(META) HELP WANTED: Deputy Secretary

[Gaellicia]

HELP WANTED: Deputy Secretary. Experience preferred but not required.

Hey folks, it's been about a year since we elected our new First Secretary. In that time, I wasn't able to devote as much time to the role as I felt it deserves, nor was I able to reform the AN. I want to change that, but I need help.

As Aurivizh has left, Angus MacAlpine has no deputy secretary. That means more workload for him and me IRL.

As we've experimented a little with AN RP, I have some thoughts on where we can take the organization. I think several things can make the AN difficult.

1. Getting involved with the AN currently adds even more prose writing for a player to do, on top of all their other Eurth storylines.
   • Additionally, the RP has been pretty fast-paced. So trying to write nicely crafted chapters can quickly get one left in the dust as events progress rapidly, unless one has the enviable talent of being able to churn out quickly.
2. We're all figuring it out as we go along. As a result, nobody is really sure what power they have and what they can do, what procedures there are, or even what the AN as an organization can accomplish
3. It is difficult to keep track of RP storylines. I noticed this during the Velaheria events, at least for myself. What I mean by this is, is that it's hard to keep track of everything going on in RP story threads and how story events relate to and are then acted upon by the general assembly.

Observations of what people have seemed to enjoy. What we can build on. 

• Despite not having a real structure for debate, I think it's been fun when our characters have gotten to be in a room together and put on a show. (@Neswetej Per Aten "They. Did. Not.")
• With a fast pace, events in the AN get a sense of urgency to them.
• The AN provides a platform for players to voice their nation's position on a topic or event.
• There is potential through the AN for nations that don't normally interact to do so. This is really helpful for players who find themselves without active neighbors.

My thinking on the future of the AN and random ideas for improvements.

• Putting the play in roleplay: Reforming and running the AN will work best if we think about it like we're designing a mini-game within Eurth. Approaching the task with this mindset will make ultimately provide something for Eurth that's different from the story-based RPs that are the norm. In the AN, the mindset will be, "What is my goal? How can I accomplish it? Who could be an ally, and who could be opposition?" In contrast to the mindset of "How can I tell the story I want to tell?"
• Making characters and having them interact is fun. The AN should be built around character actions, specifically the permanent representatives from each nation. Think of it like a mock trial or Dungeons and Dragons.
• A game requires gameplay.
  • OOC wise, we need to create standardized methods and platforms for characters to act. If we do this, players won't need to concern themselves with how to do something and spend more time on playing. I'm not sure which specific methods to use yet. Players have to know what actions a character can take, and when it's their turn to do so. A rule set. Perhaps a turn-based system?
  • Looking at the procedures of the IRL UN does not necessarily work. What works for an inter-governmental plenary body won't be what's best for a forum game. Our procedures should be tailored for accessibility, clarity, and action.
  • The gameplay cycle I envision: Information > Debate/Opinion > Resolution > Voting. After this cycle is complete within the AN, only then can we look for impact on the RP stories external to the AN. It doesn't have to be exactly as I've laid out, but figuring out some kind of core "gameplay loop" will be essential.
  • IC, characters would know how the AN works. We want clear, accessible rules so that characters don't make procedural errors or take actions they wouldn't in real life. Also, not every nation will be interested in every topic. I suggest we have a "roll call" at the beginning of any resolution or debate. This will be used so that interested parties can "opt in" to an event. Not opting in during rollcall means a nation doesn't have to be waited on to weigh in and isn't part of the quorum when voting happens.
  • If Resolutions are a part of the game, then there should be a standardized method of formatting them. Additionally, we should compile a collection of all past RP resolutions once some have been passed.
• In emphasizing play, writing individual posts in the AN shouldn't normally take too long. We could create a rule of thumb to aid this. I.e. Posting in the AN for regular players shouldn't usually take more than 15 minutes.
• Managing the flow of information is a must.
  • The best platform available to us for gameplay, in my view, is the forums. As much AN business as possible needs to be on the forums, both IC and OOC. Having a record here will help us trace our decisions. Discord is good for instant communication, but not this.
  • In character, events should be centralized as much as possible. When the next geo-political crisis happens, having events in a central feed, or at least a feed summarizing what's going on, is a must. We'll need a way to collect all information that the Representatives would know.
  • The thing that slows writing down the most is research. Having the ruleset for AN gameplay + either an overview of the AN's past exploits or framing of each topic where it's not necessary to know will keep player focus on character action.
• Generally, I don't see the everyday business of the AN being the focus of our RP here. At least not at first. To start, the General Assembly should be the sole focus, with only select events getting RPed. We can assume the various agencies, Security Council, and Secretariat are operating in the background until we are able to develop systems for them.

So with all of that down, here is where you come in. I need help.

I'm looking for someone to take on the role of Deputy Secretary. The role will be a meta/OOC role as much as an in-character position. I see us essentially becoming the game masters of the AN, facilitating character action and working behind the scenes so that the player experience is smooth.

My strength lies in writing and character, not game design and plenary procedure. I'm hoping the new Deputy Secretary can complement my weakness.

In Character, the Deputy Secretary would probably not be from a Security Council nation, but as the abilities of the position are unique I say it should be open to anyone. Could it be you?

[Charkov]

This interests me as I do like creating templates and rules and stuff. Describing it like a mini game also helped, as I often envision games and how they would work. I'm still fairly new though, and I'm not even on the map yet. This isn't necessarily me expressing a willingness to volunteer for this, if someone else volunteers they should probably get it. This should be treated more as an expression of interest as I could help if needed and would take the role if given it, although others should probably be given priority. I'm not too sure yet though if I'm ready to take on a responsibility like this.