Regions and levels and what makes the game the "game."

[femkes_follies]

Bear with me here. I had a C-section with 10 puppies interrupt my afternoon, so now I'm too tired to be bothered with the stress of cutting out the trim for John's new Waffenrok. (I have 1 yd - it should be JUST enough = how to summon the Gods of Chaos and ensure that I screw it up, as I can't currently get more).

Some of you are on various filters, so some of this will be kind of a repeat, though in more general terms.

In terms of what makes the game "fun" for you in the society:

I've held forth before on my opinion that people tend to play on various "levels." Some people operate primarily at the Society level (On the Grand Council, Mayor of Pennsic, etc). Others at the Kingdom level (Curia, many Peers, Crown and coeteries thereof). Others operate at the Regional level (Regional officers, those in a Regional fighting unit, etc). The rest more at a local level. Some people are also more adept at moving in between.

So in general terms, people operating at the Kingdom level feel pretty tied into the Kingdom. But what about the rest? What, specifically, makes people at the Regional level or below feel like part of the "magic?" (and by below, I don't really mean to imply anything other than that's how the tree looks in my head. I suppose I could have gone right-to-left, but my brain is more vertically oriented). Royal visits? Retaining? Helping your local group host Crown, or Twelfth Night? Getting awards and seeing other people in the local area get awards? Fighting under the Midrealm banner?

What interferes with feeling part of the Kingdom? Do you get aggravated when you feel your area is neglected? When nobody local has gotten recognized, even though YOU feel they deserve it? Does fighting under a Baronial or Shire banner make you feel more part of the Barony, at the expense of feeling like part of the Region of Kingdom? Do household loyalties interefere? What if the Household is multi-Kingdom?

Those of you who primarily operate on a Kingdom level, do you feel more loyalty to the Kingdom than before you "peeked behind the curtain?" Less? Do Household ties or local pressures make you feel like you're between a rock and a hard place? Do people who have claims on you expect you do favor them specifically, and do you find that a stressful situation if it's perhaps in contrast with what might be better for the Kingdom as a whole? Do the people locally feel as strongly tied to the Kingdom as you do? Would you know if they didn't?

Speak forth and share your opinions. I know y'all have got 'em.

ETA - This post is wide open for a reason. ;-) I'm interested in opinions even of people I don't know. Those in areas that seem to be less tied to their Kingdoms in some ways - Tir Mara, the proposed An Tir Principality, Norther Atlanita, New Zealand in general - and those that ARE the epicenter of their kingdom. As well as opinions from older Kingdoms about WHY they are now Kingdoms, whether that process was smooth or not.

Which brings up another question - Is it the responsibility of the Crown and Kingdom to make a concerted effort to look for signs of "marginalization" and attempt to correct it? The responsibility of those who feel marginalized to FIND ways to be part of the Kingdom? Or just a sign that things have changed and it might be time to re-evaluate the entire relationship?

Comments

[mistressarafina.livejournal.com]

I'm saying that it takes two to tango. Responsibility lies on both sides. If you choose, it's your job to point out a problem (as long you at least offer one solution) to the "powers that be." I just don't want you to think that breaking off solves all the problems of being ignored. Someone will always feel left out because that just seems to be the nature of groups like this. You can only make some of the people happy some of the time, striving for most on both counts.

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

Indeed it does, and the other side isn't interested.

I DID say - please reinstate the rotation. I even suggested the system wherein interested groups volunteer and a schedule is generated. That way, everybody KNOWS when their turn is. You have to have a bid in 10 months prior or it opens up to anybody else and you get dropped from the rotation. Trading dates with other groups is allowed.

Nobody was interested.

I also suggested separating Kingdom A&S from Crown Tourney, so at least THAT could move around.

Again, with the crickets.

Nobody has had the slightest interest in rotating 12th Night or Rose Tourney in any form, either.

So, what now?

Am I obligated to continue offering suggestions until they find one they like? Do I have to say it again and again to each new collected Crown and Curia for a specified period of time?

Where does MY obligation leave off and theirs begin?

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

Or, perhaps it's more accurate to say that the response that I and others have gotten is basically, "Well, the way it is now works better for everybody else, so we're not going to change it."

I don't see any attempt there at negotiation, either.

You've said yourself that anything short of a major crisis is unlikely to be acted upon, anyway.

So then, why should we not work to make ourselves happy?