How soon things change ...

[binidj]

I know I shouldn't go anywhere near it, but every now and then something prompts me to go to the Harts website. Of course once I'm there I just can't help sniffing around and occasionally I dig up something like the following in the Ancestors of Albion section:

The Architect
The Architect was originally an Imperial ancestor and one that lost much power after the destruction of the Empire. He represents wealth, prosperity and civilisation ... and encourages his followers to see such things as signs of personal growth. Worship of the Architect is on the increase, especially in the southern duchies of Cornwall and Winchester. He is however often shunned by Albion's more tribal races (such as the elves).

Now I know this is bollocks on account of how I helped JFS to write it. Ordfinarily I wouldn't bother to raise this but I was fairly sure that confirmation that this was utter bollocks had been found by players several years ago.

I know it's none of my business any more but still ... it's annoying to see something that you have written and were once quite proud of, changed beyond all recognition. A bit like CS Lewis coming back to discover that Jadis had been re-written as one of Aslan's helpers.

Comments

[castorlion.livejournal.com]

Having been in pretty much this position, I will state that vicious and deliberate attempts are not being made to rewrite what has been written.

Rather, what is happening is that plot team members are being drawn from the ranks of the faction players, often the longer term players who remember with fondness the plot lines they themselves played through and enjoyed. These plot team members are paying homage to those plot lines, and attempting to both preserve them as part of the setting and also bring a measure of the enjoyment they had to the newer players.

Unfortunately, these plot team members don't have access to behind the scenes information; what they have is information that they and other people uncovered IC - and although we know how unreliable that is, it's still very difficult to acknowledge that what you "know" as "fact" could well be a tissue of lies.

One way or another, whether through lack of communication or through a corruption of information caused by the chinese whispers of NPC replacing etc, the definitive info is not available, and those of us who know you respect your wish to remain LT-negative, therefore making it very hard to approach you for advice on plot lines that you wrote. So the plot team member goes ahead with it anyway, because it's now part of the history, part of the story, and part of legend and because they want it to remain so.

It's not an insult, or deliberate revisionism; it's an attempt to preserve what was written. Misguided, perhaps. But no one is perfect.

[binidj.livejournal.com]

"... and those of us who know you respect your wish to remain LT-negative, therefore making it very hard to approach you for advice on plot lines that you wrote."

But that's the thing ... I'm not LT-negative, the only thing keeping me away from the LT (and, indeed from being an NPC again) is health. Do I like Andy King? Nope, not really; but there are a whole shedload of other people that I both like and respect. I don't think I'm the most unapproachable person in the world either.

When I resigned, I did so as a faction leader until such time as they demonstrably got their boundaries sorted out (I was not then, nor am I now, holding my breath on that one). I still think it's a great game, I have a lt of friends who still go there and I still feel quite a strong investment in it.

In fact, I was consulted by the Harts Plot Team on storylines I'd had some involvement with for quite a while after I'd stepped down. I don't think there's a conspiracy, nor do I think the Plot Team is stupid. I do think that it's worthwhile contacting original plotwriters when rewriting their plot because you never know what's gone out into the player domain.

[castorlion.livejournal.com]

You aren't? Well then, I stand corrected and if you'll give me a list of your plot lines I'll be sure to turn up on your doorstep with a dictaphone if I ever join Harts plot again. :-)

[jfs.livejournal.com]

But that's the thing ... I'm not LT-negative, the only thing keeping me away from the LT (and, indeed from being an NPC again) is health.

You know, it's just struck me. How many people are like MattMatt and assume that because you stood down, you're automatically LT---?

If it's a common perception, that's an incredibly damning thing.