Great adventures with dark wizards bent on global domination -usually- requires a DM. I say usually, because sometimes it doesn't, as long as it's kept in someone's personal RP and not forced on the rest of the server (this usually means they aren't on any brink of actual success). Epic battles at the Ministry requires a DM. Students getting slaughtered, or students slaughtering, requires a DM.
But -so- much more doesn't need a DM at all. So much more. And no, it's not -only- social interaction that's DM-less. Some of the more "active" characters on the server tend toward more social activities, and the less "active" characters sit in the EH and -wait- for something to happen. There are -many- other alternatives.
This server is in many ways a very open RP server. There are few restrictions, so long as it's not disruptive, so long as it doesn't force RP on others, and so long as it fits in JKR's world.
Jade and Peran, Zane and Joki, and Liss and Angel are almost always making up some sort of research project to work on. Others do as well. Some are RPd as curricular, some are RPd as extracurricular. This isn't to gain some power for the character, this is to give our characters something to do.
In the past, students have formed groups. Dueling groups, chess groups, music groups, groups of students formed for the protection of the school or other magical place or knowledge. Clubs, cults, whatever you want to call them. These are completely player-run and provide for a lot of RP- RP which will very often get called on when there's a DM running a plot.
People have gone and RP'd a DM-less class. Mostly the prof is RP'd as making "wa wa wa wa wa, wa wa wa," sounds as the students RP doing whatever it is they are doing in the background of the class. In this case, the content of the class is implied, to avoid any conflicts with established server history, unless it's something well known or some sort of research project, whatever.
Think HP. Have your character mess around with potions, get blown up a little, whatever you like. If your character is actually researching an advanced magic, go for it... just keep us in the loop. Rule 1 about advanced magic RP: If you're in it for the RP, you will be happy. If you're in it to get the end result, you will be frustrated. You as the player should be in it for the RP, your character should be in it for the end result. There's a big difference. But even without advanced magic RP, there are -plenty- of projects that you can come up with for your character. Most, but not all, school projects your character will probably see as a pain in the butt, keep that in mind. It -is- homework, after all.
Several times we have RP'd going to see a movie at the cinema. Everyone meets there, then everyone starts the movie on their computer or TV or Netflix or whatever at exactly the same time. Then through the whole movie, RP takes place. Throwing popcorn, laughing or booing, remarks about the movie, whatever. After one movie in particular, Liss was so inspired by something she saw that it created RP that turned into her NEWTs potions project, and the special knife that she used to stab Bendus Blott at the battle of LAM, as well as a whole host of other things that she hasn't revealed to the public yet.
Have your character go "play" out on grounds. Like Seril was saying, about rappelling or the balloon idea. Play frisbee. Liss took a few younger years who where "waiting" in the EH out to the garden so they could attempt to animate little people made out of apples. Which of course ended up with apple sauce sometimes.
One of the key issues with finding things to do, is that people think of it from the perspective of you as a player. "What is there to do in this server?" Instead, strip away the server, and let your character ask the question. What would your character be doing? Then, instead of saying "that's not possible to do on the server," realize that it is possible (as long as it's within the rules). Just figure out how. Europa can be Antarctica, The Black's place can be some old house, or a museum, or whatever... the Durmstrang mountains can be Siberia, some remote place. And when you need to RP your characters in a car, just park them somewhere, move the camera so you can't see the screen, and go text only. It -can- be RP'd.
Waiting in the EH will ensure you of one thing only... waiting. Go do something. And if everyone else is already off doing things, and you're all alone, there is a nifty thing called an owl. And like Seril said, don't always look for only the extraordinary. "Ordinary" is what brings the characters to life. That "life" is what makes them extraordinary. Especially when something extraordinary actually does happen.
|
