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tushanshu_ooc2017-10-06 07:27 pm
ironwood) wrote in tushanshu_ooc2017-10-06 07:27 pm
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STATE OF THE SHELL: OCTOBER 2017
Hey Chelonauts! We have some announcements regarding major changes for the future of Tu Shanshu, so please read on.
We feel that the community has reached a crossroads of sorts with regards to the game’s sustainability, particularly in the last six months, and we know you've seen it too: there has been a drastic decline in activity, in plotting, and in our ability to attract new players to the game.
This isn't the result of one single fault or failing-- not the mods, not the players, not the plotting opportunities or people's creativity. A lot of it has to do with the age of the game (we passed our 5-year mark back in August), and some of it has to do with the fact that we as a game might have been trying to do too much at once, and be too many things.
But we love the overall setting of Tu Shanshu, and we know that there is a lot left that can be done with the worldbuilding that's in place, which is why we're introducing what the modteam feels is the best way to preserve all the best bits of Tu Shanshu, and yet give players both existing and potential a revitalization that we think the game needs in order to survive.
In light of that, we would like to announce that over the next few months, we will be tying off the story of Keeliai and Tu Vishan, and introducing a successor/spin-off game, called Khu Ioduan.
Below the cut, we've included the premise for the new game, as well as some of the core mechanics that will be in use. There's a lot of information in this post, and we ask that you give it all a read. We know that a change of this scale can be intimidating, especially to players who've been with us for years. We want to assure everyone that the modteam is fully committed to both this evolution, and to making sure our existing players are as comfortable as possible with the transition.
SUCCESSOR GAME DESCRIPTION
OUR REASONING
GAME MECHANICS
CHARACTER TRANSITION OPTIONS: (OR) Can you take care of my houseplants while we're gone?
UPDATES AND PLAYER INPUT
TIMELINE
IN CLOSING
- TS Mods (Alex, Li, Makari, Rivers, Seal)
---
Associated Links:
11/07/17 - UPDATE - Talents and Affinity
We feel that the community has reached a crossroads of sorts with regards to the game’s sustainability, particularly in the last six months, and we know you've seen it too: there has been a drastic decline in activity, in plotting, and in our ability to attract new players to the game.
This isn't the result of one single fault or failing-- not the mods, not the players, not the plotting opportunities or people's creativity. A lot of it has to do with the age of the game (we passed our 5-year mark back in August), and some of it has to do with the fact that we as a game might have been trying to do too much at once, and be too many things.
But we love the overall setting of Tu Shanshu, and we know that there is a lot left that can be done with the worldbuilding that's in place, which is why we're introducing what the modteam feels is the best way to preserve all the best bits of Tu Shanshu, and yet give players both existing and potential a revitalization that we think the game needs in order to survive.
In light of that, we would like to announce that over the next few months, we will be tying off the story of Keeliai and Tu Vishan, and introducing a successor/spin-off game, called Khu Ioduan.
Below the cut, we've included the premise for the new game, as well as some of the core mechanics that will be in use. There's a lot of information in this post, and we ask that you give it all a read. We know that a change of this scale can be intimidating, especially to players who've been with us for years. We want to assure everyone that the modteam is fully committed to both this evolution, and to making sure our existing players are as comfortable as possible with the transition.
SUCCESSOR GAME DESCRIPTION
Khu Ioduan ("koo YOH-doo-awn") will be a successor game, taking place a couple hundred years into Tu Shanshu’s future. The upcoming events in-game will be the result of escalating damage done to the three planes. Realizing this will only get worse, Tu Vishan/Asti will decide to use his energy to enter a space between the Planes, which will eventually allow him to mend them from the inside. However, that will make him and Keeliai uninhabitable for the duration, which he does not know for how long yet-- planar patchwork isn't an easy task!
Furthermore, a Great Turtle moving between these layers will have widespread physical effects on Konryu, including triggering natural disasters all over the world. Knowing this in advance, the ten hatchlings will have returned from their seafaring travels to form together and create a new landmass, a lush and fertile archipelago, upon which a magically protected city could be built. The new continent was called Khu Ioduan, and the city was named Aifaran, settled atop the cliffside overlooking a large bay.
Foreigners are no longer regarded as an oddity. Knowing that the spell which brought them here would be made permanent by Tu Vishan's actions, Aifaran was constructed in such a way that these arrivals -- now referred to as Dreamfolk rather than Foreigners -- would always have a presence in the city equal to any of the other species.
The archipelago is protected by an enspelled ward that repels the worst of the effects that plague the rest of the continents, many of which have by now suffered large losses of landmass -- Zeshora, for example, has disappeared completely -- but no significant loss of life was had during the interim due to the advance warning and time to prepare.
Much like Keeliai, Khu Ioduan would be the central hub in which the game takes place, though it will be far more diverse, and opportunities to explore the larger world will be more available to players. As always, there will be many problems to solve and issues with which to engage, and characters actions will have consequences (for good or ill) on the world as a whole.
Furthermore, a Great Turtle moving between these layers will have widespread physical effects on Konryu, including triggering natural disasters all over the world. Knowing this in advance, the ten hatchlings will have returned from their seafaring travels to form together and create a new landmass, a lush and fertile archipelago, upon which a magically protected city could be built. The new continent was called Khu Ioduan, and the city was named Aifaran, settled atop the cliffside overlooking a large bay.
Foreigners are no longer regarded as an oddity. Knowing that the spell which brought them here would be made permanent by Tu Vishan's actions, Aifaran was constructed in such a way that these arrivals -- now referred to as Dreamfolk rather than Foreigners -- would always have a presence in the city equal to any of the other species.
The archipelago is protected by an enspelled ward that repels the worst of the effects that plague the rest of the continents, many of which have by now suffered large losses of landmass -- Zeshora, for example, has disappeared completely -- but no significant loss of life was had during the interim due to the advance warning and time to prepare.
Much like Keeliai, Khu Ioduan would be the central hub in which the game takes place, though it will be far more diverse, and opportunities to explore the larger world will be more available to players. As always, there will be many problems to solve and issues with which to engage, and characters actions will have consequences (for good or ill) on the world as a whole.
OUR REASONING
We feel that the immediate setting (that is, Keeliai, the sporadic landfalls, the current state of the game) is largely played out, and doesn't provide players or the game as a whole many options of where to proceed. The worldbuilding itself still has enormous potential, but we feel that a soft reboot like we did a couple years ago isn't the right answer this time.
We know many of you love this world. We do, too. So we're keeping it around. It provides an opportunity to refresh current game mechanics to include the best parts of Tu Shanshu and create new and exciting ways for players to engage on all levels.
The modteam hopes that this will make it easier to attract new players, because we understand that it can sometimes be hard to move plots forward and to keep up steady and meaningful CR when the game's population remains the same for extended periods of time. Also, we hope that launching a spinoff will make the game overall more accessible to new players without having to wade through 5 years of game history, on top of other world building elements.
At the closure of Tu Shanshu, we will be shuttering the doors on these communities and moving to a fresh set, over atkhuioduan and its associated Logs, OOC, and Meme comms. Rest assured that nothing will be deleted or removed, simply closed to new posting when Khu Ioduan is ready to open (see the Timeline section near the bottom of this post). Tu Shanshu will always remain as an archive, so you won't lose anything.
We know many of you love this world. We do, too. So we're keeping it around. It provides an opportunity to refresh current game mechanics to include the best parts of Tu Shanshu and create new and exciting ways for players to engage on all levels.
The modteam hopes that this will make it easier to attract new players, because we understand that it can sometimes be hard to move plots forward and to keep up steady and meaningful CR when the game's population remains the same for extended periods of time. Also, we hope that launching a spinoff will make the game overall more accessible to new players without having to wade through 5 years of game history, on top of other world building elements.
At the closure of Tu Shanshu, we will be shuttering the doors on these communities and moving to a fresh set, over at
khuioduan and its associated Logs, OOC, and Meme comms. Rest assured that nothing will be deleted or removed, simply closed to new posting when Khu Ioduan is ready to open (see the Timeline section near the bottom of this post). Tu Shanshu will always remain as an archive, so you won't lose anything.GAME MECHANICS
We'll be introducing new game mechanics and streamlining existing ones, in the pursuit of giving everyone something to play with and reduce confusing ambiguities. (Not the fun ambiguities. We're keeping those.) Here's a peek at what we're thinking about so far.
- The Life, Dreaming and Death planes, of course. While inside the barrier things are protected from the most destructive effects, everyone's gotta eat sometime, and there is still a wealth of resources to be collected from the remains of the other continents. The planes are going to be volatile for the foreseeable future, and they will have all kinds of fun effects that will feature in both daily life in Aifaran and for special events. This also means that the smaller, lighthearted events that people enjoy in TS, but that haven’t always been around as frequently as people would like, can make a more regular appearance!
- We're planning to introduce something called Talents, which all characters will come into upon their introduction to the world: randomized special abilities from several types/schools of magic. They will give characters from mundane worlds a bit of an edge on fitting in with the more magical ones, while the magical characters can branch out and try new things. They’ll also have scalable skill levels, which will be earned through AC points.
- Allegiances! Naturally within any city, there are factions. We're codifying this a bit more —they’ll be different from the current Guild structure by quite a lot— with the result that you'll actually be able to keep track of how your character is standing with the city-people they like hanging about with. (Don’t worry, it won’t be confusing! We’ve already got an easy system in the works that does the majority of the tracking for you.) These Allegiance Ranks will open up the option for new and interesting events and possibly conflicts, depending on one's standing with a given faction. We aim to make sure that good actions have consequences just as much as slightly more chaotic ones.
- In this vein, the collected races in the city naturally have their own politics and aims as well. While the various races that came together to form the Ioduan Alliance nominally are working together, prejudices and grudges can run deep. This can change the shape of the city and factions, and your character is free to get caught up in these or to stand clear, depending on the OOC preference of the player and the IC preference of the character; again, we want to make gameplay as customizable as possible for everyone.
- A dangerous world lays beyond the borders of Khu Ioduan, though what reward does not come with a
lotlittle risk? Mighty storms are perpetually brewing, instant death awaits anyone who manages to accidentally step in where the Death plane leaked all over the floor, and darker things than death have woken to a world much more hospitable to their strange and eldritch sensibilities. - The Chihuelans will be making a grand return as the primary antagonists, with new motivations and new means of causing trouble. Having refused to join the Alliance, they still remain one of the military powers left in the world of Konryu, and Khu Ioduan has many resources that might be looking attractive to them-- not to mention, there's no more law outside of Khu Ioduan's borders.
- And before anyone says it - NO, we are not bringing Malicant back.
- A full (and illustrated) bestiary for your perusing pleasure! These creatures will also be incorporated into some types of events, and be much more accessible to characters than the types of wildlife that appeared in Tu Shanshu.
- The Foreigners will no longer be an itinerant part of the world - in fact, they're not even referred to as Foreigners anymore, but as Dreamfolk - those that come and go from the Dreaming. Their presence is fully and wholly incorporated into everyday city life in a way that was never achieved in Keeliai. While the plot aspects of the Foreigners and the kedan occasionally being at odds has provided interesting CR over the years, the mods feel that this particular vein has played itself out. That said, there's nothing stopping the Dreamfolk from mucking up the local relations if they really want to, but as it's always been with Tu Shanshu-- ICA=ICC!
CHARACTER TRANSITION OPTIONS: (OR) Can you take care of my houseplants while we're gone?
As we transition to the successor game, the modteam will also be providing options for characters to choose whether to stay in Konryu or to go home, much like during the soft reboot. There will also be options for players who want their characters to transition to the new game but who would ICly desire to return to their worlds. If one of the "stock" options we provide doesn't work well for a given character, we can hash something out to customize the process as needed.
Any characters who would potentially opt to participate in the building process of the new city, or who are immortal and might therefore remain in Konryu for the entire timespan between Tu Shanshu and Khu Ioduan will be unable to due to complications with the soul gems tying them to Tu Vishan. They will be shunted forward with the rest of the current Foreigners to join the Dreamfolk in Khu Ioduan. In the intervening time, Dreamfolk will become a regular occurrence, as a result of Planar Shenanigans™. The modteam feels this will help ensure that current players and new players will remain on even footing with the new game launch.
Players WILL NOT need to reapply their existing characters to the new setting. At most, we will ask for a very short rationale for why a character chose to remain/wanted to leave but got stuck/etc. Likewise, characters will not be reset, but will be able to retain their memories and any abilities they've gained from their time in Keeliai. ICly, there will also be means to protect and move important possessions that may not be pocket sized. Bottom line: we want this to be as comfortable as possible for everyone!
Any characters who would potentially opt to participate in the building process of the new city, or who are immortal and might therefore remain in Konryu for the entire timespan between Tu Shanshu and Khu Ioduan will be unable to due to complications with the soul gems tying them to Tu Vishan. They will be shunted forward with the rest of the current Foreigners to join the Dreamfolk in Khu Ioduan. In the intervening time, Dreamfolk will become a regular occurrence, as a result of Planar Shenanigans™. The modteam feels this will help ensure that current players and new players will remain on even footing with the new game launch.
Players WILL NOT need to reapply their existing characters to the new setting. At most, we will ask for a very short rationale for why a character chose to remain/wanted to leave but got stuck/etc. Likewise, characters will not be reset, but will be able to retain their memories and any abilities they've gained from their time in Keeliai. ICly, there will also be means to protect and move important possessions that may not be pocket sized. Bottom line: we want this to be as comfortable as possible for everyone!
UPDATES AND PLAYER INPUT
Moving forward, the modteam will be taking suggestions on how we can make this transition smooth for the current player base, as well as input to help us shape the final product.
The information in this State of the Shell post is comparable to a rough draft, and we want to have a working draft prepared before we begin incorporating player input to specific aspects. At the moment, the draft is too incomplete to put your suggestions to good use, but we are excited to hear about your ideas, so get brainstorming for later! There will be regular updates in the coming months to keep everyone in the loop and provide opportunities for comments.
The information in this State of the Shell post is comparable to a rough draft, and we want to have a working draft prepared before we begin incorporating player input to specific aspects. At the moment, the draft is too incomplete to put your suggestions to good use, but we are excited to hear about your ideas, so get brainstorming for later! There will be regular updates in the coming months to keep everyone in the loop and provide opportunities for comments.
TIMELINE
We're going to be keeping you posted with monthly State of the Shell posts, like this one, as we get things firmed up and start putting the puzzle together. Keep an eye open for them, because eventually we're going to be asking for your input and we'd love to have it! Players are what make a game wonderful.
Right now, we're looking at a TDM for around New Year's, and opening apps and reserves nearby, probably in January. Tentatively, Khu Ioduan should be live by the first of February, if not a little bit before.
Right now, we're looking at a TDM for around New Year's, and opening apps and reserves nearby, probably in January. Tentatively, Khu Ioduan should be live by the first of February, if not a little bit before.
IN CLOSING
We understand that this is a big change, and that you may be excited or scared or anywhere in between (or any combination!). That's okay! Transitions always involve an ending, a neutral period, and a new beginning. Even when a change is good, that doesn't mean it's always easy, nor does it mean we all won't miss Tu Shanshu or feel a bit lost at times as we move towards the launch. All of that is completely normal - heck, we may schedule a grieving party. There are a lot of things about this game to raise toasts to.
A hallmark of Tu Shanshu has always been its tight-knit community. Tu Shanshu is an important part of our lives, and that will never change. We all have fond memories of fluff and fun, tension and exhilaration, magical mayhem and mishaps; and bringing an end to the game is bittersweet. We want Khu Ioduan to continue to bring us this kind of joy, and both strengthen and expand our community.
Tu Shanshu will continue from now until Khu Ioduan opens, complete with itineraries and events. Starting in November, characters will become aware of some of these changes ICly, so they will have time to think about what they want to do. Characters choosing to go home will be able to say farewells and tie up loose ends, for example. (Characters who THINK they're going home but who don't know they'll be getting stuck per player preference, well, that's gonna be fun!)
We welcome any questions you might have, although keep in mind that we are still working out a lot of the exact mechanics for how things will work - this is intended as an overview only - so if it's relating to something specific we haven't settled on yet, we may not be able to answer as completely as we will be able to later on.
Thank you for reading through all of this, and stay tuned for more information in upcoming updates! We are looking forward to bringing you a vibrant and exciting new RP home.
A hallmark of Tu Shanshu has always been its tight-knit community. Tu Shanshu is an important part of our lives, and that will never change. We all have fond memories of fluff and fun, tension and exhilaration, magical mayhem and mishaps; and bringing an end to the game is bittersweet. We want Khu Ioduan to continue to bring us this kind of joy, and both strengthen and expand our community.
Tu Shanshu will continue from now until Khu Ioduan opens, complete with itineraries and events. Starting in November, characters will become aware of some of these changes ICly, so they will have time to think about what they want to do. Characters choosing to go home will be able to say farewells and tie up loose ends, for example. (Characters who THINK they're going home but who don't know they'll be getting stuck per player preference, well, that's gonna be fun!)
We welcome any questions you might have, although keep in mind that we are still working out a lot of the exact mechanics for how things will work - this is intended as an overview only - so if it's relating to something specific we haven't settled on yet, we may not be able to answer as completely as we will be able to later on.
Thank you for reading through all of this, and stay tuned for more information in upcoming updates! We are looking forward to bringing you a vibrant and exciting new RP home.
- TS Mods (Alex, Li, Makari, Rivers, Seal)
---
Associated Links:
11/07/17 - UPDATE - Talents and Affinity
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(li)
For Tu Shanshu, yes, we're looking at a halved or check-in style AC like this month was for the rest of the game's duration.
Sorry for the mix up!
no subject