Plot organization
Overview
Plot is the biggest department in Empire, as it incorporates all our NPCs, our plot writers and runners as well as characters like the nation bards, egregores, civil servants and magistrates and back room operations crew who work in costume and make-up. We need lots of people to help us fill out all these roles, so if you're interested in getting involved in the IC side of Empire then we're keen to talk to you.
The plot department is divided into dozens of different teams. Some crew are members of many teams, some are members of just one. Everyone who works in the plot department is expected to have a good familiarity with the campaign setting. The department is headed by Katie Rogers who is the head of plot support (responsible for plot going out at events) and Andy Rafferty who is the head of campaign (responsible for the ongoing campaign).
NPCs
The majority of the people in the plot room are NPCs, volunteers whose main responsibility is to play NPC roles throughout the weekend. The NPCs are divided into three main teams, described below. You don't have to be a member of these teams to play a role, we always need more NPCs so crew who want to take a break from their existing duties and play some roles are always welcome.
Skirmish Team
Our skirmish team are the dedicated crew whose responsibility is to bring to life the battles and skirmishes that the players choose to fight. We will be running conflicts of various size throughout the weekend with the skirmish team portraying the enemies of the Empire. It is a great role for anyone who enjoys fighting and roleplaying a character on a battlefield.
We are currently actively recruiting for skirmish team members.
NPC Team
- Playing NPCs on the field
- Playing eternals and heralds in off-field encounters
Our NPC team play the roles that have been created and written by the plot writers that happen on the field and in the Hall of Worlds. Members of the team portray minor Imperial NPCs, eternals and their heralds and representatives of other foreign powers. It is a great role for anyone who enjoys working with writers to create enjoyable plot for players.
We are currently open to more people joining the crew as a NPC team member.
Full time Roles
- In addition to our NPC team we have a number of crew who play a single NPC role throughout the weekend
- These roles perform a range of IC and OOC responsibilities.
We have a number of crew who play a single role throughout the weekend. These crew fall into one of several different teams, the bards, civil service, egregores and magistrates.
We are currently looking for more crew with musical or performing talents to play members of the bards team.
Plot Writers
- Write plot for events
- Run plot at events
It is the job of the plot writers to create and run the plot lines that alongside the politics of the setting will help make Empire an exciting game to play. Plot writers need to write the plot before the event. Running plot includes briefing and debriefing NPCs and helping to get encounters ready by liaising with costume and make-up. We encourage plot writers to work in small independent teams, as a team of people is the best way to cover the all the skills needed to produce plot for events, however plot support exist to help individual writers and teams with every stage of the process.
You don't need to have any experience to write plot, everyone has to start somewhere and our plot support team includes experienced plot writers who can help new volunteers find their feet. Being an Empire plot writer is a great role if you enjoy creating plot and enjoy seeing players enjoy the game you have helped create. If you have ever wanted to create plot for a big game with over a thousand players, this is your chance!
Plot Support
- Help and support writers running plot
- Keep the plot room running smoothly
- Manage ongoing plot requirements
Plot support exist primarily to help writers get their plot written, approved, and run. They are there to help writers and teams with every stage of the plot creation process. By liaising with members of plot support, any writer can get help with things like getting their plot written and approved or sourcing costume, make-up, and prosthetics. The team includes experienced members of the team who can help wrangle NPCs and brief them.
Plot support manage the plot room and will try to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible. Members of the team will set out the room at the start of the weekend and put it away at the end. If any member of the plot department is having problems, whether they are logistical, technical, or personal, then the plot support team are there to help and try to resolve the problem for you.
An important responsibility for the plot support team is to manage ongoing plot requirements. The Empire campaign has many specific requirements - plot that must happen - for example battles, the bourse auction, and past life visions. Some of these elements are created by players - such as the ritual Challenge the Iron Duke, some may be the natural consequences of previous plot, for example a quest or skirmish that needs to happen. We need to ensure that volunteers writing the plot for these sections of the game are able to deliver it on time, so the plot support team will monitor progress on critical plot elements to ensure there are no problems.
The plot support team includes a number of specific areas, costume and props, make-up and prosthetics, and special FX.
Further Reading
- Organization
- Writing
- Skirmish