish a little differently, and given how central fetishes are to Garou society that should be celebrated.

Mar 1, 2012 19:06:06 GMT -8 Magic Rob said:

2) Current Staff has frowned on allowing too much cross Tribal stuff. What's your take on this?

Tribal stuff is special. On the other hand, groups are the currency of Garou society - not individuals - so saying that a member of one tribe would never teach something to a packmate or share a fetish seems unrealistic. Overall, however, I support the current staff's view that cross-tribal stuff should not be traded all over hell and back for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, we have a variety of tribes available to play. If you want a bunch of tribal stuff for one tribe, just play that tribe.

Secondly, the sharing of higher level tribal secrets is something that should have great (read as: world-level) significance. For example, if a member of one tribe does something so spectacularly amazing for another tribe as a whole that it warrants a truly epic favor or gift, the privilege of carrying a fetish traditionally associated with that other tribe or learning a higher-level gift would be a really awesome story-related reward. However, I believe it dilutes the significance of those kinds of efforts if people can get that sort of reward without the roleplay.

I'm not going to take anybody's fetishes away or say their gifts don't work, because I think that's silly. I'm not interested in breaking the laws of spiritual physics just because stuff may end up where I would prefer it not to. However, players can expect to have to work hard for the spirits and respect the privileges they've been given.

Mar 1, 2012 19:06:06 GMT -8 Magic Rob said:

3) There has been some rumbling around about the Totem System (TM). Given the last vote was so terribly lackluster at the thought of change, is this a system you intend to support, modify or hash?

I'm not in love with the totem system. I think it encourages a game where we've got a few big packs instead of a larger number of smaller ones, which I tend to view as a bad thing. However, because the vote was so lackluster, looking at changes to it will likely happen in the longer term... after my staff and I have had a chance to get our legs under us and after any changes to the renown system, which I view to be a higher priority.

Mar 1, 2012 19:06:06 GMT -8 Magic Rob said:

4) BadAdam set the precedent that NPCs were not going to be used to control game (IE through the elder council or what not), do you intend to keep with this tradition?

Absolutely. If, as happened in this staff's tenure, characters reach out to NPCs and say "Help!" those NPCs will show up if appropriately asked. However, I believe IC control of the sept - and all of the benefits and drawbacks of that - belongs firmly with the players.

Mar 1, 2012 19:06:06 GMT -8 Magic Rob said:

5) I have seen some massive XP bloat on the horizon and the average rank creeping up on 4. With PC Elders now not only likely but inevitable, what is Staff's position on the power level of game? Is this a problem you intend to address or just the NPC threat level?

This one is tough. Any changes to the renown system would, as always, effect people on the lower rungs of the ladder more than those on the higher rungs - and our rank ladder is already really top-heavy.

I don't find the idea of running game like a magical paper shredder that gains nourishment only from tear-stained character sheets to be particularly appealing. However, death is a major part of the Garou world, and for the most part this game has shown a distaste for CVC actions which result in character demise. Sometimes character die, and sometimes it's a monster that kills them. I don't want to run scenes where I'm gunning for character death because I think that does players a disservice, but I also think it does them a disservice to run scene after scene where characters are never in danger.

The NPC threat level will continue to be appropriate to the game, and as the characters get bigger, so will the challenges they face - both physically and politically.

I also imagine that some people will retire their concepts as time goes on. I will never "force retire" a character, but if people get to the point where they feel like their characters have met the goals they wanted to meet and they come to staff for an epic exit story, I will be more than happy to tell it. Riding off gloriously into the sunset... often as a corpse... is sort of what Garou do.

Mar 1, 2012 19:06:06 GMT -8 Magic Rob said:

6) I have heard rumors of folks asking for stuff from the Hengioki source material. With the idea of keeping Fera around, are the Beast Courts something you would ever introduce to game or support their published material?

This is getting into stuff that Sarah isn't too familiar with the system on, so, off the cuff:

The Beast Courts, all their associated fera, so on - it exists. If you have the appropriate lore, you know about it. From a theme perspective, it is something that I do not plan on exploring during my tenure. As a ST, I don't like the idea of opening up a book the players haven't opened when it comes to creating antagonism (outside of dedicated baddie-books). This is not a Beast Court game... but it's not a fera game either and there's fera.

From a mechanics perspective: because I'm not too familiar with it, I'm not going to say "No, never ever, fat chance." However, it is something I would have to look at long and hard, research thoroughly, and perhaps modify to suit the balance of the game if a PC or NPC were ever to utilize anything from that source.

[Magic Rob]

Thank you!

Psst! You're beautiful!

[Alden J. Blethen]

Hello. You all know Llue, and many of you know me, Erik, the player of Llue. Sarah has asked if I will join her staff and I have accepted the invitation.
A little about me. This year will make the beginning of my third year at ECC. Before this I've played in many LARPs across the country. All have been MET. I've been playing MET since about 1997. In 2001 I was asked to join the staff of my local game, and ran there until 2002 when I joined the Navy. That game was mostly Vampire, but also had a small Werewolf contingent that I was in charge of rules wise.
As of this point I have the inklings of ideas that I will work with the staff to flesh out should we be elected to run this fine game.
Good night, and (insert appropriate deity/scientific belief here) bless

[Webmonkey]

Question for all potential staff as well as the HST candidate:

How long do you intend to do your job (whatever that may be in the staff)? A full year? Shorter?

Multipart question:
How do you feel about game-related 'burnout'? Is it a real thing? When is a good time to acknowledge your own burnout, or (from an HST perspective) the burnout of the staff beneath you? When do you step away, when do you ask a staffer to step away?

Thanks and good luck;

- Chris

[Anonymous]

Hi

I feel that a special slot, be it fara or what ever weird thing you have going on, is something to be at game for. You get special perks.

I have noticed some of the people who have some of these slots are spending time at vampire and werewolf.I feel this is disrespectful to the nature of having something special.

To chose to play another game when you are holding a special slot, I feel, is disrespectful to others. People should be there playing the special character they made.

I can understand that multigaming is what some people like. that is ok as long as people are not holding up a special slot.

Will people with special slots be allowed to multigame ( go back and forth between vampire and werewolf) if you are HST?


Thanks

Anonymousvampst

[Denise]

Hi there,

Sarah has asked me to step up on staff and I have said yes. I hope to play the role of someone easily approachable with all player's enjoyment in mind while keeping a balanced and fun game.

In response to Chris: I'm willing to be on staff for at least until August but hoping a longer term with Sarah though I don't know her plan. I say this because I am graduating college and life changes. The need to change schedule happens but I don't see it as an issue. I personally haven't experienced a lot of burnout. I have had the feeling of this is no longer fun (as a player) with the current way things are going and I think that sometimes this can be remedied without a "break" from game. I feel that when I no longer provide a game environment where the majority players have fun because I don't enjoy what I do it is time to think solutions, even if stepping down is the best choice.

-Denise

[Valerie]

Mar 3, 2012 19:53:55 GMT -8 Webmonkey said:

Question for all potential staff as well as the HST candidate:

How long do you intend to do your job (whatever that may be in the staff)? A full year? Shorter?

I intend to stay on for the full year.

Mar 3, 2012 19:53:55 GMT -8 Webmonkey said:

Multipart question:
How do you feel about game-related 'burnout'? Is it a real thing? When is a good time to acknowledge your own burnout, or (from an HST perspective) the burnout of the staff beneath you? When do you step away, when do you ask a staffer to step away?

Burnout is real, for players and STs. Normally, it comes in the form of "Well, this isn't fun anymore." That doesn't mean every staff member or player who has a bad night is burned out. Much like physical training fatigue, it takes a little bit to figure out if you're really "overcooked" or if you're just having an off day.

I think every storyteller feels obligated, at least a little bit of the time, to do with they do. I'm not going to lie about that. However, realizing that fact: I spent a lot of time gut-checking myself before I decided to run, making sure that the part of me that wants to do this because I think it'd be fun and I think I'd be good at the job has well and truly lapped the part of myself that's "paying it forward", because that's the part that most often contributes to burnout.

Because I think about these sorts of things a lot, I imagine it'll be pretty easy for me to tell if I'm getting burned out. I also imagine it will easy for my staff to tell if I'm getting burned out, because it's not a symptom-free condition.

Likewise, if a staff member of mine feels burned out, I would welcome them to discuss that with me and work to find a replacement earlier than the time period they originally committed to, if possible. I believe a game that runs a bit short-handed will be healthier and maintain a higher level of staff-player trust than one that has a burned-out staffer who's not telling good story or making fair calls.

[Valerie]

Mar 4, 2012 17:20:31 GMT -8 @Anonymous said:

Hi

I feel that a special slot, be it fara or what ever weird thing you have going on, is something to be at game for. You get special perks.

I have noticed some of the people who have some of these slots are spending time at vampire and werewolf.I feel this is disrespectful to the nature of having something special.

To chose to play another game when you are holding a special slot, I feel, is disrespectful to others. People should be there playing the special character they made.

I can understand that multigaming is what some people like. that is ok as long as people are not holding up a special slot.

Will people with special slots be allowed to multigame ( go back and forth between vampire and werewolf) if you are HST?


Thanks

Anonymousvampst

I agree that limited slots are a special thing, absolutely. They're limited to ensure they're accurately reflecting an in-character demographic (and we do play Werewolf, not Bear Kitty Magical Kinfolk), allowing a good rotation of players to portray different concepts, and ensuring that those players handle those privileges responsibly.

While I agree that's it's disappointing for someone to be given something only to find out that they don't use it, much like the character sheet equivalent of that bracelet you thought they'd really like but they only wear to dinner with you, I'm not going to do something that effectively amounts to ret-conning what the current staff's judgement on someone's ability to portray a powered kinfolk or fera responsibly. As a storyteller, my where my job intersects with the rules is making sure they're applied fairly and that they allow people to have the most fun. Taking away someone's character because "I said so" or "you're doing it wrong" doesn't set a precedent for having fun. ECC has a long-standing tradition/rule of allowing characters to keep in play as long as they show up for one game a month.

Moving forward, I would like to see "unique" character types come to game much more often than that, I'm not going to nix existing characters because the players want to do other things. While this means people on the fera list may have to wait a bit longer for a space to open, I feel it is certainly the most fair decision for game-at-large and best reflects my personal beliefs as to what an ST should and should not do.[/quote]