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In a pencil or paper game, governance is a fairly simplistic issue. The ST or Storyteller serves as administrator and organizer. He/she creates the NPCs, mediates any OOC disputes, provides rules interpretations and guides the game along. Usually, the ST handpicks
their players, unconsciously choosing people they both like and respect.
Freeform games have no set Storytellers. Players are allowed to create any character at any power level that falls within the rules provided on the games' web page and play as they see fit. Players are expected to resolve any in-game or out-of-game problems between themselves. Ostracism tends to be an effective method of disciplining problematical people; if you dislike someone else or their role-playing style, you simply refuse to interact IC or speak with them OOC. When everyone in the game “shuns” the problem player, they either leave or learn how to be much less problematical. As players become cliques and cliques become factions, however, the online game environment grows increasingly volatile. Players spend more time OOC socializing and reinforcing their status as an "US" as opposed to "Them." On the bright side, Freeform games are usually extremely dynamic. Players with only a few source books or only passing knowledge of the game mechanics or settings can find themselves welcomed and pick up more advanced knowledge from the Veteran players. The stories tend to be highly interactive and addictive. Some players find freeform games to be extremely exciting and prefer to be able to create their own "World of Darkness", ignoring the official metaplot. Angels, Demons, Highlanders, Werewolf-Vampire sexual encounters and other oddities creep into the game, creating a very player-driven, player-controlled atmosphere that isn't really the "official" World of Darkness. Electoral online games often start out as Freeform games, with players who decide they want to provide a little more coherency or a 'canon' environment. Storytellers are chosen from among the most popular and established players by the group. They then direct the way the game is run, restructuring the Social Contract to meet their personal gaming style and working much like a Camarilla primogen, each Storyteller contributing to the organizational structure. The game
The copyright of the article Creating An Online Game Part Four- Governance in Role Play Gaming is owned by Laurel Stuart. Permission to republish Creating An Online Game Part Four- Governance in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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