Thoughts on off-duty-only event-map events

[Dreamix]

 

Problem #1:
Everyone being off-duty.
Especially the lack of designated command, means that everyone is going to just go off and do their things, without any real direction or structure.
You can say it's a "skill issue", and people should just self-organize, naturally follow people who have experience, take leadership, etc.
But when in every normal round we have an actual command structure, so I can only expect things to go chaotic and messy in a round without such structure.
At the same time, I do not like the idea that off-duty chars should lead others. There shouldn't be an expectation that off-duty people should listen to orders of other off-duty people.
Or like previous event, everyone was off-duty, but yet command was called in to negotiate and make decisions. I was also told non-command chars were present in that meeting, which is bizarre to me.

 

Problem #2:
Event maps with suboptimal design.
Okay, like, this sounds like jab at the mappers, but, like, it's the reality, I guess.
Mapping is hard and takes a lot of time. And it's hard to justify spending a ton of that time, on a map that will be played in just one round, and then most likely never ever again.
This means that an event map will just never have the same quality as Horizon - which is a great and highly detailed map, and is constantly being improved upon!
It might mean that sometimes some areas might by suboptimal (like a medbay with not enough meds), or mean that there might be long hallways or huge rooms that are empty and undetailed.
Or some characters might have nothing to do, like if the event is geared for combat, actually sane characters who care about their life and safety, might have nothing to do but sit and chair-RP.

 

Solution #1:
Keep Horizon and job slots as normal. Add a shuttle, or two, or use the teleporter, to allow free and easy and fast travel between Horizon and the event map.
Maybe make it so Horizon is unsimulated, so it's less laggy. Also do not spawn any away sites, block overmap travel, etc. Maybe also some other optimizations.
This has the very nice quality to it, in that characters who have no business interacting with the event, can just stay on Horizon and do things as normal.
Also this means that crew has full capability, has something they are very familiar with, and is less inconvenienced by suboptimal event map design.
If things go bad on the event map, crew could medevac up to horizon with a critical patient, or go up to change gear, regroup, rethink the situation, etc.

 

Solution #2:
Or if we don't want Horizon for events, make it so there are only command slots, but everyone else is off-duty.
So that we have the Captain and the heads to lead the crew, make decisions, negotiate with the event chars, etc.
But everyone else is off-duty, so everyone can play their beloved character without restrictions. Command chars could go off-duty as well, if they fail their roll, ofc.
Could also do a combination of these two solutions.

 

Disclaimer:
Of course, the above problems and solutions do not apply to chill events, like the Idris Cruise ship event.

[Carver]

In regard to the latest event, the issues seemed at the core to be that the crew weren't well kept in check and it eventually devolved into chaos - doing nonsense such as theft, misuse of explosives and so on that should be preventable by local (and non-hostile) forces. My own alternate suggestion would be to have more event characters/volunteers who would be tasked with overseeing medical duties, organizing the crew characters and providing protection for the 'safe zone'-type main areas (including the arrest of misbehaving crew characters).

[Girdio]

Some of this I feel like is a not really an issue, especially

7 hours ago, Dreamix said:

Problem #2

There's a statement regarding places being suboptimal and comparing it to the Horizon. I think this shouldn't be changed, at least for the arc so far. The medbay being underequipped and under supplied would track well for the state of Adhomai, which isn't going to have the same access to supplies that the S.C.C. and Horizon is. You could argue that "well the SCC would be setting up forward camps of their own!" but I feel like that takes away from the possibility of adding more "show not tell" worldbuilding.

I don't think the off-site maps, especially the last two have been underdeveloped, at least in the areas that the crew would primarily be in. The museum for example was a one-off, and while not every single spot had it's own unique sprites, it was given enough attention to stand out, and that applies to the event Sunday as well. Furthermore, restricting events to ONLY being onboard the Horizon (I'm not sure if this is the suggestion, but it seems that way as it's stated the Horizon has better design) takes away the exploration possibilities that people were wanting from the previous arc.

In the first suggestion, you propose keeping both the Horizon and off-site maps for events, giving people the possibility to not engage in the event if their character shouldn't. I feel like an issue with this is that people play event rounds to play the event, not to just play another normal round while everyone else goes off to do the big cool canon stuff. While I can't remember too much of the events of old, I feel that having a situation where there's a clear departmental structure and command in line possibly runs the risk of gate-keeping people out of events because of this statement:

"This has the very nice quality to it, in that characters who have no business interacting with the event, can just stay on Horizon and do things as normal."

The service department, science, and engineering as a whole generally aren't going to be the first pick for a lot of events, as not every event is going to involve something needing researched or looked into. With events coming to the Horizon, everyone onboard is in a way forced to be involved. With everyone being off-duty and off-world, there's not a possibility of "well, you're not security/medical so you shouldn't be here". That said, I feel like that would be a very real issue if you have a guideline of "what characters should be allowed to interact with this event and who can't", as I can see Command telling security and medical that "they're needed off-world, everyone else should stay on the ship". Of course, I'm sure most command players would offer the tried-and-true "volunteers are welcome" motif as well but still.

 

I also don't like the idea of:

"If things go bad on the event map, crew could medevac up to horizon with a critical patient, or go up to change gear, regroup, rethink the situation, etc."

Because it gives people the go-ahead, both ICly and OOCly to be more loose with their decisions. After all, if you know you can just be whisked away to the Horizon if you do something silly, people are going to be more out to do something silly. I also don't see how the crew can't regroup, or rethink their plans while off the Horizon. For the most recent events (I guess, directly the one Sunday since it was so combat heavy), there was nothing stopping from the crew from regrouping in the base camp. This actually happened once or twice if I'm not mistaken too, once things started to unravel.

 

That said, Solution #2 doesn't sound bad. It is true that the crew being all off-duty causes problems with a lack of order and cohesion. It certainly wouldn't stop everyone from just going off and doing whatever they wanted, but it would provide people with a rally-point in case they either didn't know where to go/what to do.

Edited February 20, 2023 by Girdio

[Scheveningen]

Characters got PK'd in the last event because no one, and I am not exaggerating with this, made an actual avid attempt to organize groups of people to stick together and stay safe. They got split up, they wandered aimlessly around without a plan, and did not respect the danger that the local wildlife and the hazard that the nearby minefield represented. They did not respect the advisement by their local medical professionals to play it safe and not risk getting injured because the medical facilities were extremely bad and barebones. It really was just an issue of skill. Characters should always be putting their own self-interest of safety first, or else they will pay that consequence of no longer being safe.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. With the change of the next event from medium intensity to high intensity, I am sure people will realize not to fuck around if they do not wish to find out this time.