Jedi Council OOC planning

Call me crazy, but everything seems to be chugging along. Might not be the smoothest thing in the world right now, but that doesn't mean the best option is to stick our heads in the sand. Bottom line is, if we retreat from the galaxy and just do our own little thing, we're hurting ourselves and the site as a whole.

And for public record, despite my disagreement with the direction, I appreciate Jade for really be there being a central role and integral author stepping in to try to hold things together in this tough time for our site. I really do appreciate what you've been trying to do, and the few that have been helping her.

I'm pretty sure that is exactly what you said, right there...

and Rackam has hit the nail on the head so far with the way I have tried to get this discussion going, so someone:


To be honest Will, having big plans, is kinda why nearly everyone is jumping on the Empire bandwagon, cause their leadership has a direction for where things are heading and they have a support structure. To be honest, and I will start by saying that Jade and Raylia have been doing some fine work in their leadership roles in the Jedi (Jade on the HC, and Ray on the CoFK), but overall we have a pretty shit set up. Atm, one person is doing most of the leadership work for the whole Jedi order (both IC and OOC), to which a couple of us have already volunteered to step up and help with, no one is demanding anyone do it, all Monte did was post a list of potential people who he thought could step up.

Once this is sorted, we will have a good support structure in charge for leadership. The time for all banding together on Coruscant or Corellia, or anywhere else really, is an idea that departed the station long ago. I won't decry anyone for wanting to concentrate on their own character development, not does anyone currently posting here demand that we all just drop our ideas and just concentrate solely on one big RP idea. In that you are mistaken, what is being discussed, is the need for an overall goal for the order that will be worked towards, both as a focus point when we group together, and as a backseat objective in individual RPs (as an optional thing).

No one is asking you to create NPCs if you dont want to Will. In fact, as writers, Rackam, Ca'guuror, Jade, Monte, Raylia, Aer, Aedon, and myself, have been expressing what we want to see done. If you want to concentrate on smaller SLs, that is your perogative, no one is forcing you to step up to the council OOC, no one is asking you to write with everyone all at once, no one is demanding you make NPCs. In fact, most people who have mentioned NPCs, are offering their own NPCs for use willingly, and because that is their passion.

as an extension on what Mike said, things are chugging along, and atm a group of writer's are currently discussing their ideas for how to help smooth this out a little. If you don't want to involve yourself heavily in the overall stuff, that is fine, no one is demanding you do. But what is asked, is that you don't try to bring the mood down, because that is kind of what is happening, your input is appreciated in that we know where you stand in that you want to concentrate on your own stuff and will be trying to work with small groups (which is awesome, it's great you have a plan for where you want to go).

to be honest, the Cold War is a great sub-text for a number of SLs, not only as a group, but for individuals. And considering a good portion of the site seems to recognize the Cold War SL, we would be sticking our heads in the sand as an over all group to ignore it. outside the Cold War, who would the Jedi, as an entity, have to unite against? at least with the Empire, we have an organization whom we can work to rally against as an overall arc (actively or not). If people don't want to concentrate on the Cold War individually, that is cool. But overall, I think it gives us a nice direction to go.

EDIT: damn you Mike for posting before me....
As a further point, if we return to isolationists, what was the point of suggesting change in the Jedi (leading to the exit of a good number of Jedi who were pretty isolationistic), if only to revert back to said state? Are we then, any better than the people we basically disposed of? Look at some of the writing in the past, the Jedi were horrendously difficult to join because there was strict posting orders and ways of doing things, and if they didn't agree with a RP, they ignored it vehemently (just take a look at the Yavin Planetary Guide as is...)

Jedi master ewok!!! Omg!!! -cuddles the furball-

Rawkill I stand by the statement. We don't NEED. As a matter of empirical fact, these large RPs are rarely played out to completion.

they are nice and Jedi authors SHOULD absolutely engage in them. But to say everyone needs to get on board or people should step up to alleviate the stress of the few is asking too much is the root of the systemic problem we have here at JvS. How do you not see that?

-is suddenly hugged by Ca'guuror, before freeing himself-
don't mess the fur, it takes a lot of work to keep it fluffy.


Will, point me to where exactly someone has specifically asked YOU, personally, to write more NPCs? In fact, no one has told you to do anything, we have merely being trying to get a discussion going, and so far you seem to be the only person in here who has a problem with anything. I would be more willing to entertain these dampening comments to a fairly positive discussion if other people were joining in with similar comments to your own. As I have stated earlier, at this stage in the Jedi Order, we are in a place where we need to concentrate on small objectives, but at the same time, there is a number of big picture people who also like to have an over all objective to work towards in these smaller storylines.
The only reason I can tell we are still having this discussion, is because you seem intent on trying to enforce your own view that everything must be small RPs, and have this idea that someone is specifically asking you personally to create NPCs. As I have said, it's entirely your perogative if you want to concentrate on smaller SLs when you return, in fact I encourage you to pursue this, as it means you'll get some good interaction with everyone and mean there isn't as many people pretty much RPing with themselves all the time.

Honestly, I gotta say, Kuat seemed like a pretty played out till completion RP for the Mando Holy War. But that aside, the Cold War is not just a large RP, so much as setting a tone and SL for the site as a whole that we can all work on, instead of just there being no real structure or need to do anything. Whether you actively participate in it in your personal and small RPs is up to you, but it does bring an interesting flavour to RP.
I didn't say everyone has to individually get on board actively, what I did say was that to completely ignore it as an order over all, would be silly. To be honest I fail to see how asking people to step up, who are willing to do so, and help alleviate the stress that is being placed on one person is asking too much? How is it fair on one person, who has their own life with their own issues, to also be burdened alone with dealing with the entire Jedi Order as a whole?
I would imagine you, of all people, would understand this, considering the stress the Republic has put on you as the Chancellor. Honestly, I feel it's kind of a little dickish to say that "NO, Jade has to have no back up what so ever, and no one should ever ask if anyone else is willing to step up and lend a hand", cause that is kind of what you are saying man. I mean hell, no one is asking anyone who doesn't want to do it, to step up. Seriously, I volunteered willingly, Monte has said he will volunteer, Rackam has volunteered willingly, Ca'guuror has volunteered willingly. Do you think these people were forced to do this? honestly Rackam and Ca'guuror seem like they are looking for some extra RP, so this is a good opportunity for them to both jump in.
As I have stated, your name was only ever mentioned once by Monte amongst a list of other names as people who MIGHT be interested, soon followed in a post by Jade saying you would be too busy or uninterested in stepping up, and that was that, we moved on. So please, point to me where you have been singled out to step up?
Honestly, this is really taking things off track and I want to make sure this is all cleared up in a single post, so we can get back to some discussion with people who want to step out and think of some over arching ideas so that people like yourself (including, but not limited to yourself, Aedon, Aer, etc as some examples, since they are just a couple names I know who are focusing more on personal SLs) can pick out minor objectives to work towards as side objectives.

and I'm sorry Will, I was not aware people weren't allowed to change their minds, or you know, have moments were they just don't care. Cause I will freely admit, I have definitely felt my faith in some of the Jedi being reinvigorated from some of these posts, and people checking in on here have definitely brought me up to speed with what some people are doing.

-starts by pointing out some of the dates on said posts, namely the fact a number of them were from April 4th and 5th (which is probably 3rd and 4th for most people in the US and Canada). then points to the fact it is now the 7th (6th)-
whilst it may have been a page, it has been 2 days since then. enough time to read through things and reconsider certain trains of thought.

Have you ever considered perhaps directing people towards this thread then? or gotten them to approach anyone else who has posted in this thread? cause believe it or not, some of us can't read your minds. Unless you point people here, or somewhere public to ask for help, how am I, or even others, meant to know there is people seeking RP?
I get they are PMs, but there is atleast three to four people willing to branch out a little more in the order and do some more NPCing, which we can't do effectively, if no one tells us there is people looking for RP.
I am not trying to paint you as a martyr, it just seems that so far in this discussion all you've done is just disagree, and just offer the only way forward as everyone just being involved in small RPs, which honestly, is where I disagree with your approach. So far my approach has been a combination of the two, both having some overall RP, along with finding a way to provide plenty of smaller RP opportunities. What is so wrong about wanting a big picture idea, as well as having lots of little ideas, as opposed to just a bunch of little ideas?
I never twisted your words, here let me quote them right from your post: "But to say everyone needs to get on board or people should step up to alleviate the stress of the few is asking too much", to me that kinda sounds like exactly what I said, but perhaps you missed some punctuations. Honestly, asking people to pitch in doesn't seem too much to ask, especially since people are willing to step up.
I honestly don't think Jade should have been put in the position where all the other Councillors just up and disappeared on her and have been very little help, but shit happens, people disappear and the situation is as it is. So, as a friend of Mer's, I decided to see if anyone else was willing to step up and help out if they wanted to, and help people like those whom have PMed yourself, despite the fact you seem to have waited until it's good to use in an argument type format before mentioning it. But your not the only one, like I know there are people out there, not specifically who they are, but that people need help, whom have PMed people and then no one mentions it in the open, until something like this happens. I mean come on mate, you say you were involved in this Order, yet where is the heads up to the rest of us that people need help before now?
And I know who you are Will, i am not some newbie to JvS, this isn't my first, nor is it my last, rodeo. You aren't the only one who has contributed to the site for various factions. I never said you quit or that you were inactive, those are purely your words. RL will take priority over RP, which is totally cool man, it's how it works.

I have repeatedly said I understand your perspective, you just want everyone in a bunch of small RPs (which I agree with), but where I disagree, is you not wanting to have a big picture as well, for big picture people. Not everyone writes just for the day, some people prefer to have a nice long term goal, and that is all that is trying to be agreed upon. You seem to fail to realize that I recognize your stance, i might not fully accept it as our only option though, but I do recognize it.
Hell, at the moment I am working on a small RP with Monte and Jade that is specific to Yavin, but there is still a big picture of wanting to strengthen the Jedi as a result. It's like those on Coruscant, they each have their own little SLs atm, but their main goal is to work towards preparing the Order. So far it has worked pretty well, the only hiccup is that Mer is being relied too heavily upon, and all we have been trying to do, is fix this. Thus with some more active Jedi councillors, we can spread the work load and have a few more people interacting in small groups with small SLs, which contribute to a bigger goal.

so far, all I can glean from this, is that you seem to have a problem with there ever being a bigger goal, otherwise we seem to agree on things. But if I am mistaken, please prove me wrong, cause if you are fine with a long term overall goal, WHILST people are ALSO working on smaller RPs, with people also willingly stepping up to share the writing load (a point i can't put enough emphasis on), then we have just been wasting time cause of a misinterpretation of what is trying to be be achieved here...

As Rawkill put better than I (should have read both posts before posting, holds aloft a guilty hand) I have no problem with your view and I too know what you have done, in past and previous Believe you me it's appreciated, beside I can't stand here and speak about activity whilst I have been away and much longer than will or any other, yet as Rawkill says life gets in the way.

I digress, the problem as I see isn't about activity, more about responsibility and ethos, being a Jedi comes with a fair measure of both of these and I'm just saying we need to write more in the spirit of Jedi. Maintain small rp's that's great, spur of the moment stuff, sure, but I agree with Rawkill we still need a central element, a core, a central line of action that the Order are supposedly taking or dealing with that characters can drop in and out of as they feel free, but that element needs to be there. Perhaps my examples were bad ones, and there is no reason why we can't develop our own central element. I think what you are eluding to will is that we just need to descale things. I agree, we don't need a site wide conflict, but we do need a central story arc so that every Jedi has something in common and something they can rp about together. So current writers, or new writers can go hey look this is where we are at and what we are doing. It gives us all a common ground.

All of you here I respect and like and I love to read your writing so I'm hoping no one is taking any of this personally, essentially we as a faction, a group and individuals just need to sort our shit out.

No one ever said things didn't need some adjustment, Will. In fact, that's what was just being discussed. What you did was create a false dichotomy. Either we agree with you, or we think everything is fine. That's both fallacious and disrespectful, as is suggesting that Mer is somehow having a meltdown, and using that as justification for your agenda. No one begrudges you the right to state your opinion, we simply ask that you do so in a respectful manner and that you leave the attempts at demagoguery at the door.

Now, it seems to me that what we effectively have are several different academies and enclaves with their own distinct writing groups, with a few people people working in split timelines on multiple planets. This works to our advantage.

What this does is allow us to divide the galaxy into areas of responsibility, with each academy taking a different sector. Each academy is responsible for determining their own level of interaction within their AO. An OOC council is then created for the purpose of sharing ideas, discussing the implications of events in the galaxy and how it affects the order, directing RP for the order as a whole based on that. No one has to get involved any more than they wish to, places that wish to remain isolationist are free to do so, and the rest of us are free to interact with the galaxy as we see fit.