OOC: Hopefully everyone will take the time to read it if you are playing in the rp! Virtually everything that follows below, I gleaned from various feedback with other players.
After some Discord discussion amongst various players past few days, someone has to take the lead in moving the game forward. Frankly, too much previous chat in Discord about all kinds of plans and options was just that, chat. I believe, and players can speak up and tell me if I'm wrong, BUT it is time to move on. We can't stay in hover mode in fall forever.
First off, that old bugaboo, SEASONS. Well, while I personally would love to pretty much skip winter almost completely, and go right to spring I realize there are some writers who want to rp some winter threads especially Christmas stuff. So fine, feel free to do and make them as long as you want too. We do have fluid time in this game, always have had it.
That said officially the game now opens up the December, January months and we will see how long they go. If there is a lot of activity, good. If little happens, the game will move to Feb,March. But say we do get to March and you aren't done with a Christmas thread, no big deal. Keep writing as long as all involved in said thread are enjoying it. RPing is about having fun.
So the year is then going to be 1877 come January. I am unable to find exact stats on the winter of 1876-77 when I searched Google but one thing was for certain, they always got a lot of snowfall and temps frequently were below zero. So things would be harsh for the inhabitants. Blizzards shut down travel for long periods of times, this was before the days of the state government providing snow removal on roads.
Anyhow, we can say this was as winters go, a somewhat mild one. Which is not to say pleasant!
Let's leave it at that. You want to write winter threads, go for it.
OK, to summarize you can now begin to write stories for the months of December and January.
In Part Two, I am going to go into some more specific Plot and Character changes/modifications. Stay tuned and stay frosty!
I've Got Two Guns, One For Each Of You!
Let's see where we go from here. Meaning, what do folks want to write? And closure on everything currently in play.
Bring on the winter!
Not sure if I should wait for part 2, Wayfie, but you can tell me if I should have. LOL! As far as closure goes, I'm developing a plan for Brendan. None of my other characters are quite so entangled in plots, so they're easier to move onto new things with.
I think we had a good set-up for the range war (although it's hard to do a range war with only one ranch participating), but we've also got the railroad thread we could follow. We can discuss more in Part 2, but I feel like the game has been heading toward the railroad plot and it might be the spark we need to get things moving again.
Nah, any input is welcome. Though part 2 will have more details on our discussion about Brendan and Caroline. Among other plot reveals.
I had forgot all about the whole railroad discussions way back when.
I've Got Two Guns, One For Each Of You!
May I interject, yes a range war would require at least 2 ranches, and the Pike's ranch, the Rockin' P, can also be involved, though some ideas are being floated that could involve the Lost Lake Ranch after all. Don't want to steal Wayfe's thunder here. More on that later.
The railroad should be coming along as well, and that could have multiple new characters involved, but that too is future stuff. As always, game for most anything!
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana." - Groucho Marx
I'm fine with anything as well. Working on what I can do with the schoolteacher Kate now that Shade is out of the picture. Most of my other characters have jobs in town and will go will the flow with whatever happens.
As for exactly how Lost Lake ranch will be involved in the range war I am now waiting on Stormie's final decision on Shade. We talked for a long time yesterday and she told me she will make up her mind real soon.
I have no objection to other ranches being involved in the range war, afterall Evergreen has a small army of gunmen.
I believe Flip and Longshot are discussing Lost Lake stuff too regarding Quentin and Tyrell. But some of that is contingent on Stormie making a decision on Shade. In the end, it's her char so whatever she thinks is best.
As for the railroad, I don't think we should get too ambitious for now. The railroad can come down the line but for now lets deal with the range war. Also Im thinking real action in such a range war would not occur until winter is over. Can't see cowpokes riding around in snow drifts in below zero weather shooting it out.
I've Got Two Guns, One For Each Of You!
Points well made. However, until Stormie makes her decision, whatever that may be, almost everything is up in the air. At least on the Lost Lake front.
Now, the Javia characters and the threads they are in are other situations to be dealt with, as well as threads that are, or have been ongoing.
Do we stop and re-start the game? With some things explained as flashbacks? A whole lot to do I'd say. Willing to help out.
The Dealer had a knife and the dog had a gun and the cat had a shot of Rye.
Well, I had a couple of thoughts on Shade - with Wayfie's help. Not sure how these ideas will impact whatever Longshot and Flip have been discussing so I can modify / rearrange.
Shade Option 1: Use him as a catalyst to get actual hostilities started by having him ambushed and shot (bad enough to lay him up for awhile). This could also bring Tyrell to the ranch and Quentin would step in to run things.
Shade Option 2: Shade gets dragged back into his old life from when he was sort of "undercover" and working to set-up / trap an outlaw gang. Could have him out of the area for that and he advises Quentin to bring in help and gives him Tyrell's info.
Shade Option 3: Similar to option 2. There's been some hinky stuff going on with one of the family's other businesses and Shade goes to investigate.
I am sure there are more ideas out there in the ether, I just need to catch them as they float by. #1 has some appeal as Shade could appear in occasional threads as he recovers. On the other hand, I also like #2 since I've had some regret that I've let his bad boy reputations slide.
So - here's where I'm stuck - picking one and going with it.
Both options are legitimate ones! You just need to commit to one and stick with it. Because it's your char in the end.
There is a sort of saying "Paralysis analysis."