Difference between revisions of "Template:Romantic Knots"

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(Created page with "<big>'''Romantic Knots'''</big><br> Romantic knots are complex dilemmas with very personal stakes. The consequences are less about physical danger and more about future ha...")
 
 
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<big>'''Romantic Knots'''</big><br>
 
<big>'''Romantic Knots'''</big><br>
Romantic knots are complex [[dilemma]]s with very personal stakes. The consequences are less about physical danger and more about future happiness. Each participant in a romantic knot should have one person who will make them happy in a relationship. No two people in the knot should have each other as that person unless at least 2 more people would be unhappy without them. So the smallest knot would be 3, and complex knots routinely have 5 competing couples.
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Romances aren't desired by every player, so don't feel like you have to invest in a romance if it isn't something that interests you. On the other hand, romances offer unique role-playing opportunities like [[dilemma]]s do, and can be very memorable and rewarding. A romance doesn't have to be chaotic and tragic, but it's more interesting for everyone if it is.
  
Unlike a regular dilemma a romantic knot seldom offers a direct choice. You might choose to help or harm certain participants, change who will make a participant happy, or introduce new participants that might alter the conditions. You may even become a participant yourself, selecting your favored romantic partner as the person who will make you happy. As the relationships become set, one tragic consequence will occur for each unhappy individual in the knot, and each tragedy will change the person who makes a different individual happy. Once every individual in the knot is either happy or has had their tragic consequence resolved then the knot is concluded, and may offer rewards.
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When you set a love for your character and become involved in romances, don't try to set at the beginning who your character will end up in a union with at the end. If that's the only resolution that will please you, then you should discuss it with the referee and start with the union as though the entire romance had played out without tragedy. If you are open other possibilities though, a romance can be very engaging.
  
[[Dispute]]s are a common means of impressing or tarnishing individuals in a knot, which can make relationships resolve faster or more slowly to give you time to make changes. Commonly there is at least one [[investigation]] that will provide a change in who makes a participant happy or eliminate a tragic consequence as a reward. Especially passionate knots may cause [[intrigue]] based murder attempts and all out [[battle]]s.
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Your first love will probably be a personality that you create. You might even create multiple personalities with interlocking loves and foes to form a knot that must be untied before any romances can succeed without tragedy. Involving other players in the knot can make it truly difficult (and entertaining), and give more opportunities to mix up the know with tragedies between gaining loyalty. Inserting a dilemma into the proceedings can also prompt the loyalty change that will spark a new round of embraces. A good rule of thumb is to envision a perfect mate for your character, and then make absolutely certain that person isn't really perfect will never be the final union. Then seize opportunities with other individuals that spin out of that starting point.
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Most of the role-playing comes in initiating or reacting to the invitation to an embrace. The default assumption is that once an embrace succeeds a "fade to black..." occurs. Rare groups of players may find it desirable to go farther, but if you do it is strongly recommended you use John Stavropoulos' "X-Card" technique to make sure no one is uncomfortable. (In brief, put a card with an X on it on the table. If anyone taps or lifts it everyone agrees to drop what was happening and move on without having to explain why.) Not only does this technique help everyone remain in the game, it also makes it easier to push some envelopes.

Latest revision as of 23:44, 10 August 2014

Romantic Knots
Romances aren't desired by every player, so don't feel like you have to invest in a romance if it isn't something that interests you. On the other hand, romances offer unique role-playing opportunities like dilemmas do, and can be very memorable and rewarding. A romance doesn't have to be chaotic and tragic, but it's more interesting for everyone if it is.

When you set a love for your character and become involved in romances, don't try to set at the beginning who your character will end up in a union with at the end. If that's the only resolution that will please you, then you should discuss it with the referee and start with the union as though the entire romance had played out without tragedy. If you are open other possibilities though, a romance can be very engaging.

Your first love will probably be a personality that you create. You might even create multiple personalities with interlocking loves and foes to form a knot that must be untied before any romances can succeed without tragedy. Involving other players in the knot can make it truly difficult (and entertaining), and give more opportunities to mix up the know with tragedies between gaining loyalty. Inserting a dilemma into the proceedings can also prompt the loyalty change that will spark a new round of embraces. A good rule of thumb is to envision a perfect mate for your character, and then make absolutely certain that person isn't really perfect will never be the final union. Then seize opportunities with other individuals that spin out of that starting point.

Most of the role-playing comes in initiating or reacting to the invitation to an embrace. The default assumption is that once an embrace succeeds a "fade to black..." occurs. Rare groups of players may find it desirable to go farther, but if you do it is strongly recommended you use John Stavropoulos' "X-Card" technique to make sure no one is uncomfortable. (In brief, put a card with an X on it on the table. If anyone taps or lifts it everyone agrees to drop what was happening and move on without having to explain why.) Not only does this technique help everyone remain in the game, it also makes it easier to push some envelopes.