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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Tahoma"><FONT face=Calibri size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Tahoma"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>My experience is that
while the WR is a pain in the ass to write, it's also been pretty essential to
the game, after all without the WR how do we know if what we propose in our
posts work or not? As others have said the alternative is figuring it out for
our own selves free of judgment of a GM which pretty much negates the
'game' aspect of WAR, and then it becomes a cooperative writing exercise, which
is not a bad thing, but it's not the WAR I've come to enjoy. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Tahoma"><FONT face=Calibri size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Tahoma"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>My thinking is that we
should keep the WR, I for one feel like they're the payoff for the work I put
into my posts and spurs me to writing new stuff in reaction to it. As for
format etc. Automation would be the GM's holy grail, let me tell you, John's not
kidding when he says they're a beast to write, but lacking a method for that,
I'd say the old format works just fine, if we can tighten it, go to point form
or whatever for the sake of GM sanity, no problem, further I think we should
make them indisputable unless the WR it self fails the Crack Test ™ and thus
save the GM from responding to tons of complaints and focus on writing the WR
and playing their country.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Tahoma"><FONT face=Calibri size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Tahoma"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>Yep I know that was a
bit of a ramble, but give me a break, I just got up. =)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Tahoma"><FONT face=Calibri size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Tahoma"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>Anyhow, that's my two
cents.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt Tahoma">
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title="mailto:john.penta@gmail.com CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="mailto:john.penta@gmail.com">John Penta</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, June 27, 2009 9:04 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A
title="mailto:war_ooc@esteroic.com CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="mailto:war_ooc@esteroic.com">war_ooc@esteroic.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [War_ooc] John gets to thinking.</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>I'm going to hit on the various points Mike raises on their own
between the message. Hope this goes through...<BR><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 11:43 AM, Michael Brittain <SPAN
dir=ltr><<A
title="mailto:michael.brittain@blueyonder.co.uk CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="mailto:michael.brittain@blueyonder.co.uk">michael.brittain@blueyonder.co.uk</A>></SPAN>
wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
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<DIV bgcolor="#ffffff">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hey guys! I'm still on the WAR lists, and as I've
already said to John would be more than willing to help out, so I thought I
ought to speak up and get involved in the discussions :-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My thoughts on the points below are yes to an
activity requirement and yes to post counts (useful information, I'd say). Of
course it's up to the rest of your guys, but I wouldn't have a problem with
them. Also, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think that the WR could be
replaced by another format not in so much detail. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My past memories of WAR have always been that the
WR is a monster to complete, and after a while plays a big part in the GM's
feeling some form of burn out or unnecessary stress. We're all relatively :-P
intelligent people so we're aware of the potential implications of our
actions, posts etc, so detailed responses I don't think are really that
necessary - we can all estimate approval ratings, economic growth etc
ourselves as Dan says, and if there are issues a GM can step in to help. Good
posts/plots and interactions between players and countries should negate the
need for a detailed world report, at least in my opinion, especially as the
game isn't being played 'scientifically', in that there's no sliding scales of
actions to be considered etc. </FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>That ignores the role of Secret Actions: In short, all the sneaky stuff
players get up to, from the subtle to the noticeable. In my time with WAR,
they've run the gamut from false flag terrorist bombings to currency
manipulation to diplomatic campaigns to...Well, if you can imagine it, I'm
willing to guess that since I joined in 2001, someone has tried it.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The WR is hard to complete, in part because it's just plain big (one
section per country, plus global sections...It adds up), in part because (and if
we do go ahead with the WR, this is where I'd really like help) there's no
template. Making a readable, easy-to-assimilate WR takes time.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I think when I was able to really focus, when the issues were simple and
not-too-much research was required to give a realistic,
considered response, I got the WR down to taking maybe 20 minutes per
country. There's a fundamental reason, hence, why I would never promise a WR
more than once a week. Having other people help was a huge assist when WAR got
big, but also made the process longer in some respects. If the WR is a source of
stress, it's because the GM can usually expect to spend the better part of an
evening working on it; I don't recall a single instance where it did not take at
least an hour and a half...And usually, once you get the WR out you get called
out on stuff you missed, logical errors, and things people just plain don't
like. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">
<DIV bgcolor="#ffffff">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN id=""></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'd be more in favour of 'fake' news
reports from the various countries media outlets, or global news bulletins, as
a way of responding to the actions of individual players but also as a way
introducing new 'problems'/issues to deal with. I think it would make it more
realistic and hopefully be an easy, routine way of introducing new plots and
moving the game play along. They could be flexible in terms of when
they're needed to be sent out - they'd be no fixed date, they'd be fluid to in
game plots, wouldn't need to be very detailed or long, could follow a simple
format and are less monotonous maybe? You could also use them on the
website to make WAR more realistic to potential players, and so that they
could see what was going on.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Maybe there's just as much work in these 'news
snippets' and maybe I'm being a bit naive! What are everyone else's thoughts
on this? :-)</FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Most plots in WAR come from players interacting with players. It's
*incredibly* rare that the GM can launch a plot on their own and actually have
players pay attention to it long-term. Either it's because I and previous GMs
suck, or some other reason, I don't know.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Writing in a journalistic style would take just as long as writing in the
third person semi-omniscient that the WR uses. It doesn't disqualify it, such
writing comes in very handy for flash reports that introduce new events, but it
isn't easier.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>John</DIV></DIV>
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