Balancing being busy and gaming

[Xeviat]

Hey everyone. As you may have noticed, I've been especially absent as of late. I started working at Disneyland, and I've been very busy ever since.

I feel that I've been shirking my duities here. I decided that I need to continue to work on my setting. I've been running or playing in generic or premade setting games lately, and something is just ... missing.

So, rather than be selfish and just prattle on about my setting, I want to try something new. I need some fresh ideas, a mind that is clear from my setting's varried past. In return for the assistance from someone fairly unfamiliar with my setting (but hopefully someone who is interested in what has been posted so far), I will work on their setting with as much gusto as I can muster.

So, is there anyone interested in assisting me/my assistance?

[Stargate525]

You mean like a review swap? I'm in. Hell, I've got nothing better to do, since I'm stuck here with a 100 degree fever.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Sure.  The only stuff I remember seeing recently on your setting was the races, right?

[Captain Obvious]

I'd be into this, but in a  few days or a week, cause i have so many midterms and stuff right now. After that though...

[SDragon]

You work at Disneyland? Are you captain hook, or are you Beast?

[snakefing]

Well, I'd be interested in a kind of "partnership" based on a little more than review swapping. It would involve more cooperative and in-depth work, but retaining clear editorial ownership for each setting.

Ideas would be things like this:

One on one PBeM or PBP games. Since it is just one on one, it can be a little more free form and slower paced, giving more scope for invention, mechanics testing, and just improvisation. The "player" uses a character to explore some aspect(s) of the setting in as much detail as desired, providing ideas and feedback that hopefully stimulate the setting owner.
*Choosing one element of one of the settings, and working out details. The setting owner retains editorial control, but the partner can ask questions, provide feedback, make suggestions, or even provide their own content. Then switch roles and choose something from the other setting. (Or do one element from each setting simultaneously.)
*Creating NPC characters for each others' settings. Besides the fact that the result is useful in its own right, the process of creating a character inevitably brings up questions that will inspire the setting owner to greater heights of creativity.
*Little bits of fiction or vignettes in each others' settings. This can be fun by itself, and will have some of the same side benefits as creating characters does.

The main thing is just having someone take an interest in some aspect of your setting. Not only does that provide feedback about which elements are most interesting to people, it just makes working on it more fun.

[Stargate525]

I like that idea a lot snakefing. Can't really say much more, except that if anyone wants to do it for my settings, they are more than welcome, and I'll be glad to do likewise.

[Xeviat]

Snake, that's what I was looking for, yes. Right now, my big mechanic is finalizing my classes; my races are all but done now. My setting has two unique classes, the Templar and the Channeler, and I'm having trouble with the Channeler at the momment.

But yes, a partner is what I'm looking for. It's easier to work on a setting when you invest interest in it, and that's difficult to do with simple review swapping.

Snake, if you're interested, I can contact you on AIM. Anyone else, feel free to send me specific questions or issues for your setting, via email (jkrohenbuel@gmail.com), and I'll reply with my thoughts and some ideas for my setting.

Thanks everyone. I need to get more involved here again.

PS: I run theater attractions in California Adventure, the park no one goes to apparently. Heh.