<b>Hedonist Casino</b>
By ladynehemah resident

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BACKGROUND: Recently, the Casino has been treated as little more than just 'another bar', indistinguishable from Lulu's, Easy 8's, or any of the other fine drinking establishments within DE. What will help return it to the forefront of people's roleplaying will be going back to its roots as a gaming center. Most bars events seem to be based around drink specials or other party events. Instead, I will start hosting regular events that are based around the Casino's gaming background. Players would be encouraged make use of the blackjack tables and roulette tables rather than just sitting around the bar, with either PC dealers or other staff emoting NPC dealers. While obviously we would still be hiring for any and all roles, I would concentrate more towards dealers than bar tenders or servers, to try and have them around to engage players in gambling instead of just drinking. Lines of credit could be extended to less monetarily blessed characters, with unpaid gambling debts being an effective plot hook to drive on going role-play. Regular events would be based around gambling and gambling related activities. Seeing as both the Casino and the Crazy 8s share the same chatspace, due to our close proximity, I would co-ordinate our events to not overlap with his, so we are not having dueling groups of conversations going on, though my plan is for every Wednesday Evening to become "Winner Takes All Wednesday", where each evening a different type of game of chance will be highlighted. One week players will be encouraged by double blackjack payouts, another will be buy two numbers for the price of one on roulette, etc. A monthly event will be held as well, for a special kind of gaming event, perhaps tied in with other factions activities. Betting on a fight at primal fitness, for example, could possible work. However, I must stress that no such arrangements or plans for such an activity has been made at this time. New employees would be made to feel welcome by having regular 'training' meetings, which are open to both new and old staff members. They will be a mix of both IC and OOC activities to help them settling into their place here. Topics such as keeping track of posting order in large groups, how to properly utilize NPCs in a role-play environment, and probably the most important, the rules of the various games within the casino as well as how to effectively role-play them. There are a variety of ways that Gabby would fit in as the owner of the Hedonist. First off, she is likely the most senior and experienced employee there. She has a family history of being in the casino industry, and so she is quite familiar with the workings. I have always had the impression that the casino is supposed to be a classier location (relatively speaking, for DE, of course), and so Gabby's more cultured and affluent background would match well with that, as her guidance will only lend to augment that impression. She has been in DE for some months now, and is beginning to establish a presence there, both in the community at large as well as within the Casino itself.

UNIQUE: The prime concentration of the casino will be on its gaming side. Obviously, the bar will remain open and inviting to patrons as well, but Dead Enders can go anywhere to drink, there is only one place they can go to gamble. A weekly event highlighting one of the more common gambling types, such as card games or roulette, will be held, with aggressive hiring and training of dealers to try and encourage players to do more gambling type play. Also, existing employees will be trained on how to manage NPCs to emote dealers, to try and provide a comprehensive gaming environment. A larger monthly even will be held for some manner of special game, whether it be on a larger in-world event, or perhaps linking it to something from real life, such as betting on a sports event. Obviously, all bets will be purely for RP money, with no real currency, lindens or otherwise, being on the line.

EXPERIENCE:I am quite the experienced role-player, I have been doing this for some years now, in text-based environments before coming to SL. I am comfortable with the usage of NPCs to drive storylines or just smaller character interactions, as well as fully describing scenes and settings. I can balance the demands of a large group interaction, ensuring everyone is included and involved somehow. I am an incredibly patient and empathetic person, I can understand just how intimidating being new to either roleplaying or DE can be, so I am idly suited to help instruct and guide new players in the nuances and etiquette of a place like DE, without making them feel chastised or criticized. I am organized, motivated, and possibly most importantly, active on the sim, with a typical online schedule of 4-5 times a week, starting from about 9 or 10PM SLT until 1AM SLT most evenings, so I can be a consistent presence within the Casino to keep it active.

IDEAS:I plan to host weekly training meetings to help people understand the unique tactics that come with working within the casino, as well as more general roleplaying tips for the sim at large. While the objectives of these classes will be targeted towards Casino based events, the lessons learned from them can be applicable to the entire SIM, so non-casino employees are more than welcome to join. Casino specific topics will largely be based around gambling, both the actual rules of the various games within the casino, as well as how to role-play them with guests. Also covered will be more sim-wide knowledge, such as how posting order works, how to avoid god-modding and meta-gaming. Classes will be short, perhaps only 30 minutes or so long, and will serve as a chance to both guide new players into being better role-players, as well as serve as a good way to socialize and meet new players, as just 'breaking in' can be one of the hardest things to do as a new player.

OTHER:I have already begun planning and discussing a special one-time event that could easily be reworked as a re-opening celebration. Given Gabby's Caribbean heritage, it will be a tropical themed party, with island-style drinks, food, music, and dancing. The practicalities of the music and dancing is currently being worked on, but worst case scenario, it will just be role-played out. I was planning on having it in the alleyway leading up to the Casino itself, so that it will be of higher visibility to the general population who may not check their group notices as diligently. It will be decorated in tropical island themes, with space heaters set up, and guests encouraged to dress in beach wear. Likely, it will serve as a way to remind everyone that not only is the Casino still here, but that will once more be the epicenter of intriguing stories and profound character developments.