alright for starters I think maybe you just took the wrong approach to the whole core plot thing (no offense intened). It was nothing but a string of events; what I'm suggesting is maybe you should make a series of core plots involving different groups of people with different stories which builds up to the same big plot (think of a helix with many many twisting units) this will also allow new members to easily find a place to fit in because they would have a number of plots to jump into and RPing with any member would get them involved in the bigger plot somehow evem if it's not in a noticable way and then we could have plot splits; merges and crossovers with lasting effects on the story rather than just 2 sides who keep clashing but instead everyone has their own side to the same story and what role they played.
As for groups; clubs; guilds and whatnot I think there should be areas for different groups of people who come together and form a group/club/guild for a common cause; such as a Vampire's guild for Vampires to address any problems; injustices or opinions about what's going on at the academy; make sence? Maybe make an area for it called the Meeting Hall; Guild Hall ect ect; kind of like the working hero's base I think so long as a group of people which hits a prerequisite number (like 3 or 5) to create the group must sign a contract on the board binding them to the group they choose and the building they decide to call their HQ. And then the contract becomes a thread in the HQ; also each contract should have a treason policy so if a member betrays them they know what to do.
x3 just a bunch of scrambled ideas; feel free to butcher them or me as you wish.
As for groups; clubs; guilds and whatnot I think there should be areas for different groups of people who come together and form a group/club/guild for a common cause; such as a Vampire's guild for Vampires to address any problems; injustices or opinions about what's going on at the academy; make sence? Maybe make an area for it called the Meeting Hall; Guild Hall ect ect; kind of like the working hero's base I think so long as a group of people which hits a prerequisite number (like 3 or 5) to create the group must sign a contract on the board binding them to the group they choose and the building they decide to call their HQ. And then the contract becomes a thread in the HQ; also each contract should have a treason policy so if a member betrays them they know what to do.
x3 just a bunch of scrambled ideas; feel free to butcher them or me as you wish.