Improving the Forums

[Dasquian Belargic]

That sound like a random sorta thing

"We vote towards the end of the year". Thats not randomed in the slighest. The fact that the arcs may or may not include resets will be a consequence of the vote, so there will be nothing random about it.

I'm sorry, but I think I miss worded my statment. By restrictions I was meening the Forcing people ether like the storyline that was chosen, or sit on the side lines. It dosen't sound like you are giving people the freedom to do what they want, and (in my opinon) not giving people the time they need to develop a character in to an individual with their own quirk, flaws, and history. And Really a year is not all that long compaired to the time some people like to take to build their characters.

I think that something which people are failing to understand is that you can essentially keep the same character that you have now, and across all of the future arcs. If, for instance, I wanted to keep playing Vega the exact same way that I do now, I could do that. All I need to acknowledge is that his history is going to be diferent. I'm sure you're aware that TSO is intending to stay the same, structurally - only its history is being transposed into a different time line.

While people are being encouraged to start a fresh, we're certainly not stopping anyone from keeping their characters as they have them now. What we're essentially doing is creating roleplaying situations, because quite frankly the one we have at present is beyond stale.

[Marceloi]

Originally posted by Dasquian Belargic
I think that something which people are failing to understand is that you can essentially keep the same character that you have now, and across all of the future arcs. If, for instance, I wanted to keep playing Vega the exact same way that I do now, I could do that. All I need to acknowledge is that his history is going to be diferent. I'm sure you're aware that TSO is intending to stay the same, structurally - only its history is being transposed into a different time line.

While people are being encouraged to start a fresh, we're certainly not stopping anyone from keeping their characters as they have them now. What we're essentially doing is creating roleplaying situations, because quite frankly the one we have at present is beyond stale.

I think the other thing people miss is that the scenario is simple, but what you make of it isnt up to the moderators, but to the playrs themselves.

The beauty of SW-Fans is that it's always been player driven in content. That's clearly not going to change and frankly, if I have read the set up right, there's a lot of freedom to move and be creative in a fresh senario.

Apart from personal issues making me come back, the thought of doing somethign new and fresh is invogorating. One thing that is truth is my writing has suffered badly due to same old crap posted again and again. Simply, that's now also the big problem here. It does not encourage new thought as there is a six year level of baggage. Some of us have put away a massive wall of words and frankly when you get past a certain level it's repeditive. Sure, some people feel an attachment to characters and stories, but as you read the senario, that actually doesnt need to change, you can do exactly the same thing if you want.

There's still the freedom to do what you want, but now the background changes. What's so hard about that?

As for why I think this will keep people away, It is confusing! I understand the concept but I don't understand how this will solve anything. Putting more restrictions on people, randomly changing the setting on people, and trying to force them to post quickly is not the way to get people to join.

Confusing? Not if you read the proposal and understand what it means. I personally dont see the issues you've stated.

Look, Sw-Fans is dead if soemthing doesnt change. I'm glad some now get it. A good reset is a wakeup call and the best way to keep n00bs is that there is a community of decent posters who write well.

I'm looking at this reset not as a forced change, but as a new challenge.

[Dae Jinn]

Originally posted by Marceloi


There's still the freedom to do what you want, but now the background changes. What's so hard about that?

omg, i <3 you!

[Clive Solo]

Originally posted by Marceloi
There's still the freedom to do what you want, but now the background changes. What's so hard about that?

Look, Sw-Fans is dead if soemthing doesnt change. I'm glad some now get it. A good reset is a wakeup call and the best way to keep n00bs is that there is a community of decent posters who write well.

I'm looking at this reset not as a forced change, but as a new challenge.

Very well said...just look how much buzz it's created already and it hasn't even happend yet...I mean I think a lot of people were waiting for something like this, I know I was.

[Danik Drayton]

Id just like to stick my thoughts in here, I apologise for echoing what in cases has already been said.

Iv been here at the forums for two years now and recently my posting rate has gone down to nearly zero. I think after 6 years of the huge amount of posting and activity here, that all the ideas within this curent "history" have been used up.

I play the Star Wars Roleplaying Game using the d20 system in which you are able to switch to new campaigns and story lines, keeping the same characters and era as they are, or changing them completely. The proposed changes to the forums will bring this element to RPing here. I believe this is an excelent idea.

There may be some downsides to it, but at least it will get people posting again.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

For all those who say that you need more than a year to truly develop a character into someone you actually care for/can feel comfortable writing about, and above all, an individual - hogwash!

My advice: go read a book, a short story, a movie. Watch some well put together music videos. If the author is good, they will grab our attention and make the reader genually (word?) feel for the main characters/main villians, all within the first couple of chapters or so. Or in the case of a short story - the first page.

With the old way, Fan's 6 years of the same thing, people felt as if they had all the time in the world to develop their characters. They took their time in building their stories up. Basically, we, as RPers, were making who our characters are on the spot, while figuring out who the will be with RP's in the future.

Now, with this "yearly" deadline, we'll have the chance to establish a character, with established traits. Even if it's a new character, you can make them however you want. With whatever quirk you want. Take up the very first RP you do in this new timeline/storyarc and make your character believable. This is a challange that, I feel, will make us better writers. Now, we can have are characters as we envision them to be; exepct this time their past dictates who they are and how they act, while the current RP will dictate who they will become and how they will change.

...I hope that made sense.

[Rasha Vill]

There's still the freedom to do what you want, but now the background changes. What's so hard about that?

To me the background makes the character. I go to great lengths to keep my character's background the same. That is EXACTLY the part I have the problem. The fact that we are FORCED to change our character's background.

Another thing, I thought this thread was for people to say what they think about this change. I tell people what I think and All I get is the sence that people are trying to tell me that the way I see things are wrong. I don't expect others to understand The attachment I get to my characters, or how I feel when people try to force changes on to me. So just except the fact that this is how I feel and Thus I will be leaving because of it.

[TheHolo.Net]

I have something semi brief to say, which will actually be the first real statement from me regarding this subject. The only other post I know of that I made were more about procedural things regarding copyrighted materials and a few bits about forum archival.

I am neither for nor against this “reset” and the change to annual timelines. I am not forcing anything on anyone. This place has always been about what the community decides for itself. I am letting that happen with no opinionated input from myself because about the only real opinion I have right now, is that I would like to see this place continue on, and dare I say, THRIVE and grow into something larger and more enjoyable for even more people.

How to make that happen, I am unsure, but I’ll leave the decisions on how the RP community wants to proceed up to the community itself, up to all of you.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Originally posted by Rasha Vill
Another thing, I thought this thread was for people to say what they think about this change. I tell people what I think and All I get is the sence that people are trying to tell me that the way I see things are wrong.

We're just trying to explain how things are going to work, since people don't seem to be able to completely grasp the concept, in spite of the same questions being answered over and over again.

Originally posted by Rasha Vill
I don't expect others to understand The attachment I get to my characters, or how I feel when people try to force changes on to me.

That's where you're wrong. Just like you, some of us here have 5+ years invested into our characters. That's about as attached as you can get. As has already been said, it's not difficult to transpose your character from one situation to another. Their background can remain virtually identical.

[Danik Drayton]

I dont know if this idea will be of any help or not but with everyone asking the same questions alot, i thought if someone wrote a thread in Ooc, listing all the major questions people are asking along with clear set answers.

Just an idea to make it easier to follow and so everyone knows exactly how everything stands at the present time.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Originally posted by Danik Drayton
I dont know if this idea will be of any help or not but with everyone asking the same questions alot, i thought if someone wrote a thread in Ooc, listing all the major questions people are asking along with clear set answers.

Just an idea to make it easier to follow and so everyone knows exactly how everything stands at the present time.

http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread....threadid=38431

[Danik Drayton]

Well, well.... what can I say..... god im slow

thank you for pointing out what should have been obvious to me

[Dasquian Belargic]

No problem.

[Marceloi]

Originally posted by Rasha Vill
To me the background makes the character. I go to great lengths to keep my character's background the same. That is EXACTLY the part I have the problem. The fact that we are FORCED to change our character's background.

Another thing, I thought this thread was for people to say what they think about this change. I tell people what I think and All I get is the sence that people are trying to tell me that the way I see things are wrong. I don't expect others to understand The attachment I get to my characters, or how I feel when people try to force changes on to me. So just except the fact that this is how I feel and Thus I will be leaving because of it.

* sigh *

No. In fact, you can totally ignore the background and write around it if you so wish. The point, that seems to be missed is that what the reset means to you.... is up to you and you alone

The whole point of RP is to let your imagination run wild, not lock yourself into something and repeat it or be so welded to it you cant do something new and different. It's a pity it's taken 6 months off and this reset for me to realise that. It's why at the end of my stay in 2004, I sucked. Too much attachment, too much same raise, wash, repeat

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Rivin - we're not trying to convince you you are wrong, we're trying to clear up what you are very clearly misunderstanding.

No one is going to force you to stay - if, after you clearly understand what is going to happen, you still want to go, GO then. But don't leave all angry because you don't understand what's going to be happening.

[Lion El' Jonson]

I'd add that neither of my main characters are undergoing fundamental differences in their background. Old Lion: was an Admiral in the New Republic, commanding forces from the Navy and from his homeworld. New Lion: Is an Admiral in the Rebel Alliance, commanding forces from the Navy and from his homeworld. Not much has changed, has it?

The newer people at Fans have roleplayed within the confines of this environment for at most two years, approximately the time Fans began experiencing a decline. I joined in 2002, and I was around during the 'active days' of SWFans, where every forum was jammed with posts, where a new thread got replies within minutes, where the discussions were lots of fun, and where polite (usually) discussions raged everywhere. I have a particularly fond memory of the "GJO Dance" that was put on, which garnered hundreds of replies within a couple of days and was generally a great way to advance a character. These were the times when Fans was active, and where recruitment threads overspilled. From what the 'Ye Olde Guarde' has told me, the earlier days were even busier!

Now, what is Fans? It's still fun, but it's tepid and stale. We don't really have anywhere to go with our roleplays besides maintaining the status quo. These resets give us a chance to 'shake the box', so to speak. If you don't want to change your character between resets, that's fine! You don't even really have to change your background. Looking through history, almost every event can be related to a previous event. It wouldn't be difficult to translate incidents in your previous past to incidents in the reset's past.

A few people may be feeling alienated, and I think that we all understand that, but I don't think that anybody wants to see SWFans die. Some may believe that the changes are confusing, but I completely disagree. What IS confusing is the current state of things. Anybody new that wants to jump into SWFans has to read through 6 years of dynamic storyline before they really feel comfortable, and after that, then what do they do?

With this reset, everybody is on an equal footing. These resets allow for a fresh start, and the millions of new ideas that will result from such a beginning.

[imported_Natia Telcontar]

Originally posted by Lilaena De'Ville
Rivin - we're not trying to convince you you are wrong, we're trying to clear up what you are very clearly misunderstanding.

I'm not clear on how Rivin is misunderstanding this. He's posted his opinion and what he's going to be doing. He doesn't like the idea of the reset so he's leaving. Plain and simple. I know how much he's worked on his characters backstories for the timeline that we've been RPing in, and for him to RP in a different timeline, he'd have to competely rework his characters.

The same goes for me. Due to certain issues over the months and this reset which I'm opposed about and have already stated but felt like I was both ignored and insulted when I said I'm opposed, I'm leaving the RP aspect of SWFans.

Yes Fans has been dying, but with luck, what you're doing will breath new life into it. I'm happy that you're trying to do what you can to keep Fans alive, but I personally don't like the reset idea. I hope you all have fun with it though.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Okay have fun. Bye.

[XI-20-P]

I think this reset idea will do the forums good, and kudos to whomever came up with it. I like the story arcs and yearly resets and whatnot. I know its not much help, but I figured another voice among the crowd with compliments might mean some worth.

[Tear]

Curious to those who dislike change so much. Confused how they can dislike it without giving it a try. Its like saying you dont like to swim without ever trying to swim.

The water looks cold.

Have you touched it yet?

No, but it is cold.

As for back story changing. Im sure some changes might be appropriate. For example I play one character. Only one ive tried another but the interested in that thread died.

Now all the history and backstory Tear has will still be intact. Sure, different universe but the only thing changing will be his motivation. Before it was his duty to the Empire. Now it will be for himself.

My characters history doesnt have to change. Why should yours? I dont get it.

The forum needs a shake up and this reset is already starting a buzz. So its working already.