Alright, everyone; Im sure there are tons of burning questions for the new Path to Power site! In just a few lines here, I'm going to post the preliminary FAQ as it stands. Reply with your questions, if they aren't answered, and we'll get them taken care of. Then, for posterity, we'll make sure a finished version gets on the wiki.
Also, take a look at the New Reader Guide! It's got some good information and also happens to be oh-so-pretty.
So, without further ado:
What is "Path to Power"?
Path to Power is a web-based interactive clan-building game set in the Drowtales universe. Listed under the "Challenges" section of the Drowtales site, subscribers to Path to Power become members of a minor clan that was nearly destroyed; its survivors exiled. Forced to start over, subscribers must advise the Ilharess, the leader of their clan, in her important decisions; good decisions make the clan prosper, bad decisions cause it to weaken. The fate of the clan is in your hands!
What's it like?
Path to Power is best described as a simulation game, in the sense that you are interacting with the game as though you were a part of it. Whether encouraging your leader to make peace or war, managing resources or watching as your clan grows, your choices affect the clan and the clan's choices affect you!
What about the back-story? (NEW)
Hailing from a city on the isolated outskirts of the underground Drow nation, your group are the surviving members of an attack which wiped out the ruling clan and threw the population into chaos. Led by the youngest daughter of the former Ilharess, you fled the lands seeking refuge and a new start. In a journey which took many weeks, several refugees died of hunger or injury and almost everything of value was sold to pay for food.
You have now reached an area where the light of Chel'el'Sussoloth is visible, although this place is unfamiliar to you. None of the refugees have ever heard of the great pillar of light, the Great Clans, drowussu. For you, this new land will be full of wonders and fraught with peril, and you must band together with your fellow clan members in order to survive this dangerous new territory.
What is the limit of a ranked member actions?
While Visual roleplayer offer a full control over a character, path to power is more about managing a clan as a whole. By taking a rank, you take a position in that clan and thus can perform actions that are limited to what your rank is. A scout can select area of the map to explore , find people, search buildings. While it is not possible for the scout to join a battle, make weapons or engage in diplomacy. Another exemple would be a blacksmith. A blacksmith can use the ressources available to create various metal based objects for the use of the clan. But cannot train soldiers to use them. Forget individuality and heroic feats. Path to power is about the management of the clan in a big group.
So consider well which rank you truly want before subscribing to the first one you see.
How does it work?
The Path to Power page contains links to two comic archives and a map, a shoutbox and the numerical statistics of the clan. The Leader Archive contains the Ilharess' personal actions, as decided by the votes. All subscribers have access to this archive, may submit actions for consideration, and may cast one vote. The Events Archive covers more broad happenings that affect the clan as a whole and the results of decisions. All subscribers may read this archive, but only Ranked members may submit actions. Additionally, Ranked members may vote twice for any actions, and protest once against an action in this archive. Everyone may view the map, which will be updated as the Clan grows and explores.
The shoutbox will, eventually, have additional functionality, where you can click on a members name and pull up their statistics, whether they are ranked or not, positions filled and other info.
Wait, what's all this stuff about ranked members? (UPDATED)
Ranked members, story-wise, are individuals who have risen from the residents of the Clan to special leadership positions. These individuals help shape the Clan by choosing how its resources are used, and what projects it undertakes. Additionally, Ranked members will design a character that may appear in the comic at appropriate times, becoming a personality within the Clan. The number of ranked positions will be limited, but will expand as the Clan grows and more jobs become available or viable.
Individuals interested may apply for an untaken position and, once accepted, will have to get an upgrade subscription in order to fill the slot. However, you must first be a Basic member in order to apply; nobody will be allowed to just sign up for a Ranked position.
Limited Ranked positions? That sucks! (NEW)
There are very specific reasons why this is so, first and foremost being that the value of being a Ranked member becomes more diluted as the number of Ranked members increases. There would be arguments, chaos, and an ultimate ruining of the game, not to mention limited face time for any of the characters. As it stands, the initial list of Ranked members will not be large, nor will there be multiple individuals, but keep in mind that the Clan begins small, and so there is not a need for them.
As the Clan grows, more slots for certain positiosn and new positions will be unlocked, allowing more Ranked members to join. As a group of refugees, some jobs and roles are considered luxuries, and will not be filled until there is a need. So be patient! You still can have a major effect on Clan politics as a Basic member and there will be multiple opportunities to advance.
Another thing to consider is the fact that without subscriptions, the Clan won't grow, which means that more Ranked positions won't become available. So if you want to be a Ranked member, it is in your best interest to subscribe!
What does a Basic Path to Power subscription cost, and what do I get?
Basic member subscription costs 5 USD per month and gives you read access to both the Leader and Events Archives. You may input advice to the Ilharess and vote once on any of the options in the Leader Archive. You will also have access to the shoutbox and, later, the forum (when it becomes available, though that will be much later). Additionally, you may approach the appropriate Ranked member and get trained in a specific profession (for example, being trained into a soldier by the Warmaster), thus becoming a living resource for the clan.
What does a Ranked Path to Power subscription cost, and what do I get?
A Ranked member subscription costs an additional 10 USD per month, for a total of 15 USD, and gives you read access to both the Leader and Events Archives. You may input advice to the Ilharess and vote once on any of the options in the Leader Archive. You may input suggestions for the clan, vote twice and protest once on any of the options in the Events Archive. You will have access to the shoutbox and the forum (when it becomes available, though that will be much later), in addition to having a character persona that may appear in the comics at appropriate times. You will also be able to train Basic members into specialized units based upon your job, allowing them to become resources for the clan.
How do my votes affect the game?
For the Leader Archive, the votes are one-for-one, meaning that it is a flat tally and the winning option is used, though exceptions can occur (such as in the case of two options coming close/tying, while fitting together well). For the Event Archive, tallies of both votes and protests are taken. After the protests are subtracted, any option with zero or less votes is discarded; the remaining options will be carried out in order of popularity, as resources can support. If two people suggest spending most of the money, the one with more votes is completed and the second option stops due to lack of funds; many things can happen at once.
How often will the pages update? (Updated)
When everything is up and running, each archive will be updated once a week, so that means eight pages a month! While the current site isn't ready yet, the Leader Archive will be updated with preliminary story as the Clan starts settling in.
When is it appropriate to contact the storyteller? (NEW)
If and only if you are having account troubles. If you cannot access the page, if you cannot login, or if you cannot view any of the pages, you may email kern@drowtales.com to report this issue.
All other interaction with the storyteller, especially about the story, will be done through the Path to Power site; that's what it's there for. Advise the Ilharess through voting and speak to other members via the shoutbox (and later, the forum), and the storyteller will reply with the weekly updates.
And of course, any questions may be asked here.
Sounds good, where do I sign up?? (Updated)
Currently, only Basic Member subscriptions are available, and can be accessed from the subscriptions page. If you had a Demonic Courtship subscription, your membership was automatically rolled over into Path to Power.
Please remember that when Ranked membership becomes available, you will have to apply for a desired position and you will not be able to apply unless you are already a Basic member.