[CHANGING BREEDS] [PROPOSAL] GAROU NATION TRIBAL SNAPSHOT PACKET [BINDING]
Open Votes
Proposal Type: Genre Packet
Opened: 28-Feb-2020 12:00AM EST
Closing: 06-Mar-2020 12:00AM EST
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Proposal
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Pursuant to Coordinator Bylaw 3.C.iii, as the Changing Breeds Coordinator, I, Dora Jay, in my duties as said Coordinator, do propose the following packet be considered binding in how it apples to The Garou Nation Tribes of the Changing Breeds Genre
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FAQ - The Packet Process
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Now, you may be sitting here asking yourself the following questions
"Why is this the first packet we've seen in the 2 years 2 months Dora has been CBC?"
"As an addendum, Self, why did Dora post a snapshot packet as the first packet?"
"Also, self, why did Dora post a packet devoid of mechanics beyond general overviews? I distinctly remember the bulk of players asking for w20 and cb20 conversions!"
To answer your questions self, I shall take each question in turn!
"Why is this the first packet we've seen in the 2 years 2 months Dora has been CBC?"
Our last packet updates were back in 2007 and 2008. When I first took office way back in the before time of 2017, I started immediately doing surveys on what STs, and more importantly players, wanted to see. Ironically, fully fleshed out tribal packets were not the first time at the top of the list.The overwhelming majority of players and STs wanted to see the three following items from the CBC office
- The backlog of CBC items gone through
- IC direction in a sea and national plot threads resolved
- A simple 'how to garou' guide to bring in new players to the genre.
After those items, STs and Players alike said they'd like to see packets produced but that packets did not, to the overwhelming majority, need to come before the story of the Changing Breeds Genre in the org went forward.This put packets lower on my list of priorities because I whole heartedly believe that the CBC's job is to support the genre and the players of that genre set the tone for what that means.This is not to say we haven't worked on packets, just that they came tertiary to getting the IC house in order.
"As an addendum, Self, why did Dora post a snapshot packet as the first packet?"
Well, this question takes a bit of contextual framing to explain! When I took over the CBC office, we did have a handful of packets that seemed pretty close to propping (and we still do!). However, when I took those props and started floating them to STs who tend not to be very prominent in the public eye, one set of particular comments came back over and over and over again.Those comments were as follows:
- "Nobody is on the same page with what genre is. We need to discuss this IC so we can comfortably put it in a packet OOC and everyone needs to be able to have their voice matter."
- "A 24 page packet is not newbie friendly. Packets should be easy for new players to access, digest, and take off and run with."
- "Lore should be separate from mechanics. There's several very distinct power level intensities with Changing Breeds in the org and offered tabletop to larp mechanics that are one-size-fits all will not work for us. We cannot agree to any packet that has these two items combined."
These three comments were the foundation of my 2018-2020 CBC Term and spurned the bulk of what I did on an IC level as your coordinator to facilitate the conversations needed to get us to a cohesive point. From Blood and Ice to Glitter and Gloom, Beltane to the North East Event, and Samhain and Concolation rounding us off, we came together as an org across multiple platforms and multiple regions to put together a basic idea on what each tribe means and what each tribe stands for.This is reflected in the snapshot packet. Over 300 players total across all of our game's player base have taken part in this process in some way shape or form. This snapshot ideology was constructed by players for players with my office acting as the vehicle to encourage more participation on the packet party bus.
The snapshot packet is a short packet meant to pack the most important information a new player needs to chose a tribe and fit that tribe into OWBN. Part of the reason this packet is binding is because we want to make sure PCs in OWBN that have come before are able to live on as 'important figures' in the tribe.Every story from every PC in this genre has a place in the Silver Record.If you put in effort, you too could find your name among its pages one day!
"Also, self, why did Dora post a packet devoid of mechanics beyond general overviews? I distinctly remember the bulk of players asking for w20 and cb20 conversions!"
One thing we realized over the course of several event games and ST pow wow circles over the past two years is that mechanics are going to take more time to sort out. The bulk of our gift material has no larp translation and to rush a packet mechanically that does not fit the varying spectrum of temperaments of the org would be irresponsible. Our plan going forward is to do a split packet, one side being the lore and in depth material on things like camps and tribal customs with a side packet just for mechanics. This is also being done to ensure that players have easy access to what they need when they need it in formats that work best (based on researched methodology!) for those discovered needs.
There is also no point in attempting to prop a packet that the org is not ready to accept. Because we have not had packet updates in over 10 years, we needed to start at the foundation and work our way back up. Our next two drafted packets are an Auspice Packet (which will be the first split packet, one of lore and one of mechanics) and a Klaive Packet (straight mechanics). From there, once we've hit the sweet spot on our proposed mechanical updates, we'll be moving into the tribal packet sets in rapid succession.
Again. The goal is to produce material the org has a voice in and wants to use. It has taken us a considerable amount of time to figure out how that is best going to work in OWBN and we appreciate your patience!
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The Thank Yous
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I'd like to thank my entire team for their help in this 2 year process. I'd also like to specifically thank Caroline Berta for her help with the design on this packet. The org raised the bar with creating packets for this org that are pleasing and professional and we are happy to have someone on our team who can rise to meet (and frankly surpass) those standards!
The Changing Breeds Coordinator Team would like to thank every single player who gave input in the Tribal meetings at Concolation. To those of you who contributed bits and pieces to the overall documentation above, know that this is your packet, based on your words. This inclusive packet is meant to be a useful resource both for new players and veteran players alike and we could not have made it without you!
The Changing Breeds Coordinator Team would like to thank every single player who gave input in the Tribal meetings at Concolation. To those of you who contributed bits and pieces to the overall documentation above, know that this is your packet, based on your words. This inclusive packet is meant to be a useful resource both for new players and veteran players alike and we could not have made it without you!
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Change Log
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- Shifted Pop Culture References after taking advisement from minority group members (people of color, women, lgbtq etc) members of Team CBC and added a few more options based entirely on their recommendations.
- Added names to the 'famous people's section' as were submitted by storytelling staff members
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FAQ
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Can you explain in more detail how you're handling the Famous People Section?
- The names listed under famous people are names provided by Storytellers that reference characters from their home regions that have taken actions, good or bad, within those tribes that make them memorable. As OWBN is a Chronicle-up organization, I feel it is very important to pay homage where homage is due to individual regions and games and the players therein. Not every PC knows every canon character but the idea behind adding the Famous People section is to spark an IC conversation, be that conversation 'good' or 'bad'.
To use the examples given re: the Shadow Lords, Mikhail is a shining example of this concept. Most games have at least one PC that's heard of this deceased Shadow Lord and the opinions on him are diverse; some think he was terrible, some think he's the best thing that ever happened to the tribe. Either way, his name is known and he is famous. Famous does not automatically equal 'good'. Infamy is often overlooked. By no means is anyone required to think these Famous people are 'the bee's knees', they're simply required to acknowledge they've had an impact on the org as a whole.
As for the addition of names, I left this up to the discretion of ST staffs. I spoke to a lot of game staffs who had opted in to helping with packet material in person and via distance for the names of those they thought would be good adds based on the overarching top down sight they have as STs of their chronicles / members of their individual regions.
To put it much more simply, a Famous Person doesn't need to be a person you and your region reverie or think was vital to OWBN's genre at some point in time. That PC was important to a different region and that region is just as valid as any other region re: 'this person had a huge impact on the collective 20+ year story we've told.'
- The names listed under famous people are names provided by Storytellers that reference characters from their home regions that have taken actions, good or bad, within those tribes that make them memorable. As OWBN is a Chronicle-up organization, I feel it is very important to pay homage where homage is due to individual regions and games and the players therein. Not every PC knows every canon character but the idea behind adding the Famous People section is to spark an IC conversation, be that conversation 'good' or 'bad'.
- Why is there no tl;dr on the famous people listed?
- The Purpose of this packet was to be a 'snap shot' packet. If we added a sentence or two for every person listed under 'famous people' we would've had to add an additional page per tribe. We did not feel this was appropriate for the overall 'concept' and 'image' of the packet and for the purpose we want this packet to serve.
- Can you explain and justify the Major / Minor Camp Section of the Shadow Lords Tribe?
- While there was an expansion of the Judges of Doom in the w20 material that was initiated by my predecessors in office, they are not meant to be a large camp by genre. OWBN STs vehemently requested the reduction and increase in rarity of the Bringers of Light and this packet reflects that player / staff driven objective. In OWBN, the Lords of the Summit and the Children of Crow are the big two camps and we want to encourage more of those PCs in play to even out the balance a bit.
- Addendum to the above question: What about the missing camps / societies?
- I listed the camps and societies that players have listed as being part of on a large scale. Anything smaller is just not something we're actively seeing in OWBN beyond a player here or there at this time. Other tribes were also impacted by this decision, most visibly seen in the lack of inclusion of House Winter Snow despite a group of PCs claiming somewhat vocal membership to it. It wasn't on a large enough scale that we felt it appropriate to add to a packet that's meant to be something players can quickly latch onto and run with to get into the game.
- Again, this is a foundational packet. The extended packets will have more detailing because that's more appropriate a setting for said detailing.
- Who helped with your famous person's listing? I have a lot of trouble with ____ or _____
- While the critique that we needed to add more diversity to the pop culture listings was completely accurate and something I made sure happened with this amendment, it should be noted that this was not a single entity project. Each person added to the famous person's listing had a reason and justification provided by players as to why they should be there. If you disagree, you can disregard it. This is meant to give new players a quick idea into an aspect of that tribe's genre. There are many layers. If one does not work for you, you can easily pick another to play around with
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Closing Commentary
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Just wanted to state an appreciation for concerns documented via a lack of representation. My vision only goes so far and I will always take critique and review publicly or privately on anything I put out. I have never been one to feel I am beyond reproach and I don't intend to start thinking otherwise anytime soon. :)
Just wanted to state an appreciation for concerns documented via a lack of representation. My vision only goes so far and I will always take critique and review publicly or privately on anything I put out. I have never been one to feel I am beyond reproach and I don't intend to start thinking otherwise anytime soon. :)
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