How they brought the good games from Rohan to Gondor
 

Writers of the Mark and Shirelings,

Some of you have been wondering how gamers become accepted as Gondorians. Just as members of the Fellowship found, the route lies through Rohan.

Gondor is reachable if you make use of the resources available to you in Rohan.

The minimum requirement is to manage successfully at least one game in Rohan. Simply playing in games in The Shire and Rohan does not give one enough experience about gaming. You need to know how to choose gamers, how to provide constructive advice, how to keep the game alive.

Gondorian gamers are people who delight in writing, who understand how to write for an audience, and who also understand story or plot stucture and characterization well. They can create original characters and plots.

Rohan is the place where gamers can extend themselves in these areas, developing complex or multiple plot lines for games and developing aspects of characterization such as motivation, psychological complexity, and exploiting weakness as an avenue for psychology. Rohan is also the place where you can explore various genres such as comedy or romance (serious), tragedy, even melodrama if you wish. The Rohan team of advisors is here to help you run games and extend your writing in any of these areas.

Currently, Gondorian membership consists of the following gamers. The list is not closed, however. When new names are added, I will be announcing them here.


Amanaduial the Archer
Aylwen Dreamsong
Barrow-Wight
Bethberry
Birdland
Child of the Seventh Age
Cuthalion
Estelyn Telcontar
Fordim Hedgethistle
Gandalf the Grey
Gilthalion
Mark12_30
Mithadan
Piosenniel
Rimbaud
Susan Delgado
Thenamir


If you have any questions about how to become a Gondorian, or how to develope your writing skills or a game proposal, please post them here. If you feel your questions are personal rather than general, please PM me.

Bêthberry,
Moderator for Rohan

PS Apologies to Robert Browning for this thread's title.

Bêthberry,

I have a quick question. Does simply running a game in Rohan qualify you for the Gondor list, or do you have to apply? Does someone go back and check the game that you ran, making sure that it was up to standards?

Essentially, my question is that once I'm done running my game, is there something else I have to do to qualify for the list?

Thanks!
~Orual

A Good Point!
 

Hi Orual,

Here is a very brief rundown of the general procedure.

Gamers join Gondor by personal invitation from those already on the list, usually sent by the Gondor Moderator on behalf of all Gondorians. There is no formal application process or procedure.

The minimum criterion is managing a game successfully in Rohan, but membership is not automatic. Rather, in the past, gamers have been invited to Gondor based upon the overall quality of their gaming and contribution to the Barrow Downs RPG fora, in the past as well as currently. The standard to be aimed for is that set by the games themselves in Gondor.

Candidates are suggested by other Gondorians, by myself, or by The Shire Mods, Pio and Child. Agreement is by consensus. We try very hard not to browbeat our other Gondorians. If we do, Mithadan is always available to read us some riot act or other. Loyers, to use the REB term, are quite wont to do that. Of course, this is a point to which we have never yet resorted.

If you have specific questions about your game or your gaming, please send them to me via PM. I will have very little online access this weekend but will respond as soon as I am able.

Cheers,
Bêthberry

A second point
 

Orual's question above made me realise that perhaps not enough people understand what I do as Moderator here in Rohan. So, here is my opportunity to bend a few collective ears.

Orual had asked:

No one needs to! I know the state and condition of every game in Rohan.

Every game in Rohan is constantly and continuously reviewed by me or by Aylwen Dreamsong, the current Innkeeper of The White Horse, to ensure that games meet Rohan standards as they progress.

If I see a Game Manager running into a problem, I PM the Gamer Manager with suggestions. I even nudge those who have let a game fall dormant. *gasp* Yes, I do. I don't swing a whip but I do try gently to get games back in action. Sometimes that is not possible; often it is. (I think one problem we have in Rohan is that many games last a very long time. This is discouraging for new gamers in Rohan, who don't see any games they can join.) My Ride to the Dark Side lasted six weeks. Maybe I should run another short game just to show it can be done in Rohan. ;)

If I see a Game Player who needs a bit more guidance and direction, I will notify the Game Manager (who in Rohan is responsible for helping the Game Players keep to the standard). I will also offer to help if the Game Manager asks for help or if individual gamers do. I have often made suggestions about posts to gamers, via PM, rather than on the discussion threads. My feeling is that, in Rohan, with gamers of some experience, it is not necessary to delete posts and publically send them back to gamers.

So there ya have it, Writers of the Mark. I'm peeking over your shoulders all the time. And, no, another word for it is not 'lurking.' :D

Bêthberry

Edit: I review game proposals in Rohan too. Got an idea? Send it to me and I will help you develope it into a proposal.

A New Gondorian
 

Writers of the Mark and Shirelings,

I am very happy to announce that Aylwen Dreamsong has been accepted as a Gondorian. Aylwen long ago ran a game in Rohan, was exemplary in her posting om An Audience with the King, games regularly and often in both The Shire and Rohan, has another interesting game on tap for Rohan, and has played an important part in running The White Horse Inn where she is now the resident Innkeeper.

Well done, Aylwen!

Bêthberry

Congrats Aylwen Dreamsong! You have achieved what many of us dream for...well...and least me ;) I'll get there eventually. Bêthberry, shouldn't Aylwen Dreamsong be added to the list in the first post of this thread?

My bad. Yes, Perky, I have now added Aylwen Dreamsong's name to the list of Gondorians in the first post here, and Cuthalion's name as well.

And add Fordim. Hail!

I have already given a recommendation for Fordim to Mithadan, Rim. Read your own PMs, why doncha! ;)

ooo Grats Fordim! While you're in Gondor, i need some more athelas. I'll send my PO box. But I digress. Grats! :)

Another question
 

My question is this:

How experienced must you be before trying to run a game yourself? For example: If you ran an RPG in the Shire and also played in a couple before then does that make you qualified enough? Or would you have to run several - i.e say four or so - before you can apply to run a game in Rohan?

I've been wondering about this because I would like to start a game in Rohan . . . if my plan about a game in the Shire doesn't fall through.

That strikes up another question. Can you be a game owner of two games at one time?


Just being curious. Thank you for your time.


Crystal Heart