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Post by Last Order on Dec 15, 2023 17:43:16 GMT
DEVELOPMENTS GUIDE
RIPPLES OF FATE Developments are the most important part of Corinthean Dawn. They are the crux of the story, and as time marches on, developments will begin popping up all over. Each one will provide an opportunity to influence the events unfolding in the sector, and even if success is achieved, unforeseen consequences may arise as the developments continue.
These developments could take many forms. It could begin as simple rumors implying something dark is brewing in the underhive, or something more dire, such as an unidentified fleet appearing at the edge of the system.
Each development will seek to draw in players to resolve them. Rumors will need to be investigated, and if something like a chaos cult is forming in the bowels of Corinthe's hives, it will need to be eliminated. However, while the cult might be wiped out, it's influence might not. Small fragments of that cult could escape and the developments continue. What was one cult is now three, and each as deadly as the first, but new information has come to light. These cults are united behind a singular leader, and taking them down might clear the cults out... or it may not!
Take advantage of these developments to leave your mark in the sector, and push the story in directions that appeal to you.
USING DEVELOPMENTS DEVELOPMENT SUBMISSIONSIf there are no ongoing developments that interest you, or you have an idea for developments of your own, then you have the opportunity to submit them for approval.
There are a few things to keep in mind, though. You need someone to facilitate the development. This means someone needs to conduct the thread itself, which could be a story mod, another player, or yourself. Without someone at the helm, a development will never get off the ground.
A development needs to respect the others. You should have at least a basic idea of what else has been going on, mostly so you do not create something that directly contradicts another development, or does not fit into the overall story. If a particular fortress is already under siege, a new development should not imply that it is not, for example.
Each development should have an expected, or desired, resolution condition. Sometimes, these conditions will be simple. A chaos cult needs to be wiped out, so the purging of their membership and eradication of their hideout will be sufficient. Others, however, may have more obscure completion conditions.
A development does not need to end in success. It can be a failure, and sometimes that failure may be inevitable. The important thing is what comes next. Generally, a series of possible results and consequences will be provided which can help whomever conducts the development thread ensure it stays on task.
Once your submission has been made and the development approved, it moves on to the next phase: the resolution!
RESOLVING DEVELOPMENTSThe Onset Beginning a development requires at least one participant and the individual running the thread. It is possible that the person conducting the thread will have their character participate, but in certain circumstances, this may be disallowed. Cases where the character in question would greatly benefit by participating will be met with scrutiny, and it may require that the player of that character hand the reigns over to someone else.
Once the thread begins, everyone needs to try and keep on track. Make sure you don't fall into the trap of spending three weeks on just hashing out plans or trying to get someone to take charge. If things stall out, the person running the thread needs to step up and make it move.
The Conclusion As mentioned, no development is guaranteed to end as a success, it is not even guaranteed to end in favor of the people participating. It is up to the individual running the thread to determine whether or not the players are adequately meeting the objectives. If they deviate too much, make contradictory decisions, or self-sabotage in some manner, then it is fair to push the thread towards failure. However, in such cases, it is always important to try and make even failure satisfactory.
Do not ruin the fun of the players. Do not unjustly punish them. Do not put them on the spot and make them feel bad about participating. They should never regret being part of the development!
However, failure is not always pleasant. If a thread goes poorly for the characters, make sure to give them a way out which won't compromise them too much.
Most developments are expected to end in success, or at least some modicum of success. Everyone likes to win and winning is fun. That being said, even if the players bungle everything and somehow manage to make every wrong decision possible, it may not hurt to, at minimum, give them a pyrrhic victory, or some small accomplishment.
Maybe they failed to stop the enemy, but in doing so, they uncovered information that could lead to a successful counterstrike, and thus the next development.
Always keep that in mind. Always be thinking about what comes next. What are the consequences, and what will those consequences result in? A development is rarely, if ever, an open-and-shut case, and when you submit your reports, you'll be expected to outline some potential ramifications and future developments.
Submitting the Report Once the development thread is complete, you'll wrap up and send people on their way. The individual who applied for the development, whether they conducted it as the GM or not, will write up a report. It is recommended that the individual who operated as the GM collaborate on the report to provide more insight.
You'll find the report template and requirements here.
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