Chapter Nine Continuation!

[Caligrace]

Hi, guys!


I know we promised a chapter update - and so here it is. We have a lot of things spinning around in our heads, but between work, weather, and just the state of the world in general, we’ve had a bit of issues here and there with time. That said, this is where we’re at in terms of the city leaning heavily towards PEACE.

Bancroft is out!

We will have two new candidates for the city to vote between, however, we are more focused on what Bancroft leaving means for the state of Harper Rock while the new candidates are being voted on.

There will be less restrictions and less of a government presence on grid. Meaning those pesky soldiers and cops that like to shoot at you for every little slight? They’re dispersing rapidly.

Business owners will start to see an increase in their daily payouts, due to people actually feeling a little safer in terms of shopping.

The candidates will start to funnel donations back into the city to help improve the current state of Harper Rock.

Now, these things aren’t yet implemented, and the reason for that is - we want to hear what you guys would like to see in terms of the city leaning back towards peace. Keep in mind that it’s going to be slow going, so any drastic change will be bookmarked for an end chapter. For now, shoot your ideas here, and we will see what we come up with!

You have until Sunday, the 7th, and then we will have the updates rolling out next week!

[Alexandrea]

Thank you! This sounds wonderful and I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing what happens next!

I don't have any ideas to suggest right now, have had a lot going on, but if something occurs to me I'll post it here.

[Quoth]

I've been away for awhile, and as such, Im probably not as caught up on the story as I should be. I have been doing research into the progression of the story line however and I do have a few questions in regards to moving forward.

So.... As I understand it Bancroft is just the Mayor of Harper's Rock, and the law limiting the rights of undead persons' was passed from much higher up, I think, (though I've been having difficult finding where I read it at) that some one higher up the government chain named Cotter was the one who really pushed for the law to be put in place. (And that the initial drafts of the law introduced by Cotter were actually much more severe.)

With this update, is it just the citizens of Harper's Rock that are speaking up on the behalf of Vampire kind? Is it that normal humans (possibly Pathed Humans) are maybe leading peaceful protests to push the military to the borders' of the town? Obviously when Bancroft's replacement is chosen I would assume the new Mayor is helping to argue with the government to push the soldiers back.

How about the American government? I recall reading that they arent doing much to get involved, but are concerned. (I remember something about the US tightening up border control.) With the swing of opinion in Harper's Rock, how are foreign bodies reacting? (Like the U.S.) And what statements should we be expecting/working under from the Canadian Government beyond HR?

[Galia]

So I do think some action from Foreign bodies, like the US especially since they share a boarder, would make sense. Though would understand avoidance of that cause more countries might mean a lot more thought put into it, and time.

My head isn't fully back yet cause I took a month or 2 hiatus, so I can't really make many suggestions right now. Except maybe if there is anything the Hebigumo foundation, or members of it at some point, might do, it could make sense if they tried for something now.

[Caligrace]

Just putting a note out saying we're extending this until this upcoming Sunday to see if anyone else has anything they'd like to add before we make some changes. I know times are tough and busy right now, so I want to make sure everyone gets a chance.

I do agree on the foreign bodies, and don't worry about the Foundation. There's some things in the works with that. ;)

@Quoth, your answers will be coming from one of our story tellers this week. <3

[Mesnier]

Seconding Quoth's questions.

Personally, I would also like to see 'press releases' and a list of known staff - e.g. the new spokesperson - and just general information readily available for us to use going forward, especially those of us with journalist characters.

If the new leadership touts their progressive agenda, then I'd expect there to be a certain amount of transparency and consistent source of information — even if it's misleading ;) for plot reasons.

The above is particularly important [to me, anyway] as it would be a way of keeping the canon going without burdening from staff and/or GM to keep site-wide plots going.

It'd be neat to have official press releases announcing propositions, programs in the works, sanctions to be implemented, etc. Additionally, tacking on progress on previously announced things, updates on how program x has gone so far [i.e. rehabilitation of public parks is at 40% and we are looking at doing this and this still]. It could also allow for google forms to be embedded so people can send in feedback as their characters, to the government. It needn't be replied to, but perhaps a specific response/query from the public might affect future announcements.

I'm curious also as to the police presence going forward. Who is the police commissioner now? Is he being replaced? Will the police be de-funded and more social programs being implemented? Will there be tax breaks announced for people with sanctuary locations? Also, will there be laws punishing establishments that promote division (e.g. fiscal) or will businesses be allowed to be anti-vampire, anti-human, etc. without repercussions?

Access to an official agenda and announcement would give us stuff to work with. Also I think it's a really easy way to synthesis plenty of information/attempt to steer plots without overloading on details or requiring people to read endless canon/threads just to gain insight so that they'll be able to contribute. This is true also for big plot events with huge announcement posts. Smaller [tag][/tag] type things could be used throughout the year(s) that influence things, so we can avoid another disaster like Chapter 5.

Having consistency and a steady foundation building upon itself in real time would allow players to take whatever is announced and run with it, develop our characters in a way that enriches the canon itself.

I think a major thing that has been missing in Path these years is a rigid structure to contain everything happening or that could potentially happen. Most people just want to RP relationships and family drama it seems, but I'd argue that a lot of the focus on these types of plots are due to a noticeable lack of current, relevant canon details that allow people to genuinely invest themselves in a greater community because it feels disjointed.

Having the new government put out monthly/bimonthly press releases would give people things to talk about, disagree over and ultimately help guide story without relying on outdated canon rumours or repetitive interpersonal drama.

It'd also give people an opportunity to work on establishing their wealthy and/or connected characters rather than claim positions of importance/arbitrarily rank themselves and/or businesses. Example: If, say, upgrades to the metro/underground are part of the government 's announced plan, perhaps those with construction companies could bid on government contracts, and if approved by GM/staff legitimately run a side plot without oversight provided they fulfill certain expectations (i.e. activity, thread count, IC and/or OOC community outreach.)

I would like to know what the government said it would do and what it will be doing, and who is the government. Bancroft was a puppet, and I think transparency is something that'd be required to rebuild trust in the Mayor's office. I think that having easy to read, short press releases would facilitate.

Examples: https://imgur.com/a/nPcJvad

[Caligrace]

I've tagged the story teller devs again in this. A lot of what has been suggested falls into their jurisdiction and I don't want to step on any toes, though I will say a lot of the concerns you listed - while valid - aren't what we're looking for in terms of ending Phase One of the current chapter.

We're looking for more of what you would like to see - something akin to what you posted involving the police force, for instance.

That said:

I'm curious also as to the police presence going forward. Who is the police commissioner now? Is he being replaced? Will the police be de-funded and more social programs being implemented? Will there be tax breaks announced for people with sanctuary locations? Also, will there be laws punishing establishments that promote division (e.g. fiscal) or will businesses be allowed to be anti-vampire, anti-human, etc. without repercussions?

While we won't be giving away too much information until Sunday to not spoil too much, there is a new Police Chief/Commissioner, that much I know for a fact I can say. The current Police Chief was sent packing along with Bancroft. Now someone with their hands a little more in the pot will be in charge, so... we'll see how that goes. ;)

You might not receive some of your answers here, but definitely keep an eye out for the post Sunday!

[Winter]

So.... As I understand it Bancroft is just the Mayor of Harper's Rock, and the law limiting the rights of undead persons' was passed from much higher up, I think, (though I've been having difficult finding where I read it at) that some one higher up the government chain named Cotter was the one who really pushed for the law to be put in place. (And that the initial drafts of the law introduced by Cotter were actually much more severe.)

Correct. Bancroft is local government, while the Distinction Between Living and Animated Persons Act was passed by Canadian Parliament, Cotter being the member of Parliament that was key in its construction and passing into law. This was laid out in the finishing notes of Chapter 8, here.

With this update, is it just the citizens of Harper's Rock that are speaking up on the behalf of Vampire kind? Is it that normal humans (possibly Pathed Humans) are maybe leading peaceful protests to push the military to the borders' of the town? Obviously when Bancroft's replacement is chosen I would assume the new Mayor is helping to argue with the government to push the soldiers back.

It’s fair to say that this situation has expanded quite beyond the city limits of Harper Rock. Social media, international communications, travel and trade connect almost every town to every other town in the world in some small way or another. We would be hard pressed to say that there aren’t protesters from all over the globe pushing for one side or the other showing up in town to have their say, or posting what they will on their own pages. As for what the new mayor will say, that will depend on who the new mayor is, which will be a part of the coming phases of Chapter 9.

How about the American government? I recall reading that they arent doing much to get involved, but are concerned. (I remember something about the US tightening up border control.) With the swing of opinion in Harper's Rock, how are foreign bodies reacting? (Like the U.S.) And what statements should we be expecting/working under from the Canadian Government beyond HR?

I am going to say that, at this time, countries sharing major ports of call and air traffic with Canada will be adopting security measures to detect and deal with vampires as their individual governments see fit. What those things are will take some time and research, and we may or may not have an actual description on how each government will react to possible vampire traffic with their populations. That will likely be a come as it goes, case by case basis, or we may just leave it up to writers to decide for themselves how strict their characters’ trips through customs will be, or what a opinions the will face with the people they meet outside of Harper Rock. As for the American government itself, with the unrest growing in Harper Rock, and its proximity to the border, as well as the increased military presence there, it would be safe to assume that the Americans are growing nervous, and will likely have their own response, perhaps even have offered the aid of their own troops to police the area around Harper Rock and the border in its immediate vicinity.

Personally, I would also like to see 'press releases' and a list of known staff - e.g. the new spokesperson - and just general information readily available for us to use going forward, especially those of us with journalist characters.

If the new leadership touts their progressive agenda, then I'd expect there to be a certain amount of transparency and consistent source of information — even if it's misleading

Both of these points will largely depend on the coming phases of Chapter 9, as they will depend on what power replaces Bancroft, their personal choices in these matters and their transparency policies.

It'd be neat to have official press releases announcing propositions, programs in the works, sanctions to be implemented, etc. Additionally, tacking on progress on previously announced things, updates on how program x has gone so far [i.e. rehabilitation of public parks is at 40% and we are looking at doing this and this still]. It could also allow for google forms to be embedded so people can send in feedback as their characters, to the government. It needn't be replied to, but perhaps a specific response/query from the public might affect future announcements.

This one might take some time, seeing as there’s, honestly, a lot going on. However, getting feedback as to what is and isn’t important to the characters being played might be a good idea, and something we may look into in the future.

I'm curious also as to the police presence going forward. Who is the police commissioner now? Is he being replaced? Will the police be de-funded and more social programs being implemented? Will there be tax breaks announced for people with sanctuary locations? Also, will there be laws punishing establishments that promote division (e.g. fiscal) or will businesses be allowed to be anti-vampire, anti-human, etc. without repercussions?

This all, again, will largely be contingent on coming chapter phases and the choices made on which direction the new government will lean and what their priorities are. As mentioned, there will be a lot of staff changes with the incoming government which will include much of the police force and how it will handle the situation, but again the specifics depend on what comes.

Access to an official agenda and announcement would give us stuff to work with. Also I think it's a really easy way to synthesis plenty of information/attempt to steer plots without overloading on details or requiring people to read endless canon/threads just to gain insight so that they'll be able to contribute. This is true also for big plot events with huge announcement posts. Smaller [tag][/tag] type things could be used throughout the year(s) that influence things, so we can avoid another disaster like Chapter 5.

If you are meaning the government’s agenda, that will likely be the platform on which the coming candidates will run, and again will be a future phase. If you are meaning broad brush story agenda, that’s the chapters and concurrent announcements, and the information made accessible to characters is usable in that fashion. As for long-term tags, that may be something that we look into for future actions that will have evolving repercussions depending on their current standing and the plot of future chapters.

I think a major thing that has been missing in Path these years is a rigid structure to contain everything happening or that could potentially happen. Most people just want to RP relationships and family drama it seems, but I'd argue that a lot of the focus on these types of plots are due to a noticeable lack of current, relevant canon details that allow people to genuinely invest themselves in a greater community because it feels disjointed.

We can’t exactly predict everything that could happen in a situation that we create. We can try, and we will fail. That takes away a lot of the fun of trying to create your own plot twists. We can give guidelines, and lay out what it is that is going on and how it’s being done, but a rigid structure isn’t what everyone is going to want. Removing too much of the freedom of our writers was never, and isn’t in our interest. However, providing more current and relevant details is something that has merit to it, and will provide a more fluid and dynamic landscape for characters to be written on.

Having the new government put out monthly/bimonthly press releases would give people things to talk about, disagree over and ultimately help guide story without relying on outdated canon rumours or repetitive interpersonal drama.

Currently, I am not entirely comfortable with committing to a regularly intervaled post such as this, though I do think that, once again depending on the government that comes from the current chapter and their transparency policies, this will be a good idea in what I hope is the relatively near future.

It'd also give people an opportunity to work on establishing their wealthy and/or connected characters rather than claim positions of importance/arbitrarily rank themselves and/or businesses. Example: If, say, upgrades to the metro/underground are part of the government 's announced plan, perhaps those with construction companies could bid on government contracts, and if approved by GM/staff legitimately run a side plot without oversight provided they fulfill certain expectations (i.e. activity, thread count, IC and/or OOC community outreach.)

This idea, actually, I kind of love. I can’t and won’t make this call on my own, but I’ll talk it over and see how we feel about this becoming a prominent feature of the game going forward. I’d love to see more player characters involved in these sorts of roles that may or may not play into the game’s overarching plot.

I would like to know what the government said it would do and what it will be doing, and who is the government. Bancroft was a puppet, and I think transparency is something that'd be required to rebuild trust in the Mayor's office. I think that having easy to read, short press releases would facilitate.

This will depend on who the new government is and their policy on things, which will come into play soon. As for the examples you provided, something so specific may or may not be a thing, depending on time, which honestly is what a lot of this boils down to, and how much of it we have.

[Lennox Tyler]

Will the new candidates be PC or NPC?

I do like that Peace was the winner and that we are seeing a positive change. This will help heal the city especially with new and returning players coming to Path. I'm super excited to see the changes and how the players react to it.

Thank you Quoth and Mes for the questions and thank you Winter for answering them.