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STATE OF THE GAME - JUNE
Welcome to our second State of the Game! We have a lot of points to cover, particularly pertaining to information ease of access, developments in the world of Karteria, and other miscellaneous tweaks.
To get started with, here are some general announcements.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE: We first want to preface this with a thanks for your general patience as we get back to some questions. The two of us have been dealing with some garbage RL things that inevitably slow us down. May wasn't a friendly month for us, and June isn't shaping up to be one either... We will keep at it, but if you're still waiting on something for what feels like way too long, please please let us know in the comments.
800 POINT "TREAT": Linked via Activity Check is a page for AC rewards, or "treats". At breakneck speeds, some of you already have enough points for the legendary 800 point treat, and we've had questions about what it actually is rather than being cryptic babble!
Wild Souls: Natural Souls, as characters know them, are directly provided by Patho-Gen using their Augmenter technology. They fall under ten distinct categories; however, even Patho-Gen isn't quite sure of all of the qualities of these many Natural Soul types! They know what they are, but have yet to assemble a catalogue of what they include.
Under the Recollection & Retribution page, there's a 400-point reward for a second Natural Soul that isn't given to characters by Patho-Gen. This particular reward means that if you app in as a Reptilia-type, you could also grant your character a Ruminantia-type Natural Soul—given to them entirely by the world itself! Lizard-deer, here we come. Great for people who want chimeras!
Under the same umbrella of "treats"... is the 800-point redemption. It works the same way as the 400-point reward, but grants some unique souls that Patho-Gen has no ability to harness. We had intended to reveal these with the unveiling of Kelesis—all of which is happening quickly! So what are these special souls?
Fungi-type — Just what it sounds like on the tin. A unique soul that shares a lot in common with Terra-type, they couldn't be more different. Fungi-type souls have far-reaching, subconscious detection through the earth itself; they feast off of dissolving other structures and creatures. Capable of a wide variety of 'effects,' from poisons to mind alteration, they are also capable of controlling the minds of their victims.
Marsupialia-type — Kangaroos, opossums, koalas, and more, Marsupialia-types are so very different from each other that it'll be hard for Patho-Gen to catalogue them! With all kinds of dietary needs, potentials for different waking habits, and vastly different physical structures, the disfigurement of the legs in line with marsupials will be a common trait. Marsupialia-types may have... a fleshy pouch. Congratulations??? (This is true for 100% of actual female marsupials, but we're not gonna stop you from giving this to male characters/not giving it to female characters.) Marsupialia-types are capable of psychological manipulation and hypnosis, capable of creating mirages and altering short-term memory of others. Did you really see that kangaroo, or was that just your mind playing tricks on you...?
Perissodactyla-type — Odd-toed ungulates, which include rhinos, horses, and tapirs. Horse girls rise up! Sporting a thick hide, the Shifts of these soul types are immense and impressive. They develop complete or partial hooves, ungulate legs, and have sensitive stomachs. They're also sensitive to intense fluctuations of temperature, making this soul type both sturdy and delicate. However... These soul types are renowned for gaining special powers in the dark of the night, from dream manipulation, potent healing powers, pact-making, shapeshifting, and beyond.
Cnidaria-type — such a wide group for inspiration, Cnidaria-types include inspiration from jellyfish, sea anenome, ocean parasites, corals, and more. This also means that, like Marsupialia-types, their traits can vary—widely. Some may grow translucent, thin skin; others may grow rocky, coral-like protrusions along their bodies. But the production of venom is common. They wield powers around this venom, and may have the ability to interface with the souls of others. Their method of operation may grow more callous, almost Machiavellian: if the solution to their problem is to take the liver of a monkey, what does it matter that the monkey has to die?
These souls aren't going to be available as "starter souls," because 10 souls is already so many souls. But they'll be available to those who are embedded in the game and have progressed with some of their Corruption. These souls can either be applied as secondary souls, or if the player wishes to have their current soul be displaced by one of these souls, that can be arranged.
COMPILATION OF KNOWN LORE: We're working on a page that keeps track of the "timeline" of things regarding the unveiling of the world of Karteria. As characters learn more, some truths or new findings come out about Karteria, Orexis, Pathos, and the world beyond; though this page won't be updated promptly, in order to allow for information to be disseminated organically via characters, we want to make sure that information becomes available somehow to players.
UPDATING SOME EXISTING PAGES: We've realized we definitely need to update some of the world information pages to make info accessible to all! Katalyth, for example, needs some updating. We hope to have this done before the next TDM.
A few other pages of note that will be updated: Locations, Businesses, and possibly some tweaks to Culture and Technology as needed, given the sorts of questions we've been asked. In place of a full update to the last two pages, we may link relevant FAQ questions to the bottom of these pages to make accessible some of those more specific queries people might have about the setting (for example, a most recent question that would be put in the link list for Technology: what is the technology for music playback?).
APP SAMPLES: Announced on Plurk already, we have three lovely app samples on our Application page now. ✨
APP MOD: Also announced on Plurk already, we have another mod who specifically helps us with reviewing apps: Angela, who has already helped peer review plenty of our event logs or helped give us a different angle to approach an idea we have. She's been a great help so far, with a different repertoire of canon familiarity and another set of eyes.
TDM #2 OVERFLOW: We apologize for the delay on this, but for those of you using the TDM we have an overflow. It's quite belated... but it's there! You are always free to test characters on this post or continue threads there.
It'll be... a packed month on the back end of things. Given how this month's been treating us, it's likely that we won't get to all of this during the rest of the month. Again, we thank you for your patience!
We would also like to ask our playerbase for their thoughts about a few other ideas, tweaks, and other miscellany. Pertaining to these following bullet points, please feel free to voice your thoughts; we haven't decided whether or not to implement these changes as of yet, or in what direction to go in.
PROXY RESERVES: Timezones. No matter which one you pick, someone ends up on the short end of the stick, and for some of us reserves and apps open up anywhere between midnight and 7AM. That is awful. To anyone between the UK and Indonesia, this schedule is awful. And for others, these things open up while we're at work! Also awful.
We had a request to welcome proxy reserves, which are currently not allowed. We've been mulling on it; we don't see the harm in it, and we're so down for people being able to get a full night's rest. If anyone has viewpoints on this, we'd love to hear them!
WORDINESS?: I had forgotten to put this original concern of mine on the first SotG! Are logs too wordy? I figure that the information provided can help to fuel a month's worth of logs and goings-on, but I also worry that they're overwhelming and unapproachable. Any feedback on this front?
THE AVAILABILITY OF WORLD INFO & UNCOVERED SECRETS: We want to help players at least get a digest of what's going on with some more cryptic scenes so that players have the tools to write interesting scenarios for characters to research the world. An example of this would be last month's Velvet Claw prompt regarding the missing persons of East Sophia. Are there any other ways you'd like the availability of information to be provided? Was the drop-down detail good? Are there any other situations where we should focus on making information more available to players?
Finally, we want to ask: How are we doing? We're now a few logs into the game, and this is our first month without an app cycle. Let us know if you have any thoughts, feedback, or ideas. You are always free to shoot us a PM, or otherwise visit the mod contact post if you'd prefer more privacy.
We read everything posted here, even if we don't respond to anything directly in favor of simply digesting your thoughts and turning that into action. Thanks a bunch for being part of the game!
Premise • Rules • FAQ • Reserve • Apply • Taken • Hiatus/Update/Drop • Activity Check • Calendar • Mod Contact
Locations • Businesses • Housing • Natural Souls • Patho-Gen • Culture • Technology • Reputation
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I'm loving the way logs are done a whole lot, having all the information pretty much available means I can comfortably plan what Northly's doing through the month. When I was a bit busy they were a smidge intimidating but because they're well divided it was easy to just focus on one or two parts.
I don't know that you as mods need to do anything more than you have been regarding the information characters find. I kind of like the vibe that some characters can completely miss that there are plots afoot, while others are heavily engaged, or they can get involved because someone posted to the network!
With the businesses, I found the form a bit intimidating and wasn't sure whether I should fill it out even if I wasn't intending to have my character work there (I've been meaning to ask about that but never quite got around to it)
My only concern with the game is that y'all (mods) might be working too hard. While the level of mod/npc interaction is great, it does make me worry that y'all might burn out, esp since you've had a hard couple of months!
If we have questions about the bonus soul types, should we ask them on the regular FAQ page?
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It's sweet that players are excited enough about the game to engage with the setting a ton and move things forward quickly, but I do worry about burnout on your end, so I think it would be totally fair to be like "ok guys, wait for next month for more info on X!" the fast pace and tons of info being shared seems like it could be overwhelming not just for mods but for players too. I know I'm a bit dizzied sometimes, especially as a newer player.
Wordiness of logs: thank you for asking! Personally I found this month's log quite wordy and it overwhelmed me. I'm a slow reader, and it takes me a while to process written information if it's dense, so it feels like I have a disadvantage time-wise in responding to long logs. I get antsy because I want to get writing/playing with everyone else. That said, it's nice to have more than 3 prompts to choose from to fill out the month, and different dates/times things are happening to get a sense for how the month may play out! I just think the writing itself could be more concise with less superfluous detail, perhaps. Less words to convey the same idea. Alternatively, you could offer little TL;DRs of each prompt/section, to give players an overview- then if it's not something that sounds of interest, they could skip it for the time being and come back to it if they're looking for more to play with. I also think the velvet claw drop down was a great way of doing it- more often being like "this info is optional" is awesome for me.
I super appreciate the effort to compile the information that's been found out by characters since the start of the game- especially for incoming players in the future, this will be crucial so they don't feel like they've "missed" a ton. Hunting for info in comments dispersed around a million pages is tough. Also love the idea of putting relevant FAQs as a bottom section on the respective pages i.e. technology etc. Makes it easier to find stuff that's specific to what you want to know. I've seen in other games people approach this with a google sheet with categories, too- just an idea.
I am in favor of proxy reserves!
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Thank you for such a wonderful game and being so in communication with players. I also feel like the balance of plot and SOL, heavy and light, has been really great.
I personally like the logs as-is, but they are long! Could drop downs be used more to compress them so not everything is on screen at once? I also was in a game where they did a TDLR barebones recap after each major subheader, which I felt was really helpful for reference and for folks with any kind of processing issue! It also allowed me to skim the summaries first then go in depth with any prompts I wanted.
I do really like the info for things like the missing persons so I know what I can find in the thread. I think even a smidge more of "here's the ultimate outcomes" the player could reach (idk, you find dismembered limbs, you see a yellow-eyed enormous monster, you pass out and get sent back to Patho-Gen) would help me feel confident resolving those threads. This is literally like...one more sentence though.
Echoing others that my biggest worry is you all burning out! I think things can absolutely replied to slower, or maybe even some of the bigger questions could be turned into player plots (maybe even in lieu of a log from you all sometimes if that's helpful to you). I'm thinking stuff like the characters doing farther map exploration, or really messing with the setting in ways that need your input.
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WORDINESS: I don't think it's too much, personally, I like all the options and flavor info (I especially appreciate notes to science folks in them so we don't have to bug you about SAMPLES lmao). I do agree with the suggestion of breaking more of the sections down into those drop down details things. My previous game would break down event logs like this so it was easier to take in each section one at a time.
WORLD INFO AND SECRETS: The Velvet Claw stuff was great! Also appreciate you guys trying to OOCly compile all the info characters have discovered. I've been trying to put together both OOC and IC versions of notes specifically for Science Cabin research so I can give them to anyone interested. Maybe for event/tdm logs there could be a mod top level comment beneath the questions comment for players to post what information their characters might have (and are openly sharing) that would be of interest to other characters in case they've missed something? Or that could be on the CR/Plotting memes? I usually put it in my CR meme comment anyway, but those posts fill up quick so it can get missed. On the other hand, I know the idea is to organically disseminate information ICly between characters and that sometimes once games have been going for a while and characters start ICly offering 'newbie info packets' it can come off as not wanting to have to answer questions for/engage with new folks.
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That said, while I adore the detail in the events, I wonder if logs could be shorter if it helps you guys manage updates faster and avoid burnout. The world already feels so vibrant that slowing the pace (maybe spacing out events or prioritizing reputation updates?) might ease the workload while keeping us invested. Personally, I'm very excited to get May's reputation update before doing anything major in June, since it'll let me know Rinne's next move! Just my two cents, though. I trust your vision.
Thanks for all your hard work ❤ It's obvious that you put a lot of care into the game, and I'm really grateful for it.
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A project to update and compile information from the FAQs that is discoverable IC sounds really daunting, and I myself have also been wondering how it might be easy to make something like that accessible to players as we progress through Karteria. Would it help to ask for assistance on that matter, like in making a "timeline" page for the setting as well? Thinking thoughts... I'm also concerned about burnout since you do so much for the game already. Having help with compiling information also might give more leeway when it comes to answering and updating the Reputation-related mechanic.
I agree in that I think the logs could be a bit more condensed, even though I haven't felt overwhelmed by the amount of information. What I really like about the event scenarios thus far is that there's always a "what you will find" portion present in the write-up.
If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask!! Thank you, mods...
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Everyone else has echoed my sentiments along the lines of the immense undertaking you all have every week/month because of the amount of questions we ask, plots people are doing, and the very meaty events you guys propose. I feel like you commented somewhere that you didn't expect us to move so quickly as players towards Kelesis as a plot, so if we are moving too fast or if there's more you'd like to do with something, I can only speak for myself when I say that we can (probably) slow our rolls just a little if it makes it easier for you!
I don't want anything we're doing or putting on your plates to add to extra work that contributes not just to burnout but decreases your own enjoyment. This is YOUR GAME, after all, and you should be able to play in the sandbox too!
If we as players can also contribute more player plots (within the confines of the game/event) that help to give the mods a break (like a game-wide player plot that would involve a lot of people and allow a monthly event to be shorter on the mod's side of things), please let us know too. If we can help with compiling pages or FAQ stuff or a timeline, I feel like we have a lot of dedicated people here who would volunteer to help with that as well.
I can't speak on wordiness (/gestures at my novel-length tags) in event logs and such, but I can see the merit of summaries or something similar that other people have suggested.
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Proxy holds - I don't see any problem with this! Like you said, no matter what time things happen, someone somewhere is getting the short end of the stick, so if this helps, then I'm all for it.
Wordiness - I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, I've loved everything that has been posted. The posts are meant to support rp for the whole month, so they sort of have to be meaty. Plus I think posting lots of information is helpful to head off some inevitable questions. They do feel like A Lot when you first see them, but I personally am okay with it because we have all month to engage with it? Bolding certain parts absolutely helps when skimming. The drop down box was also helpful, though I admit at first my dumb ass didn't realize it was a drop down, I thought it was just a cw that the event would likely feature those themes. That may well just be a me problem, and I did figure it out, but maybe if it said "More info:" or something just for extra ease for dummies like me? Other than that, I'm not sure what else you could do other than perhaps include a TLDR summary for each prompt? But that is more work for you guys, so I kinda hate to suggest it.
Availability of Info - It would be nice to have a single place to see the information that has been uncovered. I always worry I'm gonna miss some Big Thing I should have known, or I'm gonna be the third person to ask the same thing on the FAQ, etc. That said, I don't want to add any additional work on to you guys. I've been in games before where player(s) ran a tally of information discovered, so that might be something we could consider? Maybe we could even have a group spreadsheet for it that everyone in the game could access and add to, with columns for character that discovered the thing, what the info was, and a link to where it was posted? Idk how well that would work in practice, but worst that can happen is it doesn't?
Burn out - On that topic, I am worried you guys will burn out! You're AMAZING but you're doing a lot, so I have a couple thoughts on this. First of all, feel free to do less when you need to! Do fewer prompts on the log/tdm if that helps, take longer to answer FAQ questions/prioritize the time sensitive ones, or just answer with "more info on this will appear later" or something. Also, feel free to seek out volunteers for things. Not just co mods or app mods, but if you need help with other things, I'm sure plenty of us would be willing to help. I'm a weirdo who likes editing, for example, and I'd volunteer for that job.
Player run events - Would encouraging player run events help with your work load? They could either be fluffy type events that don't impact the world state, or bigger, plottier events that players work with mods to build (though that still requires work from y'all, maybe it eases the pressure some?).
OOC Chatter - Okay SO I'm a recent IJ RP transplant, and this is my first DW RP game (and it has been a great experience, thank you everyone!). There are a lot of small differences between dwrp and ijrp, but one thing I miss is that on IJ, every event usually has an OOC Chatter header. People might gush about the event, or seek a specific plot hook relative to the event, or anything really. It's a good spot to chat with people you might not ordinarily chat with because you don't have them added on plurk/discord. But it can also be a helpful place for players to share information broadly (like "Hey Susie accidentally started a fire in the Valentia, others may have noticed this happen!") ask questions where we can answer each other ("Does anyone know whether [x]?" "Yeah, I asked that on the FAQ on the last event, here's the link!"). I know this isn't the norm on dw rp, but it might help the access to information issue + save you guys some time answering questions?
Whoops, sorry, I wrote..... a lot! But thank you guys, again, for all your hard work.
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I know we're all very eager to have our characters engage in the world with explorations and discoveries and I really love that you throw us all bones
for Palamedes to touchand let our characters actively engage in the setting and respond with such detail. THAT SAID I will encourage you guys to not be afraid to put your foot down and tell us to be patient if you think's going too fast or demanding too much of you at that time; especially if you plan to disclose [location] or [thing] in more detail an upcoming event. We will be understanding.The new variety of souls are very cool! Excited to learn more about Wild Souls when you're ready.
when will we get dinosaur soulsLove the idea of current known lore being built into the FAQ/locations/other info pages. I make routine habit of checking them but sifting through FAQs can get tedious, so that will be very helpful.
This month's event was a little verbose, though I personally love details and world building. I think it's great to offer a variety of prompts to give all character types options; between exploration or action, and more social or introspective. A shortened tl;dr at the end of an event log might be helpful, as other players have suggested.
Alternatively, maybe Velvet Claw prompts could be re-worked into a more diffusely active quest-board system anyone can access at any time for rewards/rep/use for prompts in their top levels, etc? Maybe that can be updated once a month mid-month to give players options and won't add to the weight of event logs?
The TDMs seem to be hitting overflow pretty consistently, it might be prudent to build reposting it into the monthly schedule for those alternating months? Might give prospective characters more visibility, but I don't know if it might be confusing with regards to events and overall game timeline.
AGAIN you guys are great thank you so much for such a great game experience so far.
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I think the proxy reserves are great, since you're right that sometimes people just lose out, and I think this is a great compromise for all!
For the logs, I've really enjoyed the length, but I'm a wordy bitch so when I see a big old chunky log I get all excited and rearing to go. I do like the idea of the drop downs for the logs, just so when I'm writing, I can pick and choose what to extend, since I like to reference what's going on in the original post when I'm writing a TL. And speaking of logs, I want to point out something that has been SUCH a huge help — the anticipated FAQ is so good, thank you!! I've had a few times when I was like "Idk if I can do this" and it's pointed out there, so you guys are clearly putting a lot of thought into the work you're doing, and it's so appreciated!!
Long story short, I really appreciate you guys! You all are working so hard to make a rich and deep world, and that's a ton of work! It's so appreciated, so I hope that you guys continue to take care of yourselves as always!!
One thing that might help, is that players can always chip in to assist! Things like compiling lore for the pages, etc. is something that I think many of us would be willing to do using answers from the FAQs etc! (I know I would volunteer to help out with that in a heartbeat) So if things do get too much, or you all are feeling it, I definitely hope you guys know you can ask for help from the playerbase as well!
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-I support proxy reserves! Doesn't seem like it'd harm anything and as someone in a timezone that's often one of the bad ones for DWRP (though not for this game specifically), I support people being able to arrange to not have to wake up in the dead of night to reserve.
-I haven't personally found the logs too wordy - on the contrary, I enjoy having a large amount of info available, so the current format has been great for me - but I support the previously mentioned ideas re: potentially collapsible sections for info that's mostly only relevant to characters that are Really pursuing a particular thing in the log, and/or dot point summaries for key points. Things that don't necessarily remove information, but make it more digestible or the more specific stuff more easily skippable for those who just want the overview.
-I do think having something centralised for world info would be good since I've found myself trawling back through event or plotting faqs a couple of times for specific location info I vaguely remembered seeing, but I do think it doesn't necessarily need to be copied out so much as like...maybe a directory of links to responses? Since more than that seems like it'd be quite a big project. The drop-down detail for the East Sophia stuff was definitely useful, as someone whose character got more heavily involved with that.
-Also agreeing with the general sentiment of not wanting you guys to burn yourselves out! The game seems like it's gotten pretty involved on the modwork end and you deserve to be able to play in your own setting - I'm not sure if you guys have considered opening up for helper mods besides on apps, but it seems like a lot of players on here have expressed interest in offering support, so that could be an option?
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I do think the logs can be -- I don't think they're too long, but maybe putting each individual prompt under a details dropdown that's expanded by default would be better? Previewing a TL comment & then scrolling down on mobile gets irritating. Having everything available from the beginning of the month is really nice.
Another player suggested maybe Velvet Claw prompts could be reworked into a questboard of sorts, and I'm seconding that idea, it sounds like it'd be useful!
(I also always feel like Imprinting should be under the Natural Souls info page & then get really confused when it's not and spend five minutes trying to find it, but that might just be me? Having it & Katalyth info linked from Natural Souls for ease of access would be nice, though!)
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a. LOVE the game. The world-building is so fun, the freedom and yes, anding you guys do in regards to players' questions while sticking to your guns on certain aspects you've put in place is fantastic, and I am in love with the reputation system and how it really feels like our actions affect the world we play in. Very cool, big thumbs up.
b. I'm cool with proxy reserves, and the new souls are so dang cool. Pom won't be getting one, but I'm percolating on what he'll get with his points from the cheaper options. I really like the suggested items there, and would love more of that. Centralized world-building info would be rad too, especially as things are answered in not just the FAQ, but also in plot posts and monthly events under those FAQs - feel free to ask players to help volunteer to write up some of those pages for you guys! I know a lot of us are keeping notes on the side as it is.
c. I don't think the logs are too long, but I definitely appreciate little drop-down "read more" sections for some things, like the finer details on what people might experience for an event, what they might find working for the Velvet Claw, etc. I play a guy who doesn't get involved with everything, so it's nice to be able to read it all, then go back and just focus on the bits that are important for Pom. That said...
d. Definitely slow down or space out stuff if you need to! Just say, "Hey, mods are cooling down a little this month, here's some stuff that's a little lighter" or let a player plot run that month! Burn out is so real, and you guys do so much - none of us want you to get to where you're just stressed about it. It's your game, too - we want to play with you, and you should get to enjoy the setting you've made!
You guys are amazing! Thanks for all the hard work you do!