Here it is, so that it is not cut off. Hope this helps if you had questions.
//All of this OOC but I am going to explain a few things for this quest and future plot quests as well as why we are doing a few things at this time.
//Sorry for the spam to follow, I have a lot to say on this first full blown official campaign/start. *chuckles* when don't I!!? *smiles*
//First, a personal request to help Layonara. Please use the stores and the classifieds system at layonara.com folks, it will help to keep the world moving foward or indeed online. Please donate as well. Spread the word! Thank you. Second, thank you to Pankoki, Dorganath, Orth, and the entire Project Team for bringing us the first step of V3. Looking good everybody, thank you.
//Third, thank you to Orth for continuing to work on and imrpove the new layonara.com site, it looks great. Fourth, a personal request to help Layonara. Please use the stores and the classifieds system at layonara.com folks, it will help to keep the world moving foward or indeed online. Please donate as well. Spread the word! Oh did I say that already? *smiles playfully*
//Fifth, please spread the word about Layonara folks, we need to grow the community. So talk to your friends and their friends and friends friends, family, your co-workers, their co-workers, post on forums and post in newsgroups, talk to guilds. All of them. Spread the word.
Okay...on the plot/quest series stuff...1) Communicate with everybody and all players outside of the quest. Ask any of the old time players. Communication is the key to success. You will need to know information as the plot unfolds. Communicate and keep the community involved. 2) Be smart, think things through, and apply past knowledge to everything within the plot quest.
//3) There will be many times where I will do something you do not agree with or you think is wrong and your character should have been able to do xyz. Sometimes I miss things due to the size of the parties involved *looks around at everybody*. Sometimes I feel that is the result that should have happened at that point in time with everything going on.
//4) There will be times, and for long periods of time it could happen, that I will limit the party sizes and I will also limit the character levels. I don't do this to "keep" people out of the quests, everybody deserves to have fun on the plot. I do this to try and keep battles consistent and "difficult" for the part of the plot we are in. I also do it because I don't like to kill characters in unfair battles. Level requirements are needed in those cases.
//So please don't start ranting about how unfair level restrictions are the plot quests, there has to be restrictions in many cases. 5) There will be times that the plot will end in very "odd" locations, areas, or situations, so don't freak out when that happens. *smiles*
//6) There will be times that the party "loses" a session. That does not mean a loss of the plot (at that time at least) but it does mean that things will unfold a little differently due to that "loss". As a notification, fully 20% of the sessions were "lost" in the last plot session that last four years, but in the end Blood was still defeated. So losses can happen, and will happen, it is part of life in Layonara.
//7) I am well aware of the times I run the quests for the plot, but I do the best that I can with the time I have available after working, helping the teams with Layonara, and spending time with the family. It is the best I can do with my time at hand. I am looking in to a Saturday sort of session time frame but I don't know if it is going to happen or not.
Stay in character at all times. No OOC nonsense on these quests please. People gather together on these quests to stay IC and to have fun, let's make sure that happens.
//9) No arguing with the GM, simple as that. I may make an incorrect decision for whatever reason or action but I usually know when that happens and if I feel it is warranted I will make up for it. No arguing with the GM(s) running a plot quest. That is how it should always be as well folks, for any quest run by a GM.
//10) There will be many times that I ask the players to choose a quest leader, that is up to you guys who the leader is...but when that happens don't go back later on and start crying about the choice due to the leaders actions or decisions. That gets old fast. On the same note, there will be times that I specifically state who is lead the party that quest session and I due this to past involvement at various sessions in the plot. It is not a sense of "favortism", that label gets old fast too folks.
//I do not play favorites, I try to stay consistent, and that goes with choosing party leaders or decisions. So when you get in to that sort of mindset it is time to step back and rethink things as you are taking the fun out of the game by your own thoughts and actions, for yourself and those around you. 11) Why did I state all of this you ask? Because I have heard it all before in the last campaign/plot and I don't want it coming back and ruining the fun for me (or other players involved) again this this campaign.
//12) There will be times that I give out xp and will not give out xp at the end of a quest session. There will also be times I give out items and many times I do not give out items. It is how I do things as the plot unfolds. 13) I reward RP and staying involved and working within the abilities of the party and characters around at the time. So lets stay in character and be involved. Don't whine about "xyz player" being more involved or less involved, it is how things happen on quests. It is not a favortism thing.
//I almost didn't run a campaign/plot quest because of the childish and immature actions by others in the past campaign/plot quest, they take the fun out of everything and in the end it just is not worth it. I hope this long running campaign/plot is different. Things happen in the campaign, lets be mature and deal with them in the proper fashion and without ruining the fun for the GM's that will be running the various sessions and most certainly for the players involved.
I then went in to specifics about that quest and what was coming up.
