beammeout | Game Roundtable

Our first month as a game is drawing to a close, so this is as good a time as any to have a discussion post! We have a couple things that we should probably discuss to see how we're going to be going forward.

1. Game Activity/Recruitment

Our membership is obviously really really small, and so attrition is hitting us pretty hard this month. AC is still meant to be a low-pressure checking in type of thing, but I really need to know if people are still planning on sticking around long-haul or not. Size isn't as important as regular posting, and if we go dead for a month at a time we're not exactly posting on the regular. (For the record, we haven't gone dead yet, but there's been a rather noticeable drop-of compared with the first week in July.)

If it looks like the majority of us aren't really planning on sticking around, we're probably going to have to shutter the game since we're not getting any new players/characters to replace the ones who go. It will be a bummer, but if we're going to be down to three people it seems silly to run an entire game when a PSL will do.

2. Event Frequency

Speaking of activity, it's coming near the end of the month and the August event is still being resolved. What frequency of events should we be having in light of this? I am still planning dynamic events whose outcomes are dependent on player choices, but that gets a little weird if they're not resolved before the next event rolls in. (I'm still waiting to see if everyone got the good+ ending, as there are some things dependent on people actually going to fix the core.)

Should we continue with monthly events, or go to an every-other-month schedule to give things a chance to resolve? (I can still supplement events with various planetfalls/environment changes as we have planned for September, it just means if we go to every other month that there won't be a specific thing for everyone to do aside from resource gathering that month.)

3. Stuff you'd like to see

Suggestions for things to do are always welcome! Player plots and schemes are also always welcome, since the idea is to bend, fold, and tear the setting as much as possible. If you have some ideas or suggestions for an event or a player plot, please drop it in!

There are currently rough events planned through December, but after the new year is completely open. (And I can always revise planned events based on feedback here, though you're not getting out of the Star Wars Holiday Special if I have anything to say about it.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

1

I'll stick it through if other people they are, I'm just taking a small hiatus because I feel I need to re-orient what I'm doing with the character or replace him.

2

Hrm... well, if you're doing every other month, I would suggest a month long 'situation' that helps suggest player plots and the like. Otherwise month plots are fine. Mostly just unsure what to do here.

3

Star Wars Holiday Special was displayed during Thanksgiving!

*Plays the Holographic dance show music on loop*

The vague plan is for off months to be new settings for people to explore/get in trouble in if we go to alternate month events. Then events would primarily be ship-only things that happen during transit.

Sounds like a golden plan.

I am planning on sticking around for the long haul. Whatever that looks like. So I'm just putting that out there first thing.

As for events, I think that with the size of our player base, and the size of our game, events every other month would probably be better. I mean, if we're going to be doing planetfall/resource gathering, that would still be pretty good for the off months, and it would still give people plenty of time to get into trouble/backtag/what have you.

I want to see something involving ghosts. Also, mayhem once Doomtrain gets up and running. Also, what does the Master think about all the stuff that has been going on? I mean, I doubt he's just sitting in his room and playing solitaire or whatever? How big of a noise do we have to make to get his attention? XD

Further Master posts I have been holding back on until there is a decent idea of what he'll be reacting to, exactly. I haven't forgotten NPCs.

1. If my hiatus doesn't break in another week or so, I'll probably drop Rinzler. This is not at all a matter of the game; just me having time management problems. If things do work out for me, I'll be bringing him back and hopefully being a lot more active. I may also try swapping him out for a more passive character (Keller comes to mind) instead of straight up dropping the game.

You listed recruitment in the header, but had no questions about it-- just throwing my two cents in here, but IMO, that's the most important thing that could be done to keep the game afloat. Small games need a regular influx of new players so a couple people dropping doesn't cut it down to an overplotted PSL. I'm not sure how much success you'll have at this point-- ATP's not for another two weeks, and it's easier to get a larger playerbase before the game opens than invite people when they can look and see how small it is. (I hit up the player postings last ATP with apparently no success.) That said, attempts couldn't hurt, and if you've got another way to draw in people, it's very much worth trying.

2. Bimonthly events with optional things going on in the off months seem like it could allow for the small/slow players without making stuff dead. Generally I'd favor monthly events at least, but if things are slow already, piling more on that doesn't seem likely to improve it much.

3. Nothing particular comes to mind; what there's been so far seems fun.

I want to know what this player base is going to do before we try working on a recruitment push since otherwise we'll have people taking one look at the community and figuring it's dead.

1. I don't plan on going anywhere. But advertisement might be a good idea, why don't you post at ATP or on RP-Anons? Word of mouth isn't always efficient enough; I'd never even have known the game existed if a couple people weren't plurking about it.

On that note, already we've been told to NOT recruit at least one person, so a list of people whom we shouldn't invite would be nice.

2. I have no problem with the current event speed. The speed of the events aren't an issue so much as our tiny playerbase having other priorities or being on hiatus due to RL issue and other reasons, so things are not moving quickly. This doesn't mean the events are bad. Or that tagging slow is bad; if you think it's a little too quick, you can slow it down a bit until there's more of a playerbase?

3. I'd like a list of what we can't do, and a better sense of what we can get away with/do ICly. Right now it's very, very vague, but IC mystery is useful only until it leaves people OOCly spinning their wheels wondering what they can do without getting yelled at.

1. We already advertise on ATP and have since June. For RP Anons, that isn't a venue I frequent and I would prefer someone who is a regular to handle advertising there since they'd know the board.

With no-gos, it's pretty much try to avoid players who you know would end up breaking the rules pretty fast, since that would be a waste of everyone's time.

2. Event frequency is always subject to revision, that's why I asked about bimonthly events vs. monthly. I know some people are big on the idea of frequent large-scale events and some aren't and wanted to know.

3. Things that would leave any large-scale permanent change on the setting will need to be cleared first. Same with any kind of protracted messing with the NPCs, since I'll need the heads-up to decide what they do about it. Small actions (learning future skills at a basic level, setting up house in quarters, tying up the droids and making dinner in the cafeteria for everyone) are all things you don't need to ask me about. If in doubt, ask. I am generally extremely easygoing about letting players do shit; I just need to be kept abreast of what's going on so I can take it into account.

When we do get to AC, I'm planning on combining it with a handwaved CR meme so that people can sort what off-screen actions they've been up to, which should also help things.

1: I will stick around as long as there is a game to stick to. :3 Juggling 3 games makes for some slow-ish tagging sometimes, but I'm not going anywhere.

2: Every other month is probably a good idea, since some people (like me) are in multiple games, and if two or more games are having events at the same time, it can get a bit hectic, especially when also dealing with work and other necessary RL stuff.

3: No particular ideas ATM, but if I think of any I'll let you know. :3

1. So hey if you know anybody in those other games who wants a small one... >.>

2. Seems like that's the consensus, so looks like that's where we're gonna go!

I'll poke around. X3 I know Tronja from plurk and her gf were planning on apping, I think, so I'll remind them too. X3

1. I plan on sticking around. I like it with you guys and I think this is a good setting for Thrawn. Finding good places for him is hard. I've tried. I'll attempt to collect new people to play with us!

2. I think one a month for larger events works. I've been meaning to tag this even but I'm just now well enough to really get back into tagging with any seriousness.

2. Nothing I can think of right now (Thrawn says he'd like to see the Master go out an airlock)

(Lazy NPC journal is lazy.)

1. Yes a few more people would be lovely collect away~!

3. A lot of people would like to see that.

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