So, where are we at? (( OOC ))

[Xeenah]

OOC is on 

Hi there!  It's been a long time since I posted here

So, there's more people now on RK1 (default server again), quite a few are looking into coming back, from the chimes I've got, and even Kya (/cc addbuddy Legaron) dropped an offline message to Xeenah, which made me go 

Krish (who will likely join the discussion on the forum when he'll know about it) sounds very motivated, and of course, I could never leave Assembly.  Dormant doesn't mean disbanded, after all

In the meantime, I brought Isha over with Loccin in Assembly Line, for RP reasons.  It just fitted her 

Basically, for the moment, there's Krish (I don't know if I'm allowed to use his first name so I'll go with the character's name), Luke and I are rather regularly around.  We meet online with either of our characters (alts included).  Just hang out, have fun, do a bit of leveling

It reminds me of when we used to do some mishes and then gather at the Cup and RP

*     *     *

I've gotta run for now and pick up my son, but I'm gonna continue this later


Edited for sP3771nG

[Kotts]

Ok here's where I am. I got burned out about a year ago, though not really of the game. The low population, and constant drama got to me. Well drama is at a minimal, other games (and their communities) flat out suck, and well I'm finding teams now. So yeah, I'm finding myself falling in love with AO again. So, naturally I'm interested in Assembly coming back again.

Jen said a while back "If I ever start it up again things will be different." I really can't help but agree. Things that I noticed about Assembly that made it fun when I joined was the Immersive freestyle RP, and Interaction with ARKs, and the main storyline. Granted ARKs don't get involved with the community near as much as they used to... Nothing against them, people bitched and things changed. In ether case we should not have relied so much on ARK Events to be a main source of fun.

Don't get me wrong the Events I was a part of were some of the best moments in game I've experienced. However, when it comes to our online fun, we need to be responsible ourselves.  I don't mean having weekly clan events ether, I mean our members have to realize that they will have to make it happen for themselves. The more we as the Vets and leaders tried to hammer this into peoples' heads the worse it got it seems. More and more over the top stories and events that required Kotts, Xee, and/or Jen to be present for several hours a day was just draining. So how do you tell people "stop! You're killing me with RP!"... I mean we are an RP clan right? This needs to be addressed, and I'm secure enough in saying I have no bleeding idea how to.

Later on in Assembly's life I noticed a few issues with our Sentinel ties. People expected us to PVP non-stop. When we didn't, it got thrown in our faces. At this point we decided to pick a branch to serve as in the Sentinels. We went with intelligence, and it worked great for a while. Though one minor detail that kept coming back to haunt us... or at least me, was our Sentinel affiliation closed -a lot- of doors. After a while we didn't get any action between RP guilds unless they were clan... eventually it boiled down to just PBF, and Xaun being our only way to get RP going outside of Assembly... ick. Top that off with Pols getting power played so much that they eventually turned inside as well and quit RPing with non-Omni. Same goes for many other OT Guilds. Drama Drama Drama!

We need to make changes for sure if we are getting serious about doing this again. In any case I've been thinking... I don't have the answers for everything, but I have some proposals to throw out there.

[Kotts]

Feedback I've gotten from non-members:
Several times I've gotten a random person sending me a tell here or there asking about Assembly, or giving feedback on our rules/affiliation/or members and why they did not want to join, or start up a story with us. One big turn off was the waiting period to be invited into the clan. Another was the affiliation to the Sentinels ( had several OT players that wanted an extraction, but could not contact a Sentinel.) Another complaint was the very strict inactivity rule. Granted there were several verities, but these were the ones I heard the most.

Finally, and unfortunately another in general bit of feedback I received over and over, was out right lies about our rules being spread around. A good deal of them could be traced back to Xaun and PBF. Anything from "they meta game all the time" to "Members are not allowed to twink." I even had Pablo tell my Doctor Alt that Assembly is against pvp, and leveling up to 220... Granted this was before AK fell out (Rumor has it members found out Xaun was a guy, when he forgot to turn on his secondlife male-to-female voice converter when he hopped on vent O_O ... just a rumor afaik nothing proven). Long story short. The competitiveness is childish and immature. We have to find a way to stop it and distance ourselves as much as possible from people like that.

Some things to chew over, guys

[Xeenah]

Of roleplay

I'm not burned out of the game, but I think we pretty much got burned (if not burned out) by the kind of stories that were thrown at us without warning, that seemed to all at once take big proportions quick while coming from all directions at once.

I'm a big fan of character development, not drama development ^_^

I wish we can stay out of the extremes; some RP that's more dramatic is not a bad thing, unless it becomes the norm.  On the other end of the specter, RP that would be nothing but butterflies and rainbows would be so sickeningly sweet that I'd probably throw up  I think you get the idea

And oh, Kotts...  If you don't know how to address an RP situation where a character seems to flat out revel in more drama than you want to handle...  "Hmm.  Y'know what, dude?  You need vacations.  Take 2 weeks off."  LOL

There's a time for serious, and there's a time for light hearted, and for casual.  The last two melted like ice in the sun in the last year and bits that Assembly was "active".


Of interviews, progression and rules

Interviews...  Yeah.  Shorter.  Much much shorter.

A closer follow-up, when possible (timezones, heh...), so that people don't rot in applicant status.  It should fall on all members of the clan to have an eye on the newcomer.  After all, we were all supposed to contribute, right?

This is easier to do if the person can actually be let in the clan; interactions are easier.  Sometimes, I think we tried to pad ourselves against the need to kick someone out, so instead, we didn't let them in just quite yet...  Meh.  I'm still debating this one, but my gutt feeling tells me that, in our current situation, it's not necessary nor appropriate anymore.

It would be worth checking if our rules and information can be boiled down, There would be less to read, easier to remember and uphold.

The inactivity rule has been written out.  It didn't work, as shown by the statistics I kept.  So, I'm tempted to say that instead of flat out listing it in our rules, we could simply announce an upcoming clean up of the roster.  Characters inactive since X time would be removed unless if we're contacted about it, kinda.

I also thought about the 1 alt rule.  I'm still thinking about it. 


Of playtime and timezones

I mentioned timezones.  There's an option that we didn't have the time to try, and it just might help for low head count.

None of us can be (or would want to be ) online 24/7.  People who look for us are likely to log at random times, wait 30 minutes or maybe more, then log off; and this, at any day or hour of the week.  What are the odds of them being online exactly the same day and time then one of us?

I love to beat the odds (and Murphy's Law too whenever I can).  If we'd have one or two periods where we would try to be around (not have to, but try to), and if it actually works out, that would allow our current little number to actually play together and build or rebuild ties.  And have fun  


Of things I look forward to

On another note, characters have evolved, which should make for interesting catch-up RP sessions  Not necessarily intensive catching up, but we would have what we seemed to lack in the last months before we went dormant:  t-i-m-e.

I'm looking for a healthy balance of roleplay and leveling.  This should not be mutually exclusive, since we are playing on a planet that is at war.

I'm looking forward to take some time aside to let our characters socialize more

I'm not closed to the idea of seeing a change in Assembly's line of work either  I'm actually hoping that a little brainstorming can take place, and a good discussion.  I'm looking forward to the future


Of MMO experience

I've discovered other MMO first-hand.  I learned quite a bit about different guilds, different players and playstyles, been involved in a bit of leadership here and there and it helped to put more experience under my belt.  I think it will be a benefit for me and help me have a more objective look on things and stuff


Of current interest

I feel it's there.  There's at least 3 of us I can be sure of, on that regard  And my hunches tell me that others are out there, hoping to see a spark.  They're probably waiting to see if there's gonna be a train before jumping in the bandwagon.  Maybe I'm wrong, too  So, I'm not having expectations, but I'm all for gathering, playing together and have fun

[Krishnitt]

First of all...(in true Krishnitt fashion)  Hail Assembly!!!

Been a long time since I put those words in one sentence.     Glad to be back on the 'ol forums.  Now to the matter at hand....

As far as where I am at, I have said since the last day that if Assembly ever rose up again, Krishnitt would answer the call to arms.  Liberty has been an awesome home for Krishnitt. However, before I had Krishnitt accepted as a member, I made sure they understood that Assembly was, and always will be, Krishnitt's true "home".  I never got burnt out of RP, but joining Assembly close to the end of things (and my work schedule effectively knocking me out of the American time zones) ...I can't say I had too many opportunities.  The work schedule is still there....but one thing Liberty has shown me is that I will be able to find people online frequently.  We just gotta find and recruit them.     That was really the main reason why I was going to leave regardless of Assembly's fate.  But between RK1 being default again and my experience with Liberty....I am confident that my next experience with Assembly will be much improved.

Interviews....you mean Krishnitt wasn't supposed to have a 5 month applicant period?     LOL

Inactivity....big pet peeve for me.  I have been a squad commander now for 4 months, and I am always the first to vote to kick someone out if we haven't heard from them for a set period of time.  (Nichidame's pet peeve is a tidy roster...I just try to help the old girl out  )  I think the reason I feel so strongly about it is because:
1) I believe inactivity was ultimately what caused Assembly to go dormant.  Even though I had planned to leave on my own, I was still beside myself when I realized how much Assembly had become part of my life.  Not just online, but real life, too.  I'm man enough to admit it.....it caused me some emotional pain to know Assembly was gone.
2) We are supposed to be a tight-knit group of mature people.  We rely on each other to be there for each other.  I consider it rude and thoughtless to just disappear without word for long periods of time.  Short of an abrupt loss of internet, there is nothing that would prevent you from dropping a message via PM or on the public forum.  God forbid my mother should die anytime soon...but if she did, I would still be able to hammer out something to let you guys know I wouldn't be around for a set amount of time.
Anyway, I think I have just done a wonderful job of showing how strongly I feel about the subject.  But in all fairness, I have to offer a modification to what Jo just said about the subject.  Instead of just dropping the inactivity rule and springing a surprise purging of the roster, perhaps we could replace said rule with a note saying from time to time we will purge the roster of inactive members.  This way, no one can say they didn't know what was expected of them.

1 alt rule....isn't that what Assembly Line is for?  My only concern would be if someone was looking for a certain size org....if we have alts, then it would be misrepresenting Assembly.

Timezones.....more Hawaiians!!!   

I'll end this novel by saying though I know we are still a ways off and there is much to do and discuss....I am glad the interest has returned for Assembly.  And thank you for your consideration for my privacy, Jo.  But I have no problem with Assembly knowing my real name.  Joe, for those that don't know yet.  However,  since there are sooo many of us (female versions included  ) on this planet, Krish will work just as well.

[Xeenah]

First of all...(in true Krishnitt fashion)  Hail Assembly!!!

^_^

The work schedule is still there....but one thing Liberty has shown me is that I will be able to find people online frequently.  We just gotta find and recruit them.     That was really the main reason why I was going to leave regardless of Assembly's fate.  But between RK1 being default again and my experience with Liberty....I am confident that my next experience with Assembly will be much improved.

It could be, yes   We sure won't set sail to make it worse! Aaarrr!

Interviews....you mean Krishnitt wasn't supposed to have a 5 month applicant period?     LOL

Nope, it was supposed to be 6 months.  *tongue in cheek*

Inactivity....big pet peeve for me.  I have been a squad commander now for 4 months, and I am always the first to vote to kick someone out if we haven't heard from them for a set period of time.  (Nichidame's pet peeve is a tidy roster...I just try to help the old girl out  )

[snipped for brievity]

But in all fairness, I have to offer a modification to what Jo just said about the subject.  Instead of just dropping the inactivity rule and springing a surprise purging of the roster, perhaps we could replace said rule with a note saying from time to time we will purge the roster of inactive members.  This way, no one can say they didn't know what was expected of them.

That's what I meant.  I was thinking of a message like "I will be removing inactive characters from the roster soon.  If you think your character should stay on the roster, contact me before [insert date] to discuss it."  It worked when I've seen it done.  Then, the list of characters who had been removed was made known so people wouldn't wonder or whatnot.

1 alt rule....isn't that what Assembly Line is for?  My only concern would be if someone was looking for a certain size org....if we have alts, then it would be misrepresenting Assembly.

Assembly Line was the purpose for alts.

To be honest, I didn't give lots of thoughts to this yet.  What got me wondering is that I've been in an 100% RP guild who would allow alts.  I'm wondering if we could consider allowing 2 alts instead of just one.

Among advantages, it allowed a player to still play within the guild even if he didn't feel like playing his main.  It also allowed to avoid becoming fed up, as more than one alt allowed for diversity, a sort of change of menu   Thusly, it favored activity within the guild.

At some point in a character's progression, playing this character can become a royal pain in the ass.  There are rough spots and some might prefer to take this in smaller bites instead of bulldozing through this period.  In this case, the only alternative for them is that second character, that they may not feel like playing at all.

It would also allow for a presence online, within the guild, instead of it being split between two clans.  I have several alts, but there is one that I would love to bring around; unfortunately, I'm limited by the 1 alt rule.  When she's online, it doesn't show on the Assembly channel.

Anyway, that's food for thought

I'll end this novel by saying though I know we are still a ways off and there is much to do and discuss....I am glad the interest has returned for Assembly.

It's gonna take a while to spread, but I could never lose interest in Assembly   By the way, I think I will take the initiative of putting up a message on the forum to let people know that the forum subscription has been enabled again.  That may have prevented people from contacting us, since one can only post if subscribed, and offline messages in game are not always carried through.

And thank you for your consideration for my privacy, Jo.  But I have no problem with Assembly knowing my real name.  Joe, for those that don't know yet.  However,  since there are sooo many of us (female versions included  ) on this planet, Krish will work just as well.

Better safe than sorry   It's a question of respect, I'm very old school on certain things ^_^

Glad you could join us and chat about it   The beauty is, Jen won't have to dig it out of us, she's offered feelings, feedback and ideas on a silver platter ^_^  Tell me about being proactive!

[Tussa]

Ooohh boy.

When Jo poked me on MSN and very carefully asked if I had played with the idea of rekindling Assembly again since July, I didn't really know what to say. Part of me has, and that part has achingly longed for Assembly and AO. The greatness of the clan and its people and the empty space leaving it behind left has been a sore point for a long, long time.

Another part has beaten that first part over the head and said "Good riddance!" and reminded me of all the not-so-nice things and the reasons why the clan shut down in the first place. And then reminded me of the first time it shut down. That part makes blisters on my mind when I see what you guys write and consider the idea. But blisters aren't roadblocks .

It's true that I said that should Assembly ever rise again, it'll be very different. Changing the rules is one thing, and it's something I would have to consider closely, and also in co-operation with whoever is interested. Some are less problematic, like changing the inactivity rule. Others have a sorer spot, for example changing the amount of allowed alts. But all that is detail work, and not something I want to consider too closely right now.

I would be open to changing affiliation, as I was very disappointed by the treatment we got from Silverstone back in the hoohah days. Terra Firma and Unionists would be the only options I would consider. What Jo and Luke mention is enough. We cannot, and will not, go to an Undecided or Pro-peace affiliation.

Another thing I would like to see changed in Assembly, IF we were to rise again, is a darker, more 'menacing' atmosphere. We've been, or been perceived as, goody-two-shoes for far too long, and I don't like that part. Even if our characters aren't exactly angels with glowing halos, there is this feeling of us being the 'good guys'. There hasn't really been room for those sons of bitches, those mean motherfuckers, those people who wouldn't flinch and have moral disputes with themselves if asked to torture someone without it being a hellish drama hole in the guild. I don't want us to sit on a high horse in any way, and give room to characters of all personlities, as long as they don't mess with their own (us).

Anyway...I need to gather my thoughts more, and I promise I will answer any questions you have. I won't make a decision. 4-5 people who would like to play together again isn't enough. Not this time. But by all means, let's talk about it .

[Xeenah]

Ooohh boy.

When Jo poked me on MSN and very carefully asked if I had played with the idea of rekindling Assembly again since July, I didn't really know what to say. Part of me has, and that part has achingly longed for Assembly and AO. The greatness of the clan and its people and the empty space leaving it behind left has been a sore point for a long, long time.

That's why I was careful.  I don't like to twists knives in wounds and I wasn't sure if the wound had healed enough

Another part has beaten that first part over the head and said "Good riddance!" and reminded me of all the not-so-nice things and the reasons why the clan shut down in the first place. And then reminded me of the first time it shut down. That part makes blisters on my mind when I see what you guys write and consider the idea. But blisters aren't roadblocks .

Glad to hear that   Besides, blisters can help up spot the friction points, don't they?   I think your experience of the previous shutdowns can help us see what we could improve.

It's true that I said that should Assembly ever rise again, it'll be very different. Changing the rules is one thing, and it's something I would have to consider closely, and also in co-operation with whoever is interested. Some are less problematic, like changing the inactivity rule. Others have a sorer spot, for example changing the amount of allowed alts. But all that is detail work, and not something I want to consider too closely right now.

Aye   It's medium tuning.  I'll save my questions about these topics for when things reach that point

I would be open to changing affiliation, as I was very disappointed by the treatment we got from Silverstone back in the hoohah days. Terra Firma and Unionists would be the only options I would consider. What Jo and Luke mention is enough. We cannot, and will not, go to an Undecided or Pro-peace affiliation.

Yar!

Another thing I would like to see changed in Assembly, IF we were to rise again, is a darker, more 'menacing' atmosphere. We've been, or been perceived as, goody-two-shoes for far too long, and I don't like that part. Even if our characters aren't exactly angels with glowing halos, there is this feeling of us being the 'good guys'. There hasn't really been room for those sons of bitches, those mean motherfuckers, those people who wouldn't flinch and have moral disputes with themselves if asked to torture someone without it being a hellish drama hole in the guild. I don't want us to sit on a high horse in any way, and give room to characters of all personlities, as long as they don't mess with their own (us).

I was hoping to see more colorful characters, some assholes among them   We've been having high standards for our characters and our clan in regards to morals and ideology.  The "lack of contracts" that was the IC reason for shutting down can also be backed up by the disappointment about Silverstone, if we need a logic for a change of direction to something less clean and crisp

Oh boy, I can't help thinking about the "Firefly" series   Jayne was quite the mofo, but not bad to the bone ^_^  So, with less paragon-like characters, we could have a wider range of characters within the guild   And less restrictive rules of behavior

I'm just smiling funny when I try to imagine Jenae Godfray in such a setting 

Anyway...I need to gather my thoughts more, and I promise I will answer any questions you have. I won't make a decision. 4-5 people who would like to play together again isn't enough. Not this time. But by all means, let's talk about it .

Indeed.  Regaining some membership, see an interest, will also depend on the road we'll choose to go.  If people join on the premisses of what Assembly was before it was shut down...  Well, if it's people we already know, I guess we can let them know that we're rebuilding and that they can expect a changes soon?...  I'm still wondering how to set the wheel in motion, but I got my shoulder firmly planted against it

I think we're gonna have quite a bit of thinking to share   ...Avast!  Me yapper is about to flap!

[Kotts]

Ok few things I want to ask Jenny puff.  (see I'm a mean motherfucker.... grrr.)
One is these mind-blisters of yours, need to be addressed. Especially if they reoccurred the second time around. So spill it, slap the slab on the table and let's hammer it out and come up with some ideas on how to address these problems, fix them, or make one hell of a mess.

As for the Darker atmosphere, and the goody two shoes, I can think of a few ways that I came at that at the wrong angle and more then likely counteracted what you were aiming for. I'm not used to playing the bad guy. I did go off on a stint with Makai, and his best buddy Kyzal and i learned a few things. Mostly negative, but still good to know non-the less. For one, I noticed people have issues being the bad guy. When they do play one, they ham it up some much it comes out cliche'. Like revenge pete who's family was killed by Omni, and now just wants to murder omni all day long. Two, there are some sick sick people out there that get attracted to the 'evil' guilds. I've witnessed quiet a few people that were all about rape and torture, even out of character. (I'm pretty sure I heard jacking off over vent, while RPing out a rape/torture/snuff scene.) This is something that we need to be careful of when advertising. Trust me we do not want these sick fucks.

True evil isn't about -just- doing all the bad taboo things in rapid succession. True evil is human nature, moreover believing what you are doing is just and right (see the crusades.) That I'd love to play out. That I'd love to see. Good or bad having that belief and purpose is what will drive the spirit of the group. (hence me putting so much emphasis on it). The school girls and bleeding hearts gotta learn quick or get lost, they are just as cliche as the evil sith lord types.

On the topic of evil things, I noticed a obsession with murder/assassination, and hostile demolition before in Assembly (and the RP community in general.) We need to put our heads together and come up with some hostile routes to travel on that are outside those boxes. After reclaim is the awesomest stand off weaponry _EVAR_

Another would be some long term goals to establish as well for example some of mine:
-Clan owned and operated reclaim technology.
-Night Club in Old Athen.
-Rita Preston on a pike.

Granted some of them are a bit far off, or may never happen, but having goals and tasks really help. I still remember NEAMO with RuR, and the number of sub plots and stories it generated. It was pure genius, and only about 10% scripted. All driven by a few goals.

Add on: As for firing it back up. Poke a few people that used to play and see if they are game or not. We can start off small on the forums with the brain storming like we are doing now. Maybe do a few stories, on the forum, and go from there. Let's start slow with our old roster, and see where it leads. By no means should we be tossing up a topic on the Buzz and say 'hai guis we r teh recrootings! lolz!'  And on the same note we will not have a massive boom in people going 'I can has assembly?'

[Xeenah]

I did go off on a stint with Makai, and his best buddy Kyzal and i learned a few things. Mostly negative, but still good to know non-the less.

It's still experience indeed   Glad it's over though   I still had quite the mouthing match with Kyzal when he would rather avoid it

For one, I noticed people have issues being the bad guy. When they do play one, they ham it up some much it comes out cliche'. Like revenge pete who's family was killed by Omni, and now just wants to murder omni all day long.

Booooooriiiiiiiing! *lol*

Two, there are some sick sick people out there that get attracted to the 'evil' guilds. I've witnessed quiet a few people that were all about rape and torture, even out of character. (I'm pretty sure I heard jacking off over vent, while RPing out a rape/torture/snuff scene.) This is something that we need to be careful of when advertising. Trust me we do not want these sick fucks.

Motion seconded.  At least 4 with past of sexual abuse who were recreating the traumatic situations through RP to "overcome it"...  Others who were fapping themselves and revelling in being total and utter bastardish assholes when indulging in the performance of the most grimy abuse, not to mention those who were using the game/guild as personal therapy...  Sick, sick, sick.  Me no want.  Ugh.

True evil isn't about -just- doing all the bad taboo things in rapid succession. True evil is human nature, moreover believing what you are doing is just and right (see the crusades.) That I'd love to play out. That I'd love to see. Good or bad having that belief and purpose is what will drive the spirit of the group. (hence me putting so much emphasis on it). The school girls and bleeding hearts gotta learn quick or get lost, they are just as cliche as the evil sith lord types.

It reminds me of what is said of Terra Firma's feeling toward the Knight:  honor's nice, but results are more important

On the topic of evil things, I noticed a obsession with murder/assassination, and hostile demolition before in Assembly (and the RP community in general.) We need to put our heads together and come up with some hostile routes to travel on that are outside those boxes. After reclaim is the awesomest stand off weaponry _EVAR_

It's been done several times, but like ice cream, it's good as long as you don't abuse it.

Another would be some long term goals to establish as well for example some of mine:
-Clan owned and operated reclaim technology.
-Night Club in Old Athen.
-Rita Preston on a pike.

Granted some of them are a bit far off, or may never happen, but having goals and tasks really help. I still remember NEAMO with RuR, and the number of sub plots and stories it generated. It was pure genius, and only about 10% scripted. All driven by a few goals.

Pike for Preston!  ...Whaaaat, one can hope...    And it would be nice indeed to have such general directions.  It would help setting the tone.

Add on: As for firing it back up. Poke a few people that used to play and see if they are game or not. We can start off small on the forums with the brain storming like we are doing now. Maybe do a few stories, on the forum, and go from there. Let's start slow with our old roster, and see where it leads. By no means should we be tossing up a topic on the Buzz and say 'hai guis we r teh recrootings! lolz!'  And on the same note we will not have a massive boom in people going 'I can has assembly?'

Xelger already subscribed right after I posted that the forum registration was re-activated, so I guess we can expect others to hear about it.  Word of mouth can go a long way, sometimes

I think I'm gonna start talking to some people, it can't hurt

[Xelger]

Bad guy, reporting for duty.

I've been lurkin, I'm sure you may have noticed, and a ressurection of Assembly is the best thing (more or less) that could happen to AO. The case of wether to sign up with Terra Firma or somesuch is a cointoss to me, though I do recall when the question first arised, Christopher was suggesting Terra Firma but not for the reasons that have been mentioned here, but I'm sure he could understand them.

As for having bad guys, let me mention three. Michael Kreble, Jawques Loocazt, Sigma. Do either of these ring any bells, alert any vile dogs or buzz any alarms? I'm am happy to, no delighted, greatful to, yearning to play a bad guy again. While all the stuff related to my RP was usually improved on the spot or just thrown out at people at random, I'd be happy to work some sort of sub-plot in regards to working with these three. Christopher has also been lurking in a dark corner but time will tell... Buuuuut you all know me, one day I'm there and one day I'm not. Sometimes something suddenly shines up and I have to chase it, like a dog or a child I'm often attracted to the next cool thing, or just whatever my mind sets a mood on. *Shrug*
I am however back in the AO biz with playing Jawa, though not RPing all so much due to the lack of interest on the omni side of things. Plots are always buzzing in my head, especially with the characters that have something connected with Assembly, but we can talk about that more later perhaps.

Anyway, yeah, I'm here. 

Edit: Improved? Improvised!

[Xeenah]

Another thing I would like to see changed in Assembly, IF we were to rise again, is a darker, more 'menacing' atmosphere. We've been, or been perceived as, goody-two-shoes for far too long, and I don't like that part. Even if our characters aren't exactly angels with glowing halos, there is this feeling of us being the 'good guys'. There hasn't really been room for those sons of bitches, those mean motherfuckers, those people who wouldn't flinch and have moral disputes with themselves if asked to torture someone without it being a hellish drama hole in the guild. I don't want us to sit on a high horse in any way, and give room to characters of all personlities, as long as they don't mess with their own (us).

Since people tend to categorize things, I can hear people say "ebil guild" (typo intentional).  Is that what you have in mind or is it more in the terms of Assembly getting off the pedestal of "Paragon of Justice"?

By the way, I'm aware that maybe you didn't give it further thinking yet.  This played in my head for quite a while.  I was trying to imagine how our characters could take a turn in this direction.

I started thinking about how I could lead Cher to take this turn.

- Cher lost the naive side she had when she first arrived on Ka.
- Her service as advisor sharpened her
- Her time in the Council of Truth taught her that nothing is black or white, nothing is quite what it seems.
- The kind of morals Assembly has been trying to uphold are shared by so few people that it led her to think that people are only human and that she can't expect them to live by such standards.
- A hint of bitterness taints her outlook on life.
- Becoming a mother awakened in her a sort of ferocity, a sense of urgency and a survival instinct that will make her overlook certain principles and values, making her take "shortcuts", sometimes.
- She's not gonna be the patient and kind lady she once was.

The human evil, the ordinary evil, simply.  So, I can take Cher in this direction and people should still recognize her, but some might say that life changed her.  That's exactly the kind of impression I'm looking for.

She's ready to start a pirate's life   Besides, if you look at her background, maybe you'll see hints that her father did this before her   He was smuggling people, weapons, etc. while he was a military pilot.


As for Isha, I did the same kind of thinking for her, to see how she could take this turn.

- Isha has never been a sentimental
- She's a practical woman, results matter more than the means
- She's rather cold, not emotional, this being toned down by her looks
- All the changes she has been through, on a planet in war, made her stronger
- She doesn't close her eyes anymore when she shoots, in fact she came to like this type of "negociation"
- She knows how powerful financial resources can be and will not hesitate to use this knowledge

Again, another case of someone who wouldn't flat out become some kind of psychopath, but simply a slightly twisted version of what they are now.

The common traits to both of them is that they'll think of their own first and the beautiful and high goals of Freedom need some dirty work done underground.  "On ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser des oeufs" translates as "one doesn't make an omelet without breaking eggs", an expression used to talk about having to use means that are not "clean" or "delicate" to reach a desired result.


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I think that this turn in Assembly's approach would allow us to broaden the scope of characters within the guild.  By widening the range of the type of characters allowed in the guild, we could possibly see more happening.  How to put it...  We could still have nice people while not being limited to nice people, if I make any sense.

I just hope we stay clear of the "ebul guild" cliche, or the "ebul toon" cliche:

For one, I noticed people have issues being the bad guy. When they do play one, they ham it up some much it comes out cliche'. Like revenge pete who's family was killed by Omni, and now just wants to murder omni all day long. Two, there are some sick sick people out there that get attracted to the 'evil' guilds. I've witnessed quiet a few people that were all about rape and torture, even out of character. (I'm pretty sure I heard jacking off over vent, while RPing out a rape/torture/snuff scene.) This is something that we need to be careful of when advertising. Trust me we do not want these sick fucks.

Thoughts and comments would be appreciated

[Tussa]

I'm just smiling funny when I try to imagine Jenae Godfray in such a setting

Trust me, there's a lot you don't know about Jen. She can be, and has been, quite the different person than her usual slightly naïve and happy self. She's done bad, hurtful things, and she would again, if in a similar situation.

But, I feel I should point out something.

I didn't mean that we should all turn into Chaotic Evil v.1.0 on the first day of our new beginning. Nor did I intend to say that I'd like a guild full of sick fucks. So I figured I should specify something to explain a little more what I meant .

I would like Assembly to be a home for hardasses as well as halo-swinging angel feathers. If one of the two have a problem with each other, they would simply have to leave and find new pastures. I feel that Assembly was a little too moral and ethical and that worked against us both in terms of contradicting our affiliation, and also because I believe we were perceived as too much of the 'good guys'.

This is not to say that we won't still be the good guys, but in a guerilla war, no one serves you lunch on lace table cloth and porcelain plates. It's dirty, ugly and painful.

No, I'm not saying we should all turn into sex offenders or child murderers, nor that that's the kind of people I want. But I want Assembly to be a home for the Mirkle, Jazst and Mack types, and that there will be no pointy fingers of morality if someone goes out and ends up in a bar brawl. So what if they do? So what if they kill a neut or an omni? So what if their characters are regulars at the 'massage' parlors around Rubi-Ka? So what if they're the class bully, as long as they don't bully their own. Who are we to sit on a high horse and say it's un-clanly of them?

I'd like people to contact us to do good and nice things, like be their body guard or transfer something from A to B or diplomatic and political expertise.  But I'd also like people to contact us for dirty jobs. Be that smuggling, spying, assassination, stealing or framing someone. It shouldn't matter, as long as what we do is for the good of the clans and keeps us loyal to each other.

Hope that clears something up .

[Xeenah]

Thanks a lot   That's how I perceived it, but I wanted to make sure   Your explanation is simpler than my fastidious attempts *lol*

That would definitly allow for more casual RP ^_^  It would be very interesting to see how the characters will develop, what their interactions will be like after being apart for several months.

I'm sure Ms. Godfray has a few skeletons in the closet ^_^  But never having seen that side of her, I'm smiling at the thought that we may have the opportunity to see her in a different light :-)  The RPer in me is happy

[Kotts]

Amen sistah!

The craptasticly good guy role comes from a great deal of "can't do it" sort of mentality. (in regards to Game mechanics.) Can't blow up, can't kill, ect.