!Updated!
Maelstrom Downtime Policy 2019
What is Downtime?
Downtime is the time "off camera" that typically takes place in between events. It is a time for rest, reflection, investigation, patrols, and other, more mundane, tasks from the characters day to day existence.
Your Downtime may be submitted before each game, prior to the published due date. It describes the actions your character attempts between games and is an excellent way to gain information and resources that enhance your experience at events. Our team of volunteers is dedicated to providing rewarding responses to the downtimes that are submitted on time, and ensuring a positive experience for our players and crew.
Furthermore, your downtime can act as a way to let us, the storytellers, what goals your character is pursuing, and would like to be confronted, and/or resolved at an event.
An in depth character interaction is less rewarding to be handled over email, but your character can take action in downtime to arrange that meeting, so the otherwise less exciting process of setting up said meeting, or conversation is handled off camera. Or perhaps your character is questing for a particular ritual, downtime would be a great time to make use of contacts to learn that there is a particular cave, inhabited by a particular set of creatures that are rumored to have stolen said ritual, and may still have it.
However, we are volunteers, and our time is valuable. Downtimes are meant to enhance your game experience, not to replace it. Ever. Involved scenes with cast characters, casting rituals, and most in depth encounters should take place at a weekend event, day game, faire day, or tavern night.
When are downtimes due?
Downtimes are due 2 weeks after a given event.
What should I know about downtimes?
With your submission, please try to be both clear and concise. Describe what your character is attempting to do, and how they are going about it. We’ll need to know what you’re trying to get done and understand that it’s possible for them to accomplish it. Finally, try to make sure what you’re attempting is reasonable to accomplish, given time and resource constraints. (Please do not write us an essay trying to account for every potential mishap) If your character is in a hurry, let us know, if they are being patient, and careful you can just write that. It is impossible to prepare for any, and every potential mishap. If the encounter is that delicate, you should probably get some friends together, and request a mod, at a day event, or faire day.
If we are greeted with a wall of text, and or your submission is unclear, or difficult to follow the submission may be discounted whole, or in parts.
If every task that you are trying to do starts with "I put all my focus into X"... and there are multiple items, then we will likely respond to just the first line item, since you only get 1 major, and 1 minor, and 1 group action.
Your submission can include one major action and one minor action, and one group action.
No, you may not sacrifice your group action for another major, or minor.
A major action is something that would occupy the majority of your character’s energy during the available time.
A minor action is something that your character could accomplish relatively quickly, in spare time.
Along with your a personal downtime, you can participate in one group downtime. A group downtime may include one major action and one minor action. All participants should be CC’d in the email. If we have to chase people's email addresses down they will be left out of the response, and or their weight will not be added to the downtime.
Downtimes should be sent to maelstrom@alliancesf.net by the posted date, typically the Monday two weeks after an event.
!!!!IMPORTANT!!!!
Downtimes are optional tools meant to enhance your game play. They allow you to bypass potentially unexciting, and tedious tasks in order to get the scenes that really matter, and that should be acted out. Downtimes allow your characters to uncover information, leads, and pieces of story otherwise potentially too thick, and weighty to be resolved in an action packed weekend event. Research that would simply take too long, or take a character out of game to accomplish, could yield much more important, and rewarding fruit if handled off camera.
An in depth conversation with a Cast Character should ideally occur in game. This is to promote an immersive experience that is more rewarding for you, and for staff. If you need an extended scene with a cast character, talk to us about organizing a day game or tavern night where that can happen. For traveling players, please contact us so we can arrange a mutually beneficial time/venue for you.
Out of State Players are permitted an additional downtime action if there is a day event between events that they are unable to attend due to being out of state.
These policies will allow our team to provide real progress for characters between games, while giving our staff more time to allocate to create content for our events. While we try to be flexible, we might not be able to respond to submissions that don’t follow these policies.
If you wish to complete actions beyond these restrictions we encourage you to organize day games, mod days, or tavern days. These short events can cover a lot more ground than a brief email exchange, and let us roleplay in person, which is really what LARPing is about.
What if I don't really want to do a downtime, or this seems really confusing, and tedious?
Don't worry, we understand. If you don't want to submit a downtime, what you can do that would be super helpful for everyone would be to submit something like this:...
Player: BillyBobJoe
Character: TheRope
Time Arriving on Site: Friday 7-9pm
Goals:
Would like to speak to Sgt Master Kai regarding war vs. the Iron Hand.
Would like to speak to The Empress regarding war vs. the Wretched Outsiders.
Notes:
I have to leave early Saturday morning for work, I will be back on the hill by 3pm.
-BillyBobJoe
If you do want to submit a downtime, but are feeling overwhelmed, just ping us, and one of us will get to you, and give you a hand. Or, better yet, reach out to a fellow player, or your player rep, and they can help you out.
Down Time/ Action Item Template
(Please adhere to this template to help us help you)
PlayerName:
Character Name:
Time arriving on Site:
Downtime Bullet Points:
--> Speak to Sgt Master Kai
--> Speak to The Empress
Major Action Item:
TheRope goes, and seeks out Sgt Master Kai for an update in the war against the Iron Hand, and would like to get any tactical data from the Sgt, regarding where we keep our supplies.
Minor Action Item:
The Rope goes, and seeks out an audience with The Empress to ask about what weapons work best against the Outsiders.
This should be handled in a separate email so other players are in less, or no danger from accidentally seeing your personal downtime.
Group Downtime Bullet Points: (If Applicable)
--> Guard the borders (Group Downtime)
(I have tracking, hunting, and am a 15th level scout. I learned tunnel craft from Divraina)
Maelstrom Downtime Policy 2019
What is Downtime?
Downtime is the time "off camera" that typically takes place in between events. It is a time for rest, reflection, investigation, patrols, and other, more mundane, tasks from the characters day to day existence.
Your Downtime may be submitted before each game, prior to the published due date. It describes the actions your character attempts between games and is an excellent way to gain information and resources that enhance your experience at events. Our team of volunteers is dedicated to providing rewarding responses to the downtimes that are submitted on time, and ensuring a positive experience for our players and crew.
Furthermore, your downtime can act as a way to let us, the storytellers, what goals your character is pursuing, and would like to be confronted, and/or resolved at an event.
An in depth character interaction is less rewarding to be handled over email, but your character can take action in downtime to arrange that meeting, so the otherwise less exciting process of setting up said meeting, or conversation is handled off camera. Or perhaps your character is questing for a particular ritual, downtime would be a great time to make use of contacts to learn that there is a particular cave, inhabited by a particular set of creatures that are rumored to have stolen said ritual, and may still have it.
However, we are volunteers, and our time is valuable. Downtimes are meant to enhance your game experience, not to replace it. Ever. Involved scenes with cast characters, casting rituals, and most in depth encounters should take place at a weekend event, day game, faire day, or tavern night.
When are downtimes due?
Downtimes are due 2 weeks after a given event.
What should I know about downtimes?
With your submission, please try to be both clear and concise. Describe what your character is attempting to do, and how they are going about it. We’ll need to know what you’re trying to get done and understand that it’s possible for them to accomplish it. Finally, try to make sure what you’re attempting is reasonable to accomplish, given time and resource constraints. (Please do not write us an essay trying to account for every potential mishap) If your character is in a hurry, let us know, if they are being patient, and careful you can just write that. It is impossible to prepare for any, and every potential mishap. If the encounter is that delicate, you should probably get some friends together, and request a mod, at a day event, or faire day.
If we are greeted with a wall of text, and or your submission is unclear, or difficult to follow the submission may be discounted whole, or in parts.
If every task that you are trying to do starts with "I put all my focus into X"... and there are multiple items, then we will likely respond to just the first line item, since you only get 1 major, and 1 minor, and 1 group action.
Your submission can include one major action and one minor action, and one group action.
No, you may not sacrifice your group action for another major, or minor.
A major action is something that would occupy the majority of your character’s energy during the available time.
A minor action is something that your character could accomplish relatively quickly, in spare time.
Along with your a personal downtime, you can participate in one group downtime. A group downtime may include one major action and one minor action. All participants should be CC’d in the email. If we have to chase people's email addresses down they will be left out of the response, and or their weight will not be added to the downtime.
Downtimes should be sent to maelstrom@alliancesf.net by the posted date, typically the Monday two weeks after an event.
!!!!IMPORTANT!!!!
Downtimes are optional tools meant to enhance your game play. They allow you to bypass potentially unexciting, and tedious tasks in order to get the scenes that really matter, and that should be acted out. Downtimes allow your characters to uncover information, leads, and pieces of story otherwise potentially too thick, and weighty to be resolved in an action packed weekend event. Research that would simply take too long, or take a character out of game to accomplish, could yield much more important, and rewarding fruit if handled off camera.
An in depth conversation with a Cast Character should ideally occur in game. This is to promote an immersive experience that is more rewarding for you, and for staff. If you need an extended scene with a cast character, talk to us about organizing a day game or tavern night where that can happen. For traveling players, please contact us so we can arrange a mutually beneficial time/venue for you.
Out of State Players are permitted an additional downtime action if there is a day event between events that they are unable to attend due to being out of state.
These policies will allow our team to provide real progress for characters between games, while giving our staff more time to allocate to create content for our events. While we try to be flexible, we might not be able to respond to submissions that don’t follow these policies.
If you wish to complete actions beyond these restrictions we encourage you to organize day games, mod days, or tavern days. These short events can cover a lot more ground than a brief email exchange, and let us roleplay in person, which is really what LARPing is about.
What if I don't really want to do a downtime, or this seems really confusing, and tedious?
Don't worry, we understand. If you don't want to submit a downtime, what you can do that would be super helpful for everyone would be to submit something like this:...
Player: BillyBobJoe
Character: TheRope
Time Arriving on Site: Friday 7-9pm
Goals:
Would like to speak to Sgt Master Kai regarding war vs. the Iron Hand.
Would like to speak to The Empress regarding war vs. the Wretched Outsiders.
Notes:
I have to leave early Saturday morning for work, I will be back on the hill by 3pm.
-BillyBobJoe
If you do want to submit a downtime, but are feeling overwhelmed, just ping us, and one of us will get to you, and give you a hand. Or, better yet, reach out to a fellow player, or your player rep, and they can help you out.
Down Time/ Action Item Template
(Please adhere to this template to help us help you)
PlayerName:
Character Name:
Time arriving on Site:
Downtime Bullet Points:
--> Speak to Sgt Master Kai
--> Speak to The Empress
Major Action Item:
TheRope goes, and seeks out Sgt Master Kai for an update in the war against the Iron Hand, and would like to get any tactical data from the Sgt, regarding where we keep our supplies.
Minor Action Item:
The Rope goes, and seeks out an audience with The Empress to ask about what weapons work best against the Outsiders.
This should be handled in a separate email so other players are in less, or no danger from accidentally seeing your personal downtime.
Group Downtime Bullet Points: (If Applicable)
--> Guard the borders (Group Downtime)
(I have tracking, hunting, and am a 15th level scout. I learned tunnel craft from Divraina)
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