Re: Sorry all, hiatus until April (Edit: good news, may have new narrator instead!)

[Loreia]

It's unbelievably detached. We'd lose all the story and roleplay from our interactions that we've built up over significant real time. As an old player, I'm not ready for that.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

No way am I giving up 2 years of build up work to just have it wiped out. Fuck that noise.

[Septon Arlyn]

It's unbelievably detached. We'd lose all the story and roleplay from our interactions that we've built up over significant real time. As an old player, I'm not ready for that.

pretty much this. I would rather NPC Arlyn and continue the story then lose all the work we as a player base have put in

[Baelon Drakeson]

Thing is, Reader is probably not going to be able to be permanent narrator again. Sorry, but we have to be realistic. Self-sufficiency is far more desirable, because I know I'm not alone in not being willing to hang around for months on a maybe. I hope that you don't intend to make a fuss if you don't get your way.

No one is asking you to hang around for months on a maybe. Story 1 took about 4 months. By the time we get to the end of Story 3 we should know one way or the other what Reader can or cannot do. If Reader cannot return and Nathan is assisting me, he'd be in a perfect position to take over as head narrator at that point, with no lull or additional transition time.

I have no illusions here. I hope Reader will be able to take over again, but I'm not going to pin everything on that hope.

I would hope that no one makes a fuss. I want what I feel is best for everyone, but fully recognize that others may disagree. I don't really want to take over, but I feel it is the best option for the game - and I am already extra invested in seeing Story 3 play out well, having created some 7 or 8 events for it.

Switching narrators/GMs mid-game is very difficult.  It will require a lot of catch up between the new narrator and old.

That's the biggest benefit of having me take over as an interim - I already know a chunk of the story to come, so there would be less to catch up on. Afterward, Reader or Nathan would take over, with little to no need for additional catch-up time.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

I'm going to be honest. I don't want Nathan assisting you. I want Nathan to be HN, and for him to decide which of the other volunteers to work with as assistants. You antagonise too many people for me to feel comfortable with you being HN, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that feeling. I'm sorry.

[Baelon Drakeson]

Nothing to be sorry about. You are fully entitled to your opinion.

[Reader]

Edit I realize that my initial comments in this thread were rather negative, due to my disappointment over Reader's leaving. I just want to take the opportunity to say thank you Reader, for the great game you have created and run for us and the awesome hours I could spend on it.

Classy as ever. No harm, no foul in this case. People have a right to be frustrated - the players put in lots of hard work too and I'd only just got things moving again. All I can offer in my defence is that I didn't seek out my new opportunity, and that I've tried to move swiftly rather than lying to myself that I can do my day job, secret project and this. I was in other PbP games that just drifted when the narrator disappeared (and I can understand that too! After all, they may have felt guilty about disappointing people etc).

Triston - sorry that you appear cursed! Even long-running games that you join seem to hit a snag.

Seems to be a pretty clear consensus.

I'm not too concerned about power levels - social/combat pools were closely monitored, I'm less concerned about high pools for Knowledge (Streetwise), Survival etc. Experience has generally been used to broaden PCs out rather than specialise them further, or help previous generalists specialise. The power level of PCs and NPCs remains consistent with the Game of Thrones Edition of the Campaign guide.

The new narrator(s) would have my NPC spreadsheet to benchmark against (which they're free to adjust) if they wanted to keep the same power level, or everyone could tweak their characters if you all decided to adjust the power level. I can see Baelon's concerns given the gap in the power level of this game compared to Nathaniel's home game, but I think this can be managed via discussion and everyone laying out their assumptions clearly (we're already doing this by being upfront on the topic, as are Corrine and Baelon in a very mature fashion). Baelon/Nathaniel/Arlyn etc are all smart enough to know that even if the core rules allow certain character builds, that doesn't mean they're right for this game. I managed character creation and XP/destiny investment heavily.

To phrase Theomore's comments in a more positive fashion: there are many players here who have as firm a grasp of the mechanics as I do, if not better, and they'd do a fine job on that side. Arlyn, Baelon and Nathaniel are all certainly at this level, to count just those volunteering (there are plenty more).

Thanks to many people for congratulating me on my new secret labour of love.

Happy to help any way I can with any transition process.

[Nathaniel Mason]

So far, the Style poll is overwhelmingly a Head Narrator with assistants of some degree of power.

There are only three possible outcomes of this situation:

1. A new Narrator is not chosen (interim or otherwise). We wait and see if/when Reader returns. I think for many players, this is not an acceptable option and the game will probably collapse as a result.

2. Reader appoints a new Narrator by fiat (interim or otherwise). Given his style over the last two years, I think this is unlikely. If he were to appoint me by fiat as Head Narrator, I would refuse the position.

3. A new Narrator is appointed by vote (interim or otherwise). This, to me, is the only acceptable option. Whoever is to be the new Narrator should have the widest support of the active player base.

Like it or not, there is no getting around these three options. We can argue and debate all month, if you like, but at the end we will be back to these three options.

[Baelon Drakeson]

We can argue and debate all month, if you like, but at the end we will be back to these three options.

This should not be an issue; Corrine has already stated that she will be creating a poll for the Head Narrator position. All interested in being listed should PM her by Sunday.

[Jon Templeton]

Happy to help any way I can.

Don't step down as GM. (I may have edited that quote a bit.)

But seriously, few people want to hear from the FNG but I thought I'd share my opinion anyway. I don't like seeing games end unless they've come to a natural conclusion or everyone up and quits. I don't see either of those criteria being met for this game. The active player base wants to continue and who really wants to see the game end just a couple of in game years away from the shit truly hitting the fan.

Since Reader is stepping down it seems there is an emerging candidate to replace him. If people trust his narrative skill then I think the game can go on. It's not like Reader is stepping through a wormhole never to be see again. The new narrator can get questions answered. The overall plotline can be followed. Heck, it looks like there is a lot player ideas/content being added and folded into the story anyway.

Plus, mechanics can always be worked out by an assistant or group think.

And finally poor Triston, always the GM, never the PC. (I play in all his PbPs and feel for him.)

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Happy to help any way I can.

Don't step down as GM. (I may have edited that quote a bit.)

But seriously, few people want to hear from the FNG but I thought I'd share my opinion anyway. I don't like seeing games end unless they've come to a natural conclusion or everyone up and quits. I don't see either of those criteria being met for this game. The active player base wants to continue and who really wants to see the game end just a couple of in game years away from the shit truly hitting the fan.

Since Reader is stepping down it seems there is an emerging candidate to replace him. If people trust his narrative skill then I think the game can go on. It's not like Reader is stepping through a wormhole never to be see again. The new narrator can get questions answered. The overall plotline can be followed. Heck, it looks like there is a lot player ideas/content being added and folded into the story anyway.

Plus, mechanics can always be worked out by an assistant or group think.

And finally poor Triston, always the GM, never the PC. (I play in all his PbPs and feel for him.)

Your thoughts are as valuable as anyone else's. We were all the new blood at one point or another.

I too have seen a lot of promising PbPs fall down, and I'm going to do all I can to help this one, and luckily, it seems many of us feel the same, so try to have heart. You and Triston both.

And yes, to reiterate, send me a PM by Sunday midnight GMT if you want your name in the poll for who should be Head Narrator.

[Baelon Drakeson]

few people want to hear from the FNG but I thought I'd share my opinion anyway

I've said it before to others and I'll say it again to you. New players, old players, they're all just players. You've got just as much say as anyone else, and all opinions are valuable.

EDIT: Corrine beat me to it, but It's an important point, so a little repetition never hurts.

[Triston Tollett]

Sure. We all have a stake, but let's not really make false equivelancies. My investment isn't the same as someone who has put 2 years into this game. I've played in PbP games that have run over a decade. I know that my involvement and attachment was greater than someone that had been in the game for a couple of months.

But, either way, thanks for making us feel involved and welcomed.

I'm still interested in playing regardless of who takes over as HN. I don't really have any insight on who'd be best as I just know Jon and Theomore. I wait on more knowledgeable folks to lead me

[Gwyneth Drakeson]

Your investment isn't the same, but your voice and importance are considered the same...especially for the purpose of decisions that impact the game as a whole.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Your investment isn't the same, but your voice and importance are considered the same...especially for the purpose of decisions that impact the game as a whole.

Exactly. Well put as ever.

[Ereth Redwain]

3 or 4 have spoken in favor of Nathan, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that he is a consensus candidate.
I for one have significant concerns about Nathan's views on mechanics and power levels; having an effective 8 dice in something may be par for the course in his home game, but this game does not involve Avatars of the Seven or polar bear riding wildlings or archers with 12d6k7 attacks and Triple Attack. Such things may be awesome, but I do not wish them to become the norm (or exist at all) in Dragon's Dance; it would, in my opinion, be antithetical to the tone and style of the game we have enjoyed for the past two years. Similarly, while the Festival of Masks was an amazingly flavorful event that led to some really cool roleplay and character development, I feel that from a mechanical standpoint it was problematic (as was discussed at the time, and need not be re-hashed here).

He wouldn't have to have 100% agreement, just a majority really, because more than likely most won't agree 100% with one choice or another, but should be able to rally behind the one the majority wants.

We will all probably have concern with one of the choices, like I still don't agree that you have horse archers, but I fall behind Reader decision and accept it. The reasoning was not sufficient for me. it's like when I hear someone tell me they kick ass on call of duty so I should let them handle a real weapon they never fired. Your character has no training or has someone that can train full plate armor riding horse archers, yet we still have them because Reader felt it was cool and so I fell in line even if I disagree with it since I am not the narrator and a final decision was made. I think that Yoren was not allowed to create a unit of Giants or wilding unit when he brought some back with him from the north not cool, but again he had better reasoning and chances of pulling it off, and it did not happen. Yet I again just shrug shoulders and fell in line since I'm not the narrator. So as you can see not all players agree with many things, but we fall in line with the narrator, even if sometimes I was not allowed to start a thread with an NPC and then I saw other players thread pop up starting a thread a day after that.

The point is, you don't have to agree because of your concerns. We will all have concerns about how someone might narrate this game from the 3 if we include Tollet now.

I would still vote for nathan his writing is something else and has good ideas for stories and events that can get all players involved and a decent handling of mechanics that I am sure we could all pitch in if he asked for help or questions. For me it's the content not the mechcanics, so I like nathan.

[Reader]

Just a quick note to say that a one set of cataphract style horse-archers is cool and interesting, a swathe of them wouldn't have been approved.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Just posting a reminder that anyone wanting to be in the running for Head Narrator should PM me by Sunday midnight GMT.

[Ayleth Bartheld]

Well, I'd prefer to have a one-shot or side story or something while we wait to see if the narrator can return, as in my experience games very seldom if ever survive switching narrators. But it appears I am very much in the minority on that.

[Aerion Storm]

I feel like that could be a viable option, but I hadn't really seen anyone else float it, so I wasn't sure how popular the idea would be.

Transitioning -- new characters, but on a temporary basis -- to a secondary storyline, with a new narrator (Nathan or whoever) filling in, but some little side-story? I think that could be fun, and a way to buy time (keeping things from stalling out entirely, but leaving the "real" storyline for Reader when he gets back)...I dunno. I'd be down with it, if others would.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

We tried to do a side story during the last hiatus, but it died. I don't think another one would be any different.

[Reader]

Well, I'd prefer to have a one-shot or side story or something while we wait to see if the narrator can return, as in my experience games very seldom if ever survive switching narrators. But it appears I am very much in the minority on that.

I can understand that, and it might be a risk worth taking if I could guarantee my availability again in April.

Unfortunately I can't, as if my secret project goes well it may become a recurring thing. I don't think it's fair to have everyone wait until April, only to be crushed by good news elsewhere in my hobby life keeping me form this. Trying to be as upfront as I can with everyone while respecting confidentiality agreement.

Plus it tentatively seems we might be close to a solution, with me still around where I can be to help out.

Narrator switches often fail because the narrator has bailed - it will be tough, but this one has a slightly better chance than most of making it.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Final call: If you want to be included in the poll for Head Narrator, please PM me by midnight GMT tonight to let me know. That's 6 and a half hours from now.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Quick straw poll: Would folks prefer me to list candidates alphabetically, or in the order they messaged me? I want to make sure I'm constructing the poll fairly, so some input on this would be appreciated.

[Nathaniel Mason]

Quick straw poll: Would folks prefer me to list candidates alphabetically, or in the order they messaged me? I want to make sure I'm constructing the poll fairly, so some input on this would be appreciated.

Alphabetical would probably be best.

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