How's My Driving?

[animusmods]

SEPTEMBER HMD

(a little early because there wasn't an August one)

1) Comment to this post with a list of your characters! This meme, by the way, is voluntary but recommended.

2) Give and receive constructive criticism! We'll be watching and we will intervene if flames are being thrown about. Additionally, this is for commenting on the characters, and not the people playing them.

3) This meme is more for concrit than compliments--there will be a compliments meme for straight-out love, don't worry.

Comments

[attheclocktower]

Just a couple things

First of all, it's been brought up in the past about giving the players notice what kinds of things will be going on in the events. But I'd like to discuss something I think is a little more important than that - the possibility of giving players a little more notice in general of events that will be happening in the future.

Right now, mod events are typically given very little notice - especially the most recent "space-whale-attacking-the-Tower" event. The players had no notice for this event at all - even though it broke the tradition of Animus events being opt-in. It was unexpected, and plenty of people I've seen have chosen simply to handwave what their characters were doing because there wasn't enough time to plot out what actually happened and play it out. People who put their characters on autopilot for their hiatuses (some people, like I did, don't think they'll be gone long enough to merit their character being sent home to tour their ruined world) didn't have a chance to do anything before the event was over.

I understand the theory behind wanting to keep players in the dark - more surprise in the mun means more realistic surprise in the character, right? Except this current system is causing a lot of problems - there are plenty of player plots that don't require mod approval that get steamrolled over by unexpected mod-run events. It's really discouraging for these smaller player plots. While some derailment is normal and expected, neither should players be hesitant of trying to do things with their characters in between events. Otherwise Animus risks falling into the "slice-of-life-between-events" trap.

There's still a way of striking a balance between surprise and informing players. One option I've seen discussed is for Animus to do something like a_facility does, with a "spoiler post". Animus's wouldn't even need to be as frequent or in-depth as a_fac's are - once a month would probably be sufficient, with just a vague warning like "There's going to be an opt-in event near the beginning of the month that'll last a few days. Characters who participate will disappear." That still leaves plenty for the players to be taken by surprise, but enough information that players will know when to be flexible with/not plan their personal player plots, or when to send their characters home to avoid needing to handwave/backtag a lot unnecessarily. And the best part is a spoiler post would be hidden under a cut, so those who wish to be totally surprised can just not click on it and not see anything at all.

This is all open to discussion of course, but I just feel like there are plenty of players who would benefit from some warning about events - even if it's just a vague one.

That first point was very long and I'm sorry about that, but it's something important.

Something else I've noticed lately - and it's related to the above - is a bit of a breakdown in communication between mods and players? I can understand you have authority as mods, but previously, when you've wanted to do changes to activity and applications, you discussed it with the players (I remember a specific discussion once about whether the game should go onto app cycles or keeping apps open all the time). With the most recent event, you implemented a bunch of administrative changes without any real warning in the past that there might be a change, or any room for debate or discussion. It's a little concerning, since communication between mods and players is very important. Just to be clear, I have no major objections with the changes themselves, just that they were made without any room for debate or discussion with the players.

And that's it from me. Thanks for hearing me out.

[animusmods]

I have to wait for Cee and Pix for the first half, but I can explain the reasoning behind the AC and app changes really quickly:

The AC change was a very small change that we decided was necessary to keep pace with the game's growth; AC is still easy. If we were ever to go up to anything that is more difficult/more complicated we would discuss it.

As for app cycles, we simply won't have the time to maintain weekly applications anymore; we didn't really put it up for debate because app cycles were the only option we were comfortable with as moderators.

[attheclocktower]

Thank you for your response! And thank you for taking what I said into consideration.

And thanks for the explanations on the lack of announcement behind the game changes. They make sense and in light of them, I feel better now.

[sky_child]

I have to agree about the plot. While the idea of a sudden, cataclysmic attack in a horror RPG sounded great, the execution was poor, as it really didn't give people time to organize things.

Speaking personally, it threw me off to the point that I felt I needed to reset my character to get active in this game. When the plot came, I had just introduced my character and he had just gotten caught up in a personal plot/thread that may or may not have resulted in a character death. The thread didn't get that far before the whale attack, so I literally had no idea what his state of mind was during the attack. Going with the "hahaha he's asleep" option just didn't feel sufficient; what would he be thinking when he woke up?

I think what attheclocktower said about "characters on autopilot" was right on the money. That's how I would have been playing Link had I been more active in the plot, and that...would have left me feeling unsatisfied. Big plots like these should be rich for character development and would have been great for getting Link more integrated into the game, but instead it just felt like something I had to handwave my way around, like in introductory posts where a character's hit with five or so threads in which they're given the basic details of the place as if they've never heard them before. Only...this plot was way too big to handwave. So I felt it was easier just to reset him and assume he came into the tower under the new conditions wrt the chests.

[animusmods]

We have taken your opinions into consideration and are presenting a calendar option for your consideration; please give us feedback there on what you think!

As a specific note here this sort of issue, of apping into big gamewide events, also played into our decision to switch to app cycles. Since we'll know when new players are coming in we can plan around that and no one will have to try and intro into one.

[lamentless]

I disagree completely with your feelings and opinions on the negative aspect of mod events being spur of the moment.

Backtagging is encouraged and many people do just that for plot events. Many people I saw handwaving were doing so because of personal, RL reasons, or due to college kicking up. I had real life going on, and basically have all month, and have been relying on this myself. It's a give and take, but working with people has been just fine for me.

If player plots can't roll with the punches and adapt to the scenarioes the mods give us, however, then you are planning and relying on them too heavily. I'm sorry. The setting is changing frequently, and stability is not to be expected. I've had player plots of my own get pushed back or changed due to Animus having over-arching plot kick up, and I have done my best to adapt. I clearly can't speak for everyone, but I enjoy adapting to the setting and current plot changes. You can't bank on development going just so- and if that's what you want, then Animus is not the game for you. This much has been obvious from day one when I first apped here a year ago. I'm sorry if this seems rude of me, but just as you're entitled to your opinion, this is mine.

[attheclocktower]

The difference in opinion is why I suggested the spoiler posts - that way those who want or need forewarning can get it and those who don't want it can avoid it.

I feel like there's a way to reach a middle ground here. That's all.

(frozen comment)

[reversedestiny]

Gaa, I know you meant well, but your comment boils down to, "If you don't like things the way they are, you should probably leave" and this is incredibly rude of you.

[(Anonymous)]

Was there really a need to phrase this so brutally? Differences of opinion are fine, but this seems like a personal attack. Different players have different experiences in games, and what works for some won't work for others. Having more options regarding events (like a spoiler post) would help for those who like to plan ahead.

I've personally found that getting huge events like the whale attack thrown at me without notice is difficult because it gives me little time to work out character reactions. Others thrive on those surprises. That doesn't mean that those who prefer plans shouldn't be able to enjoy themselves.

[animusmods]

I'm going to have to ask that everyone here act civil, please. This goes equally for both sides on this issue.

[pitiedthefool]

Pardon me, but...if I may say something?

See, while I can see part of your opinion and agree on some points, Gorse has raised some valid points. It is difficult for some to keep up when sudden events are sprung upon us. Yes, I will admit I'm normally one of those who can adapt easily, but I was recovering from minor surgery at the time and this seriously affected me since I'm still doing backtags on threads from May.

In short: I'm sorry, but part of what you are saying is coming across as passive-aggressive "take it or leave it," and while I agree that it's fun trying to adapt (in fact, it's one of the reasons I joined), sometimes a little warning is good; like the spoiler post idea that was previously mentioned.

I don't mean to choose sides, but I do believe that healthy middle-ground can be reached if we try to stay calm and work together to come up with a solution that's best for everyone. We don't need to have such negativity amongst friends and casts; that's what generally severs gaming ties ICly and OOCly no matter how much one tries to say IC =/= OOC because the player themselves is too distracted and hurt by the OOC problems to focus on the IC.

[beknightedheroine]

I agree with sky_child that the timing of spontaneous, game-encompassing events is best not put at the same time as new characters getting acclimated to the game, but for the rest, I go with the thought that the whale event was enjoyable and, on a level, still able to be opted into or out of - it was easy enough to come up with solutions for what characters were doing that didn't have to be actively played out, and still have the opportunity to be referenced incharacterly even now. And, as always - there's still the option of talking to other people about what characters x and y were doing and backtagging things from there.

As for the AC/Application changes, whatever workload keeps our mod team nice and functional and not stressed out is one I support.

[(Anonymous)]

I know, I know, anon comment, some people will say disregard, own up to your words, but.

You guys are great mods, and I thank you for making me feel like I can actually talk about these issues with you. This is refreshing after some bad experiences. That said, I do have one major complaint RE: the whale attack.

I've seen other says it on rpanons, and I agree: it felt like, if you weren't there at the very beginning of the event, that you missed out. It got confusing trying to figure out what was going on, who was where, etc. I do think part of this was the spontaneity. Yes, yes, horror game. I know. But there is a difference between telling a horror story to an audience, and running a game with more than a small group of friends. Yes. Surprises can be good. But not all the time. And not everyone is going to do good with this.

Also, I understand attheclocktower's pain with player plots. I've seen more than one put on the backburner for months because the moment they get things straight and organized from the fallout of the previous month's events, well, here's another. And then things get put off for so long, it doesn't seem there's much point to it when it's not big enough to warrant mod permission. The spoiler posts then become a good idea, as a sort of "weather report." Players who want to do a player plot can look at the spoiler post which doesn't even need many details, just a, "Hey, an event will be happening roughly the middle of the month" without even saying what or the dates, and then plan around it to a degree. This would make it conducive to both player plots and those who want to be surprised--they wouldn't have to look at the when, they would just know that something is going to happen (which we all do anyway, events are monthly, after all).

thank you for taking the time to read this, and sorry on the TLDR and if I missed anything. Also, again, thank you for being great mods in regards to listening and responding to complaints and being patient. You're really all excellent mods in that regard.

[animusmods]

We have taken your opinions into consideration and are presenting a calendar option for your consideration; please give us feedback there on what you think!

[animusmods]

OKAY we are back and here is an option we are presenting: a calendar that serves as Animus's schedule, available for everyone to see. August is the only month done right now so we can get your feedback on it before we fill out too much.

The calendar covers when apps/reservations open/close/expire, when activity check is, when events happen (we are suggesting a compromise on mod events where we let you know when they're happening ahead of time and the specifics aren't detailed until the OOC event threads go up), and any network/tower activity changes. If you would like to see anything else on the calendar, let us know! Also let us know in general what you think of this idea.

[reversedestiny]

I actually really like this idea. The calendar is a nice compromise event-wise. We know the when but not the what, so we can still plan player plots roughly around the timing of the event. I say roughly, because obviously events will change some things, but that's not bad.

[quarkylass]

YES...........as someone who is very schedule based this is brilliant, especially since the game moves so fast that I don't catch every event post as it goes up, so this is helpful yes good.

For example, I didn't even know AC went up. Just like that.

[sky_child]

Works for me! :|b

[fractus_animus]

Oh I really like this and I totally support this! I like it's intentional vagueness event-wise. This pleases me. |D

I can't think of anything else to add unless you guys want to make mentions of... idk, weather or... something, lmao, but. I don't think that's really necessary.

Out of curiosity, are you guys going to update the setting page on the floors now since things have kinda changed post-Whale Attack? Or will they all be put back to normal eventually?

Semi-random but it seems kinda important to ask here : |a

[sageprincess]

I like this!

/useful commenting

[inheritedlight]

I approve of this idea! :D

Also, another suggestion: Since plurk is a large part of planning with AIM as the second, could a mod plurk be created to keep us informed?

[attheclocktower]

I feel like I asked for dinner and was given a feast. I love this idea. Thank you so much for hearing out our concerns and working to come up with this option. <3 You guys are amazing.

[thisclinchesit]

Late as hell to this, but I was asleep when this went up, and still wanna toss in my two cents.

Like I've said before, this is a horror game. By the nature of the genre, one should expect things to not always go as planned, and be able to adapt. Just like in a horror story, the protagonist will want to establish themselves a safe place away from the zombies or the monster or whatever. However, if things go south, they have to go with it, or wind up dead.

Of course, given the nature of this being a roleplaying thing and people's tastes and how they feel things should go being different, stuff has to be accommodated for to work best for the game as a whole - which is why we're getting the calendar. However, it's my opinion that being able to do every little neat side-plot thing to completion and it fit right in between events like a puzzle piece without interruption goes against the genre, y'know?

[attheclocktower]

I suspect we will always just have to agree to disagree

Not everyone is going to like and appreciate all the aspects of a given genre. Some people probably don't like jump scares but love the tension or psychological impact of dealing with ones' darkest fears and darker subject matter, or etc. The same goes in vice versa. And all of these people are going to have different experiences and have fun with certain aspects more than others.

I did try to keep that in mind when I made my suggestions - which is why I suggested something that would allow those who wanted an experience of total surprise and resulting reactions/adaptations to get it, while those who wanted a little bit of forewarning could get so without it being to specific, so there would still be some element of surprise.

That's not what we ended up with, which makes this whole debate moot, I suppose. I guess what I'm trying to say was I didn't want to take away what makes Animus enjoyable to some people, just make it so that it's as enjoyable to as many people as possible.

[sky_child]

The defense of the plot based on Animus's genre has no bearing on how well executed it was. Yes, it makes total sense for a horror game, but there are plenty of things that make total sense in a horror story that fall flat due to execution--nevermind that "things don't go as planned" isn't exclusive to the concept of horror itself.

Yeah, arguing over it is moot right now, but I just wanted to get that in. I've seen it brought up elsewhere and it honestly baffles me as to why people leave their defense at "well it's a horror game". It's one thing if you were personally fine with it, but going "it's a horror game" suggests everyone has to be okay with it and if they aren't then they don't understand the concept of the game. So it's...kind of insulting and condescending? Speaking for myself, I understand quite well what the game is about, and the nature of horror. That doesn't mean I can't consider the plot to be poorly executed even within an appropriate genre.

Again, think of all the horror films you've seen, or all the horror stories you've read, where something happens that makes perfect sense in theory, but falls flat in execution. Would you tell yourself that you didn't understand the nature of the genre if the event didn't have its intended effect, or would you just say that was poorly executed?