My take:
World plots take a lot of effort, and are best run as long form story telling that players can opt-in on, and learn more about as time goes by.
A recent example of a world plot is the Earth Defense Grid plot, which isn't fully complete, and has been running since November 2022. It's a good backdrop for RP that people can discuss, admin can drop hints about, PCs can investigate, and NPCs can be interested in info on.
These types of plots can result in new timeline entries as world changing events happen, but they don't always have to.
In some cases with world plots, we select specific PCs to start seeding info to, in other cases it is just about being in the right place at the right time (eg. You're at the Drome when the fallen corpie arrives with paydata that kicks off the plot).
My suggestions for how to get involved:
- always be looking for new info
- if you see a post on the grid, especially in NewsDesk, parrot some of that info ICly, and try to learn more
- Come up with conspiracy theories about why things are happening
- Try to connect dots that may or may not exist.
- Even if the dots you're connecting don't really exist, staff may like what you're doing and decide it's better than what we came up with! Can't tell you how many times players have come up with better ideas for how a plot is/should end than GMs, and we've rolled with it.
- Sell paydata!
- Talk to NPCs about specific events and see if they have opinions or info
- Look for opportunities to profit. They almost always exist when world plot stuff is happening. Be it from gathering & selling paydata or because NPCs need things or because new opportunities open up as a result.
- Build up some IC hype around something by telling others about it, use it as a catalyst for RP, and possibly for interacting with people that ICly you wouldn't always interact with due to class/role differences.
An example of that last bullet would be a ganger with a bunch of paydata about a threat to the city interacting with a Judge who wants them dead, but they work together to save the city, coming to a grudging truce that teeters on a knifes edge, with both knowing that if it goes the wrong way the whole city could be impacted, so they put up with each other, maybe even coming to respect each other, until the inevitable betrayal after the city is safe.
Personally I'd like to see more engagement with world plots-- but I also don't want to promise that trying to get involved means you end up involved. If you try and fail, just try again next time, or as the plot progresses.
