[EM News] Few Thoughts on the Current Arc

[Brytt]

This just in from EM Seppo on the Baja EM Website:

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I would like to address few points regarding the current Pro- vs. Anti-Gargish arc.

1) Foremost, this arc will be coming to an end this coming weekend. There have been some high and low points, some very exciting events (if I may say so). The biggest let down was that the frequency of events was not as consistent as the War of Shadows arc. Lack of updates to the arc summary page also probably makes it difficult to follow things – last update was made sometime last year. I have been meaning to update it but time has been an issue.

2) I have heard this few times, even from some RPers. Many of you believe that the ending of this arc is a foregone conclusion: The gargoyles are not going to be exterminated, nor are they going to be sent back. I am probably not bursting any bubbles when I confirm that speculation here and now. However, it is not correct to state that the arc will not have any bearing; that your efforts will not have any outcome. In terms of shard history and lore, if I dare say, there will be a big impact on how the finale plays out. To a large extent, this has already happened. Shard lore will record that Mistress of the Dark Tower was imprisoned, the forces of Anti-gargish side were decisively defeated at the siege of Orobas in T2A, and several other such instances. So, if there are still any anti-gargish players out there – take heart and try harder!

3) We tried to create opposing sides during this arc. To a large extent it did not work – Anti-gargish side never really caught along despite the best efforts of few of the players. There were at times that it worked quite well and it took the event to the next level. So, I would like to hear your opinions on why more people were not interested in being the “bad” guy. Surely, Baja is not filled with do-gooders? : This will be most helpful in future if we decide to have conflicting sides in the next arc.

 

[Brytt]

Surely, Baja is not filled with do-gooders?

Not all do-gooders, no, but a little light in numbers on the cohesive RP villains, yet. We definitely have a healthy do-gooder stock with a need for a little more well-played villainy.

First of all, I think some of those do-gooders who haven't yet considered trying the antagonist's point of view may find it vitalizes both the darker side of roleplaying as well as forcing the do-gooders to respond. We love little more than a good nemesis!

Perhaps it's time Baja formed a Super League of Evil. You can be anonymous, go in costume, stroke your cats, drum your fingers together while you hiss, "Excellent", and have punch and pie.

But secondly, it's hard to get angry at lovable Beh-Lem. Since we are a little lopsided on the do-gooder side, it could have been interesting if the mercenaries had actually been gargoyles themselves. After all, not all of the common-tongue gargish folk can be good, can they? Showing that gargoyles, like men, are flawed and inconsistent could help fracture even our do-gooder base into opposing sides on the issue.

 

[Zanthes[EcZ]]

Hi!

(somewhat OC)

Just some observations re: Anti-Gargoyle groups.
The Elf Clan Zanthes has always played an independent group, friendly but showing no or little loyalty to other groups/kingdoms. We ** were ** neutral in this situation when it started, and even as it progressed towards the beginning. That changed when we were threatened if we did not choose 'sides'. EcZ has no tolerance for bullies. We still have a yucky dead creature in front of our house! (We are used to it, so no biggie there! )
We could have been swayed either way, as the members follow their Queen (not Dawn). EcZ wants(ed) peace in the lands we inhabit, and we will fight alongside and with those that we feel have the best chance of achieving this - taking into account our beliefs, desires and the 'standards' that we live by.

In the end we fought alongside those that did not threaten us and our clan, those that 'appear' to want peace - and as such we aligned with the 'good'.
Funny how things change and move within a story line, but perhaps some honey instead of vinegar would have changed the outcome and who wound up on which side! Diplomacy is mostly BS and may the best BSer win!

** Waiting for the next churn **
(Are the Mercs still on vacation?)

Elevere Zanthes
Queen, Elf Clan Zanthes

(ps. Nicholas - you may want to check your boat again! Iits getting worn again)

 

[Brytt]

it could have been interesting if the mercenaries had actually been gargoyles themselves.

I should clarify, obviously, there would have been a slightly different premise for gargoyle attacks. The mercs justification was support of the Purity League initiatives. Well, second to the money. Gargoyle reasons for violent protest of alliances would need to be a little different.

Little bit of a side tangent, but this somewhat relates, to me, to when Producer Cal implied being surprised that nobody seems to support the Ophidians in the Bane Chosen conflict. There wasn't really much to go off of. There are little hints that the Ophidians were the victims in this conflict, but I don't think the story was quite there to really fracture players into two sides. I think we could have used a little more story around the Ophidian victimhood and mercilessSsss sssslaughteringsss (maybe some charred snake nests and broken eggs, piles of corpses, and weeping, distraught serpents would have helped) to overcome our inherent inclinations toward greed and/or ophidiophobia, not to mention the sheer annoyance of getting to the Ophidian Lair in the first place.

Note: I actually chose to side with the Ophidians in the bane conflict, despite my fear of snakes and horrid memories of hunting Moonberry Roses, and the reaction I received from others was "WTF?? Wrong side dude."