The future of little stranger

[Lodrill]

Hi,

as I suggest you all know that KiarasMate did leave this board. Therefore I have a small crisis with my plot due he was the one with the most activity in this plot.

I had a lot of different suggestions what to do but I want to hear your oppinion before I will jump into conclusions. (Naturally I will decide in the end.)

First some clearifications about how I feel and what will be define:
I really have a problem with someone else continueing to play KirasMate's characters in this very plot due a lot of background knowledge is involved there that no unrelated user can have. However I might consider the canon characters (Simba, Nala and Kiara) to be not so deep involved in this.

Because of that I will not allow anyone to play Kopa in this plot or any sequel.
Please try to understand me here. While I really would want to continue the plot between Rahina and Kopa I think no one else can really fit in here. Kopa and Rahina have a broad background in this story comming from a different plot (currently moved to an unavailable area for most users) and a lot of side plots done via personal messages. Deeply involved in this plot is also Zina (well some noticed already maybe) so I will also not let anyone take her over in this plot or sequels.
Due I feel like that this 3 characters (Rahina, Zina and Kopa) will drop out of this plot no matter what.

Kiara has some background with Taraji as well as Kovu has. While this story is not as deep as the connection between Rahina and Kopa I might consider someone else play Kiara.
But: Who ever will take over Kiara (Simba and Nala are not there anyways - If the time comes I will ask KiarasMate what he had planned for them and maybe they can be played by others then) needs to be active.

There we have another big issue here. Despite KiarasMate being away I noticed a big inactivity in this thread. I don't know if this comes from losing interrest in this plot or other reasons but I do not mind really. The only thing I know is that I will not continue this plot if this trend goes on meaning that if I face the situation of all my characters being stalled for one month I will close the plot. (If all characters are stalled due to one user I might just drop the user and his character. I hope you understand that but we can't continue like that.) In addition I will not allow any user to return if he becomes inactive (and get droped) without a word. (Exception the ones I already gave my okay for the return. Sorry but I will introduce you again if I decided what will become of the plot.)

Enough of my feelings, here the different choices and how they will affect the role play:
1. Continue this plot

• Kopa and Rahina will drop out
• Simba and Nala will (maybe) drop out
• Nala's child will eventualle (KiarasMate's choice) be introduced later
• Kiara will be taken over by another good role player (of KiarasMate's leve)
• Zina will drop out
• Inactive characters (over 1 month) will drop out by default (ongoing) - Exception: stalled characters where the player is not at fault (but a PM to me is needed here to show that the will to post is there)
• This plot will find it's end in the near future (planned anyways) and make room for the next chapter

2. Closure of this plot and starting of the next chapter of this story

• Kopa, Rahin and Zina will drop out
• Some of my other characters (Sushaunna and Laini) may drop out
• Time Jump (ap. 6 month, Taraji is adolescent)
• Possibility for new and old players to apply with a character
• Old active characters are automatically accepted but still the player needs to notify me
• Active canon characters of Little Stranger are locked to their respective players (exception: KiarasMate)
• Story for the time between the plots will be written by me. There will be a war in the pride lands going on. This may lead to death of some characters (including canon characters) - Current suggestions are all characters played by KiarasMate (exept for Kopa and Zina who will drop out for other reasons).
• new characters may join the plot (under same rules as the current plot)
• a rule will be added controling the activity of the players. I will also be more strict with this. A character droped out by (unannounced) inactivety will have only one chance of recovery. A second drop means this character can not return and will (for the plot) either have run away or be killed. A player who got 3 of his characters droped permanently will not be accepted in the plot again.

3. Closure of current plot and revamp of the same story

• like the name said the same plot will start at zero with new players playing the plot.
• rules will be stricter like point 2

4. Permanently dropping this project and discontinue the plot

• death of this plot campaign
• I will probably just keep this story as a fan fiction I will continue
• I will (most likely) drop out as a player in this forum

5. Dropping this plot and starting a complete new one

• closing this plot
• writing a new background story with new protagonists
• rules will be as strict as point 2
• well, new plot, new story, new characters... a new start.

These are my suggestions so far. Please give me your oppinion on this suggestions and/or which one you would prefer. (Maybe you even have a better suggestion?)

Kind Regards

Lodrill

[Mike]

Unfortunately I'll also be leaving this RP. I had a terrific run with it, and I'd like to read it over a few times now and then if it gets archived, but I won't be playing along any more. Fist of all, I don't like the direction the story is taking, and I feel that it'll only make the memories I have of playing the earlier sections less bright, second I've been finding it harder to post lately. Not because I don't have time, and not because I don't find it fun. I do have time, and I do find it fun, but somehow I still have a type of writers block around LS. And thirdly, because the story could never feel the same without KM.

[SnowyCheetah]

If it's possible, I'd like to get in on this. It would be a bit of a struggle for me to match the skill level, but I think I could do it and I'd love to get a good challenge.

[Panda-chan]

Yeah me too. I'd like to give this RP another go, since I joined in the beginning but gradually stopped posting.

[Lodrill]

Okay first update on this. Little stranger will be not continued at least with Mike leaving as well (the one with the most activity after KiarasMate and me). I am still thinking about a new chapter and such. (I guess there will be no restart of the story due this would kill the old plot but I still am thinking about it.)

[kmay571]

I would love to join in. Maybe a new chapter, like you said, would be best.

[Lodrill]

Okay I decided that I will bring in a new chapter but it will be a bit different as posted above I think.

Unfortunately Mike also leaves the Roleplay (maybe you can write me a PM what exactly you did not like about the plot and so on) what leaves me with even less.

What I need now is to know who will stay of the old players and who wants to join.

Please make it short and just tell me if you want to join the new chapter via PM and with which character preferred.

Template:

Name of Player: Forumname
Charater of Choice: Charactername (If original character please with profile. If Canon character there is no guarantee that you will get it.)
References: Some links to threads (or a text - this is needed if you want a main character because I want to know that you can be a pillar of the story like KM was for example)
Activity: Give a defined time of activity you can guarantee me (vacation excluded naturally) - this is another indicator for the role you can play. I will not give main characters to people who can only post once a month.
How did the character get there?: If the character is new, how did he come to pride lands?
Comments: What ever you want to add

How will I continue now?
Well after all what happened (and criticisms made about story and so on) I will be a bit more strict about stories, substories and new characters.

1. The main stories will be introduces only by me. If you want to have a specific sub story that is more than just the relationship between two lions (example is the group of rogues in Little Stranger) you have to give me a details description to this sub story and I will see when and if I will include them. (This means only real stories like the rogue group attacking pride land, the story around Zira, Kovu and Kiara and so on. Anything that may take the main focus off the main story.)
If a sub story does develop during role play it is okay but if it takes too much focus (like all just following the sub story instead of the main story) I might decide to get the story "back into the track". This is to help a good story progress.

2. Stalled Characters: If a character stalls others for a longer time (1 week for example) I might take over this character for one or two posts (trying to immitate the personality) and either advance the situation or try to bring this character out of the importantness for this situation until the player returns. This is to unstuck stalled players. (Stalling was a big problem in Little Stranger due some players did not post for weeks but all others depended on their characters.)

3. New Characters: New Characters to the story are blocked generally. At some points of the story I may allow new characters to join. You can request it but it may take some weeks until the next point to join may arrive. All new characters will be introduced by me to keep the consistency of the plot.
(The starting characters of this plot are the exception due they can still introduce themselves at the start or may ask me to do so. This will help new players to join as well as regulate the confusion and disturbance of a lot of characters joining one after another.)

4. Canon Characters: I will only allow good role players to play a canon character or main character. (Main characters do not need to be canon characters.) If a player is inactive with a canon character I may take control over this canon character and give it either to another player, play it myself or let the character fade out of the story if it is no main character. (Canon characters if not killed, exiled or for some reason unable to return to the role play may be given to other role players on demand even if they were taken out of the story.)

5. Numbers of Characters: I will limit the number of characters depending on your skill and activity. If I see that your skill might not be enough to concentrate on a lot of characters (same as playing a main character) or if you are not very active I will not allow you extra characters (over the normal limit).
The normal limit of characters in this role play is 2 (so you can demand 2 characters at most at the start).
Even later for players of main characters the total limit is 2 main characters (but this player may take minor characters as well). Main characters have set rules (see below) about activity and are the pillars of the plot. If you play 2 main characters they need to have a big distance (emotionally) between them. Examples from the old plot are Rahina and Taraji, Kiara and Kopa, Kovu and Simba and so on.
I will not allow anyone to play Lovers, Parent and Child and so on (for example Kovu and Kiara) all together. I may decide on player who are playing siblings (Kovu and Vitani) as exceptions but only if they are kept out of introverted Roleplay. With introverted I mean role play that either only includes own characters (main role play is between this characters) or make them take the same side any time (like if you play Kovu and Vitani that you use them to have them gang up on others or so).

6. Main Characters: The set rule for main characters is to have a good activity (one post a week at least without clear notice of absense) a good charisma (meaning that you give them a real personality and they are not just one line characters) and quality (meaning to post a good understandable text of a decent length).
The main characters are the one who drive the main plot and may have sub plots involved. They will be marked as such in the entry post.
The main characters may change or new ones may come into the plot later. This depends on the progression of the plot.

7. Minor Characters: They are not really minor. The normal characters are just called minor characters because they have not such a gib meaning to the plot like the main characters. Your level of role play does not matter so much here and it will not be as stressful. (So you are more free to act in the given world and follow your characters personality.) These characters are the big mass (or the pride) and will be more in numbers than the main characters. They may become main characters through the plot depending on it's progression.

8. Plot-Characters: These characters are just for making appearing as a plot driver and disappear after this plot (subplot) is done. An example was the original idea of the rogues in Little Stranger.
If you have a subplot you want to play (for example rogues) you will discribe this plot to me in PM and I will grant it (maybe). If granted you get set rules for the plot (for example a time frame it may take place, an outcome of the plot, allowed actions and so on) and on this set rules you may play these characters. (Sometimes I may even give Plot-Characters for own subplots to players.)
Main characteristics for plot-characters is, that they do not RP between each other if it does not have directly to do with the plot. (So no RP to give them more personality. If you want to advance a character in the plot you may play a minor character or play the activities outside the subplot in an extra thread (plot).)

If you still have any questions please feel free to ask. Else apply for the new chapter if you want to take part.

If I do not find enough players for the next chapter it will not be created.

Kind Regards

Lodrill

[Azdgari]

What's the story/backstory to this RP? I'm interested but I have no idea what it's about.

[Panda-chan]

Yeah, same. I kind of stopped reading when I became inactive and there's no way I'm sifting through one hundred pages of text lol.. Maybe someone can give a brief overview of what's happened so far?

[Lodrill]

Well, the story background will allow old like new players to join and need no real knowledge of the old plot.

The second chapter plays after the first one (obviously) when Taraji is a young lady (a teenager you would say). So she is in her most problematic phase (and maybe the hardest phase for her foster parents) as she gets a mix of emotions and will encounter a lot of new feelings. (Maybe love... maybe there will be a lion who tries to land with her... )

I will write a summery of the old plot (not following 100% the role play) and the story between the chapters.

Some basic points for the understanding:

- ap. 6 month jump (please consider that if you play characters of the old plot that they are now older)
- Simba and Nala still did not return (they are missing leaving Kovu and Kiara as Ruler - I will not reveal if they will return)
- Jelani (an old enemy of Rahina and Kopa) attacked the pride land with a big group of rogues but was defeated. He fled heavely wounded and will (most likely) never return.
- Rahina and Kopa decided to return to their "paradise" in the jungle (so those two drop out).
- A few new lions and lionesses (new characters possible) have joined the pride, some left (those who drop out - I still have to decide which of my characters this will be) but Kiara and Kovu are starting to get the hang of ruling the pride even if they have their hands full with their daughter.

Due this is a new chapter and we have a big reorganization of characters anyways I will open the canon characters for all but those who played them in the first plot have the priviledge to chose them (and get them with priority).

Possible Canon Characters that can be chosen (see rules in previous post):
- Kiara (Queen) - Main Character
- Kovu (King) - Main Character
- Vitani - starting as Minor Character, may become Main Character
- Sarabi - Minor Character
- Serafina - Minor Character
- Rafiki - Minor Character
- Timon - Minor Character
- Pumba - Minor Character

Additional Main Characters that may be given to others:
- Surprise Character (I will not leak information yet)

Main Characters needs to be assigned before the plot starts (else it will not start), Minor Characters do not need to be assigned.

Main Charakters brought in from my side (and played by me):
- Taraji

I hope this could give you a short overview over the planned RP.