So, before I lay out my initial ideas about Connovar's theme, I'm going to try to present what I think are some of the qualities I've found in Mushes over the years that make them successful. I will only be looking at those ideas that have an impact on theme. Others, like active staff, stability, etc., will not be dealt with in this thread.
If you read this, either because I've invited you here or because you simply stumbled upon it, please feel free to comment and add your own thoughts and ideas. While I cannot promise I will share them, it is always good, I feel, to have a broad range of perspectives on a topic like this.
So without further ado:
1. A centralized RP area. This pretty much speaks for itself. While large grids can be fun to explore and offer players a lot of options and diversity for settings, in my experience keeping players in a tight grid inspires more rp.
2. A theme that inspires inter-player conflict… One of the keys to long-term success on a Mush, inter-player conflict does a number of things. First, since conflict is the core of story, it drives plot. Second, it alleviates some of the pressure on staff to create conflict for players. Third, it drives those players who are inspired by competition. Fourth, it provides an element of danger and darkness to the rp experience.
3. …while also forcing cooperation. I'm passionate about this. Not only does this inspire players who enjoy a sense of cooperation, but it promotes problem solving. A degree of IC conflict between players is great, as stated above, but the 'easy' out of killing or demolition is removed. This element provides staff not only with an ongoing source of plot material, but allows the use of some outside force to regulate inter-player conflict that threatens the balance of the game world. Finally, it prevents a grid where "I have to stay on my side and you have to stay on yours", giving players reason to seek each other out for a variety of rp regardless of faction.
4. A detailed game-world… There is an old saying that with discipline comes freedom. Applying this to the game world, a theme with great, specific detail actually frees the imagination rather than limiting it. It opens up possibility to players and allows them to build characters with established conflict, secrets, desires and fears. It also contributes to rp by ensuring that everyone shares a common vision of the world, one that they can make reference to at any time.
5. …that also allows for mystery and revelation. Still, games that are stuck on cannon, and that don't allow for growth and revision of theme, leave players feeling like there is nothing more to be learned. One of the most powerful tools in the IC kit of the wizard is his ability to inspire a kind of child-like wonder in the mind of the player. Further, mystery in theme allows for the easy development of plots to suck players into rp.
6. A theme that allows for players to create characters they feel are unique and specialized. I've seen the opposite of this a lot on MUSHes, a theme that lends itself to players creating the exact same player archetypes over and over again. When you have one order of knight and one group of mages that do one kind of magic, many players want to be the best knight or the best mage, etc, etc. The impulse is natural; for each player, the story they set out to tell is /theirs/ and they are the hero of it. And that is as it should be! A good MUSH makes each player /feel/ like a hero. There should also be enough room and specificity in theme however, to make a player's head spin at the number of options of they have for an awesome character.
7. A theme that allows players to feel a sense of growth and accomplishment. This is related to the point above. Whether it's improving stats in FiranMUX or a WoD game, the simple joy of levelling in a MUD, accumulating points that allow for special plots or items, or simply crafting a storyline that exquisitely details the emotional evolution of character, players want to feel like they are getting something back for their time beyond passing the day away. A good theme should allow for a sense of advancement without alienating characters who are new to the game.
8. A theme that inspires players to create and run their own tinyplots. A good theme should have built in hooks that give players enough information to run their own plots and enough interesting possibility to encourage them to do it.
9. A theme that allows for player impact on cannon and the shape of history. Much like with the hero idea above, players want to know that their contributions are having an effect on cannon and shaping the history of the world. Nothing is more frustrating than spending hours rping, planning and plotting only to have staff shrug and say 'nice try'. This is, of course, a balancing act, as the integrity of the theme and the codified sourced of conflict need to remain strong while still giving players a sense of forward momentum and the passage of time.
10. A theme that inspires players to consider their losses, as much as their successes, as valuable and beautiful elements of storytelling. I don't know exactly how to do this. But, boy, do I want to. If I can come up with a theme that helps players understand IC winning isn't everything, I'll be a very happy camper.
So that's it for now. I may add points down the road as they occur to me, but this is what I have so far. Please feel free to comment, question, provoke, challenge, etc. And thanks for reading!
Mike
