Re: 3rd OOC
I'm not really from a Roleplaying background, I'm from a story background, and I'm currently making the transition into script writing in my real life.
with that in mind, I've never thought it was my job, nor (as a player) did I know it was our Founding Father's job to give us "results" of our actions.
Like, if I say "Bohannon swings his axe and kills that zombie. [bloody, gory details ensue.]" that, to me is really just whiting down a complete thought. a complete motion. I couldn't live in a world where "Bohannon swings his axe, hoping to connect with the zombie's skull." was all I was able to do, and somebody else then had to come in and say "the axe hits the skull, the zombie is dead." I don't know where the fun is in that. I like writing. I want to write some stuff here, for fun. I think, by the way you guys write, that you like to write too. so why not give my writers the freedom to write what they want to write?
Maybe that is one of the biggest problems with on boarding new players, is that they just aren't expecting this style? Maybe I need to preface the players wanted with a description of how we write this Zombieland of ours. I dunno.
I want Zombieland to be as fun to read as it is to write. When I read you guys' stuff, I get excited to finish reading it so I can jump in with my reply (when it involves my characters.) I like it when I think a scene is going one way, and then one of you fuckers writes it TOTALLY a different way, and I have to figure out what to do with that. for example (and this is one of my favourite recent ones.)
Two young, scared teenagers are spying on the Caravan, watching a horde of zombies pass by. Dominic comes upon them. they scream "please don't kill us!" and before the words have left their lips Dominic hacks them to pieces with a cavalry sword.
Shit.
Those two were going to be like, central characters in the Lost Boys group. that's why I picked them to send on the mission. But now, Dominic is super conflicted about murdering those kids. Atlanta is even MORE motivated to pursue his war against the Caravan, and all the other Lost Boys are afraid for their lives, and that much more motivated to put an end to Atlanta's war. It was the BEST possible thing to happen in that scene and it was not the thing I ever thought was going to happen. I couldn't have dreamed of that happening. but it did. and it was awesome.
If I wanted to, I could write some Walking Dead fan fiction, all by myself, and make it about Karen and Kaidan's war and have those two going on different adventures with their own groups. but that doesn't sound like fun. the only person who would read that would be me. That's not what I've ever wanted to do here. I don't want this to be a one man show. The WhOLe POINT of this thing, this story, this game of ours is to write it together, for FUN.
I love the world building, and I love my three main characters. The game of it for me is keeping up with what you guys come up with, because I can't, won't and don't want to control you guys. if I dictate to you what you can and cannot do, then it's more like work than fun. I don't want to push other people through a story, just to get it done. I want to make Zombieland together. This is an odd, darkly twisted, fun, collaborative writing game. I want everyone here to contribute to driving the story forward in whatever ways they can.
I'll come up with plot and locations when I can, but if somebody, for example, comes up with a church as the next scene in the susie story, PERFECT! you all have good ideas. do them!
Like I said before, I don't have a master plan for the Caravan. I have one or two plot points to hit, but the rest is up to us to figure out together. like we're on a road trip with our a road map. (that's kind of what our characters are doing isn't it?)
I liked the time when we were at that farm house, and everybody was arguing with Cookie about what to do next. someone said stay, someone said go. she said agricultural books? but our goals were decided in character, in game, and that was pretty cool.
I then derailed it with a HUGE plot point and Major action set-piece with Karen's betrayal and the capture and move to St. Louis, BUT the fun part was the planning before and after that. the what to do now?
I don't know if I have a real point here, just keep doing the good work you're doing. have fun writing Zombieland, don't make it feel like homework, and let's see what we can do together.
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RE: Addie...
do we want to have a convo / interrogation with Addie, since she's gone? do we want to cut straight to the church, we can imply that Dominic and Karen spoke with her, and didn't get any answers from her.
whaddaya think?
we can conclude the susie story at the church. the outcome of this was discussed with Addie a long time ago, she decided what Suzie's fate was. so I'll let you guys know what you find regarding Suzie once you get there.
And then you can return to the trading post, (if that's what you want to do) and I have an idea for something that'll happen upon your arrival. I'll set the scene for you, give you the situation you are dealt, and the outcome will be whatever happens, happens.