How to plan conflicts, plots and spontanious longterm RP

From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki

Many of the best plots of the past were more or less spontanious, but still a good number of players put a lot of thought and preperation into them. So what makes long term conflicts and plots between guilds successfull?

These are my thoughts on what makes a good what I call player-run GM..

When a potential conflict is brewing between two guilds, you will often begin to form a plan. These are some usefull steps to go through:

0. First of all decide: Do you want to create a good story or do you want to win? If you want to win. Forget about the rest and do it (It wont be a good story to anyone but yourself and maybe your guild though) but you might win Smile. If you want a good story then read on.

1. First set some goals for your character and your guild in the conflict. That is a good way to begin, but to form a storyline that have a chance to endure, you need to think much further. Try see step one as a way to get your imagination into drive. Step one alone can usually kill any nice plotline if you "run" one side in a plot/conflict.

2. When planning your next move in any RP conflict, try also to consider your oponents possible responce to your move. If you conclude that he has one or two resonable ways to react then rethink your action. Try not to limit your oponents choises too much.

3. Now try to imagine yourself in your oponents place. What do you think he could do to make the story even better? Is there any IC action you could take to encourge that? Rethink your next move again. Try be true to your character though.

4. Allow other players to change the plotline around, but accept that you will have to draw lines. Be openminded when sideplots form, but try finish what you started, dont get completly sidetracked yourself.

5. When trying to set a theme for the conflict, try think of what role you would see your oponent in, not yourself. Obviously your oponents is not likely to take that excact role but it will help yourself to go into RP with a different attitude.