Event Orientated Modding

See also the article on Event Orientated Plotting

Event Orientated Modding was previously known as Locationbased Modding. It is the opposite of Storyboard Modding.

Definition of Event Orientated Modding

In a nutshell Event Orientated Modding means that the moderator presents the environment, the setting, the location, the NPCs as having an existence beyond the scene that the PC currently is in, with its own rational, its own events. The setting exists independently. It will react to what players do, but it will not follow the PC around. For each location the PC enters he makes a new thread. The PC decides where to go and other PC's can always enter the thread at any time (which is facilitated by having separate threads per location).

The setting presents opportunities to players, but it never dictates a story. Even if a PC doesn't follow up on an event, that will have an impact on the setting, which will be presented to all players in the same area.

In general it means the PC has greater freedom to go anywhere and do anything, one of the premises of our game. There is no chance that a player will "destroy" a plotline, because the PC actions and reactions are merely input for the moderator to decide what impact it has on the environment and go forward from there.

The drawback is that players must be able to create their own plots and follow up on their own goals because the moderator is not directing the story. See more on that in our article on Goal Orientated Playing.

Day to Day Change

Event Orientated Modding is all about change. About players creating their own opportunities while moderators simply keep tabs on what happens where and confront the players with the events as they develop. A plotline is never finished, and in fact is continually updated as players have their own idea of what is logical behavior. We sometimes describe predicting what PCs will do as "reading tealeaves". You are never quite sure what will happen and you learn to adapt.

Weaving the Web is a mysterious and elusive term used to describe what makes Tazlure so unique among fantasy Play by Post games. Seemingly loose strands of stories are woven together in one big tapestry effortlessly so that all of Tazlure is interconnected. What players do has an effect on others in a very marked way. What they observe and help create shapes the world around them. Gradually they see a larger picture emerging.

So how do you contribute to the big tapestry of life in Tazlure?

Be inspired by the Global Plotline

Explore the angles that the global plotlines offer. How could you apply that to new threads you are starting, or perhaps some that have been running for a while now. By having many or even most threads influenced at least in part by the global themes linking them up becomes easier.

Be inspired by other Mods

The smallest ideas often become the greatest stories. Maybe one of your favorite mods is writing something that you'd love to get a shot at from a different angle. Or it will simply give you an idea how to tackle a certain problem. Again, repetitiveness, or rather, making use of the same facts over and over again, makes it easier to link up.

Use the Coordinating/Plotting forums to full effect

Moderators are encouraged to share ideas and brainstorm, just throwing stuff out. Notes on this are kept in the plotting forum. If you are feeling uninspired or seeking that particular touch a search of the numerous plotting forums might give enlightment.

Use Events to bring strands together

Once in a while there should be a minor climax in the storyline, allowing several angles to meet, a new truth to emerge etc. Of course many more angles will spring from that.

Bluff!

Allow yourself enough flexibility to see where a thread goes, before pushing it towards a certain angle. Something interesting may come up that you can latch on to. Players themselves may have predetermined ideas that show in their posts. By allowing yourself brief episodes of "winging it" it may actually help you to suddenly see some interesting connections and start working on them. Of course, we pretend we planned it this way Wink

Holistic View of Moderating

Below is how Event Orientated Modding was introduced to the Citadel.

The methods behind which the Citadel is currently structured is one of total liberty. At this point, you need expect no OOC push or direction from me for your content: I'll point you to a thread to call your attention to it either through IC devise or impassable requirement, but these are nothing more than direct IC consequences applied as a result of yours or another pc's actions. In other words, don't ask me where or what thread your pc should go next: frankly, I don't know. A better question might be "if I wanted to explore law enforcement, how would I get involved?", and I'll tell you. Whether or not your pc actually goes there is your business.

Holism is the theory that living matter or reality is made up of organic or unified wholes that are greater than the simple sum of their parts. Applied to these forums, it describes my firm belief that all threads in the citadel will interconnect in some way, be it critical, major, or even tertiary or minor. Every thread, event, and activity presented by you, the player, will have repercussions of some nature elsewhere. In fact, this is the cornerstone of the "player driven content" I'm seeking here.

This might make some practices unusual and cumbersome. For example, I don't promote thread efficiency: a thread will be valid even if it's only two or four posts in length, because "thread hopping" is perfectly acceptable and even promoted to further the pc's aims. I like to think of the Citadel as one, big, complicated thread: it's just broken out into smaller pieces to make things more manageable.

The results of this approach can be staggering, and by the very nature of this approach, many of the concerns I heard during or immediately after the transition are simply invalid. They are:

• Plot Direction. While I won't ever say that I'm not interested or concerned with the plot direction your pc takes, I will admit that I don't know it. And frankly, I don't feel compelled to plan for it. Your pc can pursue what plots that involve him or her in whatever fashion he or she wishes. That's your responsibility as a player, and the very reason I find moderation so entertaining! Plots in the Citadel are living things that continue with or without pc involvement, but they can be shifted, changed, adjusted, and even capitalized by a clever pc. For example, there will be a new Caesar in the Citadel. Will you know him? Will you be in his favor? Will he bring you any advantage?

• Mortality. This is a big issue for a lot of players...probably because they grow quite attached to their pcs. Yes, your pcs can die: I call this part of my moderation "Applied Physics Enforced". And yes, it'll be permanent. However, my reputation doesn't do me proper justice. I've never planned or required pc death for any plot or scene, but it does happen, and I won't hesitate to interpret scenes as lethal. Remember that a "scene" in the Holistic Citadel is nothing more than an event that occurred as a natural result of what came before it...and it will lead to scenes in the future as well. If your pc is present at a scene in which death is a very valid risk, I'll attempt to warn you by making a thread "impassable", but even this is not infallible: pc death is very possible at all times. The best example of this aspect is if a pc should hire an assassin and order their own death. If I failed to interrupt them with some attack in the middle of the night, I would be failing in my obligations of providing you, the player, with a rich and interactive environment. He will show up a little later. And he will try to kill you. And if the scene warrants it, he will.

• Location Development. Have you ever wondered who the new Caesar will be? Huh! Me too! I really don't know. Just like I don't know where your pcs will go after the Procession, or what they'll do to trigger a response from an NPC or faction, or what might change as a result of pc investment. Will the Purple Guard be disbanded? Will the Empire change to a Republic? Will the Outer Ring burn in a great, horrible fire? I have no idea. Are they possible? You bet. Like any living system, the Citadel moves and changes by virtue of the forces that interact with it...and the greatest forces interacting with the Citadel are you, the players. Naturally, some goals will be harder than others...and some will be virtually impossible. But after so many years of experience working with forum gaming, I've learned that nothing is static. Everything from the stamp of local coin to the name of a certain street are all subject to change...and if you don't stay awake, you just might miss it.

So in conclusion, if you're worried that your pc is following content they don't want...then stop following it! And if you're worried that I'm out to get you...stop, because I've no idea what your tomorrow will bring. My tasks as your moderator are limited to presenting the "playground" and providing opportunity for you to get involved: and nothing more. The future of the Citadel is in your hands. So good luck.