Hey there, thanks for the input! I'll address it point by point and hopefully won't miss anything that way.
One of the reasons for the freedom we give people is that we, as mods, can't think of everything. Putting ourselves into a box (you can absolutely affect X outcome versus you absolutely cannot affect Y) inhibits the creativity of our players and also the overall growth of the game. When people come to us with questions or requests, we've been more than happy to create something spur of the moment to accommodate them, which allows us to be flexible and helps move the plot along in an organic and player-facilitated manner. The structure of the City (ie: buildings that are guarded, etc) isn't important to the overall plot, and we are more than happy to allow people to invent things as they deem it necessary. The only area that isn't free for on the fly player manipulation is the Palace itself, but you are more than welcome to say there's a heavily guarded building in the Fire Sector that your character wants to investigate, for example. I can understand the concern that we're creating a very broad potential margin for error, but as long as you adhere to our 'Rule of Ten' (ie: you can be 'allied' or kill up to ten NPCs without mod approval or intervention) and aren't having your character find super powerful or otherwise world-breaking artefacts, we don't police specifics.
RE: the Turtle's sickness being too close to Landfall: The turtle's sickness is an overarching plot, and not anything that currently has a time sensitive expiry date (it is in fact still ongoing, if you check our calendar). The Landfall was directly related to the Turtle being ill, as the resource scarcity prompted a need to make contact with the mainland. In terms of the duration of the landfall itself, I absolutely agree. Our next landfall-based plot will probably be two weeks in order to give a middle ground.
In regards to having too much freedom in Atam itself, we made ourselves available to provide details when asked. In the future, if you find yourself at a loss for something to do, feel free to ping us with a general overlay of what Amelia might be up to and we can bounce some suggestions back and forth. The problem with trying to ensure that everyone has something specifically geared towards their character is that we have a growing game of over a hundred and thirty characters, and it's virtually impossible to tailor-make something for everyone.
If you're having trouble thinking of something specific, consider what Amelia would be personally invested in and try to go from there. She's a very proactive character, and could easily fall in with a cause or situation she feels strongly enough about. If you're uncertain about what causes or stimuli she might encounter, we're available to discuss the possibilities. But as expressed up-thread, we aren't mind-readers and cannot know that you are looking for something to do if you do not first come to us.
An example of this situation is that we have had, several times over the course of the game, added details we felt were unimportant to a plot or situation (such as the stockade in Atam) that people decided to run with and create plots around. It wasn't our intention to have a particular focus on it, but it caught people's imaginations and we were happy to foster it and allow for an organic procession of plot. Conversely, we've added details to plots that have also been largely overlooked, so there's no true way to gauge which details are going to draw people in, and that's why we offer such a wide range of events.
Again, thank you for your input. We may not be able to implement everything you've suggested, but we'll keep it all in mind as opportunities allow.
no subject
One of the reasons for the freedom we give people is that we, as mods, can't think of everything. Putting ourselves into a box (you can absolutely affect X outcome versus you absolutely cannot affect Y) inhibits the creativity of our players and also the overall growth of the game. When people come to us with questions or requests, we've been more than happy to create something spur of the moment to accommodate them, which allows us to be flexible and helps move the plot along in an organic and player-facilitated manner. The structure of the City (ie: buildings that are guarded, etc) isn't important to the overall plot, and we are more than happy to allow people to invent things as they deem it necessary. The only area that isn't free for on the fly player manipulation is the Palace itself, but you are more than welcome to say there's a heavily guarded building in the Fire Sector that your character wants to investigate, for example. I can understand the concern that we're creating a very broad potential margin for error, but as long as you adhere to our 'Rule of Ten' (ie: you can be 'allied' or kill up to ten NPCs without mod approval or intervention) and aren't having your character find super powerful or otherwise world-breaking artefacts, we don't police specifics.
RE: the Turtle's sickness being too close to Landfall: The turtle's sickness is an overarching plot, and not anything that currently has a time sensitive expiry date (it is in fact still ongoing, if you check our calendar). The Landfall was directly related to the Turtle being ill, as the resource scarcity prompted a need to make contact with the mainland. In terms of the duration of the landfall itself, I absolutely agree. Our next landfall-based plot will probably be two weeks in order to give a middle ground.
In regards to having too much freedom in Atam itself, we made ourselves available to provide details when asked. In the future, if you find yourself at a loss for something to do, feel free to ping us with a general overlay of what Amelia might be up to and we can bounce some suggestions back and forth. The problem with trying to ensure that everyone has something specifically geared towards their character is that we have a growing game of over a hundred and thirty characters, and it's virtually impossible to tailor-make something for everyone.
If you're having trouble thinking of something specific, consider what Amelia would be personally invested in and try to go from there. She's a very proactive character, and could easily fall in with a cause or situation she feels strongly enough about. If you're uncertain about what causes or stimuli she might encounter, we're available to discuss the possibilities. But as expressed up-thread, we aren't mind-readers and cannot know that you are looking for something to do if you do not first come to us.
An example of this situation is that we have had, several times over the course of the game, added details we felt were unimportant to a plot or situation (such as the stockade in Atam) that people decided to run with and create plots around. It wasn't our intention to have a particular focus on it, but it caught people's imaginations and we were happy to foster it and allow for an organic procession of plot. Conversely, we've added details to plots that have also been largely overlooked, so there's no true way to gauge which details are going to draw people in, and that's why we offer such a wide range of events.
Again, thank you for your input. We may not be able to implement everything you've suggested, but we'll keep it all in mind as opportunities allow.