E03 | E04 | E05 - The Station Strikes Back

[Grizz]

Production Code: 1x03
Episode Title: "Black Hat"
Writer: Griffiths

Production Code: 1x04
Episode Title: "All That Jazz"
Writer: Grizz

Production Code: 1x05
Episode Title: "Truth or Consequence"
Writer: Griffiths

"Perhaps we could do it without throwing a diplomatic envoy in the Brig this time?"

I'm concerned. I'm concerned about the state of the SRP. I'm concerned about the main story arcs and I'm concerned about the sub-plots. I'm concerned about the AFK centre of the Universe and the future mental states of our characters. Most of all I'm concerned that Asteroid Field is at risk of completely going off the rails of the course originally laid out for it. This won't be so much a blow-by-blow narrative examining the most recent episodes as much as it will be a 'the way I see it' piece on the current progress of Star Trek: Asteroid Field.

"Diplomacy doesn't fail. People do."

I'm going to start with the story arcs of Asteroid Field at the moment. We have the main arcs and the side stories running alongside. The main arcs are the storylines planned out by the producers of the series. In Asteroid Field's case, these are heavily derived from hanging Asteroid Base threads with a number of additions. As it stands, the pair we're running with look something like this:

- The Accobar Civilisation (Denara Clarke, Exodus, Hobus Star...)
- The Romulan Peace Summit (Splinter Groups, Pseudo-Chaplain, Hampton...)

Then we have the sub-plots which develop through character backgrounds, character interactions, special circumstance and so on. If I could round up a few off the top of my head, it may look something like this:

- Auroran & D'ni Cultures (Thrace, Swan, Accobar III Artefacts)
- Gaila's Arms Trafficking & Black Market Network ("Black Hat")
- Pioneer Design Flaws ("Black Hat")
- Hampton's Background with the Taylor Administration ("All that Jazz")
- Starfleet & Civilian Divides (AB: Alpha, Amber Munro, Hampton/Chaplain, Future Election Process)
- Numerous Character Development Milestones (e.g. Costello & Willis, Barnes' Command Position)

Now, while this is great - especially for what is supposed to be a growing hub of activity with Pioneer - there has been an underlying problem. Administering a single episode of Asteroid Field and keeping it on track has become more strenuous than getting through two and a half seasons of Asteroid Base. All of my episodes so far have left little room for maneuver as they have either a) been establishing episodes or b) set away from the station entirely. Unfortunately this has meant I have sat back from the writing desk while Griffiths battles against prevailing sub-plots while trying to keep his own stories on course.

You're not robots to be programmed, you can go off and do your own thing. However, the same limitations need to apply as you would set yourself in any TLO roleplay. There have been moments of borderline plotjacking when a major event has occurred off the cuff and caused serious delays in achieving the goals of any given episode. Moments like these shouldn't come out of the blue and blind-side us to such a degree that we have to come up with a massive workaround. I'm not keen on intervening and retconning 30 minutes worth of roleplay development to move a story along, but I will bring it up later (as I am now) to try and resolve the issue for future RPs.

"What are we all standing around for? Onwards!"

On a related matter... I mentioned on the server that Station Vanderbilt's Operations Centre has become the AFK Centre of the Universe. This was after I had to recap members on the latest events out-of-game on four occasions and scenes had been delayed while up to three characters were immobile. Alas, not all of these were announced either - otherwise it could have been worked around quickly and smoothly. I'm not saying you need to tape your eyes open and tie yourselves to your computer chair. However, please try to make an effort to be present for the majority of the episode, other than vice-versa. This has caused confusion in-RP which had to be rectified at yet another cost to the narrative.

Back to the episodes and Griffiths has produced some fine storytelling. I am extremely pleased with the work he has put in to his episodes already and thoroughly look forward to watching his future creations unfold. This is one of the reasons I will be taking more of an active role in ensuring these episodes run according to plan as much as possible. I don't want to see Griffiths' work be road-blocked and put at risk by outside factors. Just as I need to ensure the series' main storylines continue to be pushed forward and actively addressed. This is especially so when it comes to the Accobar Civilisation. This is a story I have been trying to tell through Asteroid Base between 2007-09, Star Trek: Universe in 2011 and then Asteroid Base again in 2012. If that list should tell you anything, it's that the Universe doesn't seem to want me to go ahead with it. So it's especially important that Asteroid Field continues and continues successfully.

"This can work. It has to work."

I want this to be an enjoyable experience. I want it to be a Serial Roleplay with meaning behind each of it's episodes. I have introduced certain themes and added certain elements in light of this. Carefully picked contemporary music, for example, with real-world logical thinking behind the actions of main and secondary characters. How Pioneer works in relation with AB: Alpha alone has leant itself to a lot of thought and planning. There are things we can't get away with on Pioneer as we could when it was only the Asteroid Base in the system. A lot of work goes in to it, and I do my best to keep it in the background as to not bore you with it too much.

In addition, and I know I say this a lot, it's your feedback which keeps things running. Whether just dropping a vote or actually discussing the episode; every little helps. Myself and Griffiths can't produce what you want to enjoy if you don't tell us whether we're doing it right or doing it wrong. So keep visiting the Crew Lounge.

Hopefully this hasn't been too much of a moan (it has, hasn't it), but it's something which needed to be addressed and will continue to be so in the coming weeks. Come mid-season, I hope to have many of these issued ironed out one way or another, lending to a new outlook come the back half of the season. Providing we get that far, but I have faith that we will, so long as you keep turning up every week!

[Griffwald]

As usual Grizz knows precisely what to say and how to say it. I'll be much shorter.

From a writer's standpoint, this is very much my first true "go" at writing. Yes, I've written RP's in the past, but nothing quite like this, especially not alongside a very seasoned writer and player. For this reason, I'm not the most experienced at running a roleplay. For instance, in 'Black Hat', I didn't play any music at all, Grizz did it for me. I've found myself overwhelmed with the responsibility of actually driving a plot in-character, as well as OOC behind the scenes.

Is it just my inexperience which has caused the issues we've seen? I don't think so, at least not entirely. As Grizz said sub-plots are very good, and with the caliber of roleplayers we have participating in Asteroid Field, they're often excellent stories to follow along. However, given the fact that A) there are episode summaries posted before an episode, and B) players see what's going on throughout the roleplay (especially considering a high amount of AF's players are admins), there really shouldn't be an issue with sub-plots running over the main plotline. In 'Truth or Consequence - Part 1', this was an issue that unnerved me entirely. Why? Continue reading.

Episode 5 is the first of a two part arc. Embedded in these episodes, is the introduction of a new on-going plot that you will see recurring in different ways. Perhaps the way I was headed towards introducing it was not the best. Perhaps it was. Regardless, it was pretty clear there was a path being followed. Had the main plot I was running been totally ruined, it would not only have ruined the episode. It would have ruined the next episode entirely (infact, the next one would have had to have been scrapped), and also it would pretty much stunt the introduction of a main arc to Asteroid Field.

To double back to my inexperience, during the most recent episode I was told to cut the inter-twining plot as it was plotjacking. My response "How can I do that now?". Please be aware this won't be the case again. Asteroid Field's plot will be driven in every episode regardless. More recently, I was able to work around it (albeit looking stupid), in the future perhaps I will just retcon something that plotjacks.

But, oh dear I think I've typed a bit too much. This turned into more of a rant. Seriously though, as nervous as I get at an episode of mine, I really enjoy this. I also enjoy your feedback, negative and positive, and I want Asteroid Field to be the success we ALL know it is and can further be. So please keep participating, commenting, and being the amazing roleplayers each of you are. Thanks!