Discussion Tips for Going Major from the OGs

[Aether Verd]

Given the recent conversations on Chaos about majors and whatnot, I figured I'd be an old head and share what I know on the subject.

For the uninitiated, I've been no-lifing this site since 2013 and have had the honor of founding seven major factions in my time on the board. I've also been part of numerous faction staff teams!

Suffice it to say, I know how various forms of sausage are made!

Topic for today: Tips for Going Major

1. Know who you are - this is the step you should take before you click "add faction." As FO, you should know your concept, what makes you different from factions of similar alignment (e.g., Light Side) or genre (e.g., Criminal) that are active or previous. You should know what story you want to tell to get started and have an idea of where you want to go.

2. Build your starting five - To go major you need five members and a month of activity. Great! This is the part where I'd recommend reaching out to people on a 1-1 basis. Pitch them your idea and, most importantly, see if they'd be interested in bringing their main character to your faction. Why main? Simple. No matter how wild and fickle one's muse is, they always come home to the main character eventually.

3. Write like hell - from the second you make your faction page, hit the ground running. Whenever you make a faction, everyone on the site sees it go live. (It's a good idea to have your graphics ironed out for your faction forum early if you can, but if not it's okay). You have a precious window where folks are paying attention to you and what you're doing - capitalize. Post your intro stories, get those invested folks writing, get an interest check or LFG going - write like hell. If you're lacking anything such as graphics or factory gubbins? This is the time to ask the board for help as, again, all eyes are on you.

4. Keep your nose clean - sounds like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised. Applying for major isn't just an activity check, it's a you check. If you have a troubled past? You've gotta prove you're not that same person by behaving. If you have a problem child in your starting lineup? You've gotta prove you have them on a tight leash. Be cordial in all you do. Be mindful of what your members do, because what they do = what you're doing.​

Now, mandatory disclaimer - I don't know how site staff evaluates majors or if you'll be guaranteed going major if you follow these steps. What I do know is that this is my methodology and I've had the privilege of adding a color to the map each and every time. If you want this? You can do it.

Make people part of the journey, you've got this!

To my other MFO peers, if I'm missing anything or if you have any helpful advice for map game hopefuls, please chime in!​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

takes notes

makes the Jedi faction she's always dreamed of having

(Edi voice: That was a joke.)

 

[Aether Verd]

Adelle Bastiel - brb crucifying more Jedi

 

[Arris Windrun]

I think you hit the nail on the head.

I'll add my own experience from TSC POV. My previous factions were honestly meh. (Sorry to the Primeval diehards if any of you still exist somewhere, but I was really young and edgy.)

I think what was really successful for TSC was just honing in on a big vision and writing ourselves there, regardless of whether it panned out as a faction. We intended to hit GE because they showed up to our Conclave and threw a challenge. We pivoted from hitting Jedi Enclaves to answering that challenge, because it made sense in-character.

We ran the Sith Academy to turn acolytes of various backgrounds into frontline soldiers. Many writers took that story a step further, tying their personal narratives, goals, and grievances into the plot. Then we hit Tapani because we needed loot to justify our growth. We're building an army - what feeds them? Munitions, food, ships, soldiers. How do you get those quickly? Money.

The build-up to going major and invading was really fun, and we had a few escalating interactions with the GE to get us there. We did what we set out to do, and we wrote every chapter to get there! So everything we're doing right now just honestly feels like stretch goals.

We also built a working relationship with major factions from the get-go because we wanted people to know that we can play ball, and got a head start on those OOC relationships and found hooks for how our factions might interact. Shoutout to Brandyn Sal-Soren and Lorn Reingard for working with us on Genarius.

So, mirroring what Guy said, I dunno and cannot authoritatively state anything about app approvals, but I know our decisions and narrative reactivity did help build that organic growth, creating OOC and IC dynamics between writers and characters that meant we could stick together and keep pushing story, regardless of what the board or IRL threw our way.

And the really, really cool thing is, whenever TSC dies or goes minor down the lane, our surviving characters will have so much history and drama to weave into future stories regardless of whether the faction is there.

You can, actually, just write your way through it.

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Adelle Bastiel - brb crucifying more Jedi

Why do you hate me?

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

1. If you're going to write a faction that isn't Sith, Mandalorian, or Jedi, be prepared to do a lot of heavy lifting. These are the bread-and-butter factions of the site because everyone immediately recognizes what they are, understands the basic kinds of stories they offer, and already knows what sorts of characters fit within them. If you're building something less familiar, or attempting something that has not been done before, then you're going to need to teach people what the faction is and why they should care about it, and show them how to participate. Give tangible examples that are familiar and clear story opportunities they can easily latch onto. The potential writer pool will naturally be smaller, so try to keep your expectations realistic and realize that most of the story will be coming from you and your core group.

2. As the opening post says, you need to write. Public threads and faction-forward stories are important, and you should look for opportunities to collaborate with other factions, but do not underestimate the value of private threads. One-on-one or small-group stories can give members room to develop relationships, establish their character's place within the group, and feel as though they are part of the story rather than simply standing somewhere in the background of it. Once people feel personally invested in the faction and the characters within it, they are far more likely to participate in its larger plots.

3. Develop a thick skin if you're going to be an MFO. Not everyone is going to like your ideas or always think particularly highly of you, and that is something you have to learn to live with. Leadership makes you visible, and visibility is always going to invite criticism. Some of it will be fair, and some of it will be needlessly personal and it's best if you try to rise above it and let things go, which is usually easier said than done. Listen when people raise legitimate concerns, own your mistakes when you make them, and adjust.

4. Have fun with what you're writing. If you apply for major, and staff tells you, 'not this time, come back and try again'. Do that. Feel down about it for the time that you need to, ask for clarification if you need it, and try again. What's the worst that is going to happen if you continue to try?