Events

Running an Event
Courtesy of Yev

How do I take initiative?

This one is probably the biggest question of all. The simplest answer is 'look around you, come up with an idea, try to act on it.' If we operate on my conclusion in point one (that staff wants players to take the initiative), then the next question to ask yourself once you see an opportunity is: "What IC and OOC resources do I need to act on my idea?" The IC resources are mainly up to the character. The OOC ones are what using +str is for. Post your idea, detail what you want to do, and ask what you need to do as a player to get the ball rolling. You may be pointed towards IC solutions, or you may be asked to provide descriptions or whatever else is deemed needed, or it may be as simple as writing a +news article.

What I usually do when an event is called for as part of taking initiative is run the basic event idea by staff, and get a thumbs up, especially for higher impact events. Sometimes staff will want to run something themselves, but in my experience it's preferable for players to do event running (remember, it makes staff life easier, a good thing!).

Generating Ideas

Okay, let's back up a step. "Well gee, that all sounds well and good if you have an idea of what to do, but what about those of us who don't?" - Let's consider idea sources: +news, +bboards, random scenes, room descs mentioning things of interest, or even just a character's goals. If +news mentions a massive explosion somewhere with a lot of injuries, a medical character could easily take initiative by trying to show up and help the survivors, for example.

Get more PCs

Initiative always works better if you have at least a couple other PCs involved. Be careful, however, to not go past a limit you're comfortable working with.

Be bold, but know your limits.

If you're uncomfortable taking initiative, or simply new, try 'small things' first. Get a taste. A lot of initiative comes down to being willing to run/operate events and scenes, which can be a lot of work for someone not used to it. Don't burn out.

Know when to ask for help.

Sometimes you don't need 'staff approval' or help to take initiative to do something at first. In fact, this can happen quite often. If the idea expands, know when to send a call higher up to at least talk with someone on staff. A quick conversation or +str now can save a huge headache later in many cases.