As IBT has noted, the magi have been all over the board so far. I think we need an OOC discussion as to what direction we want the magi (and companions) to take.
First, off, I'd like to hear from IBT. What would you like to see to correct the problem you've identified? What can we do to become more coordinated in our actions?
Big ticket agenda, items include but not limited to:
What characters need to be tweaked?
eg. I think all the characters can still continue with tweaks, but I don't know what the above questions are, so don't really know what the situation is.
How do we as players wish to resolve meta-issues, like differing opinions & goals?
[size=150]Group Template[/size]
Here are my proposals for IBT's questions. This is not meant to be divine fiat, but just my first hack at the problem. Other input is welcome.
Are player characters "protected" from each other?
That's a tough question. I would recommend a certain amount of protection. I don't want characters stepping on each other's toes too much, but I don't want players to have script immunity.
Can I wreck another character if that suits my character's backstory?
I would say no. We're supposed to be able to work together. Surely we can manage that.
What do we the players wish to gain from the game?
Post rate: clearly I can accommodate any post rate.
Tone of communications: I would like to keep things polite.
What type of players are we?
I'm not sure how to answer that question.
What are the primary saga themes?
If I had to say what I thought the primary saga theme is, it's that there are some problems that no amount of magical power will solve.
Other themes include: a few against the many, building something against all odds, and sometimes you just need to talk it out
In a few words - who are the magi, as characterised as a group by external NPCs?
In my opinion: wide-eyed idealists
In a few words - what is the goal of the magi as a group?
As I said in my very first post pertaining to this game, "creating a haven for magi in a world that is slowly but surely becoming less accommodating to them."
How do the magi complement that?
I'll use Magnus as a for example.(though I understand he's an NPC magus)
How do the companions complement that?
I'll use Duncan as a for example. (though I understand he's an NPC companion)
What are the character's shared experiences?
So far, everybody knows everybody, and has been working together for approximately the past decade.
If everyone replies to IBT's questions, we can get a good Group Template and know how characters have to be tweaked.
Of course people are being dickheads. I certainly have been- I have been emotional and I apologize that it has caused drama that is disruptive to the enjoyment of the game. The important thing is to recognize that it is something we do, apologize for it, and move on. I also think it is important to recognize that apology is generally part of forgiveness- at least it is for me.
As to pacing, I do think the game needs to be slowed down, that we shouldn't be jumping ahead to future years when we haven't made all the relevant decisions for the current one.
I think the real question is to what degree should we be protected from each other? Meliai is going to be upset as more Catholics come to the island. She might want to call for Certamen at some point if a particular source becomes too egregious, however I think we should generally not be declaring wizard wars on each other (unless perhaps it is solely for the purposes of legally invading each others sanctums), and should be working meta-game to avoid coming to the point where that seems like the appropriate in game thing to do.
As I see it the island represents a theme of opportunity- not just a new land but an opportunity to build something new (even if someone like Meliai believes it is rebuilding something old) that isn't possible in the Old World. What that might be can certainly be different from character to character, and is likely to cause a lot of low-level character conflicts- most of which can hopefully be decided in conference.