Baronies: Customization and Information

[Sabine]

I was just curious, does anyone else feel like we are lacking when it comes to the DoS baronies as far as what they look like and what information is available?

We do have the initial descriptions tacked up:

http://www.ringsofhonor.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2965

But I personally want more. I'd love to see them used in play more often.

While working on the Battlefield Park tournament, I really worked hard to research the setting and ask a few people what they think of. Needless to say, everyone had varied ideas.

I was thinking of pursuing a project where we really flesh out the baronies. I know we all have different ideas of what we picture and think of.

I was thinking that we could do a poll for each barony with 3-4 different photos and people can vote on which photo best describes what they think of. Top vote becomes the photo representation.

Then each barony gets a thread with the initial description, the chosen photo, and then from there, the barons can reply to the thread with changes they make, updates, parties, important information, etc.

For instance, Jewell spruced up Dockside when she was there.

When Sabine held Old Market, Layla lived there.

I feel like having a place where these things could be recorded and used for reference would be fun for play.

What are your thoughts?

Is this something best left to individual preferences and interpretation? Or would a more unified idea of them be something people want? I know we've had a lot of polls and new things being discussed lately, so it's okay if people would prefer not to deal with this right now too.

[JewellRavenlock]

I love this!

Mostly because I really struggled when Jewell spruced up Dockside. It would be great if there was a thread for each one where people could post links to stories where they mention the barony.

[PrlUnicorn]

As long as the original flavor of the manors remain, I like the idea of recording events and changes that happened during the tenure of the Barons and Overlords.

Part of the cellars in the Haunted Armory was turned into a shelter with a stocked pantry and commercial fridge/freezer when Rhiannon Brock was the baroness. It was inspired by her time as Matt's Squire when Hannibal hit and the armory was open for those in need of a place to stay until the weather let up. In a story that I never finished, Rhi found some tunnels in the catacombs that lead to a few places in the city. She also opened Battlefield Park to DoM after Ragnarock when the Isle was, for lack of a better phrase, healing itself.

Other things could be recorded as well. Some Barons do community service projects to benefit the people in their district. Rhiannon Harker built a fire station/EMS in Old Temple and another in Old Market. Maggie Harker expanded the fire station/EMS into an urgent care facility and turned the basement areas of the buildings in a small surgical facility and shelter. Maggie also invited everyone for free holiday meals and lodgings at the Cardinal Inn. Some restoration work, like wood repair and painting were also done on the inn.

Off the top of my head, I remember Terry King spearheaded the creation of a woman's shelter and ran a toy drive. The latter was a challenge to the Barons as Terry was the sitting Overlord at the time.

Having something like that available and/or linking posts to a master listing would help to add to the history of the sport.

[Claire Gallows]

I adore visual inspiration for things, I just don't want it to come at the risk of trying to interpret the original creation of the settings.

However with that said, I love the idea of a central place for references about the various baronies. I always end up hunting for references when I need to mention one and this would cut down on a lot of that work.

[Sabine]

As to the original interpretation, I agree with both Collie and Claire that the integrity needs to remain. I know Rory's player put a lot of work into that. I've even thought about calling her and asking her if she had things in mind regarding images.

*IF* we were to use images, I would do my very best to honor the original thread descriptions in choosing which image options to present for voting.

If we would prefer no visuals and just a thread to update, that would certainly be fine by me as well.

I would have never known any of the things Collie mentioned! I'd love to have a place to go and read for each barony (for sake of keeping things clear and uncluttered.)

[JewellRavenlock]

I'd be okay with or without images. Images may feel restrictive? I know I pinned a lot of images just to give me an idea of how I pictured the inside of Dockside (I may have even drawn a floorplan..) but that was just for me? And I wouldn't want to infringe on how someone else might view it. But I also think some consistency and be able to play off what everyone writes would be great. Otherwise, we're just writing in a vacuum.

[PrlUnicorn]

I'd be okay with or without images. Images may feel restrictive? I know I pinned a lot of images just to give me an idea of how I pictured the inside of Dockside (I may have even drawn a floorplan..) but that was just for me? And I wouldn't want to infringe on how someone else might view it. But I also think some consistency and be able to play off what everyone writes would be great. Otherwise, we're just writing in a vacuum.

I don't have a problem with images that depict any given Baron's personal space within a manor. It's akin to renting an apartment and moving your furniture in. It's not a permanent change to the place. Maggie had a room in the Cardinal Inn that was set up to her liking, but that doesn't mean the next baron, in that case it was Lirssa, would want to keep it the way it was or have the same room. That's where a little RP freedom comes into play within the manors.

[Andrea Anderson]

IIRC. When Candy was Baron of Old Market she knocked down a wall in the inn/manor so that she could set up a gym. I think there's an Outback pit replica in the yard too.

When I won Old Temple on Nayun for the first time, I wrote a post where she made a koi pond on the grounds.

[Sabine]

So I checked with Rory (who put together the initial descriptions). Here are some things she mentioned through our text convo:

Rory:

I didn’t have images but certainly not opposed to it. The idea was to create a basis that people could then leap off from. The goal was to always allow it to be changed with each individual baron depending on the changes that baron wanted to make. I always thought it would be cool if one (or more of them) were spelled to magically return to their original condition but I never wrote anything like that out.

Me:

I was thinking of reading each description, finding 3-4 images, and putting them up to be voted on. Just sort of the outside, basic idea. And leave the inside and stuff for the barons to dream up when they are there.

Rory:

The thing I told them was that it’s only their intellectual property for as long as they’re baron. After that, it’s a whole new ballgame. I like that idea! Very cool!

-So she approves of the community voting on an image to represent the structures.

I personally wouldn't want any more images than that, just the general idea of the building and or grounds because I wouldn't want to take away from the creativity of others.

-The baronies originally were supposed to return to their original state after each baron left.

Now I'm not sure if anyone has played into that second item. Is that something you guys feel should be introduced into play for 1 or any of the baronies? That the baronies are spelled to return to what they were when a new baron takes it over? Or at least that baron has the option to revert things?

I know a lot of people have put work into the settings, so I can imagine there would be mixed feelings on this.

And of course this is all just talk. I supposed we'd likely need Sylus' approval as well but I thought it was important to get Rory's feelings on this.

[Kalamere]

-The baronies originally were supposed to return to their original state after each baron left.

That's not actually how I read what she said in the above conversation. That said, I assume you potentially spoke more than what's above and my interpretation off of 2 lines of text from Rory could be far off base.

The one thing I'll add is that I have played very much to the opposite of this in the past. When Kal took over Old Temple from Rakeesh it was left as is and allowed Kal to discover some minor clues about the Vanion possession storyline he had going and add a little bit to it. Clues he would not have been able to come across had the manor magically reset itself in some way.

I'm not saying it shouldn't be an option. If somebody starts blowing out walls or doing something to the property that doesn't fit, then I think a reset would be a good option to have. Maybe it is that though - an option. How that would be triggered exactly I'm not sure, but it allows for going either way.

Alternatively - the quote above says "one (or more of them)" magically reset, which implies one or more do not. Which ones got picked for that I have no idea, but anything else could be changed back via storyline construction crews, potentially as the arena's expense.

[Jake]

I think I prefer them not resetting. I like the idea of the manors changing/growing as each Baron adds their touch. It creates a tapestry. Much like the entirety of the Rhy'din experience. We're all contributing to the history of this place.

A manor or two that resets...maybe. But, on the whole, I'd hate to think that the changes that Jake made (like the secret room he had made for Tara), or Kal made, etc. would just be wiped away as if they never existed.

[Sabine]

I'm not particularly for reverting myself. I think too much time has passed for the original intention/goal/thought to go into play and too many changes have been made.

I think an option to revert could be cool, but then again does that destroy everything people have done over time? (Edit to add: while it's cool, it's not my preference.)

Then again, a new Baron could come in and gut the fancy bathroom Jewell did (no idea why, but they could) and really, it would be there right to do so.

I only included the text from Rory because I thought the original intent/goal was interesting.

[Claire Gallows]

-The baronies originally were supposed to return to their original state after each baron left.

That's not actually how I read what she said in the above conversation. That said, I assume you potentially spoke more than what's above and my interpretation off of 2 lines of text from Rory could be far off base.

The one thing I'll add is that I have played very much to the opposite of this in the past. When Kal took over Old Temple from Rakeesh it was left as is and allowed Kal to discover some minor clues about the Vanion possession storyline he had going and add a little bit to it. Clues he would not have been able to come across had the manor magically reset itself in some way.

I'm not saying it shouldn't be an option. If somebody starts blowing out walls or doing something to the property that doesn't fit, then I think a reset would be a good option to have. Maybe it is that though - an option. How that would be triggered exactly I'm not sure, but it allows for going either way.

Alternatively - the quote above says "one (or more of them)" magically reset, which implies one or more do not. Which ones got picked for that I have no idea, but anything else could be changed back via storyline construction crews, potentially as the arena's expense.

When the Overlord's Isle got completely wrecked during the Vanion storyline here two years back, there was a subsequent storyline for replacing it (though that was in comic form and mostly funny more than anything).

Claire still jokes about there being a ghost locked up in Old Temple after her time there. Oops.

I like seeing the changes carry over and see how they change from baron to baron.

[Jake]

To add...

I don't have a problem with things being "fixed" (read: torn out, re-modeled, etc.), but I think that's part of the story.

I never expected Deathlord's Ice Statue Garden to stick around for the next baron, but I like the idea of things being there for the next baron/baroness to deal with (or not).

Maybe Baron A installs a pool, and a hot tub. Maybe the next finds the hot tub tacky and fills it all in for a tennis court. Maybe the next builds a gazebo. Then the following burns it down. It becomes a continuous story of change. Maybe the sequences are broken apart. Baron A builds a gazebo, which goes forgotten until Baroness K comes along and brushes away the cobwebs to use it again.

I don't care for a "reset" that simply wipes away the story. I don't mind the story being added onto, re-shaped, amended, transformed, etc.

I'd be interested to know how the succeeding barons dealt with the monstrous man-eating plant that Tara left in the gardens behind New Haven.

[Sabine]

I don't care for a "reset" that simply wipes away the story. I don't mind the story being added onto, re-shaped, amended, transformed, etc.

I'd be interested to know how the succeeding barons dealt with the monstrous man-eating plant that Tara left in the gardens behind New Haven.

This is my feelings on it. And hence, why I like the idea of each barony having an ongoing thread where the current baron can add to the story.

I think it'd be really funny to see what changes are made and all of the WTF moments.