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CotH's Storylines
#1
Howdy, CotH. It's, uh, it's me.

So, 'storylines'. I put it in quotes to differentiate it from our player/guild/GM-run storylines. Rather, I'm talking about the phenomenon that was pretty dang rare until the onset of Cataclysm. Quest storylines! (this is a link)

I haven't actually played proper WoW for years, having never got past The Burning Crusade's content (and it took me like three years to level that far anyway), so I'm in the same boat as a lot of people (I'm assuming) in that they haven't seen the changes that are revolutionising the questing scene. There's no better time to quest!

Technical improvements aside (except phasing - that ties into this), I'm actually focusing on the way they're structured now - they tell a story that, for most of them, connects between zones pretty succinctly. Vanilla had quests chains, and quests that connected zones too, but it missed a sense of continuity and consequence that's only recently (more like 2010, god I'm so behind in the times) been added.

For example, Westfall's now a pretty expansive murder mystery saga, and Redridge has been utterly redesigned into a weird homage to Rambo that has some of the most insane and great quests ever. Dumb? Maybe. The point still stands that there's sense that things happen, ICly, in a chain now.

There's been occasional talk about following Cataclysm's story slowly, but I think that's been more in the sense of player-run things, a-la the Twilight Answer and Twilight Highlands and other things of the purple shade.

What I'm thinking about, instead, is some way to tackle this. CotH's got a stance of sticking by gameplay, and I think now the gameplay reflects the story - things are no longer happening simultaneously, they get solved in a long chain. We could thin it down into smaller veins, but something as simple as a "Horde" and "Alliance" timeline, ticking down where we're at in each, would be the kind of thing that gives players a sense that things are happening in the world.

I'm not sure how hard it is to do these things with our kinda-borked core. It could be as simple as a lot of news posts, player-run events meant to emulate or work alongside the story in the OOC ones, but I feel that we should definitely make an effort to work our way along all this.

Something like Elwynn - Westfall - Redridge to start off small. There's no reason that the Blackrock Orcs should be parading around, fangy-grins adorned, months after the Cataclysm, for example - and I know CappnRob's event chain Restoring Northshire tackles this, which is blooba-looby!

If we took stuff like that, made it cohesive and applied it to the Horde as well, then chugged it along to start unraveling the issues and mysteries of the Cataclysm, that'd be beyond great. With things like this, there are tons (four) of benefits in my mind.

  1. In the larger event chains (see: Northshire Abbey) it frees up space to RP, where people normally would feel uncomfortable playing because they're four meters from a GRR BLACKROCK RAIDER
  2. It gives players the sense of a continuously changing world, and a range of reactions therein. Perhaps Orlamthiel the Night Elf is super grumpy that the Forest Heart was poisoned, or something as small as Frank celebrating the threat of Ettins in Redridge finally subsiding.
  3. It allows events - lots of events, not all of them needing to be GM run. From as trivial as a supply run to a town, to attacks on baddy fortresses, it caters to all player types.
  4. When Mists of Pandaria comes around, we won't have to explain ICly why Northshire's been infested with Blackrock Orcs for an entire year, and why the Valley of Trials has been the camping ground for Theramore Marines for equally as long. At that point you'd start inviting the guys over for a cookout, not fight them.

There is, however, a downside (this is not a link) that's been making people mighty recalcitrant - tampering with the server OOCly. I've got my own stance, but I agree that it's going to get super messy if we go through all these zones and do things to them.

However, I think this is where we don't have to stick completely to gameplay. For minor event chains, like ousting Kobolds or Gnolls, there's no real impetus to scour them of mobs or phase locations (not even sure if that's possible with our core) unless it's a place people truly desire to RP in (and honestly, let's face it - mines rarely see RP. You can just get phased in situations like this). The way of tackling this is simple - in the quest chains, these threats are seen as THREATS. Potentially nation-and-civilisation-ending. Those Ettins aren't just going to sit that scratching their butts, and the Blackrock Orcs are amassing to smack Stormwind.

When they're defeated, they're not deleted - just cowed into the hidey-holes. They'd still be there, and the OOC map can be representative of the ones that are still there, like the fact that not every mine in Elwynn is infested with Kobolds.

I'm not intending this to be a something-for-nothing outcome in my favor, should the discussion about this not turn into people branding pitchforks at me - I'd be willing to draw up two comprehensive CotH-ified Cataclysm storylines for the Alliance and Horde to make it less of a confusing deal.

But this is, for now, just a discussion thread. So... Uh, discuss. And don't hurt me!
^this is not a link
   ^neither is this or this <

The Gallery Of Things What Are Happening In The World

'War in the Highlands' - Twilight Highlands, @Zenethen
'Scarlet, Sanguine and Silver Eastern Plaguelands, @Krilari
'Rain on the mountains' Khaz Modan, @Franksta96
'Sands of Peril' Uldum, @Reigen
'The Call to Hyjal' Hyjal, @ImagenAshyun
'Hope in the Dust' Blasted Lands, @C0rzilla

Inactive/Completed Storylines

'Restoring Stormwind' - Elwynn Forest @CappnRob
'Coldridge Valley' - Dun Morogh, @CappnRob
'Fearing and Loathing in Westfall' - Westfall, Westfall @CappnRob
'Scarlet Tears' - Tirisfal, @Lendri @Sol
'Vermilion Redoubt' - Twilight Highlands, @Kage
'A Warden's Defensive' Darkshore, @Dug
'The Old Elf and the Sea'† - Vash'jr, @Krilari
'Wolf Hunt'† - Duskwood, @C0rzilla
'The Defias Brotherhood'† - Elwynn Forest/Westfall, @Mathias
'The Far Wolf Path'† - Northern Barrens, @DuskWolf
'Battle for Tol Barad' - Tol Barad, @Thoradin


May only have coincidental connections to 'zone' storylines, might need to research up on them.

PM me or post in the thread if you have a storyline, too!
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#2
D'oh. Didn't see this until you linked it into another thread today! This could use a good bump.
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#3
...I attempted to click all the non-links before I read that they weren't links...
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#4
I completely, totally and whole-heartedly endorse this!

(Psst, I'm not the only one doing Cata chains as RP though! @Mathias is doing Westfall/The Defias, @Krilari is doing Vasjir, and @Thoradin has been doing Tol Barad Island! @Lendri did some of the Scarlet storyline in Tirisfal as well, as did @Delta!)
Your stories will always remain...
[Image: nIapRMV.png?1]
... as will your valiant hearts.
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#5
[I'm planning an uldum chain, on that note, expect to hear of that soon!]
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#6
(Don't forget I have things in the Highland for the Red Dragonflight![Been working a lot. It's coming back!])
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#7
Thanks for your postings, everybody - and thanks for bumping the thread, Rini!

I know about Mathias' stuff, since I'm a dastardly Defias myself (one of a handful of remaining active members, actually ;~;), but I thought Krilari's stuff was just coincidentally happening in Vash'jr - rather than actually pursuing the quest-y storyline. I think it has something to do with Neptulon down there, right?

I totally forgot about the Scarlet Tears/Dreadmarch stuff, which is weird because I loved it - but that's exactly what I was thinking about when I made this thread, which just shows how awful I am at this!

At any rate, we've got a lot of stuff going on but I think we could do to have a little more communication as to when these events happen compared to eachother. It stands to reason that the fall of Cho'gall, while not the climax of Cataclysm, is considered 'way late' in the grand scheme of things, so the Highland stuff might do well to take longer than the Durotar, Tirisfal, Elwynn stuff, et cetera.

I wasn't joking about creating a flow chart for this kinda thing, it's just I don't know if it's a waste of time or not - especially since I'm a big dummy struggling with a couple of WIP threads already. But I'd be glad to try!




Move him into the sun—
Gently its touch awoke him once,
At home, whispering of fields half-sown.
Always it woke him, even in France,
Until this morning and this snow.
If anything might rouse him now
The kind old sun will know.

Think how it wakes the seeds,—
Woke, once, the clays of a cold star.
Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides,
Full-nerved—still warm—too hard to stir?
Was it for this the clay grew tall?
—O what made fatuous sunbeams toil
To break earth’s sleep at all?
[Image: 62675bf4fd.jpg] [Image: 0e7357dcfe.jpg]
Reply
#8
Make sure to advertise your events pretty good, guys! This is a pretty pro-active idea and I like how everyone's chipping in.

So...ideas about making the world feel lively and have some progression:
-One big thing that happened in Cataclysm apart from err...the Cataclysm and technically Deathwing/Old Gods/Twilight's Hammer faction is the formation of the expansionist and aggressive Troll Empire. This is pretty big. Everyone from the Forest Trolls, Ice Trolls, Jungle Trolls and Sand Trolls apart from the Darkspears have cast in their lot. Heck, I'd enjoy exploring the zones only to see it be fortified or blocked off by Trolls and only through events can we clear out these zones (Of course, killing them makes them respawn)

The trolls are a big faction now. Much like how Scourge and Sentinel was a faction in Warcraft 3 and how Horde, Dark Horde and Alliance is a faction now; defining faction as more than at least 3 races with the same goal. I'd love to see them as a threat. Heck, I'd love to see all the other factions as a big threat holding their own areas. People react to that. People make events based around trying to outsmart or generally fight these big factions. Heck, the Scourge still has big Liches and other would-be-warlords that could control a sizeable amount of Scourge. The Ebon Blade or the New Scourge could react to that.

-Worgen and Goblin Starter Areas. Retellings of events exactly before Cataclysm. Having GMs play out big lore NPCs or their own creations leading these events would be pretty awesome. Gilneas also has a big potential. From what I see, the newer zones and areas need a bit work, but not exactly how Blizzard did it! It's open to what I said about custom lore and we can add custom NPCs around to make the places more lively, or somehow place enemy NPCs fortifying positions we thought were just empty.

-Very large warzones. Now I know it's been said and done so many million times now. The Horde vs. Alliance thing everywhere. But how about set pieces around Azeroth where we actually see NPC spawning and fighting and dying? Southern Barrens could be filled with siege machines, and players could interact with them and if they couldn't, just pass by and see 'wow they're really fighting'. Unlike you know...some TES games where NPCs are THAT reactive.

-Heck, putting up NPCs and even surprise NPCs where they shouldn't be in general would be a great addition to somewhat dull Cataclysm areas. I'd love to suddenly see a Dark Iron ambush me. Even if people usually used flying mounts, seeing NPCs move around or just standing around is a sight to see.
[Image: 2r3hym9.png]
Main Characters:
Riggs Ravenhook - Swarmy Old Goblin Thief and Corporate Nuisance
Gorudo Goldforge - Goldforge Clan Remnant and Ranger
Turic Carsten - Stormwind Regular

http://diethe.deviantart.com/
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#9
Just a quick response. I've added the stuff that's been listed in this thread to the OP, and I've found a couple of things as well. Mostly it's just for my own peace of mind, but I'm sure other players could benefit from knowing this kinda stuff!

Also, I need your help! If you've got any info, throw it at me. Whether it's got to do with the event chains run by players or stuff about the Blizzard-made quest chains, I'm all ears.




Move him into the sun—
Gently its touch awoke him once,
At home, whispering of fields half-sown.
Always it woke him, even in France,
Until this morning and this snow.
If anything might rouse him now
The kind old sun will know.

Think how it wakes the seeds,—
Woke, once, the clays of a cold star.
Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides,
Full-nerved—still warm—too hard to stir?
Was it for this the clay grew tall?
—O what made fatuous sunbeams toil
To break earth’s sleep at all?
[Image: 62675bf4fd.jpg] [Image: 0e7357dcfe.jpg]
Reply
#10
(09-16-2013, 10:26 PM)Maulbane Wrote:
The Gallery Of Things What Are Happening In The World
'The Defias Brotherhood'† - Elwynn Forest/Westfall, @Mathias

May only have coincidental connections to 'zone' storylines, might need to research up on them.

I'll answer this: The Defias guild does sort of have just a coincidental connection to the zone storylines. After all, we're mostly in Elwynn but the Defias rise up in Westfall. Though the guild will soon connect to the Westfall storyline and heroes will have a chance to do a few minor things for Westfall, the story is sorta on its own and just deals with a response to Stormwind's new laws and this war. Blizzard isn't cool enough to let us join the Defias.

Another reason it's not connected to the zone questline is because, outside of a few quests, I felt it would mostly be boring, judging from how I would run them. Plus there would be encounters that would kill the player if they rushed in like an idiot, and it, again, would not be entertaining for the player, since it is just dialogue.

So sorta-kinda connected, but mostly coincidental, because we're mostly doing this from the bad guy perspective.
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#11
(10-04-2013, 10:53 PM)Mathias Wrote:
(09-16-2013, 10:26 PM)Maulbane Wrote:
The Gallery Of Things What Are Happening In The World
'The Defias Brotherhood'† - Elwynn Forest/Westfall, @Mathias

May only have coincidental connections to 'zone' storylines, might need to research up on them.

I'll answer this: The Defias guild does sort of have just a coincidental connection to the zone storylines. After all, we're mostly in Elwynn but the Defias rise up in Westfall. Though the guild will soon connect to the Westfall storyline and heroes will have a chance to do a few minor things for Westfall, the story is sorta on its own and just deals with a response to Stormwind's new laws and this war. Blizzard isn't cool enough to let us join the Defias.

Another reason it's not connected to the zone questline is because, outside of a few quests, I felt it would mostly be boring, judging from how I would run them. Plus there would be encounters that would kill the player if they rushed in like an idiot, and it, again, would not be entertaining for the player, since it is just dialogue.

So sorta-kinda connected, but mostly coincidental, because we're mostly doing this from the bad guy perspective.

I thought about it, but I added us just in case. A ton of the quests in the 'zone storyline' actually match up with the guild's aims in an interesting way, especially:

http://www.wowhead.com/quest=26209
http://www.wowhead.com/quest=26271

And the later quests, which are explicitly about the Defias brotherhood. I won't link them because spoilers, but they're delectable. We should definitely tie those in with what we're doing, because it's probably the best set of coincidences ever.




Move him into the sun—
Gently its touch awoke him once,
At home, whispering of fields half-sown.
Always it woke him, even in France,
Until this morning and this snow.
If anything might rouse him now
The kind old sun will know.

Think how it wakes the seeds,—
Woke, once, the clays of a cold star.
Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides,
Full-nerved—still warm—too hard to stir?
Was it for this the clay grew tall?
—O what made fatuous sunbeams toil
To break earth’s sleep at all?
[Image: 62675bf4fd.jpg] [Image: 0e7357dcfe.jpg]
Reply
#12
@Mathias, don't under estimate the power of a dialogue-driven RP, if the characters are allowed to interact in some way and get character development out of it!
Your stories will always remain...
[Image: nIapRMV.png?1]
... as will your valiant hearts.
Reply
#13
Gallery has been updated! All of the new additions are from CappnRob - pull your weight, everyone else!

Also, I seriously hope updating that post didn't send a notification to everyone again. Tell me if it did, and I'll just remove the @s!

EDORT: Right, new addition from DuskWolf!




Move him into the sun—
Gently its touch awoke him once,
At home, whispering of fields half-sown.
Always it woke him, even in France,
Until this morning and this snow.
If anything might rouse him now
The kind old sun will know.

Think how it wakes the seeds,—
Woke, once, the clays of a cold star.
Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides,
Full-nerved—still warm—too hard to stir?
Was it for this the clay grew tall?
—O what made fatuous sunbeams toil
To break earth’s sleep at all?
[Image: 62675bf4fd.jpg] [Image: 0e7357dcfe.jpg]
Reply
#14
Added Scarlet, Sanguine and Silver and Rain on the Mountains to the list!

EDIT: Also added Sands of Peril and A Warden's Defensive.
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#15
Since this was mentioned, I think it's worth a bump. Also added Hyjal!
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