With the official storyline being left as-is, quite possibly indefinitely, the concept of the story being in "our hands" comes to mind.  I would like to know how the rest of the community feels about the idea of the story being player-run.  Would you like to see a team of players, like LESIG or Algorithm: Black step up, to carry on the story in some semi-official (by semi-official, I mean that the majority of the community more or less accepts it as cannon) way?

Would you like to see the story left alone, and claim everything posted for Chapters 12, 13 and 14 as the official "end?"  Or would you prefer, as a community, to see it continue in some way, run by players, for players?  Or would you just not care, either way?

If you know me at all, then you probably have a pretty good idea of why I'm asking these questions.  I'm looking forward to hearing your answers.

As diverse of a community we have, I see it hard for everyone to comply with a non-official continuation of the story.  However, I can't say that it wouldn't make me happy if we did come together and end this story properly.

Rarebit has given us a guide, it could be possible.

That's what I think: http://forums.station.sony.com/mxo/..._id=36300027582

I think we don't have to do any sharp moves before we know if SOE is gonna make some steps and what will they be. 

I just don't see it happening, with all the anti-player event attitude that's rampant in this place. Perhaps moreso these days now that most of the ones who cared about PE's aren't around much anymore.

That being said, if there were an element of RP going around, I might actually be around more. But as it stands, I just can't bring myself to jack in and sit around hoping someone might stop by Camon Central. And farming and mission grinding is something I've hated in this game even when we had a story.

deimoslvov wrote:

I think we don't have to do any sharp moves before we know if SOE is gonna make some steps and what will they be. 

I would agree with you, but at the same time, I don't think it would hurt to have something in place should worse come to worse.

If it were me, I'd start with where we are now, re-write the rest of Chapter 12, 13, 14, and execute them all differently, then press on from there.  I'd probably put together a believable end-game that could be implemented at any time, regardless of current storyline happenings, should the day ever come that the end really was nigh.

If nothing else, it would be some form of storyline, that the players would have the option of participating in and affecting.  If they wanted to take it as cannon, cool.  If not, that's cool too.

Since Rare has left us with the guide to the story we should do our best to follow it as far as we can in my opinion, so, player events for players, possibly cinematics? Seeing Odj remake them was nice and i'm sure we can do the same if they're required.

Don't know what you guys want though.

While I agree with what Phrack has proposed, I also agree with the idea of waiting to see what SOE does with us.

Though I would support an unofficial 'official' storyline devised by us, the community, I could also see it difficult to agree upon, as people from the different servers might want different outcomes, seeing as they are different RP parties, atmospheres, and sub-communities within each. A committee could probably be established on each server to oversee the course of their storylines, along with developing in different directions from the others. That's just something to throw out there as possibilities.

Masonna wrote:

...people from the different servers might want different outcomes...

That's certainly doable.  There's no reason why different servers "stories" couldn't deviate from each other's, depending on who did what in what event, either.

Masonna wrote:

While I agree with what Phrack has proposed, I also agree with the idea of waiting to see what SOE does with us.

Though I would support an unofficial 'official' storyline devised by us, the community, I could also see it difficult to agree upon, as people from the different servers might want different outcomes, seeing as they are different RP parties, atmospheres, and sub-communities within each. A committee could probably be established on each server to oversee the course of their storylines, along with developing in different directions from the others. That's just something to throw out there as possibilities.

Basically, that just means chaos. This game needs an official storyteller, it's the core principle of the RP and ADND games.

Having a player group as a contingency can't hurt. Time should be bided and see what may happen in terms of leadership by official powers. My qualm is how would a player group be elected; there are some rampant perceptions of "self" that are severely overinflated and there would be the risk of unqualification. I would think third-party for such a matter, but I'm just smothering a possibility.

I don't see the story continuing in any meaningful way. It would be nice, but there's no way you'd even get the majority of players to follow a central player-run story. Far more likely, I think, is a series of inter-faction stories and events, perhaps compiled somewhere but otherwise distinct from one another.

I think it'll go on in a meaningful way.

Very meaningful, indeed.    http://forums.station.sony.com/mxo/..._id=36300027581

This is why the story was never really in our hands, even though the ads told us so.

Phrack, you got my suppost no matter what.

The only problem with a player run storyline, are the egos that the Matrix Online playerbase is famous for having.  Same reason why LESIG never really worked.  Everyone is going to have a different idea on what the storyline should be, and how to run it, and their idea is going to be the perfect one in their mind.

Player events are one thing, but actually trying to move the main storyline is another.  No matter how hard you try, there are going to be others who will try to undermine you and gain attention for themselves.

I'll try to be supportive, but in the end, I think most of the events and RP that I stick to will be the Trust's in-faction RP.  A lot less drama that way.

As much as I'd like to see the story being continued driven by players I have to agree that while the beginning may be very organised and the story respected by many, it won't be too long before various other elements get included, elements that would very likely cause much arguing and division. Player events were good because people knew they couldn't direct the main story with it and they were constrained to the story and what we knew of it at the time.

Allowing free reign with the 'official' story simply opens the door for god modding, organisational bias/misrepresentation etc..

Now I'm not claiming that the decent story writers that we have will be biased to one org over another or will skip details/facts that we know in order to continue their stories, but with players as the X factor, unless every single eventuality is thought of prior to a turn of events, even the strictest of story writer could have the story run away from them. Hence the tiny amount of player defined story directions in Rare's original story.

And this is without the inevitable griefers.

I'll support and respect a player driven story for as long as it's credible and not too fantasic outside the realms of the Matrix world. We have people capable of writing good, engaging stories, lets hope that the rest of us can aid them in their playing out.

Basically what Fen said.. but in more words.