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tushanshu_ooc2015-12-19 02:34 am
ironwood) wrote in tushanshu_ooc2015-12-19 02:34 am
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State of the Shell: December 2015
Hello chelonauts! Here is our long overdue State of the Shell post. It's been a wild ride over the past year since the new story arc of the game came into effect, hasn't it? Malicant's defeat, waking up into a new Keeliai, new alliances and discoveries!
We'll be summarizing the current status of some major plot points, which will hopefully give people lots of goals to tackle in the new year. We're also making a number of small process changes that will help the game run more smoothly.
And so without further ado:
Turtle Move / Sinking / State of the Asti
Hatchling Turtles
Life/Death/Dreaming Planes
Soul Gems
Cultists & Drugs
Console Codes
The Chihuelans
Nations of Konryu
Worldwalking Kedan
Persons of Interest
Application Template Changes
Reward Point Changes
Hiatuses
Activity Check Changes
Idle Out/AC Drops
We hope this gives everyone a solid feeling for where Tu Shanshu currently stands as we head into 2016!
As always, we welcome any thoughts and questions about anything in this post, and we'd like to take this opportunity for players to share their opinions on the past year's run of the game for plots, events, and how we've been doing as your moderators. Anonymous is available, if you're prefer that approach, but all of your feedback is truly invaluable, so please consider sharing!
And that brings us to the end of the State of the Shell. Happy turtling!
-- Li, Am, and Pur
We'll be summarizing the current status of some major plot points, which will hopefully give people lots of goals to tackle in the new year. We're also making a number of small process changes that will help the game run more smoothly.
And so without further ado:
PLOT RECAPS
Turtle Move / Sinking / State of the Asti
Efforts made by the Foreigners this year confirmed that Asti is definitely still alive, and not dead as Malicant claimed! However, he's trapped in a sort of coma and unable to rouse, causing him to slowly sink.
A plan was hatched (ha) to moor him in shallower waters to stop this from happening, and winds and tides aligned with the Foreigners' efforts to bring him to the shores of the Tavimbi continent. As outlined on this post, the turtle move was split into two parts due to an unexpected running aground. This means that the turtle will be reaching Tavimbi's shores in early January, and will be anchored there due to the combined efforts of the Foreigners and kedan until a method can be found to bring him back to full consciousness.
A plan was hatched (ha) to moor him in shallower waters to stop this from happening, and winds and tides aligned with the Foreigners' efforts to bring him to the shores of the Tavimbi continent. As outlined on this post, the turtle move was split into two parts due to an unexpected running aground. This means that the turtle will be reaching Tavimbi's shores in early January, and will be anchored there due to the combined efforts of the Foreigners and kedan until a method can be found to bring him back to full consciousness.
Hatchling Turtles
The young turtles left messages for their parents which were received during the Zeshora landfall in June/July, at which point the Erol'a let the Foreigners know that the hatchlings were approximately the size of large whales. They sent their apologies that they hadn't reunited with their caretakers yet, as they're currently engaged in attempting to find... something, and from the questioning they gave the Erol'a, something on the sea floor. But they certainly haven't forgotten about the Foreigners dearest to them, and many are looking forward to a reunion.
Life/Death/Dreaming Planes
When Evastelei merged the Life and Dreaming planes in order to free the trapped Foreigners, it's likely that she had no idea that one of the side consequences would be the Dreaming's fluid nature could be impacting on what people would now consider the real world. But several times over the course of the last year have proven just that: a strong set of thoughts, wishes, or even absent musings could produce tangible effects on the day to day! And while the effects thus far have been largely benign -- and rewarding, for the caffeinated-ly inclined, thank you never ending jar of coffee beans -- there's no guarantee that it will always remain so. Unless the inhabitants of Tu Vishan find a way to better control the effects, it could get out of hand before too long.
Soul Gems
The spate of soul gem muggings during April, May and June led to some interesting consequences for the Foreigners, who realized just how fragile their tether to this universe was! Questioning of those hired to steal the gems from the Foreigners produced only a reference to a "she" being behind the orders, but no other information has turned up. There was evidence with all of the taken jewelry that someone had experimented on them, ranging from damages to the stones and housings themselves, to concrete evidence when strange side effects began occurring for some people. Yet it's been interestingly noted that all the gems were returned before their owners could be permanently harmed, so there seems to be a slight dichotomy there! Either way, it's been assumed that the experiments on the Foreigner's soul gems allowed whoever is behind it to foist soul gems onto kedan as well, which ultimately led to their disappearances.
It's also worth noting a discrepancy in tactics between some of the muggers; the final group, in particular, were performed by people who seemed reduced to a zombie state, rather than people who were bought or blackmailed.
It's also worth noting a discrepancy in tactics between some of the muggers; the final group, in particular, were performed by people who seemed reduced to a zombie state, rather than people who were bought or blackmailed.
Cultists & Drugs
Corrupted by Malicant's influence, the cultists were kedan who wanted to spread his taint to both the kedan and the Foreigners. With Malicant's defeat, they temporarily moved into sewers beneath the city. At this time, there's not much to be heard from them, and little to no contact with the average city population.
They are responsible for both drugs available in the city at the present time. The original drug was a black powder called Dust, which produced increased aggression, paranoia, hallucinations, and a greater susceptibility to Malicant's influence. Although its use died down after his defeat, it has begun reappearing in small quantities in a highly refined and potent form.
The second drug, which has since overtaken Dust as the black market drug of choice, is called Lucid (often referred to as "Crystal" on the streets) and appropriately, comes in small, coloured crystal fragments. Lucid is highly addictive, and its properties allow a user to exponentially increase particular feelings of their choice, depending on the colour of the cystal they've taken. Taking a yellow crystal, for example, might produce an extended feeling of happiness and bliss, whereas an orange crystal might completely eliminate any ability to feel fear or pain for its duration. Successive doses lessen its potency however, adding to the addictive property of the drug.
They are responsible for both drugs available in the city at the present time. The original drug was a black powder called Dust, which produced increased aggression, paranoia, hallucinations, and a greater susceptibility to Malicant's influence. Although its use died down after his defeat, it has begun reappearing in small quantities in a highly refined and potent form.
The second drug, which has since overtaken Dust as the black market drug of choice, is called Lucid (often referred to as "Crystal" on the streets) and appropriately, comes in small, coloured crystal fragments. Lucid is highly addictive, and its properties allow a user to exponentially increase particular feelings of their choice, depending on the colour of the cystal they've taken. Taking a yellow crystal, for example, might produce an extended feeling of happiness and bliss, whereas an orange crystal might completely eliminate any ability to feel fear or pain for its duration. Successive doses lessen its potency however, adding to the addictive property of the drug.
Console Codes
Back in January and February, mysterious broadcasts appeared on the consoles. While the first one was a simple numerical cypher, it was decoded to mean the following: KERRO RARIS THE MOTHER STILL LIVES SOUTH CALDERA BENEATH THE BLUE EYE. The continent of Kerro Raris, from all accounts the kedan have at their disposal, is a now-uninhabited post-nuclear wasteland. Unfortunately, there was no way of confirming whether the message was actually sent from that location, or whether it was merely a red herring for something else. A second set of mystery transmissions was a colour and shape code corresponding to the various sectors of Keeliai, but no firm connection as to their meaning could be discerned at the time. The broadcasts disappeared, and no trace of them has been seen since.
The Chihuelans
Celaunn
Former Basswood Commander Celaunn hasn't been seen by Keeliai since she was spotted leading the Chihuelan invasion of the city during the Dreaming Year. She was one of the approximately 50 Chihuelans who escaped out to the wilds of the shell when the attacking force was routed. Yet some Foreigners discovered she may be in cohorts currently with Zanru, who left the city after the Stark Industries takeover by her cousin, Xuiyu. Celaunn's motives for the invasion, especially given that she appeared loyal to Evandau, are still unknown, but it's likely at this point that the kedan simply don't care to know, and have unubiquitously branded her the ultimate traitor.
The Grand Justicar
In June, a Chihuelan woman named Chosheni, in the position of Grand Justicar, announced her intention to land on Tu Vishan in order to bring the remaining invaders to justice and return them to Atamsichar for trial. Her cold and unyielding demeanor and arrogant attitude rubbed both Foreigners and kedan the wrong way, but she was not prevented from landing in Keeliai. Under her watch, 16 additional invaders were captured and executed, raising hackles among the Foreigners in particular. Yet her onslaught was halted when heads of state back in Vesquesam ordered her to stop and return to Chihuelo, and while she obeyed, it seems unlikely that Chosheni will forget about a job partially done.
Former Basswood Commander Celaunn hasn't been seen by Keeliai since she was spotted leading the Chihuelan invasion of the city during the Dreaming Year. She was one of the approximately 50 Chihuelans who escaped out to the wilds of the shell when the attacking force was routed. Yet some Foreigners discovered she may be in cohorts currently with Zanru, who left the city after the Stark Industries takeover by her cousin, Xuiyu. Celaunn's motives for the invasion, especially given that she appeared loyal to Evandau, are still unknown, but it's likely at this point that the kedan simply don't care to know, and have unubiquitously branded her the ultimate traitor.
The Grand Justicar
In June, a Chihuelan woman named Chosheni, in the position of Grand Justicar, announced her intention to land on Tu Vishan in order to bring the remaining invaders to justice and return them to Atamsichar for trial. Her cold and unyielding demeanor and arrogant attitude rubbed both Foreigners and kedan the wrong way, but she was not prevented from landing in Keeliai. Under her watch, 16 additional invaders were captured and executed, raising hackles among the Foreigners in particular. Yet her onslaught was halted when heads of state back in Vesquesam ordered her to stop and return to Chihuelo, and while she obeyed, it seems unlikely that Chosheni will forget about a job partially done.
Nations of Konryu
Evidet
Back in February during the landfall at Khatronma, Evidet loaned five Bresilykian emissaries to serve as ambassadors to Keeliai, in hopes of reestablishing a firm relationship with Tu Vishan. Although their interactions with both the kedan and the Foreigners were positive, the disappearance of one of their number after being attacked and given a soul gem, caused them to become quite concerned for their wellbeing. Due to this, the emissaries disembarked Tu Vishan in early July, during its landfall in Zeshora, and presumably have since returned to the capital city of Lichoyras to give their reports on their stay on Tu Vishan.
Zeshora
The Zeshora landfall in June provided the Foreigners a chance to interact with a people they hadn't seen before, the Erol'a. Although the Age Caste provided a bit of a sticking point for some people, the visit was largely positive until a few bad decisions on the part of the Foreigners led to some tensions. The Erol'a have promised to maintain contact in the event of hearing anything more from the hatchling turtles, but a downgrade to a neutral standing with Keeliai isn't the best way to rebuild trust between Tu Vishan and the other nations.
Chihuelo
Frankly, no one knows quite what's up with the state of things over there. Between the invasion during the Dreaming Year, followed by the Grand Justicar's deployment to track down the outliers a year later, only to be stopped by the same people who sent the Justicar in the first place... it's a mystery. It might be worth trying to make proper contact with the Chihuelans, if only to ask them what the hell is going on over there. Then again, that may open a can of worms that Tu Vishan, especially in his current state, isn't ready to deal with right now.
Back in February during the landfall at Khatronma, Evidet loaned five Bresilykian emissaries to serve as ambassadors to Keeliai, in hopes of reestablishing a firm relationship with Tu Vishan. Although their interactions with both the kedan and the Foreigners were positive, the disappearance of one of their number after being attacked and given a soul gem, caused them to become quite concerned for their wellbeing. Due to this, the emissaries disembarked Tu Vishan in early July, during its landfall in Zeshora, and presumably have since returned to the capital city of Lichoyras to give their reports on their stay on Tu Vishan.
Zeshora
The Zeshora landfall in June provided the Foreigners a chance to interact with a people they hadn't seen before, the Erol'a. Although the Age Caste provided a bit of a sticking point for some people, the visit was largely positive until a few bad decisions on the part of the Foreigners led to some tensions. The Erol'a have promised to maintain contact in the event of hearing anything more from the hatchling turtles, but a downgrade to a neutral standing with Keeliai isn't the best way to rebuild trust between Tu Vishan and the other nations.
Chihuelo
Frankly, no one knows quite what's up with the state of things over there. Between the invasion during the Dreaming Year, followed by the Grand Justicar's deployment to track down the outliers a year later, only to be stopped by the same people who sent the Justicar in the first place... it's a mystery. It might be worth trying to make proper contact with the Chihuelans, if only to ask them what the hell is going on over there. Then again, that may open a can of worms that Tu Vishan, especially in his current state, isn't ready to deal with right now.
Worldwalking Kedan
Following several attacks on kedan who were given soul gems, they later disappeared in July, whereafter several Foreigners received strange dreams which showed the missing kedan (and one Bresilykian emissary) having been transported to the Foreigners' own worlds! Since then, nothing has been heard from these missing people, but the question remains: how did they seem to become swapped into the Foreigner's worlds, still shown wearing their soul gems, when the Foreigners themselves are unable to leave by the same method? And for those Foreigners who've since returned to their worlds to resume their place, what happened to those kedan?
Persons of Interest
Zanru
Zanru hasn't been seen since Valdis and Gene sought out Celaunn and found Zanru instead. For whatever reason, Zanru has allied herself with the raiders -- though she has denied betraying Keeliai and, so far, there's no evidence of sensitive information having come into the rebels' hands. Whether she's been in contact with anyone or not is hard to say, but it's worth noting that Xuiyu has been out of Keeliai to observe the newest radio stations.
Daseng
Daseng is an unknown and unmet quantity so far, but his name has been heard and in some circles -- the gangs, addicts and other such unfortunates -- recognise it with fear. Akito, on Zanru's behalf, delivered a package to Daseng early in Sky Sector's construction, and Zanru herself admitted that Daseng was her ex-husband on public console. Most people know that it's her vendetta against Daseng which resulted in her being removed from Stark Industries, and a few are able to confirm that this vendetta involves their young daughter and her disappearance during the final months of the fight against Malicant.
Malcil
One of the two people hired to mug Akito for his soul gem, Malcil is a Chihuelan who participated in the Keeliai invasion during the Dreaming Year. He's revealed that the remaining Chihuelans under Celaunn's command have splintered, and some of them have hidden themselves in the city. Malcil was taking a particular injection that gave him shapeshifting abilities similar to the kedan, although it was an imperfect serum. At present, he's staying in the Midnight Hotel under its protection.
Jintou
An ex-Snake, and having been hired to attack Xion and abduct her soul gem, Jintou was found in May by Aqua and Skulduggery. He was taken back to the Midnight Hotel for his protection as he was afraid to give information on the person -- female -- who'd hired him. He was later abducted in June when someone was able to poison Anton Shudder, who was chaperoning him. He was later recovered by one of Yunxu's patrols on the edge of the Water Sector, but he had been regressed to the mental capacity of a child, and didn't recognize anyone who he'd interacted with prior to his abduction. With those Foreigners who'd been looking after him having departed Keeliai, Jintou is currently a ward of the Healer's Guild.
Dardul
Dardul came to the attention of the Foreigners as having been the person who poisoned Anton and abducted Jintou, due to Valdis' sleuthing. However, it quickly became obvious that Dardul was not capable of having pulled this off by himself, and it's possible that there's much more to him than meets the eye. The questioning of Milyn, who is currently treating Dardul for his peculiar affliction, has not produced anything substantial.
Feather Gifter
Little is known about this person, other than they appear to have a unique connection to the Foreigner's home worlds, as they've twice now produced the Foreigners' possessions as gifts, first in June during the Yard Sale, and then again in December during the Year End festivities. The symbol they seem intent on using, a hand drawn stylized feather, has been linked to the Xaxosi legend, which was recounted during the Ni Zhihuan festival.
Zanru hasn't been seen since Valdis and Gene sought out Celaunn and found Zanru instead. For whatever reason, Zanru has allied herself with the raiders -- though she has denied betraying Keeliai and, so far, there's no evidence of sensitive information having come into the rebels' hands. Whether she's been in contact with anyone or not is hard to say, but it's worth noting that Xuiyu has been out of Keeliai to observe the newest radio stations.
Daseng
Daseng is an unknown and unmet quantity so far, but his name has been heard and in some circles -- the gangs, addicts and other such unfortunates -- recognise it with fear. Akito, on Zanru's behalf, delivered a package to Daseng early in Sky Sector's construction, and Zanru herself admitted that Daseng was her ex-husband on public console. Most people know that it's her vendetta against Daseng which resulted in her being removed from Stark Industries, and a few are able to confirm that this vendetta involves their young daughter and her disappearance during the final months of the fight against Malicant.
Malcil
One of the two people hired to mug Akito for his soul gem, Malcil is a Chihuelan who participated in the Keeliai invasion during the Dreaming Year. He's revealed that the remaining Chihuelans under Celaunn's command have splintered, and some of them have hidden themselves in the city. Malcil was taking a particular injection that gave him shapeshifting abilities similar to the kedan, although it was an imperfect serum. At present, he's staying in the Midnight Hotel under its protection.
Jintou
An ex-Snake, and having been hired to attack Xion and abduct her soul gem, Jintou was found in May by Aqua and Skulduggery. He was taken back to the Midnight Hotel for his protection as he was afraid to give information on the person -- female -- who'd hired him. He was later abducted in June when someone was able to poison Anton Shudder, who was chaperoning him. He was later recovered by one of Yunxu's patrols on the edge of the Water Sector, but he had been regressed to the mental capacity of a child, and didn't recognize anyone who he'd interacted with prior to his abduction. With those Foreigners who'd been looking after him having departed Keeliai, Jintou is currently a ward of the Healer's Guild.
Dardul
Dardul came to the attention of the Foreigners as having been the person who poisoned Anton and abducted Jintou, due to Valdis' sleuthing. However, it quickly became obvious that Dardul was not capable of having pulled this off by himself, and it's possible that there's much more to him than meets the eye. The questioning of Milyn, who is currently treating Dardul for his peculiar affliction, has not produced anything substantial.
Feather Gifter
Little is known about this person, other than they appear to have a unique connection to the Foreigner's home worlds, as they've twice now produced the Foreigners' possessions as gifts, first in June during the Yard Sale, and then again in December during the Year End festivities. The symbol they seem intent on using, a hand drawn stylized feather, has been linked to the Xaxosi legend, which was recounted during the Ni Zhihuan festival.
PROCESS CHANGES
Application Template Changes
Going forward, we will be removing the Suitability section from the app template, as we feel that the information we need can be found in other sections.
We are restructuring the Setting portion of the app template to require only a brief explanation of canon-specific terms that are necessary to understand the character's application. A complete writeup of the character's universe will no longer be required, as we have understood that this section has proven to be off-putting to potential applicants and current players looking to bring in additional characters. We intend to have at least two applications to be used as samples available for viewing before we make this change "live", so a firm date of implementation for this change is yet to be determined (but we hope it will be soon!) but will be announced on the OOC comm. Please note that the Setting section will NOT be required to be updated for characters who are reapping the way that a new Network post is; old Setting sections will be accepted as-is for characters who've been previously in the game.
Finally, we are implementing a minimum requirement for dialogue in the network sample section of the app to at least five full sentences. The network section is how we judge the character's voice (whether it be spoken or text), and we have had trouble getting a feeling for that in some applications in the past. We hope that this will help reduce the number of revisions on incoming apps.
As a general housekeeping note regarding applications, the mods will no longer be posting cut-off notices on the apps page. The submission deadline remains at 11:59PM EST on Fridays, and results within 48 hours of that.
We are restructuring the Setting portion of the app template to require only a brief explanation of canon-specific terms that are necessary to understand the character's application. A complete writeup of the character's universe will no longer be required, as we have understood that this section has proven to be off-putting to potential applicants and current players looking to bring in additional characters. We intend to have at least two applications to be used as samples available for viewing before we make this change "live", so a firm date of implementation for this change is yet to be determined (but we hope it will be soon!) but will be announced on the OOC comm. Please note that the Setting section will NOT be required to be updated for characters who are reapping the way that a new Network post is; old Setting sections will be accepted as-is for characters who've been previously in the game.
Finally, we are implementing a minimum requirement for dialogue in the network sample section of the app to at least five full sentences. The network section is how we judge the character's voice (whether it be spoken or text), and we have had trouble getting a feeling for that in some applications in the past. We hope that this will help reduce the number of revisions on incoming apps.
As a general housekeeping note regarding applications, the mods will no longer be posting cut-off notices on the apps page. The submission deadline remains at 11:59PM EST on Fridays, and results within 48 hours of that.
Reward Point Changes
Beginning in January, we are shifting the reward points structure to a percentage system, which we feel will make a more balanced approach. This will also help eliminate some of the huge gaps between characters who have high stockpiles of points. We wanted to make things a little fairer to players who regularly make AC, but recognizing that not everyone has time to make all their bonus points every month.
Please bear with us as we explain this, it's a little complicated to word, and there will be a full detail breakdown on the Rewards Request page, but the ratios are staying the same.
Where the percentage becomes a partial number, the cost will always be rounded down, unless in the case of a minimum of 2 points. A starting base of 5 points is required to request any of the rewards, and new character starting points will be raised to 5, to adjust accordingly for this. Here are some examples of how this will work out.
Please bear with us as we explain this, it's a little complicated to word, and there will be a full detail breakdown on the Rewards Request page, but the ratios are staying the same.
• Two points for an NPC favour or canon possession becomes a 20% cost
• Three points for a plot development becomes a 30% cost
• Four points for a special item becomes a 40% cost
• Three points for a plot development becomes a 30% cost
• Four points for a special item becomes a 40% cost
Where the percentage becomes a partial number, the cost will always be rounded down, unless in the case of a minimum of 2 points. A starting base of 5 points is required to request any of the rewards, and new character starting points will be raised to 5, to adjust accordingly for this. Here are some examples of how this will work out.
• River has 9 AC points, and wishes to get a canon possession from home. 20% of 9 points is 1.8. Because that is lower than the minimum, River's canon possession will cost 2 points.
• Anton has 15 AC points, and wishes to have an NPC do him a favour. 20% of 15 points is 3, so Anton's favour will cost 3 points.
• Skulduggery has 32 AC points, and wants to discover a plot development. 30% of 32 points is 9.6, so his plot discovery will cost 9 points.
• Anton has 15 AC points, and wishes to have an NPC do him a favour. 20% of 15 points is 3, so Anton's favour will cost 3 points.
• Skulduggery has 32 AC points, and wants to discover a plot development. 30% of 32 points is 9.6, so his plot discovery will cost 9 points.
Hiatuses
Starting in January, we're lowering the required amount of days missed during a month for a hiatus to qualify for AC exemption, from 14 days down to 10 days. Any ten days missed during a given month (not including the grace period) will be enough to exempt you from that month's activity requirements. As always, you'll be informed whether your hiatus will make you AC exempt when the mods confirm it.
Activity Check Changes
Beginning in January and in conjunction with the reduced hiatus exemptions, we are trimming the grace period from 7 days to 5 days. This is to help the mods process the AC in a more timely manner. In addition, the mods will also be contacting players who regularly acquire their entire AC during the grace period, as we feel this is an abuse of the rule's intention.
Idle Out/AC Drops
We are instituting a new policy wherein characters who are dropped during AC due to already having a strike, or failing to reply to the reclaim post, will not be able to rejoin the game until the following month. Our reasoning for this was that under the current system, "idling out" and then reapping immediately after -- which did not generate a strike -- was unfair to players who were passing AC.
For example, under this new policy, a character who is idled on October's AC (which will be confirmed at the end of the reclaim period ending November 8th) would not be able to rejoin until December 1, and then the reapp would be processed along with the regular app period of that week.
Please note that this does not apply to players who have extraneous circumstances which prevent them from being able to post to AC (lack of computer access, RL emergencies, etc). If this is the case, a player only needs to let the mods know via PM or email once they've returned, so that the character can be reinstated.
For example, under this new policy, a character who is idled on October's AC (which will be confirmed at the end of the reclaim period ending November 8th) would not be able to rejoin until December 1, and then the reapp would be processed along with the regular app period of that week.
Please note that this does not apply to players who have extraneous circumstances which prevent them from being able to post to AC (lack of computer access, RL emergencies, etc). If this is the case, a player only needs to let the mods know via PM or email once they've returned, so that the character can be reinstated.
We hope this gives everyone a solid feeling for where Tu Shanshu currently stands as we head into 2016!
As always, we welcome any thoughts and questions about anything in this post, and we'd like to take this opportunity for players to share their opinions on the past year's run of the game for plots, events, and how we've been doing as your moderators. Anonymous is available, if you're prefer that approach, but all of your feedback is truly invaluable, so please consider sharing!
And that brings us to the end of the State of the Shell. Happy turtling!
-- Li, Am, and Pur
QUESTIONS
Re: QUESTIONS
no subject
no subject
Should I PM you guys to get deets on what he would see?
no subject
no subject
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I am not sure about the new point system, if someone has a bunch of points saved up, then anything will make a deep cut into them. For me, this isn't exactly a problem, but I also feel that if someone is going to give up 15 points for some plot info, it should be some pretty good plot info.
Overall, I think you have done well listening to concerns and trying to find solutions, so thank you for that.
(Also, can we have something explode? Please?)
( Li )
It's a bit of a catch-22, I agree. We want to reward players for being able to contribute a lot to the game, but we also don't want to penalize players who can't (for whatever reasons!) be around as much or have the same tagging levels. It's the same reason we award a point for making base AC, because we don't want to make it that only the "extra" effort is worth it.
By the same token, I understand where you're coming from with regards to rewards having a much higher cost, but because it's a percentage system now, it's better to look at it that this equalizes things, not destabilizes them. 20% of a points total should net the same level of reward whether the person starts with 10 points or with 50 points, because it takes away the same "size" of their total, regardless of the actual number. Otherwise, the handful of people who make very high AC every month would get all the "good" rewards, and people who have lower points totals, or who regularly use their points and thus their overall total is lower, would get "mediocre" rewards.
Does that make sense?
Re: ( Li )
Thank you for all your hard work.
Re: ( Li )
Feedback? Feedback. Something.
I'm also particularly fond of how you don't necessarily stop us from doing Dumb Things -- see Akito and landfall, in which one character's actions impacted the entire city and basically the entire cast. There's equal opportunity to do both dumb and wonderful things, and seeing them reflected in the itinerary each month is excellent. It gives the sense that our actions really do matter, quite a bit, and it's impressive how far Keeliai's come since last year.
Honestly I don't have a single worried thing to say about the changes you're making to mechanics. I find that our mod team has always been very communicative about what's happening and readily responsive to concerns and questions and just about anything else that arises, and I trust in the plans you have and I think the reasonings provided make sense.
Keep on keeping on, everyone. <3 Happy new year~
( Li )
Feedback
First of all, I agree with Kalineh about the new points system. If this is intended to eat up more points, I would really like to see more in depth stuff come out of plot requests and such. I've made a few requests myself and have been a little disappointed in that I was hoping for something more.
Secondly, I would really like to see more action based plots. Like what we had before the end of the Malicant plot. Not necessarily that crazy but more than we have now. I found the game to be more fun and engaging, for me, back then. Thus I would like to see plots where Foreigners can use their abilities in combat, especially since my character is combat based. In the eight months he's been here he really hasn't had a chance to use his abilities for lack of opportunity or that it would lead to really bad things (aka the Chihuelan thing where I didn't want to ruin things for everyone else rofl). Many of the plots are based in politics, and my character is a fish out of water in those situations. He likes to fight.
But I know this isn't true for everyone. Thus I would like to see more plots geared toward different character types. And more opportunities for everyone to have their character shine now and then rather than a select few. So that everyone can feel involved and engaged in the overall plot and not just watching from the sidelines.
So with that said, thanks again mods for running this cool game! I look forward to see what the next year has in store! :D
( Li )
To address the part about more in-depth plot rewards, we've always constructed the plot rewards to lead to new things to follow up on, so they're never simply "one off" scenarios. We like linking existing plots together, because it leads to new CR for players. Plots cross paths and run into each other. Different characters have different pieces of the same puzzle!
Something I personally have noticed (not speaking for Am or Pur here), and to be clear this is not pointing fingers or implicating blame on anyone, but that sometimes characters who receive plot information... don't do anything with it. Generally we want to see the information they receive be made public to the other Foreigners in some way or another, so that it can be spread around. So this could be network posts, or open logs for investigations, that sort of thing. The network post that Yuri made about the worldwalking kedan, that's a perfect example, and it's generating interest in those missing kedan again. That's what we want to see. But, from someone who reads basically every post and log in the game, a lot of the reward requests that were handed out over the last year, particularly over the summer, really never seemed to see much follow up ICly.
So we'll definitely keep an eye on making sure that plot rewards have enough engaging material to work with, but I feel that the follow-up is where the real discovery is going to happen.
RE: Action-based plots - This is something that was brought to our attention a few months ago, and I apologize that we haven't had time over the holidays to really implement any notable changes in this area! Rest assured, starting with landfall in Tavimbi, there will be a wider spread of plots that better accommodate all the types of characters we have in game, including action-based characters, techie characters, and plots geared for characters of various age groups. In hindsight, a lot of the events from last year did heavily skew to the magically-inclined, so that's something we'll be more conscientious of going forward.
Suggestion
It would make choosing who my next character would be ten times easier( Li )
(Sorry for the non-reply reply. I didn't want to answer all the other comments and not yours.)
Re: ( Li )
Re: ( Li )