[Mkguild] RE: [TSA] Thoughts on Metamor Keep

[Chris]

-----Original Message-----
From: tsa-talk-bounces at lists.integral.org
[mailto:tsa-talk-bounces at lists.integral.org] On Behalf Of Raven
Blackmane
Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2007 2:15 AM
To: tsa-talk at lists.integral.org
Subject: Re: [TSA] Thoughts on Metamor Keep

The problem with the wiki is that it really isn't newcomer-friendly, at 
least as it's currently set up. The first page is a massive info-dump, 
/way/ too much information to put on a reader at once; I've never been 
able to read through the entire thing myself, and I /write/ in MK. As it

stands, the wiki is an excellent resource for writers seeking to 
collaborate in MK, but it's not set up in a way that's going to draw 
anyone new into the setting. For that you'd need a much briefer summary 
on the front page, maybe followed by links to some of the most important

elements of the setting. It's rather telling that the single most 
important event in the history of MK, the Battle of Three Gates, doesn't

even have a page describing it yet.

The problem Cubist describes is a real one: MK may be open and friendly 
to new /writers,/ but to new /readers/ it's confusing, as Kris's 
comments demonstrate. There's nothing in either MK story archive or the 
wiki to show readers which stories are most important for a new reader 
to absorb, or how the stories interconnect with one another. There's 
nothing in the archive to point out the key, pivotal moments in the 
setting: when major characters are introduced, when important plot 
shifts happen, etc. The new reader either has to start at #1 and read 
straight through, or they have to pick stories at random and hope they 
stumble on something that they like. Neither of these tactics is one 
that I would recommend.

Most of the short stories now being written in MK are /not/ intended for

new readers in the setting, for the very reason Cubist describes: 
there's not enough space in a short story to do a ton of introductory 
work. And as Cubist says, there's nothing inherently wrong with that; 
lots of fiction series in various formats -- ongoing comic book series, 
for instance -- are presented with the assumption that you have begun at

the beginning, or at least at the beginning of a story arc.  But what 
I'm seeing, and I think Cubist has confirmed with his observations, is 
that we haven't had any new "jumping on" points for a long time now.

I think that we may be due for a new introductory story, specifically 
designed to familiarize new readers with the setting of MK as it exists 
now. A lot has happened since Michael came to the Keep; I say that it's 
time for a new outsider to make the journey and see the world the way it

is now. A refugee fleeing from a town on the Sathmore/Pyralian border, 
for instance, would give the writer the opportunity to reveal the entire

religious struggle that is currently shaping Galendor's politics; any 
given Keeper might not know the details of what's going on down south, 
and the refugee could fill them in while also being introduced to 
concepts central to life in Metamor, like the workings of the Curse, the

variable geometry of the Keep, and the existence of Lady Kyia.  Of 
course, you'd have to weave this stuff into a plot that is interesting 
in its own right, so that the story can be interesting and engaging 
enough that people will read it and think, "I want to hear more about 
this Metamor place!"

This isn't really a new idea. Long-running comic books do the same thing

every few years, or even more often, so that they can give readers a 
place to begin without having to go through all the back issues. We 
could then tout the new intro story on the web page as a way to get into

the setting quickly, much as comic book publishers will splash an intro 
story's cover with the words "A NEW ADVENTURE BEGINS HERE!" or something

similar.



>>>Now THAT is a great idea. Right after Winter Assault is a good place
to set this new intro story. But how we going to pack all that
information into one story and not turn it into an infodump?





One other idea that would probably help story accessibility is if we 
have a page where stories are grouped by character arc. Matty's story 
cycles are a perfect example of this sort of thing, but you have to go 
to his website to find out where the cycles begin and end. It would be 
helpful to have a page of the archive where, say, you can find the first

story that features Misha as the main protagonist, and then follow his 
adventures through all of the subsequent stories where he's the star of 
the show. You could also have a Lightbringers arc, a Pascal arc, a 
Christopher/Wanderer arc, and a Saroth arc, to name just a few. Each 
story arc should begin with a story that is designed as a jumping-on 
point, or at least as a story that you can jump straight into 
immediately after reading either MK story #1 our our new, hypothetical 
"Fresh Start" story.


>>>That shouldn't be TOO hard to do in theory but considering the sheer
number of characters it could take a while to do. It certainly would
help everyone reading/writing MK. I suggest starting with the important
ones The Duke.


It's not enough for us to just /talk/ about how open we are to new 
people in MK. As individuals, we are, but the stories themselves are not

currently presented in a way that is friendly to newbies. If we really 
want to attract more people to our party, we need to do a better job of 
putting up signs and sending out invitations. :)

Just my $0.02 (in constant 1920 dollars, adjusted for inflation),



>>>Now I understand what Cubist was saying! A new intro story makes
sense. But we'd need to include the following:
Explain the Keeps variable Geometry
A brief tour of the Keep introducing the important places like The Deaf
Mule
Mention/explain Kyia
Explain the workings of the Curse
At least introduce some of the important characters like the Duke
Describe The current state of Metamor Keep -
physically/socially/politically
Explain Winter Assault and other current events briefly
Explain the whole Lightbringer/Follower issues
Mention the rather complex political/religious situation in the South


   And how do we wrap this all in an interesting plot and not have it be
200000 words long?



 Chris Okane
 The Lurking fox

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