What's Next?

[Phoenix]

Eh.. we haven't exactly quit.. But other things (rl) just got in the way and from now until the end of the semester I'm really swamped. We both joined this summer in August and in the waiting period we managed to get married and go through a bunch of school/work stuff. By the time our characters could be added to the game we were just far too preoccupied with other things, and those fun little ideas we had when creating the characters are mostly just a distant memory by now.

When things calm down a tad I'm sure we'll be devoting more time to this place again, but as things are right now we're just trying to get through real life issues first and foremost.

[Blazemane]

I'm glad to hear you guys are doing well Phoenix. And yeah, life certainly comes before Role Play.

And Alak, I get what you mean, but I'm not saying Steelclaw would betray the Predacons.

I know he would not try killing the human race. It would simply be, to him, illogical. So having him disobey Megatron at that moment is a matter of course. I just figured it would be a one episode deal. Like when Megatron tells Blackarachnia to shoot Cheetor in "Aftermath" and she bails. But she still remains in one piece and with the Predacons for a long time.

I think, perhaps, Megatron might get angry enough to put Steelclaw in stasis lock if Steelclaw refuses to fight in the valley, but I don't think Steelclaw is going to leave the Predacons, and as long as he doesn't quit, I highly doubt Megatron would even send him away to the Maximals for good.

It certainly would be... fun to have Steelclaw become a Maximal. I like a character that can become good- especially a character that I get to play, and whose transformation I'd be able to describe.

But, since Dinobot's doing that, and Blackarachnia's doing that, and Venatrix is doing that (and Valkryie is going the opposite direction), and the Starshadow's doing that, Steelclaw betraying to the Maximal side would be too much betrayal. I think, for the sake of the balance of power, and the sanity of the storyline, as much as I would love Steelclaw to change, I simply can't let him.

But, fan fiction...

is another story. Muahahahahaha. If I ever finish that dratted thing.

[Alak]

But, since Dinobot's doing that, and Blackarachnia's doing that, and Venatrix is doing that (and Valkryie is going the opposite direction), and the Starshadow's doing that, Steelclaw betraying to the Maximal side would be too much betrayal. I think, for the sake of the balance of power, and the sanity of the storyline, as much as I would love Steelclaw to change, I simply can't let him.

Oh jeez, that's going to create a lot of confusion..

[Blazemane]

Oh jeez, that's going to create a lot of confusion..

Hmm hmm hmm hmmmm. Yessssss....

[Night-Hunter]

Ok i don't mean to sound bitchy or anything what we should do next is finish Beast wars Part 2 and go on the next episode "Equal Measures" seeing how we're skipping "The Web".

[starshadow]

Umm...Umm...I'll be creating a really powerful and blood thirsty pred in season 3.

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

So I know you were asking what we thought of the episode structure near the beginning of this thread, Optimal Optimus Primal, but I guess I didn't know what to say then, and still am not quite sure now.

In all honesty... I get the feeling that if we just go exhaustively through a bunch of first season episodes, it's going to feel like re-watching the series. I enjoy adding what characters are thinking to explain why they do certain things, but I know many people far prefer to explore new situations then to explore and further define old ones. O.C.'s allow for this potential to some degree, but a strict adherence to the scripts prohibits a lot of potential as well.

Furthermore, if we go through, just casting a few episodes aside hear and there, we are going to find a bunch of plots that focus on specific characters at the expense of others (like "Equal Measures") And we're going to take years to get to potential plots with those who wish their characters to become transmetallized or to introduce fuzors, etc. Una's character Angel would be one such example. Can we really ask her to wait years?

Maybe... if the structure of scripted episodes is what we're after, so that we have clear cut goals... perhaps we could focus on episodes that include, essentially, everyone?

I rather like that idea, Blazemane. Thank you. If we stick with certain episodes from the show, then they should include most of the characters, ones where characters are introduced, and I also think we should keep the ones where the Vok are involved. I think that narrows it down to just a few.

Or we could completely drift away from the episodes and just do an ongoing topic (and after so many pages, we can start anew topic that would continue from where we left off on the previous topic and so on), because otherwise I'm not sure how to keep it separate "episodes" if we're going to make our own stories and plots. We won't have a real guideline to stay on track with each one, so we'd just keep going and going. But I can see that presenting problems with those who'll need repairs and other things that a big time skip would work real nicely in the game.

Perhaps, even, those episodes would take too long. Episodes do provide quality structure, but the expense of time is frightening.

I know, it's really tough. Especially when players get real busy and can't post. I'm not quite sure what to do about that yet, IF there's anything that can be done without making players feel like they have to quit if they can't keep up.

[Blazemane]

If we stick with certain episodes from the show, then they should include most of the characters, ones where characters are introduced, and I also think we should keep the ones where the Vok are involved. I think that narrows it down to just a few.

Or we could completely drift away from the episodes and just do an ongoing topic (and after so many pages, we can start anew topic that would continue from where we left off on the previous topic and so on), because otherwise I'm not sure how to keep it separate "episodes" if we're going to make our own stories and plots. We won't have a real guideline to stay on track with each one, so we'd just keep going and going. But I can see that presenting problems with those who'll need repairs and other things that a big time skip would work real nicely in the game.

See, and people seemed all for pre-established episode scripts earlier.

Should we, maybe, take a poll and see whether people would prefer to go on a tangent plot, or stay to the episodes?

Again, keeping to scripts gives us a guaranteed standard of quality. And some players were hoping to have changes in their characters revolve around pre-existing plot points- like Venatrix being driven to fight alongside Dinobot in his last stand. Since it's this established plot premise that people have built their characters with, it might be unfair, too, to not do the episodes.

But their is the time factor and the potential that can be presented by new plot ideas.

Maybe we could even... ask what things people like to keep from the show, such as Dinobot's death, and add and subtract plot points and nuances rather than episodes?

Should we take a poll?

[Alak]

I'd be fine with a poll, but I don't see why it's hard for OC's to have their moments in canon episodes. If the primary canon cast is off doing something (i.e.- being blind or whatever), it doesn't mean that the OC cast has to follow suite. They could be undergoing side-missions or developing their own stories that don't retcon the main episode. For example: the mega cannon that Scorponok recovered after busting up Cheetor was never seen or heard from again. Maybe the Maximals had a black-ops missions to neutralize its threat? Who knows, only fan fiction will tell!

[Phoenix]

At the current speed if we were to follow each episode in the series, it would take a total of 17 years to complete all 52 episodes with an average of 3 episodes a year.

Up to you guys, but personally that's a wee bit slow for me.

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

At the current speed if we were to follow each episode in the series, it would take a total of 17 years to complete all 52 episodes with an average of 3 episodes a year.

Up to you guys, but personally that's a wee bit slow for me.

Yeah, I don't think we'll have to play every episode.

I'd be fine with a poll, but I don't see why it's hard for OC's to have their moments in canon episodes. If the primary canon cast is off doing something (i.e.- being blind or whatever), it doesn't mean that the OC cast has to follow suite. They could be undergoing side-missions or developing their own stories that don't retcon the main episode.

That crossed my mind as well, Alak. I don't see why we couldn't do that.

See, and people seemed all for pre-established episode scripts earlier.

Well, I'm still for that just so we have a guideline to keep things moving.

Should we take a poll?

Yes, we should have a poll. Would you mind setting that up, Blazemane? I've obviously been very busy lately and still need to catch up in the game (hopefully, I'll get around to that later on today ). Thank you so much!