Post by Admin Council on Oct 15, 2012 12:12:35 GMT -5
GUIDE to the TIMELINE[/b][/size][/color]
Set Me Free uses a form of the Persistent World approach to roleplaying -- that is, all roleplays take place along a unified timeline and the passage of time itself is an element of roleplaying. However, to prevent this from becoming a burden on players and staff alike (nobody much likes the idea of an RP advancing without them), we've developed a unique "Semi-Persistent" approach to time-keeping that not only allows for there to be a continual record of essential events but also rewards players for helping to keep that record going.
As with all things, Set Me Free tries to keep using the Timeline simple. For simplicity's sake, we will assume that the calendar in the Slayers world is similar to our most commonly used real-world calendar: the Gregorian calendar. This means four seasons and 12 months.
The Set Me Free calendar "begins" on Jaunia 1st 1016 AW* (Slayers timeline), which is linked to January 1st 2013 AD (real world). The month in which a thread begins determines its placement in the timeline (except for Taverns, which are handled differently). If there is a significant sequence of events or potential timeline conflict it will be handled by the staff or admin council; it is not necessary to submit timeline events with a precise date, only the SMF calendar month.
Now, when a thread ends isn't decided by its calendar month. An adventure can span a matter of hours or entire months -- this is entirely decided within the roleplay. Members are encouraged, with an extra AP reward, to report in [this thread] once an adventure is complete or whenever a significant event takes place that might influence the greater world in some way -- if a timeline event takes place over the course of more than one month, make sure it is noted in each following month as well. The staff / council will decide whether to add a submission to the chronicle of events (if so, you get an AP reward!).
How much attention do you, as a roleplayer, need to pay to the timeline? Only as much as you want. The geography in the Slayers world is incredibly diverse -- even just within the barrier lands there are areas that seem to be perpetually tropical while others seem deadlocked in the embrace of winter's worst fury. The passing of days, months, and seasons is a dynamic you can play to if you want in-story; the only time the timeline becomes critical is when events happen that affect the entire world or a significant part of it. For example, Lina and Gourry meeting Xellos for the first time was a critical moment for the storyline of Slayers, but it wouldn't go up on the timeline; in contrast, the crater that Lina accidentally left in Seyruun with her first amplified Dragonslave would.
A good question to ask for timeline submissions is "how many people in-story would this event effect, and how seriously?". If the answer is 'few' or 'not very much', it's probably not worth submitting. Examples follow. If a town has a bandit problem, no; if a town is wiped off the map, yes. If a kingdom raises taxes, no; if a kingdom declares war, yes. If a Mazoku lord's servant is sighted, no; if the servant assassinates an important person, yes. Ultimately timeline submissions will be selected subjectively on their merit, but if your RP develops in an unexpected way towards something big -- or is tied to an important event at the outset, we'd like to know about it.
This thread will remain open for timeline-related questions.
Set Me Free uses a form of the Persistent World approach to roleplaying -- that is, all roleplays take place along a unified timeline and the passage of time itself is an element of roleplaying. However, to prevent this from becoming a burden on players and staff alike (nobody much likes the idea of an RP advancing without them), we've developed a unique "Semi-Persistent" approach to time-keeping that not only allows for there to be a continual record of essential events but also rewards players for helping to keep that record going.
As with all things, Set Me Free tries to keep using the Timeline simple. For simplicity's sake, we will assume that the calendar in the Slayers world is similar to our most commonly used real-world calendar: the Gregorian calendar. This means four seasons and 12 months.
The Set Me Free calendar "begins" on Jaunia 1st 1016 AW* (Slayers timeline), which is linked to January 1st 2013 AD (real world). The month in which a thread begins determines its placement in the timeline (except for Taverns, which are handled differently). If there is a significant sequence of events or potential timeline conflict it will be handled by the staff or admin council; it is not necessary to submit timeline events with a precise date, only the SMF calendar month.
Now, when a thread ends isn't decided by its calendar month. An adventure can span a matter of hours or entire months -- this is entirely decided within the roleplay. Members are encouraged, with an extra AP reward, to report in [this thread] once an adventure is complete or whenever a significant event takes place that might influence the greater world in some way -- if a timeline event takes place over the course of more than one month, make sure it is noted in each following month as well. The staff / council will decide whether to add a submission to the chronicle of events (if so, you get an AP reward!).
How much attention do you, as a roleplayer, need to pay to the timeline? Only as much as you want. The geography in the Slayers world is incredibly diverse -- even just within the barrier lands there are areas that seem to be perpetually tropical while others seem deadlocked in the embrace of winter's worst fury. The passing of days, months, and seasons is a dynamic you can play to if you want in-story; the only time the timeline becomes critical is when events happen that affect the entire world or a significant part of it. For example, Lina and Gourry meeting Xellos for the first time was a critical moment for the storyline of Slayers, but it wouldn't go up on the timeline; in contrast, the crater that Lina accidentally left in Seyruun with her first amplified Dragonslave would.
A good question to ask for timeline submissions is "how many people in-story would this event effect, and how seriously?". If the answer is 'few' or 'not very much', it's probably not worth submitting. Examples follow. If a town has a bandit problem, no; if a town is wiped off the map, yes. If a kingdom raises taxes, no; if a kingdom declares war, yes. If a Mazoku lord's servant is sighted, no; if the servant assassinates an important person, yes. Ultimately timeline submissions will be selected subjectively on their merit, but if your RP develops in an unexpected way towards something big -- or is tied to an important event at the outset, we'd like to know about it.
This thread will remain open for timeline-related questions.